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Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:18 pm
by scott_Archive
So many episodes of these funny teevee shows lose their sense with the advent of cellular phone technology. I should have come up with some good examples before posting this, but I didn't.
Watch a couple episodes of Seinfeld, and there's a great chance that something that happens wouldn't be funny in the context of the modern world of cellular technology. Kramer can't remember the address where he's picking up Jerry and Elaine... 2587, 2578, 8752, etc...
Jerry's plane gets delayed and he can't meet the hot chick at the airport (the episode with The Pilot in the audience) and it's this big deal where somebody has to try and meet her there to tell her Jerry can't make it...
The episode where they're at the Chinese restaurant (where the host is Lo-Pan from Big Trouble in Little China) and George keeps trying to use the payphone to call somebody, and then that person calls back at the restaurant and he misses the call...
These are off the top of my head, but I've noticed it a whole ton of times, all sorta plots that are funny in the old world, but in the new world, it's like "um, yeah, cell phone".
Cell phone, affect on comedy, something like that. Yeah?
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:23 pm
by Major_Archive
I totally get what you're saying...
I was watching this episode of "The Brady Bunch" and Peter was waiting on a phone call, but Jan was talking to her friend on the phone. He got very angry because Jan was tying up the line.
And I was all like, "Uh, dude. Call waiting, hello?"
Or just look the girl up on AIM, right?
Loser!
....
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:29 pm
by scott_Archive
MajorEverettMiller wrote:I totally get what you're saying...
I was watching this episode of "The Brady Bunch" and Peter was waiting on a phone call, but Jan was talking to her friend on the phone. He got very angry because Jan was tying up the line.
And I was all like, "Uh, dude. Call waiting, hello?"
Or just look the girl up on AIM, right?
Loser!
....
Sure, sure. And to take it even further back, there's the oldschool ones like Green Acres, where the entire town shares one phone line, has an operator, etc. Or Lassie, they had that, too. Basically any show from the 40's or 50's or hell, I dunno when the automated operator systems were put in and people had their own phone lines, etc.
It stands out much more, to me, with shows that are only a handful of years old. For some of them, cell phones were already getting fairly popular and the show avoided them in favor of older comedic devices.
Remember the Brady Bunch where they put the payphone in the den? Oh man, that was MONSTER funny!!
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:41 pm
by oxlongm_Archive
scott wrote:MajorEverettMiller wrote:I totally get what you're saying...
I was watching this episode of "The Brady Bunch" and Peter was waiting on a phone call, but Jan was talking to her friend on the phone. He got very angry because Jan was tying up the line.
And I was all like, "Uh, dude. Call waiting, hello?"
Or just look the girl up on AIM, right?
Loser!
....
Sure, sure. And to take it even further back, there's the oldschool ones like Green Acres, where the entire town shares one phone line, has an operator, etc. Or Lassie, they had that, too. Basically any show from the 40's or 50's or hell, I dunno when the automated operator systems were put in and people had their own phone lines, etc.
It stands out much more, to me, with shows that are only a handful of years old. For some of them, cell phones were already getting fairly popular and the show avoided them in favor of older comedic devices.
Remember the Brady Bunch where they put the payphone in the den? Oh man, that was MONSTER funny!!
And then there's that O. Henry story, "The Gift Of The Magi," in which a loving, poor young couple each have their own prized possessions -- he his heirloom watch, and she her beautiful long hair. For Christmas gifts, they buy each other hair combs and a watch fob, but sadly he has sold his watch to buy the combs and she has sold her hair to buy the fob.
Recently I reread it and I was all like, that couldn't happen now. The catastrophic epidemic of brain cancer we're going to get from cell phone radiation would kill them off first.
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:42 pm
by electrons_Archive
scott wrote:(where the host is Lo-Pan from Big Trouble in Little China)
This is James Hong. Whenever he makes an appearance, I start quoting David Lopan: "You are not brought upon this world to 'get it'!" or "Good knife. Goodnight, Mr. Burton." or "Now this really pisses me off to no end!" or "2 girls with green eyes! What does this mean?" I just saw him in an episode of A-Team a few months back. Sweeeeeeeet!!!
Oh, yeah, cell phones. Um, they ruin sitcoms and stuff. Like if Balki and Larry Appleton had one there would be less hijinx like exploding Bibbybabka.
Be sure to roll it slow!
Sorry, bad contribution.
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:46 pm
by Christopher_Dragon_Archive
Damn you scott.
I was gonna do a CRAP/NOT CRAP on Mr. Potato Head because I haven't started an extremely stupid thread in a while but you've already gone ahead and done the 'token' stupid post for the day.
Now that plastic bitch has to wait for tomorrow.
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:00 pm
by Eksvplot_Archive
do one on the Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head instead.
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:18 pm
by electrons_Archive
Eksvplot wrote:do one on the Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head instead.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!! You mean Darth Tater!?!?!!? Not Crap.
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:29 pm
by Bloodjet_Archive
I remember hearing an interview with the director David Gordon Green where he says that even though Undertow takes place in a contemporary setting, he intentionally left out the existence of cell phones in his story.
Impact of Cellular phones on sitcoms
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:35 pm
by kerble_Archive
