TV happens every week. Did you know that? It’s time for Televisionary, the Thursday edition.
Parks and Recreation
by Brittani
In a lovely fictional Indiana town, Leslie Knope has published a book on Pawnee. Joan Callamezzo accuses her of publishing an inaccuracy in the book. After fact-checking and going over every part of the book with the help of the Parks and Rec department, Bert Maclin, FBI, helps Leslie steal her birth certificate. She discovers she was born in Eagleton, the land of rich jerks. We are then left with the gem, it’s not where you’re born, it’s where you’re from. Apparently that’s enough for the people of Pawnee. The people of Pawnee seem smarter than real people. By real people I mean those of the Birther Movement since this episode parodies them.
Ann is adorable this episode. She tries to break the ice with Ron and April but they are…well, Ron and April. She eventually gets through with a gross nurse story because who doesn’t love those? Probably the same people who hate Saw. So that’s what happened on “Born and Raised.” These are some of the funny parts.
Joan: I’m gonna go powder my nose. Amongst other things. If you know what I mean.
Ben: Is she going to powder her vagina?
Leslie: I have to tell you, this feels like gotcha journalism.
Joan: In what way?
Leslie: That way. You put gotcha on my face.
Ben: Wow. You guys are really cute together.
Tom: Ben, I’m cute together with everybody.
Leslie: I wonder who else was born in Eagleton. Voldemort, probably.
This episode had a Harry Potter and lesbian joke. I think that’s all you people could ask for. What did you think?+
Big Bang Theory
by Lizz
Raj hasn’t been around much since his big not-actually-sleeping with Penny moment, but this week we were treated to a heavy dose of our favorite silent character. Raj is understandably pretty sad because all of his friends have girlfriends and he has to cry alone in the dark every night.
YOU ENTER THE DUNGEON YOU SEE A DRAGON
Sheldon Makes a Valid Point:
Raj: Uh, I don’t know if I want to play anymore
Sheldon: Because you don’t have a girlfriend? Oh good lord. If that becomes a reason not to play Dungeons and Dragons this game is in serious trouble.
Penny and the ladies discuss what to do about said Raj sadness while bizzarely covering their hands in hot wax. Is this something anyone here has actually done? Amy is once again hilarious and maybe just a little bicurious. Lately I swear the funniest jokes have gone to Amy. I vote yes on the return of Blossom.
"I ASSUME WE USE THIS SAME WAX LATER ON TO NEATEN UP EACH OTHER'S BIKINI REGIONS"
Of course, Raj (literally) can’t speak to women so the obvious solution is to get him a deaf girlfriend (Emily) because if that made any sense at all they could just sit in silence not signing or talking and just stare at each other. Still, I can’t make fun of the poorly portrayed deaf-hearing relationship because Emily is played by Katie Leclerc who I love love love love love on ABCFamily’s Switched at Birth.
YAY KATIE LECLERC!
Emily starts to seem like kind of a gold digger and Sheldon announces that the Koothrappali’s have a ton of money as if we didn’t already know that. Raj’s parents threaten to cut him off if he doesn’t dump Emily, which he doesn’t. Emily hears that the money has dried up and, well, she’s basically over it. Yup, gold digger.
I wish Katie Leclerc could have lasted longer but I suppose she’s got to go back to playing an awesome seventeen year old. At least we’ll always have this one episode. On the bright side, Raj’s parent’s said if he dates an Indian girl he gets a Maserati. Raj makes it pretty clear that the Maserati will determine his next girlfriend. Oh that reminds me! I almost forgot. Sheldon also spent the whole episode rolling Dungeons and Dragons dice to make trivial life decisions.
SO HE HAD TO GROW A MUSTACHE
Community
by Brittani
This week in “Competitive Ecology” the gang gets assigned lab partners. After convincing Professor Omar to let them ditch their assigned randos, they pair off with each other. Except for Pierce who is stuck with oddball Todd.
Troy: Who are these people?
After pairing off amongst themselves, the group wants to shuffle things up when they discover the pairs they are in aren’t working out. Troy really wants to be partners with Britta which I must admit, I enjoy. Abed, the computer, comes up with an algorithm that will pair the most popular with the least popular.
We learn that Annie is the most popular (because she’ll do all the work) and Shirley the least (because she’s a creationist).
Jeff: You’re just a good grade and a tight sweater.
Annie: You’re just a bad grade and a tight sweater.
Shirley: You too, Brutay?
The above take on “Et tu, Brute?” was my favorite part of the episode. Shirley in general has been my favorite part of episodes this season.
After several hours of failed attempts to couple off, it’s 15 minutes until class and Todd is sick of their crap.
I mean, Britta almost set a turtle on fire. Enough is enough. Once the groups shows up in class, Professor Omar punishes them by making them share tools and a grade… a failing one for the first project. This causes Annie to faint. Especially since she somehow concocted a terrarium in the 15 minutes before class.
In other news, Chang is promoted to head of security after Nunez quits when he realizes Chang is insane. I didn’t find the film-noir voice-over gag entertaining until Dean Pelton got in on the action. Every scene with Chang was boring and overdone. No offense.
Dean Pelton: How did this happen. And did I miss the firemen?
Did you enjoy Magnitude’s brief appearance? What do you think of the Chang storyline?
my wife loves community and Parks n Rec. she totally made me a fan. thanks for the updates.
Ok, serious question: Do I need to add Parks and Rec to my list of shows I am following? Like, it sounds funny, but is it worth it? Because I’m thinking yes but also I don’t know if I can handle another show.
yesyesyes. it has so much heart. start with season 2 and then go back and watch season 1 after you already love it and everyone on it.
also, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g33lY9NwNEc
I think the problem with Parks and Rec is getting into it, because the first season is kind of slow and fairly below par, but then you hit series two and it’s this magical beautiful revelation of funny and perfect, perfect characters and Aubrey Plaza who is like an angel without wings so a person.
I think what I mean by this is yes, yes Parks and Recreation is worth wasting your time on.
Aubrey Plaza as April MAKES this show for me.
Marchtember Oneteenth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWRKgEy6Okg
It took me a while to get into it, but now it is officially my favorite show on TV. So yes, watch it!
it took me awhile to warm up to parks n rec, lots of “C’mon babe, please can we watch parks and recreaaation?”
i like it. it makes me laugh and it’s super crazy sometimes like HIJINKS kinda crazy. i also have a tv crush on rashida jones so there’s that…
You had me at “Rashida Jones” and “Aubrey Plaza.” Thanks, guys!
Parks and Rec was the funniest show in tv last season. No dig to Modern Family and it’s Best Comedy emmy win… but Parks and Rec was robbed.
There were a few times last season where I was catching up on a week of shows, I’d watch Parks and Rec first and immediately follow with Modern Family and there was no contest between the two. I’d be cracking up at Parks and Rec and just smiling at a Modern Family scene.
I mean, I haven’t been watching Parks and Rec, obviously, but I do watch Modern Family, and I really feel like this year’s writing has already far surpassed last season, for the most part.
sofia vergara is just so seamless. i love her. her comedic timing is always on point. and no one rocks the skin tight mini dress like she does
I just want you to know that +1 was from me.
hi5 :)
I guess I’m the only person who used to dip their hands in hot wax on a regular basis. You’re totally supposed to put little baggies on your hands after you dip them in it (obviously the writers know nothing). Peeling off the wax after it has cooled is the best!
But whyyyyyyy
as stated above, whyyyyyyyyyy? Seriously, I’m so curious.
Because it feels awesome!!! It’s like a silly spa treatment or something. My mom got one of the wax melting machines because she broke her wrist/hand/arm and it helped with the pain. I just liked peeling the wax off of my hands like it was a layer of skin!
Of course Sheldon is a redditor.
I also thought the Chang storyline was awkward, but I also feel like his character has been going downhill for a while now. I was a big fan of Senor Chang in S1– but I feel like the writers don’t know what to do with him now.
I don’t think any of these shows are all that funny. I watch them more as a timefiller in the morning. I can sit down with a coffee and watch an episode of Community. It requires no strain and is better than watching ESPN. As far as laughs, I don’t believe I have ever laughed while watching Community. Parks and Recreation has a couple mainly thanks to the character of Andy Dwyer. As for The Big Bang Theory, it is hopeless to me. It is similar to Two and a Half Men in that it has a mid-80’s bad sitcom feel.
There are some truly funny comedies on television. Archer and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia are vulgar, tasteless, and very, very funny. Glee has at least 3 or 4 laugh out loud moments each week. Louie, while not a straight out comedy, can reach gutbusting levels.
While none of those shows may reach the classic level of Arrested Development, mid-90’s to early 00’s of The Simpsons, or The Office (UK), they do have big laughs. On the other hand, Parks and Recreation, Community, and The Big Bang Theory seem more designed for viewers to look at each other and shake their head at some foolish move by one of it’s characters. They seem to be exercises in irony that forgot that lack much in the terms of humor.