Comedy Central Salutes George W. Bush

Comedy Central has always been a great cable channel with tons of laughs, but our 43rd President really helped them shoot up to the top of the charts. There has been a plethora of material which George W. Bush has given comedians over the last eight years and here on this DVD is some of that laughter. It features a few stand-up comics like Lewis Black and Patton Oswald and also includes episodes from shows like Lil’ Bush, Mind of Mencia, and South Park. This collection has a lot to laugh at, and if you watch Comedy Central on a regular basis, you may have already seen what’s on here.

This DVD was just all right. The shows that are featured were good, but if they would have just featured Bush being himself it would have been a lot funnier. First off, there should have been more stand-up comics. These spotlights came from the shows Last Laugh '06 and '07. Come on, only these clips were the comics that ragged on Bush for the past eight years. Really? Black, Oswald, and Greg Geraldo when doing their stand-up still made me laugh, as well as Black’s Root of All Evil where the featured episode was “Dick Cheney vs. Paris Hilton”, but when it came to the South Park episode where Eric blames 9/11 on Kyle and they meet the President, it really wasn’t centered on the Bush. If you saying that you are highlighting the follies of W, then it would have been better to show him on the job. Oh, it was a funny South Park show, but the crazy twist to the end was half-assed at best and the President’s part was idiotic and not in a “decider” kind of way.

I watched the first season of Lil’ Bush and liked it but not enough to keep it on the “record” list for my DVR. One episode they picked out was the one where Lil’ George and crew go to Iraq to find something good to give to his dad on Father’s Day was weak, and though my short-term memory eludes me, I know there were other funnier episodes. Even the other episode where Lil’ George has to have a girl kiss him to win a bet gave me a chuckle, but it just wasn’t that funny.

When it came to the Mind of Mencia, again there were better clips that Comedy Central could have used, and considering that they used two episodes from Lil’ Bush and two from Bushed, they could have used those spaces on the disc to add a little more Mencia.
You would think, or at least I did, that The Daily Show and The Colbert Report would have a bunch of episodes included. Well, think again. The shows which were featured by both of these late-night monarchs could have been better, but “Marines in Berkley” and “Tip/Wag Afghanistan” were funny but there were better shows. I laugh every time I see bears as America’s number-one threat and when Jon does his Bush impersonation; Hee hee hee.

Yes, this DVD is funny, but it could have been better. If Comedy Central did it in a rush, it shows. A few comedians have stated that with Bush you couldn’t write better comedy, and some of the funniest things I have seen have been just Bush in action, like the infamous, “Fool me once…” quote where he ended it with a Who lyric. How do I rate this? If you see it in the discount bin and you’re as high as a kite, then get it. If not, then don’t worry about it, you aren’t missing anything.

Comedy Central's Kenny vs. Spenny: Volume One - Uncensored

Written by Puño Estupendo

Belief in someone's ability to take having no shame to an art form is what Kenny vs. Spenny basically brings to the table. Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice compete in what can only be described as the most ridiculous competitions a moron could think of. With episodes such as "First Guy To Get A Boner Loses" and "Who Can Eat More Meat?" this is slacker comedy at a pretty high level. Comedy Central's two-disc set of this quest for moronic glory, gives you eight previously aired episodes and two bonus ones. Having seen a lot of Kenny vs. Spenny on television and Youtube, I was kind of disappointed that the set didn't include more. Then again, a little bit of "Who Can Blow The Biggest Fart?" goes a long way so there's not really much to complain about.

The set-up for every episode is that Kenny and Spencer, each with their own camera crew in tow, come up with a contest for the both of them to compete in. Sharing a house they go about their strategies. Kenny finds some surprisingly genius ways of cheating, Spencer seems to be honestly shocked every time it happens, and then the loser has to submit to "humiliation."

Kenny's lack of shame is what really fuels the whole show. Nothing seems to embarrass him at all, and that's the freedom that something this stupid needs to make it work. And work it does; maybe not for the easily offended or squeamish, but it works. It's easy to see how a lot of viewers will fall into camps over whom to root for. Kenny is the over-the-top bastard of the two, but there are moments of evil genius that his cheating attains. Without spoiling anything, his cheat in "Who Can Be Tied To A Goat The Longest?" made me cheer at his brilliance.

Spencer, though trying to keep to some idea of taking the high road, has his moments as well. There are times when you want him to just beat Kenny's ass, and Kenny gets some close calls out of the deal, but it's a moment-by-moment thing as to who you want to see win. To top it off, the closing moment's "humiliation" usually hits a low note of its own and includes a scene of the loser having to make out with an old lady without skimping on the use of tongue.

I'm not really sure how much this will stand up to repeated viewing, but it made me laugh a lot and it's a huge joy to make some of my more easily unsettled friends watch. These episodes work great for small gatherings, and I think that's the funniest thing about these discs. It's funny when watching by yourself, but do everyone a favor and get a few people to watch them together.

The Sarah Silverman Program: Season One

Written by Fumo Verde

Get ready to laugh your ass off because Season One of The Sarah Silverman Program has hit DVD. Some call her humor offensive, tasteless, and abrasive, but this what the world needs right now. Silverman takes on racism, bigotry, and other social issues with a clever wit by bringing out the irony and mindless stupidity of such “wedge issue” positions. Accompanied by her older sister Laura and a fantastic cast and crew, The Sarah Silverman Program is a must-see for those who can stomach such an outrageous comedian.

All six episodes are on this DVD and the hilarity ranges from Silverman getting drunk on cough syrup to her going down to the local clinic to get an AIDS test because she has the blahs and needs something to cheer her up. Before her test is done, Silverman is on crusade to rid the world of either AIDS or those who have it. It isn’t as much about AIDS as it about SARAH. When Silverman finally learns that she doesn’t have AIDS, all her crusading comes to an immediate stop. And why not, she doesn’t have the blahs anymore.

My favorite is the “Not Without My Daughter” episode where Silverman quasi-adopts a young girl so she can enter her in the Little Miss Rainbow Contest. When the eight-year-old is about to quit, Silverman sees the crown in her grasp and gives her a pep talk by using abortion as the underlying theme. “Do you want to be a quitter, or do you want to go out there and have the abortion of your dreams.”

Besides the sidesplitting laughs being thrown around by Silverman and her “daughter,” played by Laura Marano who does a superb job, Silverman’s gay neighbors, Steve and Brian, are tracked down by the FBI for a phone conversation they had. With the bomb squad ready, they prepare to open the cop car Steve laid a bomb in. At the same time, Marano starts to sing “Amazing Grace” for her final song, and everything goes into slow motion. By the end of her song, the bomb squad cop opens the car door only to shout out in silence, “It’s a fart!” My eyes are still tearing up over that whole scene.

Call her what you want, but I see Silverman as the female Lenny Bruce of today. She pushes the limits of what is being said about these issues on TV, or to better put it, what is not being said. She reverses the bigotry and hatred and pulls it off beautifully. Besides being intelligent, funny, and quick, Sarah is smoking hot too. All that and a potty mouth, what more can a boy ask for? There are some extras on here too, a little karaoke, intro sequences, and commentary with Steve and Brian.

By playing on the edge, Silverman has created a show that has a humble “American pie” look with a shit-eating grin. This show is one of the most intelligent comedies out there and though abrasive humor can even make Fumo Verde blush, don’t discard what is being said. The Sarah Silverman Program: Season One is out now, so pick it up as soon as you can.