Out of Jimmy's Head - "Soda" - Talkback [11/30]

[Mugen]

http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/frieddynamite.jpg


It's another episode of the live-action/animation hybrid(although CN doesn't seem to call it that), Out of Jimmy's Head. The new episode airs at 7 pm tonight and repeats at 9 tonight if you miss it the first time. This episode deals, with soda. Maybe they'll talk about how bad soda is if you drink it too much, or something like that.

[Kitschensyngk]

This show has a laugh track.

Why does this show have a laugh track?

Only Disney and Nick shows have laugh tracks.

Cartoon Network shows do not have laugh tracks unless they are old Hanna-Barbera shows from the sixties.

WHY DOES THIS SHOW HAVE A LAUGH TRACK?!

[Dudley]

The laugh track may be annoying, but at least it's not as obnoxious as those on the live-action shows on Nick and DC.

Awww, Jimmy's girlfriend is cute.
Hate the eyeliner, though.

So Gossamer wants to destroy her creator. But she's a cyborg. Meaning she's not fully a robot. Meaning he didn't create her.
Just nitpicking.

[Havenkel]

I decided to give the show another chance...Ugh.

The laugh track is horrible for two reasons: First off, it's annoying. In fact, it's the most annoying laugh track i've heard, and that's saying something. Secondly, it laughs at the most inappropiate times; It actually laughed when Jimmy's dad looked up!

Jimmy's dad is also worse from last time I checked. He's a jerk to Jimmy, and is just unlikable.

I also find it weird that the most bland characters have the most screentime. Jimmy (I can't say much, cause he's the main character) Jimmy's dad, Craig, Robin. And all the interesting characters are just plot devices for the boring ones. Yancey sets up Sunny's date (which goes nowhere, and should have been left out completly), and what happened to the werewolf? It could have explained...It probably did, but I just missed it.

Jimmy is also becoming more like his dad(moronic). The only reason he isn't completly clueless is because of the cartoons. It's hard to believe something in his imagination can see somewhere he can't.

And the last gripe is about the actual show, not the episode. How does being hit in the side by a train call for a new brain? [/endrant]

ANyway, probably going to check back in to see if it improves.

[Kevin]

Argh! It looks like the laugh track is here to stay. What's even worse is that it's a really annoying lauigh track that laughs at EVERYTHING!

Is it me, or does Jimmy's dad just seems to get dumber and dumber? I was wishing throughout the episode that someone would just punch him in the face. And you get sprayed with soda if you're caught with it? Wow, real threatning. I know the scene was meant to be funny, but it was so poorly done.

The whole thing with Sonny was completely illrelevent to the episode and shouldn't of even been in there to begin with. Also, it seems that Jimmy himself has been getting dumber each episode. I couldn't believe how clueless he was when he went to apoligize to Robin towards the end. Ugh!

[Rolling Cloud]

Am I the only one who thinks this episode as a parody of prohibition?

Wine/Beer replaced with soda.
There was bootlegging, sort of.

[Master Toon]

Am I the only one who thinks this episode as a parody of prohibition?
Wine/Beer replaced with soda.
There was bootlegging, sort of.

Maybe it was, plenty of shows have done it before like Lizzie McGuire and Codename: Kids Next Door.

[Dudley]

I was IM-ing my friend about the show, and he made a very good point:

For something thats supposed to be about Toons and the REal World,there ain't all that much differance between the two it would seem.

[Sketch]

This show is really scraping the bottom of the barrel for plots already isn't it? Clever parody of prohibition I guess but man... it really lacks entertainment value.

[Havenkel]

How do you make bootleg soda anyway? I didn't think that was something considered as bootlegging...

[NewcomerDC]

Didn't this story happen on That's So Raven as a B-plot in one of the episodes in season two or three? Seems like this smells of "rip-off" to me.

[Blackstar]

For something thats supposed to be about Toons and the real world,there ain't all that much difference between the two it would seem.I said the same thing about this show in another thread. :anime:

[Silverstar]

I also find it weird that the most bland characters have the most screentime. Jimmy (I can't say much, cause he's the main character) Jimmy's dad, Craig, Robin. And all the interesting characters are just plot devices for the boring ones. Yancey sets up Sunny's date (which goes nowhere, and should have been left out completly), and what happened to the werewolf? It could have explained...It probably did, but I just missed it.

That guy was Mike the werewolf; he just didn't go lycanthrope in this episode. We also saw a brief glimpse of him in human form at the beginning of "Sick Day".

But I agree that the truly potentially interesting characters (Yancy, Louisa, the Appleday toons) unfairly take a backseat to the lame, irritating and boring ones (Jimmy-but he's the main character so it really can't be helped-Craig and Robin). Jimmy's dad Ken isn't boring, he's just uber-annoying (though in Ken's defense, I probably wouldn't find him so grating if we got a break from him once in a while, but unfortunately he's one of the characters who appears in every episode) and too dumb to be real, which is one reason we need to see Louisa (Jimmy's mom) on the show more; she could provide the necessary counterbalance to Ken's idiocy. You can't have the Odd Couple with only Oscar; it's just not as funny. It's ironic how the cast members I like the least get the most attention, while the characters I like the most are barely utilized.

And when the heck is Yancy going to do something alien?! It's silly that she walks around being green and sporting antennae on her head, yet she never does a single thing alien-esque. They might as well have just made her human, for all that she contributes.


I was IM-ing my friend about the show, and he made a very good point:

Quote:
For something thats supposed to be about Toons and the REal World,there ain't all that much differance between the two it would seem.

I totally agree.In fact, I elaborated on this very point in another thread. I quote:


One of the fundamental flaws of OOJH is that there's no real distinction in terms of style and presentation between the live-action and animated characters. In other words, the live-action characters, gags and plots are just as surreal, wacky and nutty as the cartoon characters; you have characters like Yancy (a green-skinned alien who lives with with family, walks around freely, goes to school and has human friends, all the while no one seems to care that she's a green alien and no one ever tries to dissect her or put her in a cage), Jimmy's mom Louisa (an astronaut whose job is fighting space pirates and thwarting alien invasions), Jimmy's dad Ken, who is like if Disney's Goofy were a real person; and Sonny Appleday (a Wile E. Coyote-esque mad scientist who talks to a bag of money); those characters would be better suited as cartoon characters, yet they're part of the 'real-world' setting. The human characters are basically live-action cartoons. Disney knew that in order for Roger Rabbit to work, only the cartoon characters should be zany and over-the-top.

[Master Toon]

How do you make bootleg soda anyway? I didn't think that was something considered as bootlegging...

If you sell something illegally it's considered bootlegging and since Soda was outlawed it was bootlegged.

Didn't this story happen on That's So Raven as a B-plot in one of the episodes in season two or three? Seems like this smells of "rip-off" to me.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Raven did this before.

And when the heck is Yancy going to do something alien?! It's silly that she walks around being green and sporting antennae on her head, yet she never does a single thing alien-esque. They might as well have just made her human, for all that she contributes.

She sometimes changes the channel with her alien powers, I'm sure that has the kids at home mesmerized.

[Darklordavaitor]

Am I the only one who thinks this episode as a parody of prohibition?

Wine/Beer replaced with soda.
There was bootlegging, sort of.
It is, but was never put to good use. Now that I've finally seen a full episode of the show(and want my 30 minutes back. God, what an annoying laughtrack. The only show that got away with a laughtrack made by CN IMO is Justice Friends, and that was a parody.), I have to ask: What is Yancy's purpose? I mean, if she's an alien, why has she adapted to Earth more then the rest of the cast? Seriously.

[Blackstar]

I have to ask: What is Yancy's purpose? I mean, if she's an alien, why has she adapted to Earth more then the rest of the cast? Seriously.

Well, I can't speak for the shows' creators, but I think the idea behind Yancy's character was to have a different and unique take on the "ugly sister" character that's prevalent in many boy centric kidcoms; have a big sister who actually is an otherworldly creature rather than just being described as one by the boy, which isn't a bad idea, in theory, but the writers have barely tapped Yancy's potential as a character. Why even make Yancy an alien if she's never going to do alien stuff?

Also, I agree with Silverstar (surprise, surprise!) that we need to see more of Jimmy's mom. The 'mother who's also a space hero' character is another potentially good idea that's just being wasted here. Plus, Jimmy's dad by himself non-stop begins to grate on the nerves after a while. Louisa would be a good parent character to use sometimes just to give the audience a break from Ken. If Ken didn't work at Jimmy's school and only appeared at home like the rest of his Jimmy's family, we wouldn't see so much of Ken, and I wouldn't be sick with the very sight of him. Jimmy's mom should be a full time regular, and Jimmy's parents should interact with each other more on the show. "Sleepover" was the only episode (so far) where we got to see how the 2 of them interact as a couple.

[Havenkel]

It's ironic how the cast members I like the least get the most attention, while the characters I like the most are barely utilized.

The cast you like get no attention, while the characters you like also get the most? lol

But Jimmy's mom, IMO, shouldn't get much screentime. It'd be nice if she did if her scenes special effects didn't totally suck...You can't honestly say you want to a bad actress clicking on joysticks and yelling.

[btv]

A laugh track doesn't work on single-camera comedies, so this choice doesn't make any sense. It doesn't even sound like a studio audience.

Also I think that the alien sister is kind of hot, really she's the only reason I'd watch this. But so far, the comedy is even worse, the characters are more annoying, and there's less animation then ever. What was once a show with potential is now even worse then how it began. And for a second there, it might have gotten better.

I saw this episode when it premiered, and I didn't laugh, but I got all the way through it. I was just thinking 'why?' the entire time.

[Rook]

How do you make bootleg soda anyway? I didn't think that was something considered as bootlegging...

as a previous poster said anything outlawed then sold in secret is bootlegging.

or

koolaid or anything that adds flavor + seltzer/carbonated water = soda.

I feel sorry for these kids, yes they are getting into the industry, but really when they grow, their acting would be that of the power rangers.

[Silverstar]

The cast you like get no attention, while the characters you like also get the most? lol

But Jimmy's mom, IMO, shouldn't get much screentime. It'd be nice if she did if her scenes special effects didn't totally suck...You can't honestly say you want to a bad actress clicking on joysticks and yelling.

I said that the characters which I like the LEAST get the most attention.

Anyway, more screen time and a full cast credit for Rachel Quaintance (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1451029/) (an attractive woman with some decent acting chops, IMO) couldn't hurt. It certainly couldn't make the show any worse than it is now. It's not like OOJH has been Shakespeare up to this point.

[Blackstar]

But Jimmy's mom, IMO, shouldn't get much screentime. It'd be nice if she did if her scenes special effects didn't totally suck...You can't honestly say you want to a bad actress clicking on joysticks and yelling.

It's not really fair to suggest that one actress' talent quotient is to blame for the shows' low special effects budget. Personally, I think that Rachael Quaintence performs her (little) role on the show rather well, actually. All the writers would need to do is give Louisa Roberts more character dimensions so that she wouldn't have to refer to her occupation all of the time.

Besides, are you suggesting that Dominic James (Jimmy), Jon Kent Ethridge (Craig) and Tinashe Kashingwe (Robin) are good actors? It's not like you have to be a master thespian to perform on Out of Jimmy's Head.

[Taylor Karras]

A laugh track doesn't work on single-camera comedies, so this choice doesn't make any sense. It doesn't even sound like a studio audience.

Also I think that the alien sister is kind of hot, really she's the only reason I'd watch this. But so far, the comedy is even worse, the characters are more annoying, and there's less animation then ever. What was once a show with potential is now even worse then how it began. And for a second there, it might have gotten better.

I saw this episode when it premiered, and I didn't laugh, but I got all the way through it. I was just thinking 'why?' the entire time.

This is what we're suggesting.
Get rid of the laugh track, Nobody's Watching and we should have an actual studio audience to boo at the entire show.

[Master Toon]

This is what we're suggesting.
Get rid of the laugh track, Nobody's Watching and we should have an actual studio audience to boo at the entire show.

They just did it for that one episode right?

Edit: Nevermind, I just saw Skate Night.

[Eddy]

A laugh track...? This show got even worse.

[Lavenderpaw]

A laugh track...? This show got even worse.
Except for the Mouse House parodies (maybe),it always was the worse.

[Havenkel]

It's not really fair to suggest that one actress' talent quotient is to blame for the shows' low special effects budget. Personally, I think that Rachael Quaintence performs her (little) role on the show rather well, actually. All the writers would need to do is give Louisa Roberts more character dimensions so that she wouldn't have to refer to her occupation all of the time.

Besides, are you suggesting that Dominic James (Jimmy), Jon Kent Ethridge (Craig) and Tinashe Kashingwe (Robin) are good actors? It's not like you have to be a master thespian to perform on Out of Jimmy's Head.

You know how many people say that they need to show more of Jimmy's mom? I was disagreeing with them by saying that. If you saw her part in that one episode where she takes Yancey to space, you'll see that her part isn't very entertaining.

[Blackstar]

You know how many people say that they need to show more of Jimmy's mom? I was disagreeing with them by saying that. If you saw her part in that one episode where she takes Yancey to space, you'll see that her part isn't very entertaining.

I saw it, but I thought that it was a good idea, myself-it was only it's execution that was bad.

I do agree with you that that subplot was lackluster, but how is that the fault of the character of Louisa Roberts or the actress who plays her? That part wasn't very interesting because the shows' writers didn't make it very interesting. You can blame that on inferior writing. Rachael Quaintence doesn't write for the show, she only acts on it. Therefore, it's not her fault that subplot lacked meat. Just because one subplot involving Jimmy's mom went awry, that doesn't make Jimmy's mom a bad character. It only says that OOJH has bad writing, which most of us here agree on.

I respect your opinion, however, I must disagree. I happen to like the character of Jimmy's mom and I don't think that it would hurt the show in the least if the producers made her a full time cast member. It's not as if the show is perfect the way it is now. OOJH has problems, with or without Jimmy's mom around all the time.

[Dirty Dawg]

Why the hell is there a laugh track now?They didn't have one in the first few episodes so why now?

[Master Toon]

Why the hell is there a laugh track now?They didn't have one in the first few episodes so why now?

It's suppose to inform and induce laughter but it doesn't work.

[Dudley]

The only joke that made me laugh was that in the school's editor office, there were two clocks in the room. Now usually in offices there's clocks that tells the time of different time zones. But the one at the school had two with one telling time in Burbank, and the other in Los Angeles. Two cities that are very close together.

Subtle humor like that makes me laugh.

[RomanMack]

These topics are useless. All they get filled with are complaints about the show.

...

And what else could you expect? This show blows and will continue to blow for as long as it exists. Which makes me question the talkbacks even more...

[D Dubbs]

These topics are useless. All they get filled with are complaints about the show.

...

And what else could you expect? This show blows and will continue to blow for as long as it exists. Which makes me question the talkbacks even more...

While these talkbacks are usually pretty negative, people have pointed out at least a few positive aspects of the show. And those that don't find the show entertaining in a single way usually point out the negatives in a respectful manner.

In a way, I find it comparable to 4Kids' One Piece. No one liked it, but people still made talkbacks and there was good discussion.

This show is an important step in CN's development - whether it be good or bad - and there's no reason why people shouldn't be able to give their comments on it.

[RomanMack]

But even the 4Kids One Piece topics had posts of actual positive episode discussion (well, at least towards Drum and Alabasta). These are usually filled with "Bah, laugh track!" or the like...

[D Dubbs]

But even the 4Kids One Piece topics had posts of actual positive episode discussion (well, at least towards Drum and Alabasta). These are usually filled with "Bah, laugh track!" or the like...

Yeah...but if you take a moment to look through the thread, there's also valuable (and occasionally positive) discussion in these talkbacks, too.

And while it's true that the talkbacks were more civil before the laugh track was added, I'm sure that things will go back to normal once people get over the laugh track issue.

[Blackstar]

I at least try to make some positive points along with the negative ones.

Out of Jimmy's Head is bad, but not much worse than the Disney Channel kidcoms such as Suite Life of Zack and Cody or The Wizards of Waverly (OOJH is a tad worse than those shows, IMHO, but not by a huge margin). It's a lousy show, but still, it has the potential to be better, if the shows' writers would only improve on some things.

One of my biggest complaints regarding OOJH is that the shows' most interesting/least annoying characters-the Appleday Toons, Yancy and Louisa (Jimmy's mom)- get next to zero play on the show. Golly, Molly, and the other Toons should have their own spinoff series, or at least their own animated segments that could air on CN as new "What A Cartoon!" shorts. Yancy needs to have some more alien powers and to use them more often. She is an alien, after all. Mrs. Roberts should be upgraded to full time cast member status as she just plain needs to be seen more on the show, as I feel that the writers overdo the character of Ken (Jimmy's dad) and seeing more of Louisa would be a nice change. Seeing both of Jimmy's parents together more often wouldn't hurt either.

[Master Toon]

Out of Jimmy's Head is bad, but not much worse than the Disney Channel kidcoms such as Suite Life of Zack and Cody or The Wizards of Waverly (OOJH is a tad worse than those shows, IMHO, but not by a huge margin). It's a lousy show, but still, it has the potential to be better, if the shows' writers would only improve on some things.

I hate to say it but OOJH is better than Waverly Place but that's it as far as Disney shows.

Golly, Molly, and the other Toons should have their own spinoff series, or at least their own animated segments that could air on CN as new "What A Cartoon!" shorts.

Do you mean bring What-A-Cartoon Show back and include shorts of the Re-Animated cartoons?

Yancy needs to have some more alien powers and to use them more often. She is an alien, after all.

But use them for what? She's just a teenage girl, what would you have her use her powers for?

Mrs. Roberts should be upgraded to full time cast member status as she just plain needs to be seen more on the show, as I feel that the writers overdo the character of Ken (Jimmy's dad) and seeing more of Louisa would be a nice change. Seeing both of Jimmy's parents together more often wouldn't hurt either.

What would mom do? Jimmy is mostly in school and the mom can be called away to a space mission at any moment.

[Blackstar]

Do you mean bring What-A-Cartoon Show back and include shorts of the Re-Animated cartoons?

Basically, yes. if the Appleday Toons were to get their own shorts, they would have to air somewhere. Either they get their own half hour series a la Raw Toonage, or else a "What-A-Cartoon" revival series.

What would mom do? Jimmy is mostly in school and the mom can be called away to a space mission at any moment.The shows' main setting being Jimmy's school is actually another issue that I have with OOJH. They could conceivably expand on the shows' universe by not focusing so much on Jimmy's school life. Kids are only in school 35 hours a week on average. The writers could easily do more than just generic school stories, predictable school plots are just easier to write for. They're just lazy.

[Silverstar]

I apologize in advance for the 'tag-team' post, but I'd like to put in my own 2 cents here regarding the previous points:

1. In regards to the Appleday toons, the way I see it, these characters simply have no business being on a tweencom. The 2 sensibilities (wacky, zany cartoon animals and Lizzie McGuire-esque tween plots) simply don't gel. IMO, they should either follow Blackstar's suggestion and give Golly and the cartoon gang their own series or cartoon segments, or revamp the entire shows' premise to accomodate them. I suggested this earlier in another thread, but instead of just making the toons living figments of Jimmy's imagination, they could've set the show in a Roger Rabbit/Bonkers type universe, and make it a show about a show starring the Appleday toons, with Jimmy as the token human actor working on the show.

2. Regarding Yancy, no one's suggesting giving her Super Saiyan-type powers to the point where the entire show switches emphasis to the alien, but I agree that she should do some alien stuff at least once per episode: say, read Jimmy's mind to snitch on him or levitate objects around the house. Disney managed to do a pretty good with a similar character, Francine Nebulon from Lloyd in Space.

3. In regards to Jimmy's mom, one way to increase her presence on the show would be to adjust the shows' premise by taking the main focus of the shows' action out of the school. I agree that school plots have been done to death on kids' shows. Another way could be to rethink Louisa's job structure a bit. Instead of having her being called away at any given moment and then gone on week-long missions, they could instead treat her astronaut occupation like an ordinary 9-to-5 desk job, as in "OK, family, I'm off to patrol the solar system now. Be back at 5", that sort of thing. No, that isn't realistic, but OOJH is a live-action cartoon, so it doesn't have to.

[Master Toon]

1. In regards to the Appleday toons, the way I see it, these characters simply have no business being on a tweencom. The 2 sensibilities (wacky, zany cartoon animals and Lizzie McGuire-esque tween plots) simply don't gel. IMO, they should either follow Blackstar's suggestion and give Golly and the cartoon gang their own series or cartoon segments, or revamp the entire shows' premise to accomodate them. I suggested this earlier in another thread, but instead of just making the toons living figments of Jimmy's imagination, they could've set the show in a Roger Rabbit/Bonkers type universe, and make it a show about a show starring the Appleday toons, with Jimmy as the token human actor working on the show.

They wouldn't change the show for any reason, CN seems to not want to make up for failure and just cancel things instead. I do see a possibility of the toons getting their own show.

2. Regarding Yancy, no one's suggesting giving her Super Saiyan-type powers to the point where the entire show switches emphasis to the alien, but I agree that she should do some alien stuff at least once per episode: say, read Jimmy's mind to snitch on him or levitate objects around the house. Disney managed to do a pretty good with a similar character, Francine Nebulon from Lloyd in Space.That sounds good but so far it seems that Yancy and Sonny have their own thing going on.

3. In regards to Jimmy's mom, one way to increase her presence on the show would be to adjust the shows' premise by taking the main focus of the shows' action out of the school. I agree that school plots have been done to death on kids' shows. Another way could be to rethink Louisa's job structure a bit. Instead of having her being called away at any given moment and then gone on week-long missions, they could instead treat her astronaut occupation like an ordinary 9-to-5 desk job, as in "OK, family, I'm off to patrol the solar system now. Be back at 5", that sort of thing. No, that isn't realistic, but OOJH is a live-action cartoon, so it doesn't have to.I know the mom isn't getting fair airtime but seriously think about the premise of the show and what affect she can have. Moms are usually there to provide moral guidance but he already has his toons for that. I'd also like to say that... wait... did you call it a live-action cartoon?

[Silverstar]

Wait... did you call (Out of Jimmy's Head) a live-action cartoon?

Well, it is a live-action cartoon in a way, in that it features very silly and over-the-top cartoon style antics, gags and characters, depite its' being live-action. Not unlike Saban's Big Bad Beetleborgs.

[D Dubbs]

Well, it is a live-action cartoon in a way, in that it features very silly and over-the-top cartoon style antics, gags and characters, depite its' being live-action. Not unlike Saban's Big Bad Beetleborgs.

I remember that around the time that OOJH premiered, there was an article about the show saying that CN was experimenting with different styles of cartoons, including live-action. So I guess this is what they meant by that...

[Master Toon]

Well, it is a live-action cartoon in a way, in that it features very silly and over-the-top cartoon style antics, gags and characters, depite its' being live-action. Not unlike Saban's Big Bad Beetleborgs.

I remember that around the time that OOJH premiered, there was an article about the show saying that CN was experimenting with different styles of cartoons, including live-action. So I guess this is what they meant by that...

I'm pretty sure they're polar opposites. And just for the record, I thought people would get that cartoons aren't strictly silly or goofy by now.

[kaleb]

My 2 cents:

1. This would be good as a cartoon.
2. The laugh track is not going to trick anyone into thinking this show is better than it really is.
3. Jimmy is just plain dull. (Good actor-boring character)
4. Robin (Bad actor-bad character--they went too over-the-top with the goody two shoes stuff and I can't stand her plastic jewelry.
5. Craig- I've seen this kid being interviewed and he is a really funny kid. They should try funny stuff with his character and give him more lines because he's entertaining.
6. Sonny & Yancy- These two are just wacky like cartoons. They have to do more with these guys!! The show can be better if they develop these two more.
7. Louisa- since she's Jimmy's mom, you would expect to see her more. She's okay.
***8. DAD- WTF? I think the guys a good actor but the character is so unbelievably stupid that it's ruining the show!! This character could ONLY exist as a cartoon. There are no other options for him. They need to change this because this is the most poisoning poison on the show!! I think that when people watch the dad, all they will think about is how much OOJH sucks.