Hey Hey, We're the Grungies

Remember The Ben Stiller Show? It was a sketch-comedy type deal that aired on MTV for about five seconds in 1990, then on Fox for another five seconds during the '92-'93 season. I was rewatching a few episodes last night and, dudes, there's so much brilliant stuff. But the bit that tickles me pinkest is probably "The Grungies," a totally pitch-perfect "Monkees" spoof - complete with all the weirdo slapstick and fantasy sequences - set in early-90s Seattle. One of the funnest parts is when The Grungies go to see a riot grrrl band called Goo Girls, a sort of Sonic Youth/L7 hybrid featuring Jeanne Tripplehorn as a Kim Gordon-esque bombshell and Janeane Garofalo as...some sort of amalgam of everybody in L7, I guess. (I have a very vivid memory of watching this scene when it was actually on TV - my mom walked in halfway through, looked at the screen and said, "I hate that Courtney Love person!")

Anyway, here's the whole sketch. I must confess that I find Ben Stiller disturbingly almost-hot as a Chris Cornell look-alike, though I'm also so charmed by Bob Odenkirk's spot-on adoption of Mike Nesmith's oh-so-adorable Texas accent.

And watch this bit too - it's an ad for Oliver Stoneland, a theme park where all the attractions are based on Oliver Stone movies. The best part's the Doors-inspired Mr. Morrison's Wild Ride, an "enhanced trip through depression, self-delusion, and crazed egomania." Animatronic Jim Morrison? Yes please!

Posted by Liz in Pop Culture
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