America's Funniest Home Videos

This was TV's first true "reality show," and boy, was it a doozy! It must have been a revolutionary concept at the time; but now, twelve years later, it's become lodged in our cultural consciousness.

But enough content analysis. This show was great! Where else could people win thousands of dollars for sharing their embarrassing moments with the entire country? And host Bob Saget was the icing on the cake. The video clips just wouldn't have been as funny without his zany voiceovers, in which he imitated everybody from Jerry Lewis to Sylvester Stallone. We usually saw him as "straight man" Danny Tanner on "Full House," so it was cool to see him be goofy for a change.

Many people have condemned this show for being mean-spirited and exploitative. That is a very unfair accusation. Obviously the producers at ABC got permission to use the tapes sent in by the people in them, and you could tell from the audience's reaction that it was always in good fun. And if you can't laugh at yourself getting whacked in the crotch by a golf club, how are you supposed to laugh at the antics of the Three Stooges or Itchy and Scratchy?

Kudos to this show, which proved once and for all that real life could be more hilarious than any Hollywood comedy. I just wish that Bob hadn't turned the reins over to Daisy Fuentes and John Fugelsang.

I'm not sure how they pick the three finalist at the end. But the other clips were wayyyyy more funnier. I've never posted a video there but every single time I've watched this show growing up with every single different host it doesnt matter, the top finalist shouldn't be there. There were way funnier videos I've seen that actually made me laugh. The ones at the end didnt even make me laugh. The ones that make you laugh should be the finalists. And also should be a draw from the audience not the producers or whom ever.

I admit, I am an AFV fan. I sometimes laugh so hard I cry, and I never miss it. If you like slapstick humor, this is very funny. But some of the clips sent in make me think- "What kind of a parent does this?"

For example, one clip was of a kid climbing a high tree and then falling down. In the background you hear the mother laughing. Shouldn't she be running over to see if her kid was okay? I would. Be concerned, don't show it to millions of viewers.

And some things are very unrealistic. For example, one clip was of a kid eating a sandwich in his kitchen, and then the dog jumped up and bit into it. Funny, but who really tapes their kid eating a sandwich? It looks planned to me. But who am I to say.

Another clip was of a 10-12 year old child picking their nose. Good for a laugh, but what kind of a parent embarrasses their child like that? It's all in good fun, but could you imagine millions of people watching you? All for a laugh?

Don't get me wrong- I like the show. It's one of my favorites. I just think that some of the clips aren't funny, or are mean.

7/10.

America's Funniest Home Videos has a perfectly ironic title. See, you tune in expecting comedy, and walk away gagging yourself with a pointy stick. It's patently ridiculous how unfunny the original series was, and yet it drew millions of viewers each week. And I ask every single one of those people, "WHY?" Bob Saget has to be the dorkiest man on the face of this planet, and yet people would laugh hysterically at all of his inane, obvious jokes. South Park definitely pinned him and this show down in one of their best episodes, bashing every element from Bob's cornball one-liners to the audience's rib busting reactions. I just don't know how people could watch footage of a man getting gruesomely injured by a household appliance/hyperactive child with a plastic bat/wooden plank and be amused to the point of joyful tears. And don't even mention the new incarnations of AFHV. The guy who hosts this version (who I'm pretty sure hosts the God-awful Hollywood Squares at the same time), is even more comedically challenged then Bob. Who writes his jokes, anyway, deranged orangutangs with a grudge against the sane portion of humanity??? And I'm sorry, but it's obvious that some of these videos, if not all of them, are staged. That leads me to this query: "How desperate for money do you have to be to set-up an insanely painful 'accident' for yourself or your family members and then videotape it for millions to see?" NO ONE should be rewarded for catching their idiot husband/wife/crazy drunk uncle getting their groins whacked or hit by a car. It's not funny. Period! These people should just be smacked, in my opinion. Cancel this show immediately, please, because it's definitely worn out it's welcome. .5/4 stars

It has definitely declined from host to host. I believe Tom Bergeron and Bob Saget were iconic compared to having Carlton host.

The humor just seems more forced from the host and it's always the same acts that win.

America conflates cute with funny. Submit a cute baby video and you could win big.

The most funny acts hardly ever win or make it to the finals.

Eventually, I lost interest in viewing regularly for this reason....

It's a classic for it's earlier years, but I'd only recommend viewing if you have absolutely nothing else to watch

6/10- Michael I.