Syndication Files 08.26.09: MXC
Posted by Porfirio Diaz on 08.26.2009
What happens when you mix an absurd game show from Japan with purposely bad American redubbing? You get the comedy oriented “game show”, MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge). MXC features voice dubbing dialogue, strange physical challenges and a whole lot of painful eliminations. Like seeing people getting hurt? Then click on to this week’s painful edition of the Syndication Files. Don’t get eliminated!
Welcome back Syndicationers. In relation to this week's land of TV wonder, I would like to say that I am a fan of the Japanese culture. I like their technology, food, and media entertainment. One of the big issues within the media entertainment is the issue of subbing programs with subtitles vs. dubbing the program with the audience's native language.
For me, I prefer the accurate translation of subtitles over dubbing. I prefer to experience a foreign film or program as close to the original as possible. I remember watching Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx on cable television one night with the English dub. I did not enjoy as much as watching the original Hong Kong release with subtitles. See also: Street Fighter IV.
Of course, there are exceptions in which I favor dubbing in entertainment medium. Dragon Ball Z and Cowboy Bebop quickly come to mind.
This next installment is the other exception…
Syndication Files # 11
MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge)
Before we diverge into the comedy styling of MXC, we first have to learn about the "original MXC".
The year was 1986 and Japan was booming with success within the entertainment field. Not only was 1986 the year that saw the birth of Metroid and the anime show Dragonball, but it was the year that saw many tears running down the cheeks of young men due from the heartwarming robot death-filled tale of Transformers: The Movie. Japan also created a game show called Takeshi Castle that aired from 1986 to 1989. The setting for the show takes place within a castle and features Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano as the host of the castle as Count Kitano. The show gathers more than 100 contestants to partake in a series of silly yet dangerous physical and mental challenges. Contestants would methodically be weeded out through each bone crushing challenges until an elite group of survivors face Count Kitano in a "Final Showdown, which consists of contestants hitting paper ring with water guns or lasers.
Only in Japan.
The only thing I knew about this show was that Takeshi Kitano was in it and that he was in the very controversial but terrific film, Battle Royale (If you've never heard of it, let's just say that you will never see anything like that being ported over to the States despite Hollywood's love of remaking Japanese horror films).
But then, that was all before watching MXC…
So how did the creation of MCX get started? Well someone thought it would be a good idea to take the original footage of Takeshi Castle, rename everything from the original footage, and redub everything from the announcers to the contestants. You know what, they were right! An improvisational comedy troupe called the Groundlings (a troupe with notable graduates including Will Ferrell, Adam Carolla, Lisa Kudrow, and Pat effin' Morita) provided the voice work for both regular characters and participants. While no real effort is put to lip-synch the mouth movement and voices (see Ashley, you're not alone), the comedy troupe at least synchs to people's gestures and body movements. All of that effort results to this:
This is why we love Japan…for giving us infinite material like this
MXC made their debut on "The New TNN" (now called Spike TV) on April 13, 2003.
So MXC is a "game show" that's hosted by commentators Vic Romano (Takeshi Kitano in the original) and Kenny Blankenship (comedian Sonomanma Higashi). They even have their own fictitious personal "backgrounds". Romano (fun fact: named after a character from the Miami Vice episode "Streetwise") is a former professional baseball player who had a dark past that included failed marriages, alcohol abuse, drugs, and easy woman…like the MBL players of today. Blankenship is a high school dropout and only got the job because his uncle owned the network. He loves "chicks, pizza, and beer", but then which man doesn't? The two hosts would play color commentators while the participants fight through various challenges. The only thing is that the hosts usually make witty comments based on pop culture and sexual innuendo more than the competition itself. Believe me, it's funnier that way. The line of conversation usually ends with Romano saying "Right you are, Ken!"
Kenny: Hobbies sound cool. Vic: Well, they are, Kenny. Kenny: How do I get one? Vic: Well, it's all based on your interests, Ken. What do you like to do? Kenny: Well, I like pizza and chicks. Vic: Well, that's a start, but what do you really like? Kenny: Oh, I like to bid for stuff on eBay. Vic: Well, maybe that's it, Kenny. Maybe you're some kind of collector. What kind of stuff are you bidding on? Kenny: Pizza and chicks Vic: And why not?... And now for a man whose hobbies usually result in restraining orders, Guy LeDouche.
Rounding out the two hosts are field marshal Captain Tenneal and field reporter Guy LeDouche. Captain Tenneal (Hayato Tani) conducts the contestants and is seen in the beginning of each challenge while shouting his warcry "Get it on!" motto. Guy LeDouche (Shingo Yanagisawa) is dubbed as a prevented French guy that refers to himself in the third person and would hit on any contestant that's within his vision range, men included.
B'jork (contestant): I have disgraced my family. Guy LeDouche: How so? B'jork: In my country, you disgrace your family if your breasts get wet. Guy LeDouche: Um, Guy will dry them off for you. Ahahaha!
The poor guy just wants a little attention and some casual sex, no matter who you are. If anything, he has the greatest moniker in recent memory. Come on, his name is Guy LeDouche! Staff Sgt. Max Fightmaster (yes, it's a real name) thinks the name Guy LeDouche name is awesome.
This show was a chance to look into the impractical world of Japanese game shows and what a insane ride it is. These groups of people are so willing to risk live and embarrassment just for a chance to win…something. I dunno, the show never made it clear what the people were playing for. I guess if there was a prize, it would be who would suffer the greatest humiliation or personal injury. The original show had people completing for a cash prize of one million yen (an equivalent to $8,000 at the time). It just goes to show that if you dangle a carrot of cash in front of a group of people, they would do anything for it.
Rarely do both commentary and action equal in awesomeness
Each episode features two teams of contestants compete in a variety of goofy yet extremely tough challenges. Team names are based off of real life groups of business, entertainment, and profession but it's in name only. Sometimes the team matchups would make sense (Cops vs. Cons, Entertainment Media vs. Unions, Oil Industry vs. Make-Over Industry) but some seem to be thrown so randomly together it wouldn't surprise me if a manatee were involved in the match-up pairings (Beauty Pageants vs. Military Personnel, Footwear Industry vs. Electronic Gaming Industry, Desperate Housewives vs. Ultimate Fighters). Keep in mind that no contestant involved in the show actually work as the team they play for. It's all for the sake of comedy. Still this might be the only time you would ever see intriguing pairings such as these.
So the basic premise of the show is that these teams compete in challenges and try their best not to get eliminated for a chance to claim the ultimate prize...whatever that may be. The challenges were developed from Takeshi's Castle and the only thing MXC did was rename them using puns and references. The challenges are usually surrounded by mud, water, or as the show likes to call it, "safety fluid". Contestants would race, skip, jump, fling, swing, ride, plow, or fight through each challenge. The ones who complete the obstacle would earn a point for their team, which doesn't happen frequently.
Those who fail get a face full of mud or land into a lake of water. It wouldn't be so bad if some didn't also receive a double dose of pain. The mass of contestants in this show suffers through such awesome crashes, spills, and blows that it makes me question the sanity of the Japanese population. We assume that everything is alright afterwards since the contestants pop right back up with a happy grin as if nothing happened. The really painful wipeouts are highlighted via the "MXC Impact Replay", which is good because people like watching other people getting hurt over and over again. The best eliminations are saved for last via Kenny's ESPN-inspired ten most "Painful Eliminations of the Day".
Such pain, such humor
Sure the challenges look goofy, but they don't make them seem easy. Think of it as the godchild of American Gladiators and ABC's ripoff show Wipeout. I wouldn't mind taking on a few of them for fun...ah great, now my sanity is going bonkers.
The final episode of MXC aired on February 9, 2007, ending with 81 episodes. There have been talks of having a new production of new episodes for the future but nothing ever come out of that discussion. I don't know if the show is still in syndication but there are the DVD releases at least.
So it pretty much boils down to this: if you like seeing people getting hurt, then you will love this show. Hate me if you want but I found everything about this show to be extremely hilarious. There's just something about watching a badly dubbed game show featuring people seemly made from rubber acting as human ping pong balls that tickles my funny bone.
So there you go. This is one case where I favor a dubbed show…eh, okay so it's really not the best example. The dubbing is what makes this show work while there is no need for subbing at all thus having no argument. But proof is proof. While you're at it, I know there are films out there that use the same technique as MXC where foreign films get the hilarious badly dubbed treatment. I may need to search through the depths of YouTube to find some.
I can't finish a MXC synopsis without talking about the best challenge of the show: the Mario-inspired obstacle course "Dash to Death". Now that really does look like fun…without the pain of course.
This really needs to be mixed in with some Mario or Sonic music
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Touch the rainbow. Taste the rainbow!
De-press-ing. Who knew that the Skittles version of the cursed Midas touch would be so awful?!
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