Chicago Party Aunt
Of all the cartoons I've been watching lately, why am I compelled to say anything about this one? Is it just because I grew up near Chicago and both my parents work in the city? Is it because I have a "strong" feeling positively or negatively? It's making me think about media and cartoons broadly, and ultimately how and why we tell stories.
The gimmick is in the title. She's a party aunt. She's in Chicago. I'm almost done with the series, and I can't seem to find her likeable, endearing, relatable, or even "realistic" for a cartoon. That's an incredibly weird thing to say. I buy drug-addled cartoon dogs, talking babies, hormone monsters, and gay sponges (as much as I dislike that show). Lazy keeps coming to mind. How many words can we put between a reference to an address, icon, or cliche? Do we need jokes? Nah. Just put another hotdog in her mouth! Drink another beer!
If the creators have a connection to Chicago or an affinity for the culture therein, where is that represented? People are actually funny when they're talking shit in the Cubs bleachers. It's flat. It's safe. It's definitely been done before in similar mediocre fashion with something like Bless The Hearts. And, what's the story? Every episode is a modest day-in-the-life of people pretty much doing exactly as nothing as you'd expect in slightly different, but often the same, locations. You get the impression Chicago is taking place on a small sound stage with limited will to design new backdrops.
Perfect show for Candy Crushing as your priority or cooking and having it in the background. You don't need to hear what they're saying because you already know. You're not missing killer jokes. You're not watching thoughtfully crafted characters engage each other. You just have a crazy party aunt screaming at you in an accent so accented you wonder if they asked someone from Wisconsin to imitate Herman from Chicago Fire.
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