Q.I -- next Tuesday, 9.30pm on ABC1. Just saying…
@RogueRouge -- Kudos 2 #hungrybeast BUT could be better. Less pointing out the obvious. More actual analysis (not that I’m qualified 2 judge just my opin)
Okay, confession first. I got (and very much unwarranted, I feel, since people commenting on my site have been less than complimentary!) a very nice Facebook message from one of the people from Hungry Beast, who apparently reads these blog entries. That is flattering (they find the time?) and yet also makes me go aghrhhhhhhpeoplearereadingthisarggggggg…
But I’ll still be writing what I think about the program regardless of any nice messages. I will not be distracted even by liberal application of hair gel or even Liberal Party narcissists. Hungry Beasts must be fed with constructive feedback and that’s my goal! Or maybe I’ll just be a bitch, I haven’t made my mind up just yet.
I’ve noticed that one other Twitter commentator online has recognised the Blah Blah Blah kinship that this show is developing. Perhaps I’m being unoriginal (and showing my 80s heritage and all that gaff), but I think this is a good thing, tending towards a quasi-overarching theme for a show. The ‘strange, silly, serious -- all lumped together’ comment -- that’s a kind of mission statement about where this show is taking us, which I felt was lacking before. Nice new opening sequence too, gives a better sense of the ‘team’, without the distracting labels of ‘She’s a website something-or-other! …Yuh huh, so I can blame you for X?‘
Yep, Daniel K’s hair (and the pants and now a nice glossy blue suit) is clearly now a feature. You better work it, baby.
Masters of Outrage segment, about the way the media works -- much like the “signed, Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells” stereotype that has existed since quill was put to parchment. The outrage becomes a living monster in itself that is fed by the furor -- and thus, it’s much like the infamous Leunig cartoon pictured here. Yet I’m wondering what is meant by ‘cleaning up’ with the punchline -- are people really making a profit out of this, when many of us may not actually buy the newspaper that is selling the story and instead may just visit the websites / chat on a forum board / talk by the water-cooler? Is that ‘cleaning up’, profitable? Unsure.
I’d say that the Post-Race Rap and the Monique’s talking-heads actors (using quotes from www.blogs.news.com) were very much a highlight of the ‘we might not be as tolerant a country as we think we are‘ theme. This really worked for me. I did say in my look at the first episode that I kept thinking back to the ‘topics’ in Denton’s Money or the Gun. Somehow, unlike the other two shows I reviewed (episodes one and two, this episode really had more of a sense of cohesiveness, despite continuing to feature the different slices of social and comic commentary throughout.
…Post-Race rap also kind of reminded me of this 90s D-Gen sketch, btw:
‘Things We Think Might Be Bullshit’ -- nice segment, hell of a lot of potential that is already being tapped into with the ‘Follow the Money’ breaks and the like (oh, don’t forget that 2009 is also the Year of Astronomy, thanks!) However, what I do think is tending towards being solid BS is the Victoria Dynamite segment, as when it gets so ha-ha self-referential with ‘that was a visual gag‘, it stinks of the desperate.
Okay, the ‘battleground segment’ is still a bit twee. A topic more serious than panda-hate, with a faux-lesbian discussion -- but I’m still wondering if they get much feedback on it? I think it could be used a little more effectively if that’s meant to be an attention-grabbing ‘viewer feedback’ initiative, perhaps with more challenging topics?
Site is being pimped more -- will feature new stories and more across the week, cool. And yes, work on the hair… but not too much, it’s already starting to influence planetary orbit with its fluffiness.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I found this episode, which was my first thanks to not having ABC ( i know the horror) felt it lacked a little punch or was a bit forced. I am grasping at words here but a lot of the time I thought that I was ahead of them in the joke if you know what I mean, they were predictable.
I’ve seen all three- there was absolutely an improvement and less jarring with the segments leading to the more emotional topics. Heading into better territory. I do see what Sean says about being a bit forced though, good link to the DGEN sketch!!
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