Gotta Love Manos

Actually, no, I don't. When the topic of my fandoms comes up, sometimes, someone else knows about MST3k, and if the other person happens to know about the show, Manos comes up. Its a classic episode, and I've seen it more than a few times, I just don't like it.

But years ago, one of the fans from the LJ community had the brilliance to put a classic Eagles song (that also isn't a favorite) to clips from the movie, shortening it to the length it should have been. With no further ado, I present to you, Hotel Manos.

The Eternal Question: Mike or Joel

I'll admit, I started with Joel. Channel 7 decided to show the syndicated hourly show hosted by that old guy. When that friend in Spanish class loaned me the tapes of the new episodes, I was shocked to see that some new guy had replaced the "cute guy". I remember seeing guys (don't remember seeing any girls) with MST3k shirts in school and thinking that they were lame because they only started watching in the Mike years, whereas I knew about Joel. I assumed Joel had left when the show went to the SciFi network.

When I went to college, I taped and watched the show as often as possible. I also started buying tapes. When I got Red Zone Cuba and the movie, I learned that the switch between Joel and Mike had happened earlier. In graduate school, I borrowed tapes and DVDs, then I began converting my tapes to digital. In 2005, I began to torrent the episodes, and then people began putting them up on YouTube. Somewhere in there, I realized I preferred Mike to Joel

Sure, Joel was the first and the originator of the concept, but as with many things, the first is not always the best. A former friend once commented that he missed Joel at first too but soon realized that "Mike was the genius behind the scenes" as he was the head writer from early on. It is easy to see that Mike is a better actor, and I really prefer his egalitarian relationship with Servo and Crow to Joel's paternalistic one. What's more, the tone in the theater is much more biting and funny with Mike. Joel spent too much time complaining about the painful parts of the movies. In Hercules vs. the Moon Men, Joel & The Bots (J&TB) just whine and cry during the sandstorm scenes. In a similarly boring scene, in The Starfighters, Mike & The Bots (M&TB) make the constant re-fueling scenes funny. They even point out how much of a stretch it is, but even that is fun.

You asked for more refuling, and we're giving it to you
Yes
Mike: I'm at a loss, now, we've done promiscuity entendre
Servo: Check
Crow: Uh, cuddling in the after glow
Servo: Check
Mike: Multiple partner allusions
Servo: Got it
Crow: Premature ejaculation innuendo
Servo: Yup
Mike: Gas station jokes
Servo: Been there
Crow: Impotence!
Servo: Oh yeah
Mike: One night stand stuff
Servo: All covered
Mike: Ok, lets just watch then
Servo: Refuling is a beautiful natural thing that's nothing to mock

Later, they come in with a junkie joke. And even when they complain, its subtle, with no yelling. They make bad movies funny instead of just bad movies.

In the end, I think that the controversy over Mike and Joel is an apt analogy for a lot of things in popular culture and US Politics. The early internet was a representation of people who had money, and were in the right place at the right time, not a representation of the most intelligent or wise in the population. The members of the early internet tribe, having a lot of money, did have a lot of people who were very resistant to change, and got incredibly butthurt when someone indicated that the first wasn't the best. The resulting flame-war had ripple effects into the MST3k fandom long after the internet became a better representation of the population.

On the MST3k LiveJournal page, I respected the old internet, and declared that Mike vs. Joel posts were verboten. Joel-lovers should be respected, at least in the posts. Of course, the community does not need heavy moderation anymore - at least, not to my knowledge - and it never really did. But I think it is past time to stop paying attention to the whiners who can't see talent for what it is. Joel was funny, and I do like a lot of Joel episodes, but MST3k got better in the Mike years. Mike is better than Joel, deal with it.

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In the genre MST3k

You Moistened My Dry Look!

Maybe its because fashion is cyclical, and I'm about ready to bring back the late '70s. Maybe its because I watched Puma Man (Pyuma Man?) last week. Maybe I'm just a sucker for guys with a good head of hair, but I say its high time we brought The Dry Look back.

Thoughts?

Several Loves Together as One

Mike as Morrissey in MST3k. Featuring a song written at a time in Morrissey's life when he was very very sad, breakfast.

Did I mention that I cried? Morrissey is very very sad, no doubt, but thats what makes him great, in my eyes. He rocks out without so well without ever shouting or screaming, and when you're feeling depressed, you can always count on him being there, in your MP3 or CD player, feeling even worse. No, its not wrong not to always be glad, and please, tell me more.