Summer Heights High episode upsets ecstasy death family
Even before this story came out, I had been intending to post about my puzzlement over the (apparent) popularity of Chris Lilley's satirical "Summer Heights High".
The three characters he plays are intensely dislikeable, each in their own way. And yes, we have all seen irritating teen girls, heard smart-arse islander boys, and know that drama teaching may be particularly attractive to a self-absorbed (presumably gay) man; but is there any reason to try to blend these characters into a mockumentary of such length? To me, they are just not interesting enough, and show no sign of development from week to week. The story line of the drama teacher writing songs about the drug overdose girl became so unrealistic that it just became stupid. I don't blame the family of a real drug overdose victim being upset.
At least Kath & Kim is not entirely populated by unpleasant central characters. True, Kim is totally without redeeming features, but I always felt that everyone around her was written to have at least some good in their character.
Summer Heights High strikes me as very similar in tone to the dark Australian "comedy" films to which I have never responded either.
2 comments:
The key giveaway that a show or series is unfunny are the phrases: "black humour" or "dark satire" or similar phrases.
Hmm, I have to disagree. "Black humour" has a long and illustrious history.
Calling something "black humour" because you know in advance that no-one will be amused is arse covering, surely? It's implicit that you are telling the audience they might be too unsophisticated to "get it", non?
The drug death in last weeks show was filmed 11 days before the the real life death that you refer to, so it's a bit of a line call whether they should have canned the episode and shot another one. (These sort of productions wouldn't generally have the budget to re-shoot just because real life catches up with fiction.)
I find the show rather repellent (did not see any of his first series), but no more so than the British "The Office". Both shows are painful viewing, because they cut so, so, so close to the bone. There really ARE people like that in the world! That's what makes them so squirm-inducing in the watching.
I don't think I'd call it comedy, black or otherwise.
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