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Comment Thread

by Phil
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My review of Venture Libre: http://noiselesschatter.com/2013/06/10/review-venture-libre-the-venture-bros-season-5-episode-2/

Hope you like long meditations on passive character development, because that's what this turned out to be.

Jun. 10, 2013, 11:16am

by beb
(unregistered id: A678E20E7F)
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I don't knoiw, I thought blowing up the Congresswoman was one of the best punchlines in the whole episode. The dynamics of theater demands that someone be holding the jPad when it finally explodes and what could be more appropriate than a truly obnoxious character. Remember this story was written in the middle of the 2012 election cycle when campaigns were really getting annoying. And Doc's "I can fix that" (a call-back to Wredck-it Ralph?) takes the sting out of the situation. I see it as pure comedy gold.

On the other hand it does reveal a problem Jackson and Doc have in written women characters. The congresswoman was obnoxious, Dermott's grandmother is a hag and a harridan. The mother of astronaut Bud Manstrong is a harridan, as is the bodyguard of Dr. Quymn. Princess Tinyfeet and Triana's mother broke their marriage vows, the boy's mother is insane... The question becomes have they ever written a woman character in the show (aside from Dr. Girlfriend) who wasn't psycho?

Jun. 10, 2013, 12:48pm

by Mike
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To be fair, a large percentage of the male characters in the show are also completely awful in some way or another. A main (but sort of secret) premise of the show is that it's this strange nearly motherless world where everyone just runs crazy.

Also Dermott's grandmother is perhaps one of the most noble in the entire series. The sacrifice she made in her own life to cover up Doc's completely selfish, horrible error and to support her own daughter is not something to be shrugged off. She's got her shortcomings, but I don't really think it's fair to say she's angry or bossy when the only time she has expressed those emotions has been in regard to things she has every right to be upset about.

Jun. 10, 2013, 1:06pm

by Phil
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Yeah I've actually thought Jackson and Doc have done very well creating strong female characters. There's an essay in there somewhere, if I ever get around to writing it.

Jun. 10, 2013, 1:46pm

by Phil
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Oh I have no problem with blowing her up. The character herself was a pretty pointless creation though.

Jun. 10, 2013, 1:24pm

by Jory
(unregistered id: 2EE76A7550)
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Personally I thought blowing her up was pretty fucking tacky, not just because it's probably still "too soon" regarding Gabrielle Giffords but because of the pointless contempt it showed for the character. I'm saying this as the opposite of a Republican, but simply as a person who has a lot of empathy for other human beings.

I, too, am bummed that they introduced a new female character (voiced by Gillian Jacobs!) only for her to immediately blown up, which feels like a pattern this show has acted out before. Maybe the lovable, Venturesteined version of her will return at some point?

Jun. 10, 2013, 1:43pm

by Cheb Ghobbi
(unregistered id: 8A956CCA4E)
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It did serve a purpose at the end of the story though: Backwoodstein appeared at the UN and sing the praises of URGH and their Abomi-Nation, and thus secure Venturestein and his friends' future. She was the source of the episode's happy ending.

Jun. 10, 2013, 7:41pm

by Bill
(unregistered id: 33CBEB0483)
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"I thought blowing her up was pretty fucking tacky, . . ."

I agree. And like you, my politics are considerably to the left of the Republican party.

My problem with the character is that she wasn't nearly mean enough. Early on, she voiced some animus toward undocumented workers, but soon redeemed herself by confronting General Manhowers about mistreating one of her constituents. She even flew to Central America to rescue that constituent, without any knowledge of his political leanings. A real congressional candidate, regardless of party, would be too busy begging for money by telephone to undertake a diplomatic/rescue mission.

I think Jackson mistakenly assumed that viewers would (a) know about Michele Bachmann's controversial positions and statements, and (b) transfer them to the character in "Venture Libre."

Jun. 11, 2013, 11:49am

by The Mysterious 'H'
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Well, it depends on what you mean by woman. If you're talking about adult women, then Sally Impossible and Anna Baldovitch are the closest thing to normal. If you include girls, then Triana and the Quymn twins are pretty sane as well. I'd count Nikki as sane (a bit obsessed but normal otherwise).

Jun. 10, 2013, 3:44pm

by The Mysterious 'H'
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I'd agree with your assessment pretty much (Silent Partners really is under-rated), but I think Rusty's grown a little bit. He's grown the least but the Season 1 Rusty was a different person than what we have now.

Jun. 10, 2013, 3:50pm

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