Monday, January 21, 2008

Quien Es George Lopez



To me, the only thing more torturesome to watch than women's basketball is Pro-Am golf. The PGA plays one tournament at Pebble Beach with celebrities and tycoons and another such animal is airing this week - The Bob Hope Classic from Las Vegas.

I will not watch them.

Who really cares about Bill Murray? He was washed up decades ago. Who cares about an analysis of Emmitt Smith's golf swing? But the absolute most irrelevant star of these Pro-Ams has been George Lopez.

Disney/ESPN shamelessly promotes Jorge during the Pebble Beach tournament, I guess, because they want viewers to tune into the George Lopez Show, a primetime comedy of theirs airing on ABC.

But George is simply not funny. And what could possibly be worse than an un-funny comedian? I have NEVER even heard anyone talk about his show - which was cancelled last year. Here's the story from Wikipedia:

In 2000, after several years of performing stand-up comedy, Lopez was approached by actress Sandra Bullock for Lopez to produce and star in a comedy. Bullock was concerned about the lack of Hispanic-oriented sitcoms on American television and pushed to get a sitcom on television that starred Hispanics but wasn't exclusively about the Hispanic American community. ABC, who had been criticized by Hispanic American groups for lack of Latinos on their television shows, quickly picked up the television series.



Aha! Just as I figured. George was not on television because he was an entertainment draw. He had his own show to satisfy a diversity initiative. With Latinos, Chicanos, and/or Hispanics such a growing (and kvetching) demographic, Disney just had to throw a bone and prop up this alleged comedian.

We are all prone to misunderstanding things outside our personal little bubbles. I really don't know anyone who has an iPhone or watches NASCAR, but I am aware that they are juggernauts. They say that George Lopez's show had "decent" ratings but I remain skeptical. I repeat - I have never heard or met anyone, heck I have never even overheard anyone talking about this clown. I do not dwell in the center of the Hispanic community but I do have Latino relatives on both sides of my married family.

Last year, ABC cancelled this propped-up show and replaced it with one based on the Geico caveman - no doubt to target the much bigger, Neanderthal demo.



George WAS NOT happy,

"I get kicked out for a caveman and shows that I out-performed because I’m not owned by ABC? So a Chicano can't be on TV but a caveman can? And a Chicano with an audience already? You know when you get in this that shows do not last forever, but this was an important show and to go unceremoniously like this hurts. One hundred seventy people lost their jobs. TV just became really, really white again."



By George, that's brilliant!!!

Whip out that race card, the very foundation of your fame.

The next thing you know, the show-less unfunny comedian has been made the new host of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. In fact they advertise it as, "The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by George Lopez".

Now, whether this came from Chrysler, the tournament, the PGA, or the television broadcasters I cannot say. Regardless, this Moron is still in the spotlight, making viewers across the land change the channel.

Believe me, the guy is NOT FUNNY. Watch this clip.



How annoyed were you at his 5 or 6 terrible jokes and the contrived laughter of the interviewer? This is just a taste of what four days of Pro-Am coverage is like when Lopez is playing.

Anyway, even if nobody watches George on TV, at least the diversity-fetishists like the NYT are happy.

Adding the comedian George Lopez as the host is part of the tournament’s attempt to stay current and become inclusive.

Crossposted on Marginalizing Morons.