Videogum Home - designed by Guilherme Rosa

 

August 27, 2008

From G's To Gents: An Epcot Center's "World Showcase" Of Racism

thumbnail icon: From G's To Gents: An Epcot Center's "World Showcase" Of Racism

From G's to Gents is getting so racially complicated that the only person who can effectively speak to the convoluted racial politics of this show is Cornel West, although I'm sure his good friend Tavis Smiley could put together an interesting op ed as well. Personally, I'm so overwhelmed by the push and pull of the show's conflicting motivations, that I'm not even going to think about it anymore. Whether or not that's an irresponsible "not part of the solution" type attitude to take, I can say this: racism and echoes of colonialism aside, last night's episode was the best yet by a million.

This week, the G's are going to learn about fine dining and table manners.

This means that resident reality TV fine dining expert Tim Allen is brought out of his holding pen. Does anyone even know who he is anymore? I feel like a celebrity guest judge is only as good as his as his original reference point is relevant. And Queer Eye for the Straight Guy hasn't been relevant since the end of its first season when people GOT THE POINT ALREADY. Anyway, of course the G's are asked to eat escargot and foie gras because those are the world's two most delicious foods. Seriously. They are so good. You know that when those foods are prepared for reality TV contestants they're served with frozen centers on a bed of Tobasco sauce or something, because I honestly refuse to believe that everyone would just automatically be as grossed out by this food all the time. It's not 1981 anymore, we all know what food tastes like.

Now that the G's have learned table manners and the appreciation of fine dining from Ted Allen (the G's, and America in general, have learned nothing from Ted Allen), they pair up for their elimination challenge, which will involve representing Fonzworth Bentley at a dinner meeting with some of his "business associates." Sure. You know what, if Donald Trump can pretend that it matters to him which of his reality show contestants sells lemonade in Union Square the best, then Fonzworth Bentley can pretend to have "business associates." The business dinner is actually where I threw up my hands to this show and its racist underpinnings because the gang shows up to a Japanese restaurant and is ushered into a private dining room with three Asian clowns (or as the show would have it, crowns), sitting before a naked Asian woman covered in sushi, because WHAT?

Forget it, Jake, it's Japantown. Also, it's sad to see all these men and women humiliating themselves on national TV on a daily basis just get their shit blown out of the water by sushi table girl. Saddest. Anyway, the G's will be eliminated one by one based on their table manners, and whoever is left at the table will get to choose, with their teammate, one person to put up for elimination. What follows is basically like a scene in a movie where someone drops a machine gun and it goes off, sending wild rounds in every direction, except the machine gun is racism, and the wild rounds are our eyes exploding.

But it's also kind of great to watch.

T-Jones wins the competition, just like he wins America's hearts. Him and Cee put Creepa up for elimination, claiming that they're only doing it to give Creepa a wake up call because he's not turning into a Gent enough. Creepa takes it really personally and starts giving everyone dictionary lessons on what a "goon" is and how he's a "goon."

I really thought a goon was what Dr. Claw hired when he wanted to get Inspector Gadget. At one point, in interview, he says "I'm a motherfuckin' goon, he ain't never seen nothin' like me, boom boom, I'm a goon." Fair enough. Creepa is so mad, which is hilarious, and I will tell you why: there are only four people eligible for elimination, and three of them have to stand on the chopping block, so his odds of not being one of them were pretty slim anyway (1 in 4, in case Creepa is reading this). Relax, Creepa. Take a chizill pizill. Fonzworth Bentley doesn't eliminate Creepa because he wants him to learn more, and now Creepa has it out for Cee. Fine. As long as everyone keeps tearing each other apart, allowing my man T Jones to cruise through for the win, I ain't care.

D-Boy is eliminated, and as he goes to hang his blazer in the hallway, as one does when one exits a gentleman's club, he wistfully remarks "I'm so different from when I came into the house. I came her a boy, and I'm leaving a man." You guys, I'm telling you, this show is incredible.

Posted by Gabe at 11:15 AM in
Tags:  |  |




3 Comments

lmao @ this guy breaking out into gospel hymns

forever hilarious

Posted by: becca at 08/27/08 1:02 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

VH1 has a thing for eating sushi off of women, evidently. Adrienne Curry acted as a nude serving platter on the Surreal World. Played out.

Posted by: mk at 08/27/08 2:36 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

P.s. it's ted allen

Posted by: hillary_b at 08/28/08 12:37 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Senior Editor: Gabe Delahaye
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Sales: Angela Williams

Info

Contact

The Hunt For The Worst Movie Of All Time logo
After watching Death Sentence, a terrible movie starring Kevin Bacon as a father in search of vigilante justice directed by Saw's James Wan, Gabe embarked on The Hunt For The Worst Movie of All Time. This is his sad journey.

The Hunt For The Worst Movie Of All Time: Crank

I know that there is still some confusion about how The Hunt works, as evidenced by numerous comments each week, and I suppose that I am doomed to keep explaining the rules, ))<>((, since we will inevitably have new readers...

MORE »

Double Dog logo
Blogging about TV and movies isn't all fun and videogames. Every week, Lindsay or Gabe will be presented with a physical or mental challenge that tests their bravery,patience, and taste.

Double Dog: I Took A TV Bus Tour Alone In A "Just Jack" Tshirt

The Challenge: I had to go on a 3.5 hour bus tour of totally random TV and film locations in New York City. Alone, and wearing a specific ridiculous tshirt. And I had to find someone to take my picture...

MORE »

Videogum Movie Club logo
Let's all go to the movies, and let's all see the same movie, and let's discuss it here.

The Videogum Movie Club: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

WHAT was THAT? Going into Transformers 2 this weekend, I had every expectation that it was going to be loud, stupid, and very very long. But for the first 30 minutes or so, I was on board. Sure, it was...

MORE »

You Can Make It Up logo
Gabe loves fan fiction. You Can Make It Up features his own personal alternate adventures starring some of our favorite characters.

You Can Make It Up: A Little Boy Tries To Give Cameron Diaz A Yellow Rose

The little boy asked his mother if she would take him downtown where they were filming a scene for Cameron Diaz's new movie, The Cougar Trap, and she told him that she would if he finished his homework, and wouldn't...

MORE »