(no subject)

[unbibium]

I used to like "TV Funhouse" because it provided a subversive angle on all the cartoons and kids' shows and educational programming I'd watched as a child.  The first episode I watched was a surreal experience, as it felt like watching a children's show and an adult's show at the same time.

I caught an episode of "Wonder Showzen" recently, and it seems to be trying for the same effect.  It's just not the same, though.  It's got the puppets and the parody cartoons, but the attitude is more bitter and angry and grotesque and uncomfortable.

"TV Funhouse" is for people who liked their childhood, or at least the TV parts of it.  "Wonder Showzen" is for people who hated their childhood, and blame the Cookie Monster for their obesity.

Comments

[jakesbrain.livejournal.com]

Found this floating around; it seems to reflect your opinion on the show:

http://mikeomatic.wordpress.com/2006/03/29/tv-wrongness/

I like his quotes from the message boards at IMDB--a lot of people seem to get pretty heavily into defending the show.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

IMDB message boards make Usenet look like a model of thoughtful and rational discourse.

[pentomino.livejournal.com]

It seems to be for strident people who would say things like "yeah I guess the truth hurts...may as well continue believing you live in a non-corrupt, non-stereotypical, racist-free world where nothing bad ever happens." It's for the people who buy books like "Everything You Know Is Wrong," for people who get their kicks by looking for the ugliest parts of humanity.

And I notice another WS-defender cites Bill Hicks. The older I get, the more I see Bill Hicks as a crackpot.

Hey!

[lautreamontg.livejournal.com]

That's me!

[jakesbrain.livejournal.com]

It's an odd truism: The older you get, the less funny Bill Hicks gets.

And I liked the IMDB commentator who said, "It scared the piss out of me. It was like Sesame Street on hard drugs." No, TV Funhouse is Sesame Street as written by druggies. Wonder Showzen is like Sesame Street written by twice-divorced alcoholics.

[holywar.livejournal.com]

I feel much the same way about Moral Orel. My only exposure to that
show was the Christmas episode, and I thought it was the most bitter
and cynical fifteen minutes I've ever seen on television (and not in
a good way). I actually felt uncomfortable after it was over.