Mad

I remember on Cartoon Network back in the late 90s that TV-Y7 was the norm. Sometimes PG, but only movies. Why does CN feel the need to shove out so many TV-PG shows out recently, especially if THIS is what happens?

Well, I watched an episode. Actually, I TRIED to watch MOST of the episode. Didn't happen. Maybe kids who appreciate the fact that they get to watch big boy stuff will enjoy the crudeness, but how this aired more than one episode is beyond me. Seriously, I bet the worst Teletubbies episode can outdo the best Mad episode.

Because of this, I'm going to rip off other shows like Robot Chicken and try to make it suitable enough for kids. Then, I'm going to replace any possible profound comedy with shock value actions like puking or turds blowing up or whatever the hell happens on a regular basis. Sounds lame? Because it is lame.

It's basically Robot Chicken for kids though more hit or miss. Some people like it some people don't. I'm more in the middle. I feel like the first season was hilarious and as the show progressed it got less and less funny. One thing that stayed great were the Spy vs Spy segments. They were so inventive. Interestingly they were claymated in later seasons. A lot of the gags parodying ads and infomercials were funny and clever. If you like parody then i'd say check it out. If not you can probably skip this.

I am a huge fan of "Mad" magazine and it would be interesting to see a more faithful TV adaptation than "MadTV". Unfortunately, this just isn't anywhere near as good. The main problem is that too much time is devoted to these random mashup parodies. The mashups are just too random to really enjoy. You could take any two pop culture icons and put them together for no reason. This show is by no means terrible.

There are definitely good jokes here and there. Yes, it does feel a lot like a tame version of "Robot Chicken". Unfortunately, by making the humor tamer you take away what made the magazine so funny. There's definitely creativity and it's pretty unpredictable. It's nice to see these different animation styles. It just doesn't add up to much. **

They call this show "Mad", when it should be called "Overused, Unfunny and Unoriginal Jokes about Pop Culture Icons, the TV Show". Seriously, every "skit" in an episode of this show is literally consists of one or more of the following:

1. An unfunny parody of a movie/television show, often editing the name to something random, like "W.W.E.R.", or "Class of the Titans"

2. An unfunny pop culture reference poking fun at a celebrity for almost no reason

3. An unfunny and sometimes gross parody of a product in the market, such as "Throw-active"

4. The occasional (or should I say UNoccasional) skit, featuring something I enjoyed while reading Mad Magazine, such as a Spy. vs. Spy animation. This really only entertained me due to the nostalgia I felt from seeing a particular skit.

Number four doesn't really fit in with the other three elements of the show, however I will give them some credit on making a few funny jokes/skits. Honestly though, Mad is like a soft-core version of Robot Chicken, except the writing and voice acting is simply downright unfunny, and untalented. So unfunny I would even go so far as to say that, personally, I would rather watch the even less funny shows on the Disney channel. The only funny joke I've seen from Mad was how IMDb listed it under the comedy shows. How it is still has a time slot on television is one of life's greater mysteries.

Although I am not familiar with the "Mad Magazine", I know that this show is hilarious. All it is, is a lot of juvenile humor mixed in with topical stories and poking fun at celebrities and movies. Some of my favorite episodes are "Star Blech" and "Mouse MD". I urge everyone to watch those to get a feel of the show. However I do I have one issue. The 15 min runtime is somewhat upsetting. Imagine the hilarity that could come from a half hour or even a full hour (but that is just wishful thinking). Many of the older generations will find this show rude, crude and sometimes inappropriate, but remember this show is not aimed for you, and if you don't know who the celebrities are or have seen the movies, well then you can get lost and miss out on the jokes. All in all, it is a silly show that will keep you laughing. (At least for 15 min).