[ SECRET POST #2931 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2931 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 064 secrets from Secret Submission Post #419.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

07. http://i.imgur.com/NW0WuAv.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

I'm perplexed by the idea that anyone can watch Parks & Rec and not find any of the characters likeable.

[(Anonymous)]

OMG, this x1000000000000000000!

I literally had to scroll back to look at it again and reread it when my brain registered P&R was an example next to those other shows that actually make sense for the secret.

[(Anonymous)]

That's exactly what I was going to say! I like Parks and Rec because the characters are likeable and funny! It's not the kind of show that would be funny if you didn't love the characters!

[(Anonymous)]

I mean maybe in the very early episodes where you don't know them that well and Leslie's got her stupid hang up on Mark.

But even then I liked Ron right away.

not OP

[(Anonymous)]

they are annoying as hell and the secondhand embarrassment makes the show absolutely unbearable.

[(Anonymous)]

Meh, they're acquired tastes. I didn't insta-love any of them, though I did wind up liking a good few.

[kaijinscendre]

Well, most of them are supposed to be unlikable. Especially Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.

[sarillia]

This defense comes up a lot in these kinds of discussions and I don't really get it. It makes sense if you're talking about quality, but when it comes to personal preference, whether the effect that you dislike was intentional or done by mistake doesn't really change the fact that you don't like it.

[(Anonymous)]

Walter and Jesse are plenty likeable.

[cushlamochree]

I'm not going to convince you that you should find any of those characters likeable.

I do find it interesting that you're including Parks and Rec on that list, though, because it's an obvious outlier - while all the other shows are prestige dramas full of anti-heroes and jerks, Parks and Rec is almost founded on the concept of having a cast full of likeable people. That's kind of the basic concept of the show at least after season 1. Of course sometimes there's no accounting for what we find annoying I guess.

[(Anonymous)]

I feel that about a lot of things lately. Like, I wouldn't touch Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc. with a thousand foot pole because of the kind of shows they are. But there are other shows/movies that should be my kind of thing but it just seems like the unlikable character thing is such a trend now.

I'm usually very generous in my reading of characters and in finding something or at least one person to latch onto to make a film/TV series watchable. But there have been more and more media out lately where I can't find at least one likable person in a sea of characters.

And, the thing that bugs me most is that a lot of time the only reason for it is the trend. Like, you can practically see the behind-the-scenes decisions being made for the characters -- "Oh, we've got to make her more of a bitch here because that'll make her a badass!". It doesn't matter if that's what the character's earned at that point or not.

It's very disappointing.

[(Anonymous)]

I have trouble getting into most of the shows you listed because they're so damn bleak. I can't watch bad things happen to good or bad people week in and week out. :/

[diet_poison]

idk about the others but I think it's very easy to watch GoT and like exactly nobody

[fingalsanteater]

How do you know you won't like any of the characters? Even jerks can have some trait or quirk that you might find endearing.

[(Anonymous)]

IA. I need to like the characters in order to like the show and most 'quality' dramas lately don't have that.

And as someone else said: why are all these shows so bleak? I get that the good guys don't always win, love doesn't conquer all, etc. But some hope or friendship that isn't immediately undercut would be nice. Especially since people often claim these shows are somehow more realistic than previous eras of television. Sure, maybe a lot of tv was too positive compared to real life before, right now it's skewing the other way.

I honestly don't understand how people can only watch shows like that and not be completely depressed. But I guess I do take my tv pretty seriously.

[bio_obscura]

If you can't find a single character you appreciate among all those (mostly) really well-written shows, maybe you just don't like complex characters with flaws tbh. Breaking Bad and GoT I can understand because the murder makes it really hard to be sympathetic and those shows often hinge/d on shock value. But no show I've seen has deeper or more interesting character psychology than Mad Men, other than The Wire.

I'm very curious which ones you -do- like.

[(Anonymous)]

I just wish I could like Parks & Rec. I just can't stand the fake documentary storytelling style. There's a lot of genuinely funny moments I've seen all over the internet and I'm like 'GOD I JUST WANT TO LIKE THIS SHOW'. Pro-P&R, anti-fake documentary.

Same with The Office, honestly, though I really just hate Steve Carrell so he's mostly why I never watched it.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm more surprised by the loads of people who watch GoT and actually do find any of the characters likeable. I just couldn't. All the characters were douchebags, except maybe sort of the children.

Plus I didn't think the plot was nearly as smart as people claimed, but hey.

I'm with you.

[(Anonymous)]

Kind of terrible people that the audience seems to be supposed to root for plus bleak or grimdark settings and storylines? No thank you.

Well, except for Parks & Rec, I just find that weirdly awkward so it is uncomfortable for me to watch.

[(Anonymous)]

Why is this a secret?

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know. I find a bunch of the Parks & Rec characters likable. I also find Jesse Pinkman likable. But I do feel like Game of Thrones has mostly assholes on it so it's personal taste, I suppose.

[lentils]

I was reading your secret and sympathizing, and then I got to the part where you mentioned Parks and tilted my head in confusion. Then I realized you probably started with season 1 and, yeah, that's really not where the characters shine. Especially Andy. I'm still amazed that I love Andy today, because I hated him for being creepy in season 1, but somehow the writers and Chris Pratt managed to make him do a complete turnaround and now he's one of my favorites.

Anyway, point being, if you wanna give it another try maybe start with season 2 or 3, but I understand if season 1 was offputting because it's not great.

[(Anonymous)]

I tried both Mad Men and Breaking Bad and I found that I just couldn't get into them. You're not missing much.

Transcript

[(Anonymous)]

Image: screen cap of the main guy and the young guy from Breaking Bad, wearing yellow hazmat gear and respirators on their heads, sitting on a couch with a 70s color crocheted afghan draped over the back, eating popcorn and drinking beer.

Text: I really want to get into a lot of the recent popular US tv shows like GoT, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Parks and Rec, but I can’t. I think they’re good shows, but I just don’t find any of the characters likeable, and I can’t fully get into them because of that.