Other people's reasons for not liking Futurama

[Reply #40 on:]

Whoa, the most mature person at her school, AND she's different, take THAT society! I agree with Sparky, it's the same reason Family Guy is more popular than Futurama and SP combined, the same reason that any weak hip hop song with a simple, repeating 3 second beat is more popular than any rock songs that took much longer to write (and more talent to play). Someone's already said this I'm sure, but INSTANT GRATIFICATION is what most people seek. You have to invest into Futurama emotionally and some people don't have the time, some just don't wanna and others probably never think that a cartoon can be as emotionally rewarding as Futurama is.

[Reply #41 on:]

Why do so many people eat up Steig Larson's books but ignore the works of Cormac McCarthy? *

'Cause Cormac McCarthy is a pretentious blowhard. Insert almost any other literary author in that second slot there, though, and I totally appreciate where you're coming from.

It's amazing to watch the pea-brained kids talk about Jersey Shore and laugh like a bunch of idiots while imitating their  behaviour.

Trust me, you'll be encountering plenty more superficial dum-dums in high school. Just be thankful you're mature and thoughtful enough not to have fallen into that trap. Nerdiness is an admirable quality in a young lady...or at least that's what I've been telling myself for the past eight years.

(Although I will say that Jersey Shore and other reality shows of its ilk are prime fodder for vicious mockery. Unironically and unabashedly loving those shows, however, is pretty damn troubling.)

And in answer to the original question: I think there's a stigma surrounding both sci fi (at least in mainstream pop culture) and animation, and Futurama just happens to be a sci fi animated show. So it's kind of screwed. If it was just a live-action science fiction show or just an animated workplace comedy, I'm sure it would have a wider audience. But combining the two elements probably makes most TV viewers uneasy. People have their prejudices, you know, thinking shows like that are juvenile or unconnected to their own experiences or what have you. Their loss, I say.

[Reply #42 on:]

Why do so many people eat up Steig Larson's books but ignore the works of Cormac McCarthy? *

'Cause Cormac McCarthy is a pretentious blowhard. Insert almost any other literary author in that second slot there, though, and I totally appreciate where you're coming from.

Ooooh, Gorky, dem's fighting words. It's time for a literary smackdown.

Hahaha, I'm being...er...ironic (I think I'm using that word correctly--I think it's the most misused word in the entire English language, or maybe that's "hopefully"). I don't take offense to you calling McCarthy a blowhard, though a few of his books are among my favorites. It's all good. We like what we like.

Similarly, I don't think us Futurama geeks and freaks should be bothered by others not liking it. It leaves more for us.

Hopefully, this post makes sense. (Bender should sing about that word, too. )

[Reply #43 on:]

It's amazing to watch the pea-brained kids talk about Jersey Shore and laugh like a bunch of idiots while imitating their  behaviour.

Trust me, you'll be encountering plenty more superficial dum-dums in high school. Just be thankful you're mature and thoughtful enough not to have fallen into that trap. Nerdiness is an admirable quality in a young lady...or at least that's what I've been telling myself for the past eight years.

You'll always find people like that, no matter where you are. Thing is, after you're older, you have more freedom to avoid these people and gravitate towards others who share your interests.

As for why some people don't like Futurama, I'm sure that it's probably related to the  reception that sci-fi generally gets on tv. It seems as if (in general, of course) people either love or hate sci-fi, I haven't seen many people who are in-between on this. That being said, Futurama has been quite popular since it started airing on Adult Swim. Before that, I think a lot of its relative obscurity was because Fox did such a bad job keeping it on schedule. I remember that I didn't see a lot of episodes during their first airing because Futurama was pre-empted so often that I was never quite sure exactly when it would  be on.

[Reply #44 on:]

I think that you need to see at least 2 to 3 episodes in order to appreciate the humor and want to see more. Many people aren't willing to invest that much time in a TV show they've heard is good from a friend. I feel that if you are trying to introduce Futurama to a friend, that the two best episodes to start with are either the pilot episode or the Farnsworth Parabox.

[Reply #45 on:]

"Male humor"?  Really?  A girl I know is complete girly girl who hates sci fi, is a fashion student and is obsessed with shoes.   She loves Futurama and her favorite character is Zapp, and she doesnt like Amy because Amy is a "slut".   My sister also hates sci fi and fantasy and she likes Futurama a lot.  (She also hates new Family Guy and can't stand American Dad.)   My mom will also guffaw at Futurama when I'm watching it (she grew up in the era of old school sci fi like the original Star Trek, so she really appreciates lines like "eating rodenberries".  I actually didn't get that joke until she explained it to me, since I'm not a big sci fi nut.)

Futurama has enough sci fi to appeal people with its weirdness, but not so much that people who have no interest or a passing interest will be put off.  

I think the sci fi weirdness is offputting to the casual viewer, but a lot of girls I know got into it after watching it with their boyfriends, and they were able to get past the "lads/geeky/spaceship/boy humor thing.  I've never met anyone whose watched an episode properly who didn't like it (yet).  I really can't say for sure why some people don't like it because I've never met anyone who said they didn't like it or hated it.

[Reply #46 on:]

Trust me, you'll be encountering plenty more superficial dum-dums in high school.

'Course, it's way easier to avoid them in high school than it is in middle school. At least for me it was.

Futurama does require a lot more investment than many other shows. You've really got to stick around for a while to get to appreciate how awesome it is, which turns off a lot of newcomers.

[Reply #47 on:]

Nerdiness is an admirable quality in a young lady.

Hear, hear! I agree. Given the choice between a stunningly gorgeous woman with no brain and an appreciation for Big Brother or the girl in the Futurama T-shirt who has her nose in a  science textbook, I know who I'd want to spend an hour talking to.

Of course, this is why I don't end up getting laid anymore. Nerd girls are much more unique and interesting than some off-the-shelf or by-the-numbers slut, but they're all either already dating some jerk (and therefore don't really want to date this jerk as well) or they're lesbians. Or they want to have sex with my friend. That last one seems to be the most common case, come to think of it.

In conclusion, all girls are crazy. Especially those that display any sign of interest in me whatsoever. That's a sure sign of mental instability.

Nerd girls are approximately 20% hotter than the rest though. Even if they're also about 80% crazier.

[Reply #48 on:]

Evaluation; there's not enough nerd girls. Tis a sad depressing state of affairs, oh well, the chances of me meeting any are slim to none anyways as I'm too busy being a nerd to go out...

Conclusion, I was born the wrong gender...

[Reply #49 on:]

You'd still have the same problem meeting nerd girls if you were one, Otis.

[Reply #50 on:]

But he presumably would not have the same problem with touching them...

[Reply #51 on:]

NOW this conversation's goin' somewhere

[Reply #52 on:]

I am every nerd's fantasy.

Nerdgazma.

I am sexually aroused by men trying to figure out the Zelda timeline, and I have three boobs.

[Reply #53 on:]

Nerdiness is an admirable quality in a young lady.

Hear, hear! I agree. Given the choice between a stunningly gorgeous woman with no brain and an appreciation for Big Brother or the girl in the Futurama T-shirt who has her nose in a  science textbook, I know who I'd want to spend an hour talking to.

tnuk, please stop looking in my window.

I'm kidding, I'm actually wearing a baseball teeshirt...

[Reply #54 on:]

Nerd girls are much more unique and interesting than some off-the-shelf or by-the-numbers slut, but they're all either already dating some jerk (and therefore don't really want to date this jerk as well) or they're lesbians. Or they want to have sex with my friend.

Or all of the above, and also they're currently reading a science textbook and find that much more interesting than engagements with the opposite gender.

[Reply #55 on:]

There's no hard and fast rules that says a nerd girl also can't be beautiful and/or slutty* as well. Er...not like I have any personal experience with the sluttiness part...aheh heh...heh heh...ahem. People are usually much more complex than single classifications.

* This post does not condone promiscuity. Stay in school, kids!

[Reply #56 on:]

I've never come across anybody who has indicated a dislike for Futurama. Maybe my parents, but they don't count. My friend-base is pretty much only girls, and they all enjoy the show. And in recent years it has meant we have tended to have a lot in common with the males who are part of our extended group what with boyfriends and their friends. Because we only go after the nerdy boys who are worth something anyway

[Reply #57 on:]

My Big Brother is the type of guy who thinks Futurama, isn't funny and is a "crappy show" with no good reasons to back it up.

My brother tells me that "I've never seen you once laugh at Futurama", even though he's never around when I'm watching the new episodes, nor when I started watching the whole series to begin with.

I go on to tell him that I've already watched the episodes, and they may not break out as laugh-out-loud funny anymore, they're all very enjoyable to watch because the show tackles other stuff besides humor, and could keep me entertained for hours.

My brother is a Family Guy fan. Yes, he's one of those people who prefer comedy over story I guess. But I still don't understand what's so funny about FG's 8 year old kid humor, rather than Futurama's witty and clever humor? And how does Humor make a show any better than another?

Also, he tried to tell me that Family Guy is more realistic than Futurama. Like, WHAT? I mean yeah, Futurama takes place in the future, and uses alot of sci-fi references, some of which may be a bit cheesy. But it's 1000 in the future. Who ever said it wasn't possible? You can actually get away with having stuff like having rayguns, spaceships, and alien species having a show take place in the future. In Family Guy, how can a baby talk, and how can a dog talk? And how is a baby smart enough to have sexual decisions, make rayguns, time machines, the list goes on.

Family Guy is more realistic than Futurama..... Big Brother logic for ya.

[Reply #58 on:]

Also, he tried to tell me that Family Guy is more realistic than Futurama. Like, WHAT? I mean yeah, Futurama takes place in the future, and uses alot of sci-fi references, some of which may be a bit cheesy. But it's 1000 in the future. Who ever said it wasn't possible?

Show him this:

[Reply #59 on:]

1. They suck.

2. There are no other reasons.

[Reply #60 on:]

The only reason I could see someone not liking Futurama is if they lived in Universe 25 and couldn't see it. 

[Reply #61 on:]

I've never met someone who dislikes the series. Even my mum, who will often dub it "stupid and ridiculous" respects the creative stories and the characters.

[Reply #62 on:]

Yeah, my brother might not like it, but my dad does like the series. My dad is not a huge sci-fi geek or anything, but he generally likes Sci-Fi, and is a longtime Trekkie. He likes the direction Futurama takes though. He likes the direction older Seasons took, as well as the newer seasons took. He will sometimes point out references I wouldn't know (Like in Leela and the Genestalk, he pointed out every Jack and Beanstalk reference).

He's been watching the series with me since 6B, and I'm eventually going to get around to watching the series from start-to-finish (the third time for me) with him soon. I've of course, shown him other episode like Parasite Lost, Space Pilot 3000, Parabox, you know, the classics during the time it's off the air..

[Reply #63 on:]

My friend and I have this thing, where if one of us likes something, the other will not admit it. She finally did admit she likes Futurama, so. She said and I quote," it's stupid" before.

[Reply #64 on:]

I've never met someone who dislikes the series. Even my mum, who will often dub it "stupid and ridiculous" respects the creative stories and the characters.

My mom also calls it stupid and ridiculous, but she has no respect for it. She just views it as a Simpsons-of-the-future, even after I've tried to get her to watch some of the best episodes like RTEW.

[Reply #65 on:]

My mum loves Futurama and doesn't mind watching it at all, she usually always watches the new episodes with me when they air in the UK, and occasionally I'll show her a new episode online before it hits TV over here. She thinks it's hilarious and her favourite character is the Professor.

[Reply #66 on:]

Freako's reason for hating Futurama is that it doesn't have enough underage female characters in it for him to draw getting raped.

[Reply #67 on:]

I've heard some say the humor is too crude.  I told them that any crude-ness in Futurama is nothing compared to say, Family Guy.

Those people should try South Park or ATHF

[Reply #68 on:]

Was in Burger King with my cousin the other day and a guy with a Fry t-shirt came in, and I said I loved his t-shirt, but my cousin says why? Simpsons is much better, everything about Futurama is boring. I just could not understand that.

[Reply #69 on:]

Was in Burger King with my cousin the other day and a guy with a Fry t-shirt came in, and I said I loved his t-shirt, but my cousin says why? Simpsons is much better, everything about Futurama is boring. I just could not understand that.

very Sad

[Reply #70 on:]

Very sad.   I was chatted up once by a cashier in a grocery store because she liked my Planet Express schematic shirt.  She didn't register on Peel (afaik) so she must secretly hate Futurama...

[Reply #71 on:]

Other people sound stupid.

[Reply #72 on:]

My friend said it was depressing. I think she meant how dark it is depresses her. I like that about it though...

[Reply #73 on:]

Dismissing creative expression for being "dark" rules out, like, 90% of all art. And Futurama is hardly "dark" compared to most other adult comedy cartoons.

[Reply #74 on:]

Futurama isn't well known so that doesn't help, but truthfully, I've noticed that most people don't really understand the show because it actually takes brains to understand, when most people sit at home and watch cartoons that don't require an intellectual thought process at all, but don't get me wrong, I catch myself watching those also.  

[Reply #75 on:]

B/c the show is good and other people (haters) are bad.

So.. most people hate the show b/c it's better than they are.

[Reply #76 on:]

I think a lot of people who haven't seen the pilot "don't get" the premise or anything.

[Reply #77 on:]

I think a lot of people who haven't seen the pilot "don't get" the premise or anything.

Danny brings up a very good point there.

[Reply #78 on:]

There are also adults who think ANYTHING animated is just kids' or nerds' stuff and won't give any animated show a chance because of the 'stigma' attached to watching a 'cartoon.'

[Reply #79 on:]

People who dislike the show are not necessarily stupid or unsophisticated or anything like that. They just have not formed a positive opinion of the show due to some reason or combination of reasons. Some people haven't really watched the show with an open mind, maybe because they are indeed prejudiced against cartoons being entertainment for mature audiences. Maybe some of them just don't have an open mind to anything fantasy or sci-fi.  Some people just don't find the premise interesting. After all, a traditional sitcom is more based in real life as it centers on the family unit, which is more relevant to many viewers' experience of life. Which leads nicely to my next paragraph.

I once read an article about why The Office continued to succeed after Steve Carrell's departure, and I felt it was spot on: it's because his character was a major part of the show but he was NOT the everyman, the person the audience can relate to. That part was John Krasinski's character Jim and to a degree Jenna Fischer's character Pam. They were the characters people liked, wanted to see succeed, and related to, and they were in large part why so many people kept coming back. The other characters were entertaining but not empathetic. Lots of people need to feel some kind of connection to the characters to really become engaged. And guess what? Futurama doesn't necessarily have that for everyone. For one thing it's animated. And the closest thing to an everyman is Fry, who is a complete moron. There's no family unit to relate to because the PE crew isn't a family. They live in a craaazy futuristic world which we obviously enjoy but which makes the show less realistic to those who are already having trouble connecting themselves to the Futurama universe.

And of course, there's poor taste. Some people would just rather watch Jersey Shore. And of course, there are certainly people out there who consider Futurama to be in poor taste, what with the rudeness, profanity, casual sex, lack of moral lessons, etc.

This is the part of the post where I stop typing and