Why are so many TV shows trying to be "meta" these days? I think it's lazy writing.

masterspace, 10 months ago

I just watched the first episode of the new Futurama season and the running gag was their attempt to make fun of the Hulu streaming network (Fulu)… in the year 3023. Not only that, but they also parody Black Mirror which itself parodies Netfix (Streamberry) in their latest season.

Up front I’ll say I haven’t seen the new futurama or black mirror so I can’t speak directly to these examples, however …

What is up with all of this meta stuff?

On the very specific level of a new Futurama season, I might guess that they’re chasing the Rick and Morty meta success that happened while they were gone, which brings us to the next question:

Does anyone actually enjoy it?

I think in some cases the answer is fairly objectively yes. Rick and Morty is one of the high ratest comedies of recent years, as was Dan Harmon’s prior creation, Community, which are both quite defined by their metaness, as was Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, which won Best Picture and was widely beloved. However…

I think it’s lazy writing. … Is this really the quality of TV prior to AI taking over the writing?

I think you’re entirely correct here that in many many other instances it is lazy writing that quite often ruins itself or whatever it’s grafted onto.

The real satisfying answer that I think you’re looking for though is this one:

Why Do Movies Feel So Different Now? - Thomas Flight

It’s one rooted in cultural trends, and is what would be described as moving from the Post Modern age to whatever we call the post-Post Modern period (the video refers to it as the metamodern period).

OptimusPhillip, 10 months ago

Futurama has done meta jokes before. It may be lazy writing, but this isn’t them cashing in on a trend, this is Futurama being Futurama.

Otome-chan, 10 months ago

Futurama is literally a comedy about everyday life (in the future), and black mirror is literally a commentary on modern day life. Perhaps watch stuff that isn't focused around parodying or doing comedy on real life stuff?

That said, a lot of metahumor and political commentary ends up in western media these days because the people making and controlling the stuff have this fetishization of deconstruction and attacking everyday things. Hence why it's so rampant, even in places it doesn't belong.

king_dead, 10 months ago

Its easy comedy. It’s so much easier to write what you’re thinking about when you’re writing the script rather than actually coming up with a joke or something in-character for someone to say. Right up there with references and gross out humor in the lazy writers playbook

CeruleanRuin, 10 months ago

It’s funny that you ended with a Simpsons meme, because the Simpsons has been doing meta for decades now. I don’t know why you would expect differently from its younger sibling Futurama.

It’s kind of what adult animated comedy does.

Barbacamanitu, 10 months ago

People don’t do much besides watch shows on streaming services these days. It’s the only way to relate to the audience.

Gatopardo, 10 months ago

They did the same after being cancelled the first time and coming back. Making fun of Fox and their producers. Seems in line with their sort of humour. What other shows are better now?

iviattendurefort, 10 months ago

The Simpsons used to rip on Fox all the time

Laticauda, 10 months ago

Bro have you never watched a Futurama episode before in your life? They’ve ALWAYS made jokes about current events and pop culture. Those jokes a perfectly in-line with their usual humour.

blazera, 10 months ago

I dunno if you watched futurama, it was always cheesy commentary on contemporary subjects.

Idrunkenlysignedup, 10 months ago

I get where OP is coming from overall, but that’s kinda been Futurama’s thing. Other places it’s shoe horned in and lazy but that’s been like half of Futurama’s episodes (and the vast majority of South Park) since the beginning.

That being said, I do think the quality of TV has been going downhill for years and few things seem to really be original anymore.

ElmarsonTheThird, 10 months ago

It’s the “Seinfeld isn’t funny” problem. If you’re the pioneer for something and it is lazily copied by everyone, the new ideas you had back in the day seem stale.

AdamEatsAss, 10 months ago

I enjoyed the first episode of hulurama. It did remind me of the other episode after they were rebooted where they referenced it a few times. Hopefully they follow their previous path and don’t do it the entire time. I think being “meta” is a new writing style that has become a fad. Rick and Morty and Deadpool both come to mind as recent productions that are meta and have had Greta success. Many writers work on multiple projects or follow other shows and pull elements they like from one show into another. Also Futurama has always had a slightly meta side to it with many of its throwaway jokes.

burgersc12, 10 months ago

Who is Greta, and what did she succed at?!?

masterspace, 10 months ago (edited 10 months ago)

Haha in this context it kinda makes sense given that Greta Gerwig just directed Barbie which is a meta smash hit.

skulblaka, 10 months ago

They almost certainly won't follow it up. It was an excellent running gag for re-entry but I expect from here forward we will have more "regular" Futurama.

Honestly though, I thought it was great and would have been a little disappointed if they didn't at least lampshade their 10 year absence. Making it such a central joke was unexpected but welcome and it didn't wear out its welcome.

I think OP is missing the point that TV, most especially animated comedy, has always been "meta" and makes references to the trends and cultural shifts of their day. Just look at Simpsons or South Park or Family Guy and see how often they reference events that were current at the time of the episode. Futurama has always had its own plotlines but hasn't been above poking fun at current events of the past. Just happens that streaming TV is a current event of today that they can build their script on.

OptimusPhillip, 10 months ago

I haven’t seen the new episode, but this sounds like the same joke Futurama has made in both of its previous revivals. Bender’s Big Score opened with the crew lamenting that the Box Network cancelled their delivery license. Rebirth opened with the crew noting the comedy in the random wormhole from the end of Into the Wild Green Yonder happening to be Earth’s central channel for shipping. So this isn’t entirely new to Futurama.

azayrahmad, 10 months ago

I haven’t watched the latest Futurama, but from what I remember of its early seasons, isn’t Futurama always like this? Or in general, any Matt Groening show?

flicker, 10 months ago

Yes. It is always like this. The OP either missed the point of the previous seasons entirely or never watched them and chose to bag on a show for being 'meta' that has been that way since it began.

The entire eyePhone episode. Mom_santo_ corporation? Decision 3000? Futurama is more color commentary than anything else!

fubo, 10 months ago

It’s a Matt Groening show, isn’t it? He’s been doing “meta” since Life in Hell.

housepanther, 10 months ago

It’s not really lazy writing. It’s just one more symptom of capitalism. Why spend more money to develop ideas when it is cheaper and there are higher profit margins to keep recycling the same old stories but changing a few things.

fiat_lux, 10 months ago

I guess you could call post-modernism and it's satire a consequence of capitalism. But I can't call it lazy. I think it's more of a "there are few opportunities for social critique and commentary where the source has enough means to survive backlash" issue.

And there's a lot worth critiquing about capitalism, I'm glad someone is doing it and able to live on it.

qwamqwamqwam, 10 months ago

I’m fascinated by this line of thinking. Are there good shows that’s are also symptoms of capitalism? Is it all parodies? How does one distinguish a show from “capitalism” from one that’s not?

I suppose from one perspective you do have a point––someone never could have published a satire in the Soviet Union.

lukecooperatus, 10 months ago

someone never could have published a satire in the Soviet Union.

I don’t know if you are joking, but there was definitely satire published in the Soviet Union. See Krokodil, a satirical magazine published once a week for the entirety of the lifetime of the Soviet Union itself.

qwamqwamqwam, 10 months ago

Oh, yes, a single survivor, who’s Wikipedia article calls it out as rare exception. The one that survived by sticking to safe topics like making fun of alcoholics and capitalist nations. All of it’s other peers died, of course. And that definitely compares to the Simpsons 20-something years long career of poking fun at just about every aspect of American culture and government, not to mention the thousands of other satirical print and media works generated by free Western society.

My apologies, I guess you could publish satire in the Soviet Union, provided you were feeling lucky(and willing to bend the knee).

lukecooperatus, 10 months ago

I’m not sure why you’re getting so defensive over this, I’m not trying to start an argument here, I’m just pointing out that Soviet satire definitely existed.

a single survivor … rare exception

Maybe it was rare, I dunno, but there are plenty of other interesting examples of long running satire published in that region at that time. Deny their existence if you like, but that seems illogical to me.

luthis, 10 months ago

I think it’s a combination of lazy writing, trying to be ‘in’, and also trying to be smart.

If you want a breath of fresh tv air, let me recommend a brilliant show that has a dedicated cult following and was cancelled after 2 seasons because Netflix gets more subscribers by adding new shows and advertising them instead of pleasing their current audience. The OA. I loved it.

housepanther, 10 months ago

Yes, The OA was quality. Another show I liked was starring Hillary Swank about a first manned mission to Mars and the challenges both the astronauts, their families, and their societies faced.

luthis, 10 months ago

Cancelled after one season?? It must be amazing! Fuck I hate netflix for their BS. Shitty tv shows get more seasons while the gold gets discarded.

I’ll check it out. On IMDB I was reminded she was in I Am Mother which is a great sci fi movie. At least movies can’t suffer the same fate as series. Kind of. Still want to see a Dredd sequel.

housepanther, 10 months ago

Hillary Swank is one helluva fine actress. I like her because she isn’t typically Hollywood beautiful. She has an imperfect beauty about her that positively radiates.

luthis, 10 months ago

That explains so much. She is excellent

erogenouswarzone, 10 months ago

https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/be87b7c6-4609-4569-a311-a807fc580fbe.png

aCosmicWave, 10 months ago

I loved The OA! The second season was good too but just a bit on the meta side 😋

Strae, 10 months ago

I really liked The OA, but I thought the end of season 1 was the absolute worst, most cringe-inducing nonsense I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m not even being hyperbolic. It almost completely ruined what I thought was a great show before that. Haven’t given season 2 a chance because of it.

luthis, 10 months ago

Wow I really had the exact opposite reaction, I thought it was great. Heartbreaking and unexpected. If you enjoyed the rest of season 1 you will probably enjoy season 2, the ending is very different to s1 and a bit more mind-bending.

Strae, 10 months ago

I really should give it a try. I liked almost everything else about S1.

emeralddawn45, 10 months ago

Well that’s definitely an opinion. What else did you hate so I can add it to my watch list?