Laura Dunn: Why I Love Comedy Politics

post from TV on HuffingtonPost.com on 01 May 2012 06:37:31 PM. © TV on HuffingtonPost.com

Politics is my passion, and I particularly love comedy and satirical news programmes that breathe new life into current events.

One of my favorites is Saturday Night Live, the long-running comedy sketch program which airs on NBC in the U.S. President Obama, Vice President Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are amongst those politicians who have been 'profiled' on the show, and the candidates of the current presidential election continue to be featured on a weekly basis, with Republican Mitt Romney perhaps facing the harshest criticism.

Romney is often portrayed as a bland politician willing to tell his audience what they literally want to hear. Continuous impressions of this nature reinforce Romney's inability to inform voters of his core beliefs, and over time, I believe this could seriously damage Romney's campaign for the presidency.

In the UK there is no parallel show to SNL, although Have I Got News For You comes pretty close to providing political entertainment. Many politicians have appeared as guests on the BBC program, and in some circumstances, former MPs such as Boris Johnson and John Prescott have even hosted the show. Whilst HIGNFY is particularly brilliant, it has not had the same impact on the UK political environment that SNL and other American comedy shows continue to do in their native land.

Saturday Night Live made headlines in the 2008 presidential election, identifying the clear media bias against Sen. Hillary Clinton in her race for the Democratic nomination. One of these sketches featured Amy Poehler as Sen. Clinton and Fred Armisen as Sen. Obama, and clearly defined what some believed at the time as 'different levels' of questioning during live televised debates. The sketch show also helped to define the 'character' of Gov. Sarah Palin, featuring Tina Fey as Palin accompanied by the real governor in a mock press conference. This parody, along with the "Alaska Rap," is perhaps one of the best known and funniest in SNL's entire history, and one that will continue to be played for generations of elections to come.

Other influential comedy/political hybrid television shows include the The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Airing on cable and satellite channel Comedy Central, comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are influential in shaping the daily conversation of the American political world. Surveys conducted by institutes such as the Pew Research Center have shown that regular viewers of The Daily Show tend to be more knowledgeable about news than audiences of other news sources. Both shows have been and continue to be at the forefront of topical issues, with The Daily Show campaigning for improved healthcare rights for 9/11 emergency responders and The Colbert Report's continuing discussions over Super PACs. They continue to have strong viewing ratings, with politicians such as Nancy Pelosi have publicly admitting that she sets her DVR recorder so not to miss an episode.

From Texts from Hillary to appearances by former British Prime Minister's Tony Blair and Gordon Brown on Comic Relief, satirical politics will continue to have a place in our modern media world. Candidates such as Mitt Romney should be aware of the dangers that hybrid news shows present, with the ability to make and shape the news agenda. Both Barack Obama and John McCain appeared on Saturday Night Live during their race for the residency, and one wonders if Mitt Romney will embrace this precedent before Election Day.

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What's With AMC's New Reality TV Knock-Offs

post from TV on HuffingtonPost.com on 01 May 2012 06:30:31 PM. © TV on HuffingtonPost.com

AMC seems to be testing out a new programming model, and it's a little worrisome.

With their three hallmark original series -- "Mad Men," "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad" -- holding down the AMC programming fort throughout the year, the network is not just embracing those few successes, they're capitalizing on them. Sadly, it's not with more quality original scripted dramas ... it's with somewhat-related reality TV shows.

This year, "The Walking Dead" got a companion in Kevin Smith's "Comic Book Men," all about the shop Smith owns in New Jersey and the guys who work there ... because "The Walking Dead" is a pretty popular comic book. Get it? It was less than compelling, even for die-hard comic book fans, and there was little to no connection to the zombie apocalypse drama happening each week on "The Walking Dead." (The "Walking Dead" post-show "The Talking Dead," on the other hand, proved to be a nice way to continue the zombie conversation.)

Now AMC is trying to capitalize on the critical success of "Mad Men" with "The Pitch," a new kind of reality competition show that follows two advertising firms each week, both vying for the same big account.

?'The Pitch' was born out of a desire to look for non-fiction series that present characters and story in a grounded and authentic way, and take us into inherently dramatic worlds that have yet to be explore,? said Joel Stillerman, executive vice president of original programming for AMC, in press release.

Translation: It's a cheaper version of a show that's proven successful.

For the past few weeks, it's seemed like AMC was just airing ~~the faux "Mad Men" show~~ "The Pitch" in chunks during "Mad Men" commercial breaks; they even aired a preview of the premiere episode in early April. But the series had a legitimate premiere this week with two back-to-back episodes (Mondays, 10 p.m. ET on AMC), and I've got to say it was kind of interesting.

Yes, a glowing review, I know, but given that the advertising nitty gritty on "Mad Men" is not why I tune in each week, the pitch for "The Pitch" had me skeptical at best. The show works on some level because the idea is much more solid and the "characters" are more charismatic than those in "Comic Book Men" -- and airing away from "Mad Men's" Sunday night timeslot means it's less of a direct companion.

But I think the most redeeming thing about "The Pitch" is that we all love to critique ad campaigns. When something's brilliant, we imagine we could've come up with it; when something's awful, we delight in wondering how on earth it ever made it to air. We loved Peggy Olsen's (Elisabeth Moss) Heinz pitch about dancing beans a few weeks back at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, but would a bean ballet commercial really inspire you to buy a can? Probably not.

On "The Pitch," the contestants were taksed with a job for Subway about breakfast sandwiches, targeted at the 18-24 demo. One agency nailed it, while the other got stuck on a horribly forced idea about zAMbies. Those are people who are like zombies in the A.M. -- obviously -- and Subway breakfast sandwiches would snap them out of their foggy state. Yep, zAMbies. (Is that some residual "Walking Dead" nod happening there? A veritable parfait of AMC drama plugs!)

While the show is hardly appointment viewing -- and zAMbies and breakfast sandwiches don't feel nearly as nostalgic as Howard Johnsons and Lucky Strike cigarette -- the common ground with "Mad Men" works here in a way, even if "the Pitch" still doesn't feel like the AMC shows we've come to know.

But that doesn't mean that this trend is inspiring much confidence in the future of AMC's original programming. Will they try out something else for "Breaking Bad's" big return? What could they possibly come up with?

Here are three ridiculous "Breaking Bad" reality TV knock-off ideas that, sadly, might not be that far off:
"Meth Men" - All about meth and the men who cook it. We already have mob wives and polygamists touting their illegal lifestyles on reality TV -- why not drug dealers? Plus, with a name like that, people might just think they're watching a new "Mad Men" spin-off. Again, layers of branding potential.

"Below the Law" - Every town has a sleazy lawyer selling himself in cheap commercials. If anyone has ever thought they better call Saul like on "Breaking Bad," we're sure those same people would tune in to watch some real-life ambulance chasers compete for business.

"Science!" - The exact chemistry of cooking meth is something this show has covered in detail, but is all chemistry that dangerous and exciting? There's really only one way to find out: Five science teachers, an impossible experiment, bring your own beakers.

Don't even get us started on a reality TV riff on "The Killing" or "Hell on Wheels" ... introducing "Suspects 101" and "The Chain Gang," starring horrible real-life people, only on AMC!

Tell us: Do you care about reality TV on AMC, or do you only tune in for their dramas?

Check out our slideshow of what to watch this week:

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David Mizejewski: Wendy Williams Loves Baby
Animals

post from TV on HuffingtonPost.com on 01 May 2012 06:25:08 PM. © TV on HuffingtonPost.com

If you're a fan of Wendy Williams' syndicated talk show, or saw her on Dancing With the Stars, you know that she's a larger-than-life personality. As a regular guest on The Wendy Williams Show, and the first to bring on animal ambassadors, I'm happy to report that Wendy's love of wildlife is growing.

It's my goal to get it to match her enthusiasm for wigs and celebrity gossip!

In my latest appearance, I pulled out all the stops and brought some of the cutest, cuddliest baby animals around. In the face of such adorableness, even Wendy's natural trepidation around wild animals melted away.

And even better, she helped me promote National Wildlife Federation's Wild Animal Baby Adoption program!

Here's the clip. Enjoy, and don't forgot to adopt a wild animal baby and help support NWF's work to protect wildlife.

Here are some cute behind-the-scenes pictures with a couple of the baby animal stars.

Cross-posted to National Wildlife Federation's blog, Wildlife Promise.

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Wright promoted to TNT, TBS president

post from TheTVBuff.com on 01 May 2012 06:19:03 PM. © TheTVBuff.com

Reruns of ?The Big Bang Theory? have been key for TBS. Article source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118053345.html?cmpid=RSS|News|TVNews

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Charter names Bickham COO

post from TheTVBuff.com on 01 May 2012 06:19:02 PM. © TheTVBuff.com

© Copyright 2011 , a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used under license. Article source:...

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The Killing: Season Two Ratings

post from TheTVBuff.com on 01 May 2012 06:18:59 PM. © TheTVBuff.com

Here are the most recent TV ratings for The Killing on AMC. The TV show?s ratings are the best way to tell if it will be cancelled or renewed for a third season. The second season of The Killing airs...

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Army Wives: Season Six Ratings

post from TheTVBuff.com on 01 May 2012 06:18:57 PM. © TheTVBuff.com

Here are the most recent TV ratings for Army Wives on Lifetime. The TV show?s ratings are the best way to tell if it will be cancelled or renewed for a seventh season (though it?s believed that the...

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'The L.A. Complex' Star Benjamin Charles Watson:
5 Things You Didn't Know About Me (Guest Blog)

Jethro Nededog
One of the stars of the new CW drama lets THR's readers in on several little-known details about himself in a guest blog.

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Buzz In: Can You See Alexander Skarsgard as
Christian Grey

Well, it looks like Ian Somerhalder's not the only one who wants to star in 50 Shades of Grey. Alexander Skarsgard has recently expressed interest in playing the smoldering young billionaire, citing his True Blood experience as a reason why he's perfect for the role of Christian Grey. To be fair, Skarsgard hadn't even heard of the book until the interview with Access Hollywood and was joking when he said, "I was born to play that part." However, Skarsgard fits the bill for some of the necessary requirements and, like Somerhalder, shouldn't have a problem with the nudity. What's your take - can you see Skarsgard as Christian?

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J-L Cauvin: The Elephant in the Room at the
Comedy Awards

This past weekend, the 2nd Annual Comedy Awards took place. These are the awards where comedians do what every other industry does for itself, while maintaining enough of a distance so as to still plausibly (but perhaps not believably) mock the idea of awards shows.

As I followed some of the results via Twitter, the name Louis CK kept coming up. No big surprise there. He has established himself as the man of the moment in comedy. A sort of infallible figure of fallibility for comedy fans. His show Louie won best show, in the alternative show category, helping it avoid a showdown with comedy series winner Parks and Recreation.

But as a stand-up comic I was most interested in seeing who won best stand-up special. The nominees were Louis CK, Daniel Tosh, Colin Quinn, Patton Oswalt and Norm MacDonald. First I will offer my opinion that of the nominees (for their specials, not their bodies of work) I would have CK no higher than third (I only actually saw MacDonald's, Quinn's, and CK's). I thought MacDonald's special was better than CK's and that Quinn's Broadway show was better than both.

But CK's special represented a game changer, or so I was repeatedly told. He bucked the industry by self-producing his own special. Jim Gaffigan and Aziz Ansari copied his model. Now, thanks to Louis' example, at least a dozen comedians can do this. Maybe even two dozen. And after that, I don't think it will have any effect on the careers of individual comedians. The widespread distribution and opportunities offered by television are still needed by almost all comedians to get to the next level. Did CK change the game? Or did he just demonstrate that after decades of climbing within the ranks of the business he now has the clout to reject it? And before continuing I must say, because, as I have learned, when people read my posts with their own predispositions, they read what they want out of my words, that this is still a compliment to CK. He made a brilliant decision for HIS career. My only qualm is the extrapolation that fans have made from his career to the rest of the industry. If he has changed the game then he is bigger than just a comedian and therefore worthy of cultural icon status, which may have already been bestowed upon him. But if, as I would contend, he has not changed the game, but merely his own game, then some of the praise heaped on him is overblown and is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of greatness around all that he produces, regardless of whether it is actually always great or not.

The last time I remember a comedian becoming as big (and CK is now bigger) as this was Dane Cook. Dane Cook had a methodical, social media-driven, hard work climb over 10+ years to become the biggest name in comedy. But the backlash against Cook was swift and furious. Probably because the comedy community and the public at large had no real qualms about bashing a young, fit, charismatic performer, regardless of how well he did for stand up comedy as a business. Louis seems to be bulletproof. Some of his invincibility comes from his soft underbelly, literally: His words are harsh and honest, but his delivery device is humble and not intimidating. Almost all friends of mine who are CK devotees acknowledge to me that they did not think that the Beacon Theater special was his best work and that there were more worthy specials this year. But because of the "game changing" aspect of the special, it was worthy. But as I already indicated, I don't really think it changed the game. The same way George Carlin claimed voting was just the illusion of power, at this point, only those entertainers who already have power, can wield enough power to buck the system. So if it was not the best special of the year (or at least not definitively) and not truly game changing, what is the justification?

My biggest disappointment in seeing the nominees and the eventual winner though, was the absence of the late, great Patrice O'Neal. In a twist of sad irony to this post, Louis actually dedicated the Beacon Theater special to the memory of O'Neal. O'Neal passed away late last year, but not before leaving the comedy community with Elephant In The Room, which is really just a notch below Chris Rock's Bring the Pain for me on my all-time favorite comedy specials, and Mr. P, his hilarious album, released posthumously. I remember watching Elephant In The Room and thinking "this is going to get Patrice the next-level recognition he deserves." I thought it was hands down the best special of the year. No distribution gimmicks, no hype, just great stand-up. The silver lining to his tragic death should have been an increased visibility and respect for his work. But then, late last year I noticed a poll on a popular comedy website that had eleven or so comedians up for "Favorite Comedian of the Year" and he was not even on the list. And then the Comedy Awards did not even NOMINATE Elephant in The Room.

Now people reading this who are already predisposed to embrace all that is Louis CK will probably just call me a hater. I'll admit there are a ton of comedians whose comedy I like more than Louis CK (if you want to know, Bill Burr and Chris Rock are my favorite living comedians). But I also greatly respect CK's dedication, his work ethic and and the prominence that he has brought to stand up. If you are not quite at the "fu*k you J-L you hater" level, then maybe you would like to say "Hey J-L, I respect your opinion, but why is it so wrong for Louis to have won this? He is a great comic and it is all subjective anyway, right? How is your opinion 'better' than mine?" Go watch Elephant in The Room and the Beacon Theater special and tell me there is not a difference. And it is also just the notion that CK was crowned the way Adele was at the Grammy's. I don't like a comedy world where we sort of have a coronation. Even Carlin's second to last special sucked and it was reviewed as such. But he came back and did a great one for what would be his last special. That is how comedy should work. You are only as good as your last show. Sure fans will give you a break because they are your fans, but should an entire industry be giving the same blind loyalty to a performer? That is largely what makes it difficult, especially when you reach that upper echelon. You have to produce new material regularly and it has to meet the high standards you have established for yourself (and admittedly no one has set the bar higher for themselves than CK in terms of sheer volume produced). Dane Cook tapered off after his hard-earned climb to the top and he was crucified for it. For Louis CK, however, it seems that there is no objectivity even allowed because the comedy community is so enamored with him ("Did you think his last special was an A+ or an A++? a B+? Well fu*k you you jealous hater!").

Now CK is not to blame for any of this, obviously, but I do believe the CK and Patrice issues are two sides of the same coin. There is a lot to appreciate and respect about CK and I have laughed at plenty of his material. But, if you honor everything Louis CK (or whoever the industry standard bearer is) does you dilute the power of some of his greatest work that truly does stand above others. And when this occurs, the avalanche of adoration can impede or submerge a deserved and justified opportunity for others. I think the Comedy Awards, for whatever they are worth, did Patrice O'Neal and stand-up comedy a great disservice by not awarding, let alone failing to nominate, Elephant In The Room. For me, the Louis win for his Beacon Theater special is a reason to re-think how the awards are given out, but Patrice being snubbed for even a nomination is a reason to abolish the awards entirely.

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