Unpopular Opinion Thread

[ShinGojira14]

I don't like stories in my nature documentaries to begin with. They're usually fabricated. You shoot a bunch of random footage of lions (any lions; no one will notice if you swap different prides out) doing lion things for months on end, and then you pick out a bunch of cool or noteworthy snippets and cobble them together into a 'story' to tell over the course of 45 minutes. You caught some footage of the pride killing a zebra? Great, that's the intro where the pride is at the height of their power and The Old Female is leading them to glory. You have some footage of lions laying around looking miserable in the summer heat, and maybe The Old Female isn't around for a few shots? She died, and now they're all starving and desperate. Bonus points if there's footage of routine squabbling with hyenas and a mother calling for her cubs; you can really squeeze drama out of that. Footage of another successful kill? Now The Young Female has risen up to lead them to glory again! Roll credits.

Or if you just want a quick action scene in a larger doc but don't actually have any good footage to use, just BS something. Show a monkey screeching, a monkey jumping through the trees, a monkey running from something, baby monkeys looking like they're watching something, more screeching, and some calm monkeys. String it together and have the narrator dramatically walk us through the Alpha Male's harrowing battle to save the troop from the Trespasser. This stuff is everywhere, if you pay attention.

To say nothing of how often the sound effects are edited in there—sometimes originating from completely different animals (something Hollywood is no stranger to). Like a documentary about lions but with leopard sounds added in to make them sound mightier.

The worst has to be when they add roars and weird vocalizations to reptiles that can really only hiss if they're in full defensive mode.

I can't even begin to count how many times Nature docs and pop-culture have made snakes look like they hiss profusely...when in actuality, they're completely silent unless defending themselves.

[Voyager]

Skateboarding was never cool.

[SpiderZilla]

Skateboarding was never cool.

Rollerblading is less cool than skateboarding. Unlike rollerblades, you can pick up your skateboard and walk into places that require/necessitate shoes – such as a hospital.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

I just finished Scream 6 and I have to be honest. I am beyond disappointed.

Like.

Easily the worst of the franchise I've ever seen. I can't believe people are PRAISING this.

Where do I even begin?

First off, straight up lying in the trailer. Not a single shot, set piece, hell even actor showed up which could have been good, leave us surprised by what we'd get but no. I would have preferred that movie.

Like. I get it. Scream is meta. But did you have to repeat the SAME exact plot except worse? It's almost the same as the original 1996 (except when it's ripping off another franchise...) except worse. Was the requel parody last year not enough?

They've also killed all stakes. Ghostface is straight up a joke now. He's cracking one liners more then he is killing. Which, speaking of NOBODY is taking this seriously. It's ALL jokes now, including some REALLY badly aged ones. Like. It's not the 2000s anymore guys.


I'm so disappointed. I thought this would be my favorite but it's just a bad scary movie at best.


....at least Brenda seems fun.

happy April Fool's

[John Pannozzi]

Hot take: part of me would be devastated if Twitter was shut down. So much of the information and history that people shared (and made) on it would be lost or at least scattered to the winds. And it might be harder to keep with news from certain people and companies. I specifically remember someone saying that they were only keeping up with Discotek Media's Twitch livestreams thanks to Twitter.

It's like with Twitter specifically, and social media in general, you can't like with it, and you can't live without it.

Not to mention I'm wary of the future of the Internet Archive, and their Wayback Machine was never that good at preserving social media or message boards.

[ShinGojira14]

Hot take: part of me would be devastated if Twitter was shut down. So much of the information and history that people shared (and made) on it would be lost or at least scattered to the winds. And it might be harder to keep with news from certain people and companies. I specifically remember someone saying that they were only keeping up with Discotek Media's Twitch livestreams thanks to Twitter.

It's like with Twitter specifically, and social media in general, you can't like with it, and you can't live without it.

Not to mention I'm wary of the future of the Internet Archive, and their Wayback Machine was never that good at preserving social media or message boards.

Same here. A lot of good things have come from Twitter, in spite of its flaws.

[John Pannozzi]

Another hot take: One maybe not-very-popular reason I want the Russia-Ukraine war to end sooner than later is that I want to be able to support Russian cosplayers on Patreon and OnlyFans guilt-free.

[JAGzilla]

^ I mean, the average Russian citizen has nothing to do with the war, other than maybe having family forced to serve in the military. It wasn't their idea and they don't support it. Tons of people are leaving Russia to dodge the mobilization or just because they can't tolerate Putin's regime. So in most cases, I don't see any reason to alienate Russians that aren't openly supporting Putin. All that does is breed more resentment.

[LegendZilla]

1. I don't have that big of an issue with heroes traditionally depicted as the goody-good type like Superman and Optimus Prime.
2. I dislike Watto more than Jar-Jar.
3. I vastly prefer Megaman X over the classic series.
4. They need more diversity in depicting dragons instead of the generic wyvern. How about more wingless quadrupeds ore Asian dragons??

[LSD Jellyfish]

1. I don't have that big of an issue with heroes traditionally depicted as the goody-good type like Superman and Optimus Prime.
2. I dislike Watto more than Jar-Jar.
3. I vastly prefer Megaman X over the classic series.
4. They need more diversity in depicting dragons instead of the generic wyvern. How about more wingless quadrupeds ore Asian dragons??

1. Me neither. In a world full of negativity I like bright and good heroes. That's partially why I like Ultraman so much. While of course there's some dark elements, the Ultramen themselves are unabashedly good enforcers of justice.
2. Totally. Watto is arguably worse of a racist charicature than Jar Jar.
3. Agreed.
4. I think though that most people at that point don't consider the wingless quadrapeds dragons, but we'll see.

[LegendZilla]

^It's mostly due the fact he's a fucking slave owner.

[JVM]

^It's mostly due the fact he's a fucking slave owner.

Are you absolutely certain Jar-Jar hasn't owned slaves in the past?

[Maverick Centigrade]

1. I don't have that big of an issue with heroes traditionally depicted as the goody-good type like Superman and Optimus Prime.
2. I dislike Watto more than Jar-Jar.
3. I vastly prefer Megaman X over the classic series.
4. They need more diversity in depicting dragons instead of the generic wyvern. How about more wingless quadrupeds ore Asian dragons??

Well...Im sure this wasn't intentional. But the warbat in Godzilla vs Kong is basically a amphiptere.

[JAGzilla]

I actually like Watto. The racist aspect is unfortunate, but what can you do. Beyond that, he's a fun, slimy antagonist character in a movie overflowing with those. And he gets what's coming to him, but in a subtle, nonviolent way that's rare for Star Wars. He thinks he's too smart for Jedi manipulation, but Qui-Gon plays him like a fiddle and liberates half his workforce. By AOTC he's lost the other half and is obviously struggling to make ends meet.

[Jetty_Jags]

1. I don't have that big of an issue with heroes traditionally depicted as the goody-good type like Superman and Optimus Prime.

I love Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and the wave of deconstructed superheroes from the late silver age to early bronze age. But I think they've overtaken discourse on the subject, to the point it seems we have a new one every year, with increasingly nihilistic bent (I have no interest in watching the Boys in particular). Some are less aggressive than others, but the continual bombarding message that superheroes are todays' Übermensch and promote fascistic power fantasies is tiring. In a way, this is why I respect the ending of the recent Batman movie, which argues for the upstanding morality these figures originally had, and at least a partial movement away from the consistent dark and brooding nature (while still operating in a violent and oppressive story).

In particular, I think Superman gets an unfair share of the attacks, between being called boring and childish, along with the never-ending depictions of "Tyrant Superman" (mind you I don't mind this issue being explored, just that it is explored so often). I think it's telling of the state of the world we live in were a figure who is supposed to be moral upstanding and unwavering role model, is continually questioned as a trustworthy figure, and dragged down into the cesspool of grey morality, and degenerate anti-heroes. Superman doesn't need to have moral flaws to be interesting, but he does have to be put in situations that challenge his convictions (either internally or externally), so he can overcome them (the issue is that this takes an excellent writer to achieve properly, see All Star Superman as a shining example).

I'm tired of the false dichotomy that a character must show inherent moral flaws or else be called out for indoctrinating the will to power, Randian objectivism, ect. ect. Yes, the deconstructions are necessary to remind ourselves to be skeptical of those we follow in real life and remember how not everyone is who they claim to be, but the idealist originals are just as necessary (if not more so) to act as reminders of how we should all act and strive to be in this increasingly hostile, and vitriolic world. In short, it's important to remember that the idealist Superman may only be product of fiction, but that is no reason to reject the ideal as something worth striving for.

[JVM]

I'm tired of the false dichotomy that a character must show inherent moral flaws or else be called out for indoctrinating the will to power, Randian objectivism, ect. ect. Yes, the deconstructions are necessary to remind ourselves to be skeptical of those we follow in real life and remember how not everyone is who they claim to be, but the idealist originals are just as necessary (if not more so) to act as reminders of how we should all act and strive to be in this increasingly hostile, and vitriolic world. In short, it's important to remember that the idealist Superman may only be product of fiction, but that is no reason to reject the ideal as something worth striving for.

This is a fantastic post overall and I especially want to highlight this part.

It's especially tiring that some of the foremost aspirational franchises, ie Superman, or say Star Trek, seem cursed to constantly revisit deconstruction themes to justify their continued existence, to the point it overwhelms the idealism.

I used to be, and sometimes still wish to be, a believer that different art can serve different purposes, and I sometimes think the emphasis on deconstruction is a consequence of the

I actually like Watto. The racist aspect is unfortunate, but what can you do. Beyond that, he's a fun, slimy antagonist character in a movie overflowing with those. And he gets what's coming to him, but in a subtle, nonviolent way that's rare for Star Wars. He thinks he's too smart for Jedi manipulation, but Qui-Gon plays him like a fiddle and liberates half his workforce. By AOTC he's lost the other half and is obviously struggling to make ends meet.

This is pretty much where I am about him. He comes off as a slimy antagonist but it works better for the film, and he suffers consequences for his negative behavior.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I actually like Watto. The racist aspect is unfortunate, but what can you do. Beyond that, he's a fun, slimy antagonist character in a movie overflowing with those. And he gets what's coming to him, but in a subtle, nonviolent way that's rare for Star Wars. He thinks he's too smart for Jedi manipulation, but Qui-Gon plays him like a fiddle and liberates half his workforce. By AOTC he's lost the other half and is obviously struggling to make ends meet.

I suppose we're mixing up like as a character vs like as a story element. I pretty much agree with everything you said here. He also serves as a good early roadblock/villain for Anakin and Quigon. Freeing Anakin and the other slaves is one of the few BIG GOOD things the Jedi do in the prequel trilogy, and its not directly connected to the Empire/Palpatine, so its small but nice story that I wish the film series did more of.

[LegendZilla]

^I'm just saying I think Watto deserved worse.

[John Pannozzi]

Despite not being a big fan of Bill Maher, I'd love to be a guest on his show someday. Boy, the things I'd ask him... (and not just political topics).

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

In particular, I think Superman gets an unfair share of the attacks, between being called boring and childish, along with the never-ending depictions of "Tyrant Superman" (mind you I don't mind this issue being explored, just that it is explored so often). I think it's telling of the state of the world we live in were a figure who is supposed to be moral upstanding and unwavering role model, is continually questioned as a trustworthy figure, and dragged down into the cesspool of grey morality, and degenerate anti-heroes. Superman doesn't need to have moral flaws to be interesting, but he does have to be put in situations that challenge his convictions (either internally or externally), so he can overcome them (the issue is that this takes an excellent writer to achieve properly, see All Star Superman as a shining example).

Funny enough DCAU Superman was one of the first to cover all of that and about as good as anyone possibly could.