tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post8552116815042737516..comments2023-11-03T11:37:13.579-04:00Comments on Something Old, Nothing New: Jumping the Shark vs. Riding the BullJaime J. Weinmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15128500411119962998noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-85583413220713197642008-02-02T19:03:00.000-05:002008-02-02T19:03:00.000-05:00This is only kind of related, but 'out west' movie...This is only kind of related, but 'out west' movies from movie series in the 1930's and 40's also are always terrible. "Mexican Spitfire out west", "The Falcon out west", that Blondie movie were they go to the dessert, all are even worse than the rest of the movies in the series. I suppose these movies suffer from the same problems that 'dude ranch' episodes suffer from.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-71808534256704290522008-02-02T13:33:00.000-05:002008-02-02T13:33:00.000-05:00Mattieshoe wrote: Jaime, I'm curous about your opi...Mattieshoe wrote: <I>Jaime, I'm curous about your opinion on American dad. what do you think of of it?</I><BR/><BR/>I think it's now more or less where <I>Family Guy</I> was in its third season: I don't think it's great, but it has some story/character interest to it and some funny stuff. <BR/><BR/>I think since FG returned it's regressed to being nothing but cutaways and gags where the only joke is that they won't end, while <I>American Dad</I> -- maybe because it has less freedom from the network or maybe because MacFarlane isn't as involved with it -- has more discipline and is a better show than I originally thought it would be.Jaime J. Weinmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15128500411119962998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-60604230813256861042008-02-01T21:17:00.000-05:002008-02-01T21:17:00.000-05:00Jaime, I'm curous about your opinion on American d...Jaime, I'm curous about your opinion on American dad. what do you think of of it?<BR/><BR/>I like it more then I like family guy.and it can be pretty funny at times.Mattieshoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07384858218918956317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-51723339004212256312008-02-01T15:55:00.000-05:002008-02-01T15:55:00.000-05:00BURKE'S LAW once visited a nude ranch, but they ne...BURKE'S LAW once visited a nude ranch, but they never got any further than the front desk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-9451925667722546992008-01-31T17:56:00.000-05:002008-01-31T17:56:00.000-05:00I guess I can't let this thread pass by without me...I guess I can't let this thread pass by without mentioning 1960's GUESTWARD, HO!, with Joanne Dru, Mark Miller and Flip Mark (and J. Carrol Naish as an Indian Chief), another sitcom set on a dude ranch. Nothing great here, but the show was based on a very funny book largely authored by Patrick Dennis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-7320142998386492312008-01-31T17:43:00.000-05:002008-01-31T17:43:00.000-05:00I stand corrected on City Slickers.And I stand eve...I stand corrected on <I>City Slickers.</I><BR/><BR/>And I stand even more corrected on the <I>Malcolm in the Middle</I> dude ranch episode. I should not have lumped that in with the others. But actually, I did like Malcolm quite a bit.Jaime J. Weinmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15128500411119962998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-8763493733107755942008-01-31T17:21:00.000-05:002008-01-31T17:21:00.000-05:00I agree with Kenny. All of the dude ranch stuff in...I agree with Kenny. All of the dude ranch stuff in Malcolm in the Middle was genius. However dude ranch episodes do generally suck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-9850775349601043332008-01-31T16:59:00.000-05:002008-01-31T16:59:00.000-05:00To Muffin: "Hey Dude" is terrible and any attempt ...To Muffin: "Hey Dude" is terrible and any attempt to argue otherwise can be based only in nostalgia and/or irony. <BR/><BR/>Notable for: <BR/><BR/>- Ridiculous theme song and title<BR/>- Future Marcia Brady / Ben Stiller wife Christine Taylor<BR/>- An episode about two characters handcuffed together<BR/>- Perfectly encapsulating the phenomenon of bad new characters (i.e. "Poochie" syndrome) by replacing Ted, the jerky, conceited character who was useful in driving plots, with Jake, the super-cool guy who rides in to the ranch literally while playing the drums, who proved to be so cool that he was totally useless in actual stories.Kennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02125259992970822694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-2865561562893346022008-01-31T16:55:00.000-05:002008-01-31T16:55:00.000-05:00I haven't seen the other dude ranch episodes you m...I haven't seen the other dude ranch episodes you mention, but I must take issue with your appraisal of the Malcolm in the Middle dude ranch episode, which I thought was exceptional and one of the late season standout episodes of the show.<BR/><BR/>As I recall, you're not particularly fond of Malcolm, but "Boys at Ranch" was both a strong episode individually and a notable step in its characters' evolution. The dude ranch setting was less contrived than in other shows because Francis had been working at the ranch all season and the family had yet to visit him there.<BR/><BR/>This episode also centered on Francis' increasing maturity: In contrast to Francis' adventures in military school and in Alaska, where he clashed with authoritarian figures he always compared to his mother, at the ranch Francis was faced with a boss so incompetent that he was forced to take responsibility and do a good job, or at least try hard. The episode deals with Hal's feelings of inadequacy as a father, for being unable to teach Francis responsibility himself, as well as the brothers' feelings of betrayal when they discover Francis is no longer interested in mischief. The ending, in which Francis' innate instinct for mischief both satisfies his brothers and saves Hal and Otto (confirming their belief in his responsibility) is tremendously satisfying and culminates in a brilliant sight gag (the biggest firework literally turns the night sky into day).<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, Francis' character growth in this episode was undercut in later seasons when the writers ran out of things for Francis to do at the ranch, and the other boys' age made Francis' subplots unnecessary. Francis was fired (offscreen) when his incompetence led to him losing the ranch's money, and reverted unconvincingly to his immature, irresponsible ways. Despite that, "Boys at Ranch" remains a classic episode that I think ranks among Malcolm's best.Kennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02125259992970822694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-75754742202902369882008-01-31T16:43:00.000-05:002008-01-31T16:43:00.000-05:00While I can certainly agree that episodes set on d...While I can certainly agree that episodes set on dude ranches are generally huge mistakes, what would we say about series set on dude ranches? Here, I'm thinking about the "Hey Dude" of my childhood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-6639721642394597982008-01-31T16:42:00.000-05:002008-01-31T16:42:00.000-05:00One quibble...the rancher in City Slickers specifi...One quibble...the rancher in City Slickers specifically said it was NOT a dude ranch.<BR/><BR/>"If you thought this was a dude ranch, I hate to disappoint you. This is not pretend. This is a real working ranch. We've gotta move these animals from here to our ranch in Colorado..."<BR/><BR/>More on point, I have to agree with the first commenter that the shark-jumping is worse. The reason people mark the episode as the turning point is because it's so divorced from reality--I mean the original reality of the show.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-90467139041622363212008-01-31T16:15:00.000-05:002008-01-31T16:15:00.000-05:00It would have been more logical if they had revers...It would have been more logical if they had reversed it -- then the season-opening two parters would have gone from the parking lot jump to the demolition derby to the bull riding to the shark jumping, which would have taken the show further and further from reality in a straight upward line (Happy Days in the late 70s being one of those rare pieces of pop culture that was so hot for a certain moment that they could have done a two-parter with Fonzie jumping the Snake River Canyon on a tricycle and it still would have done a 30 share).<BR/><BR/>As for the dude ranches -- not many around Crawford (our family used to have a ranch about 15 miles away). The land's really best for dairy cattle and farming. If you want a dude ranch, so south towards the Austin-San Antonio area, where they also have the (scandal-plagued) tie-em-up-and-shoot-em exotic game ranches. Now that would have been an interesting two-parter for the Fonz on Happy Days.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6956070.post-78036473369429415232008-01-31T15:44:00.000-05:002008-01-31T15:44:00.000-05:00I say jumping a shark. It was clearly used to tie...I say jumping a shark. It was clearly used to tie in to the popularity of Jaws.<BR/>And riding a bull is more rooted in reality. And as you said "going to a dude ranch" is a standard, if not memorable, plot device.<BR/><BR/>Tony C.<BR/>http://mahtwocents.blogharbor.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com