CAN THIS FAMILY BE FUNNY?Byline: - David Kronke `MY LIFE IS a Sitcom'' is the baldest reality series yet. There's no dissembling dis·sem·ble v. dis·sem·bled, dis·sem·bling, dis·sem·bles v.tr. 1. To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance. See Synonyms at disguise. 2. To make a false show of; feign. involved. The premise is simple: These people want to be on TV, dammit dam·mit interj. Used to express anger, irritation, contempt, or disappointment. [Alteration of damn it.] , and not only don't they care if you laugh at them, they also openly invite it. Set up as a competition of sorts, the show looks at eight different families (one a week) as they preen for the cameras, consult with a ``professional'' Hollywood gag writer and try to convince the show's producers that they can pass off the misery and disaffection amid their brood as yuck-a-minute hilarity. Tonight, for example, we enter the dysfunctional world of Joe Mozian, a stay-at-home dad ever since he lost his job two years ago. ``I've become this fat, unemployed, lazy guy,'' Joe marvels/boasts/agonizes. He's romantically estranged es·trange tr.v. es·tranged, es·trang·ing, es·trang·es 1. To make hostile, unsympathetic, or indifferent; alienate. 2. To remove from an accustomed place or set of associations. from his wife (no doubt bringing home fast-food fried chicken unannounced while she's been slaving over the stove doesn't help), he smacks his kids on their helmets when they fail to live up to his rabid vision of what pee-wee hockey players should be and wonders (though viewers may not) why he can't find a job (his mother-in-law circles the want ads for him). Sitcom writer Stefanie Novik, recruited to visit the family, declares, Joe ``is as close to a living sitcom character as I've ever seen in my life.'' To prove the point, the producers show fast-motion footage of him doing yard work and have him dress up as a gladiator gladiator (Latin; swordsman) Professional combatant in ancient Rome who engaged in fights to the death as sport. Gladiators originally performed at Etruscan funerals, the intent being to give the dead man armed attendants in the next world. for a series of photos that are designed to help him woo his wife (how is never explained, probably because, frankly, it can't be). There's a desperation behind the good-humored high jinx that's a little disquieting dis·qui·et tr.v. dis·qui·et·ed, dis·qui·et·ing, dis·qui·ets To deprive of peace or rest; trouble. n. Absence of peace or rest; anxiety. adj. Archaic Uneasy; restless. . Future episodes will focus on a single mom raising three kids, ``three menopausal sisters,'' a farm family, a blended family Blended family A family formed by the remarriage of a divorced or widowed parent. It includes the new husband and wife, plus some or all of their children from previous marriages. Mentioned in: Family Therapy and ``twins in Hollywood.'' MY LIFE IS A SITCOM - Two and one half stars What: Reality competition in which families vie, for some reason, to have their lives transformed into a situation comedy. Where: ABC Family. When: 8 tonight. In a nutshell: Anyone will tell you trying to convince someone you're funny is just sad. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The Mozians, whose patriarch recently lost his job, step into the limelight on ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. Family's ``My Life Is a Sitcom.'' |
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