Misgenred shows & WHEN are too many genres overkill and border on jumping the shark rather than helping anything?

Exactly, PBN: and did you click my link in OP to see that Columbo *IS* indeed misgenred as Whodunnit?

And do you not agree that, if it's a crime show like Mannix, it already implies there's the mystery of who has committed it, but there's no need to misgenre it as mystery because it isn't one? 

Mystery would be something like:

What Lies Beneath (2000) - IMDb

My huge pet peeve is fools slapping "comedy" and "drama" randomly to shows and movies which are NEITHER! But somehow, popular misguided belief is "if the characters get sad or aren't lottery-winning, drug-induced happy, then "it's a DRAMA, TA-DA!" and if the characters aren't sad, then they must be slapping thighs and falling over each other laughing... insta-COMEDY label. UGH!!! 

Something can be a Crime but not a drama (crime implies it's dramatic enough). Something can be a Romance but not a comedy. 
People have lost the plot (literally) or the genre. It needs fixing. I propose a pop up every time someone tries to slap "drama" or "comedy" to anything on IMDb, the pop up stops them and they must tick 2 or 3 boxes confirming after reading explanations of what comedies and dramas are.

I mean if you need 2 persons with 2 different keys to launch a nuke on the population, this is a no-brainer: stop launching "drama" and "comedy" all over IMDb! 

Thanks, Michelle, I appreciate your response. It's nice that our suggestions are considered. 

I see that Columbo still has "Cozy Mystery" (?? never knew a mystery could be cozy, LOL) and the rest of the mis-genres, so no one has removed them.

This is just a question, to understand (not an accusation): IMDb staff never updates pages once the basic page is created? It is all left to contributors? 

In the same vein, I see that Elsbeth (TV Series 2024– ) - IMDb doesn't have "Bumbling Detective" added. (I only know Columbo and her, and maybe the Inspector Clouseau films with that particular theme, so I didn't know that would be a subgenre, good to know!) 

ETA: just remembered she isn't a "detective" per se, just the "consent decree" person, but she acts as one, for all intents and purposes 

Comedy and Drama (or both) are SUPER genes, and should probably be attached to most titles.  Exceptions would probably be some documentaries, experimental films, etc., that DO NOT include human beings (or animals and objects that have been given human characteristics).

It seems imperative that we look back to the ancient Greeks for genre origins, although Comedy and Tragedy have evolved into Comedy and Drama, with Tragedy now being relegated to a more specific definition.

@bradley_kent​  Nonsense and folly! I SUPER_duper disagree. With a vengeance. Greeks didn't create TV. Please read my OP very carefully. 

Despite your hyperbole, Mannix nor any other title would exist without the Ancient Greeks.  There would be no TV.  There would be no IMDb. There would be no genres.  We would not be havng this discussion.  

The Ancient Greeks only had TWO genres, and we have extended that into many, with more probably to come.  IMDb subgenes (some of which could be debated as legitimte genres) are probably just a beginning.

And, isn’t it interesting that what is probably the most universally acknowledged subgenre (genre?), Melodrama, is not even acknowledged by IMDb as either a genre OR subgenre? 

@bradley_kent​ I disagree that we need to classify most titles with the "Comedy" or "Drama" genre as an homage to Aristotle's Poetics. IMDb should classify titles based on what will be useful to its modern-day users, not to appease ancient writers. 

This is not a question of acquiescing to the Ancients or paying homage to Aristotle, but to objectively acknowledging the reality of contemporary generic clssifications.  

How is it possible that ONLY IMDb is right while so many other observant, reliable and reputable sources are wrong? (Is this an “Only I Can Fix It” mentality?)

IMDb should be a reporter rather than a creator of facts. 

@gromit82​ Absolutely love you for that answer!  😘

@bradley_kent​ NO! And YOU are part of the MASSIVE problem I spoke of in my OP. FED UP with the clueless slapping "comedy" label when it's a non-drama. Why do you FAIL to realize that movies, TV, like life, are not automatically "black (drama) and white (comedy)?  Sci-fi, fantasy, romance, to name but 3 genres, are complete on their own.

NO, mister! If you are slapping the comedy label because it's not a drama, then you are part of the problem here. You need to realize that, for instance, sci-fi is sci-fi and is neither drama nor comedy. (Unless it's deliberately bi, as in Galaxy Quest, the yardstick by which you ought to measure your qualifications of "comedy" for sci-fi that is not dramatic: if it doesn't make you laugh, then it's also NOT a comedy, FCOL!) 

For the likes of you, I repeat: if you're not slapping your thighs and laughing out loud, then it's NOT a comedy. Comedy means FUNNY, LAUGHTER. Comedy does NOT mean "not a drama".  Yes, I'm very passionate about this. That you have a problem realizing this "not a comedy, and yet not a drama" fact, is not my problem!  End of. 

Edited to add a few more words for further clarification. I can explain it to you, but I cannot understand it for you.

@bradley_kent​ Mannix wouldn't exist without the ancient Greeks?? What a moronic reply! YOU are the reason why the internet needs to bring back the thumbs DOWN!

The only thing I can say to such idiotic post while remaining polite is: Nurse, MEDS!!! 

Hi @Coyote444​ -

My apologies for the delayed response.  If you encounter any incorrectly listed 'Interests', you can request the removal directly through our Contribution form (by removing the applicable subgenre keyword or genre).  Likewise, if a title is missing an existing 'Interest', adding the applicable keyword and/or genre will generate the Interest display on that title page.  You can find more information about removing Interests on our Help Guide. 

I hope this helps!

@Coyote444​ I NEVER said Mannix was a Comedy, DO NOT consider it a Comedy, and NEVER submitted Comedy as a genre for it. Where you got this idea is beyond me!

P.S. Thanks (sarcastically) for calling me names.

 For clarity, I am replying to this, by @bradley_kent

Since you appear to be jumping all over the board, replying posts you've already felt the need to previously pipe in at, and quite erroneously I might add, please quote my exact words where I said YOU claimed Mannix was a comedy... ?

Discernment is not your forte, I see, which likely explains why you feel the need to be slapping "comedy" and/or "drama" labels to everything on IMDb! 🙄🙄

@Michelle​  Thanks.

At this point, I'd like to ask: isn't there a way to block trolls from accessing and replying to our threads? Which I've finally realized is what Bradley Kent is doing here, adding nothing of value, stubbornly defending his troll posts and stance on trolling IMDb by destroying the genres according to his "Ancient Greece" agenda.

His trolling here is now pretty obvious to me, and now he's trolling by attempting to add words onto my keyboard, when everybody can very well read what I previously typed.

If there is a way to block the unwanted and the unwelcome and their wasting our collective time (and cluttering our inboxes), please show me how or where I need to click to block this 🤡, since evidently he's not going to hush up even when he's been  proven wrong many times over and fails to understand basic English. Thank you.

@Coyote444​ I just want to point out that you don't have to agree with other people, but that doesn't mean that they are trolls. Bradley Kent is simply stating how he feels about genres in general and about genres for certain titles in particular while you are the one who's SHOUTING, calling names and asking staff to be able to block him...

Thank you Marco McPatrol, for this tremendous insight. Let me share MY insight with you: the guy is exasperating AND exhausting. I only posted that after seeing he has a  history of his own brand of TROLLING. (Yes!) See here:

‎What is wrong with the Genre list manager? | IMDb Community Forums

The guy doesn't know when to fold. I've had it with seeing my inbox invaded by his inane nonstop comments. He won't hush up and take a hint from the staff ignoring him, as you see at the link I just posted.

He attempts to post words in my keyboard, accusing me of words I never typed. THAT's not trolling in your book!? If it's reading incomprehension, not my problem: I NEED it to stop either way.

Not to be confursed with a Libra, as a Scorpio, I am not so diplomatic; he didn't take a hint via being repeatedly corrected, and ignored, he doesn't take a hint when pointed out he's wrong (AND annoying) so I gave him a more direct piece of my mind as you can see, Mercury Retrograde oblige.  

In the future, please refrain yourself from turning into Mister Buttinski: this had nothing to do with you, until you just butted in, and the last thing this troll needs is a posse supporting his never-ending lunacy! 

^And that ALSO goes to the clueless fool who thumbed up your diatribe:  I see you, Gromit82! Hope he happens to hound YOU on your threads next.

Edited to add "ALSO".

@Marco​ Also CAPS IS NOT SHOUTING!!!!! Maybe 5 exclamation points might indicate how frustrated I am with repeat nonsense, but I assure you: my mouth has been closed all the time, as I type with my fingers. There is no shouting on internet forums, for there is no audio. I am used to typing on platforms that do not offer bold, or didn't for a long time, and CAPS IS A WAY TO EMPHASIZE MY WORDS. 

As Mr. Kent himself has done in his responses to me, but I don't see you getting your knickers all in a knot over him. Now, why is that...!? 🤔

NOW! How do you like YOUR email inbox being INVADED by 3 back to back, antagonistic comments of mine?? Annoying, isn't it?!

Perhaps now you'll understand what it's been like here... 

@Coyote444​ I'm not sure why this discussion has gone wrong.

bradley_kent is a top IMDb contributor and a regular on this board. I disagree with him on this particular issue regarding assignment of genres, because I would advocate assigning fewer genres to a given title than he would. But that doesn't make him a troll or mean that he should be blocked.

I think you are likely correct that the five genres currently listed for "Mannix" (Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller) may be an excessive number, but I've never watched the show so I don't know which ones should be removed.

@gromit82​ Like clockwork, my reply to you of 3 days ago was ghosted. (It's smack below yours, only it says "PRIVATE") And so it goes. 

@Coyote444​ I can't find that reply from 3 days ago. I don't see the word "PRIVATE" anywhere in this thread, except in the sentence that begins "It's smack below yours, only ..." and in this very sentence.

No emotions: I can explain it to you, but I cannot understand it for you.

The five genres that Mannix has (Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller) seem appropriate.  Comedy?  No.  Although a particular episode might need the “comic-relief” or perhaps even the “comedy-episode” keyword (although I doubt the latter).  But Comedy as a genre at the series level.  No.

I already covered that at my OP in extensive detail. It seems you need to re-read^ my OP. Mannix was just an illustrative example of a well-known show I have rarely watched, but figured many would be familiar with, and was easy to "genre-analyze".

Again: if it's mainly action (which Mannix is, along with "crime") then "thriller" is already covered. That part is overkill. You feel thrilled when he's running around the streets and gets shot at? That's already covered under "action"! 

Likewise, if you have a thriller and the characters run around, that's still "Thriller" and no need to add "Action", the same you're not gonna call (and again, this is ALREADY in MY OP!!) a thriller or an action show/film a "Romance" just cos the lead snogs a person. 

Otherwise why not call it drama, comedy, action, adventure, romance and mystery thriller. (I'm still unclear how Mannix is a mystery, but again: rarely watched the show. Is it because it's a msytery if he'll catch the bad guy??)

Agatha Christie is a Mystery. Mannix is not. 

SIMPLIFY or else you'll have 97 genres per show is all I'm saying.

I also think 'drama' is too much, but I have no problem with it being here. I'm really not 'splitting hairs'. I'm about SIMPLIFYING things which have ERRONEOUSLY been made complicated by a "slap-genre happy" contributor, which you have proven yourself to be one of them, hence I maintain: YOU'RE A MAJOR PART OF THE PROBLEM HERE, and what's wrong with IMDb: allowing the clueless to continue to contribute erroneous info! 

I have read this entire thread.  I just wanted to let you know that, I agree, some titles have too many genres (I submit deletions) and some titles need one or more additional genres (I submit additions) to accurately represent the objective, factual reality.  The problem is that IMDb too often inconsistently rejects those deletions and additions.

You're replying to me while I edited my above post, and you've already posted a reply below BEFORE I even finished proofing my typos and appending to it! 

@_@   - Please re-read, if you care to. Or not.

I agree with you that IMDb denies contributions/deletions/additions when they are correct and grants access to people who contribute utter nonsense AND ARE ALLOWED TO DELETE OUR CORRECT CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WERE THERE FOR 10 YEARS WITH 300 YES VOTES, and the reason why I threw in the towel long ago. 

Now with the "click for more" it means that the saving pages service (I will get this GHOSTED and removed before you see it, if I again typed the location) can no longer save new contributions. 

Therefore I have seen "the battle of the thumbs down" (aka NO votes) perpetrated upon excellent trivia so that it is buried under "click for more" and the new trivia rises to the top. 

IMDb shooting itself in the fooT at its finest.