Can Joe and Doug keep a good thing going?
Comedy Central knew they had a good thing with "The Man Show"--who else would offer a chauvanist variety show of the same high-quality as Adam and Jimmy did? So they found two new schmucks to keep the show going.
Joe Roggan, the host of Reality TV abomination "Fear Factor," was tapped to replace Jimmy as the drunken oaf of a host. Virtual unknown Doug Stanhoff has done a competent job as a replacement for Adam, the wise-cracking co-host who went "on the street" to interview Larry Flynt, visit factories where adult toys are made, and so forth.
Let's take a look and see how Joe and Doug have done.
The first difference you'll notice is the new opening sequence. The Good Time Party Boys, complete with lederhosen, are gone. So are the original Juggies, replaced with a new cast that does Consumer Reports on how well products work in the shower. The midget "Porta Juggy" is gone, but Joe and Doug have made more jokes about midget porn, and hired a male midget (more on him later.)
What remains the same? The opening monologues, which cover topics from the role of religion to why "Maxim" is such a lame magazine, are still there. The "on the street" segements where unsuspecting people are ambushed with odd requests and questions, are intact. Finally, "Ask the Audience" is still alive.
Some of the deletions have been particularly painful. The Wheel of Destiny is gone. The bluntly honest "Man Show Boy" has been fired. No more jokes about Miss Cleo ("Jamaican me horny!") The Karl Malone segments arealso history. However, Karl Malone shouldn't have been subjected to the lampooning that Adam and Jimmy dished out. After all, anyone who wears the POW symbol on his shoes can't be a bad guy.
There have been good things added to "The Man Show" by Joe and Doug. The Oprah-bashing by Adam and Jimmy has yielded to Dr. Phil bashing. Joe and Doug even send a Dr. Phil look-alike to book-signings to give advice to women that only "The Man Show" could give. The new show also salutes the manliest of men, such as the rock climber who cut his arm off, and Frozen Ted Williams. Doug's mom also contributes to the show by reviewing the latest and greatest pornographic films.
The best addition to the show? "BLUE BALLS!" This is a character who appeals to every Riddle guy. A mild mannered guy named Stu transforms into a burly blue midget whenever a woman leaves him sexually frustrated. Blue Balls tears through strip clubs with a baseball bat, tying to extract revenge for Riddle guys everywhere.
Overall, the new "Man Show" is a mixed bag. It's even more crude than the original show. Joe is absolutely worthless as a host, but Doug is just plain awesome. The new characters like Dr. Phil, Frozen Ted, and Blue Balls, make the show uproarious, but they cannot capture the same humor that the Man Show Boy brought to startled pedestrians. It may not be perfect, but the new Man Show carries on in the wonderful tradition started by Adam and Jimmy.
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