On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 09:18:23 +0900, Danny Wilde wrote:

> So it's jealousy?

Not exactly. 

> What they're doing is satisfying the 
> audience demand for trivial programming.

I think "trivial" is an understatement here. Japanese "tarento" shows have
always been that, but at least there was some attempt at giving a token nod
to providing some amusement. Throw Bob Sapp in a bathtub full of eels and
we'd be getting back to the roots of quality Japanese programming. 

Nowadays I'll wander into the living room where my family will be sitting
under the kotatsu watching two guys making a road trip in a solar powered
van. Belly laughs abound as we watch these guys drive through one cow town
after another. And the fun is just beginning because they've just driven
onto a small road that is blocked by a garbage truck picking up garbage.
Can they back up on that small road? I dunno because at this critical
moment it is time to go to a commercial break. And thank gawd for that
because at least the commercials generally feature some cute girl showing
some decent leg. 


> I wonder what Japanese think of things like situation comedies, almost 
> unheard of in Japan. If you think about the plot lines of something like 
> "Frasier" or "Friends" seriously, they are actually very far-fetched. 

I wouldn't argue with this. My idea of a good situation comedy is a bunch
of people stranded on an island, or maybe a family of country bumpkins that
suddenly become fabulously wealthy. I can't watch new situation comedies
because the comedic situations generally involve one fat broad who works in
an office full of other fat broads.