"Andy Richter Controls the Universe" was not only a brilliant show, it was also funny, which is what a comedy should be first and foremost. And like the best satire, it tried to buck the accepted norms of the establishment. But the establishment, in education, entertainment and the media, as well as the places in the country that try desperately to be trend-setting, such as NY, LA and Washington, are largely leftist and so is Hollywood, where shows like "ARCTU" are made and where the actors and writers and producers and directors have to work.
That was the dilemma of this episode of"ARCTU" called "We're all the Same, Only Different." They had a perfect chance to show how dumb political correctness is, and they did some of it by having an vacant position in their company and sending everyone out to head-hunt the most extreme minority they could. So far, so good, depicting that sort of political correctness as a kind of gonzo racism in itself, still looking at the color of a person's skin as a reason to hire (or fire) him/her rather than basing a person's qualifications on that person's skills and capabilities. The color of their skin, rather than the content of their character.
I don't know the politics of the writers or actors on the show, but they do operate in LA and Hollywood where, even if they don't agree with party lines there, they can get a lot of peer pressure to conform and cold shoulders when they don't.
So rather than simply show how ridiculous our present policies of reverse racism and political correctness are, after the announcement is made that they are head-hunting a minority, the major characters (all white) sit around giving lip service to supporting the very thing they seem to be ridiculing. This is probably because the writers really felt that way and as fellow lefties they were too gutless to undermine what they themselves believed. They could be searingly funny and incisive in taking apart points of view they clearly did not agree with, but they had to take a stand for reverse racism that undercut the comedy. It's always the way when the establishment tries satirizing itself. It never can quite cut the cord.
And that sort of failure runs through "ARCTU." They had a terribly funny setup and a good cast of characters, but they kept wanting to tackle issues to buck the establishment, while being part of it.
Furthermore, "ARCTU" about this time was losing its way. It started out as a bizarre show about a writer who kept seeing alternate realities to situations. Perhaps that was too much of a strain on the viewers and too much of a minority interest (it's what drew me to the show). And while this episode has some of the wackiness remaining (such as a character in a an office dancing with leprechauns) "ARCTU" was well on its way to becoming a run-of-the-mill sitcom. Although they had a few hilariously bizarre episodes ahead, such as "France" and "Holy Sheep" within a few episodes the transformation would be complete until, in the bitter end, they finally brought in a kid, in "Bully the Kid." If it hadn't been cancelled due to a lack of viewers it would have petered out from sheer lameness. That's what happens when you lose your nerve.
"We're all the Same, Only Different" has some good ideas, but it neglected Mel Brooks' maxim, "If you're going to go up to the door, ring the bell." The makers of "ARCTU" went to the door but ran away before they summoned the guts to ring the bell.
That was the dilemma of this episode of"ARCTU" called "We're all the Same, Only Different." They had a perfect chance to show how dumb political correctness is, and they did some of it by having an vacant position in their company and sending everyone out to head-hunt the most extreme minority they could. So far, so good, depicting that sort of political correctness as a kind of gonzo racism in itself, still looking at the color of a person's skin as a reason to hire (or fire) him/her rather than basing a person's qualifications on that person's skills and capabilities. The color of their skin, rather than the content of their character.
I don't know the politics of the writers or actors on the show, but they do operate in LA and Hollywood where, even if they don't agree with party lines there, they can get a lot of peer pressure to conform and cold shoulders when they don't.
So rather than simply show how ridiculous our present policies of reverse racism and political correctness are, after the announcement is made that they are head-hunting a minority, the major characters (all white) sit around giving lip service to supporting the very thing they seem to be ridiculing. This is probably because the writers really felt that way and as fellow lefties they were too gutless to undermine what they themselves believed. They could be searingly funny and incisive in taking apart points of view they clearly did not agree with, but they had to take a stand for reverse racism that undercut the comedy. It's always the way when the establishment tries satirizing itself. It never can quite cut the cord.
And that sort of failure runs through "ARCTU." They had a terribly funny setup and a good cast of characters, but they kept wanting to tackle issues to buck the establishment, while being part of it.
Furthermore, "ARCTU" about this time was losing its way. It started out as a bizarre show about a writer who kept seeing alternate realities to situations. Perhaps that was too much of a strain on the viewers and too much of a minority interest (it's what drew me to the show). And while this episode has some of the wackiness remaining (such as a character in a an office dancing with leprechauns) "ARCTU" was well on its way to becoming a run-of-the-mill sitcom. Although they had a few hilariously bizarre episodes ahead, such as "France" and "Holy Sheep" within a few episodes the transformation would be complete until, in the bitter end, they finally brought in a kid, in "Bully the Kid." If it hadn't been cancelled due to a lack of viewers it would have petered out from sheer lameness. That's what happens when you lose your nerve.
"We're all the Same, Only Different" has some good ideas, but it neglected Mel Brooks' maxim, "If you're going to go up to the door, ring the bell." The makers of "ARCTU" went to the door but ran away before they summoned the guts to ring the bell.