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The Gong Show: Difference between revisions
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In truth, it was a ''parody'' of talent shows like ''Ted Mack's Amateur Hour'', with its anarchic rules, wildly-varying quality level, and random-number prize check (which was supposedly based on the minimum daily pay from the [[Screen Actors Guild]]). But none of the acts seemed to ''notice''.
Barris was simultaneously the best and worst host possible. He was the worst because he was
The risqué stuff was all intentional; in fact, Barris often [[Censor Decoy|threw in acts he knew would be cut]] in order to [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|get the borderline stuff past the censors]]. Of course it occasionally [[Springtime for Hitler|backfired]] — [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDxDYIQL6Nc one memorable sketch] featured a pair of 17-year-old girls [[Erotic Eating|sucking on Popsicles]] with no accompaniment. Phyllis Diller gave it a zero, Jamie Farr gave it a two, and Jaye P. Morgan not only gave it a ten, but physically prevented the other two from gonging it. Why? [[Casting Couch|"That's how I got my start in show business!"]]
Almost as famous as the awful acts were the recurring characters. The most famous was the Unknown Comic (Murray Langston), who performed with a paper bag over his head. Others included the aforementioned Scarlett and Rhett, Gene Gene the Dancing Machine (always treated as a surprise cameo), and scriptwriter Larry Spencer, whom the audience was told to boo and hiss at as though he were Oil Can Harry.
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The show lasted only four years before the last episode aired, but in that time became something of a cultural phenomenon, even showing up in other programs, including, most famously, an episode of ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''. Given the popularity of the ''[[American Idol]]'' "losers" shows, perhaps it was ahead of its time. Barris, meanwhile, became the subject of the movie ''[[Confessions of a Dangerous Mind]]'', whose title should tell you all you need to know about ''him''.
Surprisingly (or perhaps not), a number of performers who would later have considerable success made their TV premieres on ''The Gong Show'', including [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TRSeHKTq3A the performance art troupe predecessor] to the New Wave band [[Oingo Boingo]], featuring a young [[Danny Elfman]].
The show has had several [[Revival|revivals]], each at ten-year intervals. The first was in 1988 with Don Bleu as host, a version which lasted for only one season. Game Show Network revived it as ''[[Extreme Gong]]'' in 1998 with George Gray at the helm, and kept it going for two seasons. The most recent revival was in 2008 on [[Comedy Central]], also lasting for only a season with Dave Attell as host.
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[[Category:Game Show]]
[[Category:The Gong Show]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gong Show, The}}
[[Category:TV Series]]
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