icemann on 13/12/2011 at 17:57

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A yes please to taking it elsewhere as the disagreement has nothing to do with any of the shows discussed.

If you want to argue over what season of Parker Lewis Can't Lose was the best then feel free :p (first in my opinion), otherwise please do. We have enough of off topic arguments going on elsewhere the majority of the time.

The Alchemist on 13/12/2011 at 21:45

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Kolya, RBJ's comment wasnt malignant. It was satirical, he was jesting on the type/quality of the watches in question. The "motherfucker" was playful. It was an obtuse emphasis on the absurd. Swatches also flows better with synchronized. Are you familiar with cellar door? You classically overreacted. Do you understand now? Do Koalas (I've always pronounced it Koala...) compute satire and jest? Do you have any sense of humor at all? Any sense of humility? Say "ach, so" and shut the fuck up. Bitte haben Sie einen wunderbar tag!

Harvester on 13/12/2011 at 23:03

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Still think The Alchemist is right about RBJ's original comment not being maliciously intended though.
Apart from that, I'm quite enjoying these lessons in German swearing.

Rug Burn Junky on 14/12/2011 at 01:16

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Actually, you're both correct, I was correcting the catchphrase AND mocking the type/quality of the watch as well as emphasizing the absurdity of such by registering a fanboy level of indignation shown through my use of extreme vulgar language.

It's amazing how much you can communicate with only three words.

In fact, not only was it not maliciously intended, but I didn't even know I was responding to Kolya, since I was on my phone and too lazy to scroll sideways.
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Now, bitches*, out of respect for icemann's request, let's break it down.

I f'n love Parker Lewis. It was a great show when you consider that it was, well, such a shitty show. Yes, it is cheezy beyond all belief, but as with the other early Fox sitcoms it felt fresh in comparison to the established networks - which consisted mostly of Cosby Show clones. One of the reasons is its heavy use of irony - something which is taken for granted in pop culture now, and, in all likelihood overused, but which at the time was unheard of in the three act, studio audience, sitcom universe. It also had fantastic editing, a direct forebear of shows like Scrubs and Green Wing in that regard. The editing/camera work actually did wonders for exaggerating the absurdities of the show, it was almost a character in and of itself. Then again, I'm a sucker for shows that break the 4th wall.

Taken as a combination? The entire show is made to be tongue in cheek.

Now, the "synchronize swatches" line is a great example of all of this. If this were made today, it would be a pure product placement. But at the time? Well, not really. Given the prevalence of swatches in high school culture, it was most likely a sincere attempt to pander to kids. The problem of course, is that by the time the show was made, that moment had passed, much like the other catchphrases within the show, it was recognizably uncool. The same could be said for most of the show - the comically exaggerated styles, colors and hair-do's were already veering into self parody. That's part of why the show worked - it toed the line between sincere catchphrase and ironic parody. For that to work, it had to be tied to the cultural statement of a swatch as the badge of junior high school coolness - merely "timecheck" or "synchronize watches" leaves out the cultural aspect that made that particular little nugget of parody work.

Now Kolya, bubbelah. Calm down. I'd say that we finally found some common ground that we can build on, but you could probably use some lessons in analyzing pop culture if you're going to be able to discuss such matters. After all, Nietszche may be better in the original German, but I don't think you can really get Parker Lewis unless you see it in its original English.

*Note, by using the word "bitches" I am not implying that anyone in particular is either canine or female, except where previously noted in thread.

Rug Burn Junky on 14/12/2011 at 04:07

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Stick to German, you suck at English. It's not that they were deep thoughts, just that I was clearly communicating something on a level that was readily apparent to both Harvester and Alchy, and yet you can't seem to understand.