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Sunday, May 28, 2006

"A Prairie Home Companion" is lousy company

I managed to catch a few minutes of "A Prairie Home Companion" yesterday. As ever, I just didn't get it: dreadful banjo-type music bumpered by weak attempts at humor, like a plug for "Rivet Notes" (for when it's too humid for Post-Its). Sorry, was I supposed to enjoy that horrible music? Was that "Rivet Notes" bit supposed to be funny? Or is this some great work of meta-entertainment that passes me by because I (mercifully) lack the cultural equipment to appreciate its nuances?

As a test, I'm streaming part of a recent episode of APHC as I write this paragraph. It's some kind of detective noir parody thing called, so brilliantly, "Guy Noir, Private Eye." It's not going to make anyone forget The Firesign Theatre.

It would have been better for Keillor to give up this program and focus his energy on his "Mr. Blue" advice column in Salon. He had real talent as an advice columnist. But he did just the opposite.


posted at 11:59 PM

1 Comments:

Blogger MWR said...

But IT ISN'T FUNNY!!!

And what's up with that whole throwback, banjo, jug-band style of music? Is that supposed to be funny? Is it supposed to be a lost and underappreciated genre? Is it one of those things where if I say I don't like country music and hence don't like bluegrass, someone will bring up the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack? "But didn't you like the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack?!"

Well I thought that soundtrack was fine, but that doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy country music, or Old Ben's Washboard Chorus, or the Harmonica Sisters or whatever is featured on APHC this week. Nor does it mean I'm going to find the little fake ads funny when they just aren't.

Listening to APHC is an experience like watching Best In Show. You know they so, so want you to think it's this precious, low-key funniest thing ever, but it just isn't very funny.

May 30, 2006 1:37 PM  

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