Joss blogs about Dr. Horrible over at Hulu - Dr. Horrible

Heh. Typical Joss blog. Fun read :).

I like the bit where a commenter says "Thanks Josh!" even though Joss typed his own name twice right there in the post to which said commenter was responding.

@theonetruebix | July 29, 08:50 CET

"I don't think this site really exists..."

Joss just keeps messing with my mind. Sometimes I wonder if he's just another part of Tommy Westphall's imagination... and if I am, in turn, a part of it as well... It would explain so much.

Oh the conspiracy!

Mrs.BigPileofDust | July 29, 08:52 CET

He is so random.

I like the bit where a commenter says "Thanks Josh!"

Sometimes I think commenters do that to be clever nowadays. But I'm never sure. Journalists on the other hand do amaze me in still messing it up in diverse ways.

Sunfire | July 29, 08:54 CET

Someday I'd like a published collection of all Joss's posts. They're the best things ever.

phlebotinin | July 29, 08:54 CET

Speaking of comments, I read the first comment there several times, getting more and more perplexed each time. Aside from it being an inappropriate place to post, it seems like someone was complaining about Hulu. For some reason they seem to believe they're entitled to more free stuff, and aren't happy when not everything that Hulu has is to their tastes. I honestly don't understand.

The contrast between the average comment on Whedonesque and, say, the average comment on YouTube (or Hulu) never ceases to amaze me.

MattK | July 29, 08:58 CET

phlebotinin, that would be great. It'd probably be a good idea to save the old posts on some of the other websites (iirc, he's posted on some other Buffy websites in the past, I haven't be around the fandom long enough to know) just in case they go offline... I'm hoping that one day in the long future we get an extended interview with Joss, with an interviewer who really understands his work (kinda like that book that's just an interview with Philip K. Dick, I don't know of any other examples).

MattK | July 29, 09:01 CET

JOSSAPALOOZA, may it just never end and go on and on.

And then, suddenly, it will be January.

ProgGrrl | July 29, 09:10 CET

What's Dr Horrible?
Heh. Dunno. Ask that Josh guy.

NYPinTA | July 29, 09:10 CET

Someday I'd like a published collection of all Joss's posts. They're the best things ever.
phlebotinin | July 29, 17:54 CET

Totally with you there! I keep Joss' comments handy with me all the time. I love re-reading those suckers! (Odd, it seems that "suck" is my word for the day. Sorry about that.)

Ah, just because I'm me, it was sooo cooool to meet Joss and have him remember the discussion thread about me asking him questions. It's a reminder that eyes are everywhere. And now he may know that we print out his comments and carry them in out puke-green backpack. Very mind-trippy. Eh, in a good way?

korkster | July 29, 09:13 CET

I don't get the reason behind this. It wasn't in the master plan, wasn't it? Why streaming it for free, when it's still available on iTUnes? Did they have international issues with Apple?

The DVD is of course something else, especially with the extras we've heard about. But the iTunes thing can't make money now, can it? Anything about future availability on HULU?

This deviation from the plan somehow makes me restless, as if something behind the scenes that we don't know about went wrong. The plan was sound, and succeeded beyond expectations. So why undermine it? Anybody got an idea?

Harpy | July 29, 11:22 CET

Joss mentioned ad-supported streaming being a possibility in some interviews, so this isn't out of left field. I don't think it's a bad move. Just allows it to make more fans who will want to buy the dvd.

hacksaway | July 29, 11:28 CET

Learn long division? If you read my comments at the official fan site, you'll probably learn metaphysics.

TheGamut | July 29, 11:29 CET

I'm assuming ad-supported streaming makes both Joss and Hulu some money. Does anybody know how ad revenues in streaming video work? Does the advertiser pay by each view? Or is there some set revenue amount? Cuz, even though I downloaded Dr. Horrible from iTunes, I'd be happy to watch it over and over again if it means Joss and Hulu make money with each viewing.

palehorse | July 29, 11:52 CET

Yeah, if a movie can be on DVD, HBO, on demand, etc. at the same time, Dr. Horrible can probably span different providers successfully as well. As someone pointed out, this might have actually been planned, since there was a 7/29 date out there in relation to iTunes (it was once thought it might be off iTunes then, but maybe that was just the date the exclusivity ended).

jam2 | July 29, 11:53 CET

I haven't felt learnt when it comes to Dr. Horrible and long division. Maybe I missed a layer there, though.

Harpy, I think the Dr. Horrible team know that globally iTunes isn't available to non-American/Canadians, so they might have opened it back up for that purpose.

Isn't it supposed to leave iTunes soon? Like today?

korkster | July 29, 11:57 CET

Oh, thanks jam2. I think you may have speculated an answer to my question.

korkster | July 29, 11:58 CET

This deviation from the plan somehow makes me restless, as if something behind the scenes that we don't know about went wrong. The plan was sound, and succeeded beyond expectations. So why undermine it? Anybody got an idea?

Yep. Their twitter makes it pretty clear: International Horrible fans. Happy times? And did everyone see myspace's new homepage? Fancy fancy pants. about 5 hours ago from web

Sunfire | July 29, 12:02 CET

Note FREE hosting on Hulu. Free. Y'all made fun of me in the other thread when I suggested it. Now bow before my legendaryness! Australians are smarter than y'all, even when expatriated. I win. Me me me. Muahahahaha! Ahem.

Mort | July 29, 12:16 CET

*bows*

korkster | July 29, 12:18 CET

Need to wash that hair (or a man right out of it)?

Joss cracks me up

Dr. Horrible > South Pacific

Vespa | July 29, 12:37 CET

Math again... cripes, it haunts me wherever I go.

This got a good hearty Krabappel-like snort:
"I know, you're humbled. Stop groveling."

And I did like this: "It's presented in three separate acts, so if you don't like one, you're perfectly free to suck it up and watch the other two in pain!"

Take that, you fans!/Eliza D.-style

QuoterGal | July 29, 12:39 CET

Take that, you fans!/Eliza D.-style

I think she might be a bad influence on him.

NYPinTA | July 29, 12:41 CET

Take that, you fans!/Eliza D.-style
QuoterGal | July 29, 21:39 CET

*snorts out cherry*

That was a highlight of the Dollhouse panel. I love Eliza. She's a great bad influence. Loved her take on PETA too. :) Talk about ballz. It was refreshing to hear a panelist so honest.

korkster | July 29, 12:45 CET

Mort, I think I was one of the folk making fun of you (or at least I thought about making fun of you). Mea culpa. I'm really surprised that Hulu hosted it for free, but I guess since it is a joint effort between Universal and Fox it makes a bit of sense that they both want to take care of Joss.

IrrationaliTV | July 29, 12:46 CET

; >

If true, I think it's a marvelous influence. She's way feisty (and brimming with truthiness) and I'm a big fan of both and her.

QuoterGal | July 29, 12:48 CET

hmmm. The official site still doesn't link to the HULU stream. But if the reason Team Whedon went to HULU is really us international viewers: WOW! I'm quite moved. I had already computed in a terrible wait for the DVD with probable money transfer problems (sometimes I think I worry to much). AND it gives me the chance to turn people DR. Horrible's way, who didn't get the chance the first time. :)

I'm making a german translation for my father and all my pupils. They are english-challenged. I know there is a spanish translation out there somewhere (because I'm using it as a reference point, when I can't make out the english audio), and we heard about french undertitles on the DVD.

I wonder if anybody of team Whedon has seen the european DVDs with about 20 languages in undertitles to choose from. THAT would be cool. Anybody else here, who already translated DR. Horrible in their native language?

Could we make a thread at whedonesque.org?

Harpy | July 29, 13:12 CET

Hehe. Just I call it so infrequently I need to lord it when I get one right for a change. I'd pay to host it! Needless to say I feel dirty not getting it from Unbox instead of Hulu/iTunes but that's another story.

Mort | July 29, 13:16 CET

Thanks, Mort. You just gave me another idea for an ELoE member (where did THAT thread go?): Filth.

His skill? He makes people feel dirty about themselves, literally soils their souls, to the point they end their own lives. Is he responsible for their deaths? Yes, but in a "I'm too lazy to do it myself, here's some bad advice" sort of way.

When Filth. is teamed up with Moist, they make MUDDD: a Murder Under Deep Depressing Dimensions. It's tough to wade through, and hardly anyone makes it through the Quicksand of Despair.

Great team. Take that, Batman & Robin!/Eliza D.

Almost better than Paper Cut. And, if it wins, I want acknowledgement. Uh, Mort too. Nothing big. Maybe a death scene (didn't say I have to survive), but waves of bowing could be in order. :) This is why I don't have my own blog. I would spend all of my time typing things that no one cares about and wasting my life away.

korkster | July 29, 13:27 CET

*big grin*, anybody notice that Buffy and Firefly are right back on the "todays most popular shows"-page on HULU, beneath DR. Horrible, of course. I wonder why.... :)

I just also saw Angel and Doogie Howser. It's on the next page. Probably for the same reasen...

[ edited by Harpy on 2008-07-29 22:34 ]

Harpy | July 29, 13:31 CET

When Filth. is teamed up with Moist, they make MUDDD: a Murder Under Deep Depressing Dimensions. It's tough to wade through, and hardly anyone makes it through the Quicksand of Despair.

Hahaha. I like.

NYPinTA | July 29, 13:44 CET

Thanks. Remember, you have to kill me to use it. ;) Trying to figure out how to sing an application to the ELoE though. And what sort of evil laugh would Filth. have.

It's funny that now that I think about it, I'm actually drawing from my own past. Uh, victim of Filth., so to speak. But I have dumb luck like Dr. Horrible. If there's anyway to go out, one way is to snuggle up with the depressingly dark Dictionary of D's and take a drive. Damn tree.

Do you think Joss would allow one to collect his "blogs" and random interviews and host a collection sort-of-place? They're like a soft cool pillow that you plummet your head in after a long day at Comic-Con.

korkster | July 29, 13:53 CET

Oh crap. Do I have to sing to apply? There goes that plan. I wonder how they feel about humming with evil intent.

Sunfire | July 29, 14:00 CET

So far, no direct directions, Sunfire, and no hints of singing. I just thought it might go well with the "Sing-Along" part of the title. Evil humming is always a plus. What's your evil character?

korkster | July 29, 14:32 CET

My impression talking to Jed on Saturday was that the ELOE video contest was something they had pretty much only just recently thought of, and so there really aren't/weren't any details of any kind to be had just yet.

@theonetruebix | July 29, 14:35 CET

You talked to Jed?? *dies a little on the inside*

I agree, bix; just like to think ahead.

korkster | July 29, 14:37 CET

What's your evil character?

I was thinking about The One False b!X, but then I realized there'd have to be more than one false one (since Joss beat up a couple of them, which is more than one) and so I'd have to find another name for it, but then I realized I don't think I want to video myself anyway.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2008-07-29 23:49 ]

@theonetruebix | July 29, 14:48 CET

Why not, bix? You up on J!nx & Whedonesque anyway. I was thinking about having my brother be my evil character.

When did Joss beat up a couple of bixes? I don't remember that. Before my time? Loved to hear the tale.

I wonder if they'll take our applications and make them... better, for a lack of a word. Add a little bit of Joss magic. I wouldn't want my character to be "almost-good-at-evil" but suck at the follow-through. I want "that totally rocks at evil!", and wouldn't mind a Whedon touch-up from the gang.

korkster | July 29, 15:05 CET

I wonder if I can have my Jayne 12 inch ~~doll~~ action figure be my evil character... of course Joss created the character so I'm guessing that would be a no. It makes sense to me that Hulu wanted to host this for free: they just got a ton of free advertising in all the entertainment papers, but with Doctor Horrible gone there was no way to benefit from the exposure.

embers | July 29, 15:48 CET

Yay, Hulu for hosting for free! Yay, Joss for showing such grace under pressure and for being flexible with the interwebverse we all live in. Y'know... new frontiers and what not.

teachndoc | July 29, 17:16 CET

korkster: love your idea for Filth. :-)! Also: great that Joss remembered the whedonesque thread. That'd make my inner fanboy squee as well (although I'd then have to bring myself down again with the whole "well, Joss is also just a person" and the "it was only recently, that he said that, so obviously he remembers" thing, which would spoil my own fun, but still: squee ;))

Also, with regards to phlebotinin's excellent idea: I'm currently reading Ebert's "your movie sucks!", which I got as a birthday present yesterday, and it'd be a lot of fun if Joss wrote a collection of his posts himself with meta-comments on the background of when or why certain posts/comments were written or a collection of responses he got to things he said, etcetera, kind-of in the style of that book.

I'm also pretty sure something like that won't happen, though, but I'd totally buy it (and so would a lot of others). Face it: Joss writing a book? Best seller waiting to happen :).

GVH | July 29, 17:26 CET

Happy Birthday, GVH! :) Oh, so you did read that, huh?

I would totally buy that book. And sleep with it under my pillow.

korkster | July 29, 18:08 CET

Is anyone going to send out e-mails telling peeps that DHSAB is back up?

I wouldn't want Joss to be lonely...

korkster | July 29, 18:34 CET

Telling what people.

@theonetruebix | July 29, 18:35 CET

?

The people who don't frequent here? Like... my outer-world friends. I was just curious if I was the only one.

korkster | July 29, 18:40 CET

To answer an earlier question, I don't have a character. Should I come up with a character, I might submit. But singing is a dealbreaker.

If I was a guy and in any way resembled a certain showrunner, I might play an evil parody of him. But that's high-risk. The tone would have to be just so. Not bitter, but not sucking up either. But very "I kill people. With words! It gives me and others joy. Let me show you!"

The scene in my head where Angel's stabbing is re-enacted with a much more ironic tone is funny to me, anyway.

Sunfire | July 29, 18:46 CET

Oh, I was going to tell the person who lives across the street and runs around nekkid in the front yard, but that would require me to talk to him. That is not a conversation I'm not ready to have. :D

crazygolfa | July 29, 18:46 CET

Sunfire, which scene? Any scene with Angel & stabbing is funny.

crazygolfa, don't fear the nekkid person. I hear they're actually quite pleasant to talk to. And you could introduce Joss to a whole nudist colony... you never know!

korkster | July 29, 18:49 CET

Has it been mentioned that you can watch it with closed captioning on Hulu? I know that was something some people were asking for...

hacksaway | July 29, 19:54 CET

I did not know that, hacksaway. Thanks for mentioning. :)

korkster | July 29, 19:56 CET

Awesome.

@theonetruebix | July 29, 20:21 CET

FYI, captioning pegs it as "Billy buddy", not "Billy Buddy". For anyone still stuck on that one.

@theonetruebix | July 29, 21:44 CET

HOLD EVERYTHING! How authoritative is this captioning? I thought it was doing a pretty good job up until Captain Hammer's opening line during his dedication speech at the ceremony.

The caption reads:

I hate the homeless.
This problem that plagues our city.

No way. I will bet cashy money that this is a Joss joke, and reads:

I hate the homeless...
...ness problem that plagues our city.

Also, it's strange that "evil league of evil" is never capitalised. Suggests that is just what people call it, and that it's true and official name is something that goes unspoken, which would be kind of cool. But then if the captioning is not strictly cannon....

AlanD | July 29, 22:49 CET

Yeah the captioning indeed is off. That's not the only problem in them.

@theonetruebix | July 29, 23:03 CET

Non-canonical captioning is no-one's friend.

Dunno if I poo-poo'ed the idea of free Hulu hosting but then, this isn't free (since it has ads). And i'm not bowing to a bloody colonial anyway ;-).

Saje | July 30, 00:57 CET

Yeah, that's probably provided by Hulu employees. Still, it's great that it's available, for those who need it.

I, too, want to make an ELOE-character. I'll already be filming quite a few things with some friends, the coming weeks (we're making an introductionmovie for the "birthday" year of my volleybalclub (we'll be 40 years old, the coming year) and we're doing a couple of other things, like making a short movie (15 mins) for a local directors competition), maybe I can get them so far to take a few minutes out of our schedule to do a presentation of a new ELOE-character. Now I just have to think of one ;)

Thanks, korkster! I would not sleep with the book under my pillow - because then I'd ruin it - but I'd definately lay it next to bed for some light pre-sleep reading :).

GVH | July 30, 02:45 CET

I would not sleep with the book under my pillow - because then I'd ruin it...

I dunno, the latest generation of pillows are pretty hard-wearing, it's not like the early beta versions.

(and happy belated birthday GVH ;)

Saje | July 30, 02:49 CET

To make a note about closed captioning, that most closed captioning and subtitles do not get it right. I remember a few times on the Firefly DVD that the words on the screen didn't match the words coming from the mouths of the actors. So it's not that big of a deal imo.

crazygolfa | July 30, 08:06 CET

It's not a big deal in general, but many fans have spent a lot of time transcribing the lyrics from the show to create accurate song sheets, and are still debating some of the lines. They should know that these CC lyrics are not by any means definitive.

AlanD | July 30, 08:27 CET

Oh, crap! Off the main page. Drat... hate it when that happens.

GVH, character huh? Which one? I'll loan you Paper Cut, but your hands may not thank you. ;)

I would not sleep with the book under my pillow - because then I'd ruin it...

I dunno, the latest generation of pillows are pretty hard-wearing, it's not like the early beta versions.

(and happy belated birthday GVH ;)
Saje | July 30, 11:49 CET

Ha! WSS :)

Nah, really, I have like... 6 pillows? Pretty sure. Just because Joss is under one of them, doesn't mean my ginormous head will be squishing him anyway. ;) I thought about rephrasing that last sentence, but I doubt anyone is reading this besides me.

korkster | July 30, 09:58 CET

I really appreciate whoever took the time to write up the subtitles for the closed captioning (captions?).

not complaints - I am happy, slappy, snappy, mappy, rappy ::
But you misspelled Gandhi's name.
And the last word of Hammer's song is "...way!" not "Why?" I'm pretty sure.

Just putting this up here because I didn't see them noted above and I figured if you love it enough to type it all up in the first place, you probably want to get it right. And since it is the best captioning I have seen (accuracy-wise), I figured it must be a true fan. So someone here? (unless Hulu has their own folks)

sea otter | September 14, 21:49 CET

Since I noticed this thread again when it popped up in Recent Comments, I thought I'd grab the text of Joss' little blog at hulu, and lo and behold, it appears to be - somewhat oddly, I guess - taken down.

I did manage to find it still posted in hulu's notes on facebook so thought I'd just post it here in the event someone came looking for it.

While I was looking, I stumbled on this slideshow about Dr. Horrible's internet history & success, created by a Dr. Tama Leaver a few months ago for the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association 2009 conference, so I thought I'd post it here as well. It's called, "What Dr Horrible Can Teach Media Creators About Participatory Culture."

It's like a lil' walk through the history of Dr. Horrible, before he became a Big Important Emmy-type Winner - with pictures and everything.

QuoterGal | September 14, 23:32 CET

Hey, it's Quotergal! In an old thread! I thought you'd been lost to twitter forever. I had minions scouring the twitterverse, but as you know, my minions are famously ineffective, they were probably romping round Scotland again, and I had no DetectiveGal to turn to this time...

Also, hee hee, had never read that JossPost before. Very Jossy. Very amusing. And yay Emmy! OK, enough time traveling, back to the Whedonesque of Now.

catherine | September 15, 09:07 CET

July 29 2008