# "As entertaining as a blowtorch" - good or bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059 "2013-02-12T03:48:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/1 "2013-02-12T03:48:40Z")
When I was kid, my dad would use the New York Times TV listings to pick movies for us to watch. Most movies came with a pithy, one-liner review and a star rating. One of them - I can’t remember which - always had the review “As entertaining as a blowtorch.” I don’t know if we ever watched the movie, but we always debated whether the usually stodgy New York Times meant that in a good or bad way. As a bonus, does anyone know which movie this referred to? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/2 "2013-02-12T04:26:22Z")
> [@](#): > > **“As entertaining as a blowtorch” - good or bad?** It depends on which end of the blowtorch you’re on. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/3 "2013-02-12T06:02:30Z")
My blowtorch has provided me with more hours of fun than any movie I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/4 "2013-02-12T06:53:15Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > When I was kid, my dad would use the New York Times TV listings to pick movies for us to watch. Most movies came with a pithy, one-liner review and a star rating. One of them - I can’t remember which - always had the review “As entertaining as a blowtorch.” > > I don’t know if we ever watched the movie, but we always debated whether the usually stodgy New York Times meant that in a good or bad way. > > As a bonus, does anyone know which movie this referred to? I think that it was the unentertaining one. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/5 "2013-02-12T07:26:58Z")
Blowtorches are for gettin’ mediaeval on some muthafuckah’s ass! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/6 "2013-02-12T10:00:47Z")
I’d definitely assume entertaining, having seen what pyrotechnics some industrial bands get up to onstage with blowtorches and anglegrinders 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/7 "2013-02-12T14:18:53Z")
That’s a negative review. I have no reasoning to back that up, it’s just a gut feeling. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/8 "2013-02-12T14:26:43Z")
Depends whether it’s your blowtorch or mine. If I have it, I can be entertained for hours. If you have one, I’m looking for the nearest exit. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/9 "2013-02-12T14:45:09Z")
I would say it’s intended to be a negative review, presumably because the writer was imagining watching a blowtotch flame for a couple of hours, but as others have said, personally I think blowtorches can be very entertaining! So the writer missed the mark with this one. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/10 "2013-02-12T14:51:03Z")
Personally, I don’t think burned flesh smells all _that_ bad. You get used to it after awhile, especially if you’re conditioned early, like in kindergarden. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-entertaining-as-a-blowtorch-good-or-bad/650059/11 "2013-02-12T14:53:16Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Personally, I don’t think burned flesh smells all _that_ bad. You get used to it afterwhile, especially if you’re conditioned early, like in kindergarden. It depends on whose flesh. Jolene the Chicken? Burn, baby, burn!