kevin-jauregui07 Reviews

All Worked Up (2009–2011)

See One, You've Seen Them All

[2/10 · 22 July 2011]

Reenactment shows generally feature over-the-top performance and "All Worked Up" is no exception. I'm sure the daily lives of repo agents, process servers, meter maids and the like have their fair share of altercations but not quite as portrayed here. Needless to say, every segment of this show starts and ends the same way with arguments ensuing and fights breaking out.

The Lizard Lick towing segments are the perfect stereotyping of Redneck America. The owners tow vehicles, get into scrapes and it continues at the office where the the people demand either their cars or what's in them. Mostly with their actions are justified but Bobby is often ruthless when dealing with their clients. He says after every fight that he will improve relations but that's never the case.

When Byran does his job, he tries to make himself neutral but when he's by himself or in the confessional, you can see why he gets little respect. After hearing one side of the story, he constantly berates the people he serves and any bystanders who get in his way. Mostly after he stalks them for the day, it's one and done but he has a few times served the same person more than once. Get a different process server to do that so no one gets recognized.

Jackie the meter maid writes tickets for blatantly obvious parking violations. She does her job well but sometimes too well, a few times writing unnecessary extra tickets. Then there's the security guard at a wrestling arena who has to tolerate irate fans. I wish I had a dollar for each "I will sue you" that came out of their mouths after they are ejected.

So, yes. It's mostly the same episode every time and pretty much shows what not to do if you ever have to deal with these people. Not that entertaining and staged, of course (you can see clearly see the cameras and sometimes the actors will request to have them turned off).

World's Dumbest (2008–2014)

The only show on truTV worth watching

[10/10 · 23 June 2011]

In the midst of all the "reality" drama programs on truTV that are, *ahem*, somehow based on actual events (Operation Repo, Hardcore Pawn, and now Bait Car), World's Dumbest stands out above them all. It essentially does its part by making mundane people look hilarious when they do stupid things. The show never fails to disappoint because of the different categories that degrees of stupidity can be demonstrated: Criminals, partiers, drivers, daredevils, record breakers and so much more.

The commentators are almost always on point and the fact that they have B-list celebrities that have had their own brushes with the law makes the show even more entertaining. It's interesting to see how Tonya Harding would react to an ice-related fiasco or Danny Bonaduce to a routine DWI arrest. The in-video comments are often well-acted, such as during a foiled bank robbery: "Yo, this is a stick-up! I have a finger in my pocket but it looks like a gun!"

World's Dumbest is definitely a must-see and worth checking out if you're looking for something that makes you looks smart in comparison.

Family Guy (1999– )

Not Standing the Test of Time

[4/10 · 24 January 2011]

I've been following Family Guy ever since it first aired and like many others was angry at FOX for canceling it in 2002. At the time, Family Guy was unique because it blended pop culture from yesterday and today due in part to its cutaway gags. When it returned three years later, it hadn't lost its edge and was still funny as ever.

However, the show began to lose its focus in the following seasons; I guess you can say that was when the new material settled in. The writer's strike back in 2007 further damaged the show. After the strike ended, the show became stale and even gut-wrenching at times instead of downright hilarious. It's now come to the point where I don't devote my time to watching the show anymore for a variety of reasons.

The main reason I seldom watch Family Guy is because it's become too politically preachy. It has delved into some controversial topics that were improperly handled (i.e. revisiting the Terri Schiavo incident which happened five years before the episode aired). While most satirical shows criticize the left and the right, Seth MacFarlane only evangelizes his own beliefs, meaning he only argues for one point and against another. This is what American Dad is for, not this show.

I prefer the characters back when they weren't fully developed; now Peter acts and is looked down upon like a whiny five-year old, Meg is constantly treated like crap, Brian is the preaching atheist, etc. The fact that Seth has a carbon copy characters on every show he has (Devoted but absent-minded father, driven-to-the-brink-of-insanity housewife, teenage daughter who's trying to fit in, socially awkward son, at least one talking animal or young child, etc.) also makes me question his creativity. It's also become obvious that he purposely wrote Cleveland out of the show in a desperate attempt to get black people to like him (I'm white and I think The Cleveland Show a disgrace; not just to blacks but to rednecks as well).

Bottom line: Family Guy was in its prime in its original run and for the first season of the return.

The Proud Family (2001–2005)

One of the Most Awful Kids' Shows I've Ever Seen

[1/10 · 2 September 2008]

If there's anything that "The Proud Family" should be proud of, it's the fact that it's one of the most disgusting and racist children's shows in existence. How this show even got the green light is beyond me. Even for it's target audience, which is supposed to be pre-teens and teenagers, the stereotyping in this show is unbelievable.

Many, if not all, of the African American characters in this show are portrayed as rap lovers who always talk in slang. Some of them, including Penny's father and Dijonay, her best friend, are also incredibly selfish and don't care about others unless their lives depended on it. The whites are portrayed as wannabe gangsters but are generally shut down because of this. Other stereotypes are clear and noticeable (Asian Americans being hard-working, Latin Americans being rich and some only speaking Spanish) to the point where you can't tell if this is a Disney Channel show or not.

Oscar is one of the worst characters ever conceived for a television show. How Trudy can stay married to him is unbelievable when he keeps looking at other women and making his own family look miserable. Like the other men on this show, he is self-centered and weak-willed in front of women. Even his own mother, Suga Mama as everyone calls her, beats him up on a regular basis.

I clearly remember an episode where the children at Penny's school were sent to live in other people's houses, allegedly to learn about other cultures. Penny was sent to live with a devout Muslim family during Ramadan, which let loose some of the worst religious stereotypes I've ever seen on television. Even the title of the episode "Culture Shock" was, ahem, appropriate as it displayed Penny's ignorance about the religion.

To say that "The Proud Family" is a wholesome show for children is a disgrace. The Disney Channel should be ashamed that such a racist and stereotypical show made it on the air.