men at work

JusWondering… How Did This Make It To TV?

Posted on by sgottahurt

TBS might not be the benchmark of great television, and even though its slogan is “Very Funny,” that doesn’t mean it’s true.  Case in point – how did this show make it to TV?

The point of a preview is to show funny things if it’s a comedy, right?  Then why do promos for Men at Work show anything but?

Unfortunately, I was unable to find any more extensive previews, so allow me to transcribe some of the “jokes”…

In one exchange, a douche from this show is mad at the guy from NBC’s Las Vegas for banging his cleaning lady.  They go back and forth repeating the word bang a lot.  Which prompts the punchline: “I don’t believe how many times you guys said the word bang.”

In another scene, the guy from Fox’s That 70’s Show asks a woman on a date.  The three other jackasses dance using lewd sex moves in the background.  Her response: “They know I can see them right?”  His punchline: “Yeah, they don’t care.”

And for my last bit of torture, the guy from NBC’s Las Vegas tells the guy from Fox’s That 70’s Show to not dwell on his break-up forever.  Setup: “It’s been like an hour.”  Punch-in-the-throat-line: “Yet we’re still talking about it.”

I can’t recall any others, and I don’t care to.

You want comedy?  I don’t know if it will satiate you, but it’s light years better than Men at Work:

JusWondering… What Do Hackman, Rudd, The Gute, And The Mac Guy Have In Common?

Posted on by sgottahurt

In response to the post title’s inquiry:  they’re all… Actors!

Here’s a couple things I’ve been JusWondering about each.

1) Gene Hackman

"Men at Work 2: Trash Tweens"

"Men at Work 2: Trash Tweens"

Whatever happened to Gene “Hack Man” Hackman?  Why hasn’t he been acting lately?  The last film he appeared in was Welcome to Mooseport, and heaven forbid something happens to him, but does an actor of his caliber really want his swan song to be a co-starring vehicle with the guy that played a CGI mammoth?  Personally, I think he’s better than most of the Actors! of his generation… mostly because he was Lex Luthor and Popeye Doyle.  And of course, Royal Tenenbaum.

2) Paul Rudd/Steve Guttenberg

The Rudd meets the Gute, and it was "Grute"

The Rudd meets the Gute, and it was "Grute"

Paul Rudd reminds my mother of Steve Guttenberg, for some reason.  Though I would have to admit that if they when they remake Police Academy, Rudd would make a great Mahoney. 

I also think he would make a great Krull, if that’s what the main character’s name was.  If Krull is the blue guy, the chick, or the kick-ass weapon, then no.  All I remember about Krull is that kick-ass weapon.

I should have Photoshopped Rudd into this, but I'm lazy.

I should have Photoshopped Rudd into this, but I'm lazy.

3) Justin Long

justin_long

He Longs for a major hit.

How about this guy and his scene stealing?  I don’t think he works as well as a lead (Accepted or Waiting…), or as well as an assistant lead (Live Free or Die Hard), but in bit parts… he shines.  Since I was initially amused by him in Galaxy Quest, he’s eaten the scenery (and his co-stars) in The Break Up, Idiocracy, Walk Hard, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno.  Will Ferrell started off the same way, in the background out loud, and now he slays in (most of) his films.  Maybe the same will happen Justin time so he won’t have to wait for too Long.

All I Want For Christmas Is… More Scrubs Soundtracks

Posted on by sgottahurt

Aaah, “Scrubs.”  You are the middle child between “E.R.” (the secondone with George Clooney, not the first… look it up) and the highly comedic, though at most times unintentional, “Grey’s Anatomy,” and you’re still the best at what you do.  (I picked Michael Crichton’s show as a reference point because it was an issue when “Scrubs” premiered.  People wondered why they would need two shows about interns.  Ask CBS what they think about crime scene investigators… and for that matter, what NBC thinks about blending cop procedural and court cases.)

Mixing pathos and humor so well for seven seasons, like a fine chef or bottle-flipping bartender (more Bryan Brown than Tom Cruise), you finally started getting some respect once you hit that magical 100th episode (that’s when shows can get syndicated).  NBC had been dicking you around for years, and when the seventh season was up for grabs, ABC – your owner – was ready to take over.  Having little else going on over at NBC, they used up the short season (due to the writer’s strike), and then hung you out to dry.  You’ll get to finish your magnificent run on ABC starting in January, but that’s not what this post is about.

scrubsIt’s all about the music, baby.  No other show utilizes the music to advance the story quite like “Scrubs.”  Check out the integration of Colin Hay’s Overkill (formerly of Men at Work).  What upsets me is that they’ve only released one CD for sale after the first season (after the fifth season they did a collection only available on iTunes… 14 songs to cover four seasons), but i want more.

greyscd“Grey’s Anatomy” gets three CD’s, but they push their music, not quite like “Smallville” did at the end of its early episodes, but there still is a hey, check out this quirky new artist quality about it.  Hence them releasing three CD’s.  “Scrubs” just lets it be, and maybe that’s why I prefer music from them.  It’s between the show and the audience – there is no marketing department forcing the producers’ hands.  So when season six ends on Say Anything’s Alive with the Glory of Love, I should just accept it as the way it is and be happy.

What?  There’s a torrent full of “Scrubs” music?  Never mind.

JusWondering… Whatever Happened To The Song Fade Out?

Posted on by sgottahurt

As the title of the post says, “Whatever happened to the good ol’ song fade out?”  (I added the good ol’.)  You know how it went in the good ol’ songs from the 80’s and 90’s…  Instead of simply ending the tune like they do nowadays, they would repeat the chorus or hook as it descended into silence.  It would typically last for the, um, last 30 seconds.  Here are some examples:

Click here for Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl or here for Men at Work’s Land Down Under if you need more proof.

The only current song I can think of (and I’ve been thinking about this for awhile… when I remember to) is The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony.  Otherwise, most songs nowadays just end.  Even if there’s a repetitive ending, there’s a sense of finality.

The theory on why this is: CD’s have changed the way we listen to music.  When in the days of cassettes and LP’s, people were more inclined to let the music play.  The fade out spaced out the songs, as opposed to having back-to-back ends-to-starts. 

Is this is the trend, or am I just a complete idiot?  (I’m leaning toward lazy, actually.)  If you can think of any other recent examples of radio songs that fade out old school style, feel free to prove me wrong by commenting below.