MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR, THE: MEDIA AS ENTERTAINMENT: WELCOME TO THE FUNHOUSE: ROBERT SMIGEL {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented by The Museum of Television & Radio which celebrates media as entertainment. Held at the Museum in New York, Christy Carpenter, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Museum, offers opening remarks for the seminar honoring Robert Smigel, originator of “TV Funhouse” and writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night With Conan O’Brien." She then introduces a compilation of live-action and animated pieces written by Smigel. The clips include: an SNL skit featuring William Shatner at a "Star Trek" convention telling Trekkies to "get a life"; an SNL routine with Phil Hartman as President Ronald Reagan, who appears grandfatherly to the press but emerges as a no-nonsense warmonger with his Cabinet; an SNL parody for Schmitts Gay beer, with Adam Sandler and Chris Farley cavorting with a slew of hunky pool boys; segments from SNL cartoons "The Ambiguously Gay Duo," "The X Presidents," and "The All-New Adventures of Mr. T"; "Fun With Real Audio" cartoon segments in which President George W. Bush dresses "in costume" to make a variety of political speeches; a segment from the stop-motion short "Christmas Time for the Jews"; TV host O'Brien talking to likenesses of George W. Bush, John Kerrey, and Bill Clinton; scenes of Smigel creation Triumph the Insult Comic Dog getting "friendly" with other canines; and a bit from a cartoon in which Jesus Christ looks at Christmas TV programming. The pilot from Smigel's Comedy Central show "TV Funhouse" is then shown in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 100260.) Following the screening, Carpenter introduces novelist Kurt Andersen, who moderates the seminar. As Andersen introduces Smigel, he’s interrupted by an outburst from Triumph. The canine puppet launches into an expletive-filled rant and answers questions about his origins, politics, and sex life. After taking the stage, Smigel shows unaired “Saturday Night Live” political ads which he “made for the Republican party.” He then answers Andersen’s questions on such topics as: how political satires are often taken out of context; why politicians often try to “top” Triumph’s comments; times when the network felt his material on “Saturday Night Live” went too far; being a pack rat; why he doesn’t set out to be controversial; and how SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels became his “greatest advocate.” After viewing the short animated film “Conspiracy Theory Rock!”, Smigel recalls the genesis for the controversial piece about NBC’s corporate sponsors and why it was only run once. Next, a Smigel animated short about Michael Jackson leads to a discussion about the singer’s consequent threats of a legal suit. Following Smigel’s recollections about the attempts to make a full-length motion picture focused on Triumph, footage is shown of the puppet’s appearance at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, at the 2002 New York City premiere of “Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” and interacting with other animal puppets and Robert Goulet. Later, Smigel addresses subjects which include: his “obsession” to make O’Brien’s show different from that of his predecessor, David Letterman; how much improvisation takes place in “on-the-street” interviews; the origins of “TV Funhouse”; and his reactions to the “Borat” movie. A look at Smigel’s parody of a Bozo the clown show filmed for “TV Funhouse” leads to the writer revealing if his use of children in the segment was “cruel.” Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: what challenges were faced by channeling his Chicago improv background into video filmmaking; if Smigel would consider using a more advanced form of animation; how he balances cartoons which push the envelope with ideas that network censors will accept; if his Triumph interviews have resulted in physical danger to himself; how O’Brien’s move to “The Tonight Show” might result in toned-down material; and where Smigel’s writing for “The Dana Carvey Show” went “decidedly wrong,” leading to a clip from the series.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: November 9, 2006 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:15:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:89438
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Christy Carpenter … Host
- Kurt Andersen … Moderator
- Robert Smigel … Panelist
- George W. Bush
- Dana Carvey
- Bill Clinton
- Chris Farley
- Robert Goulet
- Phil Hartman
- Michael Jackson
- Jesus Christ
- John Kerrey
- David Letterman
- Lorne Michaels
- Mr. T. (See also: Laurence Tureaud)
- Conan O'Brien
- Ronald Reagan
- Adam Sandler
- William Shatner