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[Adi]

Has anyone read the article on page 2 of today's Weekend Australian Review liftout with this title? It doesn't seem to be on their website so I can't put a link to it, sorry.

The article basically criticises the shit out of the Chaser, ending with the paragraph "In the midst of a turbulent political climate, The Chaser is giving us cheap gags and wrapping them up in lukewarm current events"

It's not that I think everyone should be completely in love with them and the show, but I'd be interested to know how people here (fans) would rebut the article.

The basic premise of it is to ask how they've come to occupy a socially relevant position.

Do they? Are they just a current-events driven comedy show? Hasn't all the recent media attention (APEC, latest ticking-parcel story) just thrown everything out of proportion?

If you can get hold of the article, I'd love to know what people think.

[Fashion Zombies!]

Yeah, a lot of media sources are now starting to disagree with Chaser and say they're not really doing much.

I think it's good in a way, we can see different opinions. It would be boring if every newspaper and internet site went on about how good the show is.

I disagree with what they're saying though, but it's good to hear other point of views.

(I haven't read the article or anything, well yet anyways)

[Star Fish]

*goes to read article*

Hmmm... I don't entirely disagree... despite the fact that there was an error in the first paragraph, which claimed the Chaser sells itself as satire. Although the media constant calls their stuff satire I know they have started more than once that they don't think of themselves as primarily satire at all.

Aside from that, I thought the article was a bit harsh, but I do think the show is relying a bit too much on cheap tricks. On the whole I still find it quite funny and very watchable, but I'd like something with a bit more bite to it. Also, there's some good points about the public interaction thing - where they don't get a good response the skit generally falls pretty flat. However, in other cases it has produced amusing results so *shrug*.

Anyway, the show certainly could be better - I still feel this season hasn't quite lived up to last season, so while I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as this article suggests, at least some of the criticism are valid.

[Thaluikhain]

I'd agree to an extent...they've mostly stopped going after politicians and celebrities in favour of candid camera style pranks on members of the public.

[mellarr]

yehh they haven't gone after politicians as much nowadays

[Mr. Blonde]

Yeah I feel pretty much the same. The show has been lacking in the political stakes lately, which is something that initially made it so appealing to me. I don't know if that's a result of them trying to keep in the good books these last few weeks following the whole APEC thing, or whether politicians just aren't responding as well anymore...

They guys seem to be playing it fairly safe lately, just sticking to the candid camera stuff (which is fine in small doses when it's witty and makes a point) and bagging out ACA/TT and the like. I feel like they need to be more "in your face", confronting politicians more and other societal figure heads.
But then I see that the Chaser's growing popularity makes it hard to be as confronting nowadays. They're always in the news, so one could argue that they are in fact "in your face"...but not for the reasons I had hoped for. Instead for petty things like a fake bomb. Not for a witty piece of satire that's made someone look like a fool.

[DeRire]

I'd agree to an extent...they've mostly stopped going after politicians and celebrities in favour of candid camera style pranks on members of the public.

Yeah, this is true. But I think that because so many of the pollies know of the Chaser now, it's a lot harder to do stunts with them. Did that make sense?

[Fashion Zombies!]

As they've said in the commentary...it's hard to go with politicians because the audience doesn't laugh as much.

and as DeRire said every politician is on the look out for them. They know how to avoid them and how to deal with them as opposed to last season as a lot of them had no idea who they were and didn't know how to act.

[Chromefox]

I'm in an odd boat when it comes to topics like this where people mourn for the days of ye olde Chaser. I liked CNNNN enough, but could never really get in to it, the reason being that obviously, it's much more difficult to wrap your head around political events of 2003 than current political events when you're in a position such as mine, and yet in spite of what I dare say is an excellent excuse, I always leave these discussions feeling intellectually inadequate.

My IQ is considerably higher than that of a tin can, and my tastes and interests not exactly mainstream, but I thoroughly enjoy the War because it caters to my unfortunate sense of humor, and because there's such a variety of topics and humor put under the lens. Sadly, a portion of the fun is dampened by the input of others.

In discussions such as this though, I think it's important to take more into account than popularity as motive for change. People get bored when they're confined to a routine for too long. They run out of ideas. They get better ideas. They try to push the envelope and see how far they can take their capabilities. As much as people seem to think they've softened for the mainstream, I have high doubts that the viewer base should feel so flattered.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, this is true. But I think that because so many of the pollies know of the Chaser now, it's a lot harder to do stunts with them. Did that make sense?

Even so, they've had a few funny bits with politicians who've recognised them...it's what they do, not whether or not they are recognsied that matters.

[Adi]

The guys have said that they'd like to go into more of an election mode once the election is called, so hopefully they have some plans to counteract the problem of being recognised by more and more politicians. The Election Watch segment in Ep 20 was a good start, especially the nice Work Choices dig, but it would be great to see more of the Chaser Decides kind of action.

Not that I'm living in the past; I just think that was a format they did really well, and it wouldn't hurt to return to it for a bit. Then they can do a new thing next year if they want to (which it sounds like they might).

[Mr. Blonde]

As they've said in the commentary...it's hard to go with politicians because the audience doesn't laugh as much.

Sometimes it's not the big laughs that count, but the effect that their point has

The guys have said that they'd like to go into more of an election mode once the election is called, so hopefully they have some plans to counteract the problem of being recognised by more and more politicians. The Election Watch segment in Ep 20 was a good start, especially the nice Work Choices dig, but it would be great to see more of the Chaser Decides kind of action.

.

I doubt the election will be called while the War is still on air. Or not until the very end of it anyway.
But still, the political smear campaigns have already started, so it's not like there's nothing happening in the political world.

I agree with you on the Chaser Decides note. I would love to see the return of that. Even just as a segment. That new election segment was pretty good, but I wasn't too fond of the format of it. I like them sitting behind desks with suits on and stuff. But I guess that doesn't really fit the War.

[Fashion Zombies!]

(Hmm, I'm not bitter about being interstate and therefore not being able to attend tapings  )

Pfft, have every right to be bitter. I may not be a 'model studio audience member' to laugh at every intelligent joke, but the studio audience is starting to get annoying.

I've also noticed they don't laugh at things that are supposed to be jokes, and laugh at things which aren't.

Well, everyone has different senses of humour anyways.

[Thaluikhain]

Sometimes it's not the big laughs that count, but the effect that their point has.

I agree.  I mean, the APEC thing wasn't all that funny, but everyone thought it was great that they did it.

[DeRire]

I doubt the election will be called while the War is still on air. Or not until the very end of it anyway.

Haha! How funny would it be if that was the reason the election isn't being called.