The Unbelievable Frustration of “You Didn’t Get It”

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There’s a lotta good television out there that I just can’t bring myself to watch. Hell, the only reason I jumped on the Lost bandwagon is because I pretty much had to watch it for a grad school class called, “Time Travel in Television.” The trials of higher education, amirite?

But back to what I was saying: there’s plenty of beloved television that I’ve just never understood. I’d like to pretend it’s because I’m too busy out having a social life or that I’m some sort of cultural outlaw who’s better than these TV shows, but fact of the matter? I’m not. It just doesn’t appeal. Some classic examples are the much-lauded season four of Dexter (with John Lithgow in his most over-the-top, but critically praised performance since he played the same part in Raising Cain) or the general praise surrounding CBS’s The Good Wife.

Now, let me take a moment to cover my own ass here. This doesn’t mean that these shows aren’t good. Are they for me? Nah, not really, but that doesn’t mean that they are completely devoid of charm. As an online critic, I’m constantly put in the position (or at least accused of) badmouthing someone’s beloved show. Sorry, folks, but I’m just doing my job. If I don’t like something, I’m going to write about what I don’t like about it, not what I think I should like about it. Still, as most people point out in the comments section (rather rudely and typically with a variety of spelling errors) I am just one man. It is one man’s opinion. It should not help or hinder your enjoyment of a given show. Perhaps it will open up a discussion, perhaps not, but my job isn’t to say that my opinion of a television program is more valid than yours.

However, this brings us to the backlash. Especially in the world of online criticism, there’s plenty of it. Most of it is petty, to be honest. Cheap assaults on my character or my personal favorite, “Well, who are you? You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Comments like that are usually met with a quick snapshot of me holding my BFA in Film/Video or my Master’s in Media & Cinema Studies.

Then, there’s the other camp. These folks aren’t so deadest on the whole “you’re a loser, so I’m gonna verbally attack you” school of thought. These ones aren’t convinced that they can convert you.

“Oh, well, the first season isn’t that great… it gets a lot better.”

“You probably just didn’t understand it.”

No. No, I did get it. I just didn’t like it. The show that always seems to get me in the most trouble is Game of Thrones. The beloved HBO series may do it for some. Hell, it does it for plenty of folks. I’m just not one of ‘em. To be fair, I’m not much of a fantasy guy and the um… rape-y elements of the show just weren’t doin’ it for me.

People that like it? Good for you. I won’t hold it against you that you find something enjoyable that I do not, but could you stop trying to convert me? It won’t make the show any better just because I watch it now. In fact, it won’t affect your viewing of it at all. Just don’t tell me that I don’t like it because I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s just not for me.