HollyDays

I realize that I’m a bit slow on the post here, but having been completely bogged down grading papers this is the first chance I’ve had to weigh in on the new NBC reality series Phenomenon in general and on the bru-ha-ha that took place on the Halloween night episode of the series specifically.

In general, I think the show is okay. Not fantastic, but okay. I’m watching it because Criss Angel is on it, and frankly, I’d probably tune in to watch Criss floss his teeth were the event aired on cable television. So far, I’ve only been semi-impressed with a few of the performers, and pretty much unimpressed with the rest. I enjoyed watching Eran Raven (the nail-gun guy from the first episode) and I thought the guy who did the Imaginary Murder Mystery (Tom Hanks in Hawaii with a dresser) was fun, but as for everyone else, I can’t help thinking that Criss Angel has done some version of all of it, and done it better (and looked like a Greek god while doing it–but hey, that’s just me–oh, and, and millions of other women across the globe).

All of that said, how about that blow out last Wednesday night? Actually, I have a weird theory about that incident. Did the whole thing seem at all contrived to anyone else? The obviously (at least in my view–and I believe in psychics, for crying out loud!) hokey spirit-channel-er performing for the debunked spoon-bender Uri Geller and the notorious skeptic-psychic-hater Criss Angel live on Halloween night? Criss’ obviously planned challenge lobbed at both Jim Callahan and Uri Geller (who took little to no offense to being pigeonholed in with a hack like Callahan)? Criss Angel, who’s usually so professional, leaping from his seat as though he was going to beat the fake spirit of Raymond Hill right out of the guy? The host’s “this-is-totally-unplanned-live-TV” speech, the sloooow cut-away to commercial break (and anyone who watched Sally Field’s bleeped and stock-footage blocked anti-war rant on the Emmys knows they can move much faster than that when something “important” like upsetting W’s evening is at stake)? And then the coup de gras, Criss Angel’s little wink into the camera–the very same wink everyone who watches Mindfreak has seen before, associated with false séances and demonic possessions.

I mean clearly it could have been nothing more than a “hey, all my adoring fans, everything’s groovy” wink. But I wondered–especially in light of Criss Angel’s 3rd season tribute to Andy Kaufman and his legendary character/alter ego Tony Clifton through the creation of Criss’ own abrasive alter-ego Nicky Glass–have we all been Kaufmanized? Was the bru-ha-ha either entirely or partially staged in a style last seen on David Letterman, when Jerry Lawler slapped Kaufman, following all kinds of crazy, and the only ones not officially in on the joke were Letterman and the viewing public? I dunno. But, if it was a big Kaufman-esque joke–nicely done Criss! If not–maybe it should have been. Maybe the only nut here is me. Again, I dunno. I’ll certainly be watching next week, so we’ll see what happens if the channel-er makes it through to the next round. But then, I’d be watching anyway…