We talk episode 4.10, CHUCK Vs. the Leftovers.
This episode is EXPLICIT! Lots of adult language. We also discuss spoilers BUT they are censored so you will not be spoiled.
Please RATE and review this podcast here. You can post anonymously.
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lol, bleeperific! shippers be gettin a heartattack! :p
ReplyDeleteI am still listening, but I wanted to comment. I agree about everything on Timothy Dalton. Guy is a genius. "Kids love me!" was by far my favorite line as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd you nearly had me there with your comments on the camera work during the dinner scene. Glad you got back to normal.
Lots and lots of bleeping. ;)
I really love these podcasts. Thanks for them. I hope we might get some more during the hiatus.
Bleeping was pretty awesome... You should do it more buddy!
ReplyDeleteHJ
Thanks, y'all. We had a lot of fun recording that. Well, I did. :) But it took FOREVER to edit. Probably the longest I have taken to edit an episode of CYT since... I don't know... episode 12?
ReplyDeleteI think our next one will be OK... but the one after that is one I have been wanting to do for a long time. So long that people who did the first few episodes with me might even appreciate it.
Great podcast. Dalton's acting in this ep really did blow me away.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt shippers will now irrationally think that all the beeps represent "f*****g", so it'll be interpreted as, "OMG Sarah bangs another guy. But then she bangs another guy. And another guy. HOW COULD SHE DO THIS TO CHUCK!!!"
Well......
ReplyDeleteI loved the podcast! I also hated that nose-hair shot...I believe Zach wanted to do something different but it was just too much.
ReplyDeleteCrazy shippers will probably come after you, haha.
Well, I know what will happen in 4x11: it has some revelations about Sarah's past and it will drive crazy shippers even crazier...so... the part that was bleeped was:
Chuck will find out that Sarah is already MARRIED!!!! To Volkoffs even more evil twin!! Muahaha. Wait, no, she married Shaw! In Vegas! and her real name now is "Samantha Lisa Shaw". And it will take forever to divorce a prisoner in a secret government facility, so Chuck and Sarah cannot marry. MUAHAHA.
That is very close to what will actually happen. Well, close when compared to what most people will guess. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy criticism of Zac's unsteady-cam-nose-hair-shot was said with love.... and hope he will never do it again.
I LOVE YOU, ZAC! Please don't freeze me out, man.
Ok, since most are talking about your comment about future episodes, my question is different. Are you excited about the story that is comming in next few episodes regarding Sarah, do you think it's a great story and lets take out the whole shippers mentality out of it (since one of my favorite episodes of season 3 was Final Exam, which many crazy shippers called worst ever).
ReplyDeletehahaha loved my ass off with chicks with annoying voices...
ReplyDeletewell if you like a foreign chick on your podcast ;) Give us a yell :)
If I had to take a wild guess, one of Sarah's old marks comes back in to the picture. One that she use to bang and he was madly in love with her. Chuck will find this out ( possibly already engaged to her ) and be dissillusioned and disgusted. He will start thinking again that he is nothing more than a mark, like he did in season 2.
ReplyDeleteI could also see this being a turning point of him not wanting to keep spying.
HJ
I think you people need to remember that Jill is still out there on the loose too. If Roan is coming back, then look out for Jill.
ReplyDeleteHJ
Harku, I am very excited. Probably more excited than I was for the first half.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I am a foreign guy so... I don't mind foreign chicks.
I'm a crazy anti-shipper, every episode Sarah doesn't cheat on Chuck is the worst. Why can't we see her get back to her slutty roots? (you know she has them) This season sucks with all this C/S love baloney!
ReplyDelete-Sarah's Left Upper Thigh (SLUT)
Sarah's Left Upper Thigh.... you may want to tune in for the second half of this season. I think you will be very happy. ;)
ReplyDeleteif sarah cheats please tell me chuck does too, or does he get brow beaten like in beefcake, i want him to be a man, and not take crap from her anymore, he shouldnt. Just like u said in ur podcast im tired of him bein a pansy
ReplyDeleteWill Sarah get a whole story arc of her own or will it be an episode? Will we learn anything we don't already know about her? Her character has great potential to drive a decent story if the writers were so inclined.
ReplyDelete@HJ: I like the “old mark coming back” idea, Chuck getting all insecure and neurotic, questioning things… that could be a nice change of pace. (I would only welcome it, because we all know that in the end it will all be fine, Schwedak have already told fans they will not separate Chuck and Sarah for good). We cannot forget who Sarah Walker has been all these years: she was not the lovey dovey version of now and it should be shown.
ReplyDelete@Magnus: WOW. You really think the second half of season 4 will be better!? And btw, where are you from? I can’t identify any accent. Ok, and if there is gonna be any cheating, we might have to start stocking food, because the crazy shippers will bring the apocalypse upon the world.
Anonymous, I don't mind pansy Chuck. I mind when they extra pansy him up. Making him cry out to Sarah when he needs help is unnecessary. Just have him say "Sarah... you may need to take this one too." It is a small change but makes him just a pansy instead of the queen of the pansies.
ReplyDeleteSue... ask me in a few weeks when I have more info about future scripts.
Mamewhatever, I am originally from Reykjavik, Iceland. But if you mean where in the US, I am in northern New Jersey, a few miles from Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteCool, thanks.
ReplyDeleteWell.
ReplyDeleteas a C. Shipper. I want to thank you , to prepare me. Now I have 6-7 weeks to forget Chuck. :)
I think for me it was enough one time the " Jump the Shark " story. I dont fell I need another one, and the
" Dont close the book in Chapter 7. Keep watching, we know what we do. and we give you an episode like Honeymooners and, in the and of the day we can say : Its worth it "
I dont think I need to make Sarah the biggest bitch and Chuck the biggest fool is good.
That is why I was afraid the back 11 they have episode so they can mess the things up , and in the and of the day just liek I said, they can say: Its worth it .,
I 'm burned myself one time, and I'm not sure I'm ready another one. I
know it was to good to be true.
So yeah, this was a Crazy Shipper . :)
If Sarah cheats then who will want to see them engaged. I want no part in Srah cheating on Chuck or her being a slut. Poor Yvonne can we cancel this show and get her a respectable job please.
ReplyDeleteSo looks like the show runners are going to take the easy way out and rather than cheat on Chuck they will just have her screw her mark. The fact that you are loving this story and calling Sarah a slut makes me want to vomit. This show needs to get cancelled or they will have Yvonne ddoing a lesbian scene. This show is turning into Glee might assign flaky characters.
Ahhhh... there we go. The crazy shipper response. :) Woohoo! Bring on increased ratings!
ReplyDeletethanks for your pansy opinion. i wish he had more confidence in himself. just wish he wasnt such a washboard to make sarah look good. I love both of theyre characters and these last few episodes have made me think he hasnt grown from the broken loser at all from the pilot. i just dont want to see that in the show anymore. earlier this year u said that theyre is was goin to be chucks journey this season to the person he was always meant to become, havent seen any growth at all for that, is it coming??
ReplyDelete@Crazy Shippers: OMG, it IS fun to read the comments. People, it is a TV show, not real life. And you all know, deep down, that the writers won't do anything absurd. They "learned their lesson", so take a breath! Or some prozac!
ReplyDelete@Magnus: Iceland, cool. So you can pronounce the name of the famous volcano ;)
Chuck is not going to stop being Chuck. So, if that is what you are waiting for, then you may be disappointed. And I don't think the writers make him an extra bit of a pansy to make Sarah look better. And Chuck has NEVER been a loser, broken or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteBut they make him the damsel in distress sometimes as a way to demonstrate his lack of skills without the Intersect. This is of course done to illustrate the continued need for Sarah and Casey as part of his team. I don't mind that. I just mind it when they give him dialogue that accentuates what a wuss he is. Because I think they have already established that Chuck isn't a total idiot in a fight. Just elevate the pansy dialogue.
I pronounced the name of that volcano on whatever podcast was recorded around that time.
ReplyDeleteI dont think he was a loser, just that in the show the comments they make about him over the years painted him as one to the observer, like casey comments about pre intersent chuck in the episode with minoosh. Though i thought that was hilarious, i just want to see a little more steel in him that paper.
ReplyDeleteYou people need to chill! Magnus is making a mountain out of a mole-hill just to piss you off. I dont see how you don't get that. Things may get a little bumpy for Chuck and Sarah but they will be fine. Sarah is not going to become the world biggest whore and Chuck is not going to turn into a shrivilng pathetic idiot. This season isnt about huge angst. Schwartz and Fedak have learned their lesson and said as much at comic con... Just Chill!
ReplyDeleteHJ
Magnus... Is there skiing in iceland? If so, how is it?
ReplyDeleteHJ
There is skiing but I am not a participant.
ReplyDeleteWill the story pick up where we left off or will it jump ahead 7 or 8 weeks to catch up to real time.
ReplyDeleteMagnus, why do so many people who read your site have the memory of goldfish and the common sense of sheep?
ReplyDeleteA) At least 50 times since renewal you have explained that the writers will not break Chuck and Sarah up this season, yet somehow you manage to reel everyone back in, every time, with a moderately deceptive spoiler.
B) Since we just before 4x11 right now, and it has again been stated several times that they didn't change very much in the plot of the first 13, since the back 11 order came so late, it stands to reason that whatever season ending/potentially series ending plot line the writers had planned for episode 13 can't be utterly catastrophic for the producer proclaimed "heart" of the show.
Beyond that, even if it turned out Sarah had 2 kids with Bryce during their time at the CIA (which admittedly would be a pretty insane break with character for the show, and screams adolescent fan-fiction to me), it was, is and shall remain a television show.
All that said, I will continue to return, as I (a) enjoy the teasers and (b) get a real kick out of all the teeth-nashing, foot stomping, 4-year-old tantrumy goodness that is the crazy-shipper.
I don't mind Chuck not being able to fight like Casey and Sarah without the intersect or the required training.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little irritating though that they leave the impression that Chuck is useless without the intersect. Chuck is smart and resourceful but it seems they mostly forgot about that since he uploaded the 2.0.
Hey You like many other shows besides Chuck, i only watch like 5 myself. thats bout it. Nothin really good on
ReplyDeleteScott
Are we going to see badass Casey again or are we set with this new Casey that seems to be way lighter?
ReplyDeleteGreat podcast...I love the bleeping, or do I hate it? Either way, keep it in, it's frustrating in a 'good way'!
ReplyDeleteI am also happy to see some Crazy Shipper input half way through the thread...somethings never change and it's almost comforting in a strange way ;)
I have a question about the re-intersecting of Chuck though...I 'thought' that end flash, of the Chuck Fu, was different. To me, this signaled that the Intersect that was re-tooled by Ellie is now in Chuck's noggin. That fact alone makes me think it's going to work differently.
BUT, in reading all the reviews from this past week, critics seemed to have missed this and are wondering about the point of the re-interesecting (ie:taking it away in the first place).
SO my question is, Am I reading something into this re-intersection that wasn't there?
Thanks as always!!
Ok, the really important question is:
ReplyDeleteWill Morgan ever get a loaded gun?
Christine, the critics and fans have clearly missed something. And those who immediately shoot for the negative are discounting 14 more episodes coming. It is a brisk walk not a sprint.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought Magnus! I hate to read too much into the show, as you stated as well, but it seemed obvious to me, then I started doubting myself :( That'll teach me I guess...
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
I thought the episode was alright. It just could not compare to last weeks because that ep was just AMAZING.
ReplyDeletePS. I liked Chuck's original proposal plan more than the passing the diamond store version. I know he's gotta switch it up, but I'm glad it got interrupted.
- Tori
Tori, the episode was AWESOME. Last week's episode was emotionally amazing but if we wanted to, we could destroy it with a in-depth discussion. Then again, we could do that for every episode.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even going to listen to the podcast. Cause whatever DR said is obviously an exaggeration to try to cause drama. "Trouble in Paradise" or whatever (that i saw in the comment section-i assume something like that phrase was used in the podcast) is such an exaggeration. We have been told they won't break up. And frankly the only thing that would freak me out is Chuck & Sarah or Alex & Morgan breaking up. That is real "Trouble in Paradise" nothing else. Chuck & Sarah won't break up. We have been told numerous times. So i'm not even concerned with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd DR makes BS responses to crap like this...
------
Anonymous said...
I'm a crazy anti-shipper, every episode Sarah doesn't cheat on Chuck is the worst. Why can't we see her get back to her slutty roots? (you know she has them) This season sucks with all this C/S love baloney!
-Sarah's Left Upper Thigh (SLUT)
---------------
He Responds with
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Sarah's Left Upper Thigh.... you may want to tune in for the second half of this season. I think you will be very happy. ;)
----------------
It's BS.
Slicknickshady.
LOL! I love how you go point by point like people can't read for themselves what was just said.
ReplyDeleteUh, not to rub anything in...but did you see what Mo Ryan posted on her day long hashtag extravaganza "Lies TV Show Runners Tell"?
ReplyDeleteLet me RT for you ;)
@moryan "That thing we did that most people hated? We'll never do that again!" #LiesTVShowrunnerstellyou
Sorry, but it made me laugh :D
Carry On then ;)
Hehe... I told Mo something was happening at the end of season 3 that she then asked the show runners about in an interview and they flat out lied. Anyone who believes anything a show runner says, outright, is the kind of person who enjoys being lied to over and over.
ReplyDeleteyeah fedak and swartz only promised fans would be happy when they thought it was a 13 episode season, now that it is more, all bets are off, anything can happen, muwahaha. An old mark of sarah's comes back, she gets pregnant and leaves chuck to be a mom and live her life with another man who is not a panzie, oh well good guys do finish last,lol. When are people ever going to get it, the man who plays chuck, one zach levi is one of the 25 most sexiest men alive, chuck can get way hotter girls then sarah, I actually think chuck is out of her league now, lol.
ReplyDeleteNow, now... no man is out of Sarah's league.
ReplyDeleteBut you get my point, where do fans get this notion that sarah is so out of chuck's league? chuck has the trifector, tall, dark and handsome and he is smart and ........... Why do fans keep treating sarah like the way they do when something comes in between chuck and sarah, they immediatly blame her? chuck is as I said one of the sexiest men in the world start picking on him! start calling him a sk**k/ho/sl*t, etc. Oh and any man who is in the top 25 sexiest men alive is out of sarah's league, sorry magnus, but that is the way the cookie crumbles.......
ReplyDeleteASH, you will have to search for my theories on crazy shippers and why they blame Sarah first for everything. I am just tired of restating it. But in short: crazy shippers are mostly men in their late 30s to early 40s who live vicariously through Chuck's ability to get Sarah (well, actually, what I said to my friends was "nail").
ReplyDeleteBut for them to do that, for that theory to hold then they have to believe that chuck is like them, that they have similar charm, charisma, looks, intelligence as chuck and this is not the first time he has been voted as the sexiest man, it was also in 2007, so are these males delusional? do they have beer goggles where they look in the mirror and see zach levi as a reflection and think they can be him.........
ReplyDeleteThey don't even need to think that. They just need to think they could get a girl as hot as Sarah if she would just notice what awesome human beings they are on the inside.
ReplyDeleteWhich is funny since crazy shippers tend to be very ugly people on the inside. Very selfish. Very unkind to those who succeed where they did not. Bitter.
As chuck said in beard, I am a computer but I am a person too. Chuck and sarah are people too, they maybe beautiful, they may look very adorable and cute together on screen, they maybe belong to each other with their character back stories. But they are people who make mistakes and have to learn. I mean people say that in the last episode that chuck was way to immature and childish in his dealings with his mom and not professional enough, do people forget that she shot him and shot at his girlfriend, tried to blow him up, etc. Come on people give these people a break.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha I LMAO,,,,The bleeping was genius.....They should bring Cole back, He was awesome and he did have chimestry with Sarah...Crazy shippers will go...mmmmh..crazy!
ReplyDeleteWhen's your next postcast?..It's hilarious...can't wait!!!
Mel C
Could you just ignore the last part of my comment....aparently i need to finish listen the postcast before i go on asking stupid questions!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMel C
Here's the thing ASH. As Magnus stated on another thread, Crazy shippers also want Z&Y together in real life. They talk sh*t and leave vicious comments about who their dating in real life ect ect ect...
ReplyDeleteTruth of the matter is, like you said, Zachary is one of the sexiest men alive and has 15 phone numbers in his phone right now of undiscovered actresses ( and 5 famous actresses ) who are just as beautiful and sweet as Yvonne ( if not more so ). Women who would die for the chance to date him.
But crazy shippers dont seem to understand that. They morph it all as the same thing. Zac = Chuck, Yvonne = Sarah... ect
If Zac was a notorious douche off cameram then the crazy shippers would probably be far less vocal. Zachary is really his own worst enemy in this regard. He is so charasmatic, outgoing, nice, honest, and funny, that dudes idolize him and want to be him not from a physical standpoint, but because of all his other qualities. Add that to the fact that the guy has a set of pipes and can direct / produce TV shows and movies and you have some serious crush/man-crush going on along with all of those same crazy shippers thinking no one in the world could be prettier than Sarah/Yvonne... So in their minds Chuck and Sarah are destined to be together and if anything comes in between that or slows that down, their whole world crumbles...
Imagine if David Schwimmer was as cool as Zachary Levi back in the day and you had todays type of message boards avalible in the mid 90's.... Brad Pitt and every one of Rachel's love interests would have been crusified by crazy shippers.
It is what it is really. Chuck has many redeeming qualities as a show but it's heart is Chuck and Sarah, just like R&R were to Friends.
The writers didnt trully understand that until Daniel Shaw.
HJ
Sarah was out of Chuck's league in the first and maybe second seasons. He's grown up now so they fit just fine...but I think think Chuck himself will always consider Sarah as out of his league a little bit.
ReplyDelete-SLUT
Can someone point me to where Magnus said Sarah was going to cheat on Chuck. I saw that some were upset by a comment on the thread but I took that as banter and on the podcast he just bleeped alot, so I'm confused as to where the cheating thing came from. If someone could help me out that would be cool.
ReplyDeleteSue, welcome to this fandom. ;)
ReplyDeleteI would just like to say that I am loving Timmy D/ Mama B and season 4 like crazy! I also want to add that I thought this podcast was hysterical and I CANNOT wait for January 17th- The bleeps just make me want it more!! Thank you Magnus!
ReplyDelete-Shannon
Shannon, thank you for commenting and glad you liked the podcast. Hopefully I can deliver another gem next time... or the time after that... or maybe in like a month.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, if bring someone in the have to be higher up on the sexiest man list then zach. Cole, bryce, shaw, etc are not on the list. Whereas kk is hotter than Sarah it works, so if they do bring someone he has to be smoking hot, more charming, more charasmatic, can dance, sing, fight, be funny, he has to have it all to beat zach/chuck. If not like the rest they are wasting our timebecause the stakes will never be high enough.
ReplyDeleteHeh, thanks. It's certainly interesting. Some shippers seem to have sort of a Madonna/Whore complex thing going on with the Sarah character, which I don't quite understand, because I would think it quite difficult to ship a couple if I had hostility towards one of the characters in said couple.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't get is how shippers don't want any angst at all. When I read the boards, it always sounds like they want everything to go perfectly between Chuck and Sarah and the characters to live mundane lives. Aren't shows meant to be about escaping reality? An episode written by a shipper would involve Chuck and Sarah doing their laundry, going to the supermarket, watching TV together and staying up late sharing their feelings. Sounds like great television.
ReplyDelete1) Oh boy, I thought crazy shippers were mostly teenage girls. But they are mostly grown men? WTF? I already thought it was disturbing to see such an immature behavior on teens, yet, hey, teenagers go through a lot and they deserve some understanding. But adult men as crazy shippers? Projecting their life frustrations and expectations on a fictional character? Really? So Chuck and Sarah are the “adult” version of those twilight kids for the crazy shippers. That’s a whole new (messed up) perspective.
ReplyDelete2) Magnus never said there was going to be cheating. S.L.U.T said she wanted something not so gooey-in-love and some cheating and Magnus said she was going to be pleased with the direction of the second half of season 4. He was laconic and addressed IMO the fact that the road might have some bumps on the second half. People than go assuming Sarah is a cheating whore, Chuck is a wuss and there will be orgies.
3) I also don’t get this manichaeism-inspired categorization of Sarah either in a good-saint-loving role or in a bad-whore-cheating one. That is just sick. Every time there is talk of any relationship issue crazy shippers start freaking out and the character suddenly turns into a whore that is only redeemed when with Chuck. WTF? Life is not black and white and one would expect that in the 21st century, people would not fall into the trap of always insulting a woman by calling her a whore.
The crazy shipper phenomenon is a very interesting sociological occurrence though.
4) By the way, Cole and Bryce were smokin’ hot. Like sizzling. So saying that Chuck is the greatest and there is no match is an exaggeration. The character might be great and look great (and I am a shipper), but there is no doubt that Cole and Bryce were competition (at least physically). Shaw was just bland and blah (he might have been ripped, but there was no “sparkle”, no chemistry, he was just robot-like).
Mamemimomu should win an award for that response.
ReplyDeleteThank you. (Bows to the muppet).
ReplyDeleteMamemimomu, thank you for an interesting post. This is not a sociological occurrence it is a psychological one. (Although I accept the two are related).
ReplyDeleteAny fanbase is, by its nature, made up of people that show obsessive behaviour. Clearly some of these will exhibit the more extreme behaviour characteristic of a disorder, possibly Borderline Personality or Narcissistic.
That they have a problem is not an issue, they are easily controlled, simply do not publish their posts.
What is more disturbing is the need to vilify, bait and tease people that are clearly unwell, I have trouble with the behaviour of these people as well.
Jim
So you think crazy shippers are mentally ill?
ReplyDeleteAnd how do you propose we deal with them, Jim, when they post their damage all over the Internet? Not point them out? Ignore them? Because that doesn't work. But welcome to the fandom.
Thank you Magnus,
ReplyDeleteI have not seen any evidence of them anywhere as a sizeable force, they are a very small minority. If they are on their own special sites good luck to them, live and let live. If they publish on a public site they appear as stupid as they sound, like extremist everywhere. Turning them into some form of campaign only brings attention to them and gives them greater credit than they deserve. Just leave them alone and ignore them, if they truly do have a disorder you will not stop it or prevent it by pointing it out, it goes much deeper than that
Jim
Before I defined them as a group and before I started openly chastising their behavior, they were the MOST vocal group and the one that gave many the impression that CHUCK fans were rabid morons. So, to suggest we just ignore them is to suggest we empower them... again. No thanks. The best course of action is to keep on them.
ReplyDeleteAnd I antagonize them when I know they are going to flip out. Why? Because you start riling them up early... and by the time it gets here, they are a tempered group of conditioned twits.
Soooo don't know if I'm allowed to comment again..(since last time) considering also that according to Magnus I'm the Queen of crazy shippers...However I liked the podcast AND the bleeping!
ReplyDeleteI totally AGREE with you Magnus..about Chuck being too much pansy sometimes, calling too often for Sarah's help it's getting annoying...sometimes he looks like a kid...An adorable kid ;)
Besides if Sarah will turn slutty again...well I CAN'T WAIT...thanx God!I loved Phase 3 (emotional things apart) SHE WAS TRULY BADASS...and cool and Hot! So Chuck&Sarah relationship apart..we all know that if up&downs will be they'll eventually last for what? Two episodes?
Wiriters know this couple is a huge part of the show..and they learned the lesson..so TO CRAZY SHIPPERS: TRUST THE WRITERS!
Further more if with the up&downs we'll have the chance to see Sarah kickin' butts and being the spy she used to be (phase 3 for instance) I'm GLAD!
I would really enjoy a Mama B./ Sarah Walker parallel...just saying...!
One question tough: Couldn't get well in the podcast if you like the idea of Roan back...and what do you think about The Seduction Impossible...? (in general lines without spoiling)
Thanxxx and Peace!
S1monetz
Hmmm. Magnus, I have to say that I don't see any evidence of that anywhere but here. Perhaps it's time to move on.
ReplyDeleteJim
I am having my doubts about you, Jim. Either you are totally blind to what goes on in this fandom or you are trolling.
ReplyDeleteS1monetz, I love Roan. Can't wait.
@Jim: I agree the crazy shipper phenomenon can be profoundly analyzed from a psychological perspective, but what I meant to say is that their occurrence in today’s society might be the sign of some new emerging social characteristics.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that someone lives a life projecting their frustrations and wishes on fictional character is nothing new (books have been there for a long time), and it is also of great value for a psychological assessment, but it might also be a result of our increasingly individualistic society that this kind of behavior is getting more and more common and more and more angry. Fandom has always been passionate, but the internet also allows people who are usually more isolated to express themselves with an extra dose of extremism. Minds which think alike usually contribute for more extreme positions when there is no counter-dialogue (or when the other opinions are attacked or disregarded) and the need to bond over something is inherent to human nature. What really baffles me is that year after year one starts reading more and more absurd and senseless rants being backed up by more and more people in forums and chats in which fans should be having fun and sharing their love for a tv show, a book, a philosophy, etc.
Perhaps you still haven’t had the opportunity to witness the random attacks and fun-to-read posts of some peculiar individuals, but just wait for it. With your apparent psychology background you can have extra fun.
Ps.: in case I haven’t made myself clear enough, please consider that English is not my native language and I haven’t spoken it in years. :) I am not a complete moron.
Diane says...
ReplyDeleteI've only been active in online Chuck fandom for about a year now, but I've noticed what Magnus is talking about with the crazy shippers. Their negativity dominated some of the boards I've discovered. It's not how many people they are. It's how much they can dominate the conversation and mood of the room.
I also have seen the strategy of getting them riled early working.
Mamemimomu, you make a good point. It could be a result of new communication mediums and the ability to remain anonymous, that encourages people to rant more, however, it could also be a sign of increasing emotional fusion as more and more people come from broken homes. Bowenian theory of family systems would suggest that disorders are a result of a lack of differentiation in family units. I simply do not accept that it is fun to tease or vilify these people, anymore than I would say it is fun to be racist. Control and establishing norms of acceptable behaviour is important in any social system, as established by Weber, Parsons, Durkheim, even the internet. Mocking does not achieve that, in fact Social Identity Theory suggests that it will create greater outgroup derogation.
ReplyDeleteJim
Diane, thank you for your comments, I do not know what has happened in the past, but I do not see evidence of it happening now, like I said, control the behaviour of individuals who seek to dominate a board (kick them off or put them in their own thread) and move on, but this crazy shipper thing appears to be progressing under its own momentum and not serving any purpose
ReplyDeleteJim
Jim, I don't care about healing them. I care about demonizing them so that their opinions are mocked, not taken as part of the typical mindset of a CHUCK fan.
ReplyDeleteNow, back to Wikipedia for you.
From listening to the podcast I gather you are quite fond of Sarah's character. People would do well to remember that plus the fact you tend to say when you think something is going to be stupid. So Sarah fondness + excitement = nothing extremely bad happening.
ReplyDeleteSue, nothing bad is happening... for Sarah. She is golden!
ReplyDelete@Jim: Sorry, Jim, but we really need to tone down the boring here. Now let's go guess some spoilers!
ReplyDeleteMagnus, I posted a reply to Diane but it hasn't appeared. Do I post it again?
ReplyDeleteJim
Nope. I put it where it belongs.
ReplyDeleteHey Mamemimomu,
ReplyDeleteI did not say that any man is not competition for chuck with regards to sarah. All I said is that if they brought someone in then they would have to match or beat him on charm, charisma, can dance, can sing, can move like lightening, can do romance with any women, can be one of the top 25 sexiest men alive, etc. Cole and Bryce cannot do all those things, yeah they were competition for like two seconds, but chuck is the man. Ever been to comic con, this guy gets langerie thrown at him, marriage proposals, screams of ecstasy, women love him to bits.... You got to get a guy who can compete or it becomes boring.........WHAT UP?
No one has ever been able to compete with Chuck, ever. Sarah has always loved him the most. So, stating that "it becomes boring" is strange. It has never happened. How could we be bored by something that has never happened?
ReplyDeleteI was referring to the stakes, now when we talk about competition, Hannah was competition for sarah, I mean I think in real life KK can do karate to a black belt level, she is funny, she is charming, she is adorable, she is more attractive in my opinion then yvonne/sarah. If the writers were not such cowards this would have been a really interesting romance between her and chuck.......So my point is if you bring in a PLI they should be like hannah where as an audience we believe there could be a real threat between chuck and sarah, otherwise as I said before, lame.........
ReplyDeletesorry, I just Can't follow you .
ReplyDeleteIt's mean they want bring back the PLI story? :S
Is this future mission. prior to meeting chuck or the sixth months that happened after prague?
ReplyDeletejust for a basis?
First donation of December is in Magnus, as I promised a few days ago on the spoiler thread.
ReplyDeleteWhile my comment isn’t directed to crazy shippers per se, what I often find interesting is the irony underlying the perceptions of crazy shippers and others to you and your blog/podcast, in comparison to other blogs/podcasts.
I periodically comb through the comments on other Chuck sites. On this and these other sites, the fans often try to figure out what’s going to happen next as the story continues to unfold. On this site, it’s predominantly through the fun spoiler riddles. On the others, the specs appear to be premised on psychoanalyzing every nuance of the show into the ground, which naturally results in them being inaccurate at least 90% of the time. It’s said from time to time that you’re full of BS and mean spirited (neither of which I have found to be true in the year or so I’ve been following you), and that you should be avoided.
The irony lies in that you have, in my view, proven to be the only true source of honest, accurate dialogue. Yeah, I get that you play a lot of games, which I find entertaining rather than annoying, which is why I’m here. Just the same, if many of these people simply went back and listened to all of your podcasts and read all of your blog entries (with the related comments) over the last year WITH AN OPEN MIND AND A SENSE OF HUMOR, they would have, from a certain perspective, many of the answers they consistently seek. You explain, time and time again, several simple rules: 1) think like a writer, not a fan-fic writer; and 2) always consider the show on its face for what it is, and what it has been, since inception.
These simple guidelines, coupled with your spoilers, typically demonstrate a certain level of consistency in the show’s use of certain plot devices. Sprinkle in a little common sense, and you can usually figure out where things are headed, especially in relation to the CS dynamic which has been, and will always be, the heart of the show. I have no super secret fake insider ninjas. However, I don’t need any to still adhere to what I stated in my very first posting on this site last year (when the crazy shippers were going ape poop over the Shaw story line). I don’t know all the twists, turns and surprises that are coming (nor do I want to), but I have a pretty good idea of where this is all headed, and am excited for the ride.
Sarah loved Chuck the most when he had a mullet and bushy sideburns. You can tell she misses those....which is why I'm hoping she cheats on Chuck with a hot dude with an afro and a full beard.....or Morgan.
ReplyDelete-SLUT
Magnus you should present your blogs to NBC proposing to be the next Jerry Springer, showing how you can turn simple bleeps into major issues.
ReplyDeleteAfter you posted that Chuck and Sarah were to be split-up, I had fun going along with it. In retrospect, the split-up was more rewarding (phase three)than I could have imagined. Now I listened to your podcast and have read your blogs only to find that I am becoming increasingly irritated. Not at your blogs or podcasts but the fact that I do not have a time machine but have to wait until January 17. Isn't it great that we are still two episodes away from being midpoint in the season. So I am looking forward to to the Chuck getting whimpier, Sarah Cheating on Chuck, Casey going Gay and Morgan quiting the BuyMore to further his career in Pole Dancing.
I thought Cole and Bryce worked great as competition. Of course Bryce was only real competition in season 1 and Cole never was a true threat, because Sarah´s feelings for Chuck were much stronger than her feelings for both of them, but Chuck wasn´t sure of that.
ReplyDeleteAnd in my opinion, a potential love interest for Sarah being a real threat has very little to do with Zachary Levi´s personality or reception in real life. Chuck is not Zac, he is just played by him. I am pretty sure he would also be able to play an absolute horrible guy, while still being just as charming and popular in real life.
Chuck is not a good dancer without the intersect, we have no idea if he can sing and he hasn´t been crowned one of the 25 sexiest man alive. And I doubt Zac would have been selected for that, if he worked at a Best Buy in real life, which doesn´t mean that he doesn´t deserve that, but those titles come with popularity and Chuck is not a celebrity.
And it doesn´t matter if Kristin Kreuk can do karate, because that doesn´t mean, that the same is true for Hannah.
All the potential love interests for Chuck and Sarah have been portrayed by very attractive actors anyway. I don´t think that has much to do with how much of a competition they were. That has much more to do with how those characters are written, how much Chuck or Sarah are supposed to feel for them and how believable that attraction is portrayed.
For anyone to be a real threat to Chuck regarding Sarah, it doesn´t really matter if the actor is more popular or attractive than Zachary Levi. It only matters if Sarah´s feelings for that character are stronger than her feelings for Chuck. And that is the case, if it´s written and believably portrayed that way.
The same goes for any potential competition for Sarah. It doesn´t really matter, if anyone in the audience thinks that Kristin Kreuk, Jordanna Brewster or Rachel Bilson are more attractive than Yvonne Strahovksi, as long as Chuck´s feelings for Sarah are stronger than his feelings for every other character coming in, regardless who plays them.
The differences in attractiveness are minor anyway and mostly come down to personal preferences. And a good actor can portray a completely unlovable horrible character, no matter how good looking or charming that actor is in real life.
The way Chuck and Sarah have been written this season, it seems hard to imagine, that anyone coming in could portray a believable romantic threat anymore. But there could still be tension and of course there are a lot of other possible scenarios, that could create problems for Chuck and Sarah´s relationship.
bg, you rock. Thank you. I am not usually impressed by someone but you... you have impressed me. Thank you for the donation as well. And I am not just impressed because you praised me but because you have a clear attention for ACCURACY. Something most people toss out. Hell, if I didn't know better, I would think you are me typing to myself! ;) Anyway, thank you.
ReplyDeleteBJ, NBC and WB hate me... and see no value in my ability to elevate passion in the fandom. What bg said is 100% correct. The majority of CHUCK sites deal in ridiculous speculations that rarely, if ever, pan out. And even BEFORE I was an "insider," I was consistently the most accurate speculator in the fandom. It is part of how I became closer to people who work on the show. There was a belief that I had to be someone who was on set. One of the main players in making CHUCK told me as much.
The thing people have a very hard time accepting is that they aren't very good at doing what they want so badly to be good at. Speculating, writing fan fics, and even doing blogs and podcasts is something some people do well. Just not 90% of this fandom... and yet they do it and do it too frakin' much. And as long as they conform to what NBC and WB sees as the "correct" way, then they are given some support from those entities.
The first time I ever dealt out a tiny spoiler, while a majority of the fandom was calling me a fake, NBC and WB were talking about how I was dishing out unauthorized spoilers. Even though I was being very vague. And I kept it vague for a while because I was trying to play nice. But then I just got tired for various reasons. So I became less vague... and less vague. So, now I am enemy number one with those cats.
Hi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteGreat podcast, the site you referenced where everyone is complaining, I think I know which one your talking about. I posted a comment to try and put out my view on some of the things that may have gone wrong with 4.10 I reasonably argued that they have 14 not 4 episodes left to answer these question, that when a show like chuck always faces cancellation with every batch of episodes they recieve only to be reprieved at the last minute, stories that they push hard have to be scaled back a little to parse out over all these extra episodes, etc, etc. But you know what? people just ignored my post and continued to complain and moan, this is ridiculous, how can fans like this claim to be fans when all they do is bag the show. I mean some of them are still going on about season 3 the first 13 episodes mishaps, this is ridiculous. But what I will say although some of the posters in the comment sections are crazy the actual analysis on certain episodes and characters is ok and quite fair, to be fair.
Big John, I think some people just really, really, REALLY like complaining about the things they proclaim to love. Some of us just don't function that way. I don't enjoy complaining about the things I love. I WILL complain about them but not because it is a need. I do it when I feel something should be said. Not just because I think I could do it better.
ReplyDeletePut any of those fans in the writers room and they would crumble under the pressure.
I know when you think about it the writers have what? 2-3 months after the season is finished to come up with a concept for the next season before the start of filming. They plan these 13 episodes as if it was the end, they get to episode 8 or 9 and are where basically they have told 75% of their season story and are told that they have a week to create basically another season (11 episodes). So what do they do? do they parse out the remaining 25% over 15 episodes? they do not have the 2-3 months to create a sepreate season they have a week. I feel so happy we get these extra episodes, but a part of me does feel for fedak and the writers that it would have been awesome if they had this order up front and then they could parse out the elements far better, but fans need to know that the reality is that if we do by some mircle get a 5th season this will oontinue, and it is not that the powers that be are messing us around with the story telling a character growth and development is that everytime they push for a finish they keep getting more episodes, fans need to stop being critical this is not an ncis where we will come back year after year, this is not a lost where we know how many episodes we have to write the story that we want this is chuck and if you love the show back off! the fact that this show tries to give fans what they want as much as they can you should be greatful!
ReplyDeleteMost shows are written the same way. Only difference for CHUCK is that the show runners have decided to advance elements of the story far beyond the original intent. So, we are constantly getting more growth than most shows when it comes to our characters. Those who complain about that... shrug. They just want to complain.
ReplyDeletedoes anybody know if we will be renewed for may 2011?
ReplyDelete