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Jun. 24th, 2013 11:57 am
Totally disappointing
Okay, I think I'm finally done with Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. I had nothing but goodwill towards it when it started: the little I'd seen of Kamau's standup was encouraging; it was being produced and promoted by Chris Rock; and one of the staff writers was Hari Kondabolu, one of the few American comedians who I recognise as working in the Stewart Lee mould (i.e. combining political engagement with deep thinking about what comedy is and how it works). The first episodes were good, too, with vox pop segments about street harassment and Stop and Frisk which were pointed as well as entertaining.
So what went wrong? I dunno, I guess it's just difficult to do a weekly topical satire show and not get lazy. For a show that professes to condemn stereotypes, it sure does traffic in them a lot (but "ironically", of course). The rest of the stable of writers and performers doesn't really seem of the same calibre as Hari and Kamau (an impression only accentuated by Kamau's habit of saying everyone's name at least four times at the end their bits as if he's a supply teacher and there's going to be a quiz later); I found myself cringing at their performances more than I was laughing. Still, there was enough funny to keep me watching on and off.
Then this happened. It's sort of a microcosm of all that's wrong with the show. There's a short introduction of Sesame Street's new muppet with a dad in jail to set up an acrimonious exchange between Kamau and a muppet voiced by Dwayne Kennedy (doing his usual Cranky Old Negro routine). Kennedy segues into a short song whose punchline is--wait for it--prison rape. Really, guys? 2.3 million people locked up in this country and that's the best commentary you can muster?
Moreover, that's the best comedy you can do? A subpar Avenue Q routine mixed with a punch-and-judy version of police brutality? (The one gleam of humour: Kamau tells the victim "I got your back" as he whips out his phone and takes a picture. "I'm putting this on Twitter!") No wonder you're being sent down to FXX. (I honestly had to look that up to confirm it was a real channel and not just a jokey face-saving way of announcing the show was being cancelled.) I don't know if my cable even includes that channel and I'm not going to waste any time looking.
So what went wrong? I dunno, I guess it's just difficult to do a weekly topical satire show and not get lazy. For a show that professes to condemn stereotypes, it sure does traffic in them a lot (but "ironically", of course). The rest of the stable of writers and performers doesn't really seem of the same calibre as Hari and Kamau (an impression only accentuated by Kamau's habit of saying everyone's name at least four times at the end their bits as if he's a supply teacher and there's going to be a quiz later); I found myself cringing at their performances more than I was laughing. Still, there was enough funny to keep me watching on and off.
Then this happened. It's sort of a microcosm of all that's wrong with the show. There's a short introduction of Sesame Street's new muppet with a dad in jail to set up an acrimonious exchange between Kamau and a muppet voiced by Dwayne Kennedy (doing his usual Cranky Old Negro routine). Kennedy segues into a short song whose punchline is--wait for it--prison rape. Really, guys? 2.3 million people locked up in this country and that's the best commentary you can muster?
Moreover, that's the best comedy you can do? A subpar Avenue Q routine mixed with a punch-and-judy version of police brutality? (The one gleam of humour: Kamau tells the victim "I got your back" as he whips out his phone and takes a picture. "I'm putting this on Twitter!") No wonder you're being sent down to FXX. (I honestly had to look that up to confirm it was a real channel and not just a jokey face-saving way of announcing the show was being cancelled.) I don't know if my cable even includes that channel and I'm not going to waste any time looking.