"The Strip"

Spike TV (The New TNN) premiered it's new adult cartoon programming block aptly named "The Strip" last night. They opened with the new Ren and Stimpy show. It's been years since I watched Ren and Stimpy back when they were on Nickelodeon, but I recall fond memories of them. They were never great cartoons but they were entertaining if slightly gross. The new show is exaggeratingly sick. It starts with them living in a homeless man's mouth where Ren has trouble sleeping. Stimpy tells Ren he has needs but Ren is to tired to fulfill them. So instead of kissing Stimpy he has Stimpy close his mouth and places a rats asshole up to Stimpy's lips. There's more homosexual innuendo between the Chihuahua and cat when Ren gets molested by the bum’s uvula (that thing that hangs in the back of your throat) and thinks it was Stimpy. He slaps Stimpy and tells him "I'm the pitcher, you're the catcher". They end up moving out of the homeless man and into a spittoon in a bar. They dine on tobacco spit, vomit, and snot. They eventually get kicked out and move back to their original quarters. This episode was very disturbing, too many gross body fluids eaten, Ren doing Stimpy doggy style (under the sheets), etc. There was no real story, and felt very drawn out. One dirty joke to the next. Not as good as the Classic Ren and Stimpy.

The second show "Gary the Rat" was a little better. It's about a lawyer who is so sleazy he wakes up as a rat one day. This episode is about him defending a tobacco company from a class action suit brought on by cancer patients. The story was kind of slow and boring, but I see potential with this cartoon. Kelsey Grammer does the voice of the rat.

The last half hour is taken up by "Stipperella". Stan Lee has done it again. This is a nice parody of superheroes, featuring Pamela Anderson as the voice of Exotica Jones. Exotica is an exotic dancer at The Tenderloins, where she is the patron's favorite stripper. She has a vibrating belly ring that alerts her when she is needed at headquarters where she is known as Agent 0069 aka Stripperella. This episode was about a plastic surgeon placing exploding breast implants in models. It was fun to watch and had good dialogue. You have to remember it's a parody or else it comes off as stupid. The girls look very hot, Jessica Rabbit hot. Me like it a lot.

In an update on Spike Lee's case against Viacom over the name Spike TV, director Spike Jones Jr. has spoken out in defense of TNN saying that if they can be sued for using it, what's to keep Spike Lee from suing him over a movie on his father titled "Spike". It's a fucked up world out there boys and girls.


Freon