Forgive my stereotyping, but as I was watching "MANswers," I couldn't help picturing a group of male teens, maybe even college freshmen, gathered around Spike TV giggling like crazy; or possibly a single, middle-aged male slacker sitting on an old, overstuffed recliner in a cramped apartment, swilling beer. "MANswers" aims for the lowest possible audience mentality and hits the mark squarely. As journalist H.L. Mencken once wrote, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." It's totally mindless, witless, hapless, frivolous diversion that might, nevertheless, almost by accident hit the funny bone on occasion.
"MANswers: The Best of Season One" (2007) contains a succession of three-to-four minute segments that attempt to address some of Man's most pressing questions, like "How teeny can a bikini get before it's legally considered nudity?" or "How can you get drunk faster?" I suppose we can thank the "Jackass" TV series and movies for "MANswers." It's that kind of show, with each chapter punctuated by appropriately idiotic behavior and the expected bevy of scantily clad girls.
The disc contains a top-25 list culled from the program's first year on the air, with the chapters counting down. Here's a partial capsule report:
25: What's the best human organ to eat, the choicest cut? Like most of these segments, we get inane answers from common guys on the street and then a supposedly definitive answer from a doctor or an expert in the field. In this case, a nutritionist explains which human body part contains the most beneficial elements to eat. No, the phrase "Eat your heart out" does not apply.
24. What do the shape of a girl's boobs tell you about her personality? Clearly, the filmmakers based their answer on extensive research.
23. What's the most dangerous wild animal in America? Bears? Mountain lions? Shucks, not even close. Hint: Think Bambi.
22. How can you make your girlfriend less bitchy? This question pretty much admits that only guys are watching the program, as if the show's title didn't already give it away.
21. Is the death touch for real? Yes. Probably. Maybe. Could be. Who knows. There's actually a moment in this segment that made me smile.
20. What kind of girls are the best in bed? Uh huh. The show frames each question in big white letters on a gray background in the manner of old-time newsreels. I'm not sure if the filmmakers meant this to be intentionally funny or not.
19. How many floors can you fall in an elevator and still survive? Did you know that about thirty times more people die every year in elevator accidents than die by grizzly bear attacks? Did you care?
Forgive my stereotyping, but as I was watching "MANswers," I couldn't help picturing a group of male teens, maybe even college freshmen, gathered around Spike TV giggling like crazy; or possibly a single, middle-aged male slacker sitting on an old, overstuffed recliner in a cramped apartment, swilling beer. "MANswers" aims for the lowest possible audience mentality and hits the mark squarely. As journalist H.L. Mencken once wrote, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." It's totally mindless, witless, hapless, frivolous diversion that might, nevertheless, almost by accident hit the funny bone on occasion.
"MANswers: The Best of Season One" (2007) contains a succession of three-to-four minute segments that attempt to address some of Man's most pressing questions, like "How teeny can a bikini get before it's legally considered nudity?" or "How can you get drunk faster?" I suppose we can thank the "Jackass" TV series and movies for "MANswers." It's that kind of show, with each chapter punctuated by appropriately idiotic behavior and the expected bevy of scantily clad girls.
The disc contains a top-25 list culled from the program's first year on the air, with the chapters counting down. Here's a partial capsule report:
25: What's the best human organ to eat, the choicest cut? Like most of these segments, we get inane answers from common guys on the street and then a supposedly definitive answer from a doctor or an expert in the field. In this case, a nutritionist explains which human body part contains the most beneficial elements to eat. No, the phrase "Eat your heart out" does not apply.
24. What do the shape of a girl's boobs tell you about her personality? Clearly, the filmmakers based their answer on extensive research.
23. What's the most dangerous wild animal in America? Bears? Mountain lions? Shucks, not even close. Hint: Think Bambi.
22. How can you make your girlfriend less bitchy? This question pretty much admits that only guys are watching the program, as if the show's title didn't already give it away.
21. Is the death touch for real? Yes. Probably. Maybe. Could be. Who knows. There's actually a moment in this segment that made me smile.
20. What kind of girls are the best in bed? Uh huh. The show frames each question in big white letters on a gray background in the manner of old-time newsreels. I'm not sure if the filmmakers meant this to be intentionally funny or not.
19. How many floors can you fall in an elevator and still survive? Did you know that about thirty times more people die every year in elevator accidents than die by grizzly bear attacks? Did you care?
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