Mr. Show with Bob and David: Genius or Overrated?

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I get that vibe too, though I can see how the hypephobic could fail to.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

and I really gotta give it up for the 120 Minutes therapy session skit.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe more like "if you don't like it, go take a dump in your hat." But I don't get the "aren't we clever" vibe from it either.

xpost

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

scott: ditto on that, my feelings exactly. They seemed to be doing what THEY thought was funny which struck me as very ballsy most of the time (and smart).

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

if anything part of the reason the show is so popular is that they never were around long enough to feel the love.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

my best friend Lance and I have very similar senses of humor. we immediately bonded with mr.show. we used to love a show that nobody remembers called On The Television starring Tim Conway's son that was a siskel & ebert kinda spoof show where 2 guys would review new fake t.v. shows. let me know when that is on dvd. it wasn't always hilarious, but boy was it silly. we both love mad t.v. too.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Scott OTM re: vibe of show.

"if you don't like it, go take a dump in your hat."
Don't you mean on the American flag?

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha ha! NO! BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE DONE I TELLS YA!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i never got the "ha! aren't we clever clever?" vibe from it.

I can sort of see how if you don't get that vibe, it could be a really good show, but it's a bit like "if an elephant was small, white and round, it'd be an aspirin".

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm sorry, is there any successful sketch comedy show that couldn't be seen as "trying to be clever?" I mean they all have the audacity to try and make you laugh.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean even America's Funniest Home Videos has that smug Bob Saget cracking wry over the shots of dogs sliding around on ice.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

i'd understand the complaint if they, like, gratuitously paused for applause or something, but the show has a pretty zippy pace.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

it should be noted that scott seward's the only person defending mr. show on this thread right now that's ever been funny on ilx.

― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

so i guess that makes him bob

― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

it should be noted that scott seward's the only person defending mr. show on this thread right now that's ever been funny on ilx.

Oh really. Sure he wasn't just trying to be funny?

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

see, the only one

― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Still, even.

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't come down to where you work and slap the dick out of your mouth!

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

tell me that was an x-post

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

that was a hilarious x-post is what it was

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Of course it was, miccio.

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Who do you think you are?! This company cares! We were in the people business when you were in short pants! My great-great-great grandfather started this company with one single rickety, leaky, hand-crafted slave ship, and a simple motto: "People selling people to people." So, don't tell me that I'm fat!!

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, if selling babies for profit is wrong I'm sure the original founder of Globo-Chem wouldn't want to be right!

"Take it from me, I love you!"

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

come to think of it, even though i like arrested development, i kinda feel about it the way ned feels about mr.show. tries too hard to be zany, shrill,etc. and i don't even like david cross that much on it.

scott so fucking OTM today. lemonade salesman, too.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 23 April 2005 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

it should be noted that scott seward's the only person defending mr. show on this thread right now that's ever been funny on ilx.

btw, when was the last time you were funny? i'm thinking it was well before you threatened to get in a fistfight with roger adultery.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 23 April 2005 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

haha!

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Scott is OTM about the intentional "trying too hard" aspect of the live parts. There are a number of great fake sketch bits throughout the series.

The show is certainly inconsistant, but they had some really incredible material. Both Mr. Show and the Upright Citizens Brigade tv show had some interesting ideas about working improv and live sketch formats into a television show, but I think both ultimately make the case for the supremecy of the live experience. (although Arrested Development plays with some of the same tools in a manner much more effective for television)

― C0L1N B.. (C0L1N B...), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Scott is OTM about the intentional "trying too hard" aspect of the live parts. There are a number of great fake sketch bits throughout the series.

Hm...all right, let me serve up an example -- one sketch I found egregriously painful was the one in the restaurant where the staff is all falling over themselves to take care of the dude when he poops. So, was that a 'fake' sketch (and was I apparently unaware not to notice?)? (I'm not objecting to that approach -- see also SCTV, MST3K, etc. -- but I don't think it worked well here.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:45 (twenty-one years ago)

(Then again maybe the experience of 10 million thousand hundred painfully unfunny SNL sketches over the moons has colored my experience -- the equivalent being my friend who was a hairdresser who couldn't stand Absolutely Fabulous because she knew people exactly like Eddy and Patsy and hated them to the point where she couldn't laugh at their antics! And then again it could just be FUCKING CROSS but anyway.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

haha ned if you didn't like it when the chimneysweep showed up then you are a much classier man than I

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Hehehe. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:58 (twenty-one years ago)

it should be noted that scott seward's the only person defending mr. show on this thread right now that's ever been funny on ilx.

like ILX is a good arbiter of what's funny. get off yo own nuts!!

― ()ops (()()ps), Saturday, 23 April 2005 21:58 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm sorry, is there any successful sketch comedy show that couldn't be seen as "trying to be clever?" I mean they all have the audacity to try and make you laugh.

-- miccio (anthonyisrigh...), April 23rd, 2005.

I mean even America's Funniest Home Videos has that smug Bob Saget cracking wry over the shots of dogs sliding around on ice.

-- miccio (anthonyisrigh...), April 23rd, 2005.

i'd understand the complaint if they, like, gratuitously paused for applause or something, but the show has a pretty zippy pace.

-- miccio (anthonyisrigh...), April 23rd, 2005.

otfm!

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Saturday, 23 April 2005 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I was referring to the live segments--i.e. the "Space Dog" sketch.

As dumb as Lemonade Salesman's argument is, I don't know if "trying too hard" is a particularly useful criticism as it's phrased, especially when so much sketch could stand to try a lot harder (Michael Showalter, I'm looking at you). I haven't seen the poop sketch in a few years, but I'm remember it being executed very well--great raising the stakes, strong beats--but predicated on pretty weak ideas. Blount brought up Chappelle Show, which suffers from the opposite problem; great (if sometimes same-y) ideas, half-assed execution.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Saturday, 23 April 2005 22:41 (twenty-one years ago)

wow, i had forgotten that i had started an entire "trying too hard" thread!!!

Is "Trying Too Hard" In Art Really THAT Bad?

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 23 April 2005 23:02 (twenty-one years ago)

If I was going to give someone an example of trying too hard I'd show the video for Van Halen's "Panama" and then the video for "Yankee Rose." Which does reaffirm that "trying too hard" isn't really that bad.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 23:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Jaws -vs- 1941

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 23 April 2005 23:21 (twenty-one years ago)

although some people might have thought jaws was trying too hard. "looks like a 20-footer!" "25." I mean, did it have to be THAT long to be scary? by the way, see you here on martha's vineyard for the summer of jaws. big anniversary celebration. all jaws, all summer long.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 23 April 2005 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

COL1N B... as dumb as my argument is, I was arguing about the phrase "trying to be loopy and inspired" not "trying too hard." Just because they did wacky things (thus proving the "loopy" aspect) doesn't mean they were trying to be "inspired." I get the impression, as do others, that the material came from a very honest place and that their brand of comedy might simply be different because most comedy has gotten so corny that they (like me) probably find more outrageous stuff funny. To some (like me), outrageous humor comes naturally and is not the result of trying to be something.

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Saturday, 23 April 2005 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I was talking about the way you were arguing. But yeah, I definitely think the show was as genuine and "inspired". Although "loopy" and "outrageous" speak more to the show's flaws and why I'm not sure Monty Python should really be the flashpoint here (although there are certainly elements there).

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Saturday, 23 April 2005 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

I still love it.

― Kate, non masonic, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)

yes

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 18:49 (eighteen years ago)

sad songs are nature's onions

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)

paul f tompkins was chubby once

― chaki, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 18:56 (eighteen years ago)

my shoes hurt too

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 19:01 (eighteen years ago)

i really love the jesus christ superstar sketch. i was obsessed with that movie at some point in my youth though.

― bell_labs, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 19:07 (eighteen years ago)

gagortion

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 19:12 (eighteen years ago)

jcss is OK. not many lols.

― chaki, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 19:12 (eighteen years ago)

the sketch i mean. the original is the best thing ever made.

― chaki, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 19:13 (eighteen years ago)

yeah that sketch really goes on too long

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 19:14 (eighteen years ago)

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