Stop being meta!!
March 14, 2012 10:56 AM Subscribe
As fans of Community get ready for the show's return from hiatus tomorrow night, AV Club writer Todd VanDerWerff, who writes the weekly episode reviews of the show, drew attention to something odd that happened while the show was off the air. The discussion in his review of the last episode before the break Regional Holiday Music, didn't die down after people had put in their two cents about the episode and his review. People kept talking, and not just about the show. The show's fans developed their own self-contained piece of the web. Last week, the post passed 30,000 comments (now at 35,000):
"In the time since the show went off the air, the dedicated group posting in the thread has become a weird A.V. Club within The A.V. Club, just like in Synecdoche, New York, though we don’t know if the group is also publishing a miniature newspaper and website within the newspaper and website. Not all 30,000 posts are about Community, probably inevitably, though many of them are. There’s the usual Community quote and picture spam, but there are also earnest analyses of the ratings performances of the show and its main competition for renewal, reviews of nearly every episode of season one (including one by this dumb-ass), and live blogs of the Republican presidential debates (seriously)."
Lede should have read:
Community Community Within Community Discusses Community
posted by mightygodking at 11:06 AM on March 14, 2012 [63 favorites]
Community Community Within Community Discusses Community
posted by mightygodking at 11:06 AM on March 14, 2012 [63 favorites]
*stares at parenthetical portion of quote that was hotlinked on the source page and grumbles*
Curse my lack of attention to detail! Just, ummm, ignore that.
posted by dry white toast at 11:10 AM on March 14, 2012
Curse my lack of attention to detail! Just, ummm, ignore that.
posted by dry white toast at 11:10 AM on March 14, 2012
Lede should have read:
Community Community Within Community Discusses Community
Community Community Community: Community
posted by rebent at 11:18 AM on March 14, 2012 [13 favorites]
Community Community Within Community Discusses Community
Community Community Community: Community
posted by rebent at 11:18 AM on March 14, 2012 [13 favorites]
Reading through AV Club comments is terrible anytime. I can't imagine dealing with thousands of them.
posted by smackfu at 11:19 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by smackfu at 11:19 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Was there a brief window when AV Club comments were pretty good, before I'D HIT THAT ZODIAC MOTHERFUCKER WITH CANCERAIDS or whatever? Or am I misremembering that?
posted by box at 11:22 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 11:22 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
They should be commended just for continuing to converse on a platform seemingly designed to prevent anything of the sort from happening.
Page breaks + threaded comments = streets behind
posted by Copronymus at 11:25 AM on March 14, 2012 [17 favorites]
Page breaks + threaded comments = streets behind
posted by Copronymus at 11:25 AM on March 14, 2012 [17 favorites]
Community Community Within Community Discusses Community
Yo dawg, I heard you like Community!
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:28 AM on March 14, 2012 [8 favorites]
Yo dawg, I heard you like Community!
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:28 AM on March 14, 2012 [8 favorites]
There's a good line from one of the guys on Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus this week about the return of Community causing the disappearing of Parks and Rec being akin to being the child of divorce - you can't have Mommy and Daddy together at the same time.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:28 AM on March 14, 2012 [8 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:28 AM on March 14, 2012 [8 favorites]
Community Community Community: Community
Buffalo!
posted by joe lisboa at 11:29 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Buffalo!
posted by joe lisboa at 11:29 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
My husband loves this show, I didn't care for it much. Maybe I'll give it another chance.
posted by Malice at 11:31 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Malice at 11:31 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sort of related, but Gillian Jacobs (Britta) is doing an "ask me anything" today over at that other site.
posted by utsutsu at 11:37 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by utsutsu at 11:37 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Was there a brief window when AV Club comments were pretty good, before I'D HIT THAT ZODIAC MOTHERFUCKER WITH CANCERAIDS or whatever? Or am I misremembering that?
Since registration became mandatory, things seem to have gotten a lot better. There are still threads discussing the various facets of a star's fuckability. However, if you look at the discussion under the more arthouse oriented threads, there are a lot of extremely knowledgable dorks on there.
Don't get me wrong - I still wouldn't register there. But credit where it's due.
posted by Think_Long at 11:38 AM on March 14, 2012
Since registration became mandatory, things seem to have gotten a lot better. There are still threads discussing the various facets of a star's fuckability. However, if you look at the discussion under the more arthouse oriented threads, there are a lot of extremely knowledgable dorks on there.
Don't get me wrong - I still wouldn't register there. But credit where it's due.
posted by Think_Long at 11:38 AM on March 14, 2012
Reading through AV Club comments is terrible anytime. I can't imagine dealing with thousands of them.
I'm not sure if it's terrible, but scanning down an AVClub comments thread makes me feel so old. Are most of them hipster spambots? Are these in-jokes within in-jokes or just nonsense? Am I really that out of it culturally? It's bewildering.
posted by Auden at 11:39 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure if it's terrible, but scanning down an AVClub comments thread makes me feel so old. Are most of them hipster spambots? Are these in-jokes within in-jokes or just nonsense? Am I really that out of it culturally? It's bewildering.
posted by Auden at 11:39 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
This might be the place to put this news: Comedy Central Acquires Off-Net Rights to 'Community'.
posted by scottjacksonx at 11:40 AM on March 14, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by scottjacksonx at 11:40 AM on March 14, 2012 [3 favorites]
I am of the opinion that anything at all that brings light to the popularity of Community by something other than the world's most antiquated marketing gold standard, the Nielsen Ratings, should be applauded.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:42 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:42 AM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
This might be the place to put this news: Comedy Central Acquires Off-Net Rights to 'Community'.
If you made that a FPP you might get 30,000 comments. And favorites.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:44 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you made that a FPP you might get 30,000 comments. And favorites.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:44 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
I thought Community still needed a few more episodes after the third season to get to the magical syndication number? Is it good or bad news for a fourth season that there's already a syndication deal?
posted by yasaman at 11:46 AM on March 14, 2012
posted by yasaman at 11:46 AM on March 14, 2012
^ Probably good news. If NBC knows that it has enough interest in the show to run it in syndication without the magic syndication number, then it understands the show's popularity. Additionally, NBC now has a set back-end profitability for the show, meaning it knows that the more new episodes it airs, the more it will make in syndication.
Comedy Central's interest may also indicate that it is willing to pick up the show entirely from NBC, which is a good thing. I mean, if they can bring back Futurama, and Netflix can bring back Arrested Development, then someone out there can keep Community running. FOREVER. Or for six season and a movie.
It's only bad news if NBC was only going to do a 4th season in order to push syndication, which I don't think is the case.
posted by jabberjaw at 11:54 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Comedy Central's interest may also indicate that it is willing to pick up the show entirely from NBC, which is a good thing. I mean, if they can bring back Futurama, and Netflix can bring back Arrested Development, then someone out there can keep Community running. FOREVER. Or for six season and a movie.
It's only bad news if NBC was only going to do a 4th season in order to push syndication, which I don't think is the case.
posted by jabberjaw at 11:54 AM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Trivial effluvia, much like Community. *ducks*
There's a good line from one of the guys on Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus this week about the return of Community causing the disappearing of Parks and Rec being akin to being the child of divorce - you can't have Mommy and Daddy together at the same time.
Eh, it's more like moving from San Francisco to New York. I mean, it's fine, but it's not San Francisco.
posted by mrgrimm at 11:56 AM on March 14, 2012
There's a good line from one of the guys on Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus this week about the return of Community causing the disappearing of Parks and Rec being akin to being the child of divorce - you can't have Mommy and Daddy together at the same time.
Eh, it's more like moving from San Francisco to New York. I mean, it's fine, but it's not San Francisco.
posted by mrgrimm at 11:56 AM on March 14, 2012
I thought Community still needed a few more episodes after the third season to get to the magical syndication number?
The 100 episode cut-off is because the local syndicates don't want to show something five days a week unless there are a few months of episodes before they repeat. Comedy Central may have decided they don't care about that, or that they'll show less episodes a week.
posted by smackfu at 12:00 PM on March 14, 2012
The 100 episode cut-off is because the local syndicates don't want to show something five days a week unless there are a few months of episodes before they repeat. Comedy Central may have decided they don't care about that, or that they'll show less episodes a week.
posted by smackfu at 12:00 PM on March 14, 2012
6 SEASONS AND A MOVIE!
posted by Mister Fabulous at 12:01 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister Fabulous at 12:01 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
The Community community in this community have completely turned me off of seeing Community.
posted by markkraft at 12:05 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by markkraft at 12:05 PM on March 14, 2012
Jesus, all that on Disqus? Where permalinks don't even work? *shudder*
posted by kmz at 12:08 PM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by kmz at 12:08 PM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Six seasons and a movie!
posted by toerinishuman at 12:09 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by toerinishuman at 12:09 PM on March 14, 2012
NBC doesn't produce it, Sony produces it, so Sony and not NBC would get the syndication money, right?
posted by infinitewindow at 12:10 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by infinitewindow at 12:10 PM on March 14, 2012
NBC doesn't produce it, Sony produces it, so Sony and not NBC would get the syndication money, right?
Depends on the deal they have, but NBC would almost have to have a stake in the syndication payout for it to be worth their while to even put the show on the air in the first place. Very few shows return their investment just from broadcast. Syndication and/or DVD sales are what makes most shows profitable to begin with.
posted by dry white toast at 12:15 PM on March 14, 2012
Depends on the deal they have, but NBC would almost have to have a stake in the syndication payout for it to be worth their while to even put the show on the air in the first place. Very few shows return their investment just from broadcast. Syndication and/or DVD sales are what makes most shows profitable to begin with.
posted by dry white toast at 12:15 PM on March 14, 2012
Yeah, this is what I'm worried about. The optimistic theory was that Sony has put so much money into Community already that it would be worth it for them to produce a 4th season for free just to get syndication, but if they've got syndication already...
posted by Navelgazer at 12:16 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by Navelgazer at 12:16 PM on March 14, 2012
It's true that there's plenty of cess in the A.V. Club pool. But it definitely has its points: Cookie_Monster is among the all-time great internet gimmick commenters (see his trenchant summation of the modern economic crisis), and even the unregistered posters, who were by and large horrible carping trolls, managed to spin one brilliant thread in the comment section of a modest Sam Waterston news piece.
posted by Iridic at 12:18 PM on March 14, 2012 [10 favorites]
posted by Iridic at 12:18 PM on March 14, 2012 [10 favorites]
Am I reading that article re: Comedy Central wrong? It certainly reads to me that they are talking about producing new seasons of Community...
from the article: "The all-comedy channel will launch the series with three seasons beginning in the fall of 2013."
Three new seasons or the three existing seasons?
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:21 PM on March 14, 2012
from the article: "The all-comedy channel will launch the series with three seasons beginning in the fall of 2013."
Three new seasons or the three existing seasons?
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:21 PM on March 14, 2012
Since NBC hasn't even canceled Community yet, Comedy Central can only be talking about existing seasons.
posted by kmz at 12:23 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by kmz at 12:23 PM on March 14, 2012
mcstayinskool:
Three new seasons or the three existing seasons?Definitely existing seasons. Comedy Central:
...it's just been announced that the first three seasons will be coming to Comedy Central...posted by scottjacksonx at 12:27 PM on March 14, 2012
Over on the Vulture blog, they say the syndication deal isn't good or bad news for a fourth season pickup.
posted by yasaman at 12:33 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by yasaman at 12:33 PM on March 14, 2012
I can't imagine reading a ~718 page thread without permalinks, or recent activity, or last read feature.
In other community news: I was reading an interview with Harmon recently, and it seems that this schedule juggling has only made him more miserable and neurotic than he previously was.
posted by codacorolla at 12:34 PM on March 14, 2012
In other community news: I was reading an interview with Harmon recently, and it seems that this schedule juggling has only made him more miserable and neurotic than he previously was.
posted by codacorolla at 12:34 PM on March 14, 2012
Since NBC hasn't even canceled Community yet, Comedy Central can only be talking about existing seasons.
True, unless Comedy Central picked up the rights for episodes set in the evil parallel-timeline.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:52 PM on March 14, 2012
True, unless Comedy Central picked up the rights for episodes set in the evil parallel-timeline.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:52 PM on March 14, 2012
True, unless Comedy Central picked up the rights for episodes set in the evil parallel-timeline.
Make this happen, Comedy Central.
posted by drezdn at 12:57 PM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Make this happen, Comedy Central.
posted by drezdn at 12:57 PM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Mister Fabulous: "6 SEASONS AND A MOVIE!"
Same as in town.
posted by Samizdata at 1:02 PM on March 14, 2012
Same as in town.
posted by Samizdata at 1:02 PM on March 14, 2012
Community's Community community creates new Community community within community's Community community's communications.
That word just doesn't look right now.
posted by jabberjaw at 1:11 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
That word just doesn't look right now.
posted by jabberjaw at 1:11 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Gillian Jacobs on Reddit (which is the Brita of social media, but there're still a few funny moments).
posted by codacorolla at 1:13 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by codacorolla at 1:13 PM on March 14, 2012
The evil timeline is only as evil as it is until good Troy somehow ends up in it. At which point, good Troy will convince Evil Abed of the evil of his ways, where upon Evil Abed will simply become Abed with a Goatee who will work to change the evil timeline into a good timeline. This will last until approximately 2038 when Community: The Next Class is released and it's discovered that the good introduced by Abed with a Goatee 26 years earlier resulted in the former Evil Greendale being conquered by Evil(?) City College.
This would be discovered by Ben, one of Shirley's sons, who accidentally entered the now evil again universe, where he learns about the demise of Greendale with a Goatee and the replacment of the Dean, who dressed exactly the same as the good Dean but with a penchant for more black and red leather. (This being the second season episode "A Study in Crossovers") Ben then enlists the help of Evil Britta, who had replaced Dr. Ian Duncan, as the resident professor of Psychology, by telling Evil Britta about the good Britta in his universe who had fought for and continued to fight for so many causes. Thus, Britta with a Goatee gathers the surviving remnants of Greendale with a Goatee and appear to defeat Evil (?) City College (without a goatee?). Ben safely returns to good Greendale to complete his studies.
posted by Atreides at 1:15 PM on March 14, 2012 [5 favorites]
This would be discovered by Ben, one of Shirley's sons, who accidentally entered the now evil again universe, where he learns about the demise of Greendale with a Goatee and the replacment of the Dean, who dressed exactly the same as the good Dean but with a penchant for more black and red leather. (This being the second season episode "A Study in Crossovers") Ben then enlists the help of Evil Britta, who had replaced Dr. Ian Duncan, as the resident professor of Psychology, by telling Evil Britta about the good Britta in his universe who had fought for and continued to fight for so many causes. Thus, Britta with a Goatee gathers the surviving remnants of Greendale with a Goatee and appear to defeat Evil (?) City College (without a goatee?). Ben safely returns to good Greendale to complete his studies.
posted by Atreides at 1:15 PM on March 14, 2012 [5 favorites]
telling Evil Britta about the good Britta in his universe who had fought for and continued to fight for so many causes
Clearly you don't know anything about fighting trolls.
posted by gauche at 1:31 PM on March 14, 2012 [5 favorites]
Clearly you don't know anything about fighting trolls.
posted by gauche at 1:31 PM on March 14, 2012 [5 favorites]
Speaking of odd user-created AV Club stuff, there's a person or persons running a whole side commentary to the Star Trek TNG re-caps, posting as Frakes and Stritis, in which they reveal the actual goings on during filming and each story is a wonderful, mad-cap drug-filled sex bender alternate reality. They are a delight.
posted by The Whelk at 1:59 PM on March 14, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 1:59 PM on March 14, 2012 [3 favorites]
There's a person doing an in character response to the DS9 reviews as Garak who really has the voice down pat.
posted by Babblesort at 2:13 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Babblesort at 2:13 PM on March 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
metafilter: a person or persons running a whole side commentary
um, wait, no, I mean...
metafilter: a wonderful, mad-cap drug-filled sex bender
posted by titus-g at 2:17 PM on March 14, 2012
um, wait, no, I mean...
metafilter: a wonderful, mad-cap drug-filled sex bender
posted by titus-g at 2:17 PM on March 14, 2012
The Riddler will post a new riddle in every Batman: TAS recap. And while the Buffy recaps were running, a commenter named Sophist would publish his own exegesis/trivia round-up for every episode; it was often much longer than the actual recap.
posted by Iridic at 2:22 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by Iridic at 2:22 PM on March 14, 2012
My favorite A.V. Club comment sections these days are the ones for the Seinfeld reviews. David Sims, the guy writing the reviews, has been doing such a consistently horrible job at understanding the show that the commenters have united against him. (A common refrain: "SIIIIIIIIIMMMSSS!!!!!!") It's to the point where I all but skim his actual review, so I can get right to all the tasty anti-Sims snark in the comment section.
posted by flod at 2:46 PM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by flod at 2:46 PM on March 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
i keep reading this headline as Stop being metal! and thinking NEVAR!!!! and then flying away on a steel pegasus
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:03 PM on March 14, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:03 PM on March 14, 2012 [6 favorites]
Some of the comments on other sites seem to be confusing Community's return from mid-season hiatus with the show beating cancellation. For a season 4 to happen they still need people to buy their dvds, an increasingly symbolic gesture what with s1-3 being repeated for 'free' on Comedy Central now.
posted by marco_nj at 5:47 PM on March 14, 2012
posted by marco_nj at 5:47 PM on March 14, 2012
There's a person doing an in character response to the DS9 reviews as Garak who really has the voice down pat.
What's his take on Dr. Bashir?
posted by drezdn at 8:59 PM on March 14, 2012
What's his take on Dr. Bashir?
posted by drezdn at 8:59 PM on March 14, 2012
Pop Pop!
You know they're laughing AT you, don't you?
posted by P.o.B. at 2:31 AM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
You know they're laughing AT you, don't you?
posted by P.o.B. at 2:31 AM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Character Studies: Britta from Community
While the other characters can be viewed and mocked from a distance, Britta’s failings feel like our own. Her struggles between right and wrong, selflessness and selfishness, aloof detachment and petty jealousy are all too familiar—and the contempt she engenders can, for the viewer, feel almost personal. I can’t blame the writers for wanting to reestablish that Jeff, the selfish liar, is actually “the worst,” as opposed to Britta, whose biggest problem at Greendale Community College seems to be her humanity in a school of caricatures.posted by codacorolla at 11:53 AM on March 15, 2012
Do you all think that those gimmick posters even read the other comments?
posted by smackfu at 1:52 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by smackfu at 1:52 PM on March 15, 2012
GRAR! It's being preempted by local weather coverage!!
posted by joe lisboa at 5:06 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by joe lisboa at 5:06 PM on March 15, 2012
It was a decent set-up episode.
posted by codacorolla at 5:56 PM on March 15, 2012
posted by codacorolla at 5:56 PM on March 15, 2012
I would say that's mainly due to the vacuum created by the Big Bang Theory being replaced by low-rating NCAA basketball. BBT got a 5.1 18-49 rating last week for comparison (and a 3.9 for a rerun). But good for Community nonetheless, maybe some of those viewers will stick around.
posted by smackfu at 10:27 AM on March 16, 2012
posted by smackfu at 10:27 AM on March 16, 2012
the_artificer: "The ratings were good."
Not just good - according to this, it beat out American Idol for 18-34s!
posted by Gordafarin at 3:00 PM on March 16, 2012
Not just good - according to this, it beat out American Idol for 18-34s!
posted by Gordafarin at 3:00 PM on March 16, 2012
« Older Focus on the potential. | What Am I Fighting For??? Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
And, YAY, Community back tomorrow!
posted by jabberjaw at 11:05 AM on March 14, 2012 [5 favorites]