As if one imbecile main character on The Simpsons isn't enough, they have to ruin a great premise and imaginative plots by making Fry into a major imbecile who seems to be getting stupider by the episode. Maybe the writers couldn't come up with any other way to make Fry funny other than to make him stupid.
Unfortunately, IMHO, Fry's stupidity is just too reminiscent of Homer Simpson. And even Homer's stupidity in recent seasons can sometimes be annoying instead of funny.
In the recent episode about the liquid emporer, Fry gets talked into allowing a street con to remove his lungs with no anasthetic.
The Complete-moron-who-can-get-talked-into-anything is no longer fresh, after 10 years of Homer. I hope Fry wises up but becomes comical in other ways.
Aside from Fry's stupidity, everything else about Futurama is great.
Except for non-entity characters and about 8 minutes of good material in each episode, that is. Perhaps Fry's evolution into complete dumbass will now foretell his speedy evolution into the "unwatchable asshole" Homer of recent years.
Personally, I still get a kick out of Homer, but having Fry acting the same way is very bad. C'mon dammit! Give me a reason to watch Tuesdays! (BOOM...BOOM BOOM, DA BOOM...hehe) This show is really settling into mediocrity. Ugh... cas
Eric Perlin wrote: << Maybe the writers couldn't come up with any other way to make Fry funny other than to make him stupid. >>
It's really too bad that they had to make Fry such a dim bulb, because having a normal 20th century guy flung into the future, reacting to the situation would be funny enough as is (not unlike the culture shock Arthur Dent went through in his intragalactic travels). I mean, even the smartest among us would find ourselves feeling horribly out of place 1,000 years from now, and playing up on that would be really cool. Oh, well. At least Bender makes me laugh.
If nothing else, they could have at least made Fry really violent like another mental midget, Groo the Wanderer.
tpe (And if you don't know who Groo is, then shame on you, ya lousy mendicants!)
On Tue, 4 May 1999 22:20:05 -0700 (PDT), [email] said:
I don't know, I think the problem with Fry is not that he's too stupid, but he's too much of an asshole. The ideal character for Fry would be sort of a well-meaning, but kinda dim spud. Not too stupid, but not a genius. Maybe somewhat bumbling, but not to the extreme. Not too New Wave, or too ANYTHING.
I suppose this is kind of odd coming from someone who is subscribed to a.t.f, but I don't find Futurama a truly great show. It's not bad, it's just... well, THERE. It's not offensively bad, but it's not great. I watch every episode (either on TV or on RA), but I've yet to see anything that makes me fall out of my chair laughing or anything. There've been a few really classic bits, like the Head Museum, and Fry's parable of the Grasshopper and the Octopus, but not enough to carry the show. And the Grasshopper & Octopus was a bit more Homer than it was Fry. Bender definately carries the show, most of the funny bits are Benderisms, but, well, Matt Groening really isn't known for his characters. When you get down to it, the Simpsons themselves are pretty generic, run-of-the-mill; it's the SITUATIONS they get into that makes the show good. Pretty much any show could have the same characters, but without the writing, they couldn't pull it off. The Simpsons of years past (although I really liked Monty Can't Buy Me Love. Especially the silver-dollar-in-the- head joke. I cracked up when I saw that for about 5 minutes. Only complaint was the last act, really, but that's another post. And I would have given it an A-, for the record) had the situation thing down, however it's been lacking lately. We're beginning to see the Simpsons as Standard Fare. Which is kind of depressing. Only replace "kind of" with "really" and "dog" with "son".
With Futurama, however, the characters are even MORE generic than the Simpsons. Honestly, can you think of very many characteristics for any of the characters? Fry: Wavering between kind and mean-spirited and also dumb and naive. Leela: Helpful, caring, there. Bender: Actually pretty good character development. Kind, but rude, machine, but human, funny, but funny. Yeah, the last one's not so much character, but whatchagonnado? Dr. Farnsworth: Again, pretty good character development. Kind, but senile, but still with a hint of sadism. Dr. Zoidberg: Uh... alien. Enjoys fish. Tries to fit in, but doesn't do so well. Reasonably good development, but sort of smacks of a side character. I don't think he would do so well in the forefront, like they seem to be easing him into. Amy Wong: Uh... she's from Mars! Yeah! And she has a bare midriff! HOORAY! What's his name.. the other doctor. The one who was chewing out Bender: Well, the fact that I can't remember his name or anything really about him, other than he was chewing out Bender kinda should tell you something. Rather bosslike, if I recall. Seems to run the business more than Farnsworth. Sort of laid back, but angry, if I recall. I really don't know him from Adam. And he's got an accent. HOORAY!
Unfortunately, Futurama has yet to come up with some truly great situations to place the characters in, which is a shame, because there really are a lot of possibilities with the setup. Oh well.
And as for the pressing question of why I'm still subscribed to the newsgroup? Well, it came up on SLRN when it was newgrouped on my newsserver, and I'm too lazy to unsubscribe, especially since it's not exactly high-traffic. I may if it becomes really high traffic, and if the show doesn't get better. But I don't want to unsubscribe -- a show like Futurama has too much potential to just write off. Perhaps if they recalled it for fine tuning. But that won't happen, I can tell you.
And is it just me, or does Billy West so NOT fit the role of Fry? One of the reasons I can't get into Fry is that his voice just doesn't seem to fit? West is a great voice actor, it's just that there are some roles for him, and others that aren't for him. Like you wouldn't want Les Claypool playing bass in a fifties-doo-wop cover band (well, providing he played in his signature style. I know Claypool COULD play bass in that style if he wanted, but it'd be a waste really, and there would be better people for the job...). Claypool's a kick ass bassist, but he just wouldn't fit in.
hahah.. that'd be a hoot...
Fry [turns to Leela]: Did I err? [looks at decimated alien planet]
Groo kicks ass. I met Sergio Aragones once. He's the MAN. He's great. I've got a lot of respect for him.. one of the nicest people I've ever met, not to mention one of the funniest. Sergio kicks ass.
In alt.tv.futurama, on the "Re: Fry is getting stupider" thread, Rev. Matt Keeley wrote:
If Fry were to become as stupid as the (modern) Homer Simpson, that would be a shame. So far, though, I haven't had a problem with Fry's intelligence level which, after reading the other posts, seems to be variable right now. I think Rev. Keeley describes an ideal personality for Fry -- there is too much potential humor for a guy dealing with a thousand years worth of culture shock that the writers to dismiss it too quickly.
So who do you think Fry should sound like?
Yeah.
Also, lonely and trapped on a world where there are no others of her kind. This has to be a terrible burden for her, and she compensates for it with a tough, no-nonsense attitude. Occasionally, she lets her guard down, as in "Loves Labors Lost in Space." Several other posters pointed out the parallel between her and "M*A*S*H's" Margaret Houlihan, and I think these people are right on the money.
I like how he fights back against the larger human society, which appears to have relegated robots to a second-class citizen status. He has the backbone not to accept that, but isn't so militant that it turns off the viewers at home. Hmm ... maybe this robot isn't such a bad role model, after all.
Sadism? He might be a little cavalier about the safety of his employees ("I suppose I should do something ... Zzzzz") but I don't think he's intentionally trying to cause them pain.
Gene Roddenberry once said that Spock represented the unknown and the alien. I think Dr. Zoidberg fulfills the same role -- when the plot needs for someone to be =really= alien and exotic, more so than Leela, Dr. Zoidberg is there. You're right, though; he's better used as a supporting character than a main one.
Modern TV axion: You can't have too many bare midriffs. Seriously though, Amy strikes me as a bit naive and maybe a bit shallow, but she has an certain endearing enthusiasm. Another fine supporting player (and judging from a.t.f. reaction so far, potential center of another fandom cult).
You mean Hermes Conrad, the guy with the West Indies accent? Unless he has a Ph.D. in business, he isn't a doctor. I think he does run Planet Express on a day-to-day basis; Farnsworth seems above it all, more like a business owner than a manager. If "Futurama's" writers are smart, Conrad can satirize office politics on the front-line level, while Mom can satirize the big-picture corporate culture as a whole.
Oh, I guess we are talking about the same guy, then.
There's more to "Futurama's" characters than you think. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into them. Readers, you make the call!
If I really *do* get to make a call, will I have to return the quarter? Do I get another call or is this my only one? Can I call Ghostbusters? Hmm... maybe calling a lawyer might be a good idea, though I can't see how he would apply here. Can I call that girl I met at work last week (I hear she's available)? Will my call be monitored for sercurity reasons and in an effort to better help future customers?
Benjamin Robinson wrote in message news:[email]...
Maybe
ANYTHING.
be
now.
Fry's IQ seems to fluctuate from episode to episode, from Not-too-dumb-somewhat-clever-Fry (1ACV05) to as-much-common-sense-as-a-french-fry-Fry (1ACV07). I just hope they "click" Fry's intelligence somewhere, because right now I'm not sure how smart or stupid he is.
Fry sounds like the typical 25-year-old, and Billy West does a great job IMHO.
Simpsons.
characters?
They ARE generic, if only because there hasn't been much time for character development. The path of episodes for this season has been:
1ACV01: Fry 1ACV02: Fry (Leela just sorta sat next to him and said "that's stupid!" until the end) 1ACV03: Fry, with some Bender moments 1ACV04: Leela almost completely, although Zapp usually stole the scene. 1ACV05: Sort of a mix of all 3, although Fry and Leela were the prominent characters until the 3rd act. 1ACV06: Fry, Fry, and more Fry. 1ACV07: Fry. 1ACV08: All 3 (?) 1ACV09: Looks to be a Bender episode, there's a first.
Leela truly deserves some character development, right now she's 2-dimensional at the same time as having the most depth.
a
I wasn't sure what happened there. One minute she's sort of consoling Zapp and then she's suddenly in bed... I had a hard time buying that for some reason.
WHOOHOO! That would be me, I watch too much MASH obviously =).
machine,
to
backbone
Bender's becoming less of a dirty, sinful robot that will rob society of all that is decent, and more of a lazy yet somewhat well-meaning robot with his own ideas and aspirations to "think outside the box" of society, like folk singing and gourmet cooking. In short, he wants to advance beyond his programming, like some sort of alcoholic version of Data on STNG.
"We're gonna kick it up a notch! BAM!"
senile,
("I
"Great news, everyone!" has become the forteller of doom, as Bender pointed out. Whatever happened to his pajama lines?
do
character.
alien.
is
What development? All we seem to know is that he doesn't understand humans much but somehow became the ship's doctor. The writers are just using Zoidberg for crab jokes!
HOORAY!
though,
For an intern, the only actual work I've seen her do is on 1ACV02, other than that she just sort of hangs around for the ride and acts sort of annoying.
has
Express
the
Hermes is sort of Futurama's Pointy-Haired-Boss, the eternal boss figure that doesn't need any character development and never will.
...not to mention his gratuitous use of the 'word' "mon". Do Jamaican people really do that?
...so why does Fox's site only have 4? Those bastards!
I just got married there in February, and let me tell you, the very first person who met us when we got off of the plane in Jamaica said "mon". The manager of the four star resort we stayed at said "mon". It's as common as rum down there. cas
"[email] (Thrillhouse)" asked: << What's Aragones been up to lately anyway? >>
A four-issue "Groo & Ruffero" miniseries was recently published by Dark Horse, and DC is in the middle of publishing a six-issue miniseries called "Fanboy." I highly recommend both, especially "Fanboy" to all the comics geeks!
Aside from that, he still contributes to every issue of Mad magazine, but I'm not sure what else he works on. I'm still waiting for a "Groo" animated movie!
That would be great. I just remembered something else; I think Sergio Aragones also did some short animated segways for "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" sometime in the mid-to-late eighties. Ring a Bell?
Only half of one. Wasnt Aragones a regular on some show where he would draw a picture (presumably commenting on some topic that was covered in the show) sitting on the studio stage with an easel?
It's a very vague memory, but that's what _I_ remember.
First of all, I know who Groo is. Second of all...I really like seeing just how stupid Fry can be. Considering that his whole world is inside out, I can almost believe that he wouldn't know who to trust, nor the limits of reality, and might actually believe that his lungs could be removed while he waits for his gills to arrive.
On Wed, 5 May 1999 00:06:35 -0400, "Castor Troy" wrote:
I'm inclined to agree. I've been *real* disappointed in seeing Fry get stupider and stupider with each passing show, and my interest in the program is beginning to backslide. We don't need a Homer3000. The Fry of the earlier shows was a lot better, as I saw him as a resaonably intelligent character thrust into a bizarre new world. It was great. There's no reason to degenerate him into an idiot, as even a smart person would be reasonably dazed after waking up 1000 years in the future. But, the stuff I've been seeing Fry do in the past few episodes just surprise me. I really didn't think he'd be that stupid a character. I hope the writers rescue him before it's too late. Otherwise, I'll have a free half-hour between King of the Hill and PJ's.
Ray (uh, yea, right Fry, you won't need your lungs...)
Fry in 1ACV05 seemed like a throwback (if you can use that word with only 4 episodes to throw back to) to an earlier less-stupid Fry, who actually saved Bender and Leela's asses with his line "Take one more step... and I'll breathe fire on you!"
I have to agree with grosse on that one. God you people are good at spoting those things. Tomarrow i'm locking myself in a room and I'm gonna watch the first 7 episodes over and over again until I know everything on the show there is to know...
God have mercy on my soul if I should not return....
I seem to be in a minority in that I don't find it that bad, or even a problem at all. It's more of a "hiding from reality" kind of stupid rather than actual "too few brain cells" stupidity. At some point in an episode he does come around. It's an intellectual laziness that I feel fits Fry's character as it has developed so far, and, IMHO of course, with many of his peers back in the 20th century. ;-)
On Wed, 05 May 1999 20:11:00 -0700, [email] (Quiet Desperation) wrote:
Ageed. Fry is a typical 25 year-old male, after all. As my husband commented (at the ripe old age of 32;) "Most guys arew like that when we're in our twenties." Not stupid, just intellectually lazy, and not focused yet. " Selectively stupid, if you will. I do like Fry a lot. As was seen in "fear of a Bot Planet," he can and does rise to the occassion when necessary. (Hell, it was his idea to go back for Bender in the first place.) Plus, personable and kinda cute;) That said, I do see he and Homer now in a dead heat over "most disgusting thing consumed.." Though, drinking the emperor *almost* put Fry over the top!
On Wed, 05 May 1999 20:11:00 -0700, [email] (Quiet Desperation) wrote:
Previous to the last episode I might agree with you, but the whole deal in that episode about him consenting to have his lungs removed and replaced with gills, and the "Z-Ray eye" went beyond a "hiding from reality" thing to an "I'm a complete moron and have no shred of common sense" thing.
I get the impression that he's blinded by expectations of 1000 years worth of technological breakthroughs. He seems to have assumed that in the 30th century it is possible and easy to transplant organs, and he's not bothering to stop and think "hey, if they take my lungs today and the gills don't come till next week, I won't be able to breathe for a week." Serious intellectual laziness.
On Wed, 05 May 1999 02:29:02 GMT, "Eric Perlin" wrote:
I hate to break this to you, but Homer wasn't the first stupid character - that's been going on for years. Fry isn't stupid in the same way the Homer is.