To make it perfectly clear: In a thread about a TV show, movie, book, or any other work of art, it is permissible to post praising it, and it is also permissible to post criticizing it, or any combination thereof. Criticizing a work of art in a thread started to praise it, or vice versa, is not threadshitting, and that was not the problem with @Gatopescado 's posts. @Gatopescado 's posts became a problem only when he started turning them into a personal pity party, and so that was what I moderated.
I think this quotation suggests otherwise. You were “officially” recommending what, exactly? I read it as recommending (officially) that he post on different topics.
As I also read puzzlegal’s remark to me, which I just quoted. The “official” stance of Mods in this thread seems to me clearly “Don’t post about this show unless you’ve got positive things to say.”
I think the key there is “enjoy discussing”. You can discuss the pros and cons of a show without hating on it and sucking the fun out of the discussion.
You can be critical of a show without crapping all over it and you can be complimentary without shouting down all criticisms. Finding that balance in a thread is something mods try to do.
I totally agree. If all someone does is post negative and hostile posts every week about nearly every aspect of the show, it ruins the thread for everyone else. This is different from not liking a particular episode or storyline.
Yes, @IvoryTowerDenizen hit the nail on the head, and @hajario explains why we do it. If you hate a show and want to trash it, start a thread for that, don’t dump on the people who are enjoying the show, or some aspects of the show. If you mostly like the show, but are really pissed that xyz happened in this episode, or you noticed a funny discontinuity, or have some other negative comment that would be of interest to the other people discussing the show, by all means, put it in the main discussion thread about the show.
If you want to like the show, but xyz prevents you from doing so, you can bring that up. But harping on it, especially if no one else joins you, is a detriment to the conversation.
First place, some people said they agreed with the points I was making, so spare me the “no one else joins you” overstatement, and “harping on it” was 'responding to people’s defenses of the show’s flaws" (pretty ineptly, for the most part, at least to my perspective.) I’m glad to be persuaded I misread a scene or misunderstood a plot line–in fact, that’s why I post as I do. I want to be persuaded, because I LIKE THE FRIGGEN SHOW, as stated several times. I like the actors, I like the characters, I like the cinematography, I like the writing, I like the direction, but I’m disappointed by the story arc so far this season–too slow for my taste, and way too many over-orchestrated details spun with too little resolution. Do you suppose I’ve watched this for six seasons because I don’t enjoy the show?
If people don’t enjoy reading my posts here, they can roll their eyes and scroll on instead of engaging me in discussion, or accusing me of threadshitting. But if they DO engage me in discussion, then I think I have every right to clarify, to elaborate, to respond,
There’s also the matter that a TV show is an ongoing thing. If you’ve watched enough episodes to make a judgement, and decided that it’s not your thing, you can just stop watching. Nothing’s forcing you to continue watching a show you don’t enjoy. That’s why I recommended that @Gatopescado find a different show, because it sounded like he wasn’t getting any enjoyment out of this one.
Based on his latest post, it sounds more like he likes some aspects of the show and dislikes others. So maybe, overall, he does consider it watching. Whatever, that’s fine, too.
So for more context, there are a few posts here.
I’m not going to go digging up examples, but during Breaking Bad threads @Gatopescado would make a lot of posts, regularly, that went something like “wow, this show is so dumb. Everyone keeps saying how great this show is, so everyone must be stupid and must’ve been somehow fooled by such a dumb show. I can’t believe I’m watching this garbage.” Regularly, for years. It wasn’t just bashing the show, it was saying anyone who liked it was dumb. As per my link above, once Better Call Saul started, it was clear we were in for years more of the same thing.
In that thread, Idle Thoughts, who was a moderator but not acting officially as a moderator, posted
So I can understand why people would think that the moderation in response to just his posts in the thread might be a bit much, but it makes a lot more sense when you realize he’s been doing the same thing for literally over a decade, and he can’t just criticize the show, he has to insult the people who watch the show, too. In my view, the latter is more where it clearly crosses the lines and violates the rules, but even the former is a little bizarre when you consider that he’s basically acting like watching the show is painful for him, and yet he watched 6 years of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. That’s why I was surprised to see him pop up with his schtick again after a few years - I thought perhaps he finally watching a show he hated so very much.
- I’m not trying to junior mod here, I’m just trying to help explain what history there is on this one that the moderators here are aware of that makes the behavior more problematic.
Maybe these ten years of negative commentary tell you more about Gatopescado himself than the shows he’s commenting on. Maybe he really just needs a hug.
Discussion of posters, moderation, and so on does not belong here, it belongs in ATMB or the Pit depending what direction you want to go in. This thread is about “Better Call Saul.” Cease hijacks.
Thanks,
RickJay
Moderator
Fair enough. So Carol Burnett is joining the cast for the final episodes. Pretty cool! And Walt and Jesse too! I was just watching Malcolm in the Middle last night and there’s a S1 episode called “The Bot and the Bees” where Hal goes off the deep end trying to create a killer bot and at one point is parading around the kitchen in his tighty whiteys. Seems like a theme for Bryan Cranston. Anyway, just trying to imagine how they’ll be introduced in Better Call Saul in a relevant way. Can’t really be any sooner than when they’re looking for help for Badger.
NEW EPISODE
Episode 8 “Point and Shoot”
It comes back today. I would again request that this time people actually mark their post if they’re the first one to talk about the new episode. Something as simple as starting your post with NEW EPSIODE in boldcaps would do.
Looking forward to it, but I have to wait until my wife finishes watching Married at First Sight before I can get a glimpse of Walt and Jesse and Carol Burnett.
Now THAT was an episode! Quite possibly the best episode of this show that I have ever seen.
I’m becoming more convinced following this episode that Kim is going to be making a call to Best Quality Vacuum by the end of the show. Now that she has been roped into the cartel stuff, it seems like that is where it is headed (I don’t believe she will be killed off).
Also fascinating to learn what was in the foundation of the lab while Walt and Jesse were working down there.
Also, did anyone notice the following easter egg:
When Kim is standing outside Gus’s house preparing to go ring the bell, there is a shot looking down on her from high in the air. This shot is identical to a shot that was used in the Breaking Bad episode “Thirty Eight Snub”, when Walter was standing outside Gus’s house preparing to do the same thing.
Someone explain to me why Lalo thought sending Kim/Jimmy to Gus’s house would make Gus go to the laundry?
I usually like Kim’s acting, but in the opening scene especially all I could see was an actor playing scared and not the character.
He was just trying to get all of the security to leave so that he could get into the laundry and prove to Hector what was going on. At least that’s how I took it.
Lalo didn’t expect Gus to come to the laundry. He says something about it while narrating his video to Don Eladio.
I wasn’t paying enough attention when Gus turned the lights out on Lalo and killed him. That happened very fast. Have to watch it again to see how he did it, exactly.
He got the gun that he hid a few episodes back.