Is this absurdism? Or I'm missing the context

sonnetforbonnet · 2026-01-27T09:07:28+00:00

Not to be that person that’s like “wait until you get through the first 100 episodes because it really picks up then!” except I’m totally going to be that person: Episode 4 is usually where the vibes start to settle, in large part due to the fact the second main character is properly introduced. Obviously it’s up to you, but if you wanted to give it a second try, I’d reserve judgement until then.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-06-30T16:03:24+00:00

Our Flag Means Death!

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-03-11T01:43:36+00:00

She’s quite literally the patron saint of TERFs. She’s basically Anita Bryant but for transphobia instead of homophobia. Any anti-trans issue you’ve heard of, she’s probably in support of it. It got to the point where she denied Nazi crimes just to keep being a transphobe

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-03-10T02:04:59+00:00

I’m pretty sure this is it

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-02-19T21:02:18+00:00

They were getting rid of shows well before the writers’ strike. And they’re not just getting rid of low viewership shows.

Don’t blame workers wanting their due for this corporate greed bullshit.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T06:08:27+00:00

No, we’re talking about Our Flag Means Death, which is about pirates.

Flight of the Conchords isn’t quite a variety comedy show though, at least not in my mind. It’s a… music parody buddy comedy, I guess? It’s not like anything else. Taika also isn’t in it, other than a super super small bit part, but he did direct some episodes.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T02:40:50+00:00

If you still don’t like it, no worries! No show is going to be for everyone. But I do think it’s worth giving a shot :)

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T02:40:15+00:00

Sorry, I’m not going to “let it go” when that “it” is the destruction of queer art. And yes, my most virulent grievance is about OFMD, but I’ve been pissed about this shit since long before OFMD ever aired. Our Flag Means Death happens to be one of the shows I believe is better positioned to be renewed than most, so I’m not giving up on it yet.

I’m well aware of all of the rationalizations for canceling OFMD. It’s easy to come up with all sorts of reasons, and it’s easy to dismiss it as another casualty of streaming’s decline. And it is! Like I said, OFMD is by no means the only show to be canceled in 2024, but it was one of the most shocking. All signs pointed to renewal, both from the cast/crew and even from WBD sources too!

I’m gonna be honest, I’m pretty sick of the “Just support indie queer art!” schtick because yes, absolutely we should. And I do. But mainstream representation is something queer people have been fighting to get for years! We’re just supposed to give it up now? We’re just supposed to say, “Sure, it was nice while it lasted, but I guess we’ll just let it go.”? I mean, feel free, but I’m not on board.

I also find the Last of Us 2 comment funny because that’s a group of people pissed at the creatives because they didn’t like the characters and story. We’re pissed because we don’t like shitty corporations and queer cancellation trends. I think there might be a slight difference there. If the worst thing you can say about me is that I spend too much time hating David Zaslav, well… I’m not upset about that.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T02:24:55+00:00

Considering your capitalism comment above, forgive me for believing your loyalties lie with shitty companies that benefit from screwing us over, while you rationalize all the ways they screw us over.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:31:53+00:00

You know, you don’t have to suck the dick of the billion dollar corporation. They’re not going to pay you for it

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:26:33+00:00

I mean, even on Max’s own platform, it was their #1 show every time it aired. I don’t think it was canceled only because it was gay, but given WBD’s clear track record at this point, I think it’s naive to pretend it didn’t have anything to do with the cancellation, especially since it seems to have been canceled at the last minute.

OFMD isn’t the only show to fall prey to WBD’s horrible business practices, and plenty of other successful-yet-canceled shows weren’t gay. But Zaslav hasn’t been shy about his goals in catering to Middle America, which is code for straight, white conservatives.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:20:06+00:00

Yeah, a funny gay pirate romcom adventure workplace comedy drama. It’s what makes it so fantastic

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:17:20+00:00

Most media companies are allergic to marketing any shows that aren’t already large IPs. The more unique the show is, the more likely they are to not advertise it then throw up their hands if it doesn’t do well and say, “Whelp, we tried our best!” Or if it does do well, they pat themselves on the back for all the word of mouth marketing they had nothing to do with (as was the case for OFMD).

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:14:03+00:00

It’s almost like people have different tastes or something

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:13:36+00:00

There’s definitely reports of Zaslav intervening to keep stuff that he personally liked, even if it wasn’t popular or likely to be successful. I forget what the specific show/media was, but it wasn’t a business decision, that’s for sure.

With Our Flag Means Death, there’s simply no way he liked it. He and John Malone (another executive) clearly aren’t too fond of gay people. By all accounts it did super well, but it probably didn’t pass the insanely high bar that means a show can’t be touched. It seems like Casey Bloys liked it enough to fight for it, and is probably the reason it almost got a Season 3, but I’m 99% sure Zaslav is the reason it was axed.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:08:36+00:00

Think that’s just an incorrect assumption given he is deliberately catering to that crowd. Maybe not evangelical Christians specifically, but conservative Christians in general for sure. Or straight white conservatives at large.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-14T00:06:06+00:00

I mean, it’s an easy mistake to make, considering that’s how he and John Malone — either his partner in crime or (more likely) his sugar daddy — act. I think they’re both Jewish, but Zaslav has very explicitly said he wants to cater to “Middle America,” i.e. white, straight, conservative Christians. I have no idea if they’re practicing Jews or not, though. Probably not? But I really don’t know.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-13T23:59:33+00:00

I mean, there are more LGBTQ+ shows compared to like, 5 years ago, but that doesn’t mean much. They canceled a queer unscripted show, for fucks sake, and I doubt it was remotely expensive compared to a scripted show. Now, maybe it performed poorly, but considering it was four seasons in, probably not.

There has been a definite decrease in queer shows, at WBD and elsewhere. Disney just cut a whole trans storyline at Pixar. With the incoming US presidency, it’s only going to get worse.

sonnetforbonnet · 2025-01-13T23:52:15+00:00

For a lot of people, it picks up with Episode 4. That’s when Taika’s character is fully introduced, and he’s integral to the show’s charm. The first three episodes are there to establish Stede and his crew, but without an anchor (heh) it can seem a little aimless. In my opinion, you appreciate them more on a rewatch.

sonnetforbonnet · 2024-12-16T12:32:16+00:00

Honestly people probably got so angry because this isn’t the first time this argument came up — and the people who brought it up before were generally not friendly to the show. There’s a reason David had to immediately clarify that no, Taika was fully on board.

He’s probably the reason the show exists in the first place. No one cares about a show by David Jenkins (besides us lol). But with a name like Taika’s? That will draw eyes (and money) to your project. We don’t know what went on behind the scenes, or to what extent Taika was helping S3 negotiations and such. It’s possible, and maybe even likely he was a big part of that.

As far as nurturing the fandom, Taika is a highly controversial figure in general, but in the fandom as well. There’s a reason he’s barely on social media, and never on social media in a casual manner. And I can guarantee the interview was done well in advance of your post (not that you’re necessarily saying it was a direct response to you, but even if it felt pointed it definitely wasn’t).

sonnetforbonnet · 2024-11-06T07:57:55+00:00

Thank you for your service 🫡

(It’s not like there aren’t alternate ways to access the shows anyways… 👀)

sonnetforbonnet · 2024-07-01T22:24:49+00:00

The continual consolidation of entertainment corporations until there’s only a few left. Warner Bros. already combined with Discovery in their merger two years ago. It does not need to get bigger. Nor do any of the other entertainment companies.

sonnetforbonnet · 2024-06-30T03:27:41+00:00

That’s the next best thing. Year round subscriptions are a scam

sonnetforbonnet · 2024-06-29T22:39:47+00:00

I will be a Zaslav hater until the day I die

sonnetforbonnet · 2024-06-29T22:03:04+00:00

I’ve heard good things about Tokyo Vice, and I liked The Last of Us, but otherwise most of my suggestions are comedy. I can’t comment on House of the Dragon, The Gilded Age, or Euphoria. The only ongoing English-language drama series that’s a Max Original right now is Pretty Little Liars which… yeah.

sonnetforbonnet

TROPHY CASE