Can somebody explain Bojack Horseman to me?

As someone who works in the film industry and spent time in L.A., a lot of it is scathingly accurate. It's a very smart show with complex characters and an all too true depiction of your typical washed up tv actor.

It's a very dark comedy that showcases the realistic downside to fame in an oftentimes absurdist manner to keep things from being too heavy.

Just because it's accurate doesn't mean it's interesting. I think Hollywood way overrates our level of interest in their own inside baseball navel gazing.

My problem with Bojack is that it wants me to spend time with these characters who all hate themselves. Why the hell would I want to do that? I mean, the characters in say, Vice Principles are also awful people, but they at least think they are awesome. Bojack wants to mine pathos from a character that, frankly, hasn't earned it.

There's also the cheap joke of going after 70s/80s sitcoms as disposable trash. First off, that's such low hanging fruit, it should be beneath the writers. secondly, no one ever thought otherwise. It's not revealing some great truth that we just can't handle, man.

But mainly, it's just not all that funny. It's self-indulgent as hell. If I want to watch a 30-minute in joke, I'll hang out with my friends.

Well, the show Vice Principles is encouraging us to laugh AT the main characters. It's not my favorite show on earth, but it's not aiming for pathos, it's just aiming for laughs. If they ever became self-aware, the show would be relentlessly depressing.

Bojack starts as self-aware, so it starts as relentlessly depressing. But that self-awareness also prevents me from engaging with the character. The show aims for pathos, but it's all unearned (which is why Danny McBride doesn't even aim for pathos). But most importantly, it's a comedy that lacks any laughs. I'll forgive a lot if it's funny.

Bojack's writers wants me to view him as a tragic figure. And I don't. The show doesn't work if you don't view Bojack as tragic. The miseries piled on, say, the crew of Always Sunny aren't tragic either, but the show wants me to view it as funny. Which it is. And also righteous. They deserve their suffering, and I enjoy it. Bojack wants us to think the characters don't quite deserve their lots... but they do. There is no tragedy, but that's what they are selling.

Well you just gave a well thought out explanation for why this show isn't funny.

I think Bojack is just an a-hole who deserves what he gets. It's not tragic if you just personally cant get your life together.

Mr. Peanut Butter- I don't even know what he is supposed to allude to. Dumb successful actors?

This show is just over my head.

You watched 2 seasons of it, despite the fact that your didn't like it. Huh.

I gave up way quicker than you. I didn't even last 1 episode. I guess I just wasn't in the mood, and I was planning on giving it a shot later if I felt like it. That's less likely now.

If you look at it like a drama that happens to be a cartoon, then it's better

i dont really have an explanation, but i fricking love it. different strokes

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To me, it's basically an extension of Ugly Americans

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I like both but besides the animation style they have nothing in common.