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Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:19 pm**

llllllllllllllllllllllll wrote:Simpsons by a landslide, I'm not at all a fan of Futurama.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:26 pm**

I love them both equally!!

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:28 pm**

If this is intended to be Futurama vs. Simpsons, my reaction is "you've got to be kidding".

Simpsons.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:30 pm**

big_dave wrote:...My main objection to futurama is that its not really like a sci-fi program, just at office comedy with parodies of movies and a few robotic/mutant characters. If you made it like star trek/wars with everyone on Zapp's ship as they go to a new planet every week, it would be immeasurably improved. Rather than the lame conceit that people doing mundane things in wacky ways is funny, because its the comedy future and things are weird.

A couple of points:

1.) Since when does "being in space a lot" become a mandate for science fiction? The popularity of Star Trek/Star Wars does not make it so. The show is called "Futurama", not "Space-o-rama".

2.) In choosing between the Simpsons or Futurama, I find it kind of funny that you would condemn Futurama for "doing mundane things in wacky ways". Yeah, the Simpsons never does anything like that

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:32 pm**

I've noticed that the majority of people who like Futurama over the Simpsons are, more often than not, people who have graduated with degrees in science. I suppose that's stating the obvious, and could explain it's limited popularity.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:43 pm**

Chromodynamic wrote:
big_dave wrote:...My main objection to futurama is that its not really like a sci-fi program, just at office comedy with parodies of movies and a few robotic/mutant characters. If you made it like star trek/wars with everyone on Zapp's ship as they go to a new planet every week, it would be immeasurably improved. Rather than the lame conceit that people doing mundane things in wacky ways is funny, because its the comedy future and things are weird.

A couple of points:

1.) Since when does "being in space a lot" become a mandate for science fiction? The popularity of Star Trek/Star Wars does not make it so. The show is called "Futurama", not "Space-o-rama".

Right. But my point was really that the adventure stories in Futurama are funnier than the "doing mundane things in a wacky future setting" stories or even worse, parodies of movies and pop culture.

Also space is awesome and offices are lame.

2.) In choosing between the Simpsons or Futurama, I find it kind of funny that you would condemn Futurama for "doing mundane things in wacky ways". Yeah, the Simpsons never does anything like that

Yes and the Simpsons sucks beyond description now. Case proven, court dismissed.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:54 pm**

Disclaimer: I love Futurama, but I'd say about a quarter of the episodes I never watch because they're so boring. I'm looking forward to the movie because I think a slightly over-egged adventure will be like the best episodes, instead of another season of 8 good episodes and a few clunkers.

Sorta like how Monty Python and the Holy Grail was way better than any of the terrible Monty Python TV episodes where they tried to have one plot through the whole half hour.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:54 pm**

big_dave wrote:Right. But my point was really that the adventure stories in Futurama are funnier than the "doing mundane things in a wacky future setting" stories or even worse, parodies of movies and pop culture.

Also space is awesome and offices are lame.

I can't find an episode to be referenced, but there's got to be at least one episode that doesn't involve space and is cool, perhaps the aforementioned "Jurassic Bark" episode? Or the "Farnsworth Parabox"? You're right though, space is awesome and offices are lame.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:00 pm**

Chromodynamic wrote:
big_dave wrote:Right. But my point was really that the adventure stories in Futurama are funnier than the "doing mundane things in a wacky future setting" stories or even worse, parodies of movies and pop culture.

Also space is awesome and offices are lame.

I can't find an episode to be referenced, but there's got to be at least one episode that doesn't involve space and is cool, perhaps the aforementioned "Jurassic Bark" episode? Or the "Farnsworth Parabox"? You're right though, space is awesome and offices are lame.

Jurassic Bark, The Sting, Farnsworth Parabox are probably the best episodes. Well, maybe Bender Gets Made deserves a mention too. I guess space isn't the thing at all, just piss-take sci-fi adventures. Just shit like the Titantic episode, the folk music episode and others are utterly lame.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:03 pm**

Chromodynamic wrote:I've noticed that the majority of people who like Futurama over the Simpsons are, more often than not, people who have graduated with degrees in science. I suppose that's stating the obvious, and could explain it's limited popularity.

I don't have a degree in science, so I am in contrast to this theory. Nevertheless, I'll briefly try to explain why I chose Futurama over the Simpsons in spite of the latter being perhaps the greatest show ever.

I love reading about dysgenics (the evolutionary weakening of a population), which is why I continue to champion the film IDIOCRACY and wells' THE TIME MACHINE. Futurama has a fantastic way of portraying how weak the human race is becoming over time. It consistently presents viewers with smart social commentary, and manages to inject the ideas of the writers into the stories without ever coming off as preachy. On The Simpsons (especially the movie), when plots involve social commentary, it is presented terribly, in a way that i actually find distasteful.

The writing is phenomenal (I like to tell people that Venture Bros. and Futurama are the two best written animated programs I've ever seen). This might be because so many of the writers are Harvard grads. Everything is poignant. The characters are excellently developed. Even a castaway like Zoidberg has been given an interesting arc over the four years of the show. Even sappy plotlines are satisfying (fry's dog, the one where fry "moves the stars" to profess his love to lela) for countless other reasons. the weird references and parodies are light years beyond what a show like Family Guy does.

There's more. but this is getting long. Watch with a discerning eye, without comparing it to the Simpsons, and you may be shocked by how brilliant the show really is.

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