Operation: Make Amy Laugh. Another (and probably last) collection of wacky game show clips from television in Japan. Clockwork Creampuff; Painful Eliminations; Tricycling Idiots; and Treadmill Hurdles. They're pretty outrageous and sometimes downright stupid. Some I just don't get at all but laugh anyway.


Three Replies to Japanese Terebi Game Shows 3

Amy Austin | October 21, 2007
Thanks for the thought, Steve... Results: a few quarter-smiles and a chuckle and a half -- one from the guy hit by two boulders and the half from treadmill hurdles (which is a broken link, btw... but to slake my thirst for a laugh, I looked it up). I'm not sure why two boulders guy was the funniest -- it looked an awful lot like "hit 'em when they're down"... which I guess is an awful lot funnier on a Japanese game show than in real life.

Sometimes, I try to imagine Americans having these kinds of shows and what they'd be saying... I can't help but wonder how much funnier it might be if I knew Japanese. Similarly, I wonder if the MXC narrations are true translations or just some Americans doing it MST 3000 style... I think it's the latter, but with those ridiculous robes that the hosts wear... one can never tell...

Steve West | October 21, 2007
Fixed broken link. Funny that the one I found funniest was the clock hands into the cream pie show. And boulder guy cracked me up too.

Amy Austin | October 21, 2007
Well, the creampuff clock was amusing, too... I think I just forgot about it after the two boulder guy. Please do keep them coming... ;-)


Web Junkie

Steve West scours the Web searching for interest or absurdity and then shakes his head ruefully when he finds it. Read more »

Halloween 2015

A pretty fun time again this year. My brother and his wife hosted a costume party and because Cheryl is a breast cancer survivor, she requested that each costume contain a touch of pink. I carried around a baguette and sang I Want to Rock 'n' Roll All Night in French (Je veux du rock 'n roll tour le soir, et jeter tour la jour). Go »

Baby Boomer Blues

I overheard someone of my generation (born in the early 60's) recently say, "Kids today don't even know how to write in cursive," in a negative way. That statement got grumbled agreement from the codgers nearby. I was thinking without saying out loud, "Grandma, you can't even turn on your laptop without getting six viruses and wiring half your retirement money to a Nigerian Prince." Go »

There Really Are Superheroes

And most of them wear capes. Oddee does a nice roundup of ten real-life superheroes - people who actually dress up in costume and prowl their respective cities with a willingness to foil criminals and their crimes. While you may question their sartorial wisdom, you gotta admire their desire to make a difference. Go »

Toothpicks, They're Not Just For Club Sandwiches Anymore

Remember back in fifth grade when you had to build that bridge, vague geometric shape, outhose, etc. out of toothpicks? The project so fragile if the bus to school took a turn at more than 2 mph, it would crumble to pieces. Go »

Free Rice

Site appears legitimate. Help feed the world by using your knowledge of vocabulary and donate rice to feed the hungry. Visit the home page of this website for the details and other interesting data (link from the game page) or just play the game. Go »

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

At 11:00 a.m., Brenda called me from the school where she works and told me that she had fallen and was unable to drive home. She needed me to 1) find a second driver for her car, 2) come get her and take her to urgent care and 3) make sure that Olivia is taken care of when she arrives home in an hour. Go »