Bashing the Show You Love? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Retro4Life · 05-16-2017, 04:00 PM

I'm always kind of fascinated by this phenomena. There are many folks who have apparently spent a LOT of time watching a certain show (and we can presume this is because they enjoy it), and yet they spend countless hours picking at its flaws and looking for things to criticize about it.

I'm not saying we should just ignore a show's flaws; they all have them. But to concentrate so intently on the negative side of the show you purportedly love strikes me as just a little...off.

Anybody else curious about this?

PhoenixAcres · 05-16-2017, 06:57 PM

I think it's a healthy thing. You could say it shows that the person is unbiased. That is, their favorite show should be subjected to the same critical eye that all other shows face. I understand it may seem contradictory at first, but in reality, no one has to be behind a show 100%, even if it's their self-proclaimed favorite. The point is, for them personally, the good qualities far outweigh the bad. But by drawing attention to its bad qualities, it gives even greater credibility to your belief that it's a great show overall.

I have no problem picking apart shows I love. If there's a stupid storyline or bad writing in one episode, I'll recognize it and make it known. And yet that won't lessen my opinion of the show as a whole.

Also, I agree completely with the comment above by Alan Brady's Hair.

Retro4Life · 05-16-2017, 07:07 PM

Well, again, I'm not saying no one should criticize the shows they love. It's just a bit odd to me when the ONLY comments one makes about one of their favorite shows are negative ones.

Surely there was SOMETHING you liked about it to keep watching it in the first place?

Mr. Television · 05-16-2017, 07:27 PM

Usually when a show goes bad I just quit watching. It's happened to me quite a lot.

stevea · 05-16-2017, 09:08 PM

This hits kind of close to home for me. I spend a lot of time on the Beaver board, and I hit some of the production side things about the show kind of hard. And some of the writing inconsistencies.

I think when you're a fan of a show, you kind of feel entitled to be critical. Also, some posts may just be to say something new when nothing is going on on the board.

I also post positives, though, so I may not be totally off.

But to the OP: you made a really good point.

PhoenixAcres · 05-16-2017, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Well, again, I'm not saying no one should criticize the shows they love. It's just a bit odd to me when the ONLY comments one makes about one of their favorite shows are negative ones.

Surely there was SOMETHING you liked about it to keep watching it in the first place?

I agree. I may have misread your original post. If someone is focusing solely on the negative aspects of a show, that is a bit strange. If they like the show there should be something good to say about it. If they can't manage that then they're probably not as big a fan as they say.

05-16-2017, 04:00 PM	#1
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Bashing the Show You Love? I'm always kind of fascinated by this phenomena. There are many folks who have apparently spent a LOT of time watching a certain show (and we can presume this is because they enjoy it), and yet they spend countless hours picking at its flaws and looking for things to criticize about it. I'm not saying we should just ignore a show's flaws; they all have them. But to concentrate so intently on the negative side of the show you purportedly love strikes me as just a little...off. Anybody else curious about this?
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

05-16-2017, 07:27 PM	#4
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Usually when a show goes bad I just quit watching. It's happened to me quite a lot.
	__________________ Sonny

05-16-2017, 06:57 PM	#2
PhoenixAcres Member Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 26, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 6,824	I think it's a healthy thing. You could say it shows that the person is unbiased. That is, their favorite show should be subjected to the same critical eye that all other shows face. I understand it may seem contradictory at first, but in reality, no one has to be behind a show 100%, even if it's their self-proclaimed favorite. The point is, for them personally, the good qualities far outweigh the bad. But by drawing attention to its bad qualities, it gives even greater credibility to your belief that it's a great show overall. I have no problem picking apart shows I love. If there's a stupid storyline or bad writing in one episode, I'll recognize it and make it known. And yet that won't lessen my opinion of the show as a whole. Also, I agree completely with the comment above by Alan Brady's Hair.

05-16-2017, 07:07 PM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Well, again, I'm not saying no one should criticize the shows they love. It's just a bit odd to me when the ONLY comments one makes about one of their favorite shows are negative ones. Surely there was SOMETHING you liked about it to keep watching it in the first place?

05-16-2017, 09:08 PM	#5
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,833	This hits kind of close to home for me. I spend a lot of time on the Beaver board, and I hit some of the production side things about the show kind of hard. And some of the writing inconsistencies. I think when you're a fan of a show, you kind of feel entitled to be critical. Also, some posts may just be to say something new when nothing is going on on the board. I also post positives, though, so I may not be totally off. But to the OP: you made a really good point.