Newsweek in state of arrested development

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on November 7th, 2005

At one point in his recent Newsweek/MSNBC.com interview, Bob Saget says, “Very few people hate me. Ten years ago more people disliked me.” When asked why he replies:

The video show. The jokes were really lame and dumb. I’d laugh at my own jokes. It was what it was. I was doing family comedy at seven o’clock at night. I couldn’t grab my nuts. What was I going to do? But now I do my standup. My 15 year old and 12 year old have never seen my R-rated standup. I don’t want them to see it until they’re older because to me it can be damaging. I think there’s a time and place for filth.

Amen to that– the filth part, that is.

We’re still disturbed by the header on the article, which describes Saget as “the goofy star of unfunny television shows in the 1990s.” How unaware can one be? These are adults writing these things. Amazing. Would the same author label The Flintstones as “unfunny?” Questions of relative unfunnyness should be directed at the endless parade of lifeless sitcoms that are aimed at adults. Bland family fare should be allowed to exist free from such examination. Why do we even bother talking about the relative funniness of such shows as Full House?! It’s for children! It doesn’t have to be all that funny to adults! We get it! The show sucked! What would you have us do about it? Insert a few passing references to oral sex here and there? Have the occasional walk-on from a scantily clad Eva Longoria?

Even Saget has hopped aboard the Trash Saget’s Old Shows bandwagon. He’s constantly forced to defend his old work. (At least he’s settled on “It was what it was.” A weak defense, but a true one.) We suspect he’s merely doing it because to argue any more strenuously would just get in the way of his new message, which is, “I do standup now… really filthy standup.”

As for AFV, well, sure the intros to the videos were inane, but it’s for families! Must everything appeal to urbane, streetsmart New Yorkers? (Personally, we here at SHECKYmagazine HQ still guffaw at AFV reruns… well, at least the Male Half does. And if The Planet’s Funniest Animals happens to pop up while channel surfing, PUT THE REMOTE DOWN and BACK AWAY! Who can watch a dog chase his tail and keep a straight face? Who?)

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