The Underdogs
 
 
 
 
 
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January 16, 2005: The Underdogs

Ok. Here’s a marketing idea for some record or TV executives. Create a band out of the other guys. You know the guys I mean. The one that wasn’t George Michael from Wham! and John Oates and the guys from Tears for Fears, Savage Garden, Roxette, Eurythmics, the Pet Shop Boys, and Erasure. You know who I mean even though you might not know their names.

Sure, there’s probably a reason they were the other guys. They weren’t media friendly (read ugly). Or they weren’t very good. Or, forfend, they didn’t after all want to be a pop star. Set them up to fail (read Producers). And let them have at it. We could call them the Other Guys, or the Others, or the Barney Rubbles, or the Underdogs, or the BackMen.

Some of them, no doubt, would have something to prove. And it’s not like most of them are very busy. Besides having something to prove – who doesn’t want to be pop star, who doesn’t want to be a leader? – they must have a lot material for writing. I always thought the other guy from Tears for Fears was on the perpetual brink of snapping and turning homicidal. Hell, I wanted to kill the front man of Tears for Fears most of the time. I’m thinking here angry bitter rail at god writing, like Alanis’s Jagged Little Pill.

Maybe it should be a TV show. One of two things would happen. With so much to prove and a new chemistry of egos, the Other Guys would either rise to the occasion, or it would be a horrible train wreck. Either way it would sell. People are just that bored. We gorge on fodder. Why does American Idol still sell? Why does the Bachelor still draw an audience? Banal entertaining pablum for the puerile.

Or we could just create a show where we follow the ongoing adventures of this guy who goes down to the hardware store and buys a 2X4, then goes to the local slaughterhouse whereby he procures a horse carcass for the purposes of beating it. What would a 2X4 deftly and determinedly applied to a horse carcass sound like?

Yes, at least for its irony, I’d rather watch that. And frankly, it would have stronger integrity.

SS
 
     
 

SS here is my question. Every single blogger I read says they are sick of reality tv, yet over 100 new reality tv shows are in the works according to cnn.com entertainment. How is this possible? It is a contradiction. Obviously there is a lie somewhere. People are obviously still watching this stuff or they wouldn’t be making it right? Enlighten me? I don’t have tv. It makes me sick. The few episodes I have watched of reality tv (Fear factor) were pirated. That squashes any guilt I have over indulging, since no network got rich over my stupidity. They ate bugs!!!!!! squirm

Posted by: kathryn at January 16, 2005 6:10 PM

I loved Underdog the superhero cartoon character.

I have no idea who any of those ‘other guys’ are! I’m so sick of ‘reality’ TV. I think it was partly invented to avoid paying actors, who might conceivably have enough talent to entertain, rather teaching to world how to ‘get ahead,’ think only of themselves and function by arguing. lying and cheating.

Kia who had a visit from her brother today. I’m sure there’s a connection here somewhere.

Posted by: kia at January 16, 2005 1:19 AM