Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

gatesnotes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 490 posts

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#51

Post by ham_sandwich »

skunkworker wrote: post #7
slivym wrote: post #3

It's quite amazing how good a job Silicon Valley does considering how badly wrong it could go (I'm looking at you Big Bang Theory). I'm sure there are quite a few industries that could have similar comedies about them from people who really know what the industry is like. W1A is another great example.

This Venn diagram always gets me. https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8291744000/h3159FC59/

This chart holds only in the sense that the Kardashians play dumb caricatures of themselves. They may cater their brand to the lowest common denominator but they most certainly aren’t dumb themselves. They essentially parlayed Robert Kardashian’s friendship with OJ Simpson into a media empire; there is something to be said for how media savvy they are.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#52

Post by polartx »

ng12 wrote: post #28

I always describe Silicon Valley (the show) as being solidly in the Uncanny Valley ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley ). It's humorous and absurd, but at the same time so close to reality it's unsettling.

A couple years ago I found myself at a user conference party for the funded SaaS company I worked for. The concert was complete with open cocktail bar, Cirque du Soleil aerial performers, and (you guessed it), Flo-Rida.

For a while I couldn't decide if it was life imitating art, or a tongue-in-cheek nod to the stereotype we were seen as. But it wasn't the latter, the founder/president wasn't that self-aware.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#54

Post by deadmetheny »

blocked_again wrote: post #13
slivym wrote: post #3

It's quite amazing how good a job Silicon Valley does considering how badly wrong it could go (I'm looking at you Big Bang Theory). I'm sure there are quite a few industries that could have similar comedies about them from people who really know what the industry is like. W1A is another great example.

Pardon my ignorance but what did big bang theory got wrong?

It's a fairly traditional laugh-track sitcom with "lol nerds" as the window dressing. It's just fine as a sitcom, if you like sitcoms (I do) but actual nerds love bashing it since, surprise surprise, a network sitcom's characters are more caricatures than actual nuanced characters.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#55

Post by johan_larson »

ng12 wrote: post #28

I always describe Silicon Valley (the show) as being solidly in the Uncanny Valley ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley ). It's humorous and absurd, but at the same time so close to reality it's unsettling.

"Silicon Valley" is like Silicon Valley, but it goes to 0x11.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#56

Post by kakarot »

wil421 wrote: post #18
imgabe wrote: post #9

King of the Hill has also resurfaced on Hulu recently after not being available to stream anywhere. Mike Judge has a real talent for nailing essence of a culture.

Glad you made this comment as well. Mike Judge is one of the best at capturing culture and Americana specifically. The voice for Hank was based on some redneck guy who kept calling MTV and complaining about Bevis and Butthead.

Do you have a citation for that?

Hank Hill is ripped straight from Tom Anderson, a character from Beavis and Butthead. AFAIK Tom Anderson appeared on the show very early and the timeline you're suggesting doesn't make sense.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#57

Post by hkmurakami »

skunkworker wrote: post #7
slivym wrote: post #3

It's quite amazing how good a job Silicon Valley does considering how badly wrong it could go (I'm looking at you Big Bang Theory). I'm sure there are quite a few industries that could have similar comedies about them from people who really know what the industry is like. W1A is another great example.

This Venn diagram always gets me. https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8291744000/h3159FC59/

Imo whoever made this doesn’t understand how smart and savvy the family matriarch is.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#58

Post by agoodthrowaway »

city41 wrote: post #39
ModernMech wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget King of the Hill. That's a double check right there.

even Beavis and Butthead captured defiant male teens pretty well

Beavis and Butthead are hugely underrated. I recall people making fun of me for watching it back in the 90’s. It was almost the only TV I ever watched.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#59

Post by amyjess »

ham_sandwich wrote: post #51
skunkworker wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This Venn diagram always gets me. https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8291744000/h3159FC59/

This chart holds only in the sense that the Kardashians play dumb caricatures of themselves. They may cater their brand to the lowest common denominator but they most certainly aren’t dumb themselves. They essentially parlayed Robert Kardashian’s friendship with OJ Simpson into a media empire; there is something to be said for how media savvy they are.

You could also make the same argument about Paris Hilton. By all accounts, she's a really shrewd businesswoman.

Re: If you want to understand Silicon Valley, watch Silicon Valley

#60

Post by russellbeattie »

I haven't watched the show much, as I've lived and worked in Silicon Valley for 20+ years and I don't see much besides a superficial resemblance. I saw a bit of an episode where a few 'brogrammers' were making fun of the main character like it was a 'mean girls' high school, and I thought it was ridiculous. Then I saw another bit where one of the characters was threatening a kid for his Adderall prescription and, again, thought it was moronic. I haven't watched much else.

I compare the show to Entourage: Amusing to those outside Hollywood, but completely ridiculous to anyone who actually works in the industry.

Post reply on HN