The "Storm Area 51" memes

[John Albert]

The problem was that you were speaking in absolute, objective terms, rather than as though you were expressing an opinion.

What "objective terms"?

Go back and reread. I never said my opinion was objective truth. I said it was a crap show, and then I mocked its hamfisted storytelling and lazy animation.

You offered no substantial defense of its artistry or craftsmanship, only kept reiterating that I must be wrong because it's popular.

Maybe this is why we butt heads so often in discussions. When I try to make a substantial argument, you often counter with a smug, dismissive remark and insist that your flout invalidates my argument simply because you said it. Can you understand why that's so unsatisfying?

[arthwollipot]

I said it was a crap show

Exactly. You didn't say "I think it's a crap show" or "my opinion is that it is a crap show", you said "it is a crap show" as though that were an objective fact that could not be disputed.

Anyway. I said that I thought the show was okay. I didn't say that I thought it was great, and I didn't say that it was high art. And I'm perfectly fine with acknowledging that de gustibus non est disputandum and moving on.

[John Albert]

I said "it's a crap show" because I think it's a crap show. I even provided some straightforward reasons why I think it's a crap show. 

And I never likened it to high art. I'm pretty sure I argued that it's crap show even in comparison to other cartoons intended for teenagers.

Do I really have to qualify my opinions by explicitly phrasing, "it's my opinion that..."?

The fact that it's an opinion should be obvious by mere context. At least, it should be obvious to anybody familiar with reading English. 

[stands2reason]

I think I cracked the code. It's a trick. These people want their family to think they are attending an alien convention, but they're buying weed.

[John Albert]

Are you implying that some teenagers and twentysomethings would actually spin an elaborate lie to get money from their parents on false pretenses?

[CarbShark]

Friday, November 15, 2019

Ancient Aliens The new episode “The Storming of Area 51” documents the response to an internet post that advocated storming the gates of a top-secret military installation. 9 p.m. History (Pacific time, check local listings)

 

[daniel1948]

So a show about ancient aliens is going to try to make something of the fact that a joke internet meme blossomed into an on-line romp through silliness and ended up with a few UFO enthusiasts having parties in Las Vegas, and another, lesser, few taking a peek at the gates of the installation, and nothing happened.

What can they possibly say that would keep even the most dedicated conspiracy believer interested? That the Air Force must be hiding aliens because they wouldn't let the nutters in? That the movie Paul was actually a documentary? Maybe that the protesters actually did get inside and photograph aliens but their Naruto running was so fast nobody even saw them. Yeah, that's what I'd go with if I was making the show.

And all this on the "History" channel???

Damn, they're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

I don't have cable so I wouldn't be watching even if I thought it wasn't going to be a total borefest.

[arthwollipot]

The history channel has long since stopped being about history.

[CarbShark]

The history channel has long since stopped being about history.

Nearly every niche cable channel is outside their niche.

[daniel1948]

The history channel has long since stopped being about history.

Right. But they are about trying to get rating numbers, and I'm just wondering what they could possibly do with a show about the "Storm Area 51" thing that would interest anybody, even the UFO believers.

[Noisy Rhysling]

The history channel has long since stopped being about history.

Right. But they are about trying to get rating numbers, and I'm just wondering what they could possibly do with a show about the "Storm Area 51" thing that would interest anybody, even the UFO believers.

All they have to do is the same thing the Big Foot hunter, ghost chasers, UFO IDers, etc., show do. Pretend there are revelations to be had and then recapitulate at the end with more utter bullshit.

[John Albert]

The history channel has long since stopped being about history.

Right. But they are about trying to get rating numbers, and I'm just wondering what they could possibly do with a show about the "Storm Area 51" thing that would interest anybody, even the UFO believers.

It's just another example of something capitalism is very bad at: educational programming.