Comedians for Hire
Anybody who is even remotely familiar with VH1, the seemingly more grown-up alternative to MTV, knows that as cool and hip as the channel once was due to the fact that they actually played music instead of airing endless shows that had some loose connection to music is also well aware of the fact that this trend has reversed itself, much like that of MTV itself. The viewers of this channel have witnessed a transformation that seems both familiar and alien at the same time. VH1's metamorphosis into a channel that clearly resembles its sibling is both a sad occasion and a joyously ecstatic moment to embrace. Why? Because the shows that VH1 bombards viewers with are, for the most part, actually interesting in one way or another. This is in sharp contrast to the mindnumbing dumbness of the typical day's worth of programs on MTV.

The shows on VH1 seem to fall into one of three categories: 1. the behind the scenes life story (represented by Behind the Music, Driven, and The Fabulous Life of...) 2. shows of lists, and there have been too many of these to list (heh heh) 3. nostalgia and current events (see any of the numerous I Love the [insert decade](the 80s apparently being such a large decade that they did two series on the decade with the chronicle of the 90s premiering this summer and Best Week Ever. For the most part, I'm concerned with the last category because it seems to get the most play, which, to me, serves as both a blessing and a curse.

As a rule, the shows from the third category devoted to nostalgia are not so much hosted by any one person but consist of nothing more than various people commenting on the topic in question. For the most part, the panelists consist of some big-name stars, but the definite majority of the panel comes from the outer fringes of the entertainment industry, must notably my favorite group of starving artists the comedians. Every other panelist is a comedian in some way, shape, or form. Just take a look at the listing of panelists from Best Week Ever. A lot of them are funny, but a lot of them aren't, and this is due to a lot of factors.

To be blunt, these comedians are creeps. They have to be the most bottom barrel detritus of the comedic community, and they are asked to comment on everything from the Rubik's Cube to Britney Spears. I'd like to think that I'm familiar enough with the definition of irony and can recognize it in practice, but seeing a white-trash goon cracking base one-liners about sexy actresses doesn't fit. If these are the best comedians available for the production of these shows, then comedy is in trouble. What's most troubling about these shows and their panelists is the fact that they smack of desperation on so many fronts. I mentioned earlier that the change in format for VH1 was something of a blessing and a curse, and I guess I should explain. The interesting aspect about these shows is that they're incredibly addictive, especially those devoted to chronicling the 70s and 80s. You can burn a whole day watching these shows when they rerun the entire series, which they do frequently, and they are perfectly suited for repeat viewings. Nostalgia is great, and I can't think of too many people who don't enjoy waltzing down memory lane from time to time. The troubling aspect of these shows is that they smack of desperation by the panelists to remain in the public eye. The same panelists seem to frequent all the shows, and the danger of over-exposure is incredibly high. Comedy dies on these shows. The obvious grasp at relevance and hipness is a sad spectacle to watch, and these panelists have perfected it to an art form. My advice is to stick to stand-up, because this type of work isn't suited for lame-brain one-liners.