Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

US TV satire review

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • US TV satire review

    Thought I'd share this with the US readers here, because it's a rare example of the great Charlie Brooker focussing on US TV. It'll be interesting to hear what Americans make of it.

    Political humour is rarely a boxful of chuckles. It largely consists of clever-clever point-scoring, weary cynicism, and lolly stick gags about the size of Prescott's arse. There's surprisingly little anger, considering the piss poor state of the world - and when rage or passion does appear, it's often elbowed all the jokes out of the way. Mostly though, political satire seems to be stuck in a strange, woozy rut: half-heartedly sniping at the powers that be with an underpowered peashooter, breaking off every 10 minutes for a *** break and a shrug.

    Three cheers then, for 24 co-creator Joel Surnow, who's recently given birth to The Half Hour News Hour (Fox News, Sky Channel 510), a topical comedy show which manages to be angry, opinionated, and genuinely political all at once. In fact, there are only two things wrong with it. 1) It's dementedly right-wing. 2) Radiation sickness is funnier.
    A lot of people think right-wingers aren't capable of being amusing at all. Not true. Mussolini looked hilarious swinging from that lamppost. And besides, hardcore lefties aren't a barrel of laughs either. They're a crushing, life-depleting bore. People who stand firmly to one side of the political spectrum tend by their very nature to be stiff, crotchety sorts with a persecution complex and an axe to grind. These are not prime credentials for clown school.

    For my money, the best satire floats somewhere in the centre - not in a non-committal sense, but a tactical one: positioned between the two sides, you're capable of lashing out in either direction. The first one to say something ridiculous gets a slap. It's the rational option. Genuine satire ultimately consists of the outraged application of cold rationality to whoever deserves it the most.

    The Half Hour News Hour isn't rational. It's intended as a riposte to Comedy Central's The Daily Show (Mon-Fri, 8.30pm, More4), the show that made stars of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

    The Daily Show isn't perfect. Understandably, for a programme airing four times per week, it's often hit and miss. When it misses, it's cringeworthy; but when it hits, it's laugh out loud funny. It attacks both Republicans and Democrats, but leans more heavily on Republicans because, hey, they're the ones in power. This makes sense comedically: there are more jokes to be had in lampooning the governing party since their actions carry more weight. And besides, it's hard to generate giggles by attacking the underdog. If Hilary Clinton were in charge, she'd be pilloried nightly. But she isn't. Bush is.

    Rational viewers understand this. Eye-swivelling nutrags don't. They believe the Daily Show is a far left propaganda tool. Hence the advent of the Half Hour News Hour, which Fox claims offers "balance" by adopting an enraged conservative stance. The end result, if the first episode is anything to go by, is a bizarre, unnatural beast: a topical comedy show that ignores the present government completely and concentrates its fury on environmentalists, civil rights campaigners, Barack Obama and Cindy Sheehan. The set piece was a shockingly dismal skit starring right-wing talk radio hog Rush Limbaugh and joyless crypto fascist commentator Ann Coulter, who wandered on screen looking so haunted and drawn I briefly mistook her for a ghost and kicked my television from its stand in a blind panic. Spewing all that negative hate speech must've hollowed out her spirit, poor thing; her eyes are now a portal to a world of infinite nihilistic oblivion - gaze into them too long and you can feel the air growing cold around you.

    To be fair, there were one or two decent gags, but they felt like aberrations thrown up by the law of averages. There is one thing to be said in the show's favour: at least it HAS an agenda, which is unusual in modern comedy. But an agenda is all it has. It's government-approved satire - as oxymoronic, pointless and wretched as church-sanctioned porn. But probably easier to masturbate to, assuming you get off on abject desperation.

    The Half Hour News Hour on Fox News manages to be angry, opinionated, and genuinely political all at once - but it's just not funny.
    The genesis of the "evil Finn" concept- Evil, evil Finland

  • #2
    programme. He needs to go back and get his GED.
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
    "Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
    He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ Braindead

    Comment


    • #3
      Um, he's right. The show sucks.
      B♭3

      Comment


      • #4
        Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

        Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

        Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.


        If you somehow manage to slog through it... I'm sure there are jokes somewhere that could be funny about the Time Magazine layoffs, but they don't know it. Nice try with the Nigerian scam joke, but you're years late... And the jokes about Ed Begley and the hybrids...? What the hell did he do?
        B♭3

        Comment


        • #5
          It's government-approved satire - as oxymoronic, pointless and wretched as church-sanctioned porn.


          “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
          - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

          Comment


          • #6
            I liked the Mussolini lign
            Resident Filipina Lady Boy Expert.

            Comment


            • #7
              Pretty spot on.
              “As a lifelong member of the Columbia Business School community, I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
              "Capitalism ho!"

              Comment


              • #8
                Ah, yes. Let's compare a new comedy with one episode under its belt to highlights from a decade of the Daily Show. And let's feign surprise that some liberal hack didn't like Limbaugh and Coulter.

                Of course, when Al Gore appeared on the season opener for SNL it is hilarious, even though the jokes were just as stale and predictable.

                Edit: it was a repeat the week before the new season
                Last edited by Straybow; February 24, 2007, 16:02.
                (\__/) Save a bunny, eat more Smurf!
                (='.'=) Sponsored by the National Smurfmeat Council
                (")_(") Smurf, the original blue meat! © 1999, patent pending, ® and ™ (except that "Smurf" bit)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Stray has, of course, seen the horrid attempts at humor from youtube, yes?

                  Nah, of course not. He's a partisan hack after all.
                  “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
                  - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Yes, I watched all three.
                    (\__/) Save a bunny, eat more Smurf!
                    (='.'=) Sponsored by the National Smurfmeat Council
                    (")_(") Smurf, the original blue meat! © 1999, patent pending, ® and ™ (except that "Smurf" bit)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      The Daily Show isn't perfect. Understandably, for a programme airing four times per week, it's often hit and miss. When it misses, it's cringeworthy; but when it hits, it's laugh out loud funny. It attacks both Republicans and Democrats, but leans more heavily on Republicans because, hey, they're the ones in power. This makes sense comedically: there are more jokes to be had in lampooning the governing party since their actions carry more weight. And besides, it's hard to generate giggles by attacking the underdog. If Hilary Clinton were in charge, she'd be pilloried nightly. But she isn't. Bush is.

                      Rational viewers understand this. Eye-swivelling nutrags don't. They believe the Daily Show is a far left propaganda tool. Hence the advent of the Half Hour News Hour, which Fox claims offers "balance" by adopting an enraged conservative stance.
                      It's this part that I agree with the most. It's obvious that the show isn't about comedy, but about striking back at perceived attacks by the "liberal" media.
                      “As a lifelong member of the Columbia Business School community, I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
                      "Capitalism ho!"

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Stray, don't be a moron. It's not like SNL has been funny in at least five years.

                        As far as that show goes, I'm not even comparing it to the other shows right now. I like to think of myself as something not quite humorless, but that show just wasn't... funny.

                        Are you claiming that it was?
                        B♭3

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Straybow
                          Yes, I watched all three.
                          Then you must be one of the writers. May God have mercy on your humorless soul...
                          The cake is NOT a lie. It's so delicious and moist.

                          The Weighted Companion Cube is cheating on you, that slut.

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          X