I made a vague reference to Most Extreme Elimination Challenge back at the beginning of July and actually watched it for the first time this morning, courtesy of Tivo.

You see, uber-husband and I were having lunch with visiting-from-out-of-town uber-girlfriend and her uber-husband yesterday when the conversation flowed to television. First we bantered about the idiocy that is Trading Spouses, then I think I made an Amazing Race joke that kind of flopped, then there was some talk about Britney, her bridesmaids and their pink Tacky Couture tracksuits. After that though, conversation turned to girlfriend’s uber-husband discussing this show he watched called Most Extreme Elimination Challenge and how hilarious it was…if you muted it.

This reminded me of yesteryear, when I would play Pitfall! on my Atari 2600 with the TV sound turned all the way down (no mute button back in the day), because the auditory wrath of Harry Pitfall swinging across the alligator pit became rather bothersome after playing the game 456,887 times. With no sound, I would play either my cassette tape of Hall and Oates or my cassette player-recorded episode of Solid Gold in the background. You know what I’m talking about. You held the recorder up to the television speaker so you’d be able to catch Andy Gibb and this week’s Top Ten countdown? Uh huh…you know of which I speak.

But I digress. I had forgotten MXC (that’s what the Spike TV hipsters call it, I guess) was on Spike TV but fortunately, his reminding me what channel it was on gave way to me practically begging them to rent the first season of Joe Schmo if they thought MXC was funny.

Anyway, uber-husband and I fast-forwarded through most of MXC because (a), we needed to hurry up and get to the mall to buy uber-husband some uber-ties for his uber-meetings in uber-Seattle this week and (b), it was even funnier sped up. It reminded me of that now-defunct Fox show called Banzai!, which aired about four times before we hypersensitive Americans deemed it “offensive” and forced Fox to pull it off the air. Subsequent attempts to revive that dying show on Comedy Central were unsuccessful. Personally, I find the thought of trout ice cream to be more objectionable, but I have a hunch I am not the target demographic for any of these programs.

Nevertheless, here I am. And, MXC was funny. But, it was funny in that “I’ve had WAY too much beer” Mystery Science Theater 3000 kind of way. Don’t sit down and watch this after Meet the Press. Do sit down and watch it after The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Sake and wasabi are optional.

Also, as I was watching MXC I couldn’t help but constantly think about the Simpsons and their appearance on The Happy Smile Super Challenge Family Wish Show. Do I find these “game shows” funny because they take advantage of the Japanese/Korean/Insert Other Asian Group Here good nature? Heck no, I find them funny because we Americans have too much ego to do those shows ourselves. But Stacy, what about Fear Factor? Please. Fear Factor is an excellent example of how Americans take themselves far too seriously, even when they’re mocking themselves by acting in such an insanely “Look at me! Look at me!” manner. At least the folks on MXC have the confidence to laugh at themselves.