Culture Surfing

Starting this weekend, uninhibited Hispanic stand-up comedian George Lopez and equally controversial African-American comedian Wanda Sykes make their late night debut challenging the status quo of what Jay Leno refers to as “the parade of nine white men.”

On Saturday, November 7, FOX will premiere The Wanda Sykes Show making Sykes the first black woman since Whoppi Goldberg to have a late night show on network television. Similarly, on Monday, Nov. 9, TBS will air Lopez Tonight that establishes Lopez as America’s first Hispanic late show host.

Late night talk has had its share of minority hosts however. The Arsenio Hall Show, The Chris Rock Show, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, The Magic Hour added color to the talk circuit on and off from the mid ‘90s until the untimely cancellation of Rock’s show in 2000. Recently BET put Blacks back on the late hour schedule with the launch of actress/comedian Mo’Nique’s late night show in early October.

The Wanda Sykes Show format resembles that of her former boss’  – HBO’s The Chris Rock Show a combination of skits, on-the-street segments and spirited panel discussions. It’s no surprise Sykes chose this format considering she won an Emmy award as a writer on the show. Always busy, audiences may best know her from the canceled Fox series, Wanda at Large and sidekick roles as Barb and herself in The Old Adventures of Christine and Curb Your Enthusiasm respectively.

Yet Sykes is no stranger to controversy. She became both the first African-American woman and openly LGBT person to perform as entertainment at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner earlier this year. Her set garnered national attention when she responded to Rush Limbaugh’s comment of hopes the Obama administration fails, with “I hope his [Limbaugh] kidney’s fail.”

Fox’s Saturday night slots have rarely had a stronghold in major late night programming. Their previous shows – the long running sketch comedy show, Mad TV and quirky TalkShow with Spike Feresten’s garnered consistently low ratings that resulted in their cancellation this year. Sykes’ show replaces the 11pm to midnight time slot previously held by MadTV, making Sykes’ major competition NBC’s long-standing and popular Saturday Night Live. Therefore the likelihood of Skyes’ show grabbing a significant hold on late night audiences could be a challenge.

Crediting late night maverick Arsenio Hall, George Lopez says he wants to bring the party back to late night. According to TBS, Lopez Tonight is an informal, casual environment for guest to engage with the audience and experience. “It’s time to get back to the kind of show that is fun for everybody to watch,” says Lopez. “There are enough heavy things going on every day that you should be able to sit down late at night, have a drink, relax and enjoy a party on television.”

Lopez who is probably America’s leading Hispanic comedian is known for his every man style of humor. With three HBO comedy specials under his belt including his most recent Tall, Dark and Chicago, he made history creating and starring in the sitcom George Lopez that ran for six seasons on ABC.

Lopez was lucky enough to land a 4-night-a-week spot, giving him a stronger possibility to compete with the majors and minors of late night; but his biggest upcoming barrier may be his time slot as well. Lopez is set to premier Nov. 9 on TBS at 11 p.m., a slot that vies with popular late night Comedy Central programs The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Colbert Report as well as the cult favorite The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

All things considered, it’s impossible to applaud the network’s courage to air these new shows without examining how race could affect their success. The scrutiny against and lack of diversity among Sykes, Lopez, and also Mo’Nique are also possible obstructions that may prevent them from breaking big. Either way  – whether set up for failure or bound for glory, Sykes and Lopez will go down in television history and could possibly be the ratings booster their networks are hoping for to combat recent decline in ratings for late night viewing.

The Wanda Sykes Show. Premieres Sat., Nov. 7, 11pm – 12 Midnight (EST) on FOX.

Lopez Tonight. Premieres Mon., Nov. 9, 11pm – 12 Midnight (EST) on TBS

(Sykes photo courtesy of Fox Television, Lopez photo courtesy of Turner Broadcasting)

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JUDGMENT DAY: Smokey can be bad for your health

The first thing we learned in “Dead is Dead” is that dead is not dead. At least, not in conventional ways. After a mediocre Kate-isode last week, this Ben-centric episode felt epic. The man formerly known as Henry Gale was in full manipulation mode last night, and the episode’s sole focus on him highlighted the fact that, all in all, there’s not been enough Ben in the fractured, busy storytelling of late. Typical of a great episode, though, the characters answered some questions and raised even more, including the very nature of of life (and, well, death).

Let’s start with some categorizing. Who’s dead and who isn’t? Both Penny and Desmond are alive — everyone can breathe easy. Locke is “alive.” (The quotation marks here mean everything.) Despite Ben telling Locke that it was part of his master plan to kill Locke so he could be resurrected, Ben admitted to Sun that Locke walking around alive scares the living daylights out of him. In fact, this episode marks the final shift in the Ben-Locke power struggle, with Locke reigning victorious. Locke now knows things Ben doesn’t, which infuriates our former Jacob-whisperer. Yet, “the Island” has chosen to keep him alive for whatever reason.  On the brink of life/death is Alex, slain daughter of Ben/Rousseau. Alex’s alive-but-not situation evoked a little Christian Shepard, and gives credence to the theory that Olde Smokey (”he who shall not be named”) can reanimate or possess the bodies of the dead for his own purposes (except that the bodies must retain some part of their original person, since they often slip in some unfinished business while they’re up and about).

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 12″ »

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CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS: Can't Lose! Except this one

The micro themes of Friday’s penultimate episode  echoed the macro theme of “Friday Night Lights” itself: rising above. Street, Riggins, Smash, Saracen, the Taylors, Lyla, Tyra … well, pretty much everyone on the show has had to overcome huge mental, physical and/or emotional roadblocks throughout the series, pushing themselves to do their best and be their best.  The realness of the struggles and the occasional failures along the way are all part of what gives “FNL” so much of its emotional resonance.

“The Underdogs” had plenty of such moments, the strongest of which was the evolution of Tyra’s college entrance essay. How many of us struggled to find our real voice when wrangling those awful things? Once you cut through the bull of what Landry described as “a five-paragraph knitted pillow. It’s painful,” there’s often a bright truth to be found. After Tyra stopped making terribly strained metaphors regarding her work at Applebee’s (”Sometimes it gets busy and you have to roll with the punches, just like life”) and harnessed the passion behind her real struggles (her mother, her sister, her lost innocence), she wrote something truly beautiful. And if you didn’t tear up just a little at her “Two Years Ago” speech, you don’t have a heart.  “College represents possibility. The possibility that things are going to change. I can’t wait.” Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!

Speaking of our Dillon Panther’s battle cry, let’s get into this week’s football action.

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Friday Night Lights’ episode 12″ »

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YOU CAN LEAVE: But I will shoot you in the leg, dingbat

We’ve definitely returned to (un)necessary flashback/character-driven mode in Lostville these days. Most of us had guessed that Kate gave Aaron to Claire’s mother before heading back to the island, and that she’d been keeping tabs on Clementine Ford as well. Kate-isodes aren’t typically the show’s strongest, but despite a quick surfacing of the “Jate/Skate” relationship quandary, last night’s offering was, on the whole, solid. The best moments may not have included Kate, but credit must be given to Evangeline Lilly’s excellent portrayal of anguish over leaving Aaron behind.

“Whatever Happened, Happened” had a touch of “Grey’s Anatomy” to it, with two doctors battling it out over whether or not to save a young boy who will grow up to be, well, Ben Linus. In an interesting twist, Jack’s refusal to help young Ben turned out (of course) to play right into the realities of Ben becoming a Hostile.  Facing certain death among the Dharmas, young Ben is transported to Hostile territory by Kate and Sawyer, looking for help from our old friend Richard Alpert. Instead of being stitched up and growing up to be the village sandwich-maker, Richard will, er “take his innocence,” and Ben will become a Hostile and remember nothing. Anyone else feel like this was a cop-out? Since meeting young Ben, many speculators have started putting together the pieces of what adult Ben may remember from his Dharma days. Did he love Juliet because he remembered how she tried to save him? Did he make Sayid’s life hell because Sayid had tried to kill him? Would it explain why he had that list of specifically Hurley, Sawyer, Jack and Kate to take hostage in season two?

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 11″ »

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LYLA GARRITY: Is Eastbound and Down

Last week, I took stock of where this season of “Friday Night Lights” has taken us so far, and where it’s headed. Just as I theorized the End is Nigh, it turns out that it very much isn’t. Yes Panther fans, our beloved show has been renewed (or, is just about to be) for two more seasons, each of which will be aired first on DirecTV before moving over to NBC, a la the current season.

This is a good thing, right?  Your Televangelist is not convinced. The show will need to find fresh life and new direction (which it started building this week, with the potential of new cross-town rivals, but more on that later. Will some of our current Panthers get bused over?). Many of our favorite Dillon denizens are hitting the road (Smash, Street), with more to follow (according to reports, Lyla and Tyra will leave after similar multi-episde send offs). Hey, they have to graduate sometime, right? Except how often is a show about high school successful when everyone we know in the high school, y’know, matriculates?

More promising would be a Mindy and Billy spin-off. Imagine the possibilities for specials! This week we already got a taste of “A Very Collette Wedding,” complete with a classy tea party that included all of  Mindy’s closest friends from the Landing Strip: Sugar, Charm, Kandy … and of course Fashionette! What might the future hold? “A Very Riggins Christmas?”

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Friday Night Lights’ episode 11″ »

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BAD ECONOMY: Will work for psychopath

Last night we got back into the typical “Lost” rhythm of one step forward, two steps back. Though nothing really pushed the story forward (er … leaving out the jaw-dropping ending. Spoilers below the cut!), we spent time with Sayid, in true Dharma spirit, on a trip riddled with karmic retribution. It began with toddler Sayid, a Natural Born Killer, and continued through the life of adult Sayid, International Badass … still a killer (with killer hair).

Peppered throughout “He’s Our You” were Sayid’s interactions with young Ben, suffering at the hands of an abusive father and desperate to join the Hostiles. (Side note: Sorry, but Dharma’s “crazy teepee man” has nothing on Sayid. The strongest weapon in his spooky arsenal is sodium pentothal? Give me a break. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Sayid had a resistance to it already built up in his bloodstream.)

For all of Sayid’s moral quandaries, the episode belonged (as it often does) to Ben. Young Ben, who later in life would find a predilection for preparing delicious hams, uses his kitchen prowess to make chicken salad sandwiches for Sayid in the hopes of bribing Sayid to help him leave the Dharma camp for the Wild Island Beyond. The Ben-Sayid relationship has always been complex and interesting, with the power dynamics between the two always in flux. Finding out last week that Sayid and Ben would meet in Ben’s early life (this time travel is wreaking havoc on my verbs) just added another layer to the complexities. I’ve always felt Ben saw Sayid as a true ally, although I’ve been misled by Ben’s manipulations before (haven’t we all?)

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 10″ »

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FILL 'ER UP: This mug ain't for coffee.

We left off last week down one U.S. senator, one paid assassin, and a whole lotta Jack’s cred. This week, Larry Moss was on site at Sen. Mayer’s house, “investigating” the politico’s murder and playing effortlessly into the bad guys’ hands. Moss truly is this season’s answer to the blindly bureaucratic impediment to progress (formerly held by such brown-nosers as  Miles Papazian (Stephen Spinella) in previous seasons). Jack brings Tony up to speed on evildoers and bio-weapons and whatnot via cell, while Moss unleashes the sass on Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin, telling him he advised against allowing Jack to interrogate Burnett a second time. Ethan takes a second, takes a seat and takes his resignation to President Taylor. As Ethan justifies his resignation to the president, he explains his complicity in Bauer’s alleged killing spree. The president responds with, “It doesn’t make any sense!”

Hello??!!! Anyone listening? At least one of season seven’s one-dimensional characters was drawn with a slightly thicker Sharpie. Does this mean that they call off the hounds? Not so much.

Continue reading “‘24:’ Episode 15, 10-11 p.m.” »

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YOU HEARD RIGHT: I'm in charge now.

Namaste, recruits!  After a long two weeks “Lost” was back last night in an episode lacking in focus but full of small, fan-pleasing moments. To begin at the beginning: We returned to the plane crash, this time from the point of view of the other Others (Planies?), who mysteriously include Sun. After not quite crash-landing on the island, Lapidus gives a half-hearted attempt to organize the passengers, but allows Caesar to play that role as he follows Sun who’s following a shifty Ben.

Turns out, the plane landed on one of the satellite islands — one where our Losties were held hostage in season three. Ben, Lapidus and a newly badass Sun take a boat to the island proper, which is not in 1977 where the Oceanic Four landed, but in present day. After a cameo appearance by Old Smokey, Christian Shepherd emerges from the shadows to reveal that the folks they seek are actually in the past.

One plot down, several to go. As mentioned, last night’s episode didn’t set its sights on one character arc in particular, instead keeping a wide scope on all the new groupings.  Whereas the Sun-Ben-Lapidus plot might have taken up an entire episode of its own in seasons past, last night it was barely a footnote in this filler-sode. I say filler not in a “Jack’s Tattoos” way, but in that it literally filled in some gaps in island mythology (specifically Dharma-related). In doing so, it also uncovered the further significance of characters from the past (including Radinsky and, holy horrors, Ethan!), tying it in with our main characters’ present.  As the cinematography showcased the island’s dramatic and varied scenery, so too did the plot take us to all all the hills and valleys of our characters new situations.

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 9″ »

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NO YOU LISTEN: I will not rest until I totally f%#! this up.

Last week, Jack and Bill thwarted Juma’s presidential assassination attempt at the expense of Bill’s life. Bill was one of CTU’s last remaining vestiges, not to mention a salt-and-pepper sexpot of older man-ness. Bill’s final words sent Jack to former Bauer tourturee Ryan Burnett’s hospital room to intimidate some information out of him, where he was was promptly murdered by a third party, leaving Jack conveniently framed for the killing. Jack gave lead FBI schmuck Larry Moss a call to let him know he didn’t do it, but of course, Larry doesn’t buy it. So it goes with schmucks.

This week opened with Jack on the run. He hot-wires a car, commandeers the owner’s laptop, and hacks into the hospital’s security system to identify the attacker. Hey — he’s Jack Bauer. It’s what he does. Renee, who Moss has suspended for colluding with “wild card” JB, gets a call from you know who to ID the killer. Renee pauses dramatically before agreeing to do so and sends Jack the encrypted file. Larry returns as the transfer is completing, pats Renee on the head and sends her home. Larry barks to Janis that he suspects Renee, and pulls the old “tap into her system, find who she’s talked to in the last hour,” etc.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chloe O’Brian (Morris) is waiting in the conference room to find out about his wife, who’s been in holding the past couple of hours/episodes; Olivia’s at the President’s right hand in the Oval office when Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin comes in to fill in Madame P. about Burnett’s death; and Jack’s on his way to Sen. Mayer’s house to follow a lead about hospital assassin John Quinn’s relationship to Starkwood, a defense contractor the senator’s been investigating for the past six months.

Continue reading “‘24:’ Episode 14, 9-10 p.m.” »

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TROUBLE IN PARADISE: He was born a ramblin' man.

Uncertain futures were the name of the game in this middle-of-the-road episode of ‘FNL,’ with everyone trying to take one step forward by taking two steps back. In the Riggins house it began with Billy and Mindy breaking up because he doesn’t want her to work at the Landing Strip once married. (How can she be shocked by this?) Tim was in denial of his possible collegiate future, and blew off an interview to go on a bender in old-school Riggs style. Tami decided to deny her birthday’s claim to her age by not having one, and Tyra’s attempts to leave Dillon behind were thwarted when Cash-the-cowboy turns out to have a serious dark side.

By the end of the episode, a few of these issues had been resolved — specifically, all those in the Riggins household. Billy and Mindy were back for what we can only hope will be more white trash comedy, and Tim ends up being the first Riggins to attend college. (Let’s hope he actually goes.) The only character with a purely positive trajectory this week was none other than Matt Saracen, who led the Panthers to an (unsurprising) last-minute victory, which also served to briefly bring his mother and grandmother out from their Cold War.

It seems like the Panthers haven’t played more than four games, but here we are miraculously in the playoffs for the state championship. Fourth and seven, up by three, risking the opponent having excellent field position for a final play (and we know how dangerous that is since no high school teams seem to have any defense), out of timeouts, what to do? Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Friday Night Lights’ episode 9″ »

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I CAN READ: Because my mother taught me

Merry Lostnesday! Thanks again to Curt Holman for filling in for me last week when I actually happened to be on a remote island without TV or internet but plenty of crazy. I caught up with the latest episode only hours before this one, and boy howdy, I rejoiced. This has to be my favorite season so far, if only because of the payoffs to theories and setups from the past. I might even go so far as to declare last week’s episode the best one since the Constant (gasp!)

In a recent Entertainment Weekly article, producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (known as Darlton from here on out) said our current season 5 was going to be an all-out sci-fi fest (holler!), but that the final season would go back to focusing on the relationships among the characters, a la season 1 (so enjoy this while you can). They also promised the long-awaited Richard back story, a resolution to the “what-the?” regarding the freaky four-toed statue, and of course, more Smokey. For now though, we travel back to L.A. with the Oceanic 6 (minus Aaron) leaving on a jet plane.

After about 20 episodes of dallying (or so it felt), the O6 finally made its way to the island. At the episode’s onset we learned a little bit about the island’s movements and some of its rules. (Why did they all have to go back? To recreate the original plane trip as best as possible to crash again, of course). Sayid is now a fugitive. Hurley shows up out of federal prison, (one would assume, yet with Charlie’s guitar?) and has no trouble getting through airport security. Kate was moody (shouting at Jack, “Don’t ever ask me about Aaron again!” Where is that tyke? And don’t worry Kate, this is “Lost”— no one asks obvious questions). Even Ben shows up at the last possible moment, looking worse for wear, facing no inquiring about his copious injuries (courtesy of Sayid?). The Oceanic Six and Friends are far from the only passengers on the plane, but as far as what’s going to happen to “the others” when the plane crashes, as Ben puts it, “who cares?” The show finally got around to killing off Frogurt and the remaining Red Shirts. The last thing we need is for this plane to be carrying some more Nikkis and Paulos or Tailies 2.0.

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 6″ »

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FINGER LICKIN' GOOD: Tim Heidecker (left) and Eric Wareheim

Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are human beings. We can all agree on that. But does that disqualify them from being honorary cartoons?

True, they’re not particularly exaggerated in appearance. Tim looks like the towheaded, pie-faced boy next door all grown up, while Eric’s a bespectacled, sideburned galoot with plenty of height and a crooked smile. They were both born in Pennsylvania in 1976 and would draw little attention as white-collar employees alongside the water coolers of Middle America.

The late-night TV audience first glimpsed the duo’s animated alter egos when they played the title characters in “Tom Goes to the Mayor” on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block. Since 2007, they’ve appeared in the flesh as the stars of Adult Swim’s “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” a surreal but emphatically not-animated sketch comedy series. Using green-screen technology to plop themselves into seemingly any environment, Tim and Eric play a host of weirdos, including tone-deaf singers whose faces drip with eczema, half-deranged corporate pitchmen, and would-be swingers obsessed with shrimp and white wine. Continue reading “How Adult Swim’s Tim & Eric got so awesome” »

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