NBC

Paul Reiser show – a show about nobody!

~ Wiberg ~ 1 Comment

hey, I haven’t posted in awhile and just thought that I’d post my thoughts on the incredibly unfunny Paul Reiser show. I wasn’t a fan of Mad About You, but a lot of people were – 20 years ago. Now one of the stars is back with a new sitcom. And, I suppose, in twenty years he can do a show about a guy who had a crappy sitcom about a guy who once had a successful sitcom.  At least Helen Hunt isn’t in this one.

Whereas a Reiser contemporary, Jerry Seinfeld, had a show “about nothing,” this show is about a nobody. Not literally, but 2011 is a lot different than the early 90s. Paul Reiser in the title of the show? Really? Other than his family and friends and NBC suits, has anybody in the past 15 years wondered what Paul Reiser is doing?

The first episode was awful, primarily for its blatant rip-off/homage of the much better written (improvised, mostly) Curb Your Enthusiasm. The corny circus music and including Larry David in the premiere episode was not the way to start (maybe he should have called the show “Paul Your Enthusiam”). It’s like the show jumped the shark on the first episode.   Maybe next week Paul can hang out a a community college. Or at the Tracy Jordan Show.  Actually, although I’m not a fan of Reiser’s, his timing and personality would actually fit more in The Office than any other sitcom on air.

That is the end of this post. I have grown tired of this topic much sooner than I realized. Thank you for reading this post. Now go read something else that isn’t so critical about a guy who is just trying to make our evenings more enjoyable with a little sitcom humor.

Matt Lauer, Genius Grant winner – “how’s your Dad?” to RFK Jr.

~ Wiberg ~ 1 Comment

I saw this on RFK For President, about Matt Lauer, who asked the DUMBEST question to RFK Jr., and I had to post it. It is Matt Lauer of the NBC’s Today Show starting his interview with RFK Jr.

Obviously Matt Lauer was momentarily confused, but remember this next time one of these idiot talkshow hosts climb onto their soapbox about other people’s intelligence.

Joe Biden vs. Sarah Palin – Debate Preview, Answers to Debate Questions!

~ Wiberg ~ 2 Comments

The two brightest people in America will go at it on Thursday, October 2, 2008 – they will match wits, trade barbs, be wily. But enough about Andy vs Dwight from “The Office!” (NBC is so in the tank for Andy Bernard, it makes me sick. They should just let Dwight win Angela!).

The other event – Joe Versus the Barracuda. Spoiler alert: America wins! Because I have been following for, oh, about twenty days, I think I can provide expert analysis on this whole debate thing between the Veeps (veeps is insider talk for VP which stands for Vice Prez, which stands for Vice President).

Biden plans to leave half his IQ back in Delaware "to make it fair," he says.
Biden plans to leave half his IQ back in Delaware, "because," he says "he want's the debate to be close."

Sarah Palin will be wearing – just joking!!!! I’m not going to describe what a female politician is wearing because that would be sexist. As long as she looks hot, then I’m all good with whatever she says. Joe Biden will be wearing the same suit he wore in 1972 when he left his lucrative one-year career as a lawyer and traded down to be a politician.

The debate will start with lame thank yous to the host, the audience and the building hosting the debate. Except Sarah Palin will say “thanks, but no thanks” to an offer of a glass of water.

The “moderator,” Gwen Ifill, will ask a series of incredibly stupid questions. Both candidates will answer them with their standard campaign-rally answers. But HERE, on this site, is a preview to some of their answers. I won’t give away the questions. I’ll let you hear those on Thursday night.

EXCERPTS OF ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU’LL HEAR ON THURSDAY NIGHT:

Biden: “I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain’t one of them.” (the crowd will oooh and aaah – the next morning Jay-Z’s record label will file a suit against Obama-Biden).

Palin: Biden, Hemingway called, he wants you back in that boat and on the sea pronto!”

Biden: I know foreign policy. I’ve been everywhere. When you’re from Delaware, you want to travel! (the next day, Delaware Chamber of Commerce files a lawsuit against Biden).

Palin: I read newspapers. Both sides. And I have seen all three Bourne movies, so, please, I know foreign policy.

Biden: I didn’t hear the question, Gwen. I was busy admiring my last answer.

Palin: My favorite SNL skit this season? Oh, I’d say the one with the Joe Biden parody. Oh, you say that hasn’t happened yet. Interesting…

Palin: Hillary Clinton is a woman with 18 million cracks.

Biden: My wife is one of those cracks. One of the good ones. (the next day, his wife files for divorce)

The debate will end with a handshake – between “moderator” Gwen Ifill and Joe Biden. She will nod to him like “see, I told you and O that I was gonna do you a solid.” Biden will act like he knows what she meant but later will ask Obama – “what’s a solid?” He will say “it’s like a favor,” but Biden will still feel like it means something else and remain suspicious of his exotic partner and politician.

Andy Bernard and Dwight Schrute, American heroes.
Andy Bernard and Dwight Schrute, American heroes.

My SNL audition – writing! the Incesticide edition!

~ Wiberg

Hey, how brilliant is Saturday Night Live these days? I am thinking of submitting the following ideas, about how newspapers are out-of-touch and plain ol’ crazy, and go after unsubstantiated rumor/stories such as:

Tina Fey got that scar on her chin when she had sex with her dad.

Obama has sex with his daughters.

Lorne Michaels had sex with all the dead players from SNL – yeah, after they were dead, too.

Senate candidate and SNL writer Al Franken has sex with his sons.

Geez, that was easy. I think I have “it” to write for SNL. The sad thing is, years ago that would have been my dream job but I’ve learned since then how you have to be Ivy League material. (because you know, only Ivy League writers know ‘funny.’)

"Saturday Night Live," because "Circle Jerk" was taken
"Saturday Night Live," because "Circle Jerk" was too obvious.

Seriously, this post is just pointing out that being edgy in a skit doesn’t mean being stupidly offensive, as the show was last week. The SNL shows have always been about 25% funny, and 75% lame – a little less so lately. That’s not exactly news, I know, but I wish it weren’t so. This latest program shows that they are headed into a season with some of the worst writing EVER. They know they’ve lost the ‘cool’ factor to The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and even Geraldo Live (I mean, did you see Geraldo falling in the water – that’s funnier than anything on SNL)

One reason: the talent pool. They keep going to the same ‘sketch comedy’ dork schools – all self-referential, all aware that existing at said ‘sketch comedy’ dork school may lead to SNL (their dream). And apparently nobody at SNL can remember one single line of dialogue. Instead, it’s 90 minutes of ‘talent’ trying to read their lines casually while trying to be funny. And don’t give me the “they only have one week to rehearse” when in fact they spend most of the week dicking around, selecting the skits late in the week. Whose fault is that?. Lorne Michaels, Canadian.

The show is on auto-pilot, has been for about 20 years. There are more laughs in a GEICO commercial. The reason: Lorne Michaels. Yes, he created the show, produces it now, and apparently is one lazy dude.

If there’s no other indication that the show is on auto-pilot is the opening monologue. No matter who is the host, no matter what is going on, the monologue ALWAYS ends with “so stick around we’ve got a great show!” – BORING. And then the rest of the show goes into ‘same’ mode. How about having a stand-up comedian somewhere in the middle of the show, like the old days? Or having a host because they are funny, not because they are plugging their latest show. And how about a 20 year ban on athletes performing?

Yeah, I cant believe you watch this either
"Yeah, I can't believe anyone still watches SNL, either."

Gawker Media, hacked emails! Next stop: Law & Order!

~ Wiberg

Just when Law & Order was running out of ideas and New York area actors, along comes Gawker Media. While only hours old, the story of Gawker posting hacked Sarah Palin emails/contacts has already been penned for television by Dick Wolf for his program, Law & Order.

Youve Just Been Gawkered!
You've Just Been Gawkered!
This shit just writes itself
Dick Wolfe: "This shit just writes itself."

The story will involve some morons, according to Wolf.

“We’ve done stories on murderers, rapists, thieves, celebrity crooks, but this story is just one of those file-under-stupid-criminals type of stories. Real easy shit to write.”

Gawker chief Nick Denton
Nick Denton, fresh fish in the upcoming episode of Law & Order.

In the episode, Nick Denton and staff at Gawker media are arrested for violating federal and state laws that prohibit the use of something that was stolen, which this joke writer is too lazy too look up, but knows everyone is all innocent until proven guilty in the court of l-a-w. Everybody on L&O, episode #1,553,221 gets upset, but Denton and crew still go to prison. And they start a prison blog on Prison Life called “Soap.”

Gawker Media's new Prison Blog, Soap.
Gawker Media's new prison blog, Soap.

Well, very meta, but in the episode, Denton is assaulted while posting on his blog, and in his self-defense, he kills the attacker with his Mac book. So he sues NY and McCoy and all these other Law & Order characters I can’t remember for a bunch of damages for being all stressed out over having to kill someone. And then at the end, Denton and crew walk out of prison, with smirks on their faces, all free and stuff. And then at the very, very end, the lawyers meet up with the District Attorney and hear some wise-old-man-whose-seen-it-all crap about “how the system worked.”

And all of this from illegally posting stuff. Coming to you this season, on Law & Order.

NBC’s David Gregory says “you’re in my seat, losers!” to Olbermann and Matthews

~ Wiberg
Stretch to the rescue!
Stretch to the rescue!

Today, dork reporter David Gregory came in to his house after a few games of hoops, a game tall people play, and he gets a phone call:

NBC/MSNBC: Hey, David, this is your boss.

David Gregory: What’s up? And call me ‘Stretch,’ like the Prez, please.

NBC/MSNBC: We’re moving the idiots.

David Gregory: You’re getting rid of Matt and Meredith?

NBC/MSNBC: No. The other ones.

(brief silence)

David Gregory: I’m at a loss. Which ones?

NBC/MSNBC: Olbermann and Matthews – but just from prime time news coverage on this election stuff. They still have their shows.

David Gregory: That’s cool. Whatever. I get to sit in the big chair, right? Next to Brokaw and Williams?

NBC/MSNBC: Yes. But there’s one thing.

David Gregory: What is it?

NBC/MSNBC: You have to call David Shuster every morning to wake him up. Scarborough says the dude is lazy.

END TRANSCRIPT.

Hardballer
Hardballer Chris Matthews just got pwned by Stretch
Keith Olbermann just cares too much. Sigh.
Keith Olbermann's biggest fault? He just cares too much.