Don't you think it goes beyond the black and white 'I don't find it funny' argument though?
With Mrs Brown's Boys, anyone with an admiration for something like Fawlty Towers or Father Ted can surely ascertain that the writing is resoundingly poor? Not just in direct humour, but the delivery, the way the jokes are so childishly set up, the way the jokes are so poorly woven into the fabric of the plot?
In that respect, Cleese and Linehan are masters at creating comedy without seams. Not at any point do I feel in either Fawlty Towers or Father Ted that I'm being beaten over the head with a joke.
Some might disagree. I mean they're wrong, but they might still try.
(, Mon 8 Dec 2014, 21:40, Reply)
But in defence of Mrs Brown's Boys
Sure, the script is rubbish, and delivered like an am-dram panto, but the cast are not pretending it's anything else, and clearly they are enjoying it immensely. They just seem to be having huge fun doing it.
It actually reminds me of a cheerful version of Bread. If you want dire, look up an old episode of that.
(
Ghoti Fingers, Mon 8 Dec 2014, 21:46,
Reply)
"Educate, inform and entertain"
I've always looked at that maxim as a sentence in its instruction, not as a set of categories to meet separately.
In that respect, I view appealing to the lowest laugh as essentially dumbing down.
(, Mon 8 Dec 2014, 21:51, Reply)
Lordy...
...Bread !! I remember watching that on a Sunday as it was only the semi decent thing on sometimes. Should I be concerned I still watch Cheers ? Even now I think the writing in that is better than say Friends...
(, Mon 8 Dec 2014, 22:06, Reply)
