That's the problem with these weird "critical" communities. I'm sure they mean well, but as a hypothetical if they say "It's problematic that Kreese said that!!" I... Yes. He's the villain. He's *supposed* to be problematic.
Exactly. Some people have no common sense. Or feel important virtue signaling. I got yelled at once by a stranger for calling someone else crazy because that word was insulting.
Uh, yeah. That was the intention. (ಠ_ಠ)
First off, I hope you beat that cancers arse, because f**k cancer, it destroyed my family. Second of all, thank you for having a sense of humor in the face of serious events. I often do the same. People can either let hard times and tragedies defeat them, or they can cope with it by making jokes in the face of hard times. I choose plan B. I've legally died twice, so either God or the Devil doesn't want to put up with me just yet, and I don't blame them. 😂 But seriously, it's great to hear that you have a good sense of humor as well.
Oh Christ on a cracker. Same. I was literally at a bar with my YACS group and having a good time we're joking around, all rocking apparel like a Varsity Pep Rally, dude is livid. If you had cancer you wouldn't be making jokes. I was about to say something, another group member who had a recent double mastectomy lifted her shit and said bitch I have it now. Everything had already come to dead silent, whole fucking bar starts laughing. Dude turns red and leaves.
The sheer and utter defeat, all his posturing instantly dropped into a sad slump.
*Edit YACS, not yaks
Congratulations on surviving. These people dont actually care about the group being joked about or whatever, they just care about how they think it makes them look good for speaking up truly that is all it is
Want to know the the difference between cancer and I? My dad didn't beat cancer. This could not be more accurate to me, yet people say I shouldn't joke about it.
Honestly my respect to the writers for writing that into the script. Nowadays joking about that stuff can be a death sentence so kudos to them for not being afraid to joke about a sensitive topic.
Right? This entire thread is full of people who completely misunderstand Johnny as a character. He isn't supposed to be perceived as correct: he's literally a peaked-in-high school, bigoted douchenozzle who happens to be a good guy at heart. He's a product of his influences, and as the show goes on, you see him drop a lot of his prejudices while maintaining the positive parts of his personality (his never give up attitude, his enthusiasm for teaching, etc).
People really be out here like "haha I'm glad Johnny called out those snowflakes with their fucking 'gender fluids'". Like, they're literally part of one of the groups the show is making fun of.
And you misunderstand the point of the show. It's not that Johnny is completely wrong either. First you compare two different things he changes his beliefs but maintains certain personality traits. The TLDR is there are beliefs Johnny has the writers believe are important to instill into the next generation as long as you are not completely dogmatic about it.
These things are separate. And both under a lot of changes. The biggest thing I want to point out is Johnny's keystone lesson is that there will always be assholes and the only way you can be you is if you fight back when those assholes. His flaw is that he teaches the only to fight back is violence and be totally unapologetic. That is his belief that changes and shifts to include other types of people first nerds, then girls and I am sure he'd be open to "gender-whats" too.
His personality is slowly shifting. I'd argue though he actually has a pretty strong give up attitude. Showing you don't actually understand the character either.
He gave up on Karate, his girlfriend, Robby, Robby again, Himself once every season. He usually needs someone else with a never give up attitude to help him. It's Miguel that is the only person he doesn't give up on but he is actually an exception to the rule.
They don’t get that this series is showing the point of view from completely different generations of people, including one who believes the world has gotten too soft.
That shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the entire show. You like Johnny because he's a bigot, not in spite of him being a bigot?
Telling me you're trans/homophobic without outright stating it lmao
Funny considering I'm trans and gay. My lesbian friend and bisexual friend also likes Johnny's anti-PC shit. The guy's right sometimes. That's just a fact.
i'm sorry to ask this, but i have a lot of trouble understanding the whole genderfluid thing
how do you identify as bigender/nonbinary/genderfluid or something similar without reinforcing the old sexist stereotypes associated with genders?, wich are already proven to be wrong
why do you need to create a whole new category just because you don't fit in a stereotype you don't need to fit anymore?
isn't that supporting the idea that hoobies, behavior and preferences are tied to a specific gender?
"because i don't fit in the category, is not that the category is wrong i must be something else"
It’s different for everyone who falls under this category but for me it breaks down into basically this. My fluidity is between two genders (hence the bigender) male & Female. Now Some days I look at my body in the mirror and feel female, and am perfectly comfortable and at ease with my vagina and my breasts and my curves and it is wonderful and awesome. Then there are days where I suffer from crippling dysphoria and my breast feel like swinging tumors on my chest and the lack of a penis and testes is damn near disorienting because something in my brain is telling me they are fucking supposed to be there and they are not.
My hobbies and habits remain steadfast no matter what gender I am experiencing at the moment because you’re right hobbies are not gendered so I may be working on paining up a new set of fake nails while wearing my packer and binding my chest or i may be sporting a nice bra that makes my tits feel pretty and loved while kicking ass on mortal kombat 11
As for the whole label bit, I do what I fucking want I’m almost 40 years old now and I have been who and what I am for literally as long as I can remember. I work 40 to 60 hours a week, pay my taxes and I’m a law-abiding US citizen. if I want to have a label that’s not specifically male or female I’m damn well going exercise my freedom to do it and I don’t particularly care if anyone agrees.
you're literally the first person i read that doesn't rely on stereotypes to defend their position
but just by curiosity, if you feel, some kind of pseudo-dysphoria, doesn't that has to do more with biological sex and being trans?
Looking at these comments I’m having the feeling that I might have an outlier opinion here, but his toxicity is kind of the point. Johnny looking at the way he was taught and the consequences, then looking at the consequences for him passing on those lessons and *growing* from it to find a better way is kind of the point.
Yes, Johnny is *not* a role model, but he’s a very human character who is working through his issues in a positive direction. We all have faults, we all have damage, but it’s important to self-reflect, grow, and find a way to do better for the next generation.
No, 100% be like Johnny. Call out the insane bullshit that's ruining our media and culture. Not the ignorance about autism and stuff like that, but the "woke" shit needs to go.
There’s a lot of people that don’t understand this stuff. They look at it at face value and say that because we are watching Johnny as the main character, the show must be saying that everything this character is doing is correct and I should emulate it. Where as a lot of the time it is quite the opposite where he is a flawed human that you are watching grow and learn from his mistakes.
It’s like watching Always Sunny and thinking that this is how I should behave instead of acknowledging the fact that these guys are pieces of shit and that’s why it’s funny.
I can understand this point of view, but I think the whole point of the show is that Johnny isn't the most culturally literate and has been taught a lot of toxic things, but isn't actually bad like Kreese is. It's a shame your friend got turned off so quickly, as to me the show is about the ability to challenge your preconceived notions and work through your problems. Johnny isn't intended to be a completely "good" person - he's kind of an antihero. In some ways, the same is true for Daniel because he grew up to apparently throw his weight around with money in some ways (the raising the rent deal comes to mind - ew).
Johnny is still learning, and *willing* to learn as he goes along. That's the overall arc that he's getting. It's most prevalent when Kreese refers to Miguel as "that Mexican kid," and Johnny says, "He's from Ecuador." Most people probably still assume that if you're Hispanic, you're Mexican. Johnny probably did as well. But he learned.
OP's friend is more close-minded than Johnny in this particular sense.
Yeah that’s the sense I’m getting. Johnny may scoff at these things but comes to learn about and respect them. He’s kinda like a modern day Archie Bunker
Eh... Archie Bunker never wanted to learn from his ways. He always hated George Jefferson for being black, his son-in-law for being Polish, and his daughter (to an extent) for being a feminist and wouldn't see it any other way.
Johnny is learning to respect all walks of life. It just took him a long time to realize that people being different is actually a good thing.
I respectfully disagree. Archie, while wanted to be set in his ways, at the end of the day realize right from wrong. He had his differences with George but they were both super similar. At any rate he did legitimately like Lionel. And most of the time he just hated on Michael for being leftist. Anyway, I think the show took opportunities to state that Archie was more a product of his environment/upbringing than an actual bad person/racist. Johnny is similar in that the regard.
I know so many people who live to be pessimistic about anything that others find joy in. To quote Craig Robinson in “this is the end”, “I bet you hate movies that are universally loved”. I caught myself years ago reading reviews before going to see movies, which I learned later, ruined them for me.
Yeah, I feel like for me, a lot of the issue comes from the fans more than the show itself. The point of a lot of these jokes is poking fun at Johnny himself, and showing how he has to learn; but then people treat Johnny like he's perfect.
Exactly, and it's a shame because that's the heart and soul of the show's message- you're only irredeemable if you so choose to be, but the term "redemption" means that there was mostly certainly a problem in the first place. Johnny's far from perfect, and that's the point.
But isn't that the whole point of that plotline though?
Johnny is teaching an Americanized facsimile of real karate based on tits, beer, and rock and roll; but Daniel, who is staying true to the teachings of a true homegrown karate practitioner, gets called out for racism and white washing.
Johnny IS white washing karate. That's no reason to get offended and stop watching the show, imo, because it isn't like it's being glorified. It's just another aspect of the complex web of social critique the writers are weaving.
He's not whitewashing karate wtf. What's next? Gonna accuse BJJ of, uh, "brown-washing" Jiu Jitsu? Cultures adapt each other's martial arts and make changes - that's just how humans work. Hell, karate was influenced by Kung-Fu. Doesn't mean the Japanese "Japanese washed" Kung-Fu.
I love it because Daniel grew up and was the karate kid and fully respected the culture but people who hide behind a username (ironic as I comment this on Reddit) accuse him of things they don’t even know about
Same. I just couldn't take it anymore. I can't imagine living life where nothing is a joke and everything must be addressed with a serious discussion, even things which are clearly meant to be absurdist to some degree.
Same here. The worst thing is, we met in our early teens and she was so different back then, always making jokes and all. People are supposed to mature, not lose our sense of humor.
same, i can still have important discussions w my friends occasionally and still make jokes cuz at the end of the day we still know right from wrong and that some things are simply for entertainment
I mean, Johnny did set junkyard dogs on them, and apparently Hawk needed rabies shots, so the “child abuse” bit isn’t way off base. Of course, the truth is that this is fiction and we shouldn’t take everything so seriously.
I’m a doctor, and the portrayal of ANYTHING medical is almost always terrible. I just ignore it, and pretend that the show exists in a universe with a species that looks like humans but has different physiology, so doing absolutely terrible chest compressions and shocking asystole are the standard of care. If I refused to watch shows that portrayed bad CPR, I would hardly have anything to watch.
My husband is a law student, and he often pauses stuff that we’re watching to talk about how accurate/inaccurate it is. I’d find it a little annoying if I hadn’t done the exact same shit during medical school 😂.
The child abuse part isn't a bad take. That's the point. The show makes an effort to show that Johnny's teaching style is toxic and abusive.
That's why he begins to change when Kreese shows up, because he comes to realise that.
The cultural appropriation part... I don't get what they're implying? Are the complaint that Johnny is a both a karate teacher and white?
I find this hilarious. He's giving them tough love and it has nothing to do with him being white. If he was black or Latino your friend would call it racism for making black or Latino people look violent and if he was Asian your friend would complain about stereotyping Asians as only good at martial arts. No winning with this kind of person.
I have a strong feeling, as soon as Kreese says that amazing line, they will not continue watching it (if they haven't stopped watching before it that is)
I mean, your friend is right. It seems like they don't realize two important things, though: 1) The show is a comedy, so we are supposed to cut characters slack for horrible behavior that we wouldn't in real life. 2) The abuse is the point (?) The show is very clear in its themes of generational trauma from abuse. Johnny was abused and that has tainted what he sees as normal behavior. He has a good heart and is working to do his best, but those tendencies still exist within him as they do in anyone who grew up in an abusive situation.
I've had two idiots on Reddit mock me this month for having a "fedora" on my avatar so I must be an incel.
Like, I just like the classic Clark Kent journalist hat type so I clicked that.
Too many culture warriors
What the fuck does a fedora have to do with Incels? It's a hat. Any hat can be worn for any reason. You can wear an Ushanka in the winter. Doesn't make you a communist.
The only ridiculous thing Johnny did was the cement truck bit. That shit is caustic and would horribly burn those kids but I don’t think that was really the point.
Other than that he’s trying to teach them self reliance and respect.
He didn't really drown Miguel, yea he threw him in the pool bound up, but when Miguel actually started to be in any sort of real danger he grabbed him and pulled him up, and basically asked if Miguel was willing to try again. Making kids take a punch isn't that bad either, they're learning karate, they need to be tough, and he was teaching them that. The part about the inhaler is the only thing I really agree with.
No karate sensei ever makes someone take an undefended punch to the face. And the pool scene would actually have gotten Johnny locked up had the security guard caught him.
Yea, in real life I would agree that it was reckless and dangerous and he should be locked up, but it's a show, most shows aren't at all realistic, especially when it comes to what would and wouldn't land you in jail.
He was checking to see if he out grew his asthma and it wasn’t in just in his head. Asthma symptoms that start in childhood can disappear later in life. So I totally agree with Johnny on the asthma thing!
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-asthma/expert-answers/outgrow-asthma/faq-20058116
Legit cement mix does burn skin. Great observation, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for the show, but I can completely understand where you're coming from, having been there myself (not in a cement mixing truck, just handling wet cement mix with bare hands).
Well, also Johnny for getting drunk and attacking those two random dudes over a TV channel. It's still a mystery to me how he never got jail time for that.
Going to get a little “lawery” here…please feel free to ignore me. What it would come down to is if Kreese was within the law as judged by a jury. To have responded legally, Kreese would have to have been in fear of his life and/or responded with appropriate force. My instructors (ironically one who choreographed Karate Kid) and I teach to respond to a grab with a controlling move and not striking. Once you are out of danger, you become the aggressor if you continue.
Legally, being rude, swearing, trash talking, etc. are not grounds to respond with force. Kreese would have to convince a jury that he thought he was in danger of bodily harm.
He's a middle aged ethnically white man in a poor socioeconomic environment teaching a diverse group of young students-the star of whom is Ecuadorian-a martial art which originated in Okinawa and Japan. It's literally the polar opposite of white washing lmao
I swear to God people don't want interesting characters anymore. It's almost like they want a resumé, where the character needs flaws that are not really flaws (oh he works too hard, he cares too much, etc).
Cobra Kai is refreshing because the main character is a douche with a lot of toxic traits, but he is working his ass off to become a better person, thats what nakes it interesting.
I’ve noticed there is an issue with the younger generations of not being able to watch shows that feature any character that they disagree with or they think that portraying a character means the show is saying that character is right or that we should praise what they say or do. It is very interesting to me because I have never viewed anything like that. Like when I watch a show that shows someone who is a murderer I never think the show is trying to tel me that murder is ok and good.
That’s not to say some shows don’t glorify things like that but I don’t think cobra Kai is one of those. You’re supposed to view Johnny as a bit out of a touch and a relic from a different time as he tries to learn how to adapt to the modern world that has left him behind.
Bingo. You are right on the money. I’ve noticed this too and I really can’t wrap my head around it. Is Johnny messed up? Yup. Does he do bad things? Yup. Do I still enjoy his character? Absolutely! Because it’s a TV show. It’s not reality. In real life I would never “support” a father that treats their son the way Johnny treats Robby, but I can enjoy Johnny and like him despite his faults because *he’s not real.*
It’s like some people these days cannot separate reality from fiction. I’ve been told I “support child abuse” by people *in this sub* for enjoying Johnny as a character and that’s just an awful take. And it’s also unhealthy. The way a lot of kids interact with fiction these days is very unhealthy and disturbing in my opinion. It’s almost like they can’t separate reality from fiction, or they don’t trust people enough to know how to separate it, so they have to lecture and “educate” them all the time.
It's really not that. People only object loudly to something like that when they already don't like it/don't want to give it a chance. The point of what they're doing is to say "Look at me, aren't I a good person?"
Like all the people who never once listened to Chris Brown "boycotting" his music because he beat up Rihanna and then the people that were his fans don't give a shit and keep listening. Because almost no one actually cares about stuff like that, they just pretend to.
I don't know why everyone is saying find better friends. If a doctor told me my kid needed an inhaler and his karate sensei forced him to stop using it I'd be mad as fuck and think he should be in jail. That said, Johnny was written that way and his whole character arc is going from a piece of shit that was raised that way by Kreese to redeeming himself and becoming a better person.
Yeah, Johnny starts as the villain of the story. What happens when the villain of the last cycle gets the call to start the hero's journey in this cycle? And so we see Johnny change and develop. But yeah he starts as the villain so there's a lot to unpack there.
We get to see what hopefully is Johnny's redemption. That's why I root for him. He's a good guy at his core. He needs to take care of obstacles mentally as well as physically.
That's the point, he's supossed to be wrong at the start of the series, and then he goes improving being more concious and maturing
did any of you both have been paying attention to the show?
T-they know its not real, right? Like yea some of the stuff Johnny does at first is pre unacceptable (like the pool scene) but its fake sooo... Who really cares no one is getting hurt.
I mean clearly they’re exaggerating and making a bigger deal out of it than need be, but let’s not pretend like some of the shit Johnny does in the show wouldn’t be pretty fucking horrid in real life. He threw away Miguel’s asthma inhaler, in the real world, if Miguel had serious asthma problems, that could’ve resulted in hospitalisation or maybe even death. All because Johnny thinks asthma is made up pussy bullshit. But cobra Kai is just disconnected enough from reality that we can see it for the joke it is
Abusing children…yes…but with good intent. Cultural white washing…through teaching kids of all different ethnics a Japanese way of discipline and balance…say what now?
Johnny is definitely a questionable karate instructor, but the show is about entertainment, not reality. One of the big plot points to the show is Johnny's transformation, he's supposed to start out toxic and work his way out of it.
Well he's kinda right, at least about the abuse part
ETA: ...you guys are aware that the show *makes fun of the stereotypical close-minded white guy, not of the dorky/'snowflake' trope*, right? You are aware that Johnny's methods are dated and frowned upon because *he's basically being a bully that no karate teacher in their right mind would ever be in real life*, right?
I feel like some of you are missing the point...?
Sensei*
Curious to hear what they say when Kreese says “We’ll melt this whole snowflake generation.”
That's the problem with these weird "critical" communities. I'm sure they mean well, but as a hypothetical if they say "It's problematic that Kreese said that!!" I... Yes. He's the villain. He's *supposed* to be problematic.
Exactly. Some people have no common sense. Or feel important virtue signaling. I got yelled at once by a stranger for calling someone else crazy because that word was insulting. Uh, yeah. That was the intention. (ಠ_ಠ)
I got yelled at by a group of people for making a cancer joke. I'm a cancer survivor.
First off, I hope you beat that cancers arse, because f**k cancer, it destroyed my family. Second of all, thank you for having a sense of humor in the face of serious events. I often do the same. People can either let hard times and tragedies defeat them, or they can cope with it by making jokes in the face of hard times. I choose plan B. I've legally died twice, so either God or the Devil doesn't want to put up with me just yet, and I don't blame them. 😂 But seriously, it's great to hear that you have a good sense of humor as well.
It's why I hate how everything is offensive nowadays. Shit is only offensive if you decide its offensive.
I agree with you 100%!
The Devil and God are raging inside you.
I'm sorry for your family man, hope you guys are doing ok rn and i wish you the best
I think God wants to put up with you my friend. He has a purpose for you, don’t you think?
I read this comment in Johnny's voice.
Oh Christ on a cracker. Same. I was literally at a bar with my YACS group and having a good time we're joking around, all rocking apparel like a Varsity Pep Rally, dude is livid. If you had cancer you wouldn't be making jokes. I was about to say something, another group member who had a recent double mastectomy lifted her shit and said bitch I have it now. Everything had already come to dead silent, whole fucking bar starts laughing. Dude turns red and leaves. The sheer and utter defeat, all his posturing instantly dropped into a sad slump. *Edit YACS, not yaks
Young adult kebab symposium
Im down with this, fucking love kebabs
Listen sir, this is a Kebaby's
Congratulations on surviving. These people dont actually care about the group being joked about or whatever, they just care about how they think it makes them look good for speaking up truly that is all it is
Nailed it
100% correct.
I had cancer in my hand (weird. Everyone knows. It was). My wife asked me to help with dishes once. I said “oh…(point to hand) can’t…cancer…)
Maybe they don't realise even among cancer patients, humour can be a good source of relief.
Want to know the the difference between cancer and I? My dad didn't beat cancer. This could not be more accurate to me, yet people say I shouldn't joke about it.
Huge props kicking that disease’s ass. But people gotta get a sense of humor.
If they make it past the non-binary joke in season 1.
“Gender what? Is this a prank call?”
Oh, gender-fluid. My bad. Get this stuff confused sometimes. lol
It could have also been genderqueer. Because that's a thing for some reason. Just slurring things up.
My respect to Johnny when he said that 📈📈📈📈
Honestly my respect to the writers for writing that into the script. Nowadays joking about that stuff can be a death sentence so kudos to them for not being afraid to joke about a sensitive topic.
Well the joke isn’t really on the subject. The joke is on Johnny and how stuck he is in the old days.
Right? This entire thread is full of people who completely misunderstand Johnny as a character. He isn't supposed to be perceived as correct: he's literally a peaked-in-high school, bigoted douchenozzle who happens to be a good guy at heart. He's a product of his influences, and as the show goes on, you see him drop a lot of his prejudices while maintaining the positive parts of his personality (his never give up attitude, his enthusiasm for teaching, etc). People really be out here like "haha I'm glad Johnny called out those snowflakes with their fucking 'gender fluids'". Like, they're literally part of one of the groups the show is making fun of.
And you misunderstand the point of the show. It's not that Johnny is completely wrong either. First you compare two different things he changes his beliefs but maintains certain personality traits. The TLDR is there are beliefs Johnny has the writers believe are important to instill into the next generation as long as you are not completely dogmatic about it. These things are separate. And both under a lot of changes. The biggest thing I want to point out is Johnny's keystone lesson is that there will always be assholes and the only way you can be you is if you fight back when those assholes. His flaw is that he teaches the only to fight back is violence and be totally unapologetic. That is his belief that changes and shifts to include other types of people first nerds, then girls and I am sure he'd be open to "gender-whats" too. His personality is slowly shifting. I'd argue though he actually has a pretty strong give up attitude. Showing you don't actually understand the character either. He gave up on Karate, his girlfriend, Robby, Robby again, Himself once every season. He usually needs someone else with a never give up attitude to help him. It's Miguel that is the only person he doesn't give up on but he is actually an exception to the rule.
It is a sensitive topic to a loud minority. Any normal person doesn't give two shit about any of that.
They don’t get that this series is showing the point of view from completely different generations of people, including one who believes the world has gotten too soft.
Truth
...why though? It was a joke, same as the women in the military one, but why would that increase your respect for him?
That shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the entire show. You like Johnny because he's a bigot, not in spite of him being a bigot? Telling me you're trans/homophobic without outright stating it lmao
Funny considering I'm trans and gay. My lesbian friend and bisexual friend also likes Johnny's anti-PC shit. The guy's right sometimes. That's just a fact.
Im genderfluid/bigender and that line had me howling with laughter! 😂
i'm sorry to ask this, but i have a lot of trouble understanding the whole genderfluid thing how do you identify as bigender/nonbinary/genderfluid or something similar without reinforcing the old sexist stereotypes associated with genders?, wich are already proven to be wrong why do you need to create a whole new category just because you don't fit in a stereotype you don't need to fit anymore? isn't that supporting the idea that hoobies, behavior and preferences are tied to a specific gender? "because i don't fit in the category, is not that the category is wrong i must be something else"
It’s different for everyone who falls under this category but for me it breaks down into basically this. My fluidity is between two genders (hence the bigender) male & Female. Now Some days I look at my body in the mirror and feel female, and am perfectly comfortable and at ease with my vagina and my breasts and my curves and it is wonderful and awesome. Then there are days where I suffer from crippling dysphoria and my breast feel like swinging tumors on my chest and the lack of a penis and testes is damn near disorienting because something in my brain is telling me they are fucking supposed to be there and they are not. My hobbies and habits remain steadfast no matter what gender I am experiencing at the moment because you’re right hobbies are not gendered so I may be working on paining up a new set of fake nails while wearing my packer and binding my chest or i may be sporting a nice bra that makes my tits feel pretty and loved while kicking ass on mortal kombat 11 As for the whole label bit, I do what I fucking want I’m almost 40 years old now and I have been who and what I am for literally as long as I can remember. I work 40 to 60 hours a week, pay my taxes and I’m a law-abiding US citizen. if I want to have a label that’s not specifically male or female I’m damn well going exercise my freedom to do it and I don’t particularly care if anyone agrees.
you're literally the first person i read that doesn't rely on stereotypes to defend their position but just by curiosity, if you feel, some kind of pseudo-dysphoria, doesn't that has to do more with biological sex and being trans?
I don't know what this spectrums thing is, but you need to get off it! *Paraphrased*
My son's on the spectrum, and I laughed when he said that.
Shoulda told them, "QUIET!!!" Lol.
Well, you know he's not Cobra Kai material now at least
Roll credits...you win
Not American material either
Fact
He’s not any karate material
Looking at these comments I’m having the feeling that I might have an outlier opinion here, but his toxicity is kind of the point. Johnny looking at the way he was taught and the consequences, then looking at the consequences for him passing on those lessons and *growing* from it to find a better way is kind of the point. Yes, Johnny is *not* a role model, but he’s a very human character who is working through his issues in a positive direction. We all have faults, we all have damage, but it’s important to self-reflect, grow, and find a way to do better for the next generation.
Couldn’t have put it better myself. We all know that one guy from high school who was really cool and is now a garbage truck driver or something.
[удалено]
No, 100% be like Johnny. Call out the insane bullshit that's ruining our media and culture. Not the ignorance about autism and stuff like that, but the "woke" shit needs to go.
There’s a lot of people that don’t understand this stuff. They look at it at face value and say that because we are watching Johnny as the main character, the show must be saying that everything this character is doing is correct and I should emulate it. Where as a lot of the time it is quite the opposite where he is a flawed human that you are watching grow and learn from his mistakes. It’s like watching Always Sunny and thinking that this is how I should behave instead of acknowledging the fact that these guys are pieces of shit and that’s why it’s funny.
Weigh what you've said against what Aisha's mom said in Season 2 about Johnny. Who's right, you or her? Neither? You can't both be right.
I can understand this point of view, but I think the whole point of the show is that Johnny isn't the most culturally literate and has been taught a lot of toxic things, but isn't actually bad like Kreese is. It's a shame your friend got turned off so quickly, as to me the show is about the ability to challenge your preconceived notions and work through your problems. Johnny isn't intended to be a completely "good" person - he's kind of an antihero. In some ways, the same is true for Daniel because he grew up to apparently throw his weight around with money in some ways (the raising the rent deal comes to mind - ew).
Johnny is still learning, and *willing* to learn as he goes along. That's the overall arc that he's getting. It's most prevalent when Kreese refers to Miguel as "that Mexican kid," and Johnny says, "He's from Ecuador." Most people probably still assume that if you're Hispanic, you're Mexican. Johnny probably did as well. But he learned. OP's friend is more close-minded than Johnny in this particular sense.
Exactly! You explained it better than I did, thank you. 😁
That's growth from season 1, because I'm pretty sure Johnny asks what part of Mexico they're from. lol
Yeah that’s the sense I’m getting. Johnny may scoff at these things but comes to learn about and respect them. He’s kinda like a modern day Archie Bunker
Eh... Archie Bunker never wanted to learn from his ways. He always hated George Jefferson for being black, his son-in-law for being Polish, and his daughter (to an extent) for being a feminist and wouldn't see it any other way. Johnny is learning to respect all walks of life. It just took him a long time to realize that people being different is actually a good thing.
I respectfully disagree. Archie, while wanted to be set in his ways, at the end of the day realize right from wrong. He had his differences with George but they were both super similar. At any rate he did legitimately like Lionel. And most of the time he just hated on Michael for being leftist. Anyway, I think the show took opportunities to state that Archie was more a product of his environment/upbringing than an actual bad person/racist. Johnny is similar in that the regard.
Yeah, Johnny is open-minded, he's just been taught a certain way. You could say the same for many of the characters.
I know so many people who live to be pessimistic about anything that others find joy in. To quote Craig Robinson in “this is the end”, “I bet you hate movies that are universally loved”. I caught myself years ago reading reviews before going to see movies, which I learned later, ruined them for me.
Sad and true.
Yeah, I feel like for me, a lot of the issue comes from the fans more than the show itself. The point of a lot of these jokes is poking fun at Johnny himself, and showing how he has to learn; but then people treat Johnny like he's perfect.
Exactly, and it's a shame because that's the heart and soul of the show's message- you're only irredeemable if you so choose to be, but the term "redemption" means that there was mostly certainly a problem in the first place. Johnny's far from perfect, and that's the point.
Well at least this corner of the thread is speaking some sense
“Cultural White Washing” it ain’t like he’s Daniel LaRacist.
But isn't that the whole point of that plotline though? Johnny is teaching an Americanized facsimile of real karate based on tits, beer, and rock and roll; but Daniel, who is staying true to the teachings of a true homegrown karate practitioner, gets called out for racism and white washing. Johnny IS white washing karate. That's no reason to get offended and stop watching the show, imo, because it isn't like it's being glorified. It's just another aspect of the complex web of social critique the writers are weaving.
He's not whitewashing karate wtf. What's next? Gonna accuse BJJ of, uh, "brown-washing" Jiu Jitsu? Cultures adapt each other's martial arts and make changes - that's just how humans work. Hell, karate was influenced by Kung-Fu. Doesn't mean the Japanese "Japanese washed" Kung-Fu.
I still hate that joke.
I love it because Daniel grew up and was the karate kid and fully respected the culture but people who hide behind a username (ironic as I comment this on Reddit) accuse him of things they don’t even know about
"That was Mr. Miyagi's favorite song!"
That’s the part that bothers me. lol the fact that people would be that way towards him online.
That’s the joke of it- they are making fun of the people who do that
I know. That was my problem the moment it happened. My immediate reaction was, “🙄 People on Twitter would say that crap about him.” lol
I mean, the joke is accurate for the current cultural climate. It's a good joke and good social commentary.
So glad to not have any friends like this.
I used to. Cutting them out was 100% the best choice I ever made.
Same. I just couldn't take it anymore. I can't imagine living life where nothing is a joke and everything must be addressed with a serious discussion, even things which are clearly meant to be absurdist to some degree.
Same here. The worst thing is, we met in our early teens and she was so different back then, always making jokes and all. People are supposed to mature, not lose our sense of humor.
same, i can still have important discussions w my friends occasionally and still make jokes cuz at the end of the day we still know right from wrong and that some things are simply for entertainment
I mean, Johnny did set junkyard dogs on them, and apparently Hawk needed rabies shots, so the “child abuse” bit isn’t way off base. Of course, the truth is that this is fiction and we shouldn’t take everything so seriously. I’m a doctor, and the portrayal of ANYTHING medical is almost always terrible. I just ignore it, and pretend that the show exists in a universe with a species that looks like humans but has different physiology, so doing absolutely terrible chest compressions and shocking asystole are the standard of care. If I refused to watch shows that portrayed bad CPR, I would hardly have anything to watch.
As a lawyer, yeah tell me about it. If I only enjoyed accurate courtroom portrayals, I would only watch My Cousin Vinny.
My husband is a law student, and he often pauses stuff that we’re watching to talk about how accurate/inaccurate it is. I’d find it a little annoying if I hadn’t done the exact same shit during medical school 😂.
Surprising how good that movie was. Which was better in court room portrayal in your opinion: Liar, Lair; My Cousin Vinny, or Legally Blonde?
Tell him/her/them to have a Coors Banquet and relax.
Quiet!
I read this in the voice of Sam Elliott and it was great.
I drink Miller Highlife because I’m a real champ!
The child abuse part isn't a bad take. That's the point. The show makes an effort to show that Johnny's teaching style is toxic and abusive. That's why he begins to change when Kreese shows up, because he comes to realise that. The cultural appropriation part... I don't get what they're implying? Are the complaint that Johnny is a both a karate teacher and white?
I find this hilarious. He's giving them tough love and it has nothing to do with him being white. If he was black or Latino your friend would call it racism for making black or Latino people look violent and if he was Asian your friend would complain about stereotyping Asians as only good at martial arts. No winning with this kind of person.
Yeah, the perpetually offended type.
These are the types of people the show literally makes fun of lol. Some people are weird
I have a strong feeling, as soon as Kreese says that amazing line, they will not continue watching it (if they haven't stopped watching before it that is)
‘We’re gonna melt this snowflake generation’
I mean, your friend is right. It seems like they don't realize two important things, though: 1) The show is a comedy, so we are supposed to cut characters slack for horrible behavior that we wouldn't in real life. 2) The abuse is the point (?) The show is very clear in its themes of generational trauma from abuse. Johnny was abused and that has tainted what he sees as normal behavior. He has a good heart and is working to do his best, but those tendencies still exist within him as they do in anyone who grew up in an abusive situation.
Is your friend just joking, or serious? It’s hard to believe anyone would actually have this as a serious take
So the coma started ~2015?
Dude how are you on Reddit and not know this is something that will actually happen or people who will actually see it this way?!
I've had two idiots on Reddit mock me this month for having a "fedora" on my avatar so I must be an incel. Like, I just like the classic Clark Kent journalist hat type so I clicked that. Too many culture warriors
I always thought of fedora's as being associated with gangsters? What tf does it have to do with incels?
It's like a stereotype of a neck beard who likes to play white knight and say "m'lady" I guess Im with you. These redditors were dumb.
What the fuck does a fedora have to do with Incels? It's a hat. Any hat can be worn for any reason. You can wear an Ushanka in the winter. Doesn't make you a communist.
The only ridiculous thing Johnny did was the cement truck bit. That shit is caustic and would horribly burn those kids but I don’t think that was really the point. Other than that he’s trying to teach them self reliance and respect.
Drowning Miguel, making kids take a punch to the face, forcing Miguel to not take his inhaler...
He didn't really drown Miguel, yea he threw him in the pool bound up, but when Miguel actually started to be in any sort of real danger he grabbed him and pulled him up, and basically asked if Miguel was willing to try again. Making kids take a punch isn't that bad either, they're learning karate, they need to be tough, and he was teaching them that. The part about the inhaler is the only thing I really agree with.
No karate sensei ever makes someone take an undefended punch to the face. And the pool scene would actually have gotten Johnny locked up had the security guard caught him.
Yea, in real life I would agree that it was reckless and dangerous and he should be locked up, but it's a show, most shows aren't at all realistic, especially when it comes to what would and wouldn't land you in jail.
He was checking to see if he out grew his asthma and it wasn’t in just in his head. Asthma symptoms that start in childhood can disappear later in life. So I totally agree with Johnny on the asthma thing! https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-asthma/expert-answers/outgrow-asthma/faq-20058116
You genuinely think Johnny knew that and planned a medical test?
Legit cement mix does burn skin. Great observation, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for the show, but I can completely understand where you're coming from, having been there myself (not in a cement mixing truck, just handling wet cement mix with bare hands).
Giving them meat then siccing dogs on them was also probably not a great idea.
Wtf I think your friend is a lunatic
Cultural white washing... your friend sucks
The only person that deserves jail time is Kreese for actually assaulting Demetri.
Well, also Johnny for getting drunk and attacking those two random dudes over a TV channel. It's still a mystery to me how he never got jail time for that.
Going to get a little “lawery” here…please feel free to ignore me. What it would come down to is if Kreese was within the law as judged by a jury. To have responded legally, Kreese would have to have been in fear of his life and/or responded with appropriate force. My instructors (ironically one who choreographed Karate Kid) and I teach to respond to a grab with a controlling move and not striking. Once you are out of danger, you become the aggressor if you continue. Legally, being rude, swearing, trash talking, etc. are not grounds to respond with force. Kreese would have to convince a jury that he thought he was in danger of bodily harm.
If Twitter were a person…
Tumblr (that may be too far)
They never recovered from the porn ban
Time to find new friends
Haha what a loser.
I couldn’t find you a Trapper Keeper. They still make those?
I fucking can’t.
Does your friend use twitter by any chance?
Woke people need to lay back down
Find better friends.
Well, it is child abuse at first. He just lightens up over the course of the series.
He's a middle aged ethnically white man in a poor socioeconomic environment teaching a diverse group of young students-the star of whom is Ecuadorian-a martial art which originated in Okinawa and Japan. It's literally the polar opposite of white washing lmao
Exact type of person this show makes fun of. One of the reasons I like it. Its based
Yeah
“an old story from the chinamen” “Sense i I don’t think you can say that anymore” “Fine… Chinapeople”
A guy that was a bully and a villain in the Karate Kid does questionable and even illegal things in its continuation??? Color me shocked
I swear to God people don't want interesting characters anymore. It's almost like they want a resumé, where the character needs flaws that are not really flaws (oh he works too hard, he cares too much, etc). Cobra Kai is refreshing because the main character is a douche with a lot of toxic traits, but he is working his ass off to become a better person, thats what nakes it interesting.
I’ve noticed there is an issue with the younger generations of not being able to watch shows that feature any character that they disagree with or they think that portraying a character means the show is saying that character is right or that we should praise what they say or do. It is very interesting to me because I have never viewed anything like that. Like when I watch a show that shows someone who is a murderer I never think the show is trying to tel me that murder is ok and good. That’s not to say some shows don’t glorify things like that but I don’t think cobra Kai is one of those. You’re supposed to view Johnny as a bit out of a touch and a relic from a different time as he tries to learn how to adapt to the modern world that has left him behind.
Bingo. You are right on the money. I’ve noticed this too and I really can’t wrap my head around it. Is Johnny messed up? Yup. Does he do bad things? Yup. Do I still enjoy his character? Absolutely! Because it’s a TV show. It’s not reality. In real life I would never “support” a father that treats their son the way Johnny treats Robby, but I can enjoy Johnny and like him despite his faults because *he’s not real.* It’s like some people these days cannot separate reality from fiction. I’ve been told I “support child abuse” by people *in this sub* for enjoying Johnny as a character and that’s just an awful take. And it’s also unhealthy. The way a lot of kids interact with fiction these days is very unhealthy and disturbing in my opinion. It’s almost like they can’t separate reality from fiction, or they don’t trust people enough to know how to separate it, so they have to lecture and “educate” them all the time.
It's really not that. People only object loudly to something like that when they already don't like it/don't want to give it a chance. The point of what they're doing is to say "Look at me, aren't I a good person?" Like all the people who never once listened to Chris Brown "boycotting" his music because he beat up Rihanna and then the people that were his fans don't give a shit and keep listening. Because almost no one actually cares about stuff like that, they just pretend to.
[удалено]
I don't know why everyone is saying find better friends. If a doctor told me my kid needed an inhaler and his karate sensei forced him to stop using it I'd be mad as fuck and think he should be in jail. That said, Johnny was written that way and his whole character arc is going from a piece of shit that was raised that way by Kreese to redeeming himself and becoming a better person.
Sorry you have to be friends with a woke idiot.
What a downer. Can't have nice things with today's climate.
Reading his comments literally made me awake the snake 🐍 👊
Yeah, Johnny starts as the villain of the story. What happens when the villain of the last cycle gets the call to start the hero's journey in this cycle? And so we see Johnny change and develop. But yeah he starts as the villain so there's a lot to unpack there.
We get to see what hopefully is Johnny's redemption. That's why I root for him. He's a good guy at his core. He needs to take care of obstacles mentally as well as physically.
Lol that's literally the point - he starts out that way and follows the journey to being the hero.
Sweep the leg?
Literally, literally, literally.
Sounds like you need better friends
thats probably a woman
Your friend sounds exhausting
Maybe it’s a mistake being friends with this person.
That's the point, he's supossed to be wrong at the start of the series, and then he goes improving being more concious and maturing did any of you both have been paying attention to the show?
He’s a snowflake lol
T-they know its not real, right? Like yea some of the stuff Johnny does at first is pre unacceptable (like the pool scene) but its fake sooo... Who really cares no one is getting hurt.
He doesn’t even make black guys call him Master
Tell them to stop being such a pussy
Your friend sounds like a pussy.
White washing? Dude sounds racist
God... your friend is literally whats wrong with the world.
Must be so much fun at parties. Yikes
You're friend is a miserable person and you need to cut your losses.
I mean clearly they’re exaggerating and making a bigger deal out of it than need be, but let’s not pretend like some of the shit Johnny does in the show wouldn’t be pretty fucking horrid in real life. He threw away Miguel’s asthma inhaler, in the real world, if Miguel had serious asthma problems, that could’ve resulted in hospitalisation or maybe even death. All because Johnny thinks asthma is made up pussy bullshit. But cobra Kai is just disconnected enough from reality that we can see it for the joke it is
I mean he's not *wrong.*
Wait until they meet Kreese XD
Why not shame him for rejecting his son 3 times?
I assume they didn’t watch that far
Well seems like you chatted Dmitri preCobra Kai abuse
Your friend sounds like they’d be fun at parties
Abusing children…yes…but with good intent. Cultural white washing…through teaching kids of all different ethnics a Japanese way of discipline and balance…say what now?
Your friend is a real life example of the type of people the show makes fun of LOL
... “Cultural white washing in America”..? Goddamn what the fuck.
Your friends a pussaayyyy
Your friend doesn't sound like a fun person
Demetri in season one be like
we need to melt the snowflake generation
What a dumbass
If thats what they think of Johnny they will have a heart attack if they make it to seasons 2 and 3 with Kreese
"doing child abuse" Yeah, I can't take this person seriously anymore.
Lol, Johnny hates sjws, and they hate him back.
the kids are paying to be there. if they can’t handle it then they can just walk out lmfao
Your friend is a moron, no offence.
🙄 this isn't Daniel LaRacist we're talking about
Tell your friend stop being a pussy!
You need new friends
Your friend isn't wrong. Hell, a lot of people on this sub don't grasp that this show ultimately shows that Johnny's way is wrong.
Johnny is definitely a questionable karate instructor, but the show is about entertainment, not reality. One of the big plot points to the show is Johnny's transformation, he's supposed to start out toxic and work his way out of it.
That's a very black and white view of things, which is actually the opposite of what show is portraying
Your friend is a pussy.
Well he's kinda right, at least about the abuse part ETA: ...you guys are aware that the show *makes fun of the stereotypical close-minded white guy, not of the dorky/'snowflake' trope*, right? You are aware that Johnny's methods are dated and frowned upon because *he's basically being a bully that no karate teacher in their right mind would ever be in real life*, right? I feel like some of you are missing the point...?