Online Piracy
This past weekend, The Oatmeal, an incredibly popular web comic released a strip that — depending on ones point of view — legitimized the illegal downloading of television shows online. And while there’s no denying that The Oatmeal makes some salient points in the comic’s trademark funny manner, what really grinds our gears is the “pro-piracy” message it invariably sends. Which is to say, just because a show such as GAME OF THRONES isn’t readily available when, where and how viewers want it, doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to steal it. At the risk of being unpopular, we’re not cool with online piracy. There’s a reason GAME OF THRONES isn’t currently available for viewing via the likes of Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon just yet. The company that invested hundreds of millions of dollars into creating one of the most ambitious and exciting television shows in recent memory wants to make a profit. So if that means viewers have have to wait until sometime after the March 6th DVD release in order for the company that produces it to maximize their profits, well, than so be it. It’s called show business for a reason.
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
While there was an awful lot to enjoy about last night’s episode of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, including a fairly funny plot that revealed the secret to Marshall and Lily marital bliss (gambling!) and a surprise cameo by a certain red-headed comedian, there is one thing we’re not laughing at: That ending. Now don’t get us wrong, we were under no illusion that Ted and Robin were actually going to get together and in fact applaud what hopefully will serve as the impetus for two of our favorite unlucky-in-love characters to finally move forward with their lives. That said, we’d like to take this opportunity to call a moratorium on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER episodes that end with yet another ambiguous allusion to the infamous yellow umbrella that the show’s mythology has made clear is associated with the titular mother. Been there, done that. [Read more…]