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Re: The Boys
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:32 pm
by honorentheos
MeDotOrg wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:49 pm
honorentheos wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:20 pm
I've watched both seasons. My guess is one of the writers has experienced the cult that is Evangelical Christianity. I think the parallels between corporate profit seeking, nationalism, and consumerism were it's best targets, subsuming religion into them, but there wasn't much it could insightfully say after making the parallels apparent in the parody of American culture that is the show. The superheroes embody American hero worship that scores it's points by smashing celebrity with military fetishizing and making a cartoon of the military industrial political complex plus a spoiler industry villain. Clever enough but where to go with that? I found the first 2/3 of season 1 interesting but didn't think it stuck the landing. And season 2 is meh.
Good analysis, which is to say I agree with you. ;-
Thanks.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:10 am
by Some Schmo
honorentheos wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:19 pm
Hey Schmo,
I should say I really appreciate you starting the thread. It's fun to talk about critiques of popular media, in my opinion. My wife had to get used to me talking about a movie or show we watched, after finishing it. When dating and even long into our marriage, she assumed I hated most shows or movies. It took time and many a discussing to realize I am just that way, allowing a show to either entertain or not at a simple binary level, while simultaneously analysing it, deconstructing it, digging into the structure, etc. She used to ask why I couldn't just watch to which I couldn't answer other than it seemed like a waste of time to "just watch" anything. I learned she didn't enjoy that, and I found other outlets. One of my brothers has always been the same way so we usually bounce thoughts off one another.
I can relate to this, although if I spend too much time deconstructing, it's because I'm not really liking it. I've been trying to just sort of let the journey take me lately, suspend belief, mostly because... why spend the time otherwise? I'm in it for the entertainment. I guess it comes down to how motivated I am to let things go for any given show. It also depends on my mood at the time (man, I've been impressed with that idea lately).
But yeah, I enjoyed your thoughts. It does seem like the kind of show that could spark interesting conversation.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:34 am
by Gadianton
h wrote:Tangentially, I kind of love how badly written the uber-wealthy westerners are in the show.
That was one of my favorite parts, how does a South Korean film maker portray rich Americans? Pretty hilarious.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:37 am
by honorentheos
Some Schmo wrote: ↑Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:10 am
it also depends on my mood at the time (man, I've been impressed with that idea lately).
Absolutely. Maybe it's a result of the mild trauma of the last two years, but I find I'm much more conscious of my own baseline condition and it's effects on my decisions. In a different way, I find I choose music to listen to less as a vibe I aim to shift into, and more if it is likely to mesh with my current vibe. I think I was more likely to be persuaded by the music into changing my mood where now the lift can be too much for the music and it's better to match them up from the start. Don't know. Weird times we have been living though for sure.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:38 am
by honorentheos
Gadianton wrote: ↑Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:34 am
h wrote:Tangentially, I kind of love how badly written the uber-wealthy westerners are in the show.
That was one of my favorite parts, how does a South Korean film maker portray rich Americans? Pretty hilarious.
It took me a moment to realize what was up. At first I thought it was incredibly jarring and questioned it, but then figured out why it is the way it is and it clicked for me. So when I use it as an example it's based on my own experience. I've heard many people talk about how jarring that was, how they felt it almost ruins the show. Yeah.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 9:28 am
by Schreech
Loved The Boys and it’s funny you guys mention the gore as they backed way off compared to the comics. The comics had a better overall story line as there were multiple super teams/frats and the boys were sort of the super hero boogeymen. Just brutal.
Garth Ennis also wrote preacher. Great comic and great series (on amc/Hulu maybe). I loved the story and they did a pretty good job adapting it for tv. Essentially, god bailed from heaven when a half demon/angel spawn was born (and accidentally ends up inside the main character, the preacher) that could potentially rival his power. They set off to find him and get him back to heaven. God seems to like jazz clubs and some light S&M.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:22 pm
by Xenophon
honorentheos wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 10:19 pm
Hey Schmo,
I should say I really appreciate you starting the thread. It's fun to talk about critiques of popular media, in my opinion.
[snip]
That is all a long winded way of saying I don't think of my take on the series as a value judgement. It isn't meant to say anything about the show being good or bad. My favorite single season of television ever, True Detective Season 1, is still subject to the same treatment.
Honor I've got much the same problem as you. My desire to deconstruct media definitely doesn't detract from my enjoyment of a program though. My guilty pleasure is still
TERRIBLE action movies (I blame the many fond memories of watching them with my dad and grandfather). Just because I can pull out every inconsistency, plot hole, and over used trope doesn't mean I won't pop in another Steven Seagal classic when I'm in the mood.
To the OP, I thought the series was all right. It is a series that has a point to make and boy do they spend a lot of time over hammering that nail. I had the same feeling with
Don't Look Up, at some point I'm just left saying "okay... I get it already". I wasn't familiar with the source material so perhaps I would have found that more engaging. I did think to myself that the message might have been better told in a Vonnegut-esque short story.
If you're looking for another irreverent super hero series I'd point you to
Invincible (also on Amazon). It may be because I was familiar with the source but I found it more enjoyable, generically. If you find the gore of
The Boys a put off the show may not be for you as it has plenty. The only upside is it is animated so at least the gore is a bit less real feeling.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:37 pm
by Schreech
Xenophon wrote: ↑Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:22 pm
Honor I've got much the same problem as you. My desire to deconstruct media definitely doesn't detract from my enjoyment of a program though. My guilty pleasure is still
TERRIBLE action movies (I blame the many fond memories of watching them with my dad and grandfather). Just because I can pull out every inconsistency, plot hole, and over used trope doesn't mean I won't pop in another Steven Seagal classic when I'm in the mood.
To the OP, I thought the series was all right. It is a series that has a point to make and boy do they spend a lot of time over hammering that nail. I had the same feeling with
Don't Look Up, at some point I'm just left saying "okay... I get it already". I wasn't familiar with the source material so perhaps I would have found that more engaging. I did think to myself that the message might have been better told in a Vonnegut-esque short story.
If you're looking for another irreverent super hero series I'd point you to
Invincible (also on Amazon). It may be because I was familiar with the source but I found it more enjoyable, generically. If you find the gore of
The Boys a put off the show may not be for you as it has plenty. The only upside is it is animated so at least the gore is a bit less real feeling.
OMG - "don't look up" was painful after about 30 minutes. It was like a comedian trying to explain a joke everyone got, over and over again trying to dumb it down with each explanation. I would have liked a 45 minute version of that movie OR maybe some additional plotlines...I never got that feel from The Boys but I think reading the comics added a bit to the plot that wasn't there (yet).
Oh, and only one season of Invincible!
...Its was a total surprise find for me and I binged it on a flight to europe. Loved it...highly recommend.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:46 pm
by Some Schmo
I saw Invincible come up as a recommendation after watching The Boys. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation, all.
Re: The Boys
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2022 5:03 pm
by Chap
Schreech wrote: ↑Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:37 pm
"don't look up" was painful after about 30 minutes.
I watched it all the way through, and enjoyed it, as did my wife. Maybe we just have longer attention spans?
Obviously it was not a docudrama, but for me it did a good job as a broadly topical satirical comedy. However, tastes may differ.