So, for a while now, I actually thought about researching this particular topic in depth. Maybe I will one day. Truth be told though, I can't remember the first time I saw it, but I want to say it was in the movie "The Mask" starring Jim Carey. There was a villain character, clearly aimed at kids with his goofball antics, getting peed on by a dog for laughs. But I wasn't laughing. Oh sure, it was the next 'logical' step down from the burps and gass passing that had started to crop up, but I have never cared for those either. Now, I know that the first thing a person might think if they are reading this, is that I'm a prude and not with the times are so other stupid, snarky thought. Let me give you a little insight into me briefly.
I grew up watching the "Disney Afternoon," so a chunk of my childhood was made up of the likes of Ducktales, Rescue Rangers, and Talespin. I think occasionally on those shows, either Dale or Baloo would belch noisely, but that was the worst of it. Furthermore, after they burped, one of the other characters would usually chastize them for their lack of decor. So, it wasn't really acceptable to even belch without a quick "excuse me." Now, again, before you might think you're oh so clever variation on the "ha ha you're old," garbage, ask yourself this. How does it help a scene in a kids show or a show that is based a kids show to depict something impolite as a source for laughs? What damage does it do to the people watching it? I think it is horrible for a person to think that the best they can do for laughs is a joke about bodily functions. You should expect more from both show, and from yourself.
To that end, I think the current crop of writers in Hollywood think very little of the average movie goer. Not only that, but when a possible franchise opportunity in the form of a beloved children's show comes across their desk, they think that they have to reach into the same bag of tricks. And it is a very old bag.
Without having seen the movie, I knew that the Smurfs based film would have a few jokes about farting and burping, and this was based on the fact that the movie was coming out. Same with the Inspector Gadget movie, Richie Rich, and others. Why does my childhood need to be ruined by the inclusion of some insipid gag that wasn’t funny the first time, let alone the hundredth or so time it was told? It’s like Hollywood had a memory problem and refuses to believe the public when they say that they are tired of garbage like that. There response seems to be, “No, you are stupid masses, we know that you like this stuff, besides, I think that this show is stupid, so I will kill off franchise potential by making the movie unwatchable.”
Sorry to sound so rant like. I will do better tomorrow. I’m trying to get a good quota of words in, but all I can think about is how tired I am from my monthly blood test followed up by an 8 hour shift. A person doesn’t become a writer simply by saying “I feel too tired to do this tonight.” I would like to do this line of thought a better bit of justice, and I think I could hit upon what I would like to say with a bit more rest and a bit more thought. I will revisit the topic of the gross jokes in kid franchises later.
For now, maybe I should just mention the fact that I am tired of my retail job taking so much from me, both mentally as well as physically. I want to crank out a creative bit of writing soon, but even the shortest shift at work leaves me feeling so drained and so tired that I just want to veg-out and do nothing. I don’t know what I can do to combat this. I keep coming up to this problem.
I think it is showing something though that I’m trying to plow through, even if it isn’t something as profound as I would like. I have to fight for every inch of ground that I gain in the war against my own apathy. It would be so easy just to give up, and not write anything more tonight. I want to quit, but I’ve done that enough already.
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