Quote:Not NOW, no.
But you used to have many sitcoms that also had good messages like the one depicted in FPOBA...
I remember all these shows having positive messages and dealing with "issues" like in the example above: Diff'rent Strokes, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Family Ties, Roseanne,
Hell, even early episodes of Bev Hills 90210 had episodes where they dealt with serious issues and provided a good message. Granted, the show diminished as the years went on to more of a soap opera, but in the early years, it wasn't a bad show.
True that serious issues are not really dealt with anymore, but that is because the sit-com is so different now. You do not see a lot of sit-coms aimed at families like some of the ones you posted. They tend to be crude humor (which is a pretty basic and predictable see 2 and a Half Men) or smarter dry humor like 30 Rock was or Arrested Development etc. Those family sitcoms are gone, I guess because people are not watching them like we did when we were younger.
Reality TV has also been a big reason. They are so much cheaper to produce and people watch them for some reason.
My favorite Uncle Phil moment was when he refused to fix the air conditioner in the pool house and took Will and Carlton to court....classic!
Quote:Not NOW, no.
But you used to have many sitcoms that also had good messages like the one depicted in FPOBA...
I remember all these shows having positive messages and dealing with "issues" like in the example above: Diff'rent Strokes, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Family Ties, Roseanne,
Hell, even early episodes of Bev Hills 90210 had episodes where they dealt with serious issues and provided a good message. Granted, the show diminished as the years went on to more of a soap opera, but in the early years, it wasn't a bad show.
I have a theory. I don't think people want to watch TV and see themselves. They don't want to see people dealing with issues like financial struggles, racial inequality and raising teenagers. If they wanted to see that they would videotape their own life.
Wow. That's unbelievable. R.I.P.
For those who grew up in the late 80's/early 90's, he was also the voice of Shredder in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and War Machine in Transformers.
Quote:I have a theory. I don't think people want to watch TV and see themselves. They don't want to see people dealing with issues like financial struggles, racial inequality and raising teenagers. If they wanted to see that they would videotape their own life.
That theory contradicts with the popularity of reality TV shows. (and they don't even have the "good message" part of it, more like just the train wreck part of it. ) MTV's 16 and pregnant just as one example....
My theory is more people are just trash and morally bankrupt than before nowadays and don't care for a "good message" they want to see others' drama, violence, cheap sex and thats entertainment to them. Something with a "good message" is square/ lame to them. They don't want that.
Quote:Not NOW, no.
But you used to have many sitcoms that also had good messages like the one depicted in FPOBA...
I remember all these shows having positive messages and dealing with "issues" like in the example above: Diff'rent Strokes, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Family Ties, Roseanne,
Hell, even early episodes of Bev Hills 90210 had episodes where they dealt with serious issues and provided a good message. Granted, the show diminished as the years went on to more of a soap opera, but in the early years, it wasn't a bad show.
There are still sitcoms and other types of shows today with that message. You also had shows "back in the day" who had the cheap humor as well.
Quote:That theory contradicts with the popularity of reality TV shows. (and they don't even have the "good message" part of it, more like just the train wreck part of it. ) MTV's 16 and pregnant just as one example....
My theory is more people are just trash and morally bankrupt than before nowadays and don't care for a "good message" they want to see others' drama, violence, cheap sex and thats entertainment to them. Something with a "good message" is square/ lame to them. They don't want that.
Yeah, if we all just had your moral compass and integrity ...
Don't you have a brain-dead girl to make fun of?
Rest in peace. Still watch re-runs of Fresh Prince whenever I see it on air. It never gets old for me.
Quote:Back on topic...
My favorite episode is when Will sneaks out to the pool hall and gets in debt to a hustler. So Phil goes to get him and outhustles the hustler. Classic.
CLASSIC...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7u1SGsT51w
Quote:Thats part of it. The other part is most of the current writers/ producers don't have any talent/ substance/ moral compass anyway.....thats why you get cheap nothing "humor" (thats really not even funny) & lots of shows like 2 & a half men, 2 Broke Girls, and crap like that. You won't see a scene like the one you referenced in the fresh Prince above anymore and if by extreme chance you did, most of the audience wouldn't care for it because at this point in time they are conditioned now to like empty, nothing, crap instead of meaningful stuff with a good message.
Its funny, even when you go back and watch Roseanne re-runs from the 1990's, theres a good message/ themes to most of the individual episodes. I don't know what happened between then & now, but man, pop culture has sunk.
To a degree, the sitcoms today are devoid of good delivery, but there were many 20-25 years ago that were fliers as well.
I just think shows like In Living Color wont survive in today's social climate because alot more people are sensitive.
I used to watch that show religiously when I was young. For what it was, it tackled some really emotional issues and had some of the most poignant and touching moments of any sitcom. Some of the vids y'all have posted are perfect examples. I remember crying while watching the episodes with Will's deadbeat dad, the one with the speed in the locker and when will was in the hospital and Carlton with the gun.
Fresh Prince - OBA really was a great show.
Yeah that one. The father one though is my favorite.
WWUPD, What would Uncle Phil do?
I never cared for the show, nor any of the sappy, unrealistically premised sitcoms of that era.
Quote:I never cared for the show, nor any of the sappy, unrealistically premised sitcoms of that era.
like?
Quote:I never cared for the show, nor any of the sappy, unrealistically premised sitcoms of that era.
I have no idea what you are talking about. Those shows were awesome and real.
![[Image: alf-on-the-phone.jpg]](http://sighroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/alf-on-the-phone.jpg)
Ta - HA!!