Speculation regarding interpersonal relationships based solely on vocal interaction

[on:]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but after listening to the Futurama commentaries (again), I can't escape the distinct feeling that Davo HATES Johnno.

That's not to say he doesn't tolerate him, I'm sure Davo is a professional (except for when he quit Futurama for a week!)... but every time DiMaggio starts being an annoying, ignorant and childish moron on the commentaries, you can just hear the hatred in Cohen's voice.

Does anyone else think this is the case? And if you're actually reading this Davey, I'm not blaming you, while Johnno is sometimes funny, he annoys the hell out of me as well, what is he, 12?

[Reply #1 on:]

I've listened to all the commentaries about a gazillion times and never noticed anything like that.

[Reply #2 on:]

...but every time DiMaggio starts being an annoying, ignorant and childish moron on the commentaries...

... while Johnno is sometimes funny, he annoys the hell out of me as well, what is he, 12?

[Reply #3 on:]

I think he is mistaking the slight 'fatherly' tone in Cohen's voice with hatred.  Hatred is quite a big word, though.  I am sure he may seem a little annoyed by being interrupted at times, but not hatred.

I know people who does the same to me, but I don't hate them.

[Reply #4 on:]

Hatred is quite a big word

6 letters isn't that big!

I think he is mistaking the slight 'fatherly' tone in Cohen's voice with hatred.

I like that, his 'fatherly' tone... maybe it isn't quite 'hate', but I think Cohen must get flashbacks to his nerdlinger school days when the cool kids made stupid jokes while he was trying to talk about something intelligent.

[Reply #5 on:]

{to Beethoven's Fifth} Nobody cares!  Nobody cares!

I never thought DXC hated Dimaggio, but you can hear annoyance sometimes.  I think most all the Futurama  cast and crew get along quite well, you can definitely tell they are having fun.

[Reply #6 on:]

Dimaggio is my favorite voice actor on Futurama.  Even if DXC is annoyed by him, I don't think it's because of his voice, it's probably because he doesn't like the kind of person he is.  It really doesn't matter.

When you go to  school or to work, there's some people you like, and some you don't. 

[Reply #7 on:]

this obviously stems from the dimaggio/cohen thread.

whenever listening to the futurama commentaries that contain billy west, i also get the distinct feeling that he feels awkward. if i didnt know any better, he suffers a little bit from social anxiety, which i myself have a little of too.

anyone else feel the same?

[Reply #8 on:]

Maybe it's just you.

Because all it is, is just a couple of guys sitting around having a chat about a cartoon.

[Reply #9 on:]

I like how Dimaggio just laughs at the episode(s).  Like a little kid.

[Reply #10 on:]

The voice actors mostly just try to make jokes.  DXC is the only one who tries to be technical nearly all the time.  Even Matt Groening has cracked a few I've had a hearty laugh over.

[Reply #11 on:]

I've never noticed that before, though I'll listen out for it now that you've mentioned it.

It may just be that William West is a lot older than most of them (except maybe Groening), ie. he has one foot in the grave.

[Reply #12 on:]

How old is Billy West, I've never actually thought to look?

I don't think he ever seems awkward, perhaps in the earlier episodes of the series but then really - all of them were awkward... they didn't really know how to do the commentaries.

DXC may be technical all the time, but I must say he really does make me laugh... he comes out with some of the funniest things, not that they're meant to be funny, I just love them.

But Billy... he's just, I dunno. Maybe it's because we have John, who never shuts up, and then David who's always talking, so maybe the fact that Billy never seems to get a word in edgeways has something to do with it. Never got the impression that he suffers from social anxiety... after all, like Futurama_Freak pointed out - they're just sitting in a room watching the episode.

[Reply #13 on:]

I have always had the impression that he was just zoning out and just watching the show.  Actually if you watch the commentary on the blu-ray he very rarely looks away from the monitor playing the movie. In BBS he actually seemed to be upset when he was asking questions and people were making jokes.  I think he enjoys the show as much as we do.  Oh and to answer Nutmeg  I belive he is 57 or 58.

[Reply #14 on:]

I think DXC just gets annoyed sometimes when he's trying to explain something and John keeps cutting in with stupid comments, but I never thought there was any animosity between ANY of the cast and crew. They all seem to get on spectacularly as far as I can tell.

And the 'Nobody Cares' in time to Beethovens Fifth was a moment of pure hilarity. I love it.

[Reply #15 on:]

DiMaggio could be worse..... just saying....

[Reply #16 on:]

Much much worse, I find him funny to be honest.

But you know - I forgot to say that. =\

[Reply #17 on:]

 

[Reply #18 on:]

So he is considerably older than most of the producers and other folks who participate in the commentaries. But I don't think he's awkward so much as his sense of humor occasionally doesn't mesh with the general tone in the room (or whatever you want to call it--the place where they're recording the commentaries). He also often strikes me as achingly sincere (he really does love the show and appreciate the gig), which I find endearing.

Also--and this is really petty of me to notice, but all the voice actors have made note of it at some point or another--he's nowhere near as knowledgeable, in a scientific or mathematical sense, as the the writers and producers are. But he's a sweet guy, and a funny guy in his own right, and he's a brilliant and talented voice actor--so, in answer to the question, though I think he sometimes comes off as awkward, he is also one of my favorite commentators. You really can see a lot of him, personally, in his portrayal of Fry, which is pretty cool.

[Reply #19 on:]

I believe he says in one of the commentaries, "Fry is basically a 25-year-old me." when asked where he got the voice.

[Reply #20 on:]

I believe he says in one of the commentaries, "Fry is basically a 25-year-old me." when asked where he got the voice.

Indeed (search for '25').

[Reply #21 on:]

He's not really that much older, in terms of the regulars yes, but Tress Macneil is in her 60's I believe, and all of the cast are in at least their 40's, I think it's a little lax to say he's got one foot in the grave...

[Reply #22 on:]

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that he's a dead man walking or whatever; I just meant that DXC--who does a fair amount of the talkin' in the commentaries--and Billy West are of decidedly different generations, and the same thing goes for most of the writers who regularly participate. Although Matt Groening's in his 50s, right?

[Reply #23 on:]

He's only a year younger than Billy as far as I can recall... DXC is 43 I think, though don't quote me on that. I did check it out the other night but I can't remember. But even Lauren Tom is 43, Katey Sagal is 56 as well. There really isn't as much difference as you would think between them all.

[Reply #24 on:]

For God's sake sombody make a chart!

[Reply #25 on:]

For God's sake sombody make a chart!

     

Happy? 
I'll just... ooze... back out under the door now...

[Reply #26 on:]

Now in SVG!  And a pie chart (i.e. percentage of the total combined age).

[Reply #27 on:]

... And a pie chart (i.e. percentage of the total combined age).

Ju-u-u-u-st for you, Svip...

     

I'll just... ooze... back out under the door now...

[Reply #28 on:]

Awh, you are too sweet, SpaceCase.  How can I possibly return the favour?

[Reply #29 on:]

GET THE HOSE!

[Reply #30 on:]

There's only a 50% chance that's even possible.

[Reply #31 on:]

   For God's sake sombody make a chart!

Thanks, SpaceCase. Maybe somebody should have got me a dictionary as well. 

[Reply #32 on:]

   For God's sake sombody make a chart!

Thanks, SpaceCase. Maybe somebody should have got me a dictionary as well. 

Here.

Waitaminute... Perhaps you meant one of these...
I'll just... ooze... back out under the door now...

[Reply #33 on:]

Hatred is quite a big word

6 letters isn't that big!

I think he is mistaking the slight 'fatherly' tone in Cohen's voice with hatred.

I like that, his 'fatherly' tone... maybe it isn't quite 'hate', but I think Cohen must get flashbacks to his nerdlinger school days when the cool kids made stupid jokes while he was trying to talk about something intelligent.

OK, I didn't buy this at first, but you've got me thinking that you might be on to something now.  I talked to both of them at the premiere of the first movie, and they seemed to like each other fine.  But maybe that was the free drinks talking.  You still can't escape the feeling that the essential dynamic informing their relationship is that DXC sees in John the guys who beat him up in junior high, and John sees in DXC the guys he used to beat up in junior high.

[Reply #34 on:]

You still can't escape the feeling that the essential dynamic informing their relationship is that DXC sees in John the guys who beat him up in junior high, and John sees in DXC the guys he used to beat up in junior high.

Are you a turd?  That's an awful simplification of David Cohen and John DiMaggio.  I think you are bit to knee high in stereotyping here.  I don't think they dislike one another, but every friend of mine, despite how much I enjoy their company have annoying habits, annoying ticks, things that just throw me off.  And I bet this is Cohen's peeve with DiMaggio, but it's nothing more than that.  The very company makes up for it in the long run.

I am surprised none of you have any friends where you can see the same story going down.

[Reply #35 on:]

You can hear just about everyone getting annoyed with John at points in the commentaries. I've heard it from DXC and Matt for sure. I doubt that means that they hate him. I think everyone has that friend that is loud and obnoxious and at some point you have to tell them to shut up. I like John in the commentaries but sometimes I wish I could tell him to calm down a little bit.

And thank you for spelling turd properly Svip. I got in a fight with my ex because she thought it was spelled terd.

[Reply #36 on:]

I've always thought the Futurama commentaries seemed a lot more natural and comfortable than Simpsons commentaries and others that I have heard. Most of the time it sounds more like a group of friends hanging out than it does a technical evaluation of a show. I've said it before and I'll say it again; a commentary with Rich Moore and David Cohen is more entertaining than most of the crap I see on network TV these days. Throw in some Eric Kaplan and the voice actors and its like getting an extra half hour of entertainment for free.

[Reply #37 on:]

I think it's a little lax to say he's got one foot in the grave...

Sorry, that was a vast exaggeration on my part (saying he's got one foot in the grave)... I just like the omni line where Fry says that about the professor!

Also, I LOVE the age charts... nice work SpaceCase!

ps. While I understand the mods must have renamed this topic to join the Cohen/DiMaggio and Billy West threads... I put a lot of effort and countless hours of thought into my original title "Cohen hates DiMaggio?"