Why Bad Writing Makes Me Mad
So, I just watched several episodes of Robotboy and I found myself getting more and more frustrated with the show with each passing episode. You can read my full review on Imdb (https://www.imdb.com/review/rw6188540/?ref_=tt_urv) but generally speaking, one of the things that made me mad about the show is just how terrible the writing is. I’m often called too harsh when it comes to shows like Robotboy and Summer Camp Island, but I think it’s 100% valid to express how you felt about a movie or TV show that legitimately frustrated you in some way. All the while being fair and not condescending towards the cast and crew, of course. Allow me to explain why bad writing makes me mad and how I express that anger in my critiques.
Obviously there’s no right or wrong way to tell a story. It’s all a matter of taste and how a story succeeds or fails varies from person to person. For me though, a story fails when it’s either sluggishly paced or way too rushed. I’m all for slow burn stories, but something interesting needs to be happening before we get to the best part. I hate it when a movie or show constantly pads the story with pointless segways that lead to nowhere or are otherwise just not funny. Animal Crackers comes to mind of a film that’s loaded with montages and musical numbers that amount to nothing. I also don’t like it when jokes are predictable and have a lame punchline. For example: “Hey, who’s the freak?” “G-Man and Belly Man here; and the freak is Tommy.” That’s from Robotboy episode 2a and I audibly groaned as I heard this. Of course Gus would throw Tommy under the bus being the obnoxious stupid little brat that he is. Perhaps you found that joke funny and I respect your opinion, though I disagree strongly. If a show or movie is going to take its time building up to a climax, the least it can do is be funny/interesting. As for stories being rushed, I get cartoons these days clock in at 11 minutes, but they really need to not cram in so much plot in so little time. The first episode of Chuck Chicken packs in at least 3 episodes worth of plot into one 11 minute episode. I hear the counter argument “well kids have a short attention span” and I feel that undermines kids. Sure, they can be impatient, but they’re not stupid. They will sit down, shut up and watch a show if it’s telling a good story in a fun and interesting way. I was having a hard time sitting still watching Robotboy and I’m 24. I think it’s best to take your time with your story but not too much time that it becomes sluggish and boring.
Another problem that stems from bad writing is forcing a conflict to happen. Remember that episode from Dexter’s Lab where Dexter got detention not because he was being a bad kid, but because some dumb kid kept asking him the question to #1? Yeah, that’s what I call forced conflict. Every conflict needs an inciting incident, but the ones that don’t come naturally are the most frustrating to sit through because the main character can’t catch a break. I recall Trey Parker describing a story outline and saying if the words “and” and “then” belong in story beats, you’re toast. The words “and” and “then” are exactly how you force a conflict to happen. All too often in shows and movies I find this happen and it frustrates me because I get what the writers are trying to do, but they’re not doing it well that’s the problem. The Devil All the Time is full of moments like this and in addition to being a downer it’s also a pretty boring film. Watch the full video of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s writing advice because they’re much more accomplished writers than me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGUNqq3jVLg
Another pet peeve I have when it comes to bad writing is when it tries to tell a good message in a muddled story. The most recent and infamous example is the French film Cuties. The film itself is a boring coming-of-age story made worse by having underage girls twerking and gyrating among other obscene things kids should NEVER do. I get the director wanted to criticize the sexualization of young girls, but in doing so the film became part of the problem. All the film did was give me uncomfortable flashbacks to the Powerpuff Girls reboot in 2016, which did the exact same thing with the exact same results. There was also the episode Nobody Doesn’t Like T.J. from Recess which tried to convey the message “not everyone is going to like you” but did it poorly because TJ never did anything for the kid to dislike like him. I get writers want to teach good lessons and be good influences, but they still need to tell a story. One of Pixar’s rules for storytelling is “Trying for theme is important, however you won’t see what the story is about until you’re at the end of that story. Got it? Now rewrite.”
I suppose a counter argument to my take is “writing is hard” and yeah, I agree it is hard, but that’s not a get out of jail free card. Look, I’ve written my fair share of terrible tales and I’m very critical of my amateur self because I now have the knowledge and experience to do better. This is something I expect every writer to do. If you’re and aspiring writer, the last thing you want to do is make the same rookie mistakes you made when you first started writing. Storytelling 101 dictates that you show, not tell. In my early years, I used to do a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing. On my Booksie page (https://www.booksie.com/users/benjaminfenty-157553) you’ll find I reuploaded several stories I wrote back in the early 2010s. I cringe every time I look at them because I did everything a writer is NOT supposed to do. I told instead of showed, I valued quantity over quality, I crammed in too much plot into one story, I forced conflict and poorly handled good messages. I’m not infallible and I don’t pretend that I am, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to get angry when a movie or show makes writing no-nos because they’re on a tight schedule. I know no ones perfect, but I can’t expect every writer to be an amatuer like me either. Make no mistake, I have nothing but respect for every single writer in the entertainment industry and me getting mad at their work doesn’t mean I despise them. It simply means I see their potential and it makes me bitter that is was squandered. In my reviews, I don’t stoop to the level of calling the writers (or anybody working on the show or movie) incompetent or lazy. I’m frustrated, yes, but I’m also critical and fair in my feedback. Just as good writing makes me happy and proud of the writers, bad writing makes me mad and disappointed in them.
