The Man Show
From Freepedia
The Man Show is a half hour comedy television show on Comedy Central. It was created in 1999 by its two original hosts, former Win Ben Stein's Money co-host Jimmy Kimmel and Loveline co-host Adam Carolla, and their partner Daniel Kellison. The show celebrates all the aspects of manhood that represent the stereotypical view of a boorish, vulgar American male. Needless to say, men dominate the audience (although open-minded women are surprisingly not in short supply), and most can be seen drinking a beer. The show consists of a variety of pre-recorded comedy sketches and live in-studio events, often requiring audience participation.
The Man Show is particularly well-known for its buxom mascots, the "Juggies", models who exist for little other purpose than to prance around the studio in themed, revealing costumes. Christy Hemme, the winner of WWE's first $250,000 Diva Search contest, has not been shy about admitting she was a "Juggie". The first year of the show featured the venerable beer-guzzling entertainer Bill "The Fox" Foster as the show's emcee. The Fox specialized in chugging two beers in record time (sometimes while suspended upside down) and singing lewd drinking songs. He would close every episode by leading the audience in the German drinking toast "Ziggy socky, ziggy socky, hoi hoi hoi", a tradition that continued after his death in 2000.
Some of the show's features include:
- a recurring character called "The Man Show Boy," an overweight 11-year-old (Aaron Hamill) with a sharp wit and rude mouth, who would set upon unsuspecting passersby while a hidden camera recorded his antics
- frequent parody of NBA star Karl Malone done by Kimmel, who was made up to appear black, muscular, and bearded, as well as shot from below to appear taller.
- game show parodies, including Wheel of Fortune parody "Wheel of Destiny" in which men from the audience relied on fate to win prizes, half of which would be grotesque and undesirable
- "Ziggy socky, Ziggy socky, hoi hoi hoi" drinking toast. after the fox died it was a toast in his honor
- As guaranteed when the show began, every episode ends with "Girls Jumping on Trampolines" during the end credits.
In 2003 Kimmel and Carolla left the show and the job of hosting was passed down to Fear Factor host Joe Rogan and comedian Doug Stanhope. Whereas the show struck a balance between celebrating masculinity and lightheartedly mocking machismo during the Kimmel-Carolla era, The Man Show under Rogan and Stanhope was a raunchy, coarse affair that lost much of the earlier show's tongue-in-cheek attitude in favor of lewd sexual humor.
The show's two original hosts, Kimmel and Carolla, have since gone on to helm their own respective late night talk shows (Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC and Too Late with Adam Carolla on Comedy Central).
Reruns of the show are currently airing on G4TV weeknights at 10:00 PM EST and 10:30 PM EST. No episodes from the last two seasons are ever shown because a vast majority of the man show fans hated Doug and Joe for what they did to The Man Show, and the commercials refer to the syndicated episodes as "the way Jimmy and Adam made it."
An Australian version of the show is currently being developed by The Comedy Channel and is scheduled to begin screening in late 2005.
External Links
Categories: Comedy Central shows | 1990s TV shows in the United States | 2000s TV shows in the United States | G4 (television)
