J6P in Sheep's Clothing (Article) (1 Viewer)

[Greg Z]

Seems like he likes watching movies, he is NOT a movie lover. He is the typical J6P run out to blockbuster, stop by the liquer store for a 6pack, run home and microwave himself a big bowl of buttered popcorn, turn the lights down and pop in the tape kind of guy. The movie is entertainment in it's simplest form. Don't mention OAR, 5.1, or Director's intent to him. His eyes will glaze over and he might throw his popcorn at you. He dosn't quite understand all that technical stuff(that stuff's for nerds!) and he does not WANT to know.

 

[John Berggren]

I think he needs a liberal regimen of antipsychotics.
That "article" was a painful read. Consistantly he made foolish points:
POINT last year at this time, you couldn't even rent "The Godfather" on DVD.
REALITY yes, but wait another few weeks and a year ago you COULD get Godfather on DVD, and still can
POINT No "Kramer vs. Kramer" or "Chariots of Fire," no "The Sting" or "The French Connection," etc., ad nauseam.
REALITY All available on DVD. Unfortunately The Sting and Chariots of Fire are MARRED.
POINT It is quite possible, even likely, that all of these releases have beautiful pictures and pristine sound. So what? This isn't entertainment, it's punishment
REALITY I must be a masochist.

 

[Jay Sylvester]

Maybe im the only one who finds this article funny. Everyone relax, its called humour - something to balance off the infinite threads about whether Black Hawk Down is available in DTS, or the availability of Pearl Harbor Directors Cut or the release date of Back to the Future Trilogy Box Sets - hell, there was that guy who was going to go to best buy with his OAR Shirt and stand in the aisles - you don't think thats obsessive?

The article wasn't funny. Not because we don't have a sense of humor, but because this guy can't write and doesn't understand what he's making fun of. You can't satirize a subject properly if you don't really understand it, and I think it's obvious that this guy just doesn't get it.

He's bitching about poor selection at Blockbuster for Christ's sake. I mean duh.

 

[Roberto Carlo]

Okay, who here thinks this guy is just a poor schmoe who can't afford a DVD player??

I know Matt and the rest of the Weekly Standard crew and, trust me, he can afford a DVD player. This is not J6P we're talking about here. The piece was a poorly executed attempt at humor, like most of the similar pieces the magazine runs. Labash is funniest when he's not trying to be funny, when he is content to describe the inanities of life.

 

[Roberto Carlo]

Unfortunately, they both bash laserdiscs, so I tend to think that they're both technologically retarded. I'd love to see their opinions on D-VHS. That is, if they even know what it is.

I can assure you that nobody reads the Weekly Standard for advice on home theater or any other kind of home entertainment, unless you count books among the latter. If you want guidance on U.S.- Iraq policy you read the Standard. You want Home Theater, you come here. The column is a regular feature where staff writers and editors get to write about themselves and their pet peeves, like the lack of good Burmese food in DC, the way that they are terrorized by lawn care companies or how "Remember The Titans" didn't accurately depict the Northern VA of their youth. It's all an attempt to show that they really are regular guys and not just wonks. Unfortunately, as you've seen here, they sometimes fail.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Here's the email I sent him:

Dude, just get a DVD player. You can get one for $100 anymore and the software offers the full widescreen picture (unlike the majority of VHS releases). As for FMVD, it's a no go... it has no studio or manufacturer support. The current favorites for the HD-DVD format are BlueRay and a red laser format which takes advantage of newer, better compression standards. When such format comes out (years, since getting Hollywood and technology to agree is far from an easy task), it will be brought up by those with systems capable of the higher quality. It will, however, be a niche format. We're living in an age of 27" televisions... frankly put, the average consumer won't notice the quality.

Adam Lenhardt

P.S. The French Connection is out in a wonderful 2-Disc Fox Five Star Collection release from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. It's not the format's fault that your local Blockbuster appeals to the ignorant masses.

 

[streeter]

I know Matt and the rest of the Weekly Standard crew and, trust me, he can afford a DVD player. This is not J6P we're talking about here. The piece was a poorly executed attempt at humor, like most of the similar pieces the magazine runs. Labash is funniest when he's not trying to be funny, when he is content to describe the inanities of life.

There we have it. He isn't poor... just tight and stingy.
This guy must be having too much Whine with dinner, because that's what makes up most of his article.
I'm glad you agree it was poorly executed. I'm all for Blockbuster bashing, but it has the opposite effect if it is done like Labash did.