Private Dick/Family Man
November 30, 2017 10:35 AM Subscribe
Talking Simpsons, the in-depth Episode-by-episode Simpson’s podcast, takes a break to explore the history and backstory of the USA Network’s attempt to create a raunchy and extremely 90s competitor to The Simpsons, Duckman (92 min). They discuss the episode ‘About Face’, available online here.
Talking Simpsons is one of the two podcasts that I will listen to immediately when a new episode drops (them and System Mastery) and I'm very pleased to see a link here. It's super-awesome that it's supporting Bob and Henry now.
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:01 AM on November 30, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:01 AM on November 30, 2017 [4 favorites]
Talking Simpsons also just had a really good episode discussing The Problem with Apu on their Patreon feed.
posted by Sangermaine at 11:03 AM on November 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Sangermaine at 11:03 AM on November 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
I've sort of forgotten this Simpsons podcast, so I appreciate the reminder that it's still going. I should add it back to my pod feed. Great share.
posted by Fizz at 11:08 AM on November 30, 2017
posted by Fizz at 11:08 AM on November 30, 2017
In my memory, Duckman was the first in a long line of post-Simpsons animated comedies (The Critic, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Bob's Burgers) that I could just never get into, based solely on the repellent nature of its character design.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:25 AM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:25 AM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
I liked Duckman quite a bit. Jason Alexander's portrayal of the eponymous main character was great; what Goerge Costanza could have been with a little more edge. One of the writers/producers of the show, Michael Markowitz, lived across the hall from me when I was a freshman at Northwestern.
posted by briank at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by briank at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2017 [4 favorites]
Duckman was uneven as all get out, often combining brilliant vicious satire with hamhanded third-tier dick jokes in the same minute, but I often appreciated that the creators and writers were willing to let Duckman have his own genuine emotional moments on rare occasions, something later shows like Futurama would put to more stunning effect.
One moment has always stuck with me, during an episode that's pure chaos because Duckman has gotten his hands on a time machine and, being Duckman, is now feuding with multiple versions of himself from variant timelines and futures and such. At one point when the chaos is near its peak, a young version of Duckman appears, right before his wedding (in the show, Duckman was an embittered, depressive widower). And he asks Duckman if it all turns out okay, if he's doing the right thing.
The show takes several seconds to pause, and finally Duckman responds, in Jason Alexander's most sincere line reading I've ever heard him utter: "You're going to love her until the day you die."
Not many shows get a perfect moment. Duckman somehow did. That still amazes me.
posted by mightygodking at 2:53 PM on November 30, 2017 [13 favorites]
One moment has always stuck with me, during an episode that's pure chaos because Duckman has gotten his hands on a time machine and, being Duckman, is now feuding with multiple versions of himself from variant timelines and futures and such. At one point when the chaos is near its peak, a young version of Duckman appears, right before his wedding (in the show, Duckman was an embittered, depressive widower). And he asks Duckman if it all turns out okay, if he's doing the right thing.
The show takes several seconds to pause, and finally Duckman responds, in Jason Alexander's most sincere line reading I've ever heard him utter: "You're going to love her until the day you die."
Not many shows get a perfect moment. Duckman somehow did. That still amazes me.
posted by mightygodking at 2:53 PM on November 30, 2017 [13 favorites]
The only thing I remember about Duckman was that I didn't really get it and thought it was kind of a boring adult show. Obviously need to check it out now.
Also, HOW I HAVE I NOT HEARD OF TALKING SIMPSONS?! I own seasons 1-10 of The Simpsons (which is almost always on in the background when I'm doing chores) and I've listened to all of the commentary... and literally just the other day as I was listening to an epsiode, I was wishing there were more.
posted by littlesq at 3:01 PM on November 30, 2017
Also, HOW I HAVE I NOT HEARD OF TALKING SIMPSONS?! I own seasons 1-10 of The Simpsons (which is almost always on in the background when I'm doing chores) and I've listened to all of the commentary... and literally just the other day as I was listening to an epsiode, I was wishing there were more.
posted by littlesq at 3:01 PM on November 30, 2017
The crucial problem with Duckman was it was palpably unfunny, but the Eastern-European influenced animation style by Klasky Csupo was quite beautiful.
The Worker and Parasite sketch from The Simpsons, sending up abstract Soviet animation, is kind of ironic b/c Klasky is also responsible for the early Simpsons shorts, and gave the characters their "weird" design from the same kind of E Euro animation (e.g. blue hair, yellow skin)!
Igor Kovalyov is a Soviet-era animator who was a key figure in most of Klasky's shows, and you see a lot of design elements from Duckman, Rugrats, Real Monsters in Kovalyov's animations, which I strongly recommend.
posted by dgaicun at 6:06 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Worker and Parasite sketch from The Simpsons, sending up abstract Soviet animation, is kind of ironic b/c Klasky is also responsible for the early Simpsons shorts, and gave the characters their "weird" design from the same kind of E Euro animation (e.g. blue hair, yellow skin)!
Igor Kovalyov is a Soviet-era animator who was a key figure in most of Klasky's shows, and you see a lot of design elements from Duckman, Rugrats, Real Monsters in Kovalyov's animations, which I strongly recommend.
posted by dgaicun at 6:06 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
What a coincidence! I recently started re-watching Duckman for the first time since the '90s, and "About Face" was up next. Small internet, eh? It's an excellent episode to profile. I had forgotten about most of the show, but strongly remembered this one.
I disagree with the podcasters that Duckman was a competitor or ripoff of The Simpsons. It more tried to follow Beavis & Butthead, and maybe Ren & Stimpy. The Simpsons opened the gate by showing that animation not aimed at children could make money, but the adult cable cartoons were in a totally different place than Groening's show.
Duckman was more like the cartoons that would later make up most of Adult Swim's lineup: cheaply made, fast moving, edgy humor that doesn't always work, and a lot of stream of conscious scenes.
The cartoon also wasn't as anti-PC as I remember. Maybe for its day, but not compared to current shows like South Park or Family Guy, or to Howard Stern at the time. The show often alludes to Duckman saying things about minorities or the disabled or whatever group, but we didn't hear him say those things, at least not in the episodes I've re-seen so far. They talk about this in the podcast, how the visit to the Japanese restaurant didn't serve up Japanese stereotypes.
posted by riruro at 1:18 PM on December 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I disagree with the podcasters that Duckman was a competitor or ripoff of The Simpsons. It more tried to follow Beavis & Butthead, and maybe Ren & Stimpy. The Simpsons opened the gate by showing that animation not aimed at children could make money, but the adult cable cartoons were in a totally different place than Groening's show.
Duckman was more like the cartoons that would later make up most of Adult Swim's lineup: cheaply made, fast moving, edgy humor that doesn't always work, and a lot of stream of conscious scenes.
The cartoon also wasn't as anti-PC as I remember. Maybe for its day, but not compared to current shows like South Park or Family Guy, or to Howard Stern at the time. The show often alludes to Duckman saying things about minorities or the disabled or whatever group, but we didn't hear him say those things, at least not in the episodes I've re-seen so far. They talk about this in the podcast, how the visit to the Japanese restaurant didn't serve up Japanese stereotypes.
posted by riruro at 1:18 PM on December 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
Couple more things to say before this thread is closed:
Duckman was really critical of political correctness, but they would take shots at the other side on occasion. Here's an exchange from season 2 that Cornfed had with Routlette, a character clearly based on Andrew Dice Clay.
Also, Bernice from Duckman is the PG-13 version of Rugrat's Betty, the mother of the twins. They are both aggressive feminists who wear workout clothes, and could be interpreted as lesbian but only have relationships with men. Eerie.
posted by riruro at 11:33 AM on December 24, 2017
Duckman was really critical of political correctness, but they would take shots at the other side on occasion. Here's an exchange from season 2 that Cornfed had with Routlette, a character clearly based on Andrew Dice Clay.
Roulette: Milo made me confront my anger. Showed me it's wrong to hate those who are different than me, except for homos, saggy-breasted women's libbers, and those third world types with funny accents.I thought Metafilter would dig that.
Cornfed: Thank you, Roulette, for expressing what millions of white trash neo-Nazis would love to say if they could hide behind the First Amendment under the guise of comedy.
Also, Bernice from Duckman is the PG-13 version of Rugrat's Betty, the mother of the twins. They are both aggressive feminists who wear workout clothes, and could be interpreted as lesbian but only have relationships with men. Eerie.
posted by riruro at 11:33 AM on December 24, 2017
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posted by Chrysostom at 10:58 AM on November 30, 2017