Thanksgiving, they say, is a time to gather with loved ones and count the year’s many blessings. This may be true for some, but in my family, Thanksgiving is a time to immerse ourselves in several rounds of intense pop-culture debate. This year, even before dinner even began, controversial issues arose. Which was funnier: Knocked Up (pictured, bottom) or Superbad (top)? Jenna noted that the delivery scene in Knocked Up was kind of gross. Several concurred. Then my brother, Kip, contributed: "Superbad seemed very homoerotic." This assertion prompted the elders of the family to ask what "homoerotic" meant, which lead to a discussion of Brokeback Mountain and the decline of gay-themed films in Hollywood, which lead to my grandmother looking uncomfortable.
There wasn’t a clear winner on the Knocked Up vs. Superbad debate, but later, over dinner, we seemed to reach a consensus on the issue of The Office vs. Grey’s Anatomy. We argued which was better for those who weren’t privileged with a DVR: watching Grey’s Anatomy on TV, then catching The Office online, or vice-versa? The general feeling: ABC.com’s streaming video player offers a better quality picture, NBC should improve screen resolution of their player to provide an optimal viewing experience, and therefore, one should watch The Office on television and wait to watch Grey’s Anatomy when posted on the web. However, in the event that Grey’s Anatomy has a particularly enticing preview, the aforementioned rule is negated; Grey’s Anatomy should be watched in real time, saving The Office for the following day. I guess you could say that my family is pretty serious about entertainment.
As to be expected, the conversation turned to Will Smith and the trailer for I Am Legend. This prompted my mother to mention she has met Will Smith’s mother, something she mentions every time a Will Smith movie is on basic cable (which means, at least once a day.) There was no debate on the casting of Legend. We all agreed that should an apocalypse befall us, Will Smith probably would be the only one to survive.
Then, after dinner, Kip and David announced they were off to see Beowulf, which, of course, started the debate of which is superior: Angelina Jolie, the actress, or Angelina Jolie, the digital animation.
So PopWatchers, what pop-culture debates arose during your Thanksgiving dinners?
my family always seems to debate whether celebrities have any right publicly expressing their political opinions. this conversation usually involves my parents bashing really anyone who bashes george bush – though they’re really old so they’re off by a few years, so they still think it’s just barbara streisand, susan sarandon, tim robbins, and the dixie chicks. then my sister-in-law will say something negative about rosie o’donnell, which is always completely off base because she gets her news from us weekly, and the conversation swiftly turns into how fat she is and who the pretty celebrities are. this is why i drink.
Learn the difference between led vs. lead: “This assertion prompted the elders of the family to ask what “homoerotic” meant, which lead to a discussion of Brokeback Mountain and the decline of gay-themed films in Hollywood, which lead to my grandmother looking uncomfortable.”
My dinner table had the following discussions:
1. Whether “Indiana Jones 4″ is going to be any good.
2. Whether the animation in “Beowulf” looks like the Barbie movies that my younger sister used to watch.
3. Who is more likable, Tom Hanks or John Cusack.
4. The pros and cons of handheld camera (termed “shaky lens” by my family) in “The Bourne Ultimatum”.
However, the most earthshaking discovery of the night came when I boldly declared Shia Labeouf the new Jimmy Stewart, and two of my older cousins stared blankly at me, then asked “Who’s Jimmy Stewart?”
It was very sad.
So Jenna thought the delivery scene in “Knocked Up” was kind of gross (I mean, sure, it kinda was, but it was depicting childbirth), but no one countered with the “period blood” scene from “Superbad”.
Personally, I’m firmly on the “Knocked Up” side of the debate. “Superbad” had its moments, but I enjoyed the McLovin’/wacky cops storyline more than the main characters. There were too many scenes with Jonah Hill standing there and seemingly just screaming the most profane things he could think of. I couldn’t stand it. Michael Cera was brilliant though.
As for what debate arose at my table: I was at my girlfriend’s for Thanksgiving and her brother LOVES “Rent”. He’d heard the soundtrack, but never saw the stage show before he saw the movie, which he loved. I LOVE “Rent”, I know the soundtrack by heart, seen the show many times, felt underwhelmed by the movie. I mean, to me the movie just had nothing.
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So, I basically spent the whole evening convincing him that “Chicago” was a better movie musical. I mean, the “Rent” movie was ok, but none of its numbers (except maybe for the “Tango Maureen”) popped, whereas the “Cell Block Tango” alone is better than anything in “Rent.”
Two of my aunts, who already aren’t the best of friends, almost got into a major fight over whether Oprah is good or evil. Only my family could nearly come to blows over Oprah.
Dear Nine Daves, I hear ya, buddy. My younger cousin planted herself next to my Bush-lovin’father & proceeded to expound on the virtues of Hilary Clinton. This of course set my dad off on his verbal anti-all-Dems tyrade & once his face was a startling shade of purple, she stood up & insisted on toasting Hilary. I thought dad might keel over right there. This is why **I** drink.
Superbad is one of those movies that’s convinced that repetition of the F-word = HILARITY. It was funny, yea, but ugh. Get a vocabulary.
And yes, it’s “led”, not “lead”.
our table discussion was over Family Guy. who thought it was genious and funny, and who thought it was just plain stupid. (its hilarious and genius, of course).
The big debate this year was about Fred Clause. (Seriously.) My aunts and uncles thought it was hilarious, while my younger (11-14 year-old) cousins were surprised Vince Vaughn was willing to stoop that low. You can guess who I sat by for dinner.
ps- superbad was WAY funnier than Knocked Up. I don’t think that there is really anything funny about an unplanned pregnancy… plus it was way too long, and always went back and forth between trying to be a real movie, and trying to be a stupid funny movie. (a la 40-yr old virgin)
Oprah is EVIL!!
The NBC player is NOWHERE as bad as the CBS player. Piece. Of. Junk. Makes it so I have to watch How I Met Your Mother and Numb3rs in real time. Hmmm… maybe that’s their evil genius…
I ate with my parents family. The most exciting thing that happened there was when I said the apple pie became an “apple crumble” when it didn’t make it out of the pie pan in one piece. While that may not really be a humorous comment, they thought it was the funniest thing that was said all day. Then we went to the aunts house. The major discussion there was about how the people in Houston don’t like Dallas, but the people in Dallas don’t realize how much their disliked. (They’re from Houston, I’m from Dallas) Then the Cowboys won and made the Texans look bad. Again. No one in my family has seen a movie that is in color, we couldn’t even talk about Enchanted, they hadn’t heard of it.
none. my family is the most boring family on the face of this planet. i would have killed for a superbad vs. knocked up converstation. heck i’d kill for a discussion of PBS shows for God’s sake. Can you please adopt me??