So...uh..what's wrong with these forums?

[hipsterthor]

Like seriously, this whole forums perplexes me.
I've estimated this forum has had near 4,000 members since it started, and from what I've seen its the only legit MST3K devoted board on the internet. I see views stack up on each sub forum and thread, but its like no one posts anything. Idk if its the same poster(Torgo?) refrshing the page over and over, or if dozens of MSTies just come in here to read and never post.

I will say that the forum is not inactive, but seriously, it appears we're averaging 5 posts a day. The last post in CFM, as of writing this, was on September Third! Why is it such a borderline Ghost Town around here?

On my home board, about Godzilla movies(What else?) we always have topics getting bumped and discussions and arguments going back and forth, and we only have 28 movies to talk about!

You guys have nearly 200, PLUS the stuff that keeps pumping out of Rifftrax and Cinematic Titanic

I mean, as a relatively inexperienced MSTie, I wanted to join this board to talk about and learn about MST3K and have debates wit people about certain things and IDK...just discuss the thing I love with other people that love it too, but that's pretty hard when the MST3K chat averages one post a day...

[Torgo]

Uhhh...there's nothing wrong with them. What's wrong with yours?

[hipsterthor]

Nothing...we just you know...talk about things...here its so disjointed and sporadic and sparse.

[Torgo]

It's a board dedicated to a puppet show that has been dead for 12 years. We spike in activity when there's a new DVD set, but most have come, said their peace, and moved on. Possibly to the boards for RiffTrax and Cinematic Titanic, which are much closer to the cast members themselves, as opposed to us, who opporate independantly as a fan group.

Maybe our best years are behind us, but for a board that is dedicated to a project that is long dead, we still average around 80 members per day, and I'd say those are pretty decent numbers.

[hipsterthor]

Sept 8, 2011 1:28:39 GMT -5 Torgo said:

It's a board dedicated to a puppet show that has been dead for 12 years. We spike in activity when there's a new DVD set, but most have come, said their peace, and moved on. Possibly to the boards for RiffTrax and Cinematic Titanic, which are much closer to the cast members themselves, as opposed to us, who opporate independantly as a fan group.

Maybe our best years are behind us, but for a board that is dedicated to a project that is long dead, we still average around 80 members per day, and I'd say those are pretty decent numbers.

But I don't get that...As i said, on the other forum igo on, we are always talking about the same 28 movies, and have been for years. Comparatively, you guys have so much more to talk about. SO MUCH MORE. I just don't get why no one is. MST3K may be dead for now, but they still left behind a legacy of almost 200 hundred movies to talk about. Besides, you never know if MST3K might be revived under a new host aand bot's on another station...

poopie, I don't even like Rifftrax or Cinematic Titanic. Where am I supposed to talk about this stuff if not here?

[Torgo]

A film lagacy is different than a cult television show that did modestly in ratings, especially one that isn't even in reruns anymore. It's difficult for the series to generate new fans, and the projects that do (Cinematic Titanic and RiffTrax) have their own boards.

This board started when MST was still airing in reruns, which meant new people were catching it. We increased in popularity when we asked Satilite News to link us on their site, which they kindly did. That was many years ago. There's not many new members we can squeeze out of much of anything anymore.

As for the members we do have, we aren't going to hold a gun to their head and say "post damnit!" If they have something to say, they will.

[Mighty Jack]

Seriously, you can go on and on and on about 28 movies? Hell I'm a huge Bond fan and I can't sustain a nonstop level of conversion on the series. (our lone thread here, that pops up whenever theirs new news, is sufficient for me)

As for MST, After a while, what else is there to talk about? We've debated favorite eps, least favorites eps, favorite hosts. Done every kind of poll you can imagine. Over the past few years we've mined every possible subject. At this point all I'd be doing is repeating the same things I said 5 years ago. And I'd find that boring. For example: Jack Frost is my favorite episode. But do I want to restate that every day? Hell no.

I'm pretty well talked out on MST3K. Every once in a while I'll get a spark (as when I did my 30 days of Halloween thread last year) but most of my time here is spent on the movie forum. A little on the music, a little with Rifftrax and CT (Others seem to gravitate to Sloanes). I like the people here, I've enjoyed conversing and joking around with them for quite a few years. So we talk about other things than MST now, I'm okay with that.

I understand that can be frustrating for someone new to the board.

[hipsterthor]

Sept 8, 2011 1:43:18 GMT -5 Torgo said:

A film lagacy is different than a cult television show that did modestly in ratings, especially one that isn't even in reruns anymore. It's difficult for the series to generate new fans, and the projects that do (Cinematic Titanic and RiffTrax) have their own boards.

This board started when MST was still airing in reruns, which meant new people were catching it. We increased in popularity when we asked Satilite News to link us on their site, which they kindly did. That was many years ago. There's not many new members we can squeeze out of much of anything anymore.

As for the members we do have, we aren't going to hold a gun to their head and say "post damnit!" If they have something to say, they will.

So...what? Is MST3K destined to die off and fade form the public conscience forever?

[Torgo]

Sept 8, 2011 1:44:52 GMT -5 Mighty Jack said:

Seriously, you can go on and on and on about 28 movies? Hell I'm a huge Bond fan and I can't sustain a nonstop level conversion on the series. (our lone thread here, that pops up whenever theirs new news, is sufficient for me)

As for MST, After a while, what else is there to talk about? We've debated favorite eps, least favorites eps, favorite hosts. Done every kind of poll you can imagine. Over the past few years we've mined every possible subject. At this point all I'd be doing is repeat the same things I said 5 years ago. And I'd find that boring, Jack Frost is my favorite episode. But do I want to restate that every day? Hell no.

I'm pretty well talked out on MST3K. Every once in a while I'll get a spark (as when I did my 30 days of Halloween thread last year) but most of my time here is spent on the movie forum. A little on the music, a little with Rifftrax and CT (Others seem to gravitate here). I like the people here, I've enjoyed conversing and joking around with them for quite a few years. So we talk about other things than MST now, I'm okay with that.

I understand that can be frustrating for someone new to the board.

I was actually thinking of dusting off Forrest's old weekly episode viewing discussion topic to see if that would generate more interest in series discussion. Not sure how enthusiastic the reaction might be though.

[Mighty Jack]

Just because we don't have 10 new threads a day on MST, doesn't mean it's fading away forever, lets not get melodramatic about it.

[Torgo]

Sept 8, 2011 1:49:07 GMT -5 hipsterthor said:

Sept 8, 2011 1:43:18 GMT -5 Torgo said:

A film lagacy is different than a cult television show that did modestly in ratings, especially one that isn't even in reruns anymore. It's difficult for the series to generate new fans, and the projects that do (Cinematic Titanic and RiffTrax) have their own boards.

This board started when MST was still airing in reruns, which meant new people were catching it. We increased in popularity when we asked Satilite News to link us on their site, which they kindly did. That was many years ago. There's not many new members we can squeeze out of much of anything anymore.

As for the members we do have, we aren't going to hold a gun to their head and say "post damnit!" If they have something to say, they will.

So...what? Is MST3K destined to die off and fade form the public conscience forever?

It's a very real possibility. There are tons of old TV shows that have a fanbase in their own decade but fade into obscurity becauae public interest isn't high enough. MST doesn't even have the advantage of airing on network television.

That said, the MST fanbase is obviously still alive. Shout's sales figures are proof. So we aren't going anywhere anytime soon. At least until Shout Factory runs out of episodes they can afford.

[Mighty Jack]

Sept 8, 2011 1:50:36 GMT -5 Torgo said:

Sept 8, 2011 1:44:52 GMT -5 Mighty Jack said:

Seriously, you can go on and on and on about 28 movies? Hell I'm a huge Bond fan and I can't sustain a nonstop level conversion on the series. (our lone thread here, that pops up whenever theirs new news, is sufficient for me)

As for MST, After a while, what else is there to talk about? We've debated favorite eps, least favorites eps, favorite hosts. Done every kind of poll you can imagine. Over the past few years we've mined every possible subject. At this point all I'd be doing is repeat the same things I said 5 years ago. And I'd find that boring, Jack Frost is my favorite episode. But do I want to restate that every day? Hell no.

I'm pretty well talked out on MST3K. Every once in a while I'll get a spark (as when I did my 30 days of Halloween thread last year) but most of my time here is spent on the movie forum. A little on the music, a little with Rifftrax and CT (Others seem to gravitate here). I like the people here, I've enjoyed conversing and joking around with them for quite a few years. So we talk about other things than MST now, I'm okay with that.

I understand that can be frustrating for someone new to the board.

I was actually thinking of dusting off Forrest's old weekly episode viewing discussion topic to see if that would generate more interest in series discussion. Not sure how enthusiastic the reaction might be though.

The thing with me personally, is that riffing is off my radar right now. I still haven't finished watching the Gamera set, haven't reviewed a Rifftrax in months.

But others might be into it. I don't know. It ebbs and flows for me. In a few months I might be in MST-zealot mode.

[Torgo]

Sept 8, 2011 1:55:58 GMT -5 Mighty Jack said:

Sept 8, 2011 1:50:36 GMT -5 Torgo said:

I was actually thinking of dusting off Forrest's old weekly episode viewing discussion topic to see if that would generate more interest in series discussion. Not sure how enthusiastic the reaction might be though.

The thing with me personally, is that riffing is off my radar right now. I still haven't finished watching the Gamera set, haven't reviewed a Rifftrax in months.

But others might be into it. I don't know. It ebbs and flows for me. In a few months I might be in MST-zealot mode.

I'm kind of the same way. That's why MST didn't hit my top five when I posted my Arts and Entertainment list months ago. Several things just kind of have been getting on my radar more often.

But I still have a taste for the series. I'm currently breezing through my DVDs. Check out the I Just Finished Watching thread. I've been dominating that all week.

[hipsterthor]

Sept 8, 2011 1:55:29 GMT -5 Torgo said:

Sept 8, 2011 1:49:07 GMT -5 hipsterthor said:

So...what? Is MST3K destined to die off and fade form the public conscience forever?

It's a very real possibility. There are tons of old TV shows that have a fanbase in their own decade but fade into obscurity becauae public interest isn't high enough. MST doesn't even have the advantage of airing on network television.

That said, the MST fanbase is obviously still alive. Shout's sales figures are proof. So we aren't going anywhere anytime soon. At least until Shout Factory runs out of episodes they can afford.

in the years since MST3K shut down, I am shocked the show, given its fanbase, hasn't tried to move on again somewhere else. Sure we'd get a new host, bots, and writing staff, but with all the new channels due to the expansion of communications technology, I can see MST3K fitting in on many stations.

Look at G4. Other than X-play and Attack of the Show, they literally show nothing. All they do is screen reruns of COPS and Star Trek. (Idk if they still do Movies that Don't Suck. That was pretty awesome.) Surely they could fill a 2 hour timeslot, and there viewers are certainly the type to watch it.

I just don't get this attitude that MST3K is dead. Maybe people are content with Rifftrax and CT? I know I'm not...they just aren't the same. Especially Rifftrax. I don't see the point in riffing, say, LOTR. It's a great film, what are you adding with a 3 and a half hour commentary? I hate it when they do good movies, because they end up looking so stupid...that is Nelson, Murphy, and Corbett.

i remmeber watching the Jurassic Park one...Weird Al is one of the worst comedians ever.

[Mighty Jack]

^as they say, to each their own.

I don't think it will fade forever and crumble to dust. It'll just be on autopilot.

There are still foums for old shows, but it's usually a small group that gathers. There are still Kolchak forums, and I'll get an update every once in a while. But there's not a lot to talk about. McGavin has died, the episodes are all out on DVD. Not a lot of new topics to stir the pot.

But the gang from MST are still kicking, doing their things. Going to cons and conducting interviews. As Torgo mentioned, SHOUT is still releasing stuff. The life isn't completely out of us MSTies yet.