SpongeRoadie UK
Vomit Boy
First off, a bit of back story. That inspired me to build this topic.
A couple of months ago, I started watching Teen Titans Go!
It's a kind of spin-off of the original Teen Titans show. The original show was one of my favourite shows ever. It had a kickarse concept, kickarse characters with dark, edgy stories. And although it is always able to have some fun once in a while, the show's main strength is at being serious.
This new show is 97% comedy. 2,5% plot, 0,5% dark and edginess. That half percent being an edgy part of a black table I saw in of the episodes. It's strength lies at having fun. Certainly it's not as good as the old show, but it being a rapid-fire comedy show, it is bound to be funny at times. And it is. So, on an off day where you just have to relax and stretch out a little bit, this show can bring some laughs. I like it.
A couple of weeks ago, I started watching The New Looney Tunes Show.
Again, it's a spin-off. Kinda. The original show is as basic a cartoon can get. Which is fine, since it's the 40's. 1 episode is 7 minutes long and it tells the slapstick-filled stories of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other characters running into all kinds of troubles. It's as simple as a nose hair but it's really funny. It's a legendary comedy. One that produced a lot of spin-offs and movies adapting the same tactics. Think about some funny gags, then make an episode out of it.
Then this show arrived. It put Bugs, Daffy and all the other LT members in a sitcom-esque sets, with sitcom-esque stories. Predictably, it feels like an animated sitcom. To the point where an episode actually contains 2 plots. The more complicated sets and stories means that the humour had to be sacrificed. Not that the show has no jokes in it, far from it. It's just not as comedy-focused as it's predecessor. Still, I like it.
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Imagine it happens to SpongeBob. Would it be beneficial to change SpongeBob's style?
SpongeBob (at it's best, at least) resembles The Looney Tunes more than Teen Titans, but it had more complicated storylines. So if it were to change style, it would probably take the serious road. Kinda like the Looney Tunes. Which is good because that's what I prefer. Making the plot the centre of the attention. But would it be beneficial?
I think it could. Although one type of components must stay the same: The characters.
You see, we most likely fell in love with SpongeBob's cast members instead of the storylines. The characters are the ones who make the show. The chemistry between them produce hilarious moments and funny quotes. The story is just there to hold everything together. It's the cohesive that let the characters to gel together.
With that, there shouldn't be any problems if we change the style of the plot. Where, it's usually 11 minutes of simple lines of storytelling. Into a more complex, full 22 minutes of edginess. As long as the characters are still in character, they should play-off each other neatly to continue producing comedy, right? Changing the environment, but not the personalities.
It should lead to more interesting premises. New style conflicts, putting the characters to more complicated situations that can lead to many things. But more importantly, we are invited to enjoy an complicated, yet intriguing story. While waiting for jokes to pop out. It's just a totally new, prospectively promising, refreshing experience with a taste of the older touches.
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The reason why I'm thinking about this is because of the move that cartoons seem to make for the past few years.
With deeper, more intricate shows like Avatar, Korra, Gravity Falls and Adventure Time gaining massive success through the story-telling system I've explained. Complex storylines accompanied with some nice touches of comedy from the characters' chemistry, rather than the usual slapstick.
While shows like Sanjay and Craig, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Teen Titans Go! and Breadwinners (traditional rapid-fire comedy shows) get hate. While FOP and SpongeBob are deteriorating.
Not saying rapid fire comedy cartoons are extinct (Wander Over Yonder, anyone?), it's just that game-changing shows like Avatar tend to help people evolve their interests. And shows must adapt to the newly favoured ideology to compete.
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Also, perhaps that's also the reason why the new writers of SpongeBob "sucked". Maybe they're not able to write comedy, but who knows? Maybe they're good in making complex storylines? One Coarse Meal had a great concept for a complex story. Make it shorter and add too much comedy to it, and we have a stinker. But it's still a great concept.
Remember when PIEGUY said "season 4 had plenty of great plots that aren't funny"? That's what I'm trying to say.
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With all that said, though, there is one massive problematic hole in this plan to revamp the style of SpongeBob.There's a reason why the 2 shows I've mentioned before got loads of backlash from fans of the originals.
Identity.
SpongeBob is comedy. We come to laugh, not to enjoy the story. And that is it's original identity. To revamp that and make it a deeper and a more complex show, would probably increase it's quality, but it would destroy the original identity of the show.
It's like finding out your wife that you've been married to for 15 years decides to do plastic surgery and change her personality. It doesn't matter if it's for the better, it's just not her anymore.
Would you sacrifice a 15 year old identity for new, refreshing premises?
Well, I would. But I'm 100% sure, that the majority of this fandom wouldn't. And with many people already giving up on the show, this fandom is helping it stand, and the last thing the show should do is to upset them.
Therefore, I must conclude that changing the style of SpongeBob wouldn't be such a good idea.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple of months ago, I started watching Teen Titans Go!
It's a kind of spin-off of the original Teen Titans show. The original show was one of my favourite shows ever. It had a kickarse concept, kickarse characters with dark, edgy stories. And although it is always able to have some fun once in a while, the show's main strength is at being serious.
This new show is 97% comedy. 2,5% plot, 0,5% dark and edginess. That half percent being an edgy part of a black table I saw in of the episodes. It's strength lies at having fun. Certainly it's not as good as the old show, but it being a rapid-fire comedy show, it is bound to be funny at times. And it is. So, on an off day where you just have to relax and stretch out a little bit, this show can bring some laughs. I like it.
A couple of weeks ago, I started watching The New Looney Tunes Show.
Again, it's a spin-off. Kinda. The original show is as basic a cartoon can get. Which is fine, since it's the 40's. 1 episode is 7 minutes long and it tells the slapstick-filled stories of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other characters running into all kinds of troubles. It's as simple as a nose hair but it's really funny. It's a legendary comedy. One that produced a lot of spin-offs and movies adapting the same tactics. Think about some funny gags, then make an episode out of it.
Then this show arrived. It put Bugs, Daffy and all the other LT members in a sitcom-esque sets, with sitcom-esque stories. Predictably, it feels like an animated sitcom. To the point where an episode actually contains 2 plots. The more complicated sets and stories means that the humour had to be sacrificed. Not that the show has no jokes in it, far from it. It's just not as comedy-focused as it's predecessor. Still, I like it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imagine it happens to SpongeBob. Would it be beneficial to change SpongeBob's style?
SpongeBob (at it's best, at least) resembles The Looney Tunes more than Teen Titans, but it had more complicated storylines. So if it were to change style, it would probably take the serious road. Kinda like the Looney Tunes. Which is good because that's what I prefer. Making the plot the centre of the attention. But would it be beneficial?
I think it could. Although one type of components must stay the same: The characters.
You see, we most likely fell in love with SpongeBob's cast members instead of the storylines. The characters are the ones who make the show. The chemistry between them produce hilarious moments and funny quotes. The story is just there to hold everything together. It's the cohesive that let the characters to gel together.
With that, there shouldn't be any problems if we change the style of the plot. Where, it's usually 11 minutes of simple lines of storytelling. Into a more complex, full 22 minutes of edginess. As long as the characters are still in character, they should play-off each other neatly to continue producing comedy, right? Changing the environment, but not the personalities.
It should lead to more interesting premises. New style conflicts, putting the characters to more complicated situations that can lead to many things. But more importantly, we are invited to enjoy an complicated, yet intriguing story. While waiting for jokes to pop out. It's just a totally new, prospectively promising, refreshing experience with a taste of the older touches.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The reason why I'm thinking about this is because of the move that cartoons seem to make for the past few years.
With deeper, more intricate shows like Avatar, Korra, Gravity Falls and Adventure Time gaining massive success through the story-telling system I've explained. Complex storylines accompanied with some nice touches of comedy from the characters' chemistry, rather than the usual slapstick.
While shows like Sanjay and Craig, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Teen Titans Go! and Breadwinners (traditional rapid-fire comedy shows) get hate. While FOP and SpongeBob are deteriorating.
Not saying rapid fire comedy cartoons are extinct (Wander Over Yonder, anyone?), it's just that game-changing shows like Avatar tend to help people evolve their interests. And shows must adapt to the newly favoured ideology to compete.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, perhaps that's also the reason why the new writers of SpongeBob "sucked". Maybe they're not able to write comedy, but who knows? Maybe they're good in making complex storylines? One Coarse Meal had a great concept for a complex story. Make it shorter and add too much comedy to it, and we have a stinker. But it's still a great concept.
Remember when PIEGUY said "season 4 had plenty of great plots that aren't funny"? That's what I'm trying to say.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With all that said, though, there is one massive problematic hole in this plan to revamp the style of SpongeBob.There's a reason why the 2 shows I've mentioned before got loads of backlash from fans of the originals.
Identity.
SpongeBob is comedy. We come to laugh, not to enjoy the story. And that is it's original identity. To revamp that and make it a deeper and a more complex show, would probably increase it's quality, but it would destroy the original identity of the show.
It's like finding out your wife that you've been married to for 15 years decides to do plastic surgery and change her personality. It doesn't matter if it's for the better, it's just not her anymore.
Would you sacrifice a 15 year old identity for new, refreshing premises?
Well, I would. But I'm 100% sure, that the majority of this fandom wouldn't. And with many people already giving up on the show, this fandom is helping it stand, and the last thing the show should do is to upset them.
Therefore, I must conclude that changing the style of SpongeBob wouldn't be such a good idea.
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