By Sandy Yang
Daily Bruin Staff
It may be the ultimate nightmare for a public relations
executive.
How do you promote a show that features cameras cheerfully
focusing in on scantily-clad, jumping girls in a politically
correct TV industry, or hosts Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel talking
about the best and worst jobs that get you laid, or adult film
stars giving suggestive, if useful, household tips?
The worst qualities became the best qualities, in this case. To
promote “The Man Show,” Carolla’s and
Kimmel’s unapologetically humble mugs graced magazine ads,
billboards and the sides of buses.
“It’s a show made by developmentally disabled
men,” reads an excerpt from a New York Post review, displayed
in bold white type on a magazine ad.
“The critics agree! It’s on at 10:30!” was the
tongue-in-cheek response to the collective vile comments critics
had for the show.
Revving up for its second season this summer, the show’s
new ads could feasibly say, “Critics agree, “˜The Man
Show’ is moving from Wednesdays to Sundays at 10:00 on Comedy
Central.”
But this time, they have something more to say in its defense.
Carolla and Kimmel, who also created the show, responded in a phone
interview to criticism that their work is offensive, degrading to
women and just plain tasteless.
“The way we look at it, we’re just being honest when
we have girls jumping on trampolines,” Kimmel said.
“Shows like “˜Baywatch’ and “˜VIP,’
they put together these pretend plots, where the drug lords are
trying to kill Pamela Anderson, and her hot scientists have to kick
his ass in a hot tub. It’s a load of crap.”
“We just boil it right down,” Kimmel continued.
“The reason guys watch those shows is to see girls running
around in bikinis.”
And girls aren’t all. The variety show also includes
“Man-o-logues,” a diatribe questioning the roundabout
woman’s mind among other insights and
“Man-o-vations,” inventions meant to improve
man’s life such as the carnival urinal and WWF books on tape.
They also incorporate bathroom jokes, beer-drinking contests and
the occasional home improvement tip from Carolla, a former
carpenter.
The male-bonding crusade was germinated six years ago when the
two men met at alt-rock station KROQ. At the time, Kimmel was Jimmy
the Sports guy on KROQ’s morning show. Carolla snuck into the
station to apply to be Kimmel’s boxing trainer, although he
would later be legitimately employed. The two men eventually became
best friends and creative partners.
For guys who say they’re lazy, Carolla and Kimmel have
tackled many projects from television and radio to publications and
commercials. Kimmel became the co-host of Comedy Central’s
game show, “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and a
spokesman for FOX. Carolla has been co-hosting the station’s
syndicated advice show “Loveline” since 1996 with Dr.
Drew Pinsky, a show which is also aired on MTV daily and a
book.
Their busy schedule belies the lethargic, beer-drinking slob
images they project on “The Man Show.” But that’s
not the only inconsistency.
Carolla’s current stint on “Loveline” seems to
contradict “The Man Show’s” idea that ogling at
women is OK. Many calls on “Loveline” have actually
dealt with women who use their bodies in risky situations to break
out of abusive pasts.
Carolla defends “The Man Show’s” portrayal of
women.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with
women exploring or celebrating their sexuality. At the
“˜Loveline’ radio show, if some girl said that
she’s got a two-piece bikini and asked if she could go to the
beach during Spring Break, I’d tell her by all means, enjoy
yourself. But if she said she wanted to do a porn movie or dance in
an all-nude place, I’d probably advise her against
it.”
“As far as “˜The Man Show’ goes, we don’t
ask women to degrade themselves,” Carolla continued.
“We could put them in more provocative outfits and get them
to do more provocative things on the show, and probably get away
with it. But we do like the idea that they’re dressed a
little more wholesomely and leaving a little more to the
imagination.”
True to his word, the first season of “The Man Show”
does outfit their dancers in summer dresses, cheer-leading uniforms
and wedding gowns in addition to the two-piece bikinis. Also, their
image as “developmentally disabled men” may be lessened
given the facts that Kimmel, 31, is married with two children (his
wife and 7-year-old son regularly appear on the show), and Carolla,
35, is engaged.
But even if it is refreshing to strip away pretenses so guys can
freely admit watching “Baywatch” for the women and
professional wrestling for the violence, “The Man Show”
may prove too much for today’s politically correct TV
industry.
This is the same medium that implemented the V-chip and the
ratings system and suffered criticism when “Friends”
aired at 8 p.m. without backing off of adult themes.
In fact, Carolla and Kimmel were priming “The Man
Show” for ABC before the Disney-owned network rejected it and
Comedy Central picked it up.
Despite the flak, the intentions of “The Man Show”
are honest, said Kimmel, unlike soft porn which is held together by
a thread-thin plot,or talk show hosts who claim to help people.
“We make no bones about it,” Kimmel said.
“We’re not claiming to help people. We like to make
people laugh and make money at the same time. We’re not
living under this Maya Angelou cloud that Oprah (Winfrey) has
surrounded herself with.”
Whether it means that “The Man Show” is unashamed to
air monkey and flatulence jokes or celebrate gaudy male pleasures,
Carolla and Kimmel prize their show’s unique, uh, integrity.
And it looks like that’s not going to change.
“(Next season), we have twins who became juggy
dancers,” Carolla said.
TELEVISION: “The Man Show” will move from Wednesdays
at 10:30 p.m. to Sundays at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central beginning
June 18.