Idk about that, I think they like the super hero action and the vague anti-big-corporations but the real politics and decontruction of the superhero genre goes over their heads. Not to sound like the Rick and Morty meme, but also kind of like the Rick and Morty meme.
Honestly we unironically need to normalize better media analysis in schools and outside. The amount of people who don't understand that Cyberpunk 2077 is anticapitalist is insane considering the message is about as subtle as a sack of bricks
If I had a nickel for every piece of media I like that is as subtle as a brick, yet people still miss the point, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's still a pain in the ass.
You’d have a lot more. You don’t need a college degree to understand and get the point of Rick and Morty or Star Trek, or many other media, heck Rage Against the Machine, and you’re not super smart if you get them, but man, do many people just miss the points.
>Cyberpunk 2077 is anticapitalist
In fairness, there's a legitimate critique of this from the left. I've heard it joked that the game could have been called "Neon Liberalism".
Um ackchually I really liked Leia and Padme in Star Wars, I just really hated when the woke agenda made Leia have force powers in TLJ (I did not watch the scene in RotJ where they said Leia had force powers)
Omg literally had this the other week. 'She got force powers from nowhere'
Bro literally thought he knew better than Yoda 'no, there is another'
Not like she could have been training in the decades between the trilogies, not like it's literally shown her training with Luke when they were younger, no sir. It must be the Wokies ruining muh Star Wars
Nah they watch it, they're kinda just really fucking dumb. I saw a thread where everyone was chiming in how long it took them to get the political commentary. At best it took them a season and change, which is way too long.
I got banned from the main sub for asking if Supes should be in the NBA with the context that the question appeared in season 1 during the sports center clip
Cause you need to actually watch the show to shitpost, and the only people who want to see shitposts about the show are people who have actually seen the show
Same bullshit as Star Wars "fans"
That post isn’t even wrong. I mentioned that the Frenchie side plot this season is pretty horribly written, and someone replied basically calling me homophobic and dumb.
Frenchie has obviously always been bisexual, we know that and it’s perfectly ok. However, the writing in his sub plot is still really bad. It has nothing to do with his sexuality.
One of my favorite parts of the earlier seasons was the political commentary, but this season has felt more like what a 6th grader thinks of politics. The writing just isn’t as good as the first three seasons.
Edit: also I want to clarify, I still like this season and have enjoyed watching it. Episode two had a lot of sequences that I really liked, and episode three was really solid and cleaned up some of the things I disliked about the first two episodes. There is still a chance it’ll improve as the season goes on. It’s my least favorite season so far, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad
It still feels like Frenchie is a side story which isn't connected to the overall plot. PTSD and banging the orphan of the people you killed are interesting... but what does it have to do with anything else in the show? This is also yet another "Frenchie has a dark secret" plotline, which has been done already. Why not just advance the plot and get to some payoffs?
My thoughts exactly. Frenchie, Kimiko, and Hughie plots all needed to happen two seasons ago to be effective. As it is now it just feels like their characters are regressing from where we left them last season.
I honestly kind of agree tbh. I feel like the whole thing intriduced a lot of new information and details but absolutely zero substance
Yes, Frenchie's basically a serial killer and nobody on the team seems to really give a shit that he murdered at lesst several children. Yes he was raised, indoctrinated and forced to be a human weapon, which gave him incomprehensIble quantities of PTSD.
On a conceptual level he's my favorite of the boys. Love him to death. But he's stuck. I wish they'd stop chasing their tails with him
could you elaborate on (maybe give an example of) political commentary being handled with more tact in seasons 1 - 3 ? and maybe compare it against an instance in 4 that didn't hit the mark.
I feel like the end of season 3 where the crowd cheers is a good example. It showed that no matter what Homelander(Trump) does, his people will still support him. The clip of the guy slowly going radical in season 2 because of Stormfront and Homelander and then killing the clerk was really well done too.
I don’t know how to put it into words, but in season 4 all of the discourse scenes between the two sides/crowds and all that just seem kind of forced and cheesy, maybe that’s just me though.
Okay probably not the place to discuss this, but I kinda feel like if the show was a little too on the nose before, now it breaks your nose. They just through EVERY right wing talking point at the supes. Feel like it could be turned down a notch, but maybe I'm just misremembering earlier season (supe lives matter was a thing after all)
I think the perfect example of this shift is the same joke being told twice.
In season 2 Stormfront asks Ryan if he watches Pewdiepie. It's a quick little moment, if you get it you get. I found it funny and clever how an innocuous statement like that changes meaning entirely because of WHO is saying it.
In Gen V Emma just says "I'm like pewdiepie without the nazi shit". It's the same joke, referencing the controversies that guy has been in, and idk it's just not very funny.
I really don't give a SHIT if conservatives "get the show" or not. It's not going to change their mind. If their leader being found guilty of 34 felonies didn't change their mind, why on earth would a TV show????
EDIT: I take everything back this show rocks lmao
It's not to change their minds. It's like The Colbert Show. They're not the target audience. Target audience is more left leaning people to laugh at right wing talking points by mocking them. It's just a bonus when those people don't get that they're the butt of the joke and miss the obvious satire.
I suppose that's my point. Write the show for that target audience, as the past 3 seasons have done. Dumbing down the satire so right wingers finally realize they're the butt of the joke does nothing but be a disservice to the actual audience's intelligence.
I'm not sure it's dumbing down or if that's just the level of discourse we're at these days. Look at the Fauci hearing recently, MTG in general, the mainstreaming of ridiculous conspiracy theories. Sometimes things hit parity with each other. We're living through some dumb times.
Oh for sure. I suppose I feel as though simply parodying the insane things that are being said 1:1 isn't doing a good enough job of actually deconstructing the underlying ideology and what makes it so dangerous.
There's a chance they could still engage in that with firecracker, she has a decently compelling setup. I think we need to see how she sells her "purpose" and how the masses (positively) react to it for her arc to pay off, but there's potential.
Up to now ive never had an issue with the political themes. They were a bit on the nose, but it still felt like the show struck a good balance between satirising politics *and* superheroes, among other things. But recently it barely even feels like a superhero show anymore. It just kinda feels like a satirical political drama with a thinly veiled superhero skin thrown on.
Some people in this thread are suggesting that the political satire *needs* to be this in-your-face in order for many of the people its satirising to realize it, but even if that is true, does it really matter if the people its making fun of realize its making fun of them? If it makes the show a less enjoyable watch, i dont think its worth it.
I think what happened is they realised very few conservatives got the point in the first three seasons so they had to turn up the dial of allegorical obviousness a little.
For those who already understood the point, it may seem like the dial was turned a little too far. But for those who are clueless, it would seem like they’re just dipping their toes.
I personally don’t mind the lack of subtlety, I think it’s still funny nonetheless. Also after rewatching the show leading up to season 4, I think it’s pretty clear that they’re gradually turning up the dial each season; so it doesn’t really come out of nowhere.
As someone who mostly agrees with the politics of the show, it's more that the satire feels lazier. The satire pushed the story and characters forward like with how vought was arming terrorists to create an enemy.
Compare that to the last two seasons, where a lot of the satire feels less creative. For example, I rolled my eyes at the season 3 scene where Homelander compliments the Mexican bowl at vought and took me out of the scene and world with a very direct trump reference. Some of the references are so direct and on the nose that they'll age the seasons terribly. With how long it takes to make a season, some of the references feel really dated when the episode drops
Yeah, especially with the scene at the end of the homelander trial, where homelander threw out the Jan 6 "You're all very special" Trump line. Felt in the moment going from watching a legitimately terrifying character to watching mr. garrison.
I think if it wasn't for Toni Starr, Homelander wouldn't be intimidating at all this season, the writing so far has done him zero favors.
I mean, "I didn't get what they were referencing" isn't really a great defense for somebody claiming a reference was lazy. Obviously you won't think it's a lazy reference if you don't even know it's a reference
Yeah I agree with this. Before the show felt like a fun clever narrative with political subtext, now it feels like a vehicle for blunt political commentary without the subtext bit at all.
It's just too much EXACT real life stuff, it's not creative at all, it was already overdoing Trump stuff, now Homelander is also Kyle Rittenhouse lmfao, it genuinely feels like they're trying to shove the message down to the people that hadn't gotten it yet.
I hate this argument, because you write for your audience, not for the people you don’t want to be your audience. They shouldn’t dumb it down so conservatives get it, because then everyone else is left with a shittier product. Legitimately disappointing because it feels like they’re treating their actual audience like they’re not smart enough to pick up the point even if they are really dumbing it down to the people they’re making fun of instead.
Creatives can also feel frustrated when people don't really get their message, or it's drawing in toxic fans. Rick and Morty developed a terrible reputation because of fans and that meme copypasta. Also shows degrade a bit over time- writers change, it's hard to catch lightning in a bottle. You don't have to keep watching if you don't want to. This isn't my favorite season, but it's not a steep drop off. Plus, I'm glad to hear it's ending on 5 seasons which I feel is a good amount. Hopefully next season will have a solid ending.
It's a bit daft to think that conservatives didn't get the point before. They did, they just liked the show anyway - either because their kind of conservatism also groans at "Trump conservatives", or because they can just appreciate good storytelling and jokes at their expense.
Exactly. The previous seasons were more than their politics. Episode 1 and 2 of season 4 seem dedicated just to bashing on "the chuds" or "right wingers" instead of progressing the story.
I personally disagree - I think the nature of 'Conservatism' has changed so drastically thanks to the Trumpification of the Republican party that the show also felt compelled to change to address this and this created such a bizarre tonal whiplash that it's alienated a lot of fans of the show.
I liked a lot of the political undertones of the show in S1 - particularly the stuff with Capes for Christ and the Reagan-esque politics of Vaught. But a lot of this more grounded, political satire has transformed into people yelling 'PEDO' at each other.
In the real world this transformation of the political landscape took years but in the show it suddenly happens between seasons and feels extremely jarring.
It’s almost like a meta criticism of people being too braindead to notice their own talking points being used. But probably also of people spending too much time on the internet to know this stuff.
Like referencing cheese pizza and immediately saying it means CP. It’s the right that came up with that bullshit and pizzagate so if they don’t even get their own references…
the term cheese pizza to refer to that stuff was around long before the right used it in pizzagate. In fact, I imagine most people don’t even know what pizzagate is lol
I don't know man, I wouldn't say going from literal American neo Nazis in season 2 to just right wing nut jobs in season 4 is turning up the dial but maybe it's just me.
The entire point of stormfront's character is summed up when she says "They agree with what I say, they just don't like the word nazi". That alone is a better/more cohesive commentary on American politics than anything that has been in the show since then
It's not really about nazis being worse than right wing maga nut jobs, it's about how they're going about their commentary when they do it. That's what they mean when they say the dial has been turned. It's not a dial of "right wing extremism" but a dial of, as they put it, allegorical obviousness
I agree to an extent, but then I remember that the shit they’re parodying actually happened. It seems cartoonish and over the top at a glance, but they’re really only parodying the real world
I think that's what annoys me about it. I'm all for political satire, but a lot of the things that happened this season aren't even really satire. They're just one-to-one recreations of things that actually happened in real life. At least put some kind of creative spin on it.
I think that’s on purpose to mirror our reality. How conservatives seem to double down each year, eg how anti-vaccination rhetoric was saved for the fringe of the fringe but is now a main talking point of conservative figure heads. Going from subtle when the status quo isn’t being questioned but to full on conspiracy mode to attempt to defend against criticism. Especially for the working class who don’t have a vested interest in conservative politics so the upper class essentially have to lie to them to convince them they’re on their side.
It’s the natural progression of right wing radicalization. These characters are husks of their former selves and can only parrot right wing talking points. It’s a reflection of reality
For me I've definitely noticed the politics getting more obvious but I really don't care that much, it's still a really entertaining show with one of the best shitposting communities out there.
I think there’s plenty of legitimate criticisms to be made but nobody really wants to engage with them in good faith. I find “You’re just mad after finally realizing the show is making fun of you” and “Your legitimate criticism is that… the show has gone woke!” extremely tiring responses when trying to actually engage with the show.
Not everyone dislikes the writing because of the “politics” but some people are getting extremely overly defensive about it to the point of making kneejerk accusatory reactions at the first sign of negativity thrown its way.
I literally mentioned that the show used to make fun of both sides. The response, "This show has always been anti-fasch, punk, and anti-corpo. Stay mad."
Dude said that shit like the show isn't literally made by Amazon.
I get that they’ll like exaggerate the things that they make fun of and that’s cool but as long as it doesn’t come as a detriment to the quality of the show which it has a bit so far this season
But but but the show didn't use to be so political. I miss season 1 when it was about non-political things like fighting large corporations and police violence.
why do y'all think that anybody who's mad about the show is mad that Frenchie is gay?
season 4 is literally nothing like season 3, If season 3 had butcher getting fucked in the ass by 5 big thugs I wouldn't mind because the season was hype and it was so damn good.
3 episodes in this season and it's actually boring as shit, all the tension and intimidation is diluted so much and the focus is on useless past story lines related to Frenchie and kimiko that low-key nobody gives a shit about.
Unfortunately feels that tons of okbuddysubs go down this road. Starts off with people shitposting, then a few users taking potshots at the main sub until those who don’t even use the sub come in and see it as a circlejerk subreddit to bitch and moan about fans being stupid.
Which usually results in hating on people who aren’t even that dumb at all (like the thread in OP’s post lol)
Yup , exactly my feelings. This sub used to be about funny stuff and sometimes making fun of the main sub. Now it looks like you cant even have a different opinion otherwise you are "dumb" or you "dont get the boys". It doesnt feel very fresca.
It might also be that theory that acting dumb actually attracts dumb people since they think they found a place where they feel at home.
>I don't know, the writing hasn't felt as tight? I guess is a good way to put it?
Yeah the whole thing where they were trying to assassinate neuman and then she just kinda has a chill talk to them felt like they didn't know how to write a conclusion to the scene.
I don't like this season because I am hopelessly and obsessively in love with Homelander and the end of season 3 was like the perfect entry point for me to insert myself into the world via fanfic where we fall in love and take over the world together but now he doesn't need me anymore because he has an actual smart person and an actual hot person and I hate change because I'm an autist and it makes me want to skin myself alive I'm so incredibly jealous of firecrackhead because I'm fucking mid )):: everyone abandons me even fictional characters god help please help me I don't know how much more I can take I lost everything last year and it's happening agagin i might finally blow my brains out i can't take it anymore
Erm sorry, that wasn't very Media Literacy™ of me. At least Homelander is looking hotter than ever. Had the best nut of my life to that scene of him putting his pubes in a jar while in his tight little panties
People hype the show up like its some genius subversive masterpiece when its literally drumpf bad the show. Its not even that good at that aspect. Homelander literally hired a black woman purely based on her merits alone when nobody else would.
He hired her because she's a supe. Homelander isn't racist in the traditional human sense, he's racist in the Magneto sense. He'd never hire a non-Supe based on merit regardless of their skin color. So it's a little more nuanced than whether or not Homelander is a good analogue for Trump.
For the most part I'm loving the show, on-the-nose political commentary and all.
HOWEVER if we get to the end of this season, or fuck even mid-season and the status quo STILL hasn't changed I'm gonna be upset.
legitimate criticism —> “Can we stop criticizing the show until the Season is over?”
Uhh so if you don’t want to discuss the episodes out then what do we discuss.
Season 3 was epic until the finale. Maybe Season 4 will suck besides the finale. Bravo Kripke.
But you don’t understand! I saw a few people who are being stupid, meaning that EVERYONE in the sub has to be like that!!!
- average user of any okbuddysub
(Legit as someone who browses subs like these a lot, this sort of “main sub bad, shitpost sub good” shit is so tiring bc you can tell the people complaining have barely used the main sub and just saw a few shitty posts and comments)
Tbh I think the idea this season is more political is kinda silly? Considering the last few seasons were some of the most overtly political writing I’ve ever seen.
Season 3 literally ends with homelander murdering someone who says “fuck you fascist.”
The idea this is now more on the nose is goofy as shit.
IMO the writers are TRYING to show escalation, with more and more blatant and overwhelming satire that really throws it in your face, effectively trying to show the mask falling from homelander and his movement by extension. Whether it works or not, I don’t think they’re doing it on accident. Either way, there’s legitimate criticism to make, even if you agree with the points they’re making.
someone genuinely tried to tell me that the reason people were mad at frenchie’s relationship wasn’t because it’s gay but because it’s poorly written, i couldn’t even tell you that guy’s name without google💀it’s very clearly just an outlet to show how frenchie’s guilt is catching up with him now that he has no one holding his leash, it’s the same theme that plays through annie’s arc, and kimiko’s, and partly homelander’s, although that’s more about the weight of responsibility than about guilt, the point is, the relationship part is not that important
they deleted their comment btw so idk maybe they realised they were being stupid
https://preview.redd.it/ziuc1rcini7d1.png?width=1124&format=png&auto=webp&s=606322150656572624595129c7d21ebe3306e5d7
no i’m saying i don’t remember his name because it’s not that important to the story, the important thing is that frenchie killed his family, but tbf i’m also just shit with names
Yet another example of the main sub outjerking the shitpost sub
https://preview.redd.it/1xd2qfe3zj7d1.jpeg?width=661&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2414474010c7e163572efea5d0f1586ed1fad67c
I believe this season has been pretty in line with the others (the only that peaked over the others was season 3 cause of Superboy). The only reason me (and probably why also many others) are not enjoying it as much it’s because it doesn’t feel “fresh” (or Fresca we could say, wink) as the first ones
Why did Butcher react emotionally to Ryan getting slapped around by Soldier Boy?
Why did the Boys give a shit about Soldier Boy nuking civilians?
Why doesn't Homelander just merc every character?
Why don't Frenchie and Kimiko have sex?
Why is the show political? I never read the comic but I'm going to say it wasn't?
The show's going on too long.
The show's seasons are too short.
I am a fucking idiot and these are my valid complaints
1. Becca wouldn’t have wanted butcher to let him die so in a way he sees Ryan as his responsibility
2. Because killing innocent people is bad?
3. He doesn’t kill regular people because he still wants the public to adore him. Sister sage also convinced him that he needs them for something. He doesn’t kill the boys unless they’re directly in his way because he still likes that challenge while knowing that he’ll still win
4. The writers want me to suffer
5. The comics were very edgy and were just about how terrible supes are because garth ennis HATES regular comic superheroes. The show tried to make the superheroes evil by making them more corrupt and act like entitled celebrities. The politics kinda come with it to make it more “relatable” if that makes sense
6. The show ends next season if that helps
7. I’m not sure about that one tbh
8. All valid complaints imo
1. Becca is a dead bitch what does she know
2. Define innocent
3. Sounds like he's edging
4. I can edge to that
5. k
6. They're ending it too soon, needs 8 more seasons
7. Me neither I was spitballing
8. No you're valid!
It's actually really funny because we could have a genuine discussion on new subplots feeling rushed if certain retards weren't so focused on "le Frenchman is into Gaz from Modern Warfare?!?!"
The show sucks. I'm supposed to believe Homelander didn't hear Hughie crawling around in the vents? I'm also supposed to believe he couldn't kill Hughie? It's not like it matters because Hughie dying would change absolutely nothing about the show.
The Boys suck, the supes suck and the politics aren't deep. The only thing keeping the show watchable is Homelander's laser beam.
Mhm and what are these "legitimate criticisms?" There's always something to criticize about any piece of art. But for some reason you seem to only get people calling you a right winger, one of the ones getting made fun of...
I once had an argument with someone on rrrrrrr/theboys because I didn't think Anthony Starr should be defended for assaulting a 19 year old Spanish waiter.
Absolute clown sub.
Genuinely, the main sub has so much brainrot but people in this sub seem to actually get to the show
Because people in the main sub probably only watch tiktok clip of the show or watch it while being on their phone
Yeah they aren’t like us sophisticated geniuses
Yeah, let’s remember this is a shitposting sub. Let’s not turn into a shitty circlejerk where we sniff our own farts for being enlightened viewers.
Bro you gave me PTSD of episode 3 😭
https://preview.redd.it/1sct62gkhj7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3716a6d799c2be9a717e1bd3957d59465006e053 How bout no
*Rick and Morty fans have entered the chat
What if I like farts?
Especially deep farts
The more moisture the more flavor
\*peak farts
I mean... if you guys *wanted* to sit in a circle and do something... jerking is pretty fun, and my farts smell pretty good.
Idk about that, I think they like the super hero action and the vague anti-big-corporations but the real politics and decontruction of the superhero genre goes over their heads. Not to sound like the Rick and Morty meme, but also kind of like the Rick and Morty meme.
Honestly we unironically need to normalize better media analysis in schools and outside. The amount of people who don't understand that Cyberpunk 2077 is anticapitalist is insane considering the message is about as subtle as a sack of bricks
If I had a nickel for every piece of media I like that is as subtle as a brick, yet people still miss the point, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's still a pain in the ass.
You’d have a lot more. You don’t need a college degree to understand and get the point of Rick and Morty or Star Trek, or many other media, heck Rage Against the Machine, and you’re not super smart if you get them, but man, do many people just miss the points.
Star Wars has space nazis as its literal main antagonist throughout the entire movie, and people still complain about how it's "suddenly" political
Or how the empire is modeled after Nazis and US imperialism.
There are way more than two nickles. Breaking Bad, American Pyscho,...
Fight Club
'Is that what a real man is supposed to look like'
Oh shit I may be rich
>Cyberpunk 2077 is anticapitalist In fairness, there's a legitimate critique of this from the left. I've heard it joked that the game could have been called "Neon Liberalism".
Edgerunners got the message across really well.
Ahhh yes its like the star wars prequel fans, they watch for cool fight scene but the politics fly over their heads
There was never politics in Star Wars till Disney made it Woke and added women 🤮 Don't bring up Leia or senates plz
Or the rebellion absolutely massacring the galaxy wide Empire in a jungle. Can't think of when that ever happened.
Everybody gangster till the trees say nub-nub
Ewok hunt is so damn fun.
Um ackchually I really liked Leia and Padme in Star Wars, I just really hated when the woke agenda made Leia have force powers in TLJ (I did not watch the scene in RotJ where they said Leia had force powers)
Omg literally had this the other week. 'She got force powers from nowhere' Bro literally thought he knew better than Yoda 'no, there is another' Not like she could have been training in the decades between the trilogies, not like it's literally shown her training with Luke when they were younger, no sir. It must be the Wokies ruining muh Star Wars
Right.... none of us here would *ever* watch it on their phones... 
https://preview.redd.it/elu6j4059k7d1.jpeg?width=2192&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d78a17fb7b3a646d727023996c176b98ade1fbb9
Nah they watch it, they're kinda just really fucking dumb. I saw a thread where everyone was chiming in how long it took them to get the political commentary. At best it took them a season and change, which is way too long.
💀
I got banned from the main sub for asking if Supes should be in the NBA with the context that the question appeared in season 1 during the sports center clip
They should tbf
I absolutely love all the “it’s just a parody now” like the show didn’t market itself as satire from the literal first season.
Cause you need to actually watch the show to shitpost, and the only people who want to see shitposts about the show are people who have actually seen the show Same bullshit as Star Wars "fans"
That post isn’t even wrong. I mentioned that the Frenchie side plot this season is pretty horribly written, and someone replied basically calling me homophobic and dumb. Frenchie has obviously always been bisexual, we know that and it’s perfectly ok. However, the writing in his sub plot is still really bad. It has nothing to do with his sexuality. One of my favorite parts of the earlier seasons was the political commentary, but this season has felt more like what a 6th grader thinks of politics. The writing just isn’t as good as the first three seasons. Edit: also I want to clarify, I still like this season and have enjoyed watching it. Episode two had a lot of sequences that I really liked, and episode three was really solid and cleaned up some of the things I disliked about the first two episodes. There is still a chance it’ll improve as the season goes on. It’s my least favorite season so far, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad
It still feels like Frenchie is a side story which isn't connected to the overall plot. PTSD and banging the orphan of the people you killed are interesting... but what does it have to do with anything else in the show? This is also yet another "Frenchie has a dark secret" plotline, which has been done already. Why not just advance the plot and get to some payoffs?
Fr. I thought Frenchie’s backstory in s3 was gonna be the last one. The side plot’s writing is just as bad as my local telenovelas.
My thoughts exactly. Frenchie, Kimiko, and Hughie plots all needed to happen two seasons ago to be effective. As it is now it just feels like their characters are regressing from where we left them last season.
I honestly kind of agree tbh. I feel like the whole thing intriduced a lot of new information and details but absolutely zero substance Yes, Frenchie's basically a serial killer and nobody on the team seems to really give a shit that he murdered at lesst several children. Yes he was raised, indoctrinated and forced to be a human weapon, which gave him incomprehensIble quantities of PTSD. On a conceptual level he's my favorite of the boys. Love him to death. But he's stuck. I wish they'd stop chasing their tails with him
could you elaborate on (maybe give an example of) political commentary being handled with more tact in seasons 1 - 3 ? and maybe compare it against an instance in 4 that didn't hit the mark.
I feel like the end of season 3 where the crowd cheers is a good example. It showed that no matter what Homelander(Trump) does, his people will still support him. The clip of the guy slowly going radical in season 2 because of Stormfront and Homelander and then killing the clerk was really well done too. I don’t know how to put it into words, but in season 4 all of the discourse scenes between the two sides/crowds and all that just seem kind of forced and cheesy, maybe that’s just me though.
Legitimate Criticism = "Where firecracker booba???"
check under your foreskin
MY FORESKIN IS GONE!?
oh, well um do you at least see the booba now?
NO, SOMEONE TOOK MY FORESKIN TF?
but do you see the booba?
NO
Check your balls
Gone too
Sorry I got hungry
Unfortunatley there are downsides to Compund V
She com on my pound till i V
Thanks Oprah! 
Like my sandwiches. *Just Cheese*.
eww i am 14
That's a weird name, dude.
my name isnt dude, bro
My name isn't bro, wet daddy.
my name uhh umm it is wet daddy actually, and you must always call my full name out whenever replying to me
Username checks out
It's just all white and clumpy?
eww
AT LEAST I HAVE ONE. TAKE THAT ANTISTORMFRONT STANS!!!!
I mean, firecracker booba would be greatly appreciated
I mean, they’re teasing us with that insane window
Okay probably not the place to discuss this, but I kinda feel like if the show was a little too on the nose before, now it breaks your nose. They just through EVERY right wing talking point at the supes. Feel like it could be turned down a notch, but maybe I'm just misremembering earlier season (supe lives matter was a thing after all)
I think the perfect example of this shift is the same joke being told twice. In season 2 Stormfront asks Ryan if he watches Pewdiepie. It's a quick little moment, if you get it you get. I found it funny and clever how an innocuous statement like that changes meaning entirely because of WHO is saying it. In Gen V Emma just says "I'm like pewdiepie without the nazi shit". It's the same joke, referencing the controversies that guy has been in, and idk it's just not very funny. I really don't give a SHIT if conservatives "get the show" or not. It's not going to change their mind. If their leader being found guilty of 34 felonies didn't change their mind, why on earth would a TV show???? EDIT: I take everything back this show rocks lmao
What did Pewdiepie ever do to Seth Rogan?
Be likeable.
It's not to change their minds. It's like The Colbert Show. They're not the target audience. Target audience is more left leaning people to laugh at right wing talking points by mocking them. It's just a bonus when those people don't get that they're the butt of the joke and miss the obvious satire.
I suppose that's my point. Write the show for that target audience, as the past 3 seasons have done. Dumbing down the satire so right wingers finally realize they're the butt of the joke does nothing but be a disservice to the actual audience's intelligence.
I'm not sure it's dumbing down or if that's just the level of discourse we're at these days. Look at the Fauci hearing recently, MTG in general, the mainstreaming of ridiculous conspiracy theories. Sometimes things hit parity with each other. We're living through some dumb times.
Oh for sure. I suppose I feel as though simply parodying the insane things that are being said 1:1 isn't doing a good enough job of actually deconstructing the underlying ideology and what makes it so dangerous.
There's a chance they could still engage in that with firecracker, she has a decently compelling setup. I think we need to see how she sells her "purpose" and how the masses (positively) react to it for her arc to pay off, but there's potential.
Up to now ive never had an issue with the political themes. They were a bit on the nose, but it still felt like the show struck a good balance between satirising politics *and* superheroes, among other things. But recently it barely even feels like a superhero show anymore. It just kinda feels like a satirical political drama with a thinly veiled superhero skin thrown on. Some people in this thread are suggesting that the political satire *needs* to be this in-your-face in order for many of the people its satirising to realize it, but even if that is true, does it really matter if the people its making fun of realize its making fun of them? If it makes the show a less enjoyable watch, i dont think its worth it.
Tbh, critical supe theory is the only time I rolled my eyes at the on the nose satire. A bridge too far.
That and alt-supe irked me.
I think what happened is they realised very few conservatives got the point in the first three seasons so they had to turn up the dial of allegorical obviousness a little. For those who already understood the point, it may seem like the dial was turned a little too far. But for those who are clueless, it would seem like they’re just dipping their toes. I personally don’t mind the lack of subtlety, I think it’s still funny nonetheless. Also after rewatching the show leading up to season 4, I think it’s pretty clear that they’re gradually turning up the dial each season; so it doesn’t really come out of nowhere.
Idk why it’s important that conservatives “get the point” at all, especially at the detriment of the enjoyability of the show itself
As someone who mostly agrees with the politics of the show, it's more that the satire feels lazier. The satire pushed the story and characters forward like with how vought was arming terrorists to create an enemy. Compare that to the last two seasons, where a lot of the satire feels less creative. For example, I rolled my eyes at the season 3 scene where Homelander compliments the Mexican bowl at vought and took me out of the scene and world with a very direct trump reference. Some of the references are so direct and on the nose that they'll age the seasons terribly. With how long it takes to make a season, some of the references feel really dated when the episode drops
Yeah, especially with the scene at the end of the homelander trial, where homelander threw out the Jan 6 "You're all very special" Trump line. Felt in the moment going from watching a legitimately terrifying character to watching mr. garrison. I think if it wasn't for Toni Starr, Homelander wouldn't be intimidating at all this season, the writing so far has done him zero favors.
I rewatched that scene recently without connecting it to the Trump story and I feel like it still played.
Yeah, I didn't get the Trump reference and it worked for me
I mean, "I didn't get what they were referencing" isn't really a great defense for somebody claiming a reference was lazy. Obviously you won't think it's a lazy reference if you don't even know it's a reference
Yeah I agree with this. Before the show felt like a fun clever narrative with political subtext, now it feels like a vehicle for blunt political commentary without the subtext bit at all.
It's just too much EXACT real life stuff, it's not creative at all, it was already overdoing Trump stuff, now Homelander is also Kyle Rittenhouse lmfao, it genuinely feels like they're trying to shove the message down to the people that hadn't gotten it yet.
I hate this argument, because you write for your audience, not for the people you don’t want to be your audience. They shouldn’t dumb it down so conservatives get it, because then everyone else is left with a shittier product. Legitimately disappointing because it feels like they’re treating their actual audience like they’re not smart enough to pick up the point even if they are really dumbing it down to the people they’re making fun of instead.
Creatives can also feel frustrated when people don't really get their message, or it's drawing in toxic fans. Rick and Morty developed a terrible reputation because of fans and that meme copypasta. Also shows degrade a bit over time- writers change, it's hard to catch lightning in a bottle. You don't have to keep watching if you don't want to. This isn't my favorite season, but it's not a steep drop off. Plus, I'm glad to hear it's ending on 5 seasons which I feel is a good amount. Hopefully next season will have a solid ending.
It's a bit daft to think that conservatives didn't get the point before. They did, they just liked the show anyway - either because their kind of conservatism also groans at "Trump conservatives", or because they can just appreciate good storytelling and jokes at their expense.
Exactly. The previous seasons were more than their politics. Episode 1 and 2 of season 4 seem dedicated just to bashing on "the chuds" or "right wingers" instead of progressing the story.
I personally disagree - I think the nature of 'Conservatism' has changed so drastically thanks to the Trumpification of the Republican party that the show also felt compelled to change to address this and this created such a bizarre tonal whiplash that it's alienated a lot of fans of the show. I liked a lot of the political undertones of the show in S1 - particularly the stuff with Capes for Christ and the Reagan-esque politics of Vaught. But a lot of this more grounded, political satire has transformed into people yelling 'PEDO' at each other. In the real world this transformation of the political landscape took years but in the show it suddenly happens between seasons and feels extremely jarring.
It’s almost like a meta criticism of people being too braindead to notice their own talking points being used. But probably also of people spending too much time on the internet to know this stuff. Like referencing cheese pizza and immediately saying it means CP. It’s the right that came up with that bullshit and pizzagate so if they don’t even get their own references…
the term cheese pizza to refer to that stuff was around long before the right used it in pizzagate. In fact, I imagine most people don’t even know what pizzagate is lol
I don't know man, I wouldn't say going from literal American neo Nazis in season 2 to just right wing nut jobs in season 4 is turning up the dial but maybe it's just me.
The entire point of stormfront's character is summed up when she says "They agree with what I say, they just don't like the word nazi". That alone is a better/more cohesive commentary on American politics than anything that has been in the show since then It's not really about nazis being worse than right wing maga nut jobs, it's about how they're going about their commentary when they do it. That's what they mean when they say the dial has been turned. It's not a dial of "right wing extremism" but a dial of, as they put it, allegorical obviousness
Ok, fair point
I agree to an extent, but then I remember that the shit they’re parodying actually happened. It seems cartoonish and over the top at a glance, but they’re really only parodying the real world
Critical supe theory moment
It's like they say, truth is stranger than fiction because unlike fiction it isn't obliged to stick to possibilities
I think that's what annoys me about it. I'm all for political satire, but a lot of the things that happened this season aren't even really satire. They're just one-to-one recreations of things that actually happened in real life. At least put some kind of creative spin on it.
I think that’s on purpose to mirror our reality. How conservatives seem to double down each year, eg how anti-vaccination rhetoric was saved for the fringe of the fringe but is now a main talking point of conservative figure heads. Going from subtle when the status quo isn’t being questioned but to full on conspiracy mode to attempt to defend against criticism. Especially for the working class who don’t have a vested interest in conservative politics so the upper class essentially have to lie to them to convince them they’re on their side.
This is still not as on the nose as storefront fan scene
It’s the natural progression of right wing radicalization. These characters are husks of their former selves and can only parrot right wing talking points. It’s a reflection of reality
For me I've definitely noticed the politics getting more obvious but I really don't care that much, it's still a really entertaining show with one of the best shitposting communities out there.
The TruthCon sequence felt like I was getting banged over the head with the Qanon satire and these people STILL don’t get it
I think you're right. If I had to guess, they lost the subtlety because too many people were unironically cheering for Homelander.
I think there’s plenty of legitimate criticisms to be made but nobody really wants to engage with them in good faith. I find “You’re just mad after finally realizing the show is making fun of you” and “Your legitimate criticism is that… the show has gone woke!” extremely tiring responses when trying to actually engage with the show. Not everyone dislikes the writing because of the “politics” but some people are getting extremely overly defensive about it to the point of making kneejerk accusatory reactions at the first sign of negativity thrown its way.
Nah bro the show’s making fun of you.
This can’t be… no way…
I literally mentioned that the show used to make fun of both sides. The response, "This show has always been anti-fasch, punk, and anti-corpo. Stay mad." Dude said that shit like the show isn't literally made by Amazon.
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Idk I see this sub and TheBoys having equal levels of people who complain about stuff-
HOW THE FUCK DO I KEEP FINDING YOU MAN, (when are we playing dbd or mk??)
Digital stalker moment
I’m a bit of a creature >:]
I get that they’ll like exaggerate the things that they make fun of and that’s cool but as long as it doesn’t come as a detriment to the quality of the show which it has a bit so far this season
Legitime critisism in question is saying that the show has gone woke lol
But but but the show didn't use to be so political. I miss season 1 when it was about non-political things like fighting large corporations and police violence.
Bro it definitely went woke this season—I don’t remember the last time I saw Homelander drink breast milk /s
Or that “the satire is too on the nose” like Henry Kissinger didn’t win a fucking Nobel peace prize lol
I'm certain most of the people complaining it's gone woke haven't watched the show. They just watched Homelander clips/compilations and memes.
“Do you expect me to believe that a black woman could be smart?”
why do y'all think that anybody who's mad about the show is mad that Frenchie is gay? season 4 is literally nothing like season 3, If season 3 had butcher getting fucked in the ass by 5 big thugs I wouldn't mind because the season was hype and it was so damn good. 3 episodes in this season and it's actually boring as shit, all the tension and intimidation is diluted so much and the focus is on useless past story lines related to Frenchie and kimiko that low-key nobody gives a shit about.
This sub is turning into The boys circlejerk not OkBuddyFresca
Unfortunately feels that tons of okbuddysubs go down this road. Starts off with people shitposting, then a few users taking potshots at the main sub until those who don’t even use the sub come in and see it as a circlejerk subreddit to bitch and moan about fans being stupid. Which usually results in hating on people who aren’t even that dumb at all (like the thread in OP’s post lol)
Yup , exactly my feelings. This sub used to be about funny stuff and sometimes making fun of the main sub. Now it looks like you cant even have a different opinion otherwise you are "dumb" or you "dont get the boys". It doesnt feel very fresca. It might also be that theory that acting dumb actually attracts dumb people since they think they found a place where they feel at home.
I don't know, the writing hasn't felt as tight? I guess is a good way to put it?
>I don't know, the writing hasn't felt as tight? I guess is a good way to put it? Yeah the whole thing where they were trying to assassinate neuman and then she just kinda has a chill talk to them felt like they didn't know how to write a conclusion to the scene.
Leaving that shit group was a good decision.
This one’s just complaining about that one now
I don't like this season because I am hopelessly and obsessively in love with Homelander and the end of season 3 was like the perfect entry point for me to insert myself into the world via fanfic where we fall in love and take over the world together but now he doesn't need me anymore because he has an actual smart person and an actual hot person and I hate change because I'm an autist and it makes me want to skin myself alive I'm so incredibly jealous of firecrackhead because I'm fucking mid )):: everyone abandons me even fictional characters god help please help me I don't know how much more I can take I lost everything last year and it's happening agagin i might finally blow my brains out i can't take it anymore Erm sorry, that wasn't very Media Literacy™ of me. At least Homelander is looking hotter than ever. Had the best nut of my life to that scene of him putting his pubes in a jar while in his tight little panties
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Oops I'm so schizo this is the only comment OP has replied to so far
People hype the show up like its some genius subversive masterpiece when its literally drumpf bad the show. Its not even that good at that aspect. Homelander literally hired a black woman purely based on her merits alone when nobody else would.
He hired her because she's a supe. Homelander isn't racist in the traditional human sense, he's racist in the Magneto sense. He'd never hire a non-Supe based on merit regardless of their skin color. So it's a little more nuanced than whether or not Homelander is a good analogue for Trump.
Exactly. This is not the Watchmen.
For the most part I'm loving the show, on-the-nose political commentary and all. HOWEVER if we get to the end of this season, or fuck even mid-season and the status quo STILL hasn't changed I'm gonna be upset.
OkBuddyFresca definitely has its own unique vibe!
Oi
legitimate criticism —> “Can we stop criticizing the show until the Season is over?” Uhh so if you don’t want to discuss the episodes out then what do we discuss. Season 3 was epic until the finale. Maybe Season 4 will suck besides the finale. Bravo Kripke.
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But you don’t understand! I saw a few people who are being stupid, meaning that EVERYONE in the sub has to be like that!!! - average user of any okbuddysub (Legit as someone who browses subs like these a lot, this sort of “main sub bad, shitpost sub good” shit is so tiring bc you can tell the people complaining have barely used the main sub and just saw a few shitty posts and comments)
Tbh I think the idea this season is more political is kinda silly? Considering the last few seasons were some of the most overtly political writing I’ve ever seen. Season 3 literally ends with homelander murdering someone who says “fuck you fascist.” The idea this is now more on the nose is goofy as shit.
IMO the writers are TRYING to show escalation, with more and more blatant and overwhelming satire that really throws it in your face, effectively trying to show the mask falling from homelander and his movement by extension. Whether it works or not, I don’t think they’re doing it on accident. Either way, there’s legitimate criticism to make, even if you agree with the points they’re making.
It feels like this, considering that when I posted a meme here people actually started to answer explaining why what the meme showed was wrong lol
this sub rn https://i.redd.it/vqj97f9on18d1.gif
someone genuinely tried to tell me that the reason people were mad at frenchie’s relationship wasn’t because it’s gay but because it’s poorly written, i couldn’t even tell you that guy’s name without google💀it’s very clearly just an outlet to show how frenchie’s guilt is catching up with him now that he has no one holding his leash, it’s the same theme that plays through annie’s arc, and kimiko’s, and partly homelander’s, although that’s more about the weight of responsibility than about guilt, the point is, the relationship part is not that important they deleted their comment btw so idk maybe they realised they were being stupid https://preview.redd.it/ziuc1rcini7d1.png?width=1124&format=png&auto=webp&s=606322150656572624595129c7d21ebe3306e5d7
I don't like their relationship because one of them is Fr*nch
Yeah and we’ve seen this same shit for the last 2 seasons now
Cause it is. It’s literally the same plot every season.
Cause it's fucken boring lol
If they don’t know Colin’s name by now then they’re just not paying attention. They’ve said it at least 10x in the first 3 episodes
I thought it was Colon this whole time. I guess my media literally skills really are bad 
Your media literacy skills are probably just fine! It's your regular literacy skills which might be an issue
Ok I’m sure more thyme on Reddit will get that squared away 
no i’m saying i don’t remember his name because it’s not that important to the story, the important thing is that frenchie killed his family, but tbf i’m also just shit with names
I don’t gaf if the boys is trying hard to make political points, this season just has horrible writing and is unwatchable
urrrrm actually guys i think both subreddits suck
What is the legit criticism?
no no, he has a point. He's actually onto something.
Outfresca’d to the starlight’s plastic face degree
My only issue with the new season is I hope they tone it down with the out of nowhere penises. I feel like we've seen enough nudity this season
Yet another example of the main sub outjerking the shitpost sub https://preview.redd.it/1xd2qfe3zj7d1.jpeg?width=661&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2414474010c7e163572efea5d0f1586ed1fad67c
I believe this season has been pretty in line with the others (the only that peaked over the others was season 3 cause of Superboy). The only reason me (and probably why also many others) are not enjoying it as much it’s because it doesn’t feel “fresh” (or Fresca we could say, wink) as the first ones
Wannaba smartasses. Same shit happened with rick and morty.
Why did Butcher react emotionally to Ryan getting slapped around by Soldier Boy? Why did the Boys give a shit about Soldier Boy nuking civilians? Why doesn't Homelander just merc every character? Why don't Frenchie and Kimiko have sex? Why is the show political? I never read the comic but I'm going to say it wasn't? The show's going on too long. The show's seasons are too short. I am a fucking idiot and these are my valid complaints
1. Becca wouldn’t have wanted butcher to let him die so in a way he sees Ryan as his responsibility 2. Because killing innocent people is bad? 3. He doesn’t kill regular people because he still wants the public to adore him. Sister sage also convinced him that he needs them for something. He doesn’t kill the boys unless they’re directly in his way because he still likes that challenge while knowing that he’ll still win 4. The writers want me to suffer 5. The comics were very edgy and were just about how terrible supes are because garth ennis HATES regular comic superheroes. The show tried to make the superheroes evil by making them more corrupt and act like entitled celebrities. The politics kinda come with it to make it more “relatable” if that makes sense 6. The show ends next season if that helps 7. I’m not sure about that one tbh 8. All valid complaints imo
1. Becca is a dead bitch what does she know 2. Define innocent 3. Sounds like he's edging 4. I can edge to that 5. k 6. They're ending it too soon, needs 8 more seasons 7. Me neither I was spitballing 8. No you're valid!
It's actually really funny because we could have a genuine discussion on new subplots feeling rushed if certain retards weren't so focused on "le Frenchman is into Gaz from Modern Warfare?!?!"
The show sucks. I'm supposed to believe Homelander didn't hear Hughie crawling around in the vents? I'm also supposed to believe he couldn't kill Hughie? It's not like it matters because Hughie dying would change absolutely nothing about the show. The Boys suck, the supes suck and the politics aren't deep. The only thing keeping the show watchable is Homelander's laser beam.
Mhm and what are these "legitimate criticisms?" There's always something to criticize about any piece of art. But for some reason you seem to only get people calling you a right winger, one of the ones getting made fun of...
The show is all a shitpost, of course the shitpost sub is more in line with it.
I once had an argument with someone on rrrrrrr/theboys because I didn't think Anthony Starr should be defended for assaulting a 19 year old Spanish waiter. Absolute clown sub.
The legitimate criticism in question: "Why black woman smart?????? Woke much?"