# Arrested Development is overrated and not funny. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500 "2011-01-30T12:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![killingspree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@killingspree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/killingspree)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/1 "2011-01-30T12:12:21Z")
A lot of my friends love the show and had me watch it with them and I’m almost done with the second season and I don’t just get it. I’ve yet to have any “lol” moments or even crack a smile. Most the characters aren’t even remotely realistic or just too stupid. I can’t believe everyone likes this crap. It seems like people consider the show “cool” or something. David Cross isn’t funny he’s just strange. I hate Michael Cera with a passion too. He plays all the same characters in everything and on this show. It makes sense to me since it was cancelled early. Anyone else agree? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/2 "2011-01-30T12:16:56Z")
No, no I don’t. Can you tell me what shows you do find funny? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/3 "2011-01-30T12:18:19Z")
**killingspree** is a really poor choice of username. It isn’t funny or clever or anything at all really. Anyone else agree? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![killingspree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@killingspree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/killingspree)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/4 "2011-01-30T12:22:01Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > **killingspree** is a really poor choice of username. It isn’t funny or clever or anything at all really. > > Anyone else agree? 😕 I’m new to the forum but I guess you are one of the trolls? ---
**Author:** ![killingspree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@killingspree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/killingspree)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/5 "2011-01-30T12:24:01Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > No, no I don’t. Can you tell me what shows you do find funny? The Big Bang Theory, Two and Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/6 "2011-01-30T12:31:51Z")
> [@killingspree](#): > > I’m new to the forum but I guess you are one of the trolls? Not really. I just find it amusing that there are people who have opinions that they wish to express, that consist of nothing more than - I don’t like X. There are thousands of things I don’t like but I don’t post threads about them. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/7 "2011-01-30T12:39:59Z")
> [@killingspree](#): > > Two and Half Men My goodness. I’ve never met one of you! I mean, I knew you existed, I suppose, but wow. ---
**Author:** ![killingspree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df788c/32.png) [@killingspree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/killingspree)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/8 "2011-01-30T12:46:39Z")
> [@beartato](#): > > My goodness. I’ve never met one of you! I mean, I knew you existed, I suppose, but wow. You must live in a bubble because I’ve heard it’s one of the most popular shows on television besides American Idol. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/9 "2011-01-30T12:47:45Z")
> [@killingspree](#): > > You must live in a bubble because I’ve heard it’s one of the most popular shows on television besides American Idol. Oh it is, but I don’t run in the same circles with the kind of people who would ever admit to watching it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/10 "2011-01-30T12:52:01Z")
Did Michael Cera play this character in any movie before AD? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/11 "2011-01-30T12:53:27Z")
> [@beartato](#): > > Oh it is, but I don’t run in the same circles with the kind of people who would ever admit to watching it. Welcome to the Dope beartato. There’s a rather large BBT following here. In fact often times the weekly BBT thread will start before the show even airs. So now you are running in at least one circle with the kind of people that admit to watching it…proudly. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/12 "2011-01-30T13:28:51Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Welcome to the Dope beartato. There’s a rather large BBT following here. In fact often times the weekly BBT thread will start before the show even airs. So now you are running in at least one circle with the kind of people that admit to watching it…proudly. Assuming that BBT stands for Big Bang Theory and not, somehow, Two and a Half Men, I don’t see what this has to do with my post. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/13 "2011-01-30T13:45:46Z")
> [@beartato](#): > > Assuming that BBT stands for Big Bang Theory and not, somehow, Two and a Half Men, I don’t see what this has to do with my post. Sorry, attributed your quote to the wrong post. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/14 "2011-01-30T13:57:32Z")
I was subjected to watching AD due to a then household member who watched it. (And pre-DVR so we tended to watch stuff together.) Yeah, not funny at all. Incredibly predictable. E.g., if at the beginning of an episode “X” is casually mentioned then event “Y” involving “X” will happen. If a cabin being moved is mentioned then you know someone will end up in the cabin as it gets moved. If a ribbon-cutting for a new development is mentioned, then you know that the houses will start to fall down during the ceremony. On and on and on. A sure sign of second rate writing. The Opie voice-over was also unnecessary and distracting. They also drove poor ideas into the ground over and over without letup. The never-naked guy (plus his other issues). The cousin lust. Not even funny once, let alone a hundred times. (By comparison, my favorite current sitcom is _Community_.) I like shows where I can’t predict the ending after seeing the first 5 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/15 "2011-01-30T14:00:24Z")
What are you looking for in this thread? I certainly don’t agree with you. Yes, many of the characters are unrealistic. But so are many of the characters in the shows that you like. I think Michael Cera was great on this show, playing a square very naturally and humorously. I don’t consider the show particularly “cool”. In the end there is not really anything to argue about, I can just be sad that more people not share my taste, and instead they show shows like American Idol and Two and a Half Men. Edit: Ok, I was wrong. ftg shows that you can have a proper discussion about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/16 "2011-01-30T14:43:45Z")
> [@killingspree](#): > > I’m new to the forum but I guess you are one of the trolls? No, we aren’t trolls. We’ve been around awhile and don’t appreciate threads like “I hate this.” See, if I didn’t like Arrested Development(I do like it, though), I would l have posted this. “I don’t find Arrested Development funny. Did I miss something?” and then in the post, I would have explained my dislike in a inquisitive way instead of suggesting everyone else was wrong. I’ll give you an example. On these boards, Discworld books are popular. I’ve tried twice to like them and had a hard time. However, I didn’t have the arrogance to post “Discworld is overrated and not funny/imaginitive/interesting/well-written or whatever.” Instead, I would(haven’t yet) post "What am I not getting about Discworld? Because I respect the Straight Dope as a haven of intelligent critics of entertainment, I would want them to explain it to me so I could get it. Then, if I still didn’t get it, I would just figure it “isn’t for me” and move on quietly. :dubious: It’s about tone more than dissenting opinion. Get the difference? > [@killingspree](#): > > You must live in a bubble because I’ve heard it’s one of the most popular shows on television besides American Idol. Yeah, but popularity has nothing to do with quality or funniness. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/17 "2011-01-30T14:57:28Z")
In addition to what Mah said, we typically don’t call people with more then 100 or so posts a troll. Trolls tend not to last that long around here. don’t ask has over 12,000 posts and 10+ years with us. Also, I hope you can understand, his post was virtually identical to yours. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/18 "2011-01-30T15:09:08Z")
> [@beartato](#): > > Assuming that BBT stands for Big Bang Theory and not, somehow, Two and a Half Men, I don’t see what this has to do with my post. Same creator, Chuck Lorre. Many people, including myself, simply can’t comprehend how one man can create two shows each at such opposite ends of the “sublime-suck” spectrum. I figure he sold his soul to the devil for the talent to make _The Big Bang Theory_, and _Two and a Half Men_ is the price he has to pay. > [@ftg](#): > > I was subjected to watching AD due to a then household member who watched it. (And pre-DVR so we tended to watch stuff together.) > > Yeah, not funny at all. Incredibly predictable. E.g., if at the beginning of an episode “X” is casually mentioned then event “Y” involving “X” will happen. If a cabin being moved is mentioned then you know someone will end up in the cabin as it gets moved. If a ribbon-cutting for a new development is mentioned, then you know that the houses will start to fall down during the ceremony. On and on and on. > > A sure sign of second rate writing. > > The Opie voice-over was also unnecessary and distracting. > > They also drove poor ideas into the ground over and over without letup. The never-naked guy (plus his other issues). The cousin lust. Not even funny once, let alone a hundred times. > > (By comparison, my favorite current sitcom is _Community_.) > > I like shows where I can’t predict the ending after seeing the first 5 minutes. But how about when they introduce a joke in the _opening credits_ and don’t give you the punchline until the end of the series (George Michael and his cousin Maeby/Maybe)? One of the reasons I’ve heard given for ADD’s inability to find a proper timeslot and an audience is that it was a show which you couldn’t watch while eating dinner- each episode was so densely packed with jokes and themes that if you tried to watch it while doing something else you’d lose out on the humor. Hell, there was even an episode which spotlit the Announcer/Opie thing- and it was in such a subtle way that if you didn’t know Ron Howard had played Opie, you wouldn’t have gotten it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/19 "2011-01-30T15:41:00Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Did Michael Cera play this character in any movie before AD? Yeah, I’m as much on the “One Note Cera” bandwagon as anyone but Arrested Development was where we first heard that note and it was a good one at the time. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500/20 "2011-01-30T15:43:58Z")
i thought his response was rather troll-y: super snarky, personal attack, no discussion of the actual topic… not that i think \*\*DA \*\*is a troll. it just wasn’t a very friendly welcome to the board. anyway, criticizing AD always strikes a nerve with its irrationally rabid fans and it’s not a new thing on this board. lots of people have pointed out the wackiness, the better-read-than-acted pun-humor, the bitter, humorless meta-references to its impending cancellations, etc. so **killingspree** isn’t breaking new ground, or stepping out of line with this thread. i mean, mainstream america wasn’t watching it for a reason and it wasn’t because “stupid americans just don’t GET it.” the plot itself is complex but not nolanesque, and they had a NARRATOR to keep the mental stragglers in line. plus, it was just a sitcom. it’s not like it was the television equivalent of Primer or anything. personally i thought there were a lot of sitcoms in the past 10 years that were a lot better: scrubs, 30 rock, HIMYM, Community, Curb, My Name is Earl, BETTER OFF TED… the only real selling points that AD does well are cross-episodic call-backs (which was tough because they had 3 turbulent seasons) and bad puns (loose seal). funny, but not what most people would call “ha-ha” funny. and i think **KS** has a point with the hipster-cred aspect of liking this show. it was **obscure**. family guy had a similar thing going during its 1st run, and to their horror, they actually got the damn thing back on the air and it went hyper-mainstream. then you have millions of people doing a complete 180 saying “it was better when stewie was angry instead of gay” and “jumped the shark.” oh, and i think david cross is massively overrated, a hypocrite, and just a bitter, unpleasant human being. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrested-development-is-overrated-and-not-funny/569500.md?page=2)