Ubiquitous
2018-01-14 14:26:30 UTC
It is ironic the Monkees, who are often derided as the Pre-Fab Four
because they were created to capitalize o the popularity of the Beatles,
would do an episode in which they rebel against a manufactured image of
themselves. There are no mobsters, foreign agents, or crooked con artists
to battle here. It is a struggle against the establishment to preserve
identity and individuality. It is also hilarious.
Chic magazine selects the Monkees as their Typical Young Americans of
the Year. The author of a proposed article, a sweet girl named Toby,
plans to cover the guys accurately. But the editor Madame Quagmeyer and
snooty fashion photographer Rob Roy Fingerhead plan to make them into the
epitome of high society darlings. It does not go well as the Monkees
engage in their usual hijinks rebelling against the magazine when they
realize what is really happening. When the plan to actually transform the
guys fails, Rob Roy writes a misleading article describing them as high
cultured.
The published article causes the guys to lose friends. When they
are invited to a banquet to receive the Typical Young Americans award,
they take the opportunity for revenge by embarrassing Chic's advertisers
with their uncouth nature. They are loud, clumsy, flirtatious, and in
Davy's case, bald. The plan works as Quagmeyer and Rob Roy are fired. It
fails because Toby is now in charge of the magazine and refuses a
retraction. Meet the new boss, same as the old.
The humor in Monkees a la Mode" relies heavily on creating chaos
as a form of rebellion against the establishment and simple, but funny
sight gags. The combination works well. Quagmeyer and Rob Roy are
unlikable from the start, so it is easy to cheer on the Monkee mayhem
used to humiliate them. There are many small moment that are great, such
as Davy peering the peep hole ever time there is a knock at the door even
though he is too short to look into it. There is the usual absurdity,
too, such as when Rob Roy pulls a gun on Micky to convince him to stop
being so annoying.
To add to the irony of Monkees a la Mode, it was the first
episode to air after Don Kirshner was fired. Kirshner was supervisor for
the Monkees' music. He was fired for releasing the next single without
the Monkees' agreement. His termination, for better or worse, gave the
Monkees themselves control over their music. So the Monkees defeated the
recording industry elite to control their destiny as their television
counterparts defeated the fashion elite to maintain their image.
Rating: *** (out of 5)
because they were created to capitalize o the popularity of the Beatles,
would do an episode in which they rebel against a manufactured image of
themselves. There are no mobsters, foreign agents, or crooked con artists
to battle here. It is a struggle against the establishment to preserve
identity and individuality. It is also hilarious.
Chic magazine selects the Monkees as their Typical Young Americans of
the Year. The author of a proposed article, a sweet girl named Toby,
plans to cover the guys accurately. But the editor Madame Quagmeyer and
snooty fashion photographer Rob Roy Fingerhead plan to make them into the
epitome of high society darlings. It does not go well as the Monkees
engage in their usual hijinks rebelling against the magazine when they
realize what is really happening. When the plan to actually transform the
guys fails, Rob Roy writes a misleading article describing them as high
cultured.
The published article causes the guys to lose friends. When they
are invited to a banquet to receive the Typical Young Americans award,
they take the opportunity for revenge by embarrassing Chic's advertisers
with their uncouth nature. They are loud, clumsy, flirtatious, and in
Davy's case, bald. The plan works as Quagmeyer and Rob Roy are fired. It
fails because Toby is now in charge of the magazine and refuses a
retraction. Meet the new boss, same as the old.
The humor in Monkees a la Mode" relies heavily on creating chaos
as a form of rebellion against the establishment and simple, but funny
sight gags. The combination works well. Quagmeyer and Rob Roy are
unlikable from the start, so it is easy to cheer on the Monkee mayhem
used to humiliate them. There are many small moment that are great, such
as Davy peering the peep hole ever time there is a knock at the door even
though he is too short to look into it. There is the usual absurdity,
too, such as when Rob Roy pulls a gun on Micky to convince him to stop
being so annoying.
To add to the irony of Monkees a la Mode, it was the first
episode to air after Don Kirshner was fired. Kirshner was supervisor for
the Monkees' music. He was fired for releasing the next single without
the Monkees' agreement. His termination, for better or worse, gave the
Monkees themselves control over their music. So the Monkees defeated the
recording industry elite to control their destiny as their television
counterparts defeated the fashion elite to maintain their image.
Rating: *** (out of 5)