The Secret

[oselle]

After last night's riveting season finale of The Walking Dead, I found myself wondering what is the secret to creating great entertainment in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre. I think it comes down to two things --

1) Taking the subject matter seriously.

2) Respecting the audience.

Which frankly, are interrelated. If you take your subject matter seriously, you'll respect the audience because you know they take it seriously too. In contrast, if you think your story is kind of silly, then you'll no doubt think your audience is silly for liking it so much. And because it's a vicious cycle, once you start thinking your audience is silly, you'll take your story even less seriously because its biggest fans are losers who probably have nothing better to do than watch your silly show. See how that works?

Comments

[roque-clasique.livejournal.com]

D'accord

[lsketch42.livejournal.com]

Well said.

[zatnikatel.livejournal.com]

God, this. With frosting and sprinkles.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

So so true. And the thing is, you can take it seriously while still having a sense of humor. It's two different things.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

So how excited are you about this season's Meta Ep? :|

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. Don't write as if your audience a bunch of drooling morons whose brains switch off the second they catch sight of your pretty lead actors.

This is my single biggest complaint about SPN and has been since they started doing meta episodes: they clearly both resent their audience and think we're idiots.

On the bright side, I am VERY pleased by The Walking Dead.

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

I'm so disgusted they're doing another one. ENOUGH ALREADY. You hate us and think we're stupid -- WE GET IT. Arrrguh.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THEY'RE DOING IT AGAIN!?!?

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't mean to spoil. Yes, and it's probably going to be more idiotic embarassing terrifying than ever. (...Do you even want to know?)

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Well, now you HAVE to tell me.

[salty-catfish.livejournal.com]

It is mentioned in that TV Guide article. I quote:
"And for a change of pace, there's a humor-heavy meta episode in which the Winchesters wake up as characters names Jared and Jensen on a TV show called Supernatural."

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Oh Christ. What is wrong with them?

Did the article mention when that episode would be airing? Because I'm definitely sitting it out. I was going to sit out The Real Ghostbusters and I didn't and I really wished that I had, so I'm going with my gut this time around. I just can't handle any more of that shit.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Merci.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[oselle.livejournal.com]

And cherries.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

You made me think of Mad Men which isn't a genre show but is a great example of how a show can be dead serious and still, at time, howlingly funny. I swear, some of my biggest TV laughs this year came from MM.

Re: so this is a pointed hint, right?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

A pointed hint? Why, I don't know what you're talking about.

*whistles innocently*

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The meta thing might have been funny...one time. Now it's just fucking stupid and embarrassing. Do these writers think their job is to entertain themselves? At the expense of their own fan base? Again I have to ask...what the fuck is wrong with them?

And all this meta -- they act like they're the only show that's ever been on television that's had this kind of following. Are they that ignorant or are they just that fucking full of themselves?

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

"And for a change of pace" -- LOL. And OMG. Are they fucking delusional? This isn't a change of pace, this crap is as overdone as "Sam has gone bad. Again. No, for reals this time."

*headdesk*

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Totally. I remember on some commentary MW said he basically considers it a comedy. So many funny moments, they're just all totally real.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Oh FFS. It sounds like something they should be saying as a joke.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I know right...what change of pace? This kind of shit has been a running joke for the past three years! Argh!!

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Part of me is hoping it IS a joke...but knowing this crew the way I do, I'm sure it's not.

Here's my question -- is there no one at the show with the brains/balls to stand up and say, "Hey guys, maybe we've done enough of these?"

[twirlycurls.livejournal.com]

I didn't even find the first especially funny because it struck me as neither good-natured nor affectionate but pretty damn hostile, and I say this as someone who had never so much as read a piece of fic at the time I watched it. It retrospect that's probably where I should have stopped watching; once the writers make it clear that they resent and look down their noses at the audience, it's time to bail.

I just can't seem to stop watching, even after last week's clear demonstration of how badly things have gone off the rails. I must be more masochistic than I realized.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The Don & Peggy episode was not only one of the season's best but was such a laugh riot that...I'm laughing about it right now! OMG, remember when Don found the tapes of Roger's memoir..."Miss Blankenship was a hellcat? Cooper got his balls shot off? Roger's writing a book!?!"