Full Frontal Episode Review: Samantha Bee: Buy Her Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks

Do not be too confused by today’s title. Especially when you factor in that your narrator may be missing two shooters and a purple aggie. The line after the colon is the one that follows “Take me out to the crowd,” as in the place where it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out. Wait, maybe that was not the best reference, considering that, in the case of the principal subject of this week’s episode, it will probably be more like one, two, three, four, five…970, 971, 972 strikes and you’re out. But, once again I stray. Suffice it to say, in the most recent edition of Full Frontal, Samantha Bee and her staff placed themselves amidst the crowd at the Inauguration, then the Women’s March, then back to the Inauguration. All in all, it made for an enjoyable show—not perfect, but still, highly OK. That was quite an accomplishment, considering that, due largely to the re-scheduling of the show, Samantha Bee and her writers had to wait at the end of the line to take a whack at the Trump piñata.

The first of her three segments, as noted, was about the Inauguration, and the new President’s gracious behavior, as voiced by Charlie McCarthy, or whoever is functioning as Mr. Trump’s ventriloquist dummy. Some of the host’s jokes were too ham-fisted to live up to the standard she has set for herself, but most of them were right on the monkey…or the money, if you’re too busy to edit your copy.

The second segment gave us the strongest and weakest elements of the show. Ms. Bee’s monologue about the Women’s March, the next day, was nothing short of excellent. Then, she turned the stage over to a chorus of serious, dedicated-looking ladies in “feline” hats who sang what had every appearance of being an inspirational anthem on the subject, except it was not. You know, it looked and sounded like it should have been just that, but, somehow, it didn’t quite get there. Of course, you don’t need to take my word for it. If you missed the show, find a way to scope it out—particularly this part of it—and draw your own conclusion.

In a typical Full Frontal show, the third part is usually the feeb segment, often featuring interviews that are hardly worth the bother. In this edition, we got a number of interviews by the show’s field reporters, talking to the celebrants of Trump’s coronation. No, this was not a bit that was so hilariously funny that your narrator missed some of the dialogue due to loud and wild cackling, but it was very droll, nonetheless. This is the one I have selected for your weekly peek.

Finally, the send-off at the end showed a lot of class. I am surprised they would have had time to put it together, considering the circumstances, but they did, and it was the very best way they could have ended the show.

Full Frontal, January 25, 2017

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Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane is a semi-retired freelance writer for pay and a stage actor for nothing more than the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Well, he does get a small stipend from the Washington Area Decency League, after playing the role of Hinezie in The Pajama Game, to never, ever appear on stage in his underpants again. When he has not managed to buffalo some director into casting him, Thomas can often be found at his favorite piano bar, annoying the patrons with his caterwauling. Thomas is the author of an anthology called Shaggy Dogs, a Collection of Not-So-Short Stories (destined to become a cult classic, shortly after he croaks). He is also the alter-ego to a very unbalanced Czech poet named Glub Dzmc. Mr. Lane generally resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was last seen in the mirror, three days ago.
Thomas Cleveland Lane
Thomas Cleveland Lane
Thomas Cleveland Lane is a semi-retired freelance writer for pay and a stage actor for nothing more than the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Well, he does get a small stipend from the Washington Area Decency League, after playing the role of Hinezie in The Pajama Game, to never, ever appear on stage in his underpants again. When he has not managed to buffalo some director into casting him, Thomas can often be found at his favorite piano bar, annoying the patrons with his caterwauling. Thomas is the author of an anthology called Shaggy Dogs, a Collection of Not-So-Short Stories (destined to become a cult classic, shortly after he croaks). He is also the alter-ego to a very unbalanced Czech poet named Glub Dzmc. Mr. Lane generally resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was last seen in the mirror, three days ago.