(S02E03) Yeah, I know, this review is a couple days late, but that's okay. It
means we've all learned an important lesson. You've learned patience, and I've learned not to trust Tivo so much.
Luckily, the episode repeated last night so I was able to catch it without having a gap in my reviews staring at me
like some kind of malevolent eye swirling inside a black hole. Or maybe that's being melodramatic. Anyway, my
review:
In this episode, Chauncey and the gang are visited by Middle America (the puppet version), a yammering chunk of the United States who speaks only in gibberish and says "Texas" every other word. This eventually leads to a spoof of Hee Haw called Horse Apples which features a group of trailer park dwellers cracking jokes about incest and lynching. You know, typical family fare. The whole "Middle America" gag is funny for awhile, but eventually it wore thin. The other segments, such as Clarence's obligatory annoying of people on the street and a "Beat Kids" segment where we learn about pet castration seemed to lack their usual energy.
There were some great moments, though, don't get me wrong. I loved when all the characters had their privates cut off, set on fire, and then got high from the smoke. I also loved the animated segment called "Chinese Girl Baby Atlantis," in which a group of girls working in an underwater shoe factory challenge a group of Indian girls to see who can make the most shoes in thirty-six years. It was also nice to see the likes of David Cross and Amy Poehler appearing in this episode, though neither of them appeared on screen for more than a few seconds.
So yeah, the episode was split pretty evenly between hysterical and mildly amusing. I guess that proves that even when Wonder Showzen isn't perfect, it's still pretty funny.
Best line: "I haven't seen a group this dead since I threw up those seven guppies from my butt."
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-17-2006 @ 10:47AM
HH said...
ITA about the "Middle America" stuff - Horse Apples went on far too long especially. The focus group was pretty ingenious though. The main problem was that this episode got off-track of what the show is about. It went from smart satire to basically bashing the South for 30 minutes.
There have been some very good things this season, but I wonder if they're not in danger of repeating themselves or running out of ideas. Next week (with the "Muppet Babies" parody and black and white footage, etc.) looks good, and "Future Chauncey" last week was hilarious. But thus far they're 1 for 3 as far as the overarching plot for the episodes. The season premiere with the letter P wasn't much different than the depressed letter N and number 2 plots (not sure if there's a point behind making all of the insecure puppets female or not). Anyway this was probably the weakest episode yet, including a less-than-memorable Beat Kids with a new girl. She's definitely no Trevor.
Reply
4-17-2006 @ 3:07PM
marcus joyce said...
I was wondering if anyone can help me track down an animated short that was aired on MTV UK/Europe in the early 90's. I think it was called 'Enemies' and it feature 2 old guys trying to destroy each other in very funny ways.
Thanks
Marcus
Reply
4-17-2006 @ 10:28PM
clicksauce said...
Adam you should promote your blog posts over at the Wonder Showzen Fan Site... The members over there would really like your reviews.
Reply
4-19-2006 @ 9:50PM
Todd said...
I disagree with some of the comments made by the author.
The Clarence bit was probably the best they have done yet. I was laughing out loud...It was hilarious to see them make such a mess with the newspapers, just waste hotdogs and pretzels. Im sure they paid everyone afterwords...but jeez, I didnt think they would go that far.
While I do agree with the comment that the Horse Apples bit was a bit long, I found it quite hilarious. The people they found to do the jokes did them very well. Some of them were a little over my head at first, but after watching the show over a few more times I understood the jokes.
I thought the genital clipping was stupid.
I do agree that the Beat Kids didnt have the same fervor it usually has, but I still found them funny.
The first girl who does the one at the animal hospital, she was darn sharp. The problem with this Beat Kids bit was that you could really tell that they really prepped her for the show. With the other Beat Kids you dont get the feeling that the kids are really prepped by an adult. It seems to be a bit more off the wall.
The second Beat Kids was quite surprising...getting a look into the focus group on the Horse Apples bit. Trevor is just so good at doing the Beat Kids. He got some interesting answers out of those two gentlemen.
Reply
4-20-2006 @ 2:26AM
HH said...
I guess my main problems with "Horse Apples" were a) it went on too long, b) when Middle America said he was going to take over the show, I expected something a lot smarter than the umpteenth Hee-Haw parody, and c) this show consistently goes in unexpected directions... bashing the South is hardly anything new, and it was an easy target.
Reply
4-20-2006 @ 2:30AM
HH said...
P.S. As I said before, the focus group was an unexpected payoff for the whole bit, but they probably could have done something better than a Hee-Haw parody to get the same payoff, and there also didn't seem to be a point in showing us the whole "Horse Apples" bit... it would have worked better as a DVD extra.
Reply
4-20-2006 @ 4:25PM
James Pewterbaugh said...
i LOVE watching wonder showzen but i think this episode lacked its usuall spark. The "Horse Apples" thing was a bore and i think they could of used that time for something else. And the first beat kids, man that is no Trever. She butchered it. And when i thought it would destroy the episode... Clarence, Trever, and the gitting rid of Middle america healed the episode and the reputation of the show. Because of the bad parts, the loyal fans of Wonder Showzen thought of it as a downhill fall. But they instantly boosted up and won the viewers back. Man I Cant Wait Til Friday!!! -James Pewterbaugh
Reply
4-22-2006 @ 2:06PM
Arch Noble said...
I couldn't diagree more with this review. The "Chinese Girl Baby Atlantis" should've ended before the Indian girl was introduced. It was too heavy-handed...the payoff for the 36-year sweatshop contest just wasn't there. It would've worked better for me if it started off as Indian workers being replaced by Chinese workers because of the hyperbolic China as the Red Menace debate in the U.S.
"Horse Apples" was brilliant because it was unrelenting Red State-baiting. The jokes got really uncomfortable after awhile, and for me that (along with the length of the bit) was the whole point.
It went from mediocre "gyuk-gyuk" jokes to something alot smarter and more subversive by the end. David Cross being in this episode was great because of the whole "Larry The Cable Guy: Git-R-Done" back story: http://www.bobanddavid.com/david.asp?artID=183
Reply
4-24-2006 @ 3:16PM
Chaunceyrox said...
BTW, I think the title of this episode is inaccurate. Next week's episode will be "Science"...I still don't know the actual name of the Middle America episode.
And I agree that the spark just isn't there much this season. They still haven't really hit their stride. I laughed out loud so many times for each episode in Season One, but there have been many fewer moments like that this season. :(
Reply