Wakener_One

Okay, let's make one thing clear--this movie is dog doo, but a lot of people are misunderstanding it. It's awful, but it's the kind of movie that let you know that ahead of time. Nobody went to this movie taking it seriously. This was the kind of movie you went to when your purpose was to be with your friends and make asses of yourselves, not to actually WATCH it. Even better, you have to remember that even in '81, there were drive-ins everywhere, and people went to drive-ins to hang out, make out, socialize and eat greasy burgers and chili dogs with the gang. That a movie was going on was completely incidental. In fact, the more forgettable the movie, the better, which is why at drive-ins two movies usually played--one for watching, and one for background noise while you ran around to find your friends. The Kinky Coaches and the Pom Pom Pussycats (I REFUSE to call it "Heartbreak High") was definitely of the "background noise" variety. If you're expecting a brief review of the plot, you're about to be disappointed. I mean, there was something about a Big Game upcoming, and a rivalry between the opposing head coaches, some scheming and shenanigans, Norman Fell making his full array of funny faces, and buxom cheerleaders chanting "The bigger, the better, the tighter the sweater." I don't know! But that's the point! I'm not SUPPOSED to remember, because nobody expected anybody to pay attention to this in the first place.

It was a different time for movies, in a different economy. Nowadays, any movie you go to see, you probably expect some bang for your buck, given how expensive they are. That was not the case in '81, and this was one of those movies whose purpose was not really to entertain, but to just BE there while you and yours entertained yourselves. And this one . . . Magnificently succeeded in both objectives!

FNT came together as an organic gathering of similarly-minded content creators in the Nerd and Geek communities just to hang out and discuss pop culture events and laugh with each other.

Who knew that would grow to be as, if not more, entertaining than much of the material they discuss? Every episode is a natural discussion full of irreverent humor (and the occasional naughty word) featuring a panel of about ten regulars and one or two guests. As with any bunch of close-knit pals, there are a host of running in-jokes and personality quirks which the first time viewer might have a tendency to misunderstand. This is especially true since panelists tend to take ownership of inaccurate criticisms and ramp them up to eleven (for example, one regular has been accused--inaccurately--of being racist, so the joke is that everyone regularly points out that he's supposedly the most racist person anyone on the show knows. Another is of modest height, so the joke is that he has the stature of a dwarf). Once one establishes an understanding of the shorthand of their humor and "gets it," the genuine friendship and ease with which the group conducts their hangouts can't help but shine through unfettered.

But be aware: most of the people on the show approach life and culture from a more traditional background, and so they might feel "kind of a way" about the approaches that some of the Hollywood Elite approach entertainment creation, politics, storytelling, and criticism. If the Hollywood Elite reflect your mindset, you are welcome and appreciated by the FNT crowd, though you might find yourself in disagreement with them on a number of issues. You are still welcome and encouraged to participate in chat, so long as you remember people are all there to nerd out and have fun. People can disagree without conflict.

Chat is an important aspect of the show. The panelists keep an eye on what's being said in the live text chat, and frequently comment and riff off of what is there. There's even a group of regular chatters who typically whip up memes about what's being discussed, and these get shared live on the stream.

A dollop of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (to the point of including two of its stars), a few slices of New Girl, a sprig of Ally McBeal in a Casual reduction, with just a hint of . . . mmm, is that Don't Trust The B-- In Apartment 23? This show is decidedly female-centered, deals with the concerns of women and female empowerment both in and out of the workplace, including their relationships with each other, with friends, co-workers, and with men, and it manages to handle these topics (are you sitting down?) WITHOUT DENIGRATING, MARGINALIZING, EMASCULATING, OR VILLAINIZING ALL OF THE MEN. (oh, yeah, there are some jokes at the expense of men, but they are not delivered in an insulting manner. For example, at one point, Kat's character Jules is told by her gyno that she's caught something from her buddy she's been effing, if you know what I mean. She's told that it's "Feelings," which can be sexually transmitted. When she worries that she might be able to transmit Feelings to someone else, her doctor bursts into a laughing jag which forces her to leave the room. On the way she manages to choke out, "Men don't get that!")

The first episode, maybe episode and a half, may trick one into thinking that it's going to be typical man-hating fare, mainly because the show is set up by the unceremonious way her clod of a boyfriend dumps Jules, prompting her to cross long-burned bridges with her former friends, but the show soon blossoms beyond anything so simple, while it constantly gets funnier and funnier as the episodes unfold. Like South Park, it manages to mock aspects of "The New Morality" even as its characters subscribe to them, and it builds humor out of the situations without ham-handedly telling the audience what's supposed to be funny (the "baby" scene in the 8th episode is a perfect example).