Intervention Needed (UPDATE: And Provided!)
By Mitch Berg
Peeps is slowly losing it. After years of Hewitt’s denigrating abuse – all the figure skating jokes, the hockey jokes, yadda yadda – Elder’s finally gone around the bend:
Am I the only one in America more concerned with what happens tonight on Top Chef than the latest adventures in a day in the life of Jack Bauer?
Speaking for the real Americans – yes. Yes, you are.
The implausible plot set-up behind “24” remind me nothing more than the insipid “Speed” movies with slightly better acting.
I’m trying to imagine life at the Elder house when he was – er, younger:
ELDER: “Oh yeah – like a resistance leader would really escape from a concentration camp and go to Casablanca!”
ELDER: “A talking moose? And a talking squirrel? Who are they trying to kid?”
As to comparing 24 to Speed – what? And did you skip United 93 because it was too much like Snakes on a Plane?
And let’s get something straight; Top Chef is a feeble knockoff of Project Runway.
Fortunately, Atomizer puts down his martini and intervenes:
Elder…perhaps you should watch 24 once or twice before you dismiss it out of hand. I’m quite curious as to how you’re so certain about the “implausible plot set-up” without ever having seen an episode.
As a 24 addict since Day One, I can tell you that the plot has a tendency to morph into unrecognizable shapes on a weekly basis…that’s what makes it so compelling.
Yep. It’s not a History Channel documentary. It’s an exercise in audience manipulation, in ginning up 96 cliffhangers every season. And it’s fun.
At the very least though, try to spend a minute or two each week watching shows that feature actual men. If you get scared, you can always turn the channel.
To be fair to Elder, he might need to wean himself up from Top Chef up to 24. Perhaps he should start with Real World/Road Rules Challenge; I don’t think that’s too aggressive.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Thing about Top Chef that keeps me from watching it is the INTERMINABLE judging sessions. Shut up, Burn Lady!
January 18th, 2007 at 8:32 am
And the only thing that ever gets me to tune in is the host chick.
Which is why, I think. 24 hired Marisol Nichols to play Nadia Yassir. Counterprogramming aimed right at me.
January 18th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Admittedly, I didn’t get hooked on the show until I bought the first season off of iTunes (which is much cheaper than getting it on DVD now) and made a commitment to sit down and watch the thing.
And then I ended up watching about 8 episodes in a row…
It takes some involvement to get up to speed with the show, but once you do, it’s well worth the investment.
January 18th, 2007 at 11:52 am
LOL.
My first weekend; 17 episodes.
And yep – well worth it.
January 19th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Listen to your Elder, Mitch. 24 is just a high-tech soap opera. I also prefer Top Chef, but only with the assistance of the DVR. You need that to skip the endless commercials and often to replay over their mistimed editing. They show the food then do a face shot of the diner describing details. I have to do the 15 second replay to see the food again. But even straight up, give me Top Chef over 24.
January 19th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
So, I’m supposed to shun a tautly-written, thrilling adrenaline rush because it’s a “soap opera” (sez you) for a badly-produced (albeit mildly-entertaining) take on a concept that bored me stiff in 1998?
Here’s the thing about Top Chef (and its much better progenitor, Project Runway); I can sit down at the beginning of the series and predict the final three (or at least two of the three); There’ll be the talent machine, the plucky underdog, and the talented a***ole. Try that with 24.