Now, I can enjoy with Sealab. I love Venture Bros. I like many fo the other CTN-sponsored shows. But I’ll be frank. AQHF looks like crap from here. The only funny bit in the entire show - the only bit that ever brings a smile to my face, let alone a short giggle - is that “Island of Doctor Wierd” skit right at the start. AQHF is so annoying and non-funny, I prefer to watch History Channel reruns. Of shows that weren’t that good the first time.
And Jefferton has about two funny bits every episode. And that’s it. And the animation on both sucks.
For me, it’s mostly in the voice acting. The characters just come through in the voice. And Shake? How can you not find that sadistic asshole of a milkshake funny?
I finally figured out the key to what makes ATHF work. And it’s Shake. Actually, it’s a bit more than that. See, what they’ve done is something that a lot of shows could learn from. A lot of shows create these really, really annoying characters, and put them in situations where they torment normal people, and think that’s enough. I’m thinking particularly of SNL or Mad TV, here. ATHF has figured out the rest of the formula, though. They that that really, really annoying character, have him torment normal people for a little while, than brutally mutilated and/or kill him. Over and over and over. I like to watch the show because I know that, the more of an asshole Shake is to Meatwad, the more horrible his ultimate comeupance will be. Be it illicit plastic surgery gone horribly wrong, possesion by brain-burrowing extra-terrestrials, or one of his many ill-advised, gruesome, and usually succesful suicide attempts, I know that by the end of the average episode, that motherfucker is going to be hurting. And that makes me smile.
The same principle can often be seen at work with Cartman in South Park.
The key to liking, or ‘getting’, Aqua Teen is to remember that it’s character driven, not plot driven. This is also why the limited animation isn’t a hindrance (similar to why South Park works).
In other words, the plots are just setups for the characters to interact with one another. That’s why ATHF can work with even the most insane, ridiculous plots. Because the characters’ personalities are consistent and their reactions and interactions to things and each other is often hilarious!
Tom Goes to the Mayor is similar. Although not quite as nuts, the plots are still not where the jokes are. They’re in the character’s dialog. I didn’t quite know what to make of TGTTM at first. But now I get it. Tom is always sheepishly optimistic and accomodating, and the Mayor is a sociopath!
And Jefferton has about two funny bits every episode. And that’s it. And the animation on both sucks.
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It’s funny how you mention the animation on ATHF sucks, yet you say you liek Sealab, which has far worse animation.
But I agree with you on Tom Goes to the Mayor, that is the second worst pile of shit Adult Swim has ever put on the air. The absolute worst piece of shit is Super Milk Chan. Anyone who finds that funny will eventually be shot in the head by me.
I have only broadcast TV, so I’ve only seen a handful of episodes of ATHF, but they had me in stitches.
My birthday was this month, and I received many DVDs as gifts, including Season 1 of ATHF. I watch my DVD gifts in the order received, and ATHF is next after a Family Guy DVD of Seth MacFarlane’s five favorite episodes.
I’m just about in physical pain from the wait. I feel obligated to watch the Family Guy because it was a gift, but it’s dreadful. Horribly unfunny. The worst Simpsons episodes are still better than this crap.
And it’s even harder to watch, knowing ATHF is next and that it’ll be so good.
