Hipster is NOT a hypocrite.

So you all know I'm not exactly a big fan of Steve Jobs. People like to say I'm a hypocrite behind my back and it's perfectly reasonable. But I think it's time you all need to know. No, I'm not one.

Apple fanboy - "Hey, Wei Lun. If you HAAAAAATE Apple so much why do you own an iPad?"

Me - "Dude, take a chill-pill. It came with the car."

Apple fanboy - "So why do you keep using it when you hate it?"

Me - "Beggars can't be choosers. When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade. You know what I mean."

Apple fanboy - "Wei Lun. Y U no sell?"

Me - "My parents bought the car. Not me. Ergo that iPad is theirs."

You'd never think I would say this but...

...I've given up on sitcoms. I haven't given up on comedy though, so it's K.


I remember just a few months ago, every day after school. I'd throw my bag on the floor, go straight to my computer and turn on PPS. Hoping for the next episode of The Big Bang Theory. Back then, food and other things weren't that important. All I needed was a good laugh. Now that passion is gone. Sitcoms became DEAD TO ME.


1) There are too many sitcoms out there.
Every September (September is like TV's birthday. It's the month where new TV shows come up) a popular channel would spawn up around 10-15 sitcoms. However only 3-5 will make it the first season. Why? Because there are literally dozens of sitcoms out there about romance and friendship. So there's bound to be ideas that overlap. Jokes you've heard. Antics you've seen. This year alone I've seen 3 Friends clones. Where's originality? Sorry but I'm out.


2) Diamonds aren't forever.
Of the 3-5 that are so original and funny they make it out alive, they go stale. Quick. Take for example Two and a Half Men. For the first few seasons they were pretty funny. (Sex jokes aren't really my thing but it's Jake that got me hooked.) Eventually during the 3rd season onwards things got boring. It was always the same thing. Alan trying to find love. Charlie getting drunk. Jake being Jake. Around the 7th season they even recycled jokes. So during the second last season (before it was cancelled) I gave up. 8 years of sex jokes were more than enough. Which brings me to this:


3) They drag on FAR TOO LONG.
Today everything revolves around money. Popular sitcoms tend to last almost a decade. Sure they're raking up money as we speak. (Fun fact: Even after it ends they still get paid through syndicated TV shows. Jerry Seinfeld earned USD$100mil from his sitcom Seinfeld even though the show ended 13 years ago.) When TV shows go for too long, ideas run stale. Scrubs comes to mind.


Sometimes TV shows are staying on air for far too long they tend to insert filler episodes (episodes that has nothing to do with the main plot). This pisses a lot of people off. We want to know how he met his kid's mother. We don't care about other things.


4) Change for the worse
Sometimes sitcoms lose contact with their roots. The best example I could think of right now is The Big Bang Theory. TBBT initially was about a bunch of geniuses interacting with a hot blonde. Now it's this weird romance thing. And they're no longer portrayed as nerds but geeks. I love geeks as much as the next guy but where's the intellectual banter? Where's the quick-witted Physics/Math quips? I miss those. Frankly if it we'rent for Amy Fowler I would have left the series. She's the only one doing this.
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Truth be told the only TV comedy genre that never failed to give me a chuckle or two are single camera comedies (Glee, 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreations, Community, Modern Family, Cougar Town to name a few) and improvisational TV shows (Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, Improv-a-Ganza). 

Single camera comedies are unique. They seem to be the most unique of all premises. Jokes that are all fresh. New. And doesn't need to rely on sex jokes to give a good laugh. Kudos to the writers. Single camera comedies always start out horrible. Like really bad. This gives them the incentive to work harder Season 2 onwards and from there the ratings SOAR.

Glee for example started off as a black comedy. Black comedies are one of the best genres of all time frankly speaking but it doesn't go hand-in-hand with the show's musical, gleeful high school premise (pun totally intended) Season 2 onwards they ditched the whole irony and sarcasm with something more witty and BOOM success and main appeal. Glee (as of 2010) has the most Billboard positions than any group/artist.

Parks and Recreations started off as a boring clone of The Office but Season 2 onwards, they started to flesh out their characters and gave a premise of their own.

Cougar Town started off with the worse premise ever. A old lady looking to prey on a young man. That's just creepy. Season 2 they started exploring the lives of each of lovable friends of the circle. A better Friends 2.0. Sad they can't change the name. They tried to convince the studios to change it but the contract said they can't. So yeah.

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Enough of this useless rant. I'll go watch some 30 Rock. Peace.

Hipster Likes #3 - TVTropes.org

Visit this site: tvtropes.org

It's kinda like a website for cliches (called tropes) found in media. Be it stories, movies, film, video games, anime or music. Anything. Only thing is, technically they're not cliches. Tropes are like elements found in media. Like for example in RPGs, The Knight In Shining Armour is the hero that always comes and rescue the princess. Or The Backstabber which is common in lots of stories. It's kinda hard to explain until you really get to this website. I'm totally recommending this if you love seeing your favourite stories or movies at a different angle.

Note: If you're lost, just type your favourite whatever in the search bar and click on one of the pages and start learning from there. It's truly an interesting read. From there every blue highlighted term is a trope (again kinda like a cliche but not one) and you can even go to that tropes wiki to see that same trope on other media.

Hipster Likes #2 - Space Channel 5

Even though this isn't the best graphics on a PS2, it's still incredibly fun. Space Channel 5 is a rhythm game where you play as Ulala, a young sassy space reporter. While on a report, the ship she is in is attack by aliens. What does she do? Dance her way out of this mess and save the galaxy!

Gameplay wise is simple yet addictive due to its award-winning soundtrack. (It's a music game after all) This is how it goes:

1) Alien says directions in beat of music.
2) You repeat what alien says.

Kinda like a musical Simon Says.

And that pretty much goes on for the entire game. Which is incredibly short. Just 2 hours.

Take my word for it. If you're a niche person like me, don't miss out on this. And if this is not your type of game just give it a shot. It won't hurt. Satisfaction guaranteed. If you just so happen to see this in the bargain bin, pick it up. It's worth it if you don't have anything else to play.

Another reason to get this: Michael Jackson appears in the second half of the game to help Ulala save the galaxy. And yes. It the REAL Michael. Voice and dance and all. His last video game appearance before his passing.

Here's a trailer.



(PS Sega just released an HD remake of this game for the Xbox, PS3 and PC.)

Slice of Life: Lady In Elevator

So I was in the elevator holding a bunch of groceries and a lady walks in. She almost tripped (kinda like a stumble) so I smiled at her since I thought my bags made her fall and usually a smile symbolizes a silent apology. Turns out she tripped on her own dress so, to her, I looked like a jerk for smiling at a falling lady. Screw this for being nice.

Hipster Insight #2 - Choices

I will let my child know there are other phone OS's besides Apple like an Asian parent should tell their child there are other jobs besides businessman/engineer.