Guest Blogged by Alan Breslauer
1/2 Hour News Hour, which debuted tonight on Fox News, is not funny (see clip at right). But too few laughs is the least of the problems this Daily Show wannabe brings to the table. Of far greater concern is that 1/2 Hour undermines Fox News far better than even the Daily Show or Colbert Report ever could. Viewed another way, what is the Fox audience supposed to think when a show advertised as comedy that clearly seeks to emulate the satirical Comedy Central shows, delivers a program no different than any Fox News show but for a laugh track?
Instead of Sean Hannity zingers about polar bears and global warming you get 1 liners and skits about polar bears and global warming. Instead of Bill O’Reilly shouting down Hollywood liberals you get 1 liners about Hollywood liberals. And while the Fox News audience is not known for being perceptive, the similarities between Fox comedy and Fox news are not subtle. In fact, the contrived targets, both people and issues, are basically the same.
Perhaps the best illustration of the dilemma is seen in the debut episodes opening “jokes” involving Senator Hillary Clinton. Before 1/2 Hour’s debut, Fox News had spent almost every day for 10+ years skewering Hillary to the point that much of the country views her as a cartoonish villain. So, when 1/2 Hour jokes that President Hillary would staff the White House with angry lesbians it’s hardly funny. Dick Morris has said essentially the same thing on the O’Reilly Factor more times than I care to remember. And you can basically assume the same problem will arise for every politician and celebrity that 1/2 Hour targets.
Sounds like they have a little xtra cash to waste … perhaps now we know where the missing 363 tons of cash and trillions lost from the Pentagon is going.
It certainly isn’t going to rebuild Iraq, the utter destruction of which neoCon Faux Commode Channel has advocated.
“You are doin a heckuva job” commode channel. Jeffie G here is an “opening” for you.
you whining liberals. The show was hysterical. Your problem is that you have no sense of humor! It will be picked up and I bet will trash most other comedy shows!
Ah, I think you must have meant RepubLIcan dumpster diver Norm Coleman.
Hey whiny Elvis, if you’re going to do satire, it needs to have a grain of truth.
While it may be standard Fox News propaganda, just making sh*t up about people isn’t humor.
The difference between us liberals and you is we can laugh at ourselves and the Democrats, in addition to the RepubLIcan nuts. I can laugh at a funny Clinton joke on Leno just like anyone else.
You’re too insecure to laugh at the absurdity of your own party and right-wingers in general.
– Tom
Elvis #2
It was hysterical in this sense:
Hysteria is the fundamental “mushroom cloud” fear mentality of faux. Like Ted Haggard and Jeffie Gannon they have no shame and no talent in this realm.
I’ve been waiting for ten years to see Dennis Miller change his facial expression. I love it when he giggles like a little girl at his own jokes, so you’ll know they’re funny.
You have got to be kidding me…I couldn’t even watch the whole 4+ mins of this crap. I’m speechless. Awful.
I caught it last night. It was truly horrible.
It reminded me of a mock talk show in a bad B movie.
Or a state run Soviet talk show from the cold war era.
Or a cheesy training video made for a big corporation.
Or a cable access show run by high school kids.
This shows how fake Fox News really is. What self respecting news organization would put a show like this on their flagship news channel?
They could have put it on the Sunday night line-up at 2AM after a M.A.S.H. rerun.
That would have better masked their intent to spread propaganda.
It’s gonna have to be realized, somewhere up the corporate/military industrial ladder at Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel that they somehow allowed a parody of their own news programming to be broadcast as “comedy”.
This is a perfect example of Fox News being a sick parody of itself.
Did I mention that it wasn’t remotely f’ing funny?
They did pan out and show a live audience in the studio. And the show was extremely funny. The outrage and jealousy from the lefties in this blog are the proof. Where’s that tolerance we always hear being preached by the left?
i have to say that i thought most of the actors did a good job with the delivery — especially considering the material they had to work with. did they have to be right-wingers to be considered for the job? or was it just a gig, and they left thier political leanings at the door? don’t get me wrong, i”m not assuming they are lefties, but one wonders if where they fall on the political spectrum had any bearing on their performance or casting.
IMHO, the show worked best when they skewered the rightwing nutjob agenda and talking points… like starting with the “in your dreams” sketch with Rush and Coulter (albeit with recycled Monica jokes — gotta go back nine years for right-wing-approved Oval Office humor)
lamelygamely spewing their usual nonsense. it’s funny how their everyday scripts didn’t have to be changed one bit, but FINALLY they got the laugh track they so richly deserve!FNC should implement a laugh track on all their shows…
from such a tyically arrogant, self-righteous, unfunny group of people, self-deprecating humor seemed to be their most successful (from a performance standpoint) choice.
Jim, #9, the “outrage” and “jealousy” you claim to see here are completely manufactured in your own head. delusional as usual, i see.
honestly, your comment reads like you are the one who is jealous. but hey, you finally got a wingnut copycat Daily Show all your own, so be happy!
IF the 1/2 Hour Show achieves anywhere near the wild success of Daily Show and Colbert Report, i would be surprised, but certainly not jealous. especially since right now there isn’t anything there to be “jealous” of.
that you apparently need to see “jealousy and outrage” is kinda funny, too — and kinda sad and pathetic, as well.
by the way, comments here are “opinion” — surely you are familiar with the concept, since you apparently watch Fox “News”. there is no need for ‘tolerance’ in a review of a show. run along now.
Democracy NOW! has on a long interview live, with Chris Hedges…RIGHT NOW!!!
Monday, February 19th, 2007
Chris Hedges on “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America”
Chris Hedges’s new book examines how Christian dominionists are seeking absolute power and a Christian state. According to Hedges, the movement bears a strong resemblance to the young fascist movements in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and ’30s. Hedges is the former New York Times Middle East bureau chief and author of “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning.” [includes rush transcript]
——————————————————————————–
A new book by Chris Hedges called “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America” investigates the highly organized and well-funded “dominionist movement.” The book investigates their agenda, examines the movement’s origins and motivations and uncovers its ideological underpinnings. “American Fascists” argues that dominionism seeks absolute power in a Christian state. According to Hedges, the movement bears a strong resemblance to the young fascist movements in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and ’30s.
Chris Hedges was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times for many years where he won a Pulitzer Prize. He is also the author of “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning” and “Losing Moses on the Freeway.” Chris has a Master’s degree in theology from Harvard University and is the son of a Presbyterian minister. He is currently a senior fellow at the Nation Institute – and he is here with me now in the studio.
Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent for the New York Times who has reported from more than 50 countries over the last 20 years. Chris is currently a senior fellow at the Nation Institute. He is author of “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning” and “Losing Moses on the Freeway.” Chris has a master’s degree in theology from Harvard University and is the son of a Presbyterian minister. His new book is “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America.”
VIDEO…
http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow...38;start=13:45
TRANSCRIPT…
http://www.democracynow.org/art.../02/19/1545218
Is it just me, or is the piped in laugh-track kind of freepy? So funny that they couldn’t get humans to laugh. Or maybe that is just how the Fox robotrons sound when they laugh.
That was absolutely frickin’ hilarious, but not in the way I think they intended.
As a raging liberal, I hope the show gets picked up and instead of it airing weekly, I’d prefer they show it nightly.
That is 100% pure unadulterated talent. But again, not in the way they intended. I honestly think Murdoch is getting punked.
Have you thanked Brad with a donation this month?
Big Dan #12
I saw it. It was worth watching. It is refreshing to see original talent in action, rather than the faux copycat thingy being talked about on this thread.
American Fascists (the book) is a powerful tool for understanding how those who opposed freedom fighters and instead wanted King George to continue his rule in America, have grown up into big ‘holy’ fascists in our time.
FSTV is a powerful tool in every way.
“Elvis” is part of the infomercial, promoting this show. Yesterday, Limbaugh had a guest host on, and he had about 10 callers in a row, each say a different part of the show: the Obama skit, Limbaugh as president skit, etc…etc… What are the odds of that? 10 callers in a row, each saying a completely different part of the show, with Limbaugh’s guest host in between each caller, saying, “WOW! That sounded funny!!! I HAVE to watch that show!!!”
I hope everyone here knows an infomercial, when they see one. Complete with “testimonials” (like “Elvis”), things that happen, that are “odd”, like 10 callers in a row, neatly lined up, all talking about a different part of the show, etc…etc…
I guess when you train yourself to detect bullshit, it’s pretty easy…”Elvis” never posts before…but he liked the new FOX “Daily Show” ripoff!
How about this, Elvis??? I won’t watch ANYTHING EVER that has to do with FOX…whaddya think about that???
You MIGHT say, at first, it’s funny…but with those PROVEN liars at FOX, there is definitely an ulterior motive to this “show” or “comedy”…whatever you want to call it…
So, “it’s just funny”, huh? Yeah, and we all know at FOX, that this is just an innocent comedy, disregard the rest of FOX that is ruining America with propoganda. Just “trust this one show”…IT’S A COMEDY!!! YAY!!!!!!!!
This would be better:
FOX News Daily Show ripoff Hitler anchor:
“Zer vasss zisss guy, zee?? Unt vee threw him into zee jail, zee??? IZN’T ZAT VUUNNYYY????”
“OOPS! I vorgot zee punchline…Vee threw him into zee jail, BECUZZ HE VAZZ PEAZEFULLY PROTESTING EITHER ZE CHENEY OR ZE BUSH ODER ZE IRAQ VVVARRRR!!!!!!”
“Vy ist neine audienzz LAUGHZING??? I vill KEEL all uff you!!!”
Hello.
The laughter in this clip seemed a little more genuine than the original BO clip. That laughter came from the Sound Ideas Sound Effects Library Disc 6013. http://sound-ideas.com/6000.html
Last year I worked on a show called “Fresh Baked Videogames” for Spike TV. The male “anchor” on this Fox show played a fake reporter on FBVG. He was originally supposed to be a regular character, but the pieces involving him were so bad (not due just to him being bad btw) that I think only one aired.
I’ll take your bet any day Elvis. That was terrible.
Wow that show was bad. I caught the whole broadcast on cable. Woo.
I mean, just not funny. And when I say not funny, I mean – check out the global warming pundit they had on.
Stilted lines, overly-explained premise…
And with the ‘Begley’ thing, going to hate when they don’t need to. They could have just had him not make it due to traffic on his bicycle or something. Instead they compare him to a homeless guy – this is funny how?
Humor requires some degree of empathy with people, too…interesting that the Fox News sponsored show doesn’t repeat the Daily Show’s method, of making fun of people with things they actually say.
Fox is willing to have ventures that lose money in order to keep a mouthpiece open – witness the NY Post, which has lost millions a year for years. So they may keep this turkey on. But hold no illusions – maybe they can make it funnier, but right now it’s a turkey.
I’m wondering if this isn’t some Emperor’s New Clothes scenario:
24’s Wunderkind pretends to be a right-wing whacko by saying he’s satirizing Stewart and Colbert, but is really satirizing Fox … but Fox can’t admit it, because then they’ll look … foolish?
Or, maybe he’s just lazy, and simply grabs transcripts from theFox News archives, splits up the harrangues into dialogues and adds canned laughter. Nice work if you can get it …
What’s TV?
Everyone’s forgetting, too, that humor requires intelligence, and the right (the wrong) has no intelligence, therefore they aren’t funny and don’t “get” humor…in general. See: Dennis Miller, the only self-proclaimed conservative “comedian”…I use the term “comedian” lightly…
I didn’t think Dennis Miller was funny BEFORE he said he was a conservative, or whatever he says he is now…
Alan is insightful, pointing out that the REAL FOX News is a parody of REAL News…great point! This show is a copy of a copy…and the more copies…well, you know…
What would REALLY be hilarious, is if FOX’s idiotic viewers don’t know it’s a comedy!!! They’re probably saying to each other, “Hey, Bubba! Did you see that new FOX news show? It’s really informative! Did you know Rush Limbaugh is president??? When did that happen???”
I have a way for FOX to save money:
Add a laugh track to FOX News, and shitcan this new show.
“Obama went to a terrorist training camp” (laugh track)
“The media is picking on Rex Grossman, because he’s a white quarterback.” (laugh track)
“Bush is doing a fine job in Iraq.” (laugh track)
“Cheney’s lesbian daughter is being artificially inseminated.” (laugh track)
“Bush said Iran is supplying bombs to insurgents.” (laugh track)
“Bush and Gates said they have no plans to attack Iran.” (laugh track)
Where did those weapons of mass destruction go? Over here? No. What about under here? No.
Ha, Ha, Ha.
Ed Begley looks like a bum.
Ha, Ha, Ha.
Too bad there’s already been a comedy show that only lasted one episode, (In).
I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait to see what “The Daily Show” does with this!
The linked skit ridicules global warming, but succeeds only in demonstrating the lengths to which a right-minded outlet will go to debase it.
Six (ridiculous) degrees to global warming was pretty pathetic. Colbert and Stewart lampoon with vaguery, innuendo and farce. The Fox Half-Hour News Hour goes straight to “Bizarro World” by mocking global warming science without even the filter of innuendo.
Garv
What REAL comedy writers would subliminally promote a rightwing agenda? They can’t be any good. Who’s writing it? Maybe the only writers they could get are William Kristol, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly, and John McCain. People like that would HAVE to be writing it…who else would? I don’t think there are any REAL comedy writers, in lockstep with the rightwing agenda.
Fox will fail because they will be drawing material with a bias. Currently, the Repubs are the Muse de Force of thinking adults with a sense on ironic humor. What’s funnier than a guy who grew up with a silver spoon lodged in his colon playing TJ Hooker with our entire nation(when not thinking about the realities). Colbert is making millions riding this tsunami of absurdity. Someday when this giant Poo-sandwich is behind us we’ll kinda miss the Barney Fife of Presidents(if only for the nostalgia of seeing that our country can survive incompetent leadership for 8 years).
Jim #9: I think your definition of the word tolerance is a little skewed. Being tolerant doesn’t mean forcing yourself to like something and refrain from giving your honest opinion of it. I don’t see anyone saying this show should be boycotted or that Fox News has no right to air it, which is what would be intolerance. What I see is people commenting on how dry and stupid they think this show is, just like you commented on it being “extremely funny.” Although it seems you’re the one showing intolerance here and perhaps a little arrogance, since you say these comments you don’t agree with are some form of “outrage and jealousy” instead of accepting them as honest opinions. From someone who has always thought of Fox News as the greatest joke in journalism, I can assure you I am neither outraged nor jealous of this new 1/2 hour show, which in my opinion only buries Fox News further into the hole of incredibility they keep digging for themselves, making it clearer and clearer how they are nothing more than entertainment for right-wing biased minds and not any sort of “fair and balanced” news.