Full Frontal Episode Review: Samantha Bee: A Quick Hello, then, Goodbye Again
After taking some time off, since, after all, we are in the middle of summer, Full Frontal gave us a new broadcast Monday night, only to reveal that it was going to have to last us until September 12th. Once again, it is the summer. If it had not been for the two conventions, we may not have seen any new shows at all.
In keeping with the need to cover those conventions, Ms. Bee gave us some documentary footage about her travelling to the two convention cities in a bus she would have us believe was purchased second-hand from the Herman Cain campaign. Who knows, maybe it was. About the only amusing thing in the entirety of the coverage was the repeated sight-gag of the bus repeatedly going up in flames, much as Kenny manages to get killed, time after time, in South Park.
Speaking of concepts that didn’t quite work, the second of her three segments in last night’s show was a flop, all things considered. Her subject was why Hillary Clinton was doing so bad in the polls with the white vote. Now, you might think this would present a treasure trove of material for wit and sarcasm galore, but, sad to say, almost all the treasure is still in the trove, wherever that may be. OK, maybe I am being overly critical, so let me say, by way of mitigation, that there were only two flaws in the presentation. First, it was not in the least bit funny, even though there was a clear intention to make it so. Second, even at a little more than five minutes, the piece went on far longer than it should have. Other than those two minor blemishes, it was no worse than an infomercial about how you can eat all the ice cream you want and shed 200 pounds in only three days.
Ms. Bee’s first and longest segment was certainly witty enough to be worth a look, if you have not already seen the show. In it, she finds things to laugh about in both the RNC and the DNC. Some people may point out that, in the process of her commentary, she was a bit disrespectful of the duly-elected Republican nominee, but then, to have her be otherwise would be asking her to achieve the impossible. The host’s treatment of the DNC was a bit milder in terms of that one segment, but that was because she reserved the really ugly part of it for a segment all its own.
In the third segment of her show, she took a look at the “Bernie or Bust” crowd. When I saw Sarah Silverman call out to them, “You’re being ridiculous!” I thought that was a little rude. It was only after seeing this part of Full Frontal that I came to realize, Ms. Silverman was saying something that needed to be said. If you imagine “ridiculous” was too inappropriate a word, then I freely invite you to check out the link below.
I guess all of us (on multiple points of the political spectrum) will have to resign ourselves to the concept that ridiculous people of all stripes will have a great deal to say in the upcoming election. Let us hope they do not end up calling the shot.
Full Frontal, TBS, August 1, 2016
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