4th wall breaking-Only good when they do it right or just no. plain no.

[Mitchman]

So yeah. Do you mind if in your favorite television show they break that mystical invisible wall that has the number 4? I personally do not mind. In my favorite show when they do it, they do it with class. The characters critisize the show themselves they call some of the other actors lame(like the son character calls the father character in the show lame when really its his own father) or another one says oh look that guy looks just like me! or someone talks or looks to the camera. Do you like that or no?

 

[LightningTopaz]

I like 4th wall breaking, if done right. (eg. Mario yelling "Stop the music!" in one episode of the old SMB3 cartoon, which of course, stopped the background music)

 

[1337R34P3R]

i agree, i think it's a valuable tool when used right.

 

[Mooites]

I like it. It adds humor, I think. I especially like how its done in Ouran High School Host Club, where the characters will say "Hey, ___ was last episode!" or something like that.

 

[Insanish Danish]

(eg. Mario yelling "Stop the music!" in one episode of the old SMB3 cartoon, which of course, stopped the background music)

Holy crap, I remember that. I feel old. :O

But yeah, I like 4th wall breaking. If it's done the right way, then it's pretty funny.

 

[Halberd Bravo]

Fourth-wall breaking is great when they do it right, and just annoying when they mess it up.

Shows like The Simpsons fail at it, sadly.

 

[Zephy]

I adore it when it is done correctly. For example a play I saw once when there was one character who could break the fourth wall and none of the others could.
Sadly, it's most often pathetic and done poorly.

 

[bell02+]

I won't say that the simpsons fails at it, actually I think they're pretty funny when they do it (especially remembering the old ones like the anniversary episode was pretty funny for a clip show)

I also liked it when Heroes made some last season.I can't remember any notoriously bad ones, but most notoriously bad ones are intentionally bad, which makes it funny for making a person squirm.

 

[mr3urious]

So long as the timing is right, it can be really funny.

 

[Lawliet]

It always annoys me. It reminds me that it is not real, and it's only another world. I'd like if it was all avoided.

 

[1337R34P3R]

well, that only really matters if you're watching a serious show. breaking the 4th wall is usually used for comedic purposes.

incidentally, what are the other 3 walls?

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Wikipedia to the rescue!

The term "fourth wall" stems from the absence of a fourth wall on a three-walled set where the audience is viewing the production. The audience is supposed to assume there is a "fourth wall" present, even though it physically is not there.

 

[Trainer'sInsomnia]

well, that only really matters if you're watching a serious show. breaking the 4th wall is usually used for comedic purposes.

incidentally, what are the other 3 walls?

I believe they'd be referring to stage left and right, as well as upstage, in a theatrical sense.
----

One of my favorite comic characters, Deadpool, was pretty famous for breaking the fourth wall a few times. They'd be little funny snippets... For instance, a character tells him, "Haven't seen you in a long time", he'd respond with something like, "Yeah... I mean, what's it been, like, Issue #16?"

 

[Æsahættr]

I'm a bitchy pedant when it comes to my fandoms, so when I get really immersed in the world of a show or a game and they break the fourth wall, the illusion is broken and it is very jarring for me.

For example, I was totally into MGS4. I was so immersed in the game, you couldn't pull me out with a crane. And then I got to the bit where Otacon calls you and tells you to change the disc, and then talks about being on the PS3 and remembering that the discs are now big enough to store the whole game.

Yeah it was a great little titbit for the returned MGS fans who used to have to change discs, but I would much rather have that conversation only happen once you've played through the game, because it broke the illusion for me and I had to work to get back into the mindset.

I do like non-canon breakage of the wall, though. The Music Of The Spheres Doctor Who special, where the Doctor spoke to the crowd at the Proms from a huge screen in the auditorium (pretending it was a portal), was particularly fun. It wasn't canon so you didn't realy have to suspend disbelief.

 

[Luxio2k8]

Fourth Wall jokes are just for fun. I don't mind them. . . most of the time.

 

[Hyasynth]

The only times I mind 4th wall breaking is when they don't do it right and just sounds stupid or uncalled for.

 

[PockyAddict]

I like the breaking of the fourth wall when it's done right, and when it's done wrong. The joke crashes and burns, ( I saw this happen on a serious show and it really crashed and burned.)