Americana

I remember seeing a three part doc by Johnathan Ross about American food, fame and entertainment that, in celebrating all that America is typically castigated for from the lofty heights of European intellectualism, made me green with envy. Yep the food makes you fat but boy did they have fun eating it, in many and varied venues and outlets. Yep, some not very smart people had made it big, and whats more, made it big in America, where small is super sized anywhere else in the world. A snob would sneer, but not our Wossy. He dove in and enjoyed the trappings of success along with them. Yep, some of the entertainments on offer were pretty damn specialist, but in a country that big, the minority that would enjoy them is still a bloody huge number. The child like enthusiasm on show was very engaging and entertaining. In no way cynical, slightly joshing, Johnathans obvious love of his subject, as with documentaries made on his other pet loves, shone through.

The three nouns above were the episode titles for this 3-part documentary about the USA. "Fat" is naturally about food, and it's no surprise to find that the portions from the perspective of an austere Englishman are mind-bogglingly huge. As are the people who eat them. "Dumb" is basically a road trip through the some of the stranger sights the US has to offer, and the stranger people who populate them. "Rich" is an exploration of the US lifestyle for those fortunate enough to be able to afford it, and the answer is that it's pretty fine. Jonathan Ross is the perfect presenter for this show that proves that it is impossible to exaggerate the weirdness that is life in America. He gives his subjects free rein to be as mad as they obviously are, and participates wholeheartedly. Part 1 in particular is a good companion piece to "Supersize Me" and the other episodes are somewhat reminiscent of Michael Moore when he's not being irritating and invading office foyers and boardrooms. Find "Americana", watch it. It's good.