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Sep 18, 2008, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

So what were the better sitcoms of the 90s?

Were there any? Nothing comes to mind.

Jawbone54 · Sep 18, 2008, 12:27 PM

I showed my wife both of the commercials. She's usually the one I go to for an "outsider's" perspective.

She looked absolutely disgusted and asked, "What does that even mean?"

Then the inevitable, "That sucked! What are they trying to sell? And didn't Jerry always have that old Mac in the background of his show that you always pointed out?"

I like my wife.

Jawbone54 · Sep 18, 2008, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

I never understood this - "it's a show about nothing". Aren't most sitcoms about "nothing"? Or, at least the same amount of "nothing"? My opinion is that Seinfeld was a horrible show and never understood the draw. But, seeing the awful programming nowadays I think I can safely say that the public really haven't much taste, anyway.

Most sitcoms use a tried-and-true structure of dialogue and scenarios that would never actually take place in real life (Friends).

Seinfeld used the kind of conversations that my buddies and I would always have, and put them on TV in all their ridiculous glory. Then Larry David left the show and it went all wacky (and not as funny).

Dakar V · Sep 18, 2008, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Were there any? Nothing comes to mind.

Saw this coming a mile away.

It's hard to respect your opinion if you've got nothing better to offer.

xi_hyperon · Sep 18, 2008, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

I never understood this - "it's a show about nothing". Aren't most sitcoms about "nothing"? Or, at least the same amount of "nothing"? My opinion is that Seinfeld was a horrible show and never understood the draw. But, seeing the awful programming nowadays I think I can safely say that the public really haven't much taste, anyway.

sek929 · Sep 18, 2008, 12:59 PM

Well, you're their all-time best seller!

Dakar V · Sep 18, 2008, 01:01 PM

I slept with you wife.

Sep 18, 2008, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

Saw this coming a mile away.

It's hard to respect your opinion if you've got nothing better to offer.

Ah, so you baited me, then?

I didn't have a television for most of the 90's. All of my Seinfeld watching has been through syndication. So, I don't have a point of reference as to really what was on television back then. May I have missed something that was better than Seinfeld in that decade? Dunno.

After watching many of the "classic" sitcoms (Odd Couple, Honeymooners, All In the Family, Dick Van Dyke, et al), everything else is just a rehash - a regurgitation of the formula Jawbone spoke of previously. Add the truly drole Jerry Seinfeld ("Did 'ya ever wonder?") to the mix and you have a heap of not funny and boring.

Dakar V · Sep 18, 2008, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Ah, so you baited me, then?

No, not with some kind of vindictive intent. It's just that most of the people who don't like Seinfeld either don't watch sitcoms or TV in general.

Originally Posted by screamingFit

I didn't have a television for most of the 90's. All of my Seinfeld watching has been through syndication. So, I don't have a point of reference as to really what was on television back then. May I have missed something that was better than Seinfeld in that decade? Dunno.

I lean towards no, just because part of Seinfeld's appeal was how it was applicable to our own lives' albeit in an absurd manner.

Originally Posted by screamingFit

After watching many of the "classic" sitcoms (Odd Couple, Honeymooners, All In the Family, Dick Van Dyke, et al), everything else is just a rehash - a regurgitation of the formula Jawbone spoke of previously. Add the truly drole Jerry Seinfeld ("Did 'ya ever wonder?") to the mix and you have a heap of not funny and boring.

How much Seinfeld have you watched? If you could name one or two of the epsiode plots that did not appeal to you, it might give a little perspective.

(I fully expect that you have forgotten them, because they were so unenjoyable)

Sep 18, 2008, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

No, not with some kind of vindictive intent. It's just that most of the people who don't like Seinfeld either don't watch sitcoms or TV in general.

I lean towards no, just because part of Seinfeld's appeal was how it was applicable to our own lives' albeit in an absurd manner.

How much Seinfeld have you watched? If you could name one or two of the epsiode plots that did not appeal to you, it might give a little perspective.

(I fully expect that you have forgotten them, because they were so unenjoyable)

My girlfriend likes Seinfeld so I've watched a few. A few of them that I remember:

Kramer and a Kenny Rogers Roaster that was downstairs
A van that someone gave to Jerry that he tried to unload
Kramer not wanting mail and Wilfred Brimley (sp?) was the Postmaster
A neighbors annoying parrot that Kramer killed by putting a key in it's food
George having two women and didn't know what to do (that seems to have been played out in several episodes)
Some contest where the guys went as long as they could without jerking off
Something about bribing a maitre d at a Chinese restaurant

Maybe it's just because I find Jerry Seinfeld annoying that I don't like the show. I do like the character of Kramer, though.

I grew up on sitcoms and TV in general. I've watched A LOT of TV - though most of it was in the 70's (yeah - "get off my lawn!").

Dakar V · Sep 18, 2008, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

My girlfriend likes Seinfeld so I've watched a few. A few of them that I remember:

Kramer and a Kenny Rogers Roaster that was downstairs
A van that someone gave to Jerry that he tried to unload
Kramer not wanting mail and Wilfred Brimley (sp?) was the Postmaster
A neighbors annoying parrot that Kramer killed by putting a key in it's food
George having two women and didn't know what to do (that seems to have been played out in several episodes)
Some contest where the guys went as long as they could without jerking off
Something about bribing a maitre d at a Chinese restaurant

That's a nice list of highs and lows. A good sample size.

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Maybe it's just because I find Jerry Seinfeld annoying that I don't like the show. I do like the character of Kramer, though.

Well, while I don't agree, I can at least sympathize with someone not liking Seinfeld. And yes, that definitely color your enjoyment of the show since he's the lead.

olePigeon · Sep 18, 2008, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Ah, so you baited me, then?

Dakar's a master baiter.

Jawbone54 · Sep 18, 2008, 01:53 PM

Yes, unfortunately he's not master of his domain.

Dakar V · Sep 18, 2008, 01:56 PM

Jawbone54 · Sep 18, 2008, 02:05 PM

My, that's a beautiful hand. Exquisite, one might say!

Have you ever considered hand modeling?

brassplayersrock² · Sep 18, 2008, 02:21 PM

OldManMac · Sep 18, 2008, 07:24 PM

Not any more. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424601,00.html

- - e r i k - - · Sep 18, 2008, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by screamingFit

These ads have been stupid. I think to get their point across better (Vista doesn't suck) they should have done more with the Mojave Experiment as an advertising campaign.

Oh yeah, because painting your target audience as idiots works wonders.

OldManMac · Sep 18, 2008, 10:02 PM

Maybe they're still on; who knows. http://gizmodo.com/5051682/microsoft...d-not-canceled

Kerrigan · Sep 18, 2008, 10:11 PM

I think that monopolies have a hard time gauging who their customers are and who they need to target, since they don't have the same type of demand data that a normal firm has, so this makes it more difficult to develop an effective advertising campaign. And anything too edgy could do more harm than good to the brand, so they tend to play it safe.

dawho9 · Sep 18, 2008, 10:15 PM

New M$/I'm a PC add is on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZdkHylJ3w

Strange...

analogue SPRINKLES · Sep 18, 2008, 10:17 PM

Who would have thought we would see the day when Microsoft feels the need to counter Apple ads.

- - e r i k - - · Sep 18, 2008, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by dawho9

New M$/I'm a PC add is on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkZdkHylJ3w

Strange...

I have to agree with John Gruber here:

Originally Posted by Daring Fireball

Directly responding to Apple’s campaign is weak. It’s playing Pepsi to Apple’s Coke, Burger King to Apple’s McDonald’s. It’s an explicit acknowledgement that Microsoft is the second-place brand.

Kerrigan · Sep 18, 2008, 10:21 PM

So Bill Gates carries his own groceries... Interesting.

Eug · Sep 18, 2008, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES

Who would have thought we would see the day when Microsoft feels the need to counter Apple ads.

That's what I was thinking.

However, I do admit this was more interesting than those idiotic Seinfeld ones. Mind you, it might have had more impact had this aired before the Mac ones.

Stogieman · Sep 18, 2008, 11:15 PM

Haha as someone said in the youtube comments:

I think the most accurate one was "I'm a PC and I'm scared."

ort888 · 12:09 AM

Hey, that ad actually makes sense!

And yeah, it is odd. What the hell are the doing on the defensive like that?

I just saw this commercial again and it got me thinking. Isn't this almost like advertising for Apple? It's not really doing anything to promote the PC over the Mac, rather, it's just showing that lots of different people use PCs. Well duh, it's a freaking PC. They have something like a 90% marketshare. Is this supposed to be a surprise? Normal people use PCs to do things? And?!?!?

If anything it just makes people think more about Apple's campaign and just by acknowledging it, they are admitting weakness.