The Big Picture: Dumping Irony

[MovieBob]

Dumping Irony

MovieBob takes us back to the 90's for some regretful uses of irony.

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[Thunderous Cacophony]

Did anyone else think that Super-Ninja sounded exactly like Cobra Commander? (in addition to looking like him)

OT: I've got $10 that says that someone brings up bronies in the first page of comments.

 

[Chessrook44]

Somewhere, a Grammar Nazi's head just exploded.

 

[labbu]

Is that Chuck Norris animated series really that bad? Because the concept sounds hilarious.

You think it's worth my time, even if it might be just for laughing at how bad it is? Because I kinda want watch it now...

 

[Avaholic03]

"Life is short, like what you like" deserves to be on a shirt.

 

[Mr. Q]

Few things I can take from Bob's latest episode.

1) I enjoy some bad movies and I'm not afraid to admit that. I recently rented Street Fighter and I love it. Not out of the ironic sense that web culture has misstated and beaten the fuck to death cop-out of watching something because its ironic. I watch it and love it because its an over-the-top bad interpretation of the Street Fighter games with seriously cheesy dialog and hammy acting, mostly from Raul Julia's part (God rest his soul).

2) I barely remember the Chuck Norris animated series and I wish to God I could forget what I just saw with that intro. Repetition of his name is an understatement.

I do recall other 80s movies turned into TV shows for kids and not just the popular Real Ghostbusters. Rambo had an animated series, Karate Kid had one, Conan had two by my recollection, and Bob even mentioned that Toxic Avenger got a show called Toxic Crusaders (had the action figures myself).

3) Totally agree that the Chuck Norris gag has been one of many things the Internet ran into the ground and it shouldn't have started it to begin with imo. If I may, I'd like to offer two memes that are appropriate in this case.

Spoiler

EDIT: Almost forgot to add this. Life is too short trying to be something you're not or liking what other people like. Be yourself and enjoy what you like. Because, most of the time, the majority is usually wrong about what they like.

EDIT 2: Had to update the images because one of the links broke down.

 

[citrusfr00t]

I think a good example of what you are talking about can be seen with the brony movement. I, as a brony, like MLP not because of 'irony' (As many think) but because I like the show.

And what this guy said.

"Life is short, like what you like" deserves to be on a shirt.

Someone should get on that.



EDIT: that awkward moment when you read the second half of the first comment...

 

[MB202]

I never understood the use of irony... Like how the Hell can you tell if something's being ironic instead of just playing it all straight? I never could tell. Nor can I tell when someone's being sarcastic with me... sometimes... That makes me hate irony, or when people try to use irony and fail because nobody realized it was supposed to be ironic. Hell, what does irony even TRULY mean, anyway...

 

[RTR]

Of all the tacky things you could put on a T-Shirt "Life is short, like what you like" probably deserves it the most.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Did anyone else think that Super-Ninja sounded exactly like Cobra Commander? (in addition to looking like him)

OT: I've got $10 that says that someone brings up bronies in the first page of comments.

Do you count?
If so, this bet is fixed! ;p

Also, yes. It seems Cobra Commander was once a ninja.

Few things I can take from Bob's latest episode.

1) I enjoy some bad movies and I'm not afraid to admit that. I recently rented Street Fighter and I love it. Not out of the ironic sense that web culture has misstated and beaten the fuck to death cop-out of watching something because its ironic. I watch it and love it because its an over-the-top bad interpretation of the Street Fighter games with seriously cheesy dialog and hammy acting, mostly from Raul Julia's part (God rest his soul).

2) I barely remember the Chuck Norris animated series and I wish to God I could forget what I just saw with that intro. Repetition of his name is an understatement.

I do recall other 80s movies turned into TV shows for kids and not just the popular Real Ghostbusters. Rambo had an animated series, Karate Kid had one, Conan had two by my recollection, and Bob even mentioned that Toxic Avenger got a show called Toxic Crusaders (had the action figures myself).

3) Totally agree that the Chuck Norris gag has been one of many things the Internet ran into the ground and it shouldn't have started it to begin with imo. If I may, I'd like to offer two memes that are appropriate in this case.

Spoiler

EDIT: Almost forgot to add this. Life is too short trying to be something you're not or liking what other people like. Be yourself and enjoy what you like. Because, most of the time, the majority is usually wrong about what they like.

Thank you very much for those pictures.

 

[Mr. Q]

Did anyone else think that Super-Ninja sounded exactly like Cobra Commander? (in addition to looking like him)

OT: I've got $10 that says that someone brings up bronies in the first page of comments.

Do you count?
If so, this bet is fixed! ;p

Also, yes. It seems Cobra Commander was once a ninja.

Few things I can take from Bob's latest episode.

1) I enjoy some bad movies and I'm not afraid to admit that. I recently rented Street Fighter and I love it. Not out of the ironic sense that web culture has misstated and beaten the fuck to death cop-out of watching something because its ironic. I watch it and love it because its an over-the-top bad interpretation of the Street Fighter games with seriously cheesy dialog and hammy acting, mostly from Raul Julia's part (God rest his soul).

2) I barely remember the Chuck Norris animated series and I wish to God I could forget what I just saw with that intro. Repetition of his name is an understatement.

I do recall other 80s movies turned into TV shows for kids and not just the popular Real Ghostbusters. Rambo had an animated series, Karate Kid had one, Conan had two by my recollection, and Bob even mentioned that Toxic Avenger got a show called Toxic Crusaders (had the action figures myself).

3) Totally agree that the Chuck Norris gag has been one of many things the Internet ran into the ground and it shouldn't have started it to begin with imo. If I may, I'd like to offer two memes that are appropriate in this case.

Spoiler

EDIT: Almost forgot to add this. Life is too short trying to be something you're not or liking what other people like. Be yourself and enjoy what you like. Because, most of the time, the majority is usually wrong about what they like.

Thank you very much for those pictures.

You're welcome.

 

[Ishal]

"Life is short, like what you like" will be eternally at odds with pop culture and mainstream media. Its the modus operandi I've been using for at least a decade now, and hasn't let me down yet.

As for the internet, I give a big giant MEH. Just ignore the things you don't like. The good far outweighs the bad.

Good episode Bob.

 

[Orekoya]

You shouldn't feel guilty about things that make you happy unless those things are, you know, also crimes.

Eh, even then that's kinda incorrect even though I understand the reasoning behind not saying it 'those things are, you know, also immoral' either. I tend to think of that rule in the sense of 'those things hurt others'.

I never understood the use of irony... Like how the Hell can you tell if something's being ironic instead of just playing it all straight? I never could tell. Nor can I tell when someone's being sarcastic with me... sometimes... That makes me hate irony, or when people try to use irony and fail because nobody realized it was supposed to be ironic. Hell, what does irony even TRULY mean, anyway...

Irony is basically when you say one thing for the intention of meaning the opposite, usually for the sake of being unexpected or confusing.

 

[Worgen]

I think chunk norris's popularity is the name, hes got a very recognizable name.

I also think that irony like your talking about might be diminishing. I mean we have a big population of people who are willing to wholeheartedly embrace this.

When pretty much anything that is geared towards girls or children is seen as something that you can only enjoy 'ironically'.

 

[Falseprophet]

I never understood the Chuck Norris thing. I mainlined a tonne of 80s action movies in my youth. Of all those 80s action stars, almost none of whom were good actors, Norris was the worst. He had all the emotive qualities of a block of wood and zero charisma, and unlike Arnie, Dolph, and Jean-Claude, he didn't even have the excuse of English not being his first language. Maybe he was a better fighter than most of those guys, but even that didn't matter much with the terrible choreography of the time, or the fact most of his roles outside of the two Bob mentioned didn't have a tonne of unarmed combat.

As for the rest, as an early 90s teen I went through a long period of detachment that persists somewhat today, but didn't really go in for "irony". I had nostalgia for things from my youth. When I was older, I revisited some of them and realized almost all of them were terrible. The things that weren't terrible, I still liked.

 

[Basement Cat]

That cartoon bit made me cringe with memories of what the 80's were like! Augh! I can't purge them! Stop the pain!!!

On a different note it's good to see The Octagon remembered. I watched that time and again when I was a kid. The cheap audio narration makes me cringe today but I dug it as a child.

 

[Mr Fist]

(Generic BlackAdder The Third reference)

Anyways, I don't believe in guilty pleasures. Why should I be ashamed for loving films like The Number 23, Southland Tales, Knowing or even Prometheus? It's my own personal preference, leave me alone.

I also never understood the whole Chuck Norris fad. Besides, Werner Herzog beats him easily. (runs)

And being someone who isn't living in America, it's always surprising seeing those retro morning cartoons with them bizarre premises I ain't ever heard of before.

 

[Entitled]

OT: I've got $10 that says that someone brings up bronies in the first page of comments.

If anything, bronies are a counter-reaction to the irony trend, also described as a mark of a new era of "neo-sincerity" or "post-ironic sincerity".

With most cartoons since the 90s being busy parodying all the other not-cool cartoons, the whole appeal of MLP was that while it has it's gags and silliness, it's basically a straightforward children's show, the first in years, with genuine friendships, and adventures, and morals, and episodes that end with all the characters laughing without anything reminding us to how this is supposed to be a parody of a cliché.

 

[CarlsonAndPeeters]

I came to this conclusion recently as well. I realized I was always describing Wanted as my favorite guilty pleasure movie when it occurred to me that I don't actually think the movie is bad-in-a-fun-way; I actually think its good. I get that most people think it sucks, but fuck it, I love it and I'm going to watch it whenever I want.

Also, how many times did they say "Chuck Norris" in that ad? Too many times.