Does Joss use too many jokes?

POSTED BY: WarpedBeauty
UPDATED: Friday, February 17, 2006 06:30
VIEWED: 7628
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CYBERSNARK

Thursday, February 16, 2006 9:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
um, cybersnark - I don't get the Batman reference. Are you saying Batman's really smart? I hope you don't mean the movie with Ah-nold as iceman, because... wow, ouch!

Actually, it's an ongoing gag on that strip I pointed to: Walky (the artist/writer) is a huge Batman: TAS fan.

Of course, TAS gives us the hyper-competent ubermensch supergenius with no sense of humour. Imagine that Batman in. . . just about any context:

http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20050311.html
http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20050620.html
http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20051230.html
http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20060127.html
http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20060130.html

http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20050610.html
(My personal favourite.)

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We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

MAL4PREZ

Thursday, February 16, 2006 9:18 PM

shame on me for not checking the reference.

Batman and gardening...

*wiping tears from eyes*

...OK, I get it now.

Ask Dr. Science ... he knows more than you do.
"I have a Master's degree ... in science!"

OLDMANSPLITFOOT

Thursday, February 16, 2006 10:53 PM

The only time during Firefly or Serenity where I found the humor out of place was in Objects in Space. I didn't want Jubel Early to be funny, not after he threatened to rape Kaylee. I wanted to hate him completely and utterly, not laugh at him. Turns out Joss made me do both.

KWICKO

Thursday, February 16, 2006 11:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by OldManSplitfoot:
The only time during Firefly or Serenity where I found the humor out of place was in Objects in Space. I didn't want Jubel Early to be funny, not after he threatened to rape Kaylee. I wanted to hate him completely and utterly, not laugh at him. Turns out Joss made me do both.

Definitely. I wanted to keep hating Early SOOOOO much after what he said to our little Kaylee. But then you ended up kinda LIKING the guy, or at least feeling a little sorry for him. Such is the power of Joss's writing.

[SPOILER ALERT] If you haven't seen Buffy and don't want anything ruined, stop reading right now!

Also, he did it (more than once) in Buffy, too. When Angelus killed Miss Calendar, I cringed. I gasped. So did my wife. She actually screamed "NO!" We both said that we could never like or trust Angel again, no matter what. Of course, we were both wrong...

It's a rare writing crew and acting cast that can do that to you so regularly, and so bloody well. At various times, Whedon & Company have had me hating one character, loving another, and then they flip things around. And it's all done with an almost magical blend of drama, tension, wit, and humor.

Mike

A baby seal walks into a club...

JPSTARGAZER

Friday, February 17, 2006 4:00 AM

The only time I thought a joke was out of place was at the end of Ariel when Jayne finally has his moment where he asks Mal not to tell the crew what he did. That was huge step for Jayne, and when Mal closes the outer door to the airlock and walks away, you see Jayne finally realize everyone's part of the crew and then BOOM, he says something trying to be humorous. I know, you're going to say "Well Jayne's defense mechanism for that sort of thing is humor, it's just his character." Well that's true but that moment was the only time I wanted him to shut up and think. That part just feels wrong to me.

Other than that, I think Jayne has some of the funniest lines in the show.

"All I got is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth...the rest is up to you"
--Bono

PARKER6097

Friday, February 17, 2006 4:15 AM

I don't think his shows would be the same without the comedy, he creates the perfect mix of drama and comedy, it's his style and it's one of the things I love about him :)

SEESKYANDREMEMBER

Friday, February 17, 2006 4:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barclay:
Joss has only ever made one joke I didn't appreciate. At the end of Serenity, you're going through this emotional roller coaster, the film has left you with a lasting impression, Serenity is sailing off into the black... you're feeling it, you want to savor this moment, then... "What was that?" Completely takes that away. You're not feeling it anymore. It's a joke that has the function of "Ok, we're done, back to the real world" instead of my preferred "Now you go take this into the lobby and have a nice little discussion." I stop Serenity on DVD prior to this quote for this very reason.

While I see your point, this quote gave me an entirely different feeling. A friend of mine introduced me to Firefly late last fall. I watched the whole series in one sitting (an 11h 31m sitting, lol) and I simply fell in love. When I finally got to see Serenity (by this time it was out of most theaters. I had to drive 2 hours to the nearest theater that was still showing it) I loved it just as much as I had loved the series. The final joke at the end gave me a hope that there could be more to come; that this wasn't necessarily the end.

To be completly taken away would be nice...but maybe a bit too final, a bit too "and they lived happily ever after". The "What was that?" at the end reminded me that the crew of Serenity was still flyin'...

Dunno. Maybe it's just me.

________________________________________
It'll still be there...waiting.

KITCH

Friday, February 17, 2006 6:30 AM

As a HUGE Buffy/Angel fan I would have to say, that is his gift. To actually have an almost constant state of angst/hilarity and sell it, time and time again in all of his shows is amazing. Having said that, Firefly is still my favorite, because it is so unique and special. But it REEKS of Joss... and that rules.

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