OK, for you "foreigners — Netflix recently decided to add a separate charge for streaming video.
But this guy willl continue to stream his for free.
You know, calling Brevity an “in joke” or “not funny” because it’s American is like one of us saying Private Eye isn’t funny because it’s about British politicians, or the cartoons in Greece aren’t funny cos they’re in Greek.
And BTW cartoons don’t have an “impetus”, unless they, say, provide the impetus to use Google.
It’s not just the streaming pun, TL. It’s the stupidity of the man. He not only misunderstands, he thinks he’s beating the game. But jokes lose their steam if you ave to explain them.
365 of them a year. I guess it’s hard to be funny every day. This one is kind of like a Pearls tongue-in-cheek setup but Brevity only has one panel to do it.
Sorry to beat this to death, but now that Netflix has separated streaming and dvd fees, what does it help to throw copies off the bridge? It’s not Brevity: it’s me. I am just not connecting the dots here.
Some of these cartoons are successful and some not so, but requiring me to crack open the story to get at the chewy center is not a chore. In fact it’s more rewarding to have figured it out.
You’re full of doggie doo. I watch British shows all the time and the pop culture references go over my head. I don’t take it as rude, I chalk it up as regional and move on. And how in the Queen’s name do you know they intended it for an international audience? That’s a bit self indulgent if you ask me.
Andrea@home, I can’t quite tell if your comment is intended as tongue-in-cheek (I rarely mind if the British tease Americans about their use of English; we certainly don’t mind teasing the British in return, and it is often all in good fun). However, given your statement that you think it is rude if a comic strip is intended for a large regional audience rather than a global audience, I am curious what you would think if the comic strip were written in French, German, Mandarin, or Farsi. Would you consider it rude if it were written in a language that you couldn’t even interpret?
Another example is that Foxtrot used to frequently require the understanding of calculus, trigonometry, or mechanics (the study of motion due to force in physics) to fully understand the comic strip. Is this not acceptable? As someone who likes math, I thought it was very funny and clever at the time. Is that wrong?
I watch a lot of British tv shows that are advertised and shown here in the USA and I never ever feel offended when a UK pop culture reference is mentioned that I have to Google. As a matter of fact, I love researching the UK pop culture jokes because it’s opened my knowledge to some of the UK’s finest celebs and celeb gossip that I would have never known about if not for those “inconsiderate” writers of British tv shows.
Maybe instead of expecting everyone to kowtow to your universal sensibilities, you could take things like this as a fun learning experience and use Google to open your mind and knowledge. It’s always nice to experience other cultures and their jokes every now and then.
Steps off my soap box and cues up my new favorite British show “Spy” for a re-viewing
Sheesh, it took me like five minutes of intense thinking to make the connection—he’s “streaming” the videos by dropping them into a stream. He apparently thinks that’s what Netflix means when they refer to their $7-per-month streaming option.
@Andrea — (hoping you come back this late)… oh heavens…. did you mean to be so funny?
As others have pointed out, there are many web sites in languages foreign to either of us.
There are also, just to name a few, websites for students of specific classes, or with links to government services in various countries…. cartoons in French, reviews of films I’ve never seen….. I’m sure you get the picture.
Just because a mouse-click gets you in, do you require that they be “international” enough to offer translations, services and cultural references that suit you?
And when I try to read the cartoons in Private Eye, which I do sometimes, and don’t understand them, are the cartoonists being “downright rude, ignorant and not funny???” just because I can click on the website from here?
Wow, who would have thought!
I always solve the puzzle there (a wonderful, wild ride, BTW, for those into cryptics who don’t mind a little….hmm…. NSFW sort of wordplay.)
It would never occur to me that Mr. James should refrain from any reference I can’t understand without a search engine.
Your language reference is also specious.You happen to have stepped right into a favorite subject of mine…
The first English-speaking settlers in American colonies arrived in the 17th Century.
That was loooooong before Chambers; in fact the war that split our countries happened before Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, much less Fowler’s guide, which is from the 1920’s.
Americans since then have come from all over the world, slightly more, in fact, from Germany than anywhere else.
The English they found here was not a prescription but a Lingua Franca …. merely a starting point, upon which to build, and meld all the arriving influences into a thriving, and elastic, new tongue.
“British English”, as we call it, remained somewhat static in the Old World….. even so, there is no way you can convince me that you speak the exact language of Dr. Johnson…
On each side of the Atlantic, we went our separate ways… and even on “your” side, there have been changes.
How often do you believe we’re supposed to call “home” to ask which ones have been allowed lately?
"Oh my goodness, we’ve been saying “TV”…. I’ll have to tell all my friends it should be a “telly!”
Indeed, Susan, #6 and Beviek, It is foolish to expect all internet posts and especially comics to be totally “user friendly” or easy for all of us to understand. I knew about the Netflix debacle but still (Like Bev) did not “get it” in depth. This is one reason to apppreciate the comments. All sports related subjects are a foreign language to me and others may also send me to a search (which may be worth the time or not). I don’t bother with sites that are usually not concerned with something I find interesting, but happy to say there are SOO MANY which do;-D
J Short over 12 years ago
This led to a torrent of discussion.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 12 years ago
OK, for you "foreigners — Netflix recently decided to add a separate charge for streaming video.
But this guy willl continue to stream his for free.
You know, calling Brevity an “in joke” or “not funny” because it’s American is like one of us saying Private Eye isn’t funny because it’s about British politicians, or the cartoons in Greece aren’t funny cos they’re in Greek.
And BTW cartoons don’t have an “impetus”, unless they, say, provide the impetus to use Google.
linwoodbragg over 12 years ago
It’s not just the streaming pun, TL. It’s the stupidity of the man. He not only misunderstands, he thinks he’s beating the game. But jokes lose their steam if you ave to explain them.
bubujin_2 Premium Member over 12 years ago
Could it just be a stream of consciousness gag?
ott70 over 12 years ago
I see a stretch at humor.
365 of them a year. I guess it’s hard to be funny every day. This one is kind of like a Pearls tongue-in-cheek setup but Brevity only has one panel to do it.
konradh over 12 years ago
Sorry to beat this to death, but now that Netflix has separated streaming and dvd fees, what does it help to throw copies off the bridge? It’s not Brevity: it’s me. I am just not connecting the dots here.
ossiningaling over 12 years ago
Some of these cartoons are successful and some not so, but requiring me to crack open the story to get at the chewy center is not a chore. In fact it’s more rewarding to have figured it out.
Larry Miller Premium Member over 12 years ago
It also helps (is funnier?) if you look at the titles he’s streaming.
Banjo Evans over 12 years ago
You’re full of doggie doo. I watch British shows all the time and the pop culture references go over my head. I don’t take it as rude, I chalk it up as regional and move on. And how in the Queen’s name do you know they intended it for an international audience? That’s a bit self indulgent if you ask me.
hjkl; over 12 years ago
It’s not really funny even for us Merkins. I think I might be dropping this strip from my line-up soon.
Tyrnn over 12 years ago
I really don’t get this one… but then again I suppose it might be funny somehow if you actually use Netflix or something.
NightOwl19 over 12 years ago
Andrea@home, I can’t quite tell if your comment is intended as tongue-in-cheek (I rarely mind if the British tease Americans about their use of English; we certainly don’t mind teasing the British in return, and it is often all in good fun). However, given your statement that you think it is rude if a comic strip is intended for a large regional audience rather than a global audience, I am curious what you would think if the comic strip were written in French, German, Mandarin, or Farsi. Would you consider it rude if it were written in a language that you couldn’t even interpret?
NightOwl19 over 12 years ago
Another example is that Foxtrot used to frequently require the understanding of calculus, trigonometry, or mechanics (the study of motion due to force in physics) to fully understand the comic strip. Is this not acceptable? As someone who likes math, I thought it was very funny and clever at the time. Is that wrong?
Nicole ♫ ⊱✿ ◕‿◕✿⊰♫ Premium Member over 12 years ago
I watch a lot of British tv shows that are advertised and shown here in the USA and I never ever feel offended when a UK pop culture reference is mentioned that I have to Google. As a matter of fact, I love researching the UK pop culture jokes because it’s opened my knowledge to some of the UK’s finest celebs and celeb gossip that I would have never known about if not for those “inconsiderate” writers of British tv shows.
Maybe instead of expecting everyone to kowtow to your universal sensibilities, you could take things like this as a fun learning experience and use Google to open your mind and knowledge. It’s always nice to experience other cultures and their jokes every now and then.
Steps off my soap box and cues up my new favorite British show “Spy” for a re-viewing
webgrunt over 12 years ago
Sheesh, it took me like five minutes of intense thinking to make the connection—he’s “streaming” the videos by dropping them into a stream. He apparently thinks that’s what Netflix means when they refer to their $7-per-month streaming option.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 12 years ago
@Andrea — (hoping you come back this late)… oh heavens…. did you mean to be so funny?
As others have pointed out, there are many web sites in languages foreign to either of us.
There are also, just to name a few, websites for students of specific classes, or with links to government services in various countries…. cartoons in French, reviews of films I’ve never seen….. I’m sure you get the picture.
Just because a mouse-click gets you in, do you require that they be “international” enough to offer translations, services and cultural references that suit you?
And when I try to read the cartoons in Private Eye, which I do sometimes, and don’t understand them, are the cartoonists being “downright rude, ignorant and not funny???” just because I can click on the website from here?
Wow, who would have thought!
I always solve the puzzle there (a wonderful, wild ride, BTW, for those into cryptics who don’t mind a little….hmm…. NSFW sort of wordplay.)
It would never occur to me that Mr. James should refrain from any reference I can’t understand without a search engine.
Your language reference is also specious.You happen to have stepped right into a favorite subject of mine…
The first English-speaking settlers in American colonies arrived in the 17th Century.
That was loooooong before Chambers; in fact the war that split our countries happened before Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, much less Fowler’s guide, which is from the 1920’s.
Americans since then have come from all over the world, slightly more, in fact, from Germany than anywhere else.
The English they found here was not a prescription but a Lingua Franca …. merely a starting point, upon which to build, and meld all the arriving influences into a thriving, and elastic, new tongue.
“British English”, as we call it, remained somewhat static in the Old World….. even so, there is no way you can convince me that you speak the exact language of Dr. Johnson…
On each side of the Atlantic, we went our separate ways… and even on “your” side, there have been changes.
How often do you believe we’re supposed to call “home” to ask which ones have been allowed lately?
"Oh my goodness, we’ve been saying “TV”…. I’ll have to tell all my friends it should be a “telly!”
LOL!!!
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 12 years ago
DarkandRobust…. LOL…all is forgiven.
Well, except maybe the length of my last comment but that’s not your fault.
vldazzle over 12 years ago
Indeed, Susan, #6 and Beviek, It is foolish to expect all internet posts and especially comics to be totally “user friendly” or easy for all of us to understand. I knew about the Netflix debacle but still (Like Bev) did not “get it” in depth. This is one reason to apppreciate the comments. All sports related subjects are a foreign language to me and others may also send me to a search (which may be worth the time or not). I don’t bother with sites that are usually not concerned with something I find interesting, but happy to say there are SOO MANY which do;-D
Varnes over 12 years ago
LafinLarry, way to keep your eye on the ball….Thanks…I should use the make it bigger button more…