Nibbled News

Turning Viewers Into Entrenched Voyeurs

"I'm at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I've just had a mirror put over my kitchen table." ~ Rodney Dangerfield

It seems these days that even  the most  dramatic, respected  and creative  television shows  eventually flaunt and promote unbridled, carefree and unprotected sex as the answer to their series flagging viewer rating.

This usually happens after the third or fourth episode when the viewer numbers have been compiled and the networks and advertisers are eager to boost exposure and sales. Network managers are willing to take a chance on new dramatic content and more receptive to innovative writing.

The Nielsen viewer ratings have been successfully compiled by this time and a television home viewing market selected within which a show's writing team can become "creative" oftentime using gratuitous sex to overcome writing lapses and lulls between commercials.

Two such shows that pop into mind are "King"and "Suits". Both shows are presented on the Showcase network.The plots and the writing  are first rate. Initially the sexual nature of the show's characters was downplayed and the legal angle highlighted. On the premium channel a viewer content warning is flashed between commercial segments indicating "adult content view discretion is advised."

"King" is a tough female cop who has been divorced a number of times and likes her sex hot and heavy. She is nearing forty, wears tight skirts and is desperately trying to get pregnant. She is the head of a crime division in a large metropolitan city. At times she lets her biological clock run her common sense. This aspect may make her appealling to all those female viewers in her particular life situation.

"Suits"  main characters are Harvey Specter" and  "Mike Ross". For Harvey a romp in the hay is an accepted pro bono aspect of the job.  Recently Ross has also been priming the pump for female companionship.  Specter is a talented, conniving, no holds barred successful attorney possessing street smarts and an over active libido. Ross is his protege with a photographic memory whom he is tutoring in the law firm.

Eventually though the main characters in both shows abandon their higher callings and are eager to tear off their clothing, hop into bed with  any available and consenting member of the opposite sex.  This allows three to five minutes of air time to successfully transpire. This on-screen action is supposed to turn the viewing audience into consenting adult voyeurs.

The popularity of both shows has attracted the attention of the non premium channels. The channels do flash the viewer warning adult content notice at the start of the show. So an at home viewer expects some adult content not out-and-out orgy action. What does a parent do when their children are in the same room with them while they are watching the juicier segments?

In this age of sexually transmitted diseases, herpes, genital warts, AIDs and the like dramatic televison shows should offer the viewing public richer content and more thought provoking themes and try not to merely pander the easily gratuitous side of life .

If this is an impossible task then at least have the main characters enage in protected sex before they dazzle the viewer with their bedroom prowess.

 

The Comedic Impulse Eludes Drew Carey

Comedy just pokes at problems, rarely confronts them squarely. Drama is like a plate of meat and potatoes, comedy is rather the dessert, a bit like meringue. -----   Woody Allen

Drew Carey, the current host of The Price is Right, is definitely a people person who enjoys interacting with his live studio audience and relishes in his own celebrity and acquired fame. He is obviously comfortable and at home in such an interactive environment.

His seemingly innate inability however to create comedy content which will excite, enthuse, entertain and captivate his audiences is apparent to anyone who takes the time to watch only a few minutes of Carey's new TV show , Improv-A-Ganza,  which is carried on the cable networks game show station.

One wonders why the network executives placed this genre of comedy show on the game show network. Perhaps this was a Freudian slip on their part -- they wanted to take a gamble on an offering lacking any proven track record of performance and quality.

The talented comedians of past years, the greats who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, exuded charisma , charm and excitingly controversial material. They were able to immediately form a bond with their audiences and the combination was explosive. In those bygone days ladies and gentlemen that  was called entertainment.

Carey's motley crew of comedians rely mostly it seems on interacting with an audience who probably have had a bit too much to drink and will easily laugh at anything offered to them under the label "comedy".

Drew claims that hecklers upset many comedy routines because the material is boring and the heckler believes he is adding a bit of zip to the skit. Unfortunately any heckler worth his salt would not ruin his reputation by interrupting Carey's team of misdirected miscreants as they flounder about on stage pandering for applause.

If you enjoyed the frivolous antics of fellow students in grade five then this show is definitely for you. The routines are tired, not very comedic and at times insult an audience's intelligence.

Drew should have kept his day job and not tried to overextend the boundaries of  his charisma and comedic talent abilities. In this sad situation the price was not right for Drew.

Chuck Lorre Often Prostituted Sheen's Talent

 
Chuck Lorre (left) and Charlie Sheen (right) clear the air on issues.

"I believe that consciousness creates the illusion of individuation, the false feeling of being separate. In other words, I am aware, ergo I am alone. I further believe that this existential misunderstanding is the prime motivating force for the neurotic compulsion to blot out consciousness. " - Chuck Lorre

For the record will someone in Hollywood please sit down with Chuck Lorre and carefully, slowly and repeatedly explain to him that he is not Norman Lear and that his comedy writing team and the creative crap they brazenly offer the viewing audience on commercial television is sorely lacking in any type of comedic content let alone social commentary.

Mr Lear's comedy offerings were timely, funny and filled at times not only with social criticism but also thought provoking episodes. His genre of entertainment, often thought of as being avant garde at the time,  could be described as cerebral and viewing audiences actually laughed at and enjoyed the weekly episodes.

Mr Lorre's "comedy sitcoms" are non cerebral, crass and aimed at times at the lowest common level of humor:  guttural. While Lear's satire and humor aimed at comedy situations above the waist Lorre's weekly viewing stipend is aimed at places way below the belt and at times reek of bad comedy, inappropriate cliche targeting and just bad writing.

I am sure that Lorre's creative comedy writing teams desperately want to entice, thrill and hopefully seduce viewing audiences for the long term. Charlie Sheen provided the type of big name clout the show needed to attract such an avid and adoring audience.

Unfortunately Sheen turned out to be the type of commercialized Judas goat that could be both loved and loathed. For a mere $1.2 million per episode of "Two and a Half Men" Sheen prostituted his talent, career and skills to line the pockets of Lorre's backers and advertisers.

Initially Lorre's writers offered humorous comedy situations in the first few years of Charlie's shows. Over time though the laughs became fewer and fewer and the plots began to delve more into the neurotic and darkly perverse side of human nature.

Audiences now laugh nervously as the show's characters are embroiled in situations that are deserving more of therapy than applause. The phrase "who's your daddy?" takes on a whole new connotation when one character in Charlie's show is shown beating his butt on a closed circuit tv screen. So this is humor?

Another of Lorre's creations," The Big Bang Theory" is also suffering from the ill effects of too few laughs per episode. Sex dominates the overall tome of each show and the characters reading the lines offer wooden performances indirectly showing their distaste for the crap they are memorizing and presenting each week.

In a world desperately seeking humor to alleviate some of the stress of the times Lorre's type of humor should be placed out in the pasture of life where it can do the most good: fertilize and stink up the immediate environment.

It may turn out that Mr Sheen should be complimented and patted on the back for having the guts in helping to bring down or else slowing down one of Lorre's less inspiring sitcom programs.

His overall real life drinking and carousing may have helped Charlie to save his career and allow once enchanted viewers the opportunity to click off the televison switch on the rest of Lorre's questionably "creative" content without feeling any pang of guilt.

 

 

 

Comedy Sitcoms Often Humorless and Bland

W.C. FIELDS -- GREATEST DRUNK OF ALL TIMES

 

 

 

Adam Sandler, Charlie Sheen, David Spade and Drew Carey all apparently suffer from the same tragic personality flaw: they are all haunted by the fact that they are humorless comedians trying to cope in a world craving comedy.

All of the above mentioned personalities , except Drew Carey, have tasted success as headliners in relatively successful movie roles. A glimpse of their deeper talent and acting expertise was tapped upon in their silver screen offerings.

However, when it comes to television situation comedy scenarios, these same gentlemen are, according to many critics bombing out and not really giving their fans quality performances. The comedic skill these gentlemen portrayed at the movie theater was only a seduction and a tease to entice avid fans to boost their flagging popularity ratings.

Some Hollywood critics have even recently suggested that Sandler and Spade are merely accepting cookie cutter roles that do not stretch them professionally as actors but will increase their box office financial appeal. Why exert yourself as an actor when your fans will accept mediocre performances and almost humorless storylines.

Unscrupulous Hollywood script writers tend to exploit a gullible public and offer second rate scripts to silver screen idols hoping that the actor's personality, public relations people and assorted other channels of media hype will transform a lacklustre sitcom idea into a million dollar, long term situation for everyone involved.

The screen writers guild should establish its own ethics in entertainment committee to police those television script writers who knowingly continue to offer at home viewing audiences material that is questionable and profitable only to the sponsors, networks and actors involved.

Until  that point in time has arrived it is really up to the viewing audience at home to personally evaluate the overall quality of the shows they watch at home. It's better to boycott a show than sit back in silence and continue to tolerate tripe comedic material.

Viewers begin to wonder if Charlie Sheen is attempting to emulate the antics of another famous tippler, W. C. Fields , or is he merely wallowing in the fact that his two million dollar price tag per episode of "Two and a Half Men" is merely compensatory and has nothing to do with his lack of silver screen script offerings.

Mr Sheen recently stated that he is now ready to get back to work. One wonders if his adoring public will forgive him his  digressions and transgressions and continue to watch his show with the same interest, loyalty and awe they formerly exhibited.

 

Drunken Santa Wannabes Tarnish Image

 

"Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer. Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously?" ~ Bill Watterson in Calvin and Hobbes

                                                                        

No Virginia, the man dressed up in the familiar red and white suit caught on this security camera footage is not the real  Santa Claus . He may be a person caught up in the glitz, glamour, stress and spirit(s) of the season.

Maybe the poor soul had attended one too many office parties and was catching a much needed breath of fresh air or perhaps he was desperately searching for his misplaced reindeer and sled filled with toys. Reindeer do have a tendency to wander off and explore things. Whatever the reason may be his actions are totally inexcusable.

 This drunken Santa syndrome was first depicted in George Seaton’s Christmas classic film Miracle on 34^th Street wherein an inebriated Santa is just enjoying a few sips of alcohol to keep off the chill before the start of the Macy’s Parade.

 The Santa hero is appalled that this drunken sot would dare to tarnish the name if not the overall reputation of Saint Nick. To  him the true spirit of the season is not found in a bottle of alcohol but rather in the heart, soul and imagination of the child within us all.

 The film depicts the efforts of a lone senior to fight the system and gain recognition as a bona fide Santa Claus. The main character embodies all the qualities one would expect a bona fide Saint Nicholas to exhibit.

 He creates a bond of trust and competitive helpfulness between two New York merchandiser giants and still manages to win over the heart of a young girl who is cynical about the spirit behind Christmas.

The Santa depicted in the above video may depict a stressed out individual coping with modern times and pressures. However,  dressing up in the spirit of the times does not give anyone the right to jeopardize their lives or the lives of others. Think before you drink and drive this holiday season.

 

 

 

 

 

Flashbacks Detract from NBC's "The Event" Storyline Hampered By Frenetic Editing

"Television has done much for psychiatry by spreading information about it, as well as contributing to the need for it."  -- Alfred Hitchcock

 

 

The new NBC program "The Event", which aired for the first time on Monday September 20, 2010, has been constantly advertised and actively promoted for months. 

The network has touted the show as being a different kind of thriller. The event is supposedly "chronicled" from a number of differing viewpoints.

These viewpoints or vantage points if you will center on Jason Ritter's character (Sean) who is deemed to be a regular guy searching for his missing fiance Leila (Sarah Roemer shown in picture)) and fighting his way through a series of mysterious ( if not at times confusing ) circumstances aimed at allegedly assassinating the president of the United States (Blair Underwood in picture).

NBC is reportedly placing all its bets on "The Event". This is the network's latest bid for "must-see, event television".  But will hype generating advertising and billboard promotional tactics be enough to entice audiences to watch the program when frantic and confusing film editing or perhaps second rate script writing cloud character development and plot?

I found the first twenty minutes or so to be confusing. It was difficult to figure out who the good guys were supposed to be, if there was a plot on the president's life and , who the main characters were and lastly where in the world we were...more like a travelogue than a drama. Even episodes of Survivor let you get your feet on solid ground from time to time.

The only real semblances of continuuity and uniformity were the well placed commercials and station breaks. You can always count on these to be punctual and emotional if not bladder relieving. At least you can go to the fridge and get a snack between segments of this thriller.

It seemed as if the director was attempting to emulate a Sam Peckinpaw - Steven Spielberg approach to his story interpretation. The slow and deliberate airplane crash reminiscent of Peckinpaw's slow motion camera work in Straw Dogs combined with the continual globe trotting visits to Alaska, an ocean liner cruise ship and finally homeland USA  left me personally searching for a parachute or the channel remote switch.

We can only hope that the 97 detainees reportedly being held incommunicado in a fictionalized Alaskan version of the Guantanamo Naval Base detainee facility are able to escape and flee to an empty Hollywood movie set to produce their own must see version of this tale. Hopefully these detainees will not be Eskimos who have merely refused to watch the series in its entirety no matter what the movie's production staff threaten to do to them.

An opening segment of a must see event should be so filled with enough quality content, character development and plot that viewing audiences are enticed and drawn back to watch future episodes.

Actors offering wooden performances, overused airplane hijacking scenes and wind machines emulating the devastating effects of an impending plane crash have been used before and should seriously be placed in mothballs and forgotten.

Actors such as Mr Underwood who have proven their dramatic salt in more dramatic series should be afforded the right and the opportunity to present their more dramatic and entertaining sides and not merely opt to offer the viewing audiences mugged shots of impending terror and fear.

It can only be hoped that the network has aired the less desirable portions of this event and that the rest of the episodes will contain more pulp and less directorial flatulence.

 

 

 

 

Too Much TV Constantly Pimps Sexual Innuendo To Viewers -- Age of Innocence Gone

During the month of September the major television broadcasting networks begin to actively promote their new fall lineup of programs. This is an annual ritual and a substantial portion of their advertising dollars are earmarked towards obtaining this objective.

 

The obvious goal here is to whet the home viewers curiosity enough so that they will feel compelled to at least tune into the show and eventually become an addicted viewer. Advertisers also want the home viewing audience to purchase their goods and services too.

At this time of the year many viewers who have been duped into watching the previous season's disasters cast a wary eye on their television screens actively appraising the overall credibility and worth of the programs being promoted for the new year.

Each year around this time I like to reminisce about previous television seasons and how they possibly stack up against today's viewing fare. At times this personal rating is extremely easy to do. Other time a bit more challenging.

If you are baby boomer you can probably remember the comedy series Mr. Ed. This was a time of innocence for television. The horse didn't actually speak but for 30 minutes you were entertained with innocent humor.

Today Mr ED is probably a male not only suffering erectile dysfunction but also having a personal bout of midlife crisis. This poor individual is constantly plagued by a constant barrage of programs actively endorsing and promoting a male enhancement product for him to use .

To add to his social unease slick comedy writing teams produce a legion of innuendo laced one liners making this man the comedic butt of all jokes. No wonder these programs lose a substantial number of male viewers.

Another program I enjoyed as a youngster was Dennis the Menace. This was another innocent comedy theme based on the newspaper comic character and his friends and family.

It was not a program about a misunderstood social outcast who packs a 45 caliber weapon in his napsack and prowls the school yard during recess time trying to score some coke. Times and social circumstances certainly have changed.

The Saturday night lineup in those days was entertaining . The evening began with Flipper ( a friendly dolphin) making you feel at one with nature followed by Perry Mason ( an intuitive and reasonable lawyer) a man of integrity and truth.

The rest of the evening rounded out well with a visit to The Love Boat and for the more adventurous viewers a late evening sojourn to Fantasy Island.

In those shows a man's sexual problems were not actively portrayed or pursued on the television screen. Of course those were the days before any type of sexual liberation arrived on the social scene.

Too many television programs today promote sexual freedom and free for all sexual encounters. In an age of AIDS and sexually transmitted disease (STD) restraint and caution should be advocated a bit more rigorously.

It is unfortunate that the creative minds behind many of these shows could not configure descent scripts that entertain and advise without every cast member in the series disrobing and boinking that star or starlette whose public image needs a boost up.

　

"Hot in Cleveland" Plagued By Hackneyed Material

The newest sitcom series to hit the airwaves this past summer , Hot in Cleveland, is by any other name an embarassing remake of the classic Golden Girls series of years gone by. Much to my chagrin I chose to watch a few episodes of this show on my computer on a quiet Saturday evening.

The lack of any real spark of creative effort or chutzpah on the part of the show's creative writing team left me with a feeling of being ripped off. The banal material was supposedly to be infused with a new life and vigor which I hardly noticed.

 All I saw was a cloistered group of stringbean, neurotically obsessed females wearing high hemlined miniskirts being shepherded by an at times glowering Betty White. So that's entertainment huh?

It seemed to me as I sat there at my desk trying to appreciate the comedic nuances the series comedy writing team was hoping to obtain that the writers, directors, producers of the series and the all important advertising sponsors were hoping that members of the televison audience would have short term memories and not remember the now cliche material that had been humorous decades ago.

A straight laced  and often time camera mugging Betty White, now possibly replacing the Estelle Getty character from the aformentioned show, is the matured matriarch who tries to balance the egos and libidinal insecurities and impulses of three 40-or-something friends. The friends themselves, who also mug for the camera a lot, are rejects from other once popular comedy shows possibly seeking a second chance at stardom.

Valerie Bertinelli, a 50-year-old walking advertisement for Jenny Craig, still attempts to psychologically portray that sarcastically naive One Day At A Time character she played years ago. Bonnie Franklin would be appalled to see what her TV daughter has now become. Ms Bertinelli should choose her scripts a bit more judiciously.  Afterall, the weight loss industry giant might be depending on her for more future endorsements.

The one television icon I found searching for a character to portray was Hal Linden ( TV's former Barney Miller). In this particular episode he portrayed a one time theatircal great now reduced by the shifting sands of time to become a mere Viagara popping lothario putting the moves on anything in a skirt. He must be watching studio reruns of Charlie Sheen's sitcom Two and a Half Men.

The character he portrayed in this one particular episode was ready to boink any female that happened to be in the vicinity, He even put the moves on Betty White! It is saddening to realize that Linden, who once portrayed Barney Miller on the television series of the same name, would be forced to accept roles that do not effectively project his dramatic personna in a better light.

Hot in Cleveland is at times a clever, formulaic genre of comedy. There are really no major surprises in the plot or character development. It is a classic comedy filled with perfect timing, character and tone. The characters wait for their cues, deliver their lines and then wait for the audience laugh track to fill in the voids.

Admittedly at times the show is funny, haughty, a little naughty and good for the funny bone. This type of format offers bored reality show viewers the chance to let their hair done and get somewhat real. But tickling the funny bone is not a major consideration to ensure a shows success.  

New episodes of Hot in Cleveland are scheduled to be televised in January 2011 . It can only be hoped that the formerly successful executive staff members of the show will take the time to reflect on their past efforts and successes and begin to produce new episodes that reflect a more creative and less cliched approach to comedy.

We all love it when a plan comes together. In this instance the overall game plan was half baked and the material badly Xeroxed. Better luck next season team.

 

 

Michael Jackson - In Memoriam One Year Later

"I love my family very much. I wish I could see them a little more often than I do. But we understand because we're a show business family and we all work." -- Michael Jackson

June 25th 2009 marked the day when Michael "Jacko" Jackson passed away under questionable circumstances. This was also the day that the music and the talent that symbolized Michael was also abruptly taken from his many adoring fans.

This brief tribute pays respect to the man whom many label the greatest entertainer ever. The acclaim and the accolade are duly warranted by Jacko's commitment to always please and entertain his fans and admirers.

Do children growing up in show business families ever have the chance to truly enjoy their early childhood years or do they become the unfortunate victims of their own celebrity, success and family fame?

Are musically talented families more socially isolated from other families in their own neighborhoods? Is the time spent rehearsing dance steps and memorizing musical lyrics worth all the fuss and bother? Do the endless hours of practicing and rehearsing tie family bonds or loosen sibling togetherness and sharing?

Michael Jackson started his show business climb to success at a very, very early age. It seemed as soon as he could walk and had the opportunity to learn a few dance routines Micheal was entertaining audiences. He blossomed in the limelight.

His bubbling talent and energy and enthusiasm enthralled his adoring audiences. His family's pride in his presence on the stage performing with them seemed evident and they allowed him from time to time to dominate the stage and steal a lion's share of the applause.

The Jackson 5 hit "I'll Be There" was the family's fourth number one hit in a row and featured the developing and young voice of a young Jacko. The talented youngster delivered this song on stage with as much style, aplomb and energy as did the older Michael of the Thriller and Moon Dance later years.

For many youngsters the call of the stage and the demands of their audiences take precedence over their own personal needs. Family closeness develops but shared moments with outsiders who are not agents, talent scouts or tour promoters is rare.

The same scenario might affect the formative years of children who are suddenly orphaned by the death of one or both parents. Reality is immediately altered and new demands and expectations are thrust upon the remaining family members. The demands of show business causes the demise of one's privacy.

In recent days the amount of media hype, speculation and controversy seems to not focus on the human side of this gifted performer but rather his darker unsavory leanings. Many so called truths about Michael and his lifestyle bubble to the surface daily.

Newsmen and media representatives are always trying to scoop the competition with the latest and greatest inside angle. Nothing is sacred and everything becomes profane and bastardized by a hungry news media machine.

Michael was a talented performer who shared his talent, music and personal best with the world.  Some say he was a very trusting soul and this very side of his nature made him vunerable to manipulation.

We should mourn not only the fact that he is no longer with us but also the realization that he gave his audiences his very best till the bitter end.

This short eulogy attests to the fact that even though Michael passed away before his time,  his music, the man he was and his charisma both onstage and off made a lasting impression on us all.

Can The A-Team Re-Energize An Uninspiring Hollywood Landscape?

Is there a critical shortage today of creative script writing talent in Hollywood?

Have all the creative script writers in Hollywood who used to deliver quality shows suddenly become senile or heaven forbid extinct?

Are these one time creative minds now drawing social security payments instead of cash payments for wonderfully written plays and scripts?

Is Jerry Bruckheimer the only television/ movie producer alive today who can offer both movie and television audiences shows that are creative, entertaining, enticing and money making?

There is a popular expression used by street people, "what goes around comes around." I always thought that this loosely translated into , "every dog has his or her day."  Fido beware.

Back in the day it was a warning that if you messed around with someone today that messing around aspect would come around another day and bite you big time on your butt. It could be considered a psychological boomerang effect.

It seems to me now that the creative geniuses in Hollywood have somehow morphed that expression into a totally new meaning.  It appears that these men of often time limited insight and imagination have deluded themselves into seriously believing that a concept that worked well years ago will magically work again Golly, formula movie making does exist.

They apparently believe that a younger, more sophisticated audience of movie goers starving for entertainment will eagerly rush to the box office , lay down their hard earn money and enjoy a movie that was once a popular weekly drama their parents enjoyed.

One show that readily fills the bill is The A-Team. The one time mesh of on screen characters and real life personalities made that show a success . Hannibal, Face Man, Murdoch and of course Mr T brought action, suspense , drama and entertainment into our homes every week.

The only special effects the team had 25 years ago were talent, charisma, chutzpa and well written scripts. Many devoted fans stayed glued to their television screens years ago to encourage the team to success.

I think that this newest version of the A-Team will be a success and fuel a few movie sequels of its own. Hopefully the show will return to the airwaves to save television viewers from the endless line of cheaply made reality show spinoffs now polluting the air waves.

A-Team fans from years ago perhaps tend to idealize their favorite characters and will be a bit more skeptical of the current cast of characters attempting to fill the team's bigger than life shoes.

Let us hope that fans of the original team will not be disappointed and that talent not cinematic special effects dominate the story line and ressurrect the memory of a special A plus team of actors.