Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
I've never really been into reality TV shows, but now I'm addicted to two summer series on NBC: Fame and Last Comic Standing.
Last Comic Standing is a combination of American Idol and Big Brother.
They held auditions in New York and Los Angeles for standup comedians and they selected 10 to live together in a big house.
Every week, they have to challenge each other and whoever gets the most challenges has to perform for an audience. The challenged gets to choose one of their challengers to face off with them on-stage. The audience picks the funniest comedian, and that person gets to continue while the other person has to go home.
So far, every single comedian chosen for the challenge has ended up leaving. The most interesting thing about it is that the comics are chosen for the challenge with the same kind of logic and scheming that goes into other reality shows.
The first comedian, Sean Kent, was challenged simply because he whined too much. The next one to be challenged, Tere Joyce, was selected because she didn't do enough housework.
But last night for the first time it got more personal, because they were growing closer and, with everyone getting along, they had to eliminate someone they truly liked. Rob Cantrell was the sacrificial lamb, and he faced off against one of my favorites, Ralphie May. He has terrific comic timing and great material, and a genuine voice, which is essential.
So naturally, Rob's rambling, surreal set was no match for Ralphie, even though he had moments that fellow contestant Geoff Brown claims nearly made him pee himself.
Now, the ultimate prize for this show is an exclusive NBC contract and a special on Comedy Central. I find myself wondering what NBC will do if Ralphie wins.
While it's not unusual for comedians to be heavyset, I don't think we've ever since anybody as large as Ralphie on network TV, including Chris Farley. He weighs about 400 pounds, currently. Will they do what the networks did to Margaret Cho before American Girl, when they told her she absolutely had to lose 30 pounds immediately to please the networks? Of course, in Ralphie's case, such a challenge would be difficult, to say the least. I just hope that, whatever happens, he stays true to himself, because that's what makes him so funny.
So far, the sleeper candidate on the show is Rich Vos, whose brash talking and acerbic comic voice made him seem so cocky that it seemed certain he would offend everyone in the house and they'd want to throw him out. But he's been really clever, forming coalitions and guiding who gets challenged each week. He's definitely going to be one to watch.
Tess is so lovable and funny that no one is likely to challenge her unless it's for strategy reasons. If, at the end, it came down to her and Rich Vos, I'm almost 100 percent certain she would win. If he senses the same thing, he's going to make a move to get rid of her eventually.
I think NBC has the right idea with these summer reality shows. They cost a fraction of the cost to produce a sit-com, and they offer new programming in the summer when it used to just be reruns.
In addition to Fame and Last Comic Standing, NBC has one they call For Love or Money, which is like The Bachelor. Fifteen women vie for the attention of one man. The twist is that, if chosen by him at the end, they must choose between him and a million dollars. And the extra twist: if he gets them to choose him, he wins a million dollars to split with her.
The woman he chose, Erica, went with the money. She's now playing for double or nothing in For Love or Money 2, where 15 men will vie for her attentions. They will be given the same choice, and if she gets them to choose her instead of the money, she wins two million!
There's something just a little unsavory about For Love or For Money. It tends to be on when I'm working, so I leave it on but don't pay much attention. Except, of course, to know about every major plot twist.
I don't know why it's taken NBC so long to try reality TV. Maybe if these shows are popular, they'll put one in their fall lineup.
May I suggest a reality show about a writer in the Philadelphia area and her dog? Each week, she encounters entertaining people and experiences as she strives to increase her writing portfolio. Celebrity guests will be hired to make cameo appearances, and she'll engage in studio-designed publicity stunts, which if she succeeds will net her extra cash.
It could be called Writer on the Block.
More thoughts on "Last Comic Standing":
Moral:
Real people in manufactured settings is better than fake people in real
settings.
Copyright
2003 by Alyce Wilson
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