ericapolitica Reviews

American Auto (2021–2023)

It's been done before

[1/10 · 10 January 2022]

Okay, the one guy is basically Andy from the office, and the sexual innuendos, which were never funny, are also recycled. I don't be watching. It's very unoriginal and unfunny.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe (1992) Season 3, Episode 5

This episode made absolutely no sense!

[1/10 · 5 January 2022]

Now I've seen a woman sleep with more than one man close together and claim that one is the father and get it wrong, but I've never heard of a woman blaming someone she never slept with. I like the series, but this episode was stupid.

Diff'rent Strokes: Independent Woman (1983) Season 5, Episode 15

Love the show. Hate this episode.

[1/10 · 22 December 2021]

This episode makes my skin crawl. Kimberly is almost raped at her job. Yet she and her family forgive her attacker and she brings to date him. I really wish they could've told this story differently. They could've gotten to the point where she was mad and offended by her boss in a way that didn't include her being sexually assaulted. I don't think any woman or her family would forgive that at all, and definitely not as easy as they did on this episode.

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'The Facts of Life' and 'Diff'rent Strokes' (2021 TV Special)

Hilarious!

[10/10 · 10 December 2021]

First, if like to apologize to my neighbors whom I'm sure we woke up while laughing as we watched this at 10p on Hulu. Second, this was amazingly funny. The adult child actors all did a great job and it was good to see some of the original actors, though things got briefly awkward when one actress mentions her current project and Jimmy Kimmel cut her off by rambling about cereal (sorry but this wasn't the time or the place to promote other projects). But wow, this was awesome!

All in the Family: Two's a Crowd (1978) Season 8, Episode 19

One of the Best Episodes

[10/10 · 22 September 2021]

I would not call myself an AITF fan, but this is one of the best episodes! Carroll O'Connor shows here that he is a dramatic actor par excellence. We finally understand where Archie is coming from. His background doesn't excuse his thoughts and behavior about things, but he really was a product of his time. Additionally, having others to look down on is par for the course when your father is abusive and you come from nothing. However, a few joke-hungry audience members, unaware that this was supposed to be a serious moment, ruined it with their giggles. It's a shame that sitcoms had to be one-dimensional back then. To squeeze in a few PSA-type episodes was the best they could do, but even those were awkward at best. But as for serious character study moments, audiences had no idea how to react to those and kept waiting for the next joke, unaware of the deeper realism they are being handed. But maybe they did not want that. Maybe real life was too depressing. They all knew about life and watched TV to escape. Or maybe the giggles were out of nervousness because they came from similar backgrounds and finally see that they aren't so different from the usually-offensive Archie Bunker like they thought, a knee-jerk response to too much realism. Either way, great episode!

Sister, Sister (1994–1999)

I Used to Really Like This Show

[7/10 · 9 September 2021]

I remembering watching and loving Sister, Sister during its original run. Then I watched the series a few times after finding episodes on YouTube almost a decade ago. In my mid-thirties, I am noticing things that I never noticed before, maybe because of the natural cynicism that comes with age.

First, the good. I still love that the show is relatively wholesome. There is no jumping into bed among the teens like today's shows, something I really appreciate this since morals are in the toilet right now.

Now for the bad.

Tia & Tamera - I used to be impressed by black girls leading a show. Now, I think that their acting is not very good, but I really don't think it's all their fault. I haven't researched, but I get the impression that they were acting like inner city black youths according to the vision of white writers and producers. When that's the case, you have to work with what they give you. I also never noticed before how many boyfriends they cycled through before Jordan and Tyreke came along. That's a LOT of teenage dating, and their parents were okay with it. Outrageous! In real life, they would be having their own twins at the age of sixteen.

Tamera: I used to think that Tamera was funny. Now I think she is very annoying as she exaggeratedly says, "Awwww maaaan!" ignores her father whom many of us wish we had as kids, and wear weird clothing that kids did not really wear in the 90s (where I lived, anyway). But again, she isn't responsible for most of this as an actress.

Lisa: I used to love Lisa! She was funny, sassy, and down-to-earth. Now, I view her as a freeloader who manipulates Ray to basically take care of her and her daughter while she chases her dream in the first few seasons. It is not his responsibility to indulge in or finance her dream no matter how much money he makes, so her insisting that he do so on many occasions is hard to take. I could never imagine living on someone else's dime, and if I fell on hard times and had to stay with someone, it will not be for six years amd I would be sure to pay my own way. I also find that many of her jokes that I used to find funny fall short now. Also, I strongly doubt that an adoption agency would give a child to Lisa, who was so financially insecure that she could not afford a stroller for Tia for the first nine months.

Ray: I used to and still love Ray as a father. Boy, I wish my father wanted to be involved in my life instead of being too busy drinking liquor and watching TV. He isn't perfect, but overall he is great. He even put up with Lisa's mooching for his daughter's happiness. I really wish he would have found love and marriage by the end of the show. He's wealthy, a great dad, decent, and handsome. I think it's feasible for a good woman to be attracted to him.

Roger: I used to LOVE Marques Houston during the original run. That was seriously my boo! As an adult, I find Roger super annoying and overly interested in sex. I know about teenage boys and hormones, but he's way too open and vocal about it.

Tyreke and Jordan: No complaints about the boyfriends. They were great for the show and were hilarious! However, I don't think it's realistic to be as great as they were. Teenagers in talk life are much less considerate, serious, and caring, which is why must teenage relationships naturally end.

While I would not watch the show again, I still give it a 7 for the good times when I really enjoyed it.

Turner & Hooch (2021)

The Dog Ruined It for Me

[3/10 · 6 September 2021]

I came into this show fresh having never seen the original movie. I was excited because I love Josh Peck and I love animals. It started off great, and I really liked the personalities of the characters and their relationships with each other. Then the dog entered. Again, I am an animal lover, but his slobber ruined the show for me. It was everywhere. Disgusting! Hooch would absolutely only be an outside dog for me. I'm sorry, but it became difficult to watch, and I only made it as far as the middle of the first episode. Interestingly, this same thing is the reason why my husband never saw the original movie. It's a shame; the show/movie would've been great with a different dog breed that doesn't drool.

America's Greatest Animals (2012 TV Movie)

Awesome show!

[10/10 · 4 August 2021]

All of my favorite US animals either made the list or were considered. I got super excited when they mentioned the animal with a perfect score, one of my favorites (one of my geek moments). Since of the commentary is a little corny, but it's mostly fine. I especially like the woman and the young man wearing a hat.

Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989) Season 8, Episode 2

Very Hoky Episode

[3/10 · 3 May 2021]

The only thing I like about this episode is Columbo himself. The villain Alex has strange looks and behavior that I found irritating, and I hate the music.

Columbo: The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case (1977) Season 6, Episode 3

Okay, but...

[8/10 · 29 April 2021]

I love Colunbo! However, I was mentally unprepared to see one man tickling another man. They could have made the point without that piece of ridiculousness. Otherwise, it was okay.

Dance Moms (2011–2019)

The Worst!

[1/10 · 21 February 2021]

I've come full circle in my view of this show. After getting more information from the kids and moms on the show about how fake and damaging to self-esteem it is, and reflecting on my own experiences as a former teen performing arts student, I now see this show as abusive to children. It is never okay for adults to be screaming at or speaking down to children. The children were very talented and put on beautiful performances, but that does not make up for the fact that the behavior of especially Abby and the producers are over the top and criminal.

Kenan (2021–2022)

Hilarious!

[9/10 · 17 February 2021]

I laughed throughout the pilot. Can't wait for more episodes.

Robin Hood (2010)

My Favorite RH Movie!

[9/10 · 16 February 2021]

This is my favorite Robin Hood movie, the only one I've been able to see more than once (I've actually seen it many times). Crowe gave a stellar performance, and this is one of the best ensemble casts.

The Crew (II) (2021)

Hilarious!

[10/10 · 16 February 2021]

Don't let the naysayers stop you from at least watching the first few episodes. It is really funny, and I love that it is refreshingly clean. This is a great cast. Now I do agree that the pilot wasn't the best, though it was successful in establishing what you can expect from each character and had its funny moments. But after that I just kept laughing. It is one of the funniest new shows I've seen in years. No, so far there's no playboy sex playboy or vixen, and I hate that that's what passes for entertainment these days for most. I like that it takes place at work, and because of the large cast a lot can done with this show if people give it a chance.

The King of Queens: Foe: Pa (2004) Season 6, Episode 20

Does not make sense

[3/10 · 8 November 2020]

First, let me day that I still like this episode, but there is so much of it that just does not make sense. How did Doug have enough time to buy and register all of the brick phones, drop the phone numbers off to Arthur, and then come back home? Why didn't Arthur question how Doug could have possibly gotten all the contact information for people he wronged way back in Carrie's childhood? Why would Arthur have, for no reason, waited to begin calling everyone instead of calling them immediately, this delay coincidentally giving Doug enough time to get home, organize the brick phones in writing with the name of the person they belong to, and let Holly in on the plan?

Property Brothers (2011–2019)

This show was ruined for me

[6/10 · 30 October 2020]

I got the bright idea to research how this show comes together, and learning the details of how fake it is ruined the show for me. Right now I'm only still watching it because I do like the interior design in different homes.

Wings (1990–1997)

Started off okay, but...

[3/10 · 9 September 2020]

This show started off okay, but it ended up being all about sex like the rest of them. Very lazy writing. Very annoying. So, I stopped watching.

Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009)

Really like the show except for one thing

[7/10 · 6 August 2020]

I think this is a pretty good relatively wholesome show, and it is really funny. But the one thing I don't care for is Rochelle's constant screeching to family members. I actually really hate that her character is this way. Then in one episode they showed that Tanya was carrying on the torch and being disruptive in her class. I really hope that other races don't look at black woman as if we all carry on this way at home because we do not. Even if Chris Rock's mother really was this way he should have had the character portrayed differently. On the other hand, if she wasn't really this way and he thought this portrayal would be funnier or resonate more with black youths, he discredited her and all black women by feeding into the stereotype. She has her funny moments, but I mostly hate her character because she keeps screaming at the top of her lungs about everything. I don't want to be in a real person's presence who is like this, so I would not want to spend my time being exposed to them on TV.

The situations that Chris' character finds himself in are funnier than the character himself. Probably this role should have gone to a better child actor.

The real gen of the show to me is Julius. It is hilarious how he counts every penny. Some call it cheap, but I call it being responsible. And I remember doing many of the things he did on the show, such as calling someone collect and leaving a quick message into of your name so it goes through for free and buying only off-brand foods.

I hated when Tisha Campbell joined the cast. Not sure why I was surprised since she and Tichina Arnold are BFFs, so where you see one you will eventually see another. But this is a trend they have got to break. On this show, Campbell's character as Tasha's ex-con mother was annoying at best. I did not like her appearance in one episode. And that high-pitched voice she used for that character grated on my nerves. It was so unnecessary and stupid. I'm already not a fan of Campbell in anything she has done (even on Martin, she really only came through on two episodes - the one where she had a shot of Novocaine and went to Martin's high school reunion and the one where her head got stuck in the headboard). She usually overacts and it comes off, well, annoying.

Tanya and Drew are for the most part just there, though they each have their episodes that were kinda funny. I think these two roles were cast really well.

The Bernie Mac Show (2001–2023)

I cringed more than I laughed

[4/10 · 5 August 2020]

I remember watching Kings of Comedy way back when and Bernie Mac was the funniest one by far. So I was excited when he got his own show. The first time watching it through I think it was really funny, but each time I watched it after that I cringed more and more (I'm obliged to keep seeing it because my hubby loves it for some reason). I'm not talking about his relationship with his kids or anything like that since I was raised with way more yelling and issues than that. I cringe because so many of his jokes fall flat and (L7 and squares, neither of which I have ever heard used in real life; calling adult women and men baby; using the word "chillax", etc.). Definitely cringeworthy, and I'm not young exactly either. It makes me think about when I have been around old men who use words they think will make them sound cool and hip like the youngsters but don't realize that everyone is desperately wanting them to stop and be normal. Also, I find his character's God complex annoying; everything has to be about and for him and it's too much. For example, him going on and on about how it was his birthday and he'd better get what he wanted on one episode was nauseating, and don't get me started on the acts of worship he gave to a statue of himself on another episode. I also find it annoying when he bullies others. I can't even watch the one where he teaches Vanessa to drive and tells at her the whole time, and the only reason why I still like the one where he gets on Jordan about barbecuing is because I love the episodes with Anything Anderson, who truly was consistently funny. But as much as I dislikes Bernie Mac's character I equally disliked Wanda, who truly had no idea about how to raise kids. She is no better than these new age parents will think children should basically raise themselves. I actually like Vanessa and Jordan, though I cannot watch his blasphemous episodes. Other than that, she is consistently interesting to watch and he is pretty funny. I don't care about Brianna's at all until like the last season where she finally gets funny and interesting. Before that she was just another cute kid who couldn't act but was chosen for the role anyway. It's hard to find good kid actors that young, but sometimes the network just goes for who's the cutest instead of real talent. We view her character more as being the kid everyone suspects is the crack baby since she isn't very smart and has a hard time figuring things out. Still, not interested in her until about the last season.

The King of Queens: Apartment Complex (2006) Season 8, Episode 14

Only half good

[5/10 · 8 June 2020]

I really like the plot about the guys getting their own apartment, which Doug decides to keep. On the other hand, I really dislike the plot about Carrie eating food for Kirstie Alley. It was so unfunny and stupid that I couldn't help but wonder if it was so poorly thought out and written because of a last minute effort to get Leah's former BFF on the show. I actually skip all of Kirstie's scenes because it is just too uncomfortable to watch. Since I only like half of this episode, I give it 5/10.

100 Humans: Life's Questions. Answered. (2020)

No Real Data in this Show

[1/10 · 22 March 2020]

There is so much wrong with this show that I don't know where to begin. The point is supposedly to scientifically test sociological and biological hypotheses in a broad range of topics. The problem is that 100 people is not a large enough sample size. Second, at no point do they account for cultural differences (a sample from Americans only can vary greatly from a sample from another country or an international sample). But even if I played devil's advocate and said 100 is enough of a sample size, the 100 people on the show did not relatively represent the statistical makeup of Americans. For example, 3 people would be LGBT, 12 would be black, 17 would be Hispanic, 15 would be over the age of 65, 12 would self-identify as disabled, 40 would be obese, etc. The sociological experiments do not take biases into consideration. For example, in the first episode (admittedly the only one that I watched) the topic of attraction to a funny person who was relatively average looking was explored, but it did not take certain biased into consideration. For example, the experiments with attraction does not take into consideration if every person in the experiment likes the race or even every height of every subject used, or how one's bias about the rich and the poor (i. e., the rich are snooty the poor are lazy or stupid) affects attraction. In other words, they may be testing me on if I am attracted to a specific guy based on what he is wearing, but I say no because his piercings and tattoos and are actually what's turning me off since I associate them with a rebellious attitude or because he reminds me too much of a guy I used to date whom I now hate. If you never investigate why a subject answers the way they do you cannot account for bias in a study. Additionally, Alie is tolerable to me as host. Zainab constantly looks like she'd rather be doing something else (but who could blame her?) and Sammy keeps trying too hard to be funny without success. I get that feeling watching him that I get when I'm around men why are getting up in age and try to turn every sentence into a joke but I'm sitting there like, Please stop!

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Please, no more after this movie!

[5/10 · 23 December 2019]

It is clear with this movie that Disney is running out of ideas. The plot is recycled and seeing people who should be dead keep coming back is lazy. If they continue making more Star Wars movies, it will undoubtedly become a parody of itself.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012– )

Some worth seeing, but not most

[4/10 · 1 December 2019]

I liked this show and disliked it at the same time. Some guests came off as being very easy and enjoyable to watch, including some whose work I largely dislike otherwise. The best guests include Don Rickles, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Bob Einstein's first episode, Alec Baldwin, Mel Brooks, Zach Galifianakis, Gary Shandling, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Dave Chapelle. But there are plenty of problems with the show, too. First, some guests made liberal use of the censor button, which is just plain unfunny, lazy, and annoying. Second, it was hard to ignore the seeming dopehead/alcoholic guests, including Jimmy Fallon, Dave Chapelle (who did hold it together the best), Tracey Morgan, and Seth Rogen who seemed to be high out of his mind and out of control throughout. Third, I get that the show is supposed to be about hanging with comedians and funny people more or less away from the stage, but I got the sense that many guests realized the doors that might open for them after appearing in the show, and they tried (and too hard I might add) to be funny and failed with awkward disgrace. And no, Jerry's laughing like a maniac at everything and clapping his hands, slapping his thighs, opening his mouth super wide, doubling over, and wiping his eyes did not convince me that those unfunny moments were actually funny. If anything, he lost credit with me as a comedian for finding those moments so hilarious. Lastly, I agree with another commenter that Jerry himself is a big part of the problem. He presents himself as a comedian guru, but I disagree with that. For my personal tastes, I like Seinfeld thanks to the other three main characters and Larry David, The Bee Movie, and less than half of the CICGC episodes. But when it comes to his standup, I tried to watch two of his specials on Netflix and I was surprised that I had to turn both off early. So it is a real turnoff and head scratcher when he presents his opinions about the standup comedy and sitcom business as irrefutable facts. He has had many guests on his show who could run rings around him on the stage, some famous, some not. His arrogance is really hard to watch, and the fact that he acknowledges that he is arrogant and smug as if he's earned it is unbearable. Good lesson for the next generation. When Eddie Murphy said that Jerry was always the funniest I was like, Really? He must've gotten him concurred confused with some other comedian named Jerry and there are several. I think it was Eddie Murphy who also called him a great actor. Again, I was like, Really? I have watched Seinfeld many times and it is one of my favorite shows in spite of Jerry, not because of him. The running joke about his inability to act is true. He constantly broke character or lost the moment. All of that being said, if it was up to me I probably would stop watching CICGC but my husband loves the featured cars and our Road and Track subscription just doesn't do it for him evidently.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: Dave Chappelle: Nobody Says, "I Wish I Had a Camera" (2018) Season 10, Episode 2

Pretty funny...

[8/10 · 30 November 2019]

Pretty funny, though Chapelle was clearly high throughout.

Scorpion (2014–2018)

Started off Really Well

[7/10 · 4 November 2019]

This show was great for the first couple of seasons. I think it started going downhill with the last two seasons. At first it was thoughtful, clever, and had a hint of realism. During the last two seasons it was clumsy, comical in an awkward way, and showing signs of having outlived its plot.