Think I'm about done watching Futurama...

[GistoftheFist]

You forgot the "just" in your title.

"Think i'm just about done watching Futurama..."

 

[McMarbles]

post-cancellation was Futurama trying to reference real-world things (like the iPad/2012 phenomenon) which felt completely out of place the only fun episode from the last two seasons was the one where Bender got a son.

See, now, this is the reason I just can't watch it anymore.

The last half-season was just god-awful. The only ones I actually liked were the Minority Report parody, the one where Bender overclocks himself, and the one with the old-timey/anime/video game segments.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I loved the pre-cancelation seasons of Futurama. Back then the vast majority of the episodes were original stories with humorous pop-culture/current event references in the form of talking about them as though they were important historic events a thousand years ago.

But there's two main problems I have with the newer seasons that have come out. For starters I just think most of the episodes are only "meh" at best as it seems Matt Greoning is struggling to recapture that golden formula that turned Futurama into a cult hit that had people demanding that it be brought back from cancelation. But the fact that he hasn't recaptured that magic actually ties directly into what disgusts me the most about the newer seasons: too much political bullshit.

It's no secret that Matt is a liberal, a pretty big one at that. But where as the old seasons might have an Al Gore reference about how he's some kind of environmental hero, it seems now we're past the point of references and have reached the point where episodes are coming out as 30 minute propaganda opportunities.

Such as the most recent episode which pretty much has the theme of "Obama is the greatest man alive, he is a fantastic leader and the best president this country has ever had. All criticism of him is hateful, ignorant, and entirely based upon lies and rumors."

As I said, I don't mind a cartoonist weaving in their political views into their cartoons, but it has to be done with a delicate touch as it was before in pre-cancelation Futurama. When you make episodes like the one from last night, you're just completely alienating half your audience. Does Matt honestly believe a conservative will watch that episode and suddenly think "He's right, all my disagreements with Obama's policies and the current state of the nation under his administration are just ridiculous. He's a wonderful man and I should be thankful that he got elected"? Because if that's the aim, it's not going to happen.

It's as though Matt got into a competition with Seth Macfarlane for who could make the most liberal-agenda-pushing show. The difference is that Family Guy at least still has some funny gags, Futurama is just getting lame.

The two seasons (I'm calling these two out specifically because I haven't seen the latest series) after Futurama returned to TV were great because they did what makes Futurama great: SCIENCE. There are episodes of multiple mishaps with time traveling, body swapping, overclocked robots, and various parodies of space odysseys. I enjoyed these episodes because they are interesting and the main cast is incredibly dysfunctional and hilarious.

The reason why you liked the pop culture references is because that is what The Simpsons are currently about. The earlier seasons of The Simpsons were great because they focused on a dysfunctional family who deals with various stigmas of modern day families and builds their main cast into deeper and adored characters. But after 21+ seasons, there's nothing left to build on in the series, so they just default on taking bits of current pop culture and makes it into a "The Simpsons meet Lady Gaga" fiasco. Futurama isn't completely restrained by pop culture references, and are able to make fun of it or put their own spin on it because "it's the future" (i.e. the eyePhone being a wireless headset that you place and operate in your eye socket).

 

[SeeIn2D]

I think Futurama has the exact same formula as it had before, but it feels different. The formula it had before was make funny plot lines and add in current references. It doesn't feel the same anymore because the old references we remember aren't current anymore. I still think it's brilliant and hilarious and I still love it!

 

[chaosyoshimage]

Yes all of this, all of it, I haven't posted in awhile and came back because Kotaku is broken now. I couldn't stand the last half-season and the premiere of this one (Haven't seen the latest episode). The movies were okay and the half-season after that was as well. I loved Reincarnation, but these guys just DO NOT TRY anymore. That's the problem, back in the day they were fighting cancellation they had to do their damnedest to make a good show. Now they're popularity is enough to keep them from ever getting canned so they can put out whatever shit comes to their mind at first. The Simpsons has been like this for years.

 

[=y]

Politics ruin everything, especially things that I enjoy. Haven't seen much of the newer episodes but I must say it doesn't have the same magic. I'll still watch it though so I guess it'll have to get worse for it to lose my interest.

Whatever. Long running shows don't stay awesome forever.

 

[GrimTuesday]

I still think it is pretty fucking funny. The fact that it has some episodes that are of a somewhat political nature doesn't mean it is all shit. I personally think you're reading too much into the last episode, I mean sure, the character is like Obama, but really outside of the birth certificate thing and the course he took (which is if anything makes him a bit of a parody of Obama), he was just your stereotypical ideal "liberal" presidential candidate from any political movie. Also, the fact that they make current references is the same thing as they did in the original series, so stop bitching.

What we have now is, while not as funny as the original, a solid comedy series so stop being a whiner and just enjoy the satire damn it.

 

[viranimus]

Such as the most recent episode which pretty much has the theme of "Obama is the greatest man alive, he is a fantastic leader and the best president this country has ever had. All criticism of him is hateful, ignorant, and entirely based upon lies and rumors."

Is it that the theme is in massive support of Obama? Because the Episode I just watched (Election 3012) had nothing to do with Obama and everything to do with the behavior of conservatives over the last couple of years. IE: Build a fence, Birther, etc.

One thing about the change of the series. We in essence live in a different country now. The original run started as George W took office, The second run started as Obama took office. Presidents shape the culture of a country. Im reminded of the group Ministry deciding to take a break, because the lead singer had trouble with being as pissed off about things with a democrat in office. A lot of people veiw whatever is opposite of their party affiliation as almost an oppressive seizure of power and allow that to influence their perspective. So yes, its understandable that if Greoning is a liberal and originally the show was under a republican regime and now its under a democratic one, the political humor at least would invariably shift from being offensive humor attacking the existing establishment to a defensive humor.

Times change, people change, situations change. People are entirely too hard on things because of these kinds of changes because it doesnt fit with their perceptions from behind horn rimmed nostalgia goggles.

 

[Shaved Apple]

I don't really like any of Futurama's new episodes just the old ones.

 

[Shocksplicer]

You forgot the "just" in your title.

"Think i'm just about done watching Futurama..."

There's nothing wrong with the title... It works fine with or without the "just".

OT: It's definitely not as good as it used to be, but I'm still holding onto the hope that it'll level out at some point and get back to the good old days.

 

[9thRequiem]

Sure, the post-rebirth seasons do have a lot of heavy-handed episodes, but I don't think you can say there's been no good new ones.
The one with the forwards-time-machine, for instance, rates up there with the best of them.

 

[Woodsey]

Essentially the guy that Leela was supporting WAS Obama...except they made him white. The entire episode was a glorification of Obama, insisting that he is a golden child that we should all be thankful for. When Nixon has Bender go look for dirt on him and yet Bender turns up with absolutely nothin but a Nobel Prize and a straight-A transcript from Harvard. It's saying that all negative criticisms are nothing but lies and rumors spread by conservatives.

During the debate, all the other political candidates are either rednecks or morons, yet the Obama parallel speaks calmly, passionately, and is made out to be the good guy. It even goes so far as to imply that he's too smart for the general public to appreciate (which is actually a direct quote from Leela).

I assure you, my friend, that episode was nothing but an "All Hail Obama" episode. I don't know how much you know about Obama, but the good-guy candidate was a direct side-by-side parallel of Obama...literally the only difference between the two was that in Futurama they made him white...and Obama isn't actually from the future.

Where the message really comes through is the notiong of "I've seen the destruction brought on if Nixon (representing EVIL conservatives) wins, and so I've come to make sure he doesn't win the election."

Futurama of course being the shown that has previously featured Nixon's head as a maniacal, well, maniac who attaches himself to a 100-foot tall robot before smashing up the White House.

And the "there's no dirt on him" seemed far more a joke about the fact that there are Republicans in the States who have devoted serious fucking time to trying to 'prove' he's not bloody American.

Sure, the post-rebirth seasons do have a lot of heavy-handed episodes, but I don't think you can say there's been no good new ones.
The one with the forwards-time-machine, for instance, rates up there with the best of them.

I really liked that one too. Better than the dog episode everyone cries about. (Flame on!)