I'm Upset: why isn't PFFR sweeping the nation?

Shut up for a second. I'm not going to simply recant the jokes and comic foibles of Wonder Showzen, Xavier: Renegade Angel, and Delocated. I am not that stupid. People say of Monty Python that they were groundbreaking and doing things on TV that have never been done before. Yes they did and it was great and most people simply shot under that bar instead of going over it. PFFR go over the bar while taking the bar down and re-shaping into a form not yet revealed to us because we, as an unswept nation, don't deserve to know it yet. Why'd I invoke Python? So I can draw another comparison. Where Python had a knight hitting characters with rubber chickens, PFFR speeds that up to the point down the line where the knight recoils in his own murderous chicken slapping and decides to become entrenched in his life choice and goes on a chicken slapping rampage. Or the wouldn't and do something better. Because they know what is funny because they know how to amuse themselves. In a bit of Howard Stern, who is still wonderful at finding the amazing next level entertainment capabilities of homeless people and common man on the street, PFFR go next level with man on the street interviews using kids or the guise of a children's show. They so much as don't let the fire burning be the show, as much as throwing the gas on it is or setting subversiveness into it. And with a show like Xavier: Renegade Angel where usually a sitcom gives you a break in the action, the show simply advances with every line. And each line in itself is a jewel to behold. The show literally forces you to watch it multiple times. They created a show that you have to watch and love in order to watch and love it. HOW GENIUS IS THAT! OK- ok. I am not making sense, and I am just telling you to watch something. But as far as original thought and furthering the development of comedy and thinking are concerned- PFFR take chances. In bad taste, but in bad taste to make you think what bad taste really is. Is it bad taste even if it is still clever? What is defines 'bad' and where does that bleed into good? Why am I asking so many questions during a TV show when I can simply let the show go on? Who are we if we are not always bettering ourselves? Answer: we are the country that rewards Jon Cryer for not being Charlie Sheen in a show with a catchy name. The only way to get better is to allow things to be better. Give every single Emmy to PFFR. In 20 years if we are not where we are now, then holy shit does everything suck. This wasn't meant to be poetic or remotely close to articulate. I'm upset at this. Tim and Eric has some lame fans and they have a movie coming out. So at least that. But please, please, buy and watch Wonder Showzen, Final Flesh, any episode of Xavier, and Delocated, and continue to be ashamed of yourself for not helping out Totally for Teens. I'm still upset. More on this at some other time.

Review: Still Having the I'm with Coco Avatar

Sure the platform isn't there anymore. And it's not like I still see Kerry/Edwards Rainbow banners everywhere. Conan O'Brien is doing fine and will be fine and everyone knows how amazing he is, and thank the lord. So why do you still have your facebook profile picture as the famous I'm with Coco internet meme? Do you like Conan O'Brien more than me? If that is the case, yeah I guess you do. I like other things as well. So is it that you have nothing else interesting about you other than being a big fan of Conan O'Brien? Well that still is pretty cool. I guess, you can do what you want. I only know 2 of you anyway. I also wrote this in 2 minutes. Pretty good record I set for myself for myself to always forget and never remember. Anyway, I work mostly nights, so that is why I date a lot of drug dealers.

Review: Suicide Letters

The best way to understand a suicide letter is to read a suicide letter's suicide letter if it were capable of writing one:

Dear world,

World? Is that how I qualify my angst? The best I can come up with is world? I'm a suicide letter so you'd think I'd see some pretty good openings, but I am writing a suicide letter so please forgive for not trying as hard.... and this is why. I feel so much pressure in my life. Am I supposed to justify or am I supposed to be a window to the soul or am I even supposed to be spell checked? Sure there were moments I flirted with fame. But there were others times I felt rushed or felt like I should've been placed in a more well lit place. But, boy, have I grown. What I hope to get out of my own death? Well, the end of suicide notes. No more sad reminders or blame placed inaccurately. Now we'll see that its not the suicide letters fault at all, and people will just let their crushing weight overtake them? Is that what I do? There are so many different facets to my personality that, I just gave up reading into myself. It's not like I'm going to stop suicide by committing suicide, it's more like I'm going to challenge it. Raise the bar. Then they'll remember suicide notes for good.

Obvious ending statement,

Suicide Note (Suicidey the Note)

There we have it! Suicide Notes sure aren't as stable as we thought, huh kids? Well, I hope your suicide note at least has a crossword or a jumble, something to ease the pain. But don't forget ol' suicidey's message: you're crazy and selfish- but that doesn't mean we don't love you in a certain way. Bye!

Review: Pete Hornberger

I recently dissected one Jerry Gergich in a post about him being one of the great sad sacks of television. Now use that as the plank to walk on. Jerry is oafish and cartoony and that is Jerry, but 30 Rock is using Scott Adsit's Pete Hornberger as a sad sack on a much more extremely darker level. Where Jerry is the butt of every joke, Pete is the butt of his own existence. Proceed to jump off the plank into the deep recesses of Hornberger.

First and First Most, we must say kudos to the actor- Scott Adsit. Brother has put himself in the pantheon of great comedy: Mr. Show (classic Adsit moment: Monster Parties; Fact or Fiction), one of the most under appreciated shows ever Moral Orel, was the original shiny beast in Tenacious D's Tribute, and let's not get started on his Improv. Scott Adsit, you are great. Done. Now, Pete Hornberger is a man weighed down by his job. Flashes of happiness are shown at the expense of others ("you shut your wet mouth and get that cord"). But usually when we are shown Pete, we are shown a defeated man. He puts thumb tacks in his neck, he sneaks around with his wife to add spice to their marriage, he lets Kenneth overtake his only free time, he yells at Liz for telling Cerie to dress more appropriate (he has nothing else to live for), had his Olympic dream shattered by Jimmy Carter, he lost his wedding ring in a poker game when he still had money left, overuses the word 'hate', and didn't feel anything when he learned Jenna died. That is what we are shown of Pete (though in hi def, we are shown an old, old man). So reading into these things is reading into a dark undercurrent of someone openly denying their happiness and living a life full of regret. But what has he to regret? He no longer teaches high school math. He works at an enviable job in New York. He has a wife and kids (though he is afraid of one of them, and another only responds to his Elmo voice). Well, Pete allows those chains in his life to weigh him down, because he understands what life is. Being affected by his problems so openly is Pete allowing those problems to exist. This is why Pete is, if not the most, coherent member of the TGS staff. Liz often confides her problems with Pete, who is always more than helpful. Pete hates his job, but he is good at it ("there is no internet or Spectravision in the hotel rooms, so plan ahead gentlemen. Porn-wise"). He offers sage advice ("Love is like an onion, and you peel layer after stinky layer until your left crying over the sink"). He's a liason for the writers to the actors, because he knows his place in the world of 30 Rock. As a viewer, Liz always give Pete the details of what is going on - allowing exposition for the audience, thereby Pete's intelligence level is that much respected as ours- we are a mirror to Pete.

Now this has been nothing more than examples and stating facts about Pete Hornberger. He is a dark character. He does offer a different sense of humor in an already humor packed show. So he cane be appreciated for the dynamic that humor creates. Pete's life can be seen as a microcosm in the episode "Milf Island". He is set to watch a TV show where women take their top off AND he is about to get free food because there is a dangler in the vending machine... of course he gets his arm stuck. And of course the vending machine eventually falls on him. But in between that, there was Pete fighting for his happiness- weighted down by a vending machine. He finds success at knocking the phone off the hook and dialing three numbers by throwing items at the phone, but for all that took out of Pete- for all his might and vigor- he dials the only number that can't help him- his own. Pete is out there. He is not pretentious or fawning, and he probably doesn't like you. The crassness of Louis DePalma meets the wit of Murray Slaughter? Sure, everyone is bald in that scenario, so it works.

Review: Hampers

Hampers do us the service of holding piles. If you are rich, you probably have a nice hamper and don't even realize how nice it is. Hampers don't have to be nice, they simply just have to not let clothes fall out. Most garbage bags are capable of this. Hampers however offer more professionalism than garbage bags. They give a sense of home and safety. Why? Because you have a hamper, not a garbage bag. A concrete piece of quasi-furniture that has a function of socializing the clothes that smell like you. Sure there is an 'against the world' attitude when someone doesn't own a hamper, throwing caution to the wind by throwing clothes in a corner. But for the Hamper People of the world, we know we are secure, we have hampers. When we can't find an article of clothing, we know that there is probably a hamper working its magic on it, keeping it cloistered for its next destination. I wrote about hampers.