Birdman
When I formulated my theory on the progression of (recent) cartoons, I never figured the next step would come in the form of the existing champion of hilarity and brevity. But Harvey Birdman has done it. The most recent episode, Blackwatch Plaid, which aired on January 1st, is now the most intense, amazing fifteen minutes of animation (or any television, for that matter) that I’ve ever seen.
While I consider myself to be a benevolent-ish dictator, I have no choice but to introduce a battery of oppresvie security measures: Frisking, cavity searches, this easy to understand color-coded crime alert system! And for everyone’s safety and security, and to preserve our way of life, I’m taking a drastic step and putting up a security camera. Just one. For safety, security, and omniscient unblinking information gathering of everyone’s activities.
The list currently stands with The Simpsons, Futurama, Harvey Birdman, and Harvey Birdman (again). I never got into Family Guy enough to place it with much certainty, but it would probably be tied with Futurama.
Huh. I always took Reducto for a libertarian.
Comments
well, the buddha’s back, but the baby grand’s still missing!
Posted by: lhb on January 14th, 2004 2:36 PMShowing political satire to this history major is like trying to swat an elephant with a newspaper. Let me put it another way: This Birdman episode, while superior to X the Xterminator, is NOT the best thing ever.
The funny things: The character of Phil Ken Sebbib, the sub-plot of Secret Squirrel, Reducto, Mentok.
The not-funny things: The sophoric and Johnny Come-lately jabs at homeland security undertaken through the exploitation of Phil Ken Sebbin, the fact that the sub-plot of Secret Squirrel was not the main plot of the episode (as it would have been in what I dub the “classic six-pack” and just who was the prosecuting attourney in this episode anyway?!), and an excruciating live-action sequence that eventually dragged the pace to a slow crawl.
I know I am criticized for not accepting the new Harvey Birdman cartoons. They deviate from a near-perfect formula and this cannot be denied, but I do not see this deviating approaching perfection.
Shoyu Weenie or Show me death!
Posted by: Benjamin on January 14th, 2004 8:41 PMTo each his own, I suppose. I respect, though don’t agree with, your hard line insistence on the format of the first six episodes (which were absolutely fantastic).
While I hope they’ll get back to the original formula with more court time (and more love from Mentok :), the scarcity of new episodes doesn’t give me a whole lot of hope. And “SPF” doesn’t sound like it’ll give us much court time at all.
Posted by: kasei on January 14th, 2004 10:57 PMrespect, nothing! i say we hang ben by his facisistic little neck.
besides, there’s a message board on adultswim.com: (http://login.prospero.com/dir-login/index.asp?webtag=adultswimforum&lgnDST=http%3A%2F%2Fboards%2Eadultswim%2Ecom%2Fadultswimforum)
of course before you can begin your bitch-fest, you have to sign in with your name, address, social security number, blood type, medication available to you, and a list of your sex-partners. but i’m sure they’ll read your rant…some one will. and maybe, just maybe, you can convince the lazy fucks who make that show so infrequently to get back on track and put out the shlock you prefer.
p.s. cable is not necessary.
Posted by: shuli on January 15th, 2004 6:07 AMI think, Shuli, you’re forgetting that “shlok I prefer” is the original six episodes. And “bitch-fest” seems a bit heavy-handed to call a review that included both good and bad points.
Oh well, at least I’m gettin’ some love from the West Coast.
Posted by: Benjamin on January 15th, 2004 8:13 AMwell, ben, your review was a glorious testimony to your wit, unlike that piddle of a response.
first, i disapprove of your use of the term “heavy-handed” when you obviously intended “overly broad generalization,” or simply “generalization”.
second, i was not referring to your review as a “bitch-fest” but to the bitch-fest that you would unleash upon the unwitting message board administrators. this is indicated by “before you can begin” proceeding the words “bitch-fest”. it’s usually a good idea to pay attention to the words that you read, ben.
third, in keeping with the second, since i was not calling your review a “bitch-fest,” your last objection refers to nothing i had typed and therefore holds no ground.
beyond this, i do conceed that the original six are superior to the new four. however i am not so closed-minded as to see no humour whatsoever in the newer episodes and to shun them at every available turn.
furthermore, as for “gettin’ some love from the West Coast,” one man is hardly representative of an entire coast. And that piss-warm reaction is hardly what i would consider to be “love”. then again, of the two of us you’d know, right?
xoxo
Posted by: shuli on January 15th, 2004 10:14 AMah, what the hell ben, why are we fighting?. cuz you know deep down we both agree on what’s really important: Toto’s Africa rocks pretty hard. of course, not half as hard as Crockett’s Theme or November Rain.
Posted by: shuli on January 15th, 2004 5:16 PM8 hours of traveling… Need to drink along with Axl…
Posted by: Benjamin on January 15th, 2004 7:59 PM
I’ve still yet to see a single episode of Birdman, despite the raves I’ve heard from you before. Living in cable-less land sucks.
Posted by: Traveler on January 13th, 2004 3:51 PM