this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2025
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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It’s honestly such a weird show. The “hero” is an incompetent jerk who constantly screws up and relentlessly bullies his most loyal friend who is vastly more competent in every way.

At least they gradually tone down the bullying as time goes on and the teasing on Tool Time becomes more of a two way street.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 13 hours ago

The “hero” is an incompetent jerk who constantly screws up and relentlessly bullies his most loyal friend who is vastly more competent in every way.

It's hilarious how much this was based on Bob Vila and Norm Abram from This Old House - although the contrast between Vila and Abram was much more severe.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Watching a perfect person wouldn't be super interesting long term.

Watching a imperfect person struggle in situations when you know how to fix it.... engagement forever!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I get that. But usually the hero is someone who underestimates their own ability and learns to overcome challenges by believing in themselves. Here we have the opposite, which seems more fitting for a villain.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's a tired trope. By giving him character flaws they created a lot of opportunities to show personal growth, and teach lessons. His anonymous neighbor was usually the one to throw down the wisdom which he would take to heart.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Tim was cartoonishly flawed- the way he treated everyone was awful, even after all that character growth. His kids. His wife. Al. Even his wisdom-dispensing neighbor.

Most of the wisdom that was dispensed was forgotten by the next episode.

Which, I think might just have been the actor’s fault more recently he was on another show my parents tried to get me to start watching and I had to walk out of the room- the sexism was that bad.

But it was the 90’s and sexist pigs was one of the only typecasting for male leads in sitcoms. Of the ones I watched, I think fraiser was the only one that wasn’t…. But that was a gay comedy…

(Don’t judge I was in middle school, I wasn’t the one picking the shows.)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Since when is Frasier gay? Sophistication isn't gay, despite having some overlap.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

The show. Not the character

https://screenrant.com/frasier-subverted-lgbtq-sitcom-tropes-jokes-progressive-how/

It was understated, and another way to say it better might be “gay comedy for straight people”, but a fairly large number of the writers and characters were openly lgbtq.

Maybe the show just wasn’t dicks to lgbtq, but it was the 90’s and that’s remarkable enough. It’s been a while, maybe I should watch it again.