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Fun with Surveys: Sophie's Choice Edition

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Miscellaneous | Comments (83)

ghostfuture.jpg

Today’s edition of Fun with Surveys asks you all to (hopefully) pick between two equals. It’s like choosing which is your favorite child (always choose the blonde one). The catch, of course, is that if you refuse to make a decision, your IP address will be recorded by our website and all of your information will be fed to the proper authorities so that your names will come up first when the Zombies begin their ground-force assault on the world. You won’t even have time to enjoy the crates of whiskey you have locked away in your safe house. You will die alone. And worse: You will die sober.

Our first category today is Television Shows









Movies
















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Comments

Most of those were easy until I read "Beastmaster vs Highlander" and my loud response at the computer lab was "YOU BASTARD!"

Posted by: Fredo at April 5, 2011 3:09 PM

Bill Murray over a Delorean any day any time. Case closed.

I cannot believe people like Blohan over Ledger, and kate hudson over John Cusack, but what really broke my heart was seeing all the votes for love actually: You all pulled up and missed your pluchenko. Team TOEPICK here and now and forever.

Posted by: JuiceinLA at April 5, 2011 3:10 PM

Actually, the last one was less hard for me than Buffy/Firefly and Galaxy Quest/Office Space, but the hardest one of all was VM/MS-CL. HOW could you make me choose, DR?! HOW?! *sob*

Posted by: Anna von Beav at April 5, 2011 3:11 PM

Wasn't too hard until the second to last question. That's the only one I really had to think about. But in the end... well... Goonies never say die, you know?

Posted by: Exploding Head Syndrome at April 5, 2011 3:13 PM

You really have to vote your immediate gut reaction and not think about it too much.

Posted by: pxilated at April 5, 2011 3:13 PM

I'm in actual pain over Almost Famous/High Fidelity.

Posted by: Georgia at April 5, 2011 3:16 PM

that was hard because there were so many entries where i have never seen either choice, or i had seen one choice and not thought much of it, or had seen both and felt equally meh about them. where i could make a good honest choice, i came out in the minority.

i suddenly feel pop culture alienated.

and how could you losers prefer highlander to beastmaster? frickin pod people.

Posted by: idleprimate at April 5, 2011 3:16 PM

I vote twice. Because I'm an iconoclast and a rebel. I'm sure that comes as a surprise to no one.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at April 5, 2011 3:17 PM

Mean Girls came out in 2004...

but it did have that 90s teen movie vibe so whatever.

Posted by: maka at April 5, 2011 3:18 PM

Second that Fredo. Of course, after the intial "wtf" it's Highlander, of course...

And totally nitpicking, but both Mean Girls and 10 things I hate about you are aughts movies, da doy!

And Lost? Really? Lost?

And finally Firefly > Buffy... always

Posted by: starwarsfanman98 at April 5, 2011 3:22 PM

It was harder for me to pick in the categories where I didn't like either option (see X Files v. Lost) than in the ones where I'm in love with both options (like Buffy v. Firefly). Actually, I think the hardest was 10 Things v Mean Girls because they are such different types of teen movies. Still...10 Things will always win. I may quote Mean Girls more often, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for 10 Things.

Posted by: KatSings at April 5, 2011 3:24 PM

The only one I really struggled with was Modern Family vs. 30 Rock as I do love them both equally. At the end of the day though, Liz Lemon won the day. I can not deny Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin their due, even as much as I adore Phil Dunphy (who, by the way, I had no idea was in Dawn of the Dead until I saw it at my hotel last weekend).

Posted by: prairiegirl at April 5, 2011 3:25 PM

Um, Ten Things I hate About You came out in 1999, Mean Girls in 2004. Your question is invalid. Also, Ten Things blows Mean Girls out of the water. Well-adapted teeny-bopper Shakespeare FOR THE WIN!

Posted by: Anne (no longer in Reno) at April 5, 2011 3:26 PM

There were a few false dichotomies up there for me personally. Also, I abstained from several of them, as I do not feel that I have sufficient knowledge to make an informed vote. That said, I did enjoy taking a stand on the ones that I could.

Posted by: DarthCorleone at April 5, 2011 3:30 PM

You will die sober.

The fuck, you say. I keep myself in a constant state of inebriation for just this reason.

Posted by: Paultera at April 5, 2011 3:33 PM

Yeah, pretty much decided by Murray.

Posted by: zeke the pig at April 5, 2011 3:34 PM

The Stand By Me/Goonies choice nearly broke my soul.

Posted by: Kballs at April 5, 2011 3:34 PM

There were some on the list I was not familiar with but I voted anyway. I don't want those damned zombies coming anywhere near me. Unless it's in video game format à la Left for Dead and I have my auto shottie.

Posted by: Odnon at April 5, 2011 3:35 PM

Buffy or Firefly is cruel. It would be like choosing who to sleep with, Sarah Michelle Gellar or Morena Baccarin. And in choosing Firefly I felt like I was cheating on my first true love with her best friend.

Watching Firefly again on the Science channel has been great even though I've seen the series at least 4 times already. Even one of the worst episodes, "Safe", is just a great hour of tv. Perhaps Buffy is at a disadvantage because it started out slow and then had 7 seasons whereas Firefly exploded out of the gates and only had a handful of episodes. But there is just something special about that brief run.

Ghostbusters or Back to the Future wasn't difficult to me. In the words of Tallahassee, Bill 'fucking' Murray. End of discussion.

Posted by: Dave at April 5, 2011 3:37 PM

I'm just gonna come right out and say it, I didn't love High Fidelity. I thought John Cusack's character was a shit head and if I was any one of those women I would have dumped him too.

I also don't get the adoration for The Princess Bride. I mean, I like it well enough, but I would never go out of my way to watch it. Maybe its because I never watched it as a kid.

Posted by: elgarcon at April 5, 2011 3:39 PM

I haven't started watching Mad Men yet (shut up, I've got a lot of shows on my plate) so I had to go with Walking Dead but Breaking Bad is one of the best things on TV let alone AMC and OH GOD, WHEN IS IT COMING BACK?!

Posted by: Paultera at April 5, 2011 3:41 PM

Stand By Me vs. Goonies.

That was cruel.

Posted by: superasente at April 5, 2011 3:43 PM

Stand By Me/Goonies was just MEAN Dustin. MEAN. In the end I went with the movie that absolutely defined my childhood and had Ann Ramsey.

And Buffy/Firefly was a no brainer. I enjoy Firefly, don't get me wrong but for me Buffy was infinitely more clever, groundbreaking, gut-wrenching, and funny. Plus GILES. With a CHAINSAW. I'll take him over Jayne and Vera any day.

Posted by: Julie at April 5, 2011 3:49 PM

Making me choose between Community and Parks and Rec and then between Buffy and Firefly is just mean.

Mean, mean, mean.

And cruel.

Posted by: noonoo at April 5, 2011 3:53 PM

The toughest choice for me was My So Called Life v. Veronica Mars. In the end, I had to show my age and pick MSCL.

And I loved to see Galaxy Quest up there. It might just be the most overlooked comedy.

And, seriously: X-Files v. LOST?! No brainer. "Damaged people crash on damaged island. People fix each other, then island. All consumed in bright light. Yay!" Good science fiction this is not. (FUCK YOU LINDELOF!)

Posted by: Scully at April 5, 2011 3:58 PM

I CAN'T BELIEVE Mad Men is beating The Walking Dead!

Zombies 4EVA U guyz!!! Gawd!!

(P.S. Buffy vs. Firefly was tough. I thought Ghostbusters vs. Back To The Future would be tough, but when I got there, it was Ghostbusters all the way, man. Ultimate clarity.)

Posted by: MM at April 5, 2011 3:59 PM

I hate new Firefly fans, because if they'd watched then it wouldn't have been cancelled.

But if they'd watched then and it hadn't been cancelled the network would have inserted its grubby little fingers into the show too much and its soul would have been crushed in a second season.

But at least there would have been a second season.

Of course, had there been a second season we wouldn't have gotten Serenity, where Mal both shoots first and says "I aim to misbehave."

Of course both of those things could have happened in the show eventually.

But they probably wouldn't have because some suit with good hair would have decided that geek-references and Han-in-carbonite in every episode wouldn't sell Axe body spray.

***

Firefly is a mobius strip of everyone fucking me for nine years.

Posted by: lubeg at April 5, 2011 4:13 PM

The only one I had any trouble with was Firefly vs. Buffy, actually.

Posted by: Amanda6 at April 5, 2011 4:16 PM

Before I answer any of this, I just want to clarify that you are a bastard. But... I will do my best, as much as it hurts.

Posted by: Neonlexicon at April 5, 2011 4:18 PM

Dave I kinda wanna fight you now. SMG is very pretty, but you could walk through a state university pretty much anywhere and see girls just as pretty. But Morena Baccarin is really close to supplanting Catherine Z-J in my mind as "most beautiful woman in the history of ever-ness". I just don't understand your comparison.

(I also don't really want to fight you. Maybe just flick you on the ear.)

Posted by: Hyperspermia at April 5, 2011 4:21 PM

Buffy forever!


(Seriously, I've seen all of Firefly once, and it was nice and all, but I have no desire to watch it ever again. Even with all the hot actors and witty Joss Whedon dialogue. Just not my cuppa.)

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at April 5, 2011 4:23 PM

I only just started watching Archer, so that one was difficult. As was the 30Rock/Modern Family one.

I only skipped one, and it will still keep me up at night. Princess Bride is clearly the better movie. By far. But you will NEVER get me to put down Neverending Story!

Back to the Future, by the way. There are three of them. Duh.

Posted by: ShagEaredVillain at April 5, 2011 4:23 PM

Honestly? I had no problem with any of these. I don't like Back to the Future. Community always makes me laugh harder, though Parks and Rec is far more consistent. Mean Girls (not a 90s movie, btw) is much funnier than 10 Things.

Now, if you'd made me choose between It's Always Sunny and Louie, I would have imploded.

Posted by: ChristianH at April 5, 2011 4:23 PM

oops. The above comment was me. Computer still wants to play the PLove disease game.

Posted by: Ian at April 5, 2011 4:23 PM

Rowles, I hate you for this survey.

Posted by: JenVegas at April 5, 2011 4:25 PM

i hated voting for the mess that walking dead is, but i've never seen mad men.

Would goonies be good (to watch now) if you never saw it as a kid, or would it be an annoying kids movie?

Posted by: idleprimate at April 5, 2011 4:25 PM

Mean Girls came out in 2004

Posted by: TheEmpress at April 5, 2011 4:27 PM

Mad Men vs. Walking Dead is a no-brainer (Zombie punz)
But the answer is Mad Men.
And if the question was Breaking Bad vs. Mad Men, the answer would be Breaking Bad.
Breaking Bad > Mad Men > Walking Dead.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at April 5, 2011 4:28 PM

Okay. So in the end, I think I managed to vote for the least popular in each category. I feel so out of place. Especially for picking The Neverending Story without even thinking about it. Wow. The ones that hurt the most? Community/Parks & Rec, Sunny/Archer, Beastmaster/Highlander, and the last 2.

Posted by: Neonlexicon at April 5, 2011 4:31 PM

@Scully- I am with you TOTALLY. Lindelof is dead to me now. Dead I say!

And having to chose between Sixteen Candles and Dirty Dancing is like choosing between beer and well, more beer, really.

Posted by: Amandahugandkiss at April 5, 2011 4:36 PM

You know, I'm not a big fan of all the shows and movies in the choices, but I can get why people might like th... ::looks around:: ... oh, sorry, what I meant to say was I hate the things that I don't like as well as Dustin Rowles himself! YES, I'M GLAD THAT BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER IS DEAD, AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!

Posted by: branded at April 5, 2011 4:37 PM

Ghostbusters all the way. Who would argue that it's not a great, great comedy? But for this movie, I would not have been able to incorporate the word "dickless" into so many of my fifth grade conversations. That said, it's also tragically unappreciated as THE great love story of my generation. Ever since I saw this movie as a kid, I've been half expecting Bill Murray to see me across a room and jump over a partition to meet me. Then, I don't know, maybe he comes back to my apartment to check me out. I mean, to check IT out.

Alas, as an adult, I discover the world is in woefully short supply of Bill Murrays.

Posted by: gunstreetgirl at April 5, 2011 4:39 PM

i'm sure community might be the better show, but parks has adam scott--and where adam goes, so do i.

Posted by: maxpurr9 at April 5, 2011 4:40 PM

Breaking Bad > Mad Men > Walking Dead.
Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at April 5, 2011 4:28 PM

YES. And I only watched the first season of Mad Men. Wherefore art my Walter White? I need to catch up on season three before the new season starts!

Posted by: Julie at April 5, 2011 4:45 PM

As much as I love Beastmaster...wait for it...
There can be only one.

Posted by: Paultera at April 5, 2011 4:46 PM

Julie, having not yet seen Season 4 of Mad Men, Season 3 is by far the best.

Posted by: ChristianH at April 5, 2011 4:49 PM

the dude that made beastmaster also made bubbaho-tep and the phantasm movies. weird.

Posted by: idleprimate at April 5, 2011 4:55 PM

Aaaand my head just exploded.

Sophie's choice indeed. Well played, evil overlord. Well played.

Posted by: noodlestein at April 5, 2011 4:56 PM

I had to go with Walking Dead but Breaking Bad is one of the best things on TV let alone AMC and OH GOD, WHEN IS IT COMING BACK?!

The last speculation still puts it in the summer of this year. Probably July (but nothing definite as far as I know).

YO! Gatorade Season 4 me, BITCH!

Posted by: branded at April 5, 2011 5:07 PM

Modern Family slays 30 Rock. Any day of the week. And you know what? Buffy slays Firefly. SLAYS IT. It's really not that good, and the theme song is crap.

/death wish

Posted by: Lauren at April 5, 2011 5:20 PM

Ha! I just tried to copy and paste a link to someone on Facebook but my clipboard still had what I copied from this post.

So I randomly told someone "You will die sober."

Posted by: Paultera at April 5, 2011 5:35 PM

I think they gave a fairly definite date for Breaking Bad during The Killing. I remember because I squealed like a pre-pubescent girl.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at April 5, 2011 5:41 PM

Ah. Just remembered that I was on the Internet and thus connected to the information superhighway. It'll be coming back in July.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at April 5, 2011 5:43 PM

"Buffy" IS better than "Firefly." You know why? Whedon's writing is adorably rambly and quirky and kitschy and is at its VERY best when it comes from the mouth of babes. Teenaged babes. "Buffy" every time. (Season two and three mostly. . .shut up that's more than "Firefly" had. . .catch me if you can, doucheweasals!)

Also, for all of you who voted for Highlander, meet me out back. ::cracks knuckles:: I got something to say.

Posted by: coveredinbees at April 5, 2011 5:55 PM

Meh, the ones that I could actually answer were pretty easy (out of the first 5 polls, the only thing I've seen is The Walking Dead).

Posted by: Angeleno Ewok at April 5, 2011 6:02 PM

I'm right there with everyone who died at Stand By Me vs Goonies.

Posted by: ash at April 5, 2011 6:27 PM

I'll take Ghostbusters over Back to the Future any day.

To do otherwise would be a disaster of Biblical proportions.

Posted by: John W at April 5, 2011 6:38 PM

That Ghostbusters vs. Back to the Future result is amazing. I went with the GB, just because there's only one subpar sequel. DON'T GET ME WRONG. I also love BttF2 (and GB2), but I only have so many hours in the day.

And, fuck you, Dustin, for forcing that choice between Whedon shows. Of course, I went with Buffy. Because they don't give medals for potential.

Wait. No. Now they do...

Posted by: RobP at April 5, 2011 7:19 PM

Okay, one of my goals for 2011 was to stop being judgey on the internet, but I can't not say this:

You people that picked Sixteen Candles need professional help.

Posted by: Angeleno Ewok at April 5, 2011 7:56 PM

Crispin Glover > Rick Moranis

Posted by: lawnjart at April 5, 2011 8:07 PM

Freaks and Geeks or Arrested Development???!

You monster.

Posted by: nosio at April 5, 2011 8:58 PM

How are Stand By Me and Goonies a choice for the fellas and not the fillies? Doesn't everybody love those movies?

Posted by: Pippa at April 5, 2011 9:14 PM

Have to admit to a bit of disappointment at how close the AMC poll is.

Past the first episode, The Walking Dead was honestly barely watchable for reasons that have been listed many times.

I can only assume a large portion of respondents have not seen Mad Men.

Posted by: trippdup at April 5, 2011 9:19 PM

BREAKING BAD, motherfucker. BREAKING BAD.

Not only does the new season start in July, but starting tomorrow they are rerunning the first three seasons every week until the new season starts.

BREAKING BAD, motherfucker. BREAKING BAD.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at April 5, 2011 9:43 PM

BTTF. Because it's 3 x 2.

When quality becomes a bitch, I'll take quantity for 50c, Alex.

Posted by: godzilla_foil at April 5, 2011 10:09 PM

great concept, but for many of the pools the choice was between meh and meher.

Posted by: LwoodPDowd at April 5, 2011 10:12 PM

All of these are one sided for me. Half of the time, I don't watch a lot of TV. The other half of the time, I know about, I want to watch it, I'm excited. I'm gearin' up. Oh, I missed the premier. That's okay. I'll catch the recording. It gets erased. Alright, I'll watch the rerun before the next episode. I miss that. La, la, la...it's 6 seasons later and bam, they're done. And seriously, that's how it goes. With Mad Men, with Breaking Bad, with Community...with almost fucking everything. I'm not missing anymore!

Okay, okay, you got me. I know Veronica Mars and My So-Called Life...and it's easily VM. Loved MSCL, but I loved VM more. Much more.

Posted by: Candee at April 5, 2011 10:12 PM

And Sixteen Candles, and Dirty Dancing. Fuck me, gosh.

But I went with Dirty Dancing. Dig the 80's movies, but I really didn't like Sixteen Candles. Maybe it was because I saw Pretty in Pink before I saw Sixteen candles. And I was annoyed with Molly Ringwald as the moody, not-so-popular, whatever whatever again.

And I just keep lying. I've seen the hardest. And I don't know. I watch both all the time. And are you counting just the first movies for both? Or all movies for both? I need to know all the contributing factors before I vote. Because...it would be baaaad if I voted uninformed.

Posted by: Candee at April 5, 2011 10:19 PM

You really have to vote your immediate gut reaction and not think about it too much.

That's how I got through it.

I'd agree with Breaking Bad > Mad Men > The Walking Dead.

lubeg, I feel the same way.

Posted by: Uda at April 5, 2011 10:36 PM

Sweet Christ do I love Galaxy Quest.
And Ghostbusters > BTTF purely because of the snark-master that is Peter Venkman. Been in love with him since I was 7.

Posted by: annie711pm at April 5, 2011 10:46 PM

Pick One!

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Firefly


FUCK NO.

Posted by: Figgy at April 5, 2011 11:21 PM

DarthCorleone and I might be breaking up over Buffy vs. Firefly.

Posted by: Angeleno Ewok at April 6, 2011 12:09 AM

That Almost Famous/High Fidelity one gave me pause, due to my former girlfriend. She loved Almost Famous and put it on a lot. And there were several viewings where the movie was just playing in the background. However High Fidelity, I tried to get her to watch because I loved the book, and identified with the main character. I left it with her along with several other choices I recommended when she had her wisdom teeth out... and after the sundering it was one of the things I never got back, and she never watched it... High Fidelity got my vote... so I can put that on a post-it on my Almost Famous case.

Posted by: protoformX at April 6, 2011 2:09 AM

MAN! That was painful!!! Damn you Rowles!!!

I have to say – when I was a kid I liked Back to the Future better but as an adult, Ghostbusters for sure. Funny, that...

Posted by: Sarah J-town at April 6, 2011 5:10 AM

Where we're going, we don't need roads.

Posted by: Lucas at April 6, 2011 7:33 AM

I didn't vote in the categories where I'd seen neither option, and there were quite a few.

On the ones where I love both (Buffy vs. Firefly, Ghostbusters vs. Back to the Future) I had to go with the ones I cringe least when thinking about rewatching. Sorry, but that means Firefly and Back to the Future win.

Posted by: BWeaves at April 6, 2011 9:49 AM

I expected to be a bit torn, but Buffy over Firefly by a good bit. However, Baccarin over Sarah Michelle Gellar over me in my dreams by a landslide.

In the choice of either becoming severely depressed or feeling good about myself, I choose the Princess Bride.

I still don't understand the Modern Family love, but I've only caught one episode to date, so maybe it was just a sub-par one.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at April 6, 2011 9:51 AM

The only one of these I found really difficult was F & G vs. AD, two of my favorite shows of all time. Was surprised I was in the minority on most of them though, particularly F & G and "Parks & Recreations". And "The Cutting Edge" going down to" Love Actually"? Blasphemy!

However, nice to see "Justified" getting some love b/c: Olyphant (sigh).

Posted by: kimk at April 6, 2011 10:55 AM

I'm just trying to figure out why there aren't the same number of votes for each question...

Sweet merciful crap, people, didn't you read the warnings?!?

Posted by: Cody at April 6, 2011 1:28 PM

I couldn't do it. I thought I could vote for Buffy, since it was behind and it's good to have them be more even, y'know? I even clicked the little box. But I couldn't click "vote." I couldn't vote AGAINST Firefly. But I can't vote against Buffy either, especially not when it's so behind. Every other category I managed a vote (Mean Girls v. 10 Things was rough, I'll admit) but I can't vote against Buffy or Firefly. CAN'T.

I will be dying alone and sober, but at least my conscience will be clear!

Posted by: GwenBear at April 6, 2011 3:13 PM

. I thought I could vote for Buffy, since it was behind and it's good to have them be more even, y'know? I even clicked the litthat was hard because there were so many entries where ught much of it, or had seen both and felt equally meh about them. where i could make a good honest choice, i came out in the minority.
i suddenly feel pop culture alienated.

Posted by: cosplay wigs at April 6, 2011 10:33 PM

I think you have more male readers than female and that's all this survey really comes down to. As a female I swayed easily to the minority on a lot of choices, not all, but a lot.

Posted by: Laila at April 12, 2011 2:26 AM

It can be very difficult writing blog posts that are stimulating to your readership.

Posted by: Emmie at April 15, 2011 4:13 AM