FODDER FOR COMEDY

Dearth Of Shows On OWN Becomes Hilarious Punchline

By Elizabeth C.

THERE’S A SILVER LINING IN OPRAH’S CHALLENGE TO FIND MATERIAL TO FILL HER EPONYMOUS NETWORK: Hilarious comedy skits about mock potential new shows.

Looking less polished than usual (no doubt part of her PR plan), TV’s First Lady visited Jimmy Kimmel’s After The Oscars to promote her sagging network. While there, she played along for a skit in which Kimmel pitched her new show concepts.

Among Jimmy’s pitches: Oprah Repos Her Favorite Things, Oprah After Dark, Dr. Vajayjay and the most hilarious, Book Club Flight Club. The skit has people raving about seeing the star in a whole new light, and she’s definitely seems to be taking herself less seriously.

Maybe that means she’d laugh at comedian Maya Rudolph’s portrayal of her that was cut from THE comedian’s Saturday Night Live‘s lineup. During her visit to Weekend Update, Rudolph’s “Oprah” gifts the anchors with sandalwood toy candals and Furbys before sharing titles of upcoming original shows.

“We’re giving the people what they want: more Oprah! That’s why I’d like to introduce some new OWN originals for you.” She then launches into the titles: “On Mondays, I solve crimes that happen at Harpo Studios. And also I’m in the Navy for some reason in NCIS: Oprah! Then on Tuesdays, I star in a comedy about a white working-class family trying to get by while raising a proud black woman, me. Called Raising Hoprah! Oprah plays the baby ya’ll. …Then on Wednesdays I play a judge who invigorates her spirit by listening to the waves and dining on …mahi mahi on Hawaii Five Oprah!

And look under your chairs, everybody! You all get mahi-mahi!” It’s impossible for faux anchors Amy Poehler and Seth Myers to muffle their snickers.

One thing these skits prove: you can’t lose with comedy. Maybe that’s the take-away message for O.