Molly's Abode for Real-Life Aquaintances

There are a lot of shows on television now that I cannot stand to watch, or even stand to think about watching, or even stand to hear people tell me that I should watch. Its not because I dislike television, or dislike drama, or dislike having to wait an entire week in agony wondering what my favorite character's fate in the next episode is. Well that part I could do without. What my issue with most programming on television is these days is the fact that you barely ever can just turn on an episode of any given program at any given time and know not necessarily what exactly is going on but at least who the damn characters are and what they are talking about or be able to pick up a general plot line in five or so minutes without going, shit I can't watch this without watching last week's episode.

What I am trying to say in too many words here is that there are barely any shows on TV anymore that are remotely FUN to just WATCH. You've got your general comedy show here and there starring humans that can fill the void in your heart left open for hilarious television, but that black hole is suddenly ripped open again as soon as the credits roll and the next episode of LOST is practically shoved down your throat so hard when you scream for help your voice comes out sounding something like Denise Russau's voice on that call for help they picked up on their transmitter in the first season.

That said in too many words, the same issue seems to slowly be creeping into cartoon shows. Take shows like Ben 10, or Naruto, or Shaolin Showdown, or (wtf?) Winx Club, and even Pokemon now a days. These might not be the best of examples but you get my point. These shows all have these drawn out obnoxious pretenses that lead to episode after episode of plot and character development that eventually gets so involved that your average "i just got home from school" kid who might have had detention 3/5 days that week cannot be telling the truth when he goes over to his friends house and says "Yeah man I totally know how messed up it was when Jizzon stole the power watch from Dark Lord Roundworm" because the other kid is saying "yeah well if you saw episode 3384 on Monday you would know that The Argonaut totally was Flying Deluth's brother and they saved him from the evil Miss Flotsombottom so when they took the power ring they were really.." etc. What is happening is that these kids are being trained to pretty much marry themselves to the television show and taught that you cannot just watch a show just to watch a show you need to watch the whole SEASON of shows and that no matter HOW the season ends you are going to be disappointed because it is all LEADING UP TO SOME KIND OF DEFINITIVE END.

Because of this Cartoon Network and every other station on TV was beginning to lose my support until I saw Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. This show is practically everything that I could ever want in a TV show. And its practically the opposite of everything that I just said.

I didn't start liking the show right away. What kind of happened with me and this show is sort of what happens when you kind of start hanging out with a boy, or girl, and you kind of like them cause you know, you've hung out with them a few times and you've had an OK time, but then out of nowhere they invite you on this awesome adventure and well the timing is just right because you've been sitting in your house all day listening to your roommates argue about whether or not the new Killers album is worth even trying to listen to because that first single was just really unattractive, and you've been avoiding them by sitting in your room but its gotten a bit too stuffy in there and you wanted to go outside and do something but its hot and you weren't exactly sure what, but then this boy or girl calls you and they tell you they will come pick you up and they get there JUST in time in this really comfortable car with excellent not too strong on your face air conditioning and when you get in the car that boy or girl is listening to this song you haven't heard for ages and suddenly you don't care about what you two are going to do because you know you will have a great time with that person no matter what and you fall in love.

For a long time I struggled with why I liked the show so much, other than the obvious. Its drawn in a very attractive bright colored Victorian house style, the characters are ALL lovable and are extremely easy to attach yourself to (favorites are not hard to pick with such extremely defined personality types) and well, its funny. But I knew there was something more there than the fact that I enjoyed comparing Bloo's antics and inability to take the blame for any kind of situation to my boyfriend's identical "problem" and how much Wilt reminded me of this site's wonderful creator, Dan. It was upon reading some posts on this Foster's blog that seems to have been since abandoned that made me realize that I like this show because I can just sit down and watch it, and have a wonderful experience, and be done. There is no OH MAN I WONDER IF MAC IS COMING BACK NEXT WEEK, there is no THEY NEVER RESOLVED MR HERRIMANS CARROT ADDICTION, you get the point. When the episode is over, it is over, and I am reassured without fail that next week the same characters are going to be there getting into another crazy situation without having to worry if one of them will be whacked by the end of season 2. I'm not even thinking about season 2. Well I am because the DVD should be coming out sooner than September 11th, but again, you follow me here.

I have to get back to work but real quick - I know a lot of you might have been thinking I am wrong about the first part of this post - that there are plenty of shows out there like that, but give me one that is actually GOOD - BESIDES Lucky Louie and DAMN that show got canceled! Disney shows do not count here because even though I love them WE ALL KNOW THEY SUCK when it comes down to it and it takes some kind of fucked up tween to really appreciate those shows. Lastly, I refuse to count toddler-oriented shows such as The Doodlebops (sucky) and BoohBah (awesome). Cartoons Spongebob (overrated) and Ed, Edd, and Eddy do not count either because they have both been on the air for so long that they are either completely overdone, or everyone has been exposed to the show through some over-saturated marketing campaign. Something, again, which Foster's has avoided.

gotta juice -