Chiseen


Synopsis
Coming to us straight from MTV Asia, this is a Jackass style show filmed in a series of short skits. Public humiliation, pain, and a bunch of other random and sometimes disturbing scenes make up this hour and a half of boorish comedy.

Observations
When I first sat down to watch this, I was under the delusion that perhaps the key to understanding a foreign culture is to see its comedy. What makes Asian people laugh? Is it different that what makes Americans laugh? Then I realized that this show was pretty much Jackass in Asia multiplied by weird. For example, there’s a guy in a white wife-beater with fake blood on it, a pair of white boxers and a gimp mask running all over various public places with and without his hands being handcuffed. This was funny once, maybe twice, but 10 times in less than 40 minutes?

Oddly enough, the people on Chiseen (which, according to the sleeve, means crazy in Chinese) are mostly Hong Kong actors who were raised in the US. So, Chiseen is really just another American export. If you do decide to watch this, keep an eye on the giant guy who looks like an American football player; he is funny fairly consistently. And keep an eye out for alternate Big Wheel uses. But if you’re in the mood for quality skit comedy, try Mr. Show instead.

Rating:
Amazon's entry for Chiseen