Review of 2-13-1999 episode (MD-416; some spoilers) "The world is comic to those who think, and tragic to those who feel." - Horace Walpole "Mad TV can BITE me!" - Bret "Hitman" Hart "Oh my God, he's bleeding." - Debra Wilson ======================================================================================= It has been a week since the episode in which Bret Hart guest starred aired, and the interest generated by this appearance (in which he hit Will Sasso with a folding metal chair - the type of chair I used to sit on while watching Mad TV until I broke it) surprised even me. Even more surprising in my opinion was the fact that I was excoriated in alt.tv.mad-tv for even suggesting that the event was staged! (Actually I didn't explicitly state that I thought it was scripted although it was certainly implied.) Interestingly as well is the fact that this ultimately turned into not only to be an argument about whether the incident was scripted or not, but an argument about epistemology: how do we know it was/wasn't scripted. I intentionally maintained silence over the past week concerning this incident. But now I will make some general comments on the incident: (1) If the incident was not scripted, as some claim, I would like to see the ending of the sketch as it was "really" intended. I am saying this because it occurred to me that the sketch doesn't really seem to be building up to anything, so it is hard to see how this would come together. The fact that a "real" ending exists would not prove absolutely that the incident was not scripted, but at least it would provide some evidence supporting this conclusion. (2) Did you see the way that blonde-haired guy went flying when Bret Hart pushed him (a director or someone of that sort, I imagine)? I don't care how strong you are; you don't make a 170-80 pound man go flying after barely touching him. (3) After Hart hit Sasso a couple of times, you would think that if Sasso thought he was really in physical danger, he would have run away while Hart was fighting off the others who were trying to break it up. The fact that he just lay there moaning suggests that the incident was faked. He didn't look like he was hurt badly enough that he couldn't have gotten away. (4) On the other hand, Hart's actions were not entirely consistent with the actions of a man who wants to do physical harm to another man. First he hits Sasso over the back with a chair, and then hits him in the legs. As Officer Barbrady would say, you gotta aim for the head - they go down quicker. (5) Are we to believe that cameras are set up backstage, so that if an incident like that which occurred at the end of the show last week occurred spontaneously, such an incident could be filmed? So right now, the preponderance of evidence is leaning towards the conclusion that the incident was scripted. This reminds me somewhat of that time about ten years ago when Morton Downey, Jr. claimed he was attacked by skinheads in a restroom; not too long afterward he admitted that it was all a publicity stunt engineered to boost sagging ratings for his syndicated TV show. Morton Downey, Jr. eventually lost his TV show, went bankrupt, and had to get help to deal with a substance abuse problem, proof that if you employ such cheesy publicity tactics, more often than not the other shoe will drop. All that is needed now is for someone at Mad TV to come forward and admit that this was all a publicity stunt. ==================== ======================================================================== Also, DO NOT FORGET TO WATCH NICOLE SULLIVAN ON POLITICALLY INCORRECT ON FEBRUARY 17th (TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING)!!! Die hard Nicole Sullivan fans will not want to miss this event. And now, the review: ========== ================================================================================ == Opening Segment: This time, with that dork Rusty (Michael McDonald). Did I mention that this character reminds me of someone who went to the same college that I did? He used to do things like throw one of my friend's porno magazines in the garbage (he didn't like them, I guess), and another time when a football player was beating the crap out of another student, his solution was to have them talk it over. This was OK for an opening segment; could have been better. Magic Johnson for RIF: Aries Spears reprises his cruel but hilarious parody of Magic Johnson. Once again, he is portrayed as a functionally illiterate man (he can't count either). Then we get a message on the screen reminding us that it's never too late to learn how to read, even if you're forty and rich. Just think about it - recently President Clinton criticized the policy of social promotion, claiming that many graduate high school who can't read their diplomas, and Magic Johnson is a college graduate! I thought this was pretty funny, by the way. The Dating Game with Bunifa: Pat Kilbane is back as Chuck Woolery, and Debra Wilson is back as Bunfia, a contestant on the show. She is rude to all her prospective dates, and then practically rapes her date (Brian McKnight) at the end. This was OK, but are we expected to believe that the Dating Game is broadcast live (or else how could she have called her friend on her cell phone to find out who to pick)? You have to suspend disbelief, or else the sketch isn't credible. Best is when Bachelor Number One (Phil LaMarr) quotes from "Romeo and Juliet," and Bunifa retorts with "what is that, Mexican?" or words to that effect. Ms. Swan (at the movies): Ms. Swan (Alex Borstein) goes to the candy stand at the movies, where she really annoys the girl working the counter (Mo Collins) and then writes out a check for $2.93 to cover the cost. This is pretty much Ms. Swan by numbers, with Swan gradually getting on her foil's nerves. Interesting here is that the counter is about five feet tall so Ms. Swan has to stand on a stool. Also when one of the people on line (Aries Spears) asks why there is a delay, the girl tells him to "chill." Tres Companeros: Three's Company in Spanish. The girls (Nicole Sullivan, Alex Borstein) pretend that Jack (Michael McDonald) is a homosexual in order to allay Mr. Furley's (Pat Kilbane) suspicions. [Is "Mr. Furley" a good name for a band or what?] This was OK, though not something that strikes you initially as a particularly funny idea. [I can just imagine the writers sitting around, saying something like, "let's do a parody of Three's Company, only in Spanish."] Also it's too bad they don't have Dave Herman anymore because I thought he did a slightly better John Ritter impression ("I've had some sangria, and I'm feeling a little emotional.") Ms. Swan at the Movies II: Ms. Swan is in the theater, generally annoying other patrons by doing things like standing up and talking to the movie; by the end of the movie, the others have left. This was somewhat funnier than the first segment if for no other reason than the fact that one of the exasperated patrons (Debra Wilson) tells Swan not to talk to the movie, but then has to explain why she was talking to the movie (it's a horror film and she was saying things like "don't go in there," etc.) - she was talking AT the movie, she claims. Not bad, and also we should note that in neither segment did she utter her signature line, "he looka like a man." Star Wars - The Director's Cut: I just can't get enough of Han Solo running down the hall! This is the essence of this segment. It was pretty good, but once again, the limitations inherent in not having location filming become obvious fairly quickly. It doesn't LOOK like a movie parody. Story Time with Mr. Sasso: The corpulent, drunken host of a public television program (Will Sasso) tells the story of "Beauty and the Beast" - read, he babbles incoherently for a few minutes, and then says "THE END." He also makes the kids get him a beer, and talks about how if he doesn't get his wife something for Valentine's Day, she'll kill him. What makes this segment worthwhile sometimes is the way the kids just sit there, deadpan, without uttering a word; it's somewhat unnatural for kids, many of whom have to be strung out on ritalin before they'll even sit still. The way the blond girl keeps staring at him is funny, too. Nevertheless, it's still not uproariously funny. Will Sasso vs. Bret Hart: The less that's said about this segment, the better. We see a clip from last week's show, with Hart hitting Sasso with a metal chair, and we also see Sasso in training for Sasso vs. Hart, the grudge match of the century - would you believe, the grudge match of the decade? Of the year? Of the month? Of the latter half of President's Day weekend? I don't know if we're suppose to believe that the incident was real or not; in any case, this was not very funny. Cooking for One: A parody of the Food Network, only this show is hosted by a pathetic loser (Nicole Sullivan) who bemoans the fact that she can't find a man. This theme has been used a myriad number of times in sketch comedy - Mad TV itself has used it at least once or twice, too - so the idea in itself is not very original. That the sketch rises above its own banality is largely because of the physical humor. How delightfully disgusting it is to watch Sullivan eat a concoction made of peanut butter, corn puffs and water, and then eats raw brownie mix, warning us not to choke on the brownie dust. Possibly the funniest segment of the show. Mad TV Classic: Antonia and James. My theory always was that of the Nicole Sullivan characters, the Vancome Lady tends to be the more popular amongst older viewers because they get the sexual innuendo and also they are less likely to be offended by the character's political incorrectness, while Antonia tends to be the more popular amongst younger viewers, mainly because it appeals to children's tendency to poke fun at stupid children. This is a Bonnie and Clyde parody, in which the incoherent pop star (Aries Spears) teams up with the brainless Antonia (Nicole Sullivan) to rob banks. You may not like the James Brown impression, but overall, I thought it was a good parody, especially the way they carry it off without having Antonia break character. We also get Phil LaMarr as the man who always has to put up with Antonia (this time, he's the bank teller). They didn't tell how Antonia and James met, though - I think it was through Lowered Expectations. ================================ ============================================================== Overall, I thought this was an OK show, about as good as last week's show. I don't think there was any real A-list stuff here; they had some good stuff with some of the recurring characters like Magic Johnson, but even these characters have had better sketches. Still, we got a decent show. ================================================================ ============================== Next week [2-20-99]: MD-417 (The Jeffersons 1999) Two weeks from now [2-27-99]: MD-418 (Vancome hip-hop videos) ===================================================================== Number Six | http://www.nic.com/~dzien/nicolesullivan/ dzien@nic.com | (The Unofficial Nicole Sullivan Tribute Page) ================================== =================================== ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ