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darkrecluse
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iCarly (2007)
Every little kid's fantasy
I won't say the show is all bad, because there are some funny parts, like Spencer, and a few random incidents. But other than that, let's face it, it's just another dry sitcom that kids are buying into.
Miranda Cosgrove was cute and funny as Megan on Drake and Josh. Honestly, she is mediocre in ICarly and is just not as funny as she tries to be. The actress who plays Sam seems to be half-asleep most of the time, and her antics are so clichéd that I would think of them. They're not funny, just annoying. And Freddie is okay, but not that interesting.
Of course, the situations are unrealistic, but it's not all bad. Some are bothersome, though. Here are a few:
1. The girls are 14, and have a web show that gives away too much personal information, with a weekly audience of 27,000(WTF), with little to no advertising, and they can still go on about their lives not being attacked by crazy people
2.Their web show gets too much praise ($100,000 yearly to advertise sneakers, a free trip to Japan, Plain White Ts performance, and so on). Honestly, anyone over the age of 6 would not find their "comedy" entertaining.
3. How is it that they are so "average", yet they own a three story loft, Spencer does hardly anything and can still afford many basic luxuries, and they have all the equipment for a web show? 4. All of the adults are idiots. ALL OF THEM.
5. No 5 foot high girl, no matter how obnoxious and tenacious, can take down trained cops, unless she's muscular. Sam is skinny and petite.
6. No one can fall down 9 stories in an elevator and live.
7. Kids can handle finding out about criminals better than cops.
The show is stupid. Really, it seems harmless, but making kids think that they can be obnoxious to their elders, live alone in Seattle when they're only 14 with an irresponsible moron, and give out personal information is just wrong.
I'm disappointed to say that my cousin, who is 3, enjoys the show. What happened to the cartoons when I was her age?
High School Musical 2 (2007)
Haven't we suffered enough torture?
I would rather be beaten, starved, mutilated, and burned alive than sit through this movie again. I was babysitting that night, and the little girl loved HSM, so I had to watch it with her to keep her quiet.
It wasn't worth it. You know how they say sequels never really live up to the original? Well, the original wasn't that great, I had low expectations, and HSM 2 still disappoints.
First off, it's not really about school. It's about the lame ass Wildcat crew obtaining extremely cushy jobs at a Country Club owned by, you guessed it, the spoiled Sharpay. Why, Ashley Tisdale? You were so good on The Suite Life (basically the only entertaining Disney show now on), and you stooped down so low to be ridiculed? The songs were mediocre and not as good as in the first movie.
Back to the plot: They practically insult every hardworking family in America with the rubbish: "I need money for college" crap, because judging by the size of Troy's house, his nice kitchen, and his nice car, I doubt he really needs the money. Yet the plot is written to try to get you to root for these losers. Sharpay tries to sabotage Troy and Gabriella's first summer together, which ultimately leads to a big kiss on the mouth. Yeah, I didn't see that coming. They had 4 or 5 months, and they couldn't have sucked face then? In the end, Sharpay loses, Troy gets his "friends" back, and they sing another song.
Maybe with the exception of Ryan, none of the characters were likable. Troy gets offered a sports scholarship to a university because he's too stupid to get in with brains, but his friends think he's sold out. They have easy jobs and complain about actually having to do them, like when the boss told them to stop screwing around and get to work. Seriously, why would they let 17 year old Gabriella give an aerobics water course to the elderly? Or another student the job of chef? The purpose of this movie was to fool kids into thinking that if a boss tells you to stop messing around and stay focused on a job, you're being "abused." Or if a friend has some good fortune coming to him, he's a sell-out, and you need to make sure he doesn't get any better offers.
Congratulations, Disney. With your corrupt and relentless marketing, you've managed to drain the IQ of children and give them shallow, twisted morals. Walt is rolling over in his grave because of this train wreck...
High School Musical (2006)
Overrated Grease knockoff, except without the reality and talent
High School Musical. When these words come to mind, they bring many reactions. If you're an 8 year old girl, you'll think, "OMG, Troy is SO HOT, I want to MARRY him!" But if you're over the age of 10 and have a brain, you'll see the franchise for what it really is: overrated trash.
Now, I didn't detest it completely at first. In 2006, I thought some of the songs were catchy and nice, and despite the unrealistic, sugary parts, there was a good message in the film.
It really isn't that great. A clichéd plot from beginning to end. Boy and girl meet on winter break. They are forced to sing karaoke together against their own will, then they both end up sounding perfect. After the break, Troy (dumbass jock: main character) comes back to school to see *gasp* his "friend" Gabriella (mindless, supposedly "smart" bimbo) has transfered to his school. They basically sing, and decide they go enter the school musical. But of course, horror of horrors, in comes Sharpay, the typical blonde, over-dramatic b**** who wants Troy for herself. After a series of lame plans and montages, the two end up together, the mean girl becomes nice all of a sudden, and they end up singing a tedious number in the gym. They win at everything. If you're going to make a happy ending, make an interesting plot, not something lame like how you can control the explosion of chemicals from your laptop.
There's the summary. I just saved two hours of your life. The franchise needs to die. They've had HSM 2 and 3, and I hear a 4th one is coming out. I saw the second one against my will, and I didn't want to waste 11 bucks on the third. What's next: High School Musical-College Edition, then Jobs: the musical, then A Happy Ending: A Musical about death.
The series needs to die.
George Lopez (2002)
Good show, but needs some fine-tuning
I started watching this show on Nick at Nite. It's pretty funny, and for me, better than Lopez's stand up. I have seen his stand up comedy live, but it is not as enjoyable as the show. At least in the show, there are elements of other aspects to life rather than just animosity towards white people.
The show is good because it is realistic to many situations. George is a self-made factory manager, who married a loving but sometimes neurotic wife, Angie, has a troubled and quite spoilt daughter, Carmen, and a gullible, somewhat spoilt younger son, Max. Many things happen over the course of the show, giving it spice and edge. Issues such as teen runaways, dyslexia, gang violence, drugs, alcoholism, child abuse, unemployment, and racism are addressed. Besides the racism, the rest is set well. It also has its comedic moments.
I understand the pain of Mexicans. I am not white, but like I said, I have seen his stand up. Three hours of his rambling hatred towards Caucasians made me quite nauseas. Doesn't this guy ever give up? What does he know about immigration patterns, anyway? He was born in America, and maybe his childhood was abusive (I'm switching back to the show, though it's true in real life) he turned out okay. I am half-Arab, and my people have been denied immigration because of 9/11. He acts as if Latinos are the only ones that undergo racism. Arabs are defined as terrorist because of a few group of renegades who are insane.
Sorry about the political situation. Racism is wrong, and sometimes the jokes are funny just to lift burdens, but there is a limit. Lopez passed that limit ages ago. Good show, but he might want to get some new material for his stand up other than his averse disposition towards white people.
Life with Derek (2005)
Corny, but better than what's on Disney nowadays...
I won't be too hard on this show because I enjoyed the first season, but then, things got worse. The concept is nothing special, just about a girl named Casey who is trying to cope with a new step-brother, Derek, and his loud, crude family, while she gradually forces her princess standards onto each of them.
In season 1, the story was actually interesting. I liked Casey back then because she was smart, strong, independent, and conservative. She was well-mannered and deep. I felt bad when she was being harassed at her new school by her new step-brother. She was a perfectionist, but not as annoying as the later episodes. Oh, and she dated a nice guy, who is now currently portrayed as one of Derek's idiot friends. The season grasped the true tension the title of the show was trying to capture.
Now, I can't say the show has really gone downhill because the story is sometimes interesting, but I root for Derek now instead of Casey. Now, there is little, if any interaction, between the two siblings. If they interact, it's only briefly. Oh, and I don't want any Dasey fans in my face. People, that's called INCEST, even if they are step-siblings. My tolerance can only go so far, but that's not the point.
It's strange. Derek, as the antagonist, has gotten more sensitive over time, while Casey, the supposed protagonist, is more neurotic and unlikeable than before. I like how the younger kids get more airtime, but the parents are even more clueless than before. But that's not the biggest problem...
Unfortunately, we are forced to see everything from Casey's point of view, with lame, nauseating background music. She has gotten stupider and more shallow over time. In one episode, she got whiny and wanted her boyfriend to be more chivalrous, so she purposely dumped food on herself and blamed Derek. Now, what happened to being a strong, independent feminist? I haven't watched much of the fourth season, but I hear she is dating a guy named Truman, who is a jackass and is arrogant. Oh, I remember that fencing episode. She constantly reminds him she doesn't like him, freaks out over being "goosed" by a sword, and in the end, hooks up with him because she can "handle" him? What the hell? Why go with a guy like that in the first place. The 1st season Casey would have just punched him in his...never mind. Or, maybe that would have been my reaction. Oh, and she's a cheerleader. Not that that's a bad thing, but I think she fell on her head at one of her practices. And in a prom episode, she cried because she couldn't find the "dress in her dreams," and wasn't completely satisfied until she became prom queen. One thing I've noticed is that no matter how bad Casey tries to tell us her life is, thing's almost always go her way in the end (she gets the guy she wants, Derek gets some kind of revenge, people all love her, etc.) Derek is still quite immature, but I see that he really has matured. I don't see why many people hate Sally. She seems nice, and it's good to see Derek in a serious relationship with someone he cares about rather than "playing the field." He is also treating Edwin slightly better, and is a good brother to Marti.
Really, the show is so-so, and I rated it low because despite some character development, the character I once admired has now become like any "fashionable teen queen" you can see anywhere on TV. But it was good while it lasted.
Zoey 101 (2005)
Proof that money doesn't always buy quality
Imagine this: a high school. Except it's boarding school, and the kids don't have parents around. Oh, and it's in Malibu. And the kids are all thin, white, and gorgeous, with the exceptional token minority or fat kid to play the "weird" outcast. And there aren't any reasonable rules, like how they have co-habitation, nuclear weapons in their dorms, coffee stands, a sushi bar, and a complimentary laptop per student.
Here's the story: A girl, Zoey Brooks, attends PCA, a formerly all-boys school. Absolutely perfect in every possible way, she is smart, pretty, thin, athletic, creative, and everything a perfectionist wants to be. Almost all the boys in school want her, and every girl wants to be her friend. She's the one everyone comes to for advice, the one who saves the day with a simplistic plan, and is just wonderful. Too bad none of this makes her likable.
Are we supposed to believe that if we don't even come close to Zoey's perfection, we're bad people? In the show, nothing's her fault, and if anyone contradicts her, they're portrayed as the bad guy(Logan). He may be a jerk, but at least he has some kind of brain that thinks for himself instead of simply agreeing with the princess every time.
Her loyal group of blind followers are: Chase, the average dumb ass that has a secret crush on her, Michael, the token black guy (and the only decent actor on the set), Lola, a wannabe actress and anorexic, snobby airhead, Quinn, the smart but clueless girl when it comes to teen stuff, and Logan, the rich jerk who has a soft side. Yeah, this show basically spews out stereotypes.
What ticks me off, though, is that they all try to pretend they're normal kids. They complain that Logan gets too much money while they have to work themselves, even though they already go to a too-good-to-be-true boarding school and have relatively nice things that many teenagers can't afford. They drink coffee and eat sushi on a regular basis, hardly have homework, and suntan almost every day. Wow, they have it hard! Any other problems? I'm too good-looking, rich, and stress-free! I guess Zoey 101 (what's the 101 for, anyway?) is Nick's attempt at trying to portray teens realistically. Except they caught a glimpse of reality, didn't like it, and decided to give the kids lives like the asses on The Hills.
But hey, at least the set's pretty.
Hannah Montana (2006)
Hannah Montana is the "best" of both worlds..well, at least the best attempt at making Disney richer
I gave this show a 2 because I kind of liked the first season, until Jake Ryan arrived. At the time, I thought Miley was quite talented (not excellent, but decent), cute, and full of potential.
Then, something happened along the way, and the show and actress herself began to suck. Of course, it's Disney and a "kid's" show (I use that term loosely), but it could be so much better. When season 2 aired, all hell broke loose. Everything changed for the worse, and Disney screwed it up.
I'll try to make this as short as possible, but my tolerance for the show has turned into hatred and concern for my young cousin's attitude.
1. Miley Stewart: She's a brat. Of course, she's the heroine of the show, lives a double life as a pop star and teenager, but she is not at all likable. No character is perfect, or supposed to be, but if you're going to make a protagonist, make him or her Likable and GOOD. She treats her friends like dirt, never has a nice thing to say about her brother, who is actually good to her in return, and insults her father. Unfortunately, Disney has brainwashed kids into thinking that this kind of attitude is "funny." That's where my 5 year old cousin is concerned. She has started to say "Ya think!" when she's angry, insults people for no reason, acts like a diva, talks about senseless boy issues that a teen should worry about, and even dresses quite suggestively. My aunt banned her from watching the show for these reasons. Oh, but the fun doesn't stop there. In season 2, Miley tells kids that high school is about looking cool, acting like a "girl"(since when is lowering your voice girly), and getting a hot boyfriend. Personally, she's not a very pretty girl. She's just lucky she has money and fame, and that the show is written to give her every guy she wants. Oh, and season 3 is about her driving. I stopped watching after season 2, but I saw the trailers. Because she had an "awesome" sweet 16 in real life, I bet she loves rubbing it into the faces of other teens in America that she can drive and they can't, and she has the money for her own car. I can see some DUIs coming in 2009.
2. The other main cast members: Oliver is an idiot. I may be kind of racist here, but he can't rap. He's a rich white kid in Malibu, and he fails at being ghetto. Epic fail, you ugly wuss. Besides that, what normal guy worries only about chest hair? And Lilly, well I feel bad for her, obediently following her "friend" into whatever stupid plan to please "Miley." If I were her, I would have murdered that hillbilly out of frustration. Come on, she knows she wants to. And of course, the idiot kid, Rico, who's supposedly a "genius." Why doesn't Jackson just quit the place already? And I hate the way their dad treats Jackson. He's a nice kid, funny, and quite happy, yet Robby Ray is a stupid hick that is only proud of his cash cow daughter.
3. The plot: The double life thing isn't bad. I guess the blonde wig thing is horrible and uncreative, but people in the show are stupid anyway, so why put all that effort into a disguise? It's actually Miley's "regular life." In one episode, her mid-term was only 45 minutes. My high school classes were longer! And she's got way too much free time on her hands.
4. Jake Ryan: Miley's man w**** and punching bag for boy issues. She dumps this "actor," gets back together with him, dumps him, and comes back again. He can have any girl he wants, and he picks the ugly spoiled brat that doesn't even like him for anything but his looks and fame. He might as well pick another girl, preferably one that doesn't dump food on him and is decent looking.
Basically, this show is a joke. It shouldn't be for kids, because lately, it has been about Miley's slut problems and bad attitude. It tries to be family clean and witty, but Miley Stewart is just rude and obnoxious, and get everything she wants in the end. Was the aim of this show to teach kids that you can act like a jerk all you want, and only good things will happen to you?
Congratulations, Disney. You turned an innocent 13 year old into a bratty, spoiled cash machine, and you've contributed more trash to our already messed up pop culture.
Seriously, what happened to good, friendly TV?
That's So Raven (2003)
Not bad... for a Disney show
The summary is a little underrated of how I feel about That's So Raven. Honestly and truly, it is the only remotely enjoyable show on Disney since the 2000s. Really, if it lasted for 5 or 6 seasons, it really isn't bad. I am 19, but I find Raven to still be a good role model (better than "Miley" anyway) Of course it has its flaws, but let's focus on the good parts first:
1. Realistic situations, mostly: racism against Raven when she applied for a job, her father losing his job to an insane boss in the earlier seasons, her and Cory growing closer as they get older and take more responsibilities, tackling divorce quite realistically, smoking, and really showing the pain of being an outcast in school. For a Disney show, I felt I could relate to a lot of these situations.
2. Raven's talent: I love her singing voice! And she is really funny, a good actress, and has so much experience. The jokes on the show are kind of lame, but that's Disney for you. She really is a good role model, and she isn't overexposed like other "teen" celebrities. I remember her interview about her new makeup line. She said that the colors were light and natural because she believed that girls should be proud of their true look and know that they are really beautiful. Today, other stars give you large amounts of makeup to cover up "zits" and look "hot." I wish my 5 year old cousin would watch this show instead of "Hannah Montana", "Icarly" or other trash considered "entertainment."
Here are some needed improvements, though:
1. The stereotyped "friendship" group: Of course, the main character always has a guy and girl best friend
Well, that's all I can say of this show. I'm new to the site, so don't kill me for not setting up a review right. That's So Raven is not the best show in the world, but it is wholesome, entertaining, and real. A truly good program for kids, and I guess young adults like me at times.