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Review of "The Big Gay Sketch Show"  The Big Gay Sketch Show, premiering tonight, marks the first foray of Logo (AfterEllen.com's parent company) into the realm of sketch comedy. The good news? It mostly works. Co-executive produced by Rosie O'Donnell (remember how funny — and blue — her pre-talk show stand-up routines were?) and directed by out actor-director Amanda Bearse (Married With Children), this half-hour ensemble sketch show features a cast of eight performers and parodies the best and worst of pop culture from a queer perspective. Whether it's digging deep into television history with The Honeymooners and Facts of Life sketches, or staying current by lampooning Project Runway and bad home-and-garden programming, BGSS is a satisfying alternative to the relentlessly straight (and usually male-dominated) world of television sketch comedy. And the talent is substantial. The women — Julie Goldman, Nicol Paone, Kate McKinnon and Erica Ash — particularly stand out. Goldman is an out stand-up comic who played the Shane-esque character Drea in the L Word parody The D Word, and she can be seen in recent episodes of AfterEllen.com's She Said What? Her turn as butch "Rhonda" Kramden in a sketch spoofing the '50s sitcom The Honeymooners is particularly inspired, and her chemistry with Paone (who plays her domestic partner, Alice Kramden, but is "straightish" in real life) is perfect. In fact, Paone very nearly steals both the first and second episodes of BGSS with an array of spot-on impressions. My personal favorite is a sketch featuring Paone as the annoyingly irrepressible Broadway veteran Elaine Stritch on her first day as a greeter at Wal-Mart. The scenario alone is gold, and Paone hits pay dirt with her bellowing impersonation of the leggy octogenarian. The show isn't without its rough patches. The overblown laugh track is unnecessary and distracting, and BGSS at times suffers from Saturday Night Live syndrome — when a one-note sketch is stretched far beyond its comedic capacity. (Yeah, I'm talking to you, Horatio Sanz!) In particular, the first few sketches on the premiere episode fall flat. But stick around for the Project Runway spoof (the first skit in Part 2 here), as it's a much better indicator of what the BGSS cast has to offer. The men of BGSS deserve better than the mostly tedious material with which they are working. Predictable gags about bears (both hairy gay men and mammals, get it?) and being gay in the (icky) womb just aren't that funny, and it's clear that the guys can handle more challenging stuff. Stephen Guarino stands out as a gifted impressionist and talented physical comic, and I hope BGSS makes better use of his skills in future episodes. Still, when a sketch works on BGSS, it works big. A successful sketch about lesbian speed dating in the second episode that could have devolved into just another lame U-Haul joke is taken to new heights by the comedic skills of Goldman and Kate McKinnon (who is also openly gay). You may cringe at the accuracy of the stereotype, but you'll laugh while you're doing it. And there's something particularly satisfying about seeing a queer read of Facts of Life (also in the second episode), with Jo and Blair learning the kind of "very important lesson" that has only heretofore been imagined in lesbian fan fiction. When the gay subtext of a straight television show that queer viewers have always recognized is brought into focus and lampooned, it really does seem revolutionary. I'm hoping that we might get a revisionist take on my other favorite childhood shows in the future. (Laverne and Shirley as exes who still live together? Charlie's Angels as three same-sex-in-the-city types?) What was perhaps the most pleasant surprise is how successful the lesbian-oriented sketches were in comparison to the ones about gay men. Yes, of course I know that we're not competing. But whether it's programming on Bravo or Logo — or even in terms of recognition at the GLAAD Media Awards — LGBT ventures tend to be heavy on the "gay" and light on the "lesbian." Having seen this play out time and again, I expected the same with BGSS. But each of the actresses on BGSS is memorable and multitalented, and the lesbian-centric sketches are consistently funny. Whether it's a result of the acting, writing (one of the writers is out comic Rebecca Drysdale, named as one of the "10 Comics to Watch" by Variety in 2006) or both, BGSS is the rare sketch comedy show in which women (and lesbians) don't seem like an afterthought. BGSS faces inevitable comparisons to mainstream sketch shows like NBC's long-running Saturday Night Live and Fox's Mad TV and In Living Color. The success of SNL has hinged on the ability of its most talented cast members to develop memorable recurring characters. Similarly, the strength of both Mad TV and In Living Color is in the willingness of each to "go there" with the sort of sociopolitical humor that the modern incarnation of SNL (save for its brief and brilliant Tina Fey era) usually avoids. With its cast of mostly queer performers and its residence on a gay network, BGSS has a unique opportunity to do both of those things well. If the first two episodes are any indication, it looks promising. The Big Gay Sketch Show premieres on April 24 at 10 p.m. on Logo. Watch the first episode online now and visit LogoOnline.com for more videos and info. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
smells like shameless self-promotion...
Might be a good time to remind your readers of the stuff that's on the bottom of this website: that AfterEllen.com is a Logo website and therefore in a poor position to review its owners' material.
Which is not to say that the review mightn't be accurate and fair and unbiased. I really wouldn't know.
For what it's worth...
AfterEllen was reviewing MTV/Logo content before they became affiliated. AE has also written less-than-positive reviews of some Logo/MTV creations in the past, so I think it's fair to say their journalistic integrity is still intact here.
Besides, it's pretty hard to completely ignore ALL the content on a gay TV channel, and that doesn't seem to serve the best interests of AE readers either.
True happiness, we are told, consists in getting out of one's self, but the point is not only to get out, you must stay out; and to stay out you must have some absorbing errand. -Henry James
I tend to disagree
Thus far, I think AE has proven to be fair and balanced in its reviews. (It has already been mentioned that the "LOGO" logo was added after AE became established). For now I think it is fair to say that those who contribute as staff members on this site remain largely unbiased. What would you rather they do? Not review the show at all?
I may be completely off on this, but it has been my impression that the LOGO affiliation helps to pay the bills on what would otherwise be an independent site. At most, I would guess that it offers an opportunity for the journalists here to preview the material before it airs. But for all we (the regular users) know, even that may not be a part of the agreement.
Until I see something more egregious, I would have to say, I do not consider this self-promotion. (It is not like we see on the L Word, where they constantly drop mentions of "ourchart" in every episode).
Logo and AfterEllen.com
I just wanted to note that we are very aware of readers' concerns that being part of Logo might bias our coverage, and we're doing our best to make it clear that hasn't happened. You'll notice that whenever we review a Logo show or cover something that has happened on Logo, we clearly state that Logo is our parent company. (See the first sentence of the review above.)
We're going to continue to cover all entertainment about lesbians and bisexual women, whether that's on Logo, Bravo, here! or any other network, because that's what AfterEllen.com is about: We bring you information on queer women in the media. And we hope you'll keep coming back to read our take on it, as well as discuss your take on our take. :)
"(See the first sentence of the review above.)"
balanced
Wal-Mart with Elaine
Mediocre...
at best.
Pocket Gay 3/5
Bear sighting 3/5 (def went on for way to long)
The Ice Sketch -1/5 (what in the getting jiggy fuck was that?)
Project Runway 2/5 (been done and has been done better)
Honeymooners Sketch 4/5 (actually funny, plus, Dion flynn looks great in that dress)
Elaine Stritch 2.5/5 (This only works if you are aware of Stritch's career and performance style.
When I knew segments 3/5 ( funny until I found out that erica ash was "so not gay"...what a tease)
Lets hope episode 2 is better
Not as bad as Betty...
but still pretty bad
Theme Song 1/5 (reminds me of the theme song for Clarissa explains it all, cept not as awesome)
Errrr...
I watched this online -- I rarely watch Logo, unless there's a movie I haven't yet seen. I thought it was odd that Logo skewered Bravo, as I watch that channel far more for Gay content.
Anywhoooo...
Funny:
Painfully awkward (which is sadly, the rest of the show):
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"Assumption, my dear Tick, is the mother of all f*ckups!" -- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Eep
hurm.
Well, shows can take a few episodes to find their stride, right? Right?! Let's hope so.
The laugh track really needs to go; it's so blatantly canned and over-the-top that it seems ironic, and that's probably not always the intended result.
I was thrilled to see Jonny McGovern in the cast- his stand-up/performances as The Gay Pimp are hilarious. It'll be a waste and a shame if he gets hemmed in by sub-par, tame material.
I think the show can succeed if the writers remember the cardinal rule of gay comedy: be funny first, then be gay.
HELL yeah
"I think the show can succeed if the writers remember the cardinal rule of gay comedy: be funny first, then be gay."
HALLELUJAH SISTER! I think that ought to be our national motto!
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"Assumption, my dear Tick, is the mother of all f*ckups!" -- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Yes x M
Scheduling conflict
I'm glad that LOGO seems to be working on the lesbian-gay man balance--but I have to wonder how committed they are to it when they decide to run the premiere of BGSS opposite Work Out.
Dana
--
Dana Rudolph
Mombian: Sustenance for Lesbian Moms
http://www.mombian.com
Disappointing
I found it pretty bad overall, very few things that I even remotely liked. Personally I found it distracting how cheap the sets were. I know they don't have that big of a budget, but when it's distracting it's not a good thing. Plus all the hair pieces were really poorly done as well. normally I wouldn't comment on it unless I found it so distracting that it took away from everything else. And as mentioned before, the laugh track was horrible.
The only sketch I thought showed any humour was the pocket gay, after that it was all down hill.
self- promotion
One can avoid accusations of shameless self-promotion by stating up front that After Ellen is a subsidiary of Logo.
We all have biases. It's fair play to mention the ones we are aware of.
Please do not respond by saying that Karman Kregloe was not predispositioned to say she liked the show.
That said: I am not affiliated with After Ellen or LOgo and I liked the show, found it amusing and wish you all success with the program.
Ummm
Karman put in the first sentence: "Logo (AfterEllen.com's parent company)." How much clearer could she be? Did you even read the review before you started hurling accusations? It looks like you just saw the headline and started complaining, without bothering to do even the most basic homework.
You know what's even worse than shameless self-promotion? People who love to criticize just for the fun of it. There is plenty to criticize about the Big Gay Sketch Show (as even Karman pointed out), but your comments about the review itself are so bizarre and out of line I have to wonder if you have a bias here.
BGSS
Liked it.
I quite liked it. It kept me amused. My favourites were probably the Project Runway sketch and the Honeymooners.
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What do you mean "zero pages found matching please+just+show+me+something+not+completely+retarded"?
Needs Much Improvement
Maybe this show will improve once it gets going. Right now the best actress on this show is the lady doing Alice Kramden and Elanie Stich at Wal Marts. She was spot on in her performance. The one performing "Ralph" in the Honeymooners spoof is one of the least talented. ** She detracted from the scenes she was in. She is not easy on one's eyes either although I would have overlooked that if she showed some talent. The writing for the most part is mediocre. And, the laugh track needs to go: it annoyed throughout.
**Some years ago there was a Canadian skit show that had some really talented performers and some good writers. Lea Delaria and Scott Thompson were two of the comedians on that show. There was one skit on that show that did a take-off of The Honeymooners that was truly funny and Delaria played "Ralph". Seems to me the writers stole that idea from that Canadian show without the good writing and all around great performances. Delaria was brilliant. She made the woman who played "Ralph" on this show look anemic in her performance. Hire Delaria and Thompson is my advice and hire some really funny writers and nix the laugh track.
i enjoyed the show. it was
i enjoyed the show. it was funny, gay, and it kept me laughing (all important attributes to a tv show).
i hate breaking the ice but..
Well it cracked *my* sh&% up
Because i am cynical and poo-poo everything, i had low expectations for this show but was pleasantly surprised and laughed several times, shocker. Kate Mckinnon and Nicol Paone are the should-be-household-names stand-outs but everyone (even the ones without improv/sketch comedy backgrounds) was high energy and commited and it mostly works. Not bad at all. I'm stickin around to see how it develops.
From what i read, the show was taped before a live audience. I didn't notice a particularly fake laugh track or anything. Certainly nothing as hideous as the tracks on ALf or Small Wonder. *shrug*
BGSS
Yea it had me cracking up my favorite skits were the bear in the woods, the little boy who wants a vagina for christmas, and Pocket gay friends...im still laughing about those as we type...and Micheal Serrato does a killer michel kors!
I didnt really kno what to make of Logo life tips, and I dont think anyone under 35 even knows Elaine Stritch's name
but overall i liked i and would love to see more
"You motherf---in' liar! F--- you, you lyin', lowdown, nanny-f---in' motherf---er"- Kit porter
"You can take it or leave it, but I'm not going to change, not for anyone."-Christina AguileraI really want to like this show...
... but most of the time I think it is just silly and not funny. And the sketches where people are hitting and bashing each other are the worst!! Please, make it funny and entertaining and in good taste.... I really want to like it.
Big Gay Sketch Show
I like this show! omg i almost peed my pants on the pocket lesbian sketch!! not to mention...Nicol Paone is nice to look at..!!! Wooo!!! but she's straight?!?!!?!?!? F*%&!!!
"I wish I could lie down beside you tonight & take you in my arms." -Eleanor Roosevelt
Well.....