# What was Comedy Central thinking? Mad TV sucks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132 "2004-04-04T02:44:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/21 "2004-04-04T19:23:14Z")
Put me in the Pro-Mad TV camp… OK, I haven’t watched it in quite some time but they definitely had some funny stuff… Ms. Swan kills me every time. He look-a like-a man… ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/22 "2004-04-04T20:03:36Z")
I can’t remember the name of my fave… It’s a site where this (self-proclaimed?) highly intelligent man (and his minions) answer life’s nagging little questions, and lays to rest many an overlived myth. The name escapes me at the moment though… ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/23 "2004-04-04T20:05:13Z")
(sorry, no idea why that last post appeared) ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/24 "2004-04-04T22:53:30Z")
I wish they’d bring back Almost Live, or start replaying The State and The Ben Stiller Show. Even Short Attention Span Theater was a great concept, with short highlights from different stand-up comics’ sets. Now they only have half-hour stand-up performances, mainly with people nobody has ever heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/25 "2004-04-04T22:58:34Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Even Short Attention Span Theater was a great concept, with short highlights from different stand-up comics’ sets. Now they only have half-hour stand-up performances, mainly with people nobody has ever heard of. They have Comic Remix on Friday nights. That’s about as close as you’re gonna get. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/26 "2004-04-05T02:22:01Z")
Wow, I’m confused. I _love_ Mad TV. I’m of the mind that SNL has sucked almost non-stop for about the past 5 years, and Mad TV has been a more than welcome refuge. I’m actually glad that Comedy Central is way overplaying it, just because there’s a good chance that I’ll catch it at any given time I turn on the TV, and I haven’t seen an episode that I disliked yet. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/27 "2004-04-05T02:32:37Z")
Didn’t _Short Attention Span Theater_ also do movie clips & whatnot? I agree there, SAST should come back. Maybe even The Higgins Boys & Gruber. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/28 "2004-04-05T02:34:11Z")
Another Mad TV fan checking in. When it’s on, it’s really, really on–much better than anything on SNL. And when it’s off, it’s really, really off–unwatchable. Best line: “She is such a whore that her two main food groups are sperm and penicillin. Literally.” ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/29 "2004-04-05T04:34:20Z")
_Mad TV_ and _SNL_ both suck. Why can’t CC just show old stand-up? I could watch that all day. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/30 "2004-04-05T20:22:21Z")
So looking at the responses I wonder, is Mad TV more of a west cost humor? Is humor univeral? I really don’t care about the west coast. The sporting events always start later, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to care about what’s going on out there. Lakers jokes and Arnold Schwarzenegger don’t appeal to me. The 10:00 pm (central) start doesn’t really do it for me either. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/31 "2004-04-05T20:29:03Z")
East coast MadTV fan checking in. I like the show a lot, much more than I’ve ever liked SNL. Their impressions kill SNLs and their skits are much more interesting IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/32 "2004-04-06T15:28:07Z")
Bleh. If SNL is the occasionally juvenile sibling, MadTV is the severely retarded younger brother. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/33 "2004-04-06T18:56:46Z")
It’s not so much a questin of whose funnier, but of who sucks less. The only things funny on SNL are those Robert Smeigel cartoons and, occasionally, Weekend Update (Dennis Miller was the best newsguy ever!). Admittedly, MadTV’s “Shaq and the Super Lakers” looks like they ripped off SNL, but I still think MadTV is currently funnier than SNL. It didn’t start out that way, but let’s face it, SNL sucks big time. MadTV’s best parts are the music videos and their fake commercials. Their other skits are crappy, but not as crappy as SNL… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/34 "2004-04-07T00:23:32Z")
I can’t get enough _MadTV_. Not even a smidge. I love the actors, I love the skits. It’s a rare skit indeed that doesn’t make me laugh. I have to admit I love it even more now that I’ve seen it taped in person. That might make me a little biased, huh? 😉 I think one advantage it has, though, is that even when actors leave the show there’s always someone waiting in the wings to take their place. SNL always seemed to have spurts of talent. I miss Mo Collins already, but I’m glad Stephnie Weir’s still there. And **Really Not All That Bright** , you really don’t want CC to show stand up all day long. You know that they’d show the same three comics ad infinitum. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/35 "2004-04-07T00:57:40Z")
MAD TV has always sucked. SNL’s been at least watchable for all these years. There was only one skit I found funny on MAD TV. Mike Tyson impersonates a reporter in order to gain access to annoying Lennox Louis (sp?). Tyson gets attacked by the crows of reporters, and on his way out yells to everyone “I’m gonna rape **all** ya’ll!” Oh yeah, that and the Terminator skit. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/36 "2004-04-07T06:04:39Z")
I have the same problem with the Mad TV reruns as I did the SNL ones. They only use a small portion of them. Give us some variety. What I would love to see is a SNL special where they pick a “best sketch” of each season from the very first. Get people involved with the show in each season to nominate favorite sketches and then have an online vote. Then show the winner for each year. I would love to see if they can come up with anything for 80-81. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/37 "2004-04-07T06:17:50Z")
Wow - I somehow end up agreeing with just about everyone in this thread at once! Yes, SNL has sucked for years. I just can’t watch it. MadTV started off being a much worse, low-rent version of SNL but has actually gotten pretty funny in the past couple of years. When both SNL and MadTV are unfunny, it’s painfully so. And CC always shows too much of whatever it is that they’re showing - be it SNL or MadTV. And yes, I think that CC got stuck with some older episodes of MadTV - isn’t that how syndication works? As far as repeats go, what do you expect? Fox Syndication shows the same 12 Simpsons episodes over and over, why should CC be any different? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/38 "2004-04-07T06:40:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m going to agree with scotandrsn. Mad TV is hilarious now, especially “Shaq and the Super Lakers.” Indubitably! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/39 "2004-04-07T07:57:43Z")
I strongly prefer SNL to MadTV. (But I prefer Chappelle’s Show most of all!) Does anybody remember a show with a guy that said “I wanna dip my balls in it!” I’m really mortified that that is the main thing I remember about that show. Oh, yeah–and there was a sketch with (IIRC) college freshman orientation counselors with tape on their faces. That show had it’s moments, whatever it was… There are still times when I’m tempted to say “I wanna dip my balls in it!” Which is really odd because I’m female. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132/40 "2004-04-07T08:04:59Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > I strongly prefer SNL to MadTV. (But I prefer Chappelle’s Show most of all!) > > Does anybody remember a show with a guy that said “I wanna dip my balls in it!” I’m really mortified that that is the main thing I remember about that show. Oh, yeah–and there was a sketch with (IIRC) college freshman orientation counselors with tape on their faces. That show had it’s moments, whatever it was… There are still times when I’m tempted to say “I wanna dip my balls in it!” Which is really odd because I’m female. The State [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-comedy-central-thinking-mad-tv-sucks/238132.md?page=3)