Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim

Cafe Society
41

Nag, it’s not that. The boy ain’t right.

I always liked the one where they found out that Dale’s dad was gay, only Dale thought he was a government agent. The quotes were just too much:

Nancy Gribble: This is supposed to be my re-wedding to Dale! My second chance! Why is God punishin’ me? (looks up with her arms in the air) Why, Sug?!

Dale Gribble:Why would I be upset about my dad being gay? John Recorn’s gay and I’ve been friends with him for years!
(For those who don’t watch the show-John Redcorn is the guy Dale’s wife has been having an affair with right under Dale’s nose for years-his son is actually Redcorn’s son. Dale, despite being intensely paranoid, is completely clueless.)

Bug Gribble: : Oh my god, Hank! Are you gay?
Hank Hill: What?! No! I sell propane!

I love it because it’s just so random. And I like that Bobby isn’t your stereotypical “fat kid.” Instead of being a loser, he’s the class clown, he’s popular, he has a girlfriend, etc.

More of my favorite quotes:

Bobby Hill: This is the gun club? I always thought this was a crack house.
Hank Hill: Hey, Leanne. How’s that job search coming along?
Leanne Platter: Not so good. My best reference just went in for chemical castration
Bobby Hill: There’s some milk in the fridge that is about to go bad…and there it goes.
Peggy sees a bumper sticker reading, “My child is an honor roll student.”
Peggy Hill: Oh yeah? Well my child is God to billions of Asians!
Bobby Hill: That’s my purse! I don’t know you!
Hank is trying to choose a Christmas ornament.
Hank Hill: How about this one?
Cotton Hill: Peace!? I bet you would like that! Why don’t you get one with a flag-burnin’ on it? Besides, we’re a Joy family.
Hank Hill: Dad, it’s Jesus peace not Hippie peace…
Cotton Hill: Joy!!
Hank Hill: How bout I tie the long hair on your head to the short hair on your ass and kick ya down the street!
Cotton Hill: Sorry I’m late. I had to stop by the wax museum again and give the finger to FDR.
Dale Gribble: It said P-lacebo…it must be made by P-fizer.
Dale Gribble: Guns don’t kill people.The Goverment does.
Bill Dauterive: My dad used to punish me by telling me I was a girl. He used to make me wear a dress! Pretty, pretty dresses.
Boomhauer: Yeah man, I tell ya what, man. That dang ol’ Internet, man. You just go on there and point and click. Talk about W-W-dot-W-com. An’ lotsa nekkid chicks on there, man. Click Click Click Click Click. It’s real easy, man.
Kahn Souphanousinphone: Your dog, she real slut!
Dale: “Aw, I’ve been at the gun club … playing Russian Roulette.”
Nancy: “Did you win?”
Dale: “You’re not familiar with the game, are you?”
Nancy: “No…”
Dale: “Yeah I won.”

42

What does ‘Adult Swim’ mean? I’ve never understood this one and I’ve heard it used for years.

43

Adult Swim began as a “spin-off” of Cartoon Network, premiering on September 2, 2001 with the airing of Home Movies. The name is derived from public swimming pools often having designated times when children are restricted from using the facilities in favor of adults. These times are often referred to as “adult swim”.

44

Folks, listen. If you’re gonna rant, rant. We gotta have some standards in the Pit. Moved to Cafe Society.

45

Their little scenes after the commercials were over and the show started back used to have a guy yelling “Adult Swim! All kids out of the pool!” in the background through a megaphone.

Valete,
Vox Imperatoris

46

Adult Swim is going to add the British spoof of educational programming Look Around You to its lineup soon. I’ve seen clips of it online, and what I’ve seen is pretty funny. (They’re also adding the British comedy series The Mighty Boosh.)

47

Less KotH, more Shin Chan!

48

Now that’s a freaking brilliant move. God that series is funny. Look Around You is precisely the kind of WTF absurdist humor that Robot Chicken and Harvey Birdman go for, so it should appeal to that crowd.

49

Yeah, I’ve never been a fan of “America’s Most Wanted” either.

50

Never been in Texas nor met a Texan, eh? KOTH is probably the most realistic sitcom, animated or live action, ever.

51

KOTH may be one of the finest shows on television.

And Hank is the good guy in the show. He’s a fundamentally decent human being who trys to do the right thing and is genuinely hurt when others don’t try and do the same.

Some of the drek on Adult Swim isn’t worth watching. Super Jail? What crap.

52

I think Venture Bros. is the best original programming they’ve got going. I really dug Harvey Birdman and first couple seasons of SeaLab and ATHF, too.

As for their re-runs, I really respect that they don’t cut them down for syndication like Fox does. I REALLY dig that they REFUSE to do squeeze credits or sped up credits. It genuinely feels like they respect animation. That said:

King of the Hill is like eating boxes of Saltines for 24 hours without a glass of water - boring and dry. Adult Swim has far worse in their lineup, and I’ll skip this along with those other shows.

It’s really a shame that they basically ran out of Futurama eps to rerun. I watched them often enough that I never bothered buying the DVDs.

53

That’s every protagonist on television EVER. Hell, even Dexter Morgan (a serial killer protag) fits that description.

54

You do realize that they base advertising rates on measurements of the number of people who watch right? I am pretty sure that King of the Hill would outdraw “Xavier Renegade Angel” if you put them head to head. I have watched more Adult Swim (and their commercials) since King of the Hill started coming on than I ever have.

55

It’s not that King of the Hill is a bad show, I enjoy it myself, but it doesn’t fit into the line up, and I don’t mean because of the political slant. KotH requires me to pay attention to enjoy it, which is asking a lot on a Sunday night. Please stick with the short attention span cutaways in Family Guy, Robot Chicken and Tim & Eric Show (yes, I am fan of this).

Exceptions to the above rule may be made for Home Movies only because that show is amazing.

56

Strange, me and everyone I know who likes this show likes it, in part, because it’s so authentically Texas.

It might help that (we think) we’re from right in the very area the show is set in. (The show is set in a fictional town, but it’s basic location near DFW seems pretty clear. City names in the show resemble city names around here, driving times mentioned seem accurate, etc.)

57

KotH replaced FG for the first hour of AS. KotH when sandwiched between Simpsons and FG on FOX has consistently dropped 1-2 shares. Of course KotH would beat out most the other programming in the block, but AS uses the first 1 – 1 ½ hours to draw in the audience and advertise their other shows (and make money FOR the other shows). With Southpark available (and if they really wanted to, Drawn Together; 36 episodes with 14 new and a movie upcoming), there are other options that would fit better. Hell, some of the shows aren’t even animated anymore, they could use Greg the Bunny if they wanted.

To your watching more, I am an advertiser’s wet dream: 18-35, no brand loyalties, higher than average income, pseudo-DINK and higher than average buying power – unless you’re 18-25 and a married DINK, they want me more than you.

Not exactly the Robot Chicken crowd. In fact, it sounds very blue-dog or Reagan democrat.

A little older bit:

Keep in mind that was also the series finale (unless ABC pays up for new ones).

The real problem and my target, was Williams St. thinking that any FOX animated show will work. They paid a butt-load of money to get the series so they are stuck with it even if it doesn’t work (so far, they have it till Fall when ABC might pick it up for an animation hour with a new Mike Judge series). If they tried the Simpsons, I would have said the same thing about Williams St. (I like the Simpsons but most of the stand-alone episodes don’t fit in the line-up).

BTW, sorry no linkies, it’s a pay site, but I’m sure any media watch site will have the stats. Last night’s AS ratings are not available yet.
Since we’re in CS now, here’s a more articulated description of my problem with KotH. It’s about a guy that embodies the very things I find irritating. It can best be summed up with my co-workers* or small town I grew up in (~4,000pop.). They think if it isn’t country or Elvis (some Beatles) its not music and if it’s not Elvis it’s not Rock ‘n Roll . They watched the Simpsons for the first couple seasons until it got all weird and the Beatles were ok until they got all weird. Most of us (8 of 13) eat lunch in our conference room, everytime as we finish eating they pull out the morning paper, I pull out my laptop and read the same thing they are (St. Pete Times) and for two years not a week has gone by that someone doesn’t say something about how strange that is or it somehow is not the same stories/columns. These are otherwise very intelligent, talented good people (and love KotH) but if you behave anywhere outside of their accepted ways it’s weird but not necessarily wrong. They ARE Hank Hill. Why would a show (even a good one) that features a protagonist with these qualities be at all interesting to me (or my ilk)? Lack of awareness of the world around you (Homer) can be entertaining, lack of awareness of the real world around you is sad.

As to the animation part I posted while still in the Pit, the point was that it could be used to better effect. If it’s animated to cut costs that’s fine. If the show is grounded in reality, there is no need for episodes that have a field trip to Mexico, a cattle drive or blow up the a tank of propane (yes, I know they have 2 or 3 a year that are ‘adventure’ episodes). Going to Paris and trying to speak enough French to order a meal and screwing up that, going to Aspen and not fitting in or going to Six Flags and being shocked by the way girls dress are all fine without having to encroach on the surreal while still getting the point across. Surreal is handled already and better by the Simpsons (from Ned’s POV, Marge or Lisa episodes) or South park (from Stan’s or Kyle’s POV).
*electromechanical designers, all 40-58 except two of ~75 (33, 76) , all males except four. This includes former co-workers, 13 current co-workers.

ETA: DINK = Dual-Income No Kids

58

KotH always struck me as an animated Seinfeld: uptight main character tries to maintain his finicky ways but inevitably gets disturbed by the antics of the quirky supporting characters. Just substitute “table saw” for “marble rye” as needed.

I like it in small doses, but like Alienhand says, it seems like a really weird juxtaposition to the rest of AS’s offerings.

59

You can catch Futurama on Comedy Central at 9pm. I don’t have cable but I keep up with cable programing guides so I can close my eyes and imagine myself watching Futurama or Dog the Bounty Hunter or some asshole hasbeen on VH1.

60

I’ve started watching it, due to lack of new Family Guy episodes. It’s watchable, but not as good as FG.