The TV Rant Thread

[rbain]

totally. I just wish they had whole episodes On Demand instead of clips. Did you notice that he quit smoking?
-Rob

[Crunchie]

The stupidest one I have ever seen has got to be "synchronized swimming." What a fucking handjob of a "sport." It's about as interesting as watching paint dry. I'd rather have my eyeballs pecked out by hungry crows that watch that shit.

I feel the same way about golf.

Here's another one from the same ilk: Bowling.  Almost as exciting to watch as that dumb thing where girls run around whipping about a 20 foot ribbon tied to a stick. If I saw my neigbor doing that, I'd phone the looney bin for a pickup.

[seebee]

Really into No Reservations on the Travel Channel. Anthony Bourdain is the man...

Bourdain can be hilarious. The snake heart and the seal blubber were just such wrong shows. You might also get into the other "eat a buncha weird stuff show: "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern." He's nowhere near as cool as Tony, but he has a few good shows where he ate some really odd stuff (bugs, guinea pigs, worms, etc,) along with some foods where you just know that it would be the best stuff you ever tried.

[rbain]

I thought the seal scene was surreal and beautiful. The whole family together, eating the way their grandparents ate, without any self-consciousness about it. Had they been on the ice outside an igloo it would have seemed like anthropology, but in a modern kitchen it seemed twisted, and that was pretty cool. Bourdain for me is just sooo much more respectful than Zimmern, who seems more about the gross-out factor. Bourdain manages to make quite beautiful travel shows that only incidentally occasionally include bizarre foods. He seems more interested in actually eating what the locals eat, rather than just checking off a list of strange foods.

Zimmern drives me up the wall.

-Rob

[Bear]

I don't understand people who watch television
when it is beautiful outdside. My tube has only been on
for an occasional  9p news cast and one Bears game since May.

[Bonster]

My tube has only been on for an occasional  9p news cast and one Bears game since May.

Too bad for you.  You're missing a beautiful season by Carlos Quentin.

[Ted]

Too bad for you.  You're missing a beautiful season by Carlos Quentin.

  And, a beautiful season it has been.  See ya in the World Series.   

[Hogzilla]

I've tried to watch Zimmerman, but the combination of messed up foods and his annoying voice and personality drive me up the wall. I agree with Rob, Bourdain happens upon odd foods, but it's only because he is eating what the locals eat. He is as into street food as he is fine dining, maybe even more. He is more into the adventure of the location than trying to out-weird anyone. The show is very creatively shot, edited and there is always a good story behind the trip. I always feel like I learned something about the place I didn't know, or were surprised about. And the guy is about as non-pretentious as they come. Cool to the core, yet still humble and honest. Makes for an enjoyable show.

[Crunchie]

Hot damn! Synchronized handjobbing is on today!

[Crunchie]

I see WTTW is in the midst of yet another beg-a-thon. They just had one in June that seemed to last forever. It wouldn't be so irritating if they at least ran some new material during these begging extravaganzas. But it's the same shit over and over.

[rbain]

I don't understand why they play a bunch of one-off lame specials for pledge drives. It only irritates the regular PBS viewers, who in addition to having the pledge drive, can't see the shows they regularly watch! WBEZ seems to do OK running their regular programming during drives, and are doing online giving to shorten the number of pledge days. Does WTTW's system actually work?
-Rob

[buzz]

The pledge programming usually sucks.  They get my $$$ every year but what confounds me is their mailings.  Every damn month they send me another plea for money !  Just like the ASPCA, St. Jude, and the DNC.
I'm not a bottomless pit.

[Crunchie]

Geico commercials. The cavemen and the gecko were funny, but this new stack of cash with eyes is just dumb. I'm irritated by it already.

[Puttintange]

I agree the stack of money is stupid

[Crunchie]

Damn, WTTW has another begathon going. Didn't they just have one about a month ago. I think I would rather put up with regular commercials. Some of their begging break last for a half hour, and they usually run the same crapola shows over and over when begging.

[Crunchie]

Two commercials that have gotten real old real fast. I am totally sick of seeing the girl jump up on the dining room table during dinner and then start singing "Respect." To sell cellphones? Way too much exposure. And the AT&T Uverse commercial with the guy who ties ropes to his A/V gear so he can drag it to another room? Dumb beyond belief. 

I nominate "Curious George" as the most obnoxious show on TV. I was in the computer room working but accidentally left the TV on and tuned into Ch 11 during the day when they run children's  programming all day long. My God, what drivel our chldren are being exposed to. Anyway, the volume was just loud enough to allow me to hear CG making his simian chirps  every ten seconds. It is the most irritating sound I have ever heard.

[Bonster]

My God, what drivel our chldren are being exposed to.

Curious George has been around for like 50 years, what are you talking about?

[Crunchie]

My God, what drivel our chldren are being exposed to.

Curious George has been around for like 50 years, what are you talking about?

I know it's been around forever, but that was the first time I had heard the cartoon show.

[buzz]

And the AT&T Uverse commercial with the guy who ties ropes to his A/V gear so he can drag it to another room? Dumb beyond belief. 

The Asian (not Oriental) man in those commercials is Tim Kang.  He has a supporting role in "The Mentalist" now.  He does an excellent Jack Webb imitation.

[Noble Falcon]

And the AT&T Uverse commercial with the guy who ties ropes to his A/V gear so he can drag it to another room? Dumb beyond belief. 

The Asian (not Oriental) man in those commercials is Tim Kang.  He has a supporting role in "The Mentalist" now.  He does an excellent Jack Webb imitation.

I seen Tim Kang last week in a 2002 Soprano's episode. He played Uncle Junior's Dr when he fell and hit his head..


Does anyone like  The Unit?  Great show!