

Ask HN: Do you think Silicon Valley (HBO) is funny or offensive? - pingburg

I just finished the third episode of Silicon Valley (HBO) and found it really funny, but wondered if those that &quot;live it&quot; also find it humorous or do they take offense?
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hashtag
I don't take offense (nothing to be personal about, why should it) but I find
the show pretty boring and awkwardly stupid if I was honest. I think it's
extremely exaggerated but not in any way I personally find is good. It's not
funny, acting seems awful, and it's nothing like Silicon Valley as I know it
and I've lived here for almost a decade. To each his own I guess. I just
stopped watching, it was too bland for my taste.

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Fr0styMatt
I tend to agree with you on this after having watched the first two episodes,
but I'm keeping an open mind (I'm still keen to see what happens, so it hasn't
lost me just yet).

The show just seems like this really weird combination where on the one hand
it tries to be ultra-realistic (hey look here's a TED talk; here's something
else mentioned in the netsphere! <insert other random SV/HN/tech cultural
reference/buzzwords just because>) but then you have that stupid premise about
the company inventing some kind of magically-impossible compression algorithm.
Plus I think it was far too quick to show it's cards; BIG COMPANY vs LITTLE
COMPANY?!?! REALLY WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT?!?!

Maybe I don't get the humor either but I can't decide whether the show is
actually trying to be a comedy or a drama. It definitely seems much more like
a drama to me. I remember genuinely laughing more at parts of 'Pirates of
Silicon Valley'.

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Patrick_Devine
I've only watched an episode and I thought it was hilarious. I don't even
think it's an exaggeration. I've worked for a company that went from a startup
to a massive company complete with big name bands playing to 12 people. I
think we've all seen bro-grammers. The roving packs of engineers was spot on.
There really are tons of crazy vehicles... my main transportation is this
thing:
[http://www.larryvsharry.com/bike/bullittstraight.jpg](http://www.larryvsharry.com/bike/bullittstraight.jpg)

For the people who don't find it funny, you may in the future. I actually
didn't think Office Space was funny the first time I saw it as it just cut too
close to the bone. Now I see it as one of the funniest movies I've ever
watched.

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pushplay
I've always liked the quote "Nobody has the right to not be offended."
Certainly as members of a very privileged group few people have that right
less than us.

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criswell
At this point... either. I am trying to like it but it hasn't happened yet. I
am pressing on because I love Mike Judge, though.

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ScottWhigham
I'm trying to understand what precisely there is that could be considered
"offensive". Can you give us an idea of what inspired your post? I'm trying to
grasp just what it is that would offend someone - is it the characters, the
hooker, the drugs, etc.

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pingburg
IMHO it's important to be able to laugh at yourself, not take yourself too
seriously, etc. I wondered how defensive folks from the Silicon Valley would
be at a show that portrayed a segment of it in less than a favorable light.
I've been pleasantly surprised.

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coffeecodecouch
[http://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=3m32s](http://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=3m32s)

So what, be offended, nothing happens. You're an adult, grow up. Deal with it.

~~~
pingburg
Do you live in Silicon Valley?

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s_m
I think it's funny, mainly because I feel like I recognize many of the
archetypes among people I know or have met. It's only a slight exaggeration of
what it's like here.

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coinspotting
FakeValley has a lighter flavor. But it is a long form read so its not the
same thing.

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jason_slack
It's funny to me. I live in "SV".

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Alexontwowheels
Obviously it's funny.

