Unpopular Opinions You Hold About Animation

[Avaitor]

Well, the 80's nostalgia has been dying down since it's been over 30 years since the decade started, and most of the people who remember the decade enough to have fond memories of it must have a family and/or some part of a career occur by now to have more to think about besides their favorite childhood cartoons and hits. Aside from the people who'll never get a life.

We're young, but 90's nostalgia has been kicking in.

[Dr. Insomniac]

This applies to not just animation, but I absolutely despise the cries of "don't like it, don't watch it" or "it's not supposed to win awards" when criticizing a work. You're acting as if a series is allowed to be bad, and that any and all forms of negative reception should be rendered invalid because the critics are simply not the audience the show is trying to pander to. When that is just utter bile. If a show that's supposed to be funny is not funny, then I have a right to call it out for not making me laugh. If a show happens to have a particularly bad story, it should not be defended because it's just low-brow media. It should be derided because it has the potential to do better, and utterly ignores it.

[Goldstar]

One of the lamest excuses that I've heard pertaining to cartoons/shows which are geared to a younger audience whenever someone criticizes them is "It's for kids", as if that alone gives a show permission to be substandard in quality and content. Shows such as Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League were both technically kids' shows, but they very well written and executed. It's the 21st century, folks. A TV show being tailored for kids doesn't give it permission to be bad.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

This applies to not just animation, but I absolutely despise the cries of "don't like it, don't watch it" or "it's not supposed to win awards" when criticizing a work. You're acting as if a series is allowed to be bad, and that any and all forms of negative reception should be rendered invalid because the critics are simply not the audience the show is trying to pander to. When that is just utter bile. If a show that's supposed to be funny is not funny, then I have a right to call it out for not making me laugh. If a show happens to have a particularly bad story, it should not be defended because it's just low-brow media. It should be derided because it has the potential to do better, and utterly ignores it.

I agree about the part in which if a work is truly bad on every level, then it should not be defended (its OK to have it as a guilty pleasure as long as you can admit that it is bad). However the "if you don't like it, then don't watch it" notion is OK if its for a work that's not necessarily bad but just doesn't appeal to everyone. For example, if someone really didn't like The Spectacular Spider-Man and gave their reasons why and they were fair reasons, then I could acknowledge that, but that doesn't mean its bad, it just means that it doesn't come off as good to that particular person. I myself could easily list off all of the show's strengths and in that regard whether its good or bad would be a completely subjective point as to whether it appeals to you as a viewer at all.

Also, I don't mind criticism for any show at all, but I absolutely loathe critics who firmly believe that they are objectively right about whether a show is bad or not just because they say so, and condemn anyone who doesn't hate or deride a show that they think is garbage JUST because they think it sucks. Those are the most shallow-minded and pretentious people out there. To all those people, all I can say is that they're not as smart as they think they are, and to me they just come off as spoiled, self-entitled ass-holes. They can believe whatever the fuck they want if it makes them feel better.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Well, Spectacular Spider-Man was intended for mass appeal. It's not like some art-piece that only 10% of the world could truly understand. Unless the person's reason for saying it was bad was "it was boring and all the characters weren't funny," their criticism could be taken as valid. As long as it's constructive, of course.

[Avaitor]

Or if their reason was "the 90's show was better, because nostalgia". Or they just pretend to hate the show without even seeing it just to troll a board.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I was just using TSSM as an example. I could use other shows as an example as well, like Batman Beyond. From what I can gather, there are a fair number of people who don't like the show for their own valid reasons. That said, even if it does have problems, it has strengths that can allow people to argue back that its still a good show and that its strengths outweigh its weaknesses (I'm one of those people). The same goes for other shows like South Park or The Boondocks.

If you're talking about something like the DBZ anime, then yes, in cases like those I can't justify at all why people would defend that show when its just so shamelessly bad (I'm saying this without bias, too, as I have nostalgic memories growing up with this show as well). But more often than not I find that there are a lot of shows where you can't just criticize it in some completely objective way.

[Goldstar]

Regarding Dr, Insomniac's post about "If you don't like it don't watch it" not being a valid response, I say it depends on what one's particular reasoning for disliking it. If you've given a show a fair shake for weeks/months on end and it still isn't to your liking, then it's best for you to simply cut your loses, stop watching it and move on. In those instances, "Don't watch it of you don't like it" is pretty much the only thing that you can say. For example, I've watched several episodes of Phineas & Ferb and the show never improved in my eyes. I get that the show is popular, but P&F just never pulled me in for whatever reason, so I just stopped watching the show altogether.

If your watching a remake and your reason for not liking the remake is simply that it's not the original, then you likely just have a bias towards the remake coming into it.

[Dr. Insomniac]

I agree that if you've been watching a show continuously with no signs of improvement to your liking, then it's natural to stop seeing it. But it certainly does not mean that a series can be resistant to criticism. I'm talking about the fans of horrible shows who refuse to acknowledge absolutely any form of negative talk without comparing those people to trolls or haters. And sadly, that seems to be widespread in general fandom.

Even in places that I'm sure you're familiar of, seemingly level-headed people will go completely bonkers and transform into bloody blowhards when people even give the slightest of criticism towards their favorite work, even it it's grounded, polite, and not intended at all to offend the fans. It pretty much makes me go, "Hast thou doth gone zany, you fuckin' shitehawke of a loon?!" I mean, learn to take criticism well, especially when it's not even your own work.

[Silverstar]

The pat statement which irks me is "I hate this show so much, I wish they'd cancel it!" Why? You're entitled to not like a show and you're also entitled to criticize what you don't like about it, but why should a should a show be pulled off the air just because 1 person doesn't enjoy it? "I hate this show so it should be canceled" just reeks of coming from egotistical jack-holes who think that their opinions are the only valid ones and that it's not possible for anyone to possess an opinion or tastes contrary to their own.

I also don't like people who hate on something, be it a TV show, movie, game, franchise, character or whatever, even if it's something that they've never seen or previously had no strong opinion on before, just because someone or something famous like The Simpsons, South Park or Family Guy or the Nostalgia Critic or the Angry Video Game Nerd ripped it apart on their show. On the flip side of that, I also don't like when people say things "I hate so-and-so now, and have now sworn a blood oath against him/her/them, because he/she/they dared to make fun of this particular thing that I like!"

You don't have to take what a TV show or a internet reviewer says as gospel. First, these are just works of fiction; people like James Rolfe or Doug Walker are playing characters. Rolfe has even admitted that he actually likes some of the games that his character the Nerd has tore into in his reviews. Second, the opinions of someone on a TV show or an internet review show are just that: opinions, and they're not somehow more valid than anyone else's opinions just because these people are on TV or have a web show. If you like something that someone on TV or on a web series stated that they didn't like, you don't have to stop liking it or declare that person your sworn enemy nor should you base your entire viewpoint on something solely on what Eric Cartman or Peter Griffin or Doug Walker or James Rolfe or whoever said about it, especially if you've never even seen the thing before. Watch it yourself and formulate your own opinions. You're not a robot, nor are you a sheep.

[GregX]

I just never understood why people bitch about a show and watch it week after week after week. I don't like "Family Guy" at all, so I don't watch it. I didn't like the new "ThunderCats" so I stopped watching it after a few episodes.

But some people will just keep on watching and watching and watching. And then bitch and moan every week. I don't get it.

[Silverstar]

I agree that if you've been watching a show continuously with no signs of improvement to your liking, then it's natural to stop seeing it. But it certainly does not mean that a series can be resistant to criticism. I'm talking about the fans of horrible shows who refuse to acknowledge absolutely any form of negative talk without comparing those people to trolls or haters. And sadly, that seems to be widespread in general fandom.

Even in places that I'm sure you're familiar of, seemingly level-headed people will go completely bonkers and transform into bloody blowhards when people even give the slightest of criticism towards their favorite work, even it it's grounded, polite, and not intended at all to offend the fans. It pretty much makes me go, "Hast thou doth gone zany, you fuckin' shitehawke of a loon?!" I mean, learn to take criticism well, especially when it's not even your own work.

I'm all too familiar with the latter scenario. I can't tell you how many times someone has flipped the fuck out at me because I dared to state that I wasn't into a show or a character which they held dear, even when it wasn't a rip, just a statement of opinion. To name just 1 example, on the old Justice League forums on TV.com, I was constantly subjected to "What? Your favorite character isn't Batman?! You're not a Batman/Wonder Woman shipper??!? Then you are my NEMESIS! I WILL HATE YOU FOREVER WITH THE THE FURY OF 1000 SUNS!!!!1111!!!!!" Similarly, I once had a Static Shock fan accuse me of being a racist because I stated matter-of-factly that the character of She-Bang would get pwned in a hypothetical battle with Supergirl. Of course, I'm a racist hate monger for thinking that; it has nothing to do with the fact that Supergirl is an alien with the same basic physiology as a flippin' KRYPTONIAN and therefore has all the same powers as SUPERMAN, whereas She-Bang is just some bio-engineered chick made in a lab with just above average human strength and agility. Because I'm sure that She-Bang couldn't beat Supergirl, then obviously I'm prejudiced against African-Americans, even though I'm black.

Which is the other thing I've encountered when dealing with people like this: the utter hypocrisy. Often times, these same people have no problem hurling insults at other peoples' favorite shows and characters.

[Commode]

Haha, a Star Bro swearing.  I never thought I'd see that.

I love this forum.

[Dr. Insomniac]

I just never understood why people bitch about a show and watch it week after week after week. I don't like "Family Guy" at all, so I don't watch it. I didn't like the new "ThunderCats" so I stopped watching it after a few episodes.

But some people will just keep on watching and watching and watching. And then bitch and moan every week. I don't get it.

I suppose that for some people, TV viewing can be a masochistic affair. Plus, some people find enjoyment in writing about shows they despise. Why else do shows like Star Trek Voyager still hold memory?

[GregX]

I just never understood why people bitch about a show and watch it week after week after week. I don't like "Family Guy" at all, so I don't watch it. I didn't like the new "ThunderCats" so I stopped watching it after a few episodes.

But some people will just keep on watching and watching and watching. And then bitch and moan every week. I don't get it.

I suppose that for some people, TV viewing can be a masochistic affair. Plus, some people find enjoyment in writing about shows they despise. Why else do shows like Star Trek Voyager still hold memory?

I get that. I mean, everyone knows how much I hate Michael Bay's movies, and yet I will go to see "Transformers 4" and for three reasons.

1. I won't pay for the ticket, someone else will.

2. I'm a critic now... for World's Finest and Marvel Animation Age, but I'm looking to expand.

3. Related to #1, my friends love watching me emotionally break down and go on a rage over these. If I'm providing entertainment, I'm cool with it.