TWoP Criticism and Commentary

Gosselins Without Pity

2008-06-25T17:00:06Z

Anybody else familiar with the Jon & Kate Plus 8 thread? Somehow it evoked a lot of passion and anger from some TWOP posters, and was shut down temporarily a million times. Finally, the mods got fed up and shut it permanently.

Which led to some bitching in this thread.

A sample comment:

I just wanted to voice my opinion on the closing of the Jon & Kate Plus 8 thread and then I'll shut up about it from now on. IMO closing it down forever you're letting the fans of Jon and Kate win. How do you know they weren't the ones trying to get the thread shut down cause they hated the constant bashing of them? I keep picturing in my head those people jumping up and down with glee about that.

I know that the mods are infamous for being heavyhanded on TWOP, but I don't know if the permanent shutdown of the Jon & Kate thread is an example of this. The people who come out really looking crazy are the other posters. Maybe I'm biased, because I've never watched the show (well…one episode) and can't understand the outrage the Gosselins inspire -- several posters keep talking about contacting CPS to take away the children.

If you miss your fill of Jon & Kate -- never fear! Gosselins Without Pity is here! (a blog started by the same TWOPers.)

Call The Waaaambulance, I Have A Boo-Boo.

2008-05-25T03:14:14Z

I've been a member of TWOP since 2004. I tend to agree with the rules and have never had a problem with the way things have been handled. I've never really posted in the super-active threads that are always being shut down. I stay on topic. I type in English. I stay away from 'boards on boards' and the word 'um' even though some posters are ridiculously stupid. I like reading the commentary on episodes and discussion of characters and motives.

I've noticed since the Bravo acquisition that the general level of discussion in the threads I read have started dipping from 'interesting and academic' (or at least as academic as discussion of television gets) to 'fans squealing or complaining loudly'. They also started sneaking ads past my Adblocker Plus which drives me crazy. And the new site design is crazy ugly. But I just figured, well, a dip doesn't mean a downward spiral, you know?

Lately, I keep having my posts deleted by a particular mod. The one thread in particular is about a certain super-huge ultra-religious television family. So you would think that, as the family is religious and discusses their religion, it would be cool to discuss their religion. Not religion in general, since that would be off-topic, but this particular family's religion and how it affects the children. Apparently, a post about how they are religion X and forbid A, B, and C which will likely cause psychological issues for the children is not allowed. It's about an issue that is discussed ON THE SHOW and therefore is ABOUT THE SHOW, right? A post about how they are religion X and believe in "traditional" gender roles and do not allow women to pursue education is not allowed and what that will mean for the daughters in the family: not allowed. Never mind that it's discussed on the show, therefore posts about the issue are about the show, therefore not breaking any rules.

Rules. I guess they make 'em and break 'em as they go.

I know, I know, I should get some cheese for my whine, blah blah, the Internet isn't serious business. But it's incredibly annoying to completely support the rules and to follow the rules and still have your posts deleted indiscriminately. So I guess I'm done with TWOP. I'm packing up my toys and going home!

Smell ya later!

2008-03-06T19:22:58Z

Special icon just for deeablo.

So TWOP was bought by Bravo on March 13, 2007. A Tuesday. The deal was announced the next day.

This Tuesday, March 11th, the founders will be leaving TWOP.

Sars
View Member Profile
Find Member's Posts
Head of Programming

Today @ 11:10 am
Post#1
A Special Message From Bravo Media

Almost one year ago, Bravo Media proudly announced that it had acquired Television Without Pity, praising it as witty, smart, sardonic, and no-holds-barred. Under the editorial guidance of co-founders Tara Ariano, Sarah D. Bunting, and David T. Cole, the site reached record heights in traffic over the past year as it launched new areas featuring blogs, photos, games, and original video, all the while still providing fans with the best show recaps and forums on the Web. It's no wonder that it topped EW's list of 2007's best TV web sites.

But now, after a decade of amazing work (stretching back to DawsonsWrap.com, their first project together), the site's founders have decided to pursue dreams and ambitions that will take them beyond TWoP. We will miss their passion, their voice, and their commitment, and we thank them for creating and nurturing a site that will continue to fulfill its mission to be the most opinionated destination for people who love to hate (and hate to love) television.

-- Bravo Media

--------

A Note From The Founders:

It is with no small amount of sadness that we make this announcement, but...here it is: the TWoP founders are leaving the site. Our last day will be March 11, 2008.

We really can't express how much we've enjoyed working here with, and for, all of you over the years, and how much we've always appreciated your encouragement and support. Television Without Pity is what it is because of its fantastic users, and you guys kept us going through some tough times (emotionally as well as fiscally). You've made the job fun -- and crazy, but, you know, in a fun way.

Television Without Pity is also what it is because of its awesome staff, so even though the three of us are moving on, that doesn't mean TWoP will stop offering some of the best content and commentary on the internet...and you won't want to miss any of it.
But we'll miss you. Thanks again for everything.

-- Wing Chun, Sars, and Glark

Is it a conspiracy? Were they pushed out? Was it muuuurder???

Okay, it probably wasn't murder.

EDIT 3/8/08: The TWOP forum accounts of Sars, Glark, and WC have been purged.

article on twop

2007-10-09T02:27:14Z

Did you know you're a drone? I didn't know I was drone.

http://backofthebook.ca/media/2007/09/televisionwithoutanoffbutton.html

"Televisionwithoutpity.com is like a gathering of medieval theology students (the less-bright ones) cantilevered in the 21st-century and discussing, not how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but what the shooting of Santos at the end of last season portends for the upcoming season of "Ugly Betty."

The article has some good things to say about the decline of the boards, though.

Biaswatch!

2007-09-29T00:42:36Z

As you know, TWoP is now owned by Bravo, who are owned by NBC... keep an eye out for any excessive kindness towards NBC shows ;)

That yellow strip across the top of all the pages looks silly and the site doesn't scale properly for larger screen resolutions. Worst of all - they got rid of the cute little pictures at the top of pages! Recapping is srs bzness now, it seems.

I quite like the idea of recapping sitcoms, but seems a bit pointless with reality tv.

some blather

2007-09-14T21:33:39Z

Why are there now recaps for old episodes of "The Office" but they felt "Doctor Who" was being watched out of sequence and consequently not worth it?

And also, it's a personal complaint but I can't really make it over There so here it goes. I like the "Motivations" thread (here) and flick through it while other tabs are loading, but it's entirely too full of 'Supernatural' and 'Heroes'. If I see another picture of Sylar or the tossing Wincest Brothers anywhere ever again I will go axe-happy. They are not awse. Maybe it's annoying because there are hardly any decent Fun threads around and it bugs me to see one of them turned into a Jensen Ackles fanclub.

(nb: this is naturally OT and for my Own Blog but eh, I'm all hopped up on ice-cream and also Your Mod, maybe have an Any Opinions On Anything On TV Or TV Blogging week?)

Classy interview, woo!

2007-09-05T03:30:32Z

Mr. Stupidhead (whom I best know as "Sars' brother") landed a phone interview with Dexter's Julie Benz.

Starting out the interview:

Mr. S: Also, congratulations on your Golden Satellite Award. That's pretty exciting.

Benz: Oh, thank you!

Mr. S: I'm sorry I didn't get to congratulate you until now, but you know...maybe if you returned some of my messages...

Benz: Yeah, my number changed.

Mr. S: Yeah, okay. Whatever.

Which, personally, is when I'd consider hanging up.

Then, to wrap up the interview:

Mr. S: And also, you know you don't have to commit to anything right now, but I'm in a band, and the guyz[sic] wanted to know if you'd be in one of our videos. I'm just floating that out there, obviously I'm sort of partially kidding, but, uh...yeah. You don't have to answer right now, I totally understand if you need time to think about it.

Benz: ...Yeah...sounds cool!

I think we all know what kind of "videos" he's referring to, no?

I also like the part where he's asking her about plot points in Darkly Dreaming Dexter instead of having read it himself because "I've got about five other things I need to read first." It's...not really that long of a read, about 300 pages. Or listen to the audiobook. Or get Sars to read it to you. Or for you, and give you the highlights, since it's for work and all.

It's a bummer, because I've really been enjoying his Dexter recaps, and liked his SevHev recaps well enough.

twop_crit @ 2007-07-27T09:31:00

2007-07-27T14:41:01Z

Say hello to the new mods, same as the old mods.

Yes, Jacob has outed himself as TWoP Bayliss. This is Moderator Bayliss officially saying hello. You may recognize me as Jacob. Anyhow, I'm the mod for this section and a few others. Keep up the good work!

A poster says they're confused by this and Jacob replies I do apologize for the confusion -- contractual stuff makes me itchy.

...I don't get it.

Posters promoted to mods?

2007-07-19T16:30:07Z

Apparently TPTB at TWoP have promoted a few posters to mods. Which... WTF?

A search done by sloo over at Snarkfest found:
TWoP Barnes
TWoP Bayliss
TWoP Mod 7
TWoP Sun
TWoP Nikita
TWoP Pembleton
TWoP Mars

And already TWoP Barnes is throwing her power around in the Supernatural forums. According to Actonbell at SF: She just seems a wee bit too overinvested in the show -- she's made a ton of posts already, and has come up with some rather arbitrary rules (such as the "No boards on boards" also applying to other websites -- so if there's speculation on the reliability of a certain spoiler site it would be a warnable/bannable offense). TWOP does not need another powertripping gasbag like Miss Alli.

I never thought I'd see the day when TWoP actually promoted a bunch of posters to mods. Did TPTB run out of friends to turn into mods or something?

More on, Whocapping.

2007-07-07T22:12:18Z

Careful detectoring brings up another statement about the lack of Whocaps:

Glark
Head of Programming
Jul 5, 2007 @ 4:02 am

Doctor Who is off to PH land and the forums are moving wholesale to the Sci-Fi area.

If you want to know what Bit Torrent is, ask a Doctor Who fan.

The swine! They're watching it on forrin time!

here (taken from the "Oncoming Recaps" LJ comm).

Informative

2007-07-02T20:02:02Z

I know he's a tad divisive, but Jacob's 'Doctor Who' recaps have a good following, and the forum is pretty busy.

There will be no recaps for next season and this is the announcement:

Wing Chun
Head of Programming

Today @ 5:19 pm
Report · Post#1

So that everyone's prepared: we know the show starts airing Season 3 on Sci Fi this week, but TWoP won't be covering it editorially anymore. However, the full forum will stay up on the site for you to discuss the show in multiple threads.

---

This is the sort of thing that really annoys me about TWoP. They never explain anything. Could you not. Just. Explain. WHY. you do something. For Once?

End-of-season Mouse Party

2007-06-13T23:30:43Z

The year hath rolled round to its summer course and all the recaps are tucked away for another season. Before the next one starts in a few weeks' time, here's a chance to post any critiques, including bitching about the shows themselves.

I will then come along and randomly delete anything that doesn't follow my 918 unwritten rules ;)

Fametracker diluted.

2007-05-30T18:00:36Z

FT was purchased by NBC as a twofer when TWOP got picked up but went on indefinite hiatus shortly after the Oscars. (It hadn't been updated since then, but the banner announcement went up after the deal went through.)

Apparently WC couldn't let the clever(?) features go, though, so now the Mondo Extras has been turned into FT Lite, with focus on the upcoming MTV Movie Awards. Plus(?), now we get FT features written by Miss Alli, which is a first.

Makes no sense to me, but I'm just waiting for the Imperioli Vs Hairnets Extra. Because I feel that will truly encapsulate what TWOP is for...

twop_crit @ 2007-05-02T00:21:00

2007-05-02T04:27:51Z

Why was Jacob, JACOB, allowed to be the one to do the American Idol Gives Back recaps? What terrible imp of fate put him on the firing line for this week instead of Joe R? WHY????

Note. I am aware that Jacob has a fulsome, almost unreadably digressive side in many of his TWOP recaps, but at least with American Idol he was given an assignment so inherently shallow that there was little for him to do other than snark and actually deliver the funny. But noooo.... American Idol had to have a serious episode, and he had to be the one to recap it, and.... OMG....

Five dollars, twenty dollars, five million, ten million: Band-Aid on a cancer victim. Your life and mine are built on this blood, and you can't take down the whole system, you can't rebuild from scratch without things getting worse than they already are. So the revolution's off the playlist. But this is the opposite of that: words, not action, applied to the wrong wound. They're giving the right answer but it's to the wrong question. The question is not "How can I help?" The question is, "Why is it happening?" It's a question nobody ever wants to ask, because it's too scary: there's nobody driving the bus. We're living on Craphole Island, with the moss growing up and around us, and the hopeful dreams and socialism of the sixties fading out into the hedonism and selfishness of the seventies and the sudden onset of responsibility and emotional lobotomy of the eighties, gears whirling all around us in a machine that lost its central guidance system a long time ago. I think something broke during World War II, or before that, and now it's just the game playing us. Enough bad press and even ExxonMobil can cough up a Band-Aid or two. There's nothing inherently wrong with capitalism, but extended out into infinity, the game of wealth accumulation will crush you between those gears, and what will you do then? Sing a fucking song? Pray for rescue? Maybe there's no room for hope in that story any more. And if that's true, then we need a new story, and if that's true, the most powerful thing you can do is reach across the divide and say, "You're not alone." And that's the story you continue to tell, until we all believe it.

*cries*

Worst. Recap. Ever.

Bravo ???

2007-03-13T23:56:16Z

Just got this message:
"We are emailing you this special blast to let you know that as we prepare to hand over the keys to the server to Bravo (see the homepage announcement)"

The homepage announcement is a small blurb under latest news.

"TWoP will still be TWoP -- that is to say, we'll be offering the same no-holds-barred commentary and critique we always have. Our new bosses dig what we do"

Er... ok!

Well, Television Without Pity, the book is out...

2006-11-30T15:47:04Z

And reaction is mixed. At Amazon they mostly like it (although one of the positive reviewers' last name is "Bunting", hmmm).

On the other hand, Josh Bell at Las Vegas Weekly is, well, pitiless. Admittedly, there seems to be a wee bit of previous antipathy toward TWoP on his part.

I post, you decide.

Jacob

2006-11-09T18:14:09Z

...has quite a distinctive recapping style, especially with 'Doctor Who'. He's a good board mod but the recaps are... very...

TWoP Sucks?

2006-09-21T15:55:07Z

I haven't checked the TWoP Sucks boards in ages- I went over there today to see if there was anything said about LTG taking over America's Next Top Model from Potes (or whether this was just a one-time recaplet thing). Everything's been locked down. There wasn't anything helpful over at TSucksSucks either. What happened?

ETA: LTG posted in the episode thread: "A couple of folks have e-mailed me, asking what's up -- just FYI, I wrote the recaplet, but Potes will be doing the recap." Yay. Potes is my favorite.

Hey kids!

2006-02-16T21:58:00Z

Continuing the strange tradition of slow-motion comment wars that one often finds at Amazon.com, I give you: The Amazon review of Television Without Pity.

The range of opinions is entertaining, but the review by "Shell" (the most recent) is my favorite.

Oh boy

2005-12-18T12:25:50Z

The boards have been going crazy the past few days, ever since the finale of the Apprentice. In case you haven't seen it, Randal (a black man, widely considered to have done the best job overall) was hired, and almost directly after that, Trump asked him if the runner-up, Rebecca (a white woman) should be hired as well. Randal said no, "It's the Apprentice, not the Apprenti," or wtte. Trump said okay then, and then the show ended because this all took place at like 10:58.

Over on the episode thread, a lot of people are complaining about Randal's decision, and saying they lost all respect for him.

On Randal's specific thread we get more of the same, with the bonus of some MsAlli posts. At one point she says Randal's act was "Maybe the lowest and most indefensible thing I've ever seen on reality TV, and I've watched a lot of reality TV."

And then we have the Race and the Apprentice thread and the General Ethnicity and TV thread, who see things completely different, and do a lot of meta talk. Harsh all around.

Not really twop crit, but I figured it went better here than on f_w.

Hot Properties Cancelled

2005-11-30T06:43:55Z

Dear Pamie,

OMFG, I just, like, read, about how your AWEsome new show totally got, like, cancelled by those jerks at ABC!!!1 (that's waaaay worse than the time my Dad was arrested for hitting my Mom! I feel ya!)

;__; It's so unfair! Just 'cause your show was 79th in the ratings last week, whatevas! 79 was my number in soccer! #79 ROXOR! And, sure, the show got awful reviews, but that was just RUDE!!!1

I am sending you tons of **hugs** girl! But I know you don't need them, because you've got super-thick skin and would never let anything like some minor criticism (is that the right word for it?) from a network without pity get you down!

OMG, maybe now TWoP can hire you back to write the Gilmore Girls recaps! That would be bitchin'!

Hope to see you around,
Your #1 Fan 4Ever -

Stac(e)y

Hey! It's those low ranked books, part deux!

2005-10-28T14:54:02Z

From Wing & Glark's journal Hissyfit today, Wing discusses the release of the Hey! It's That Guy book, and the Amazon reviews so far received:

I've been compulsively checking our sales stats and waiting for the first reader to offer a review...so of course the very first one that went up was negative (one star!):
A Kid's Review
i did not like this book at all. it was so pointless and has nothing in it that improves or adds to the website. waste of money
Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, of course, but this one might wound me more if the reviewer used capital letters.

Good thing for 'A Kid' that Wing doesn't rule the Amazon review section with the TWoP iron fist, or else BANNED!

Why Sars's recaps suck (and Jessica's rock)

2005-10-18T07:56:24Z

Okay the one thing I have to tip my hat to on TWoP lately is the Hurricane Relief effort (then again parting sheeple from their money has never been difficult). And more importantly some of the Mundo extras we have been given as extras.

For me Jessica's review on the Melrose Place episode 2x28 "The Bitch is Back" a.k.a OMG she ripped off teh wig!!!111one!!! is for me at least best. recap. ever. It basically everything I love about Jessica and why she is and will forever be my favorite recapper (plus she comes across on the board as a genuinely nice person - even if a little fangirly - unlike the other twats).

Anyhoo, Sars-rhymes-with-cars did her review on the pilot of "Beverly Hills 90210" and I kept reading it thinking 'this is the lamest thing ever' and 'Jessica so would of done a better cooler job'.

Basically Sars doesn't know how to write good reviews or if she did once (I have to admit I am not a big enough fan of 'Dawson's Creek' to bother looking) she lost it along time ago. First of all she for the most part wrote the review as a straight review with only snide pop-culture references to the fashion. I mean we live in a post-Clueless world and that pilot offered so many Clueless type moments and yet she skipped them all for a straight up and down recap.

God it was painful.

Sars-rhymes-with-cars just has no sense of humour, wit and snark. If anything BH 90210, at least the early seasons would of been brilliant to rip apart in a recap, we would've had the wit, snark and manicured nails flying everywhere!

I counted a couple of times in the recap that I thought I was on the verge of something hilarious and witty and was let down (hey when you have a paragraph talking about the Kelly-Steve conversation about Kelly's nosejob over the summer... I expect something... yet I got nothing).

Pamie's Busy Day Job

2005-10-04T16:14:43Z

"Boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs, boobs. That may seem excessive, but it's precisely how many times the word is used in just 17 minutes of this new sitcom. (Yes, I am counting, and yes, I am ashamed.) Gail O'Grady, Nicole Sullivan, and the top-heavy Sophia Vergara play Realtors who, when not seeling apartments, talk incessantly about Oprah, younger men, and gaydar. Apparently, operating under the "more is better" philosophy (see: boobs) the producers try to cram in as many jokes per second as possible. AS a result, the few genuinely funny lines ("Excuse me, I am not slutty--I am easy. It's subtle but there is a difference," says Sullivan in the only one that actually comes to mind.) are immediately buried in an avalanche of canned laughs. Hopefully this show will be buried right alongside them. D"
-Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10-7-2005

OMG you guys, SHOUT OUT! Because, like, Pamie totally wrote that line! OMG, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY LOVES PAMIE! Awesome!

TWoP and those bloody Invasion Ads

2005-09-18T11:53:21Z

I did something I thought I'd never do - I downloaded adblocking software basically because those ads for that new ABC TV series "Invasion" at TWoP where fucking my computer over badly (and I have a pretty damn good computer AND I use Mozilla Firefox to boot).

I mean everytime I passed my mouse over the fucking ad it frooze up my brower to play the same damn thing, over and over and over again. I am not going to NOT watch that show on Principle now (heck the reason I never saw "The Core" was because of those horrible 'electrical superstorms' ads it did).

I actually do believe in advertising to support sites but:

A: TWoP isn't a favorite site of mine. I stick to the lower decks/basement forums to talk in a few shows well away from the mods. Occasionally popping into an odd thread. I don't like the site period, but it is the only damn place to talk about some of my favorite childhood shows.

B: I actually have been fiddling with the popup blocker program majorly so the only site effected will be TWoP and thus only it will be hurt in terms of revinue source (well this isn't counting any old site that still does popup ads or takeover invasion ads - those sites can go to Hades - but any site advertising a few resonable non-invasive ads to earn a few extra bucks to keep it running I have no issues with and I'll happily allow those ads to appear).

Anyway. First post. *waves*