I Survived a Japanese Game Show starts tonight

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a new reality TV show that starts on ABC tonight. It could either be really funny or absolutely awful. I Survived a Japanese Game Show took 10 contestants–six women and four men– to Japan where they competed in some sort of wacky game show called Majide in front of a Japanese audience.

Not only do the contestants compete in the game show, they are immersed in aspects of Japanese culture they didn’t quite expect. The reason they didn’t expect it is because when they showed up a the studio to participate in a reality television show, they didn’t know what the show involved. Nothing. Nada. Next thing, Japan.

I saw a preview last night and admittedly, I was laughing out loud. Okay, here’s the thing. I thought The Three Amigos was funny and loved Joe VS. The Volcano. I amuse fairly easily, although Abha, I promise, I wouldn’t think The Love Guru is at all amusing.

I do love the idea of putting people in cultural situations they are not quite sure about as long as the culture isn’t demeaned and the people in the situation aren’t elevated in stature. In this case, I’d say the Americans have plenty of opportunity to look fairly ridiculous.

Here’s one contest, for example. In the “Chicken Butt Scramble,” contestants dress up like chickens and try to break large “eggs” filled with goo by sitting on them and bouncing hard. It’s not easy.

As the weeks progress, contestants will be eliminated until the last person wins $250,000.

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The game-show host, Rome Kanda is a Japanese-born actor/comedian who lives in the United States and is paired with Tony Sano, an American actor who speaks fluent Japanese.

Yes, yes, the show does sound pretty mindless and why not read a good book instead? I don’t know about you, but June has been a fairly busy, stressful month. I could use a few guffaws. I hope I’m not disappointed and disgusted.

Here’s a trailer.

“I Survived a Japanese Game Show” airs Tuesdays on ABC at 9 p.m. EST. Let’s see if Hollywood gets it right with this one. I’ll give you my impressions tomorrow.

Attend Milwaukee’s Summerfest in honor of George Carlin

by Jamie Rhein on

George Carlin, the guy who created quite the stir in the 1970s with his comedy routine, “Seven Dirty Words You Can’t Say on Television,” just died yesterday.

When I went looking for a travel related element to add to this piece of news, I came upon this tidbit. Carlin was arrested for performing this very routine in 1972 at the Milwaukee Summerfest . As it so happens, the Milwaukee Summerfest starts this Thursday, June 26 and ends on July 6. That’s some festival.

The festival is touted as being the world’s largest music event. After browsing the line-up, I can see why. It is impressive. Stevie Wonder, The Love Monkeys, LeAnn Rimes, Rush, Fantasia, and Tim McGraw are just a few of the performers. Isn’t that a mix of styles?

This festival also has many, many activities that are family-oriented. The family-oriented quality is partly what got George in trouble.

The day admission fee is doable. Adults are $8 weekdays and $15 weekends, for example. You can buy and print tickets and a parking pass for no extra fee online. It’s one way to beat the crowds.

Here’s an article about what happened in 1972 at the festival and the impressions that Carlin gave later about the event. And here’s a quote of his that has to do with travel–kind of.

“Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.”

Here’s a link to other Carlin quotes and a link to his Web site, also quirky and funny.

Washboard Festival: Impressions of a New Jersey jug band

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be in a New Jersey jug band, tootling the roads to Ohio for the annual Washboard Festival in Logan, Fender’s Excellent Adventure video will do the trick. I loved this. It starts out in Jack and Joe’s RV and goes from there. These two are members of the Dirdy Birdies Jug Band. Evidently, if you play a jug, it’s no match for a washboard. The captions of audience members are a hoot.

In the midst of the funny stuff is excellent footage of the music at the festival, the dance the Charleston, and a tour of the Columbus Washboard Factory. Stick around for the credits. Since the festival is happening this weekend, I’m passing this onto you. Seriously, this is mini-documentary quality. Very, very good.

Running out of gas before a wedding day

by Jamie Rhein on

As more people are running out of gas because they are waiting longer to stop for gas because of the high prices, I am reminded of my own woeful tale. For any of you who are getting married in a town where you don’t live, consider yourself warned.

For some reason I thought it would be a grand idea to get married in my grandparents’ church in northern Kentucky. I didn’t realize that the network of highways and bridges leading from Cincinnati to northern Kentucky can be a confusing mess if a person is not from there. Otherwise, I never would have been one of the major drivers before my wedding day.

Instead, there I was driving to pick up friends at the greater Cincinnati airport, taking them to the motel, and then hopping over to my aunt’s house in Florence, Kentucky for who can remember what for? With each trip from my grandparents’ house, where I was staying, I got lost. Before I knew it, I was in Cincinnati, trying to figure out how to get back over the Ohio River to Kentucky.

Each time, I found my way back, but it was like I kept getting amnesia because there I was heading over to Ohio again, shooting past the stadium where the Cincinnati Reds play, cursing under my breath while I figured out where to turn around—again.

All the while, I’m driving, I’m visiting and catching up with my passengers–all friends of mine. None of them are helping me navigate since they are yaking away as well. Not once did my eye glance to the gas gauge until I was heading to the rehearsal with my collection of brides’ maids. When the car starting the bucking and sputtering business, I knew that wasn’t a good sign at all, but thanked my luck that I was next to a gas station and pulled in next to a pump just in time.

Except the station was closed. One friend hopped out of the car to run through Bellevue in search for a phone, a gas can, and some gas. The bowling alley was open and the proprietors were only too happy to help a distressed bride by lending my friend a gas can and their phone.

By this time, my mom, who was driving through town with my brother, saw my friend after she had left the bowling alley and wondered what she was doing running through town. They had the presence of mind to stop, found a gas station and returned to rescue me and my entourage. Although I was late for the rehearsal, I made sure I was at the wedding on time.

Moral of the story: If you are getting married, do take time for a fill up first. Also, keep your cell phone charged. My mishap was before cell phone days.

Great American Comedy Festival

by Jamie Rhein on

Norfolk, Nebraska, hometown of Johnny Carson of the Tonight Show, will host the first ever Great American Comedy Festival as a tribute to Johnny and the stuff that makes us laugh. Comedy big time professionals like Robert Klein and Eddie Brill will perform throughout June 16-22. Others have been performed in venues like the Tonight Show, David Letterman and the Last Comic Standing.

For people who aspire to break into comedy there’s a chance for you to get discovered at the Amateur Hour Competition.

If you want to hone your craft, there are workshops to help make you more funny than your friends tell you that you are. Eddie Brill who is David Letterman’s talent coordinator is offering a one-day workshop. For speech and drama teachers, there’s a free improv workshop. If you want to up your odds on making it on a game show, there’s even a workshop to help you do that.

If you’re between 14-19, you can attend a week long comedy youth camp. This looks like a terrific opportunity for some young person, and as week-long camps go, the price is right. Now, if they’d only do an adult version.

The festival is designed so you can see as little or as much of it as you want. You pay for tickets to the events you want to see and some are free.