Amidst all of the new fall shows hitting TV, there’s a show that’s almost never off the air, and honestly, it’s a whole lot funnier than most of the shows networks are turning out this season. And you’ve probably never heard of it.
Current TV boasts cutting edge, fresh shows that can hardly be considered mainstream, so don’t feel bad for not having heard of this well-kept secret. But given how awesome some of Current’s programs are, it seems like it’s about time somebody let the proverbial cat out of the bag. College students always seem to be looking for something new and edgy, something that’s trendy before it’s actually trendy, and infoMania – Current TV’s half hour comedy show – is just that. Hosted by the quick-witted, and quite frankly, sexy, Conor Knighton, the show spends thirty minutes each week dissecting the goings on in media through parody and plain old fun making. Knighton, who began hosting the show when it first hit the air, goes through those remaining magazines on the newsstands, new TV shows, and other hilarious moments that the media provides throughout the week. This week on infoMania he dissected the new fall shows that began airing, primarily attacking ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. He went on to say that infoMania is “America’s best green screen show in standard definition,” further adding to the hilarity of the show — they even make fun of their own show.
Knighton is joined by Rotten Tomatoes host Brett Erlich, who dedicates his time to going through and analyzing popular trends in the viral world of YouTube in his segment Viral Video Film School. Alongside these two, Sergio Chili joins in to give his two cents about current trends in music in his new segment Music Intervention, which is occasionally replaced by his original segment, White Hot Top 5. Chili tends to focus on a particular band or artist for his bi-weekly segment, brilliantly and hilariously pointing out the ridiculous trends of the likes of Lady Gaga and 3OH!3. In the White Hot Top 5, he counts down the most popular songs on iTunes, YouTube, and other music outlets. This week Sergio Chili looked at music through one of the many popular shows to return to the TV this season, Glee. Much to the displeasure of Glee fans, Chili announced that the show was ruining some of the best hits by covering them, going on to say that the show had “Mickey Moused” them. Ben Hoffman occasionally joins the crew for his various segments, which range from the Tech Report, detailing the specs of new gadgets, and sometimes he does the infoMania Editorial, in which he voices his opinion about, well, anything he feels like. This week on infoMania, Hoffman covered iPhone Fart Apps—truly anything goes on this show. In case that’s not enough, resident gay Brian Safi, who joined the crew this past year, takes on the world of gays in the media in his segment That’s Gay. He teamed up with Modern Lady’s Erin Gibson to look at Bride Expos, looking at wedding planners, DJs, and even the plastic surgery parties that are apparently becoming more popular in bridal preparations. Safi typically analyzes the ways in which gays are excluded from the media, or otherwise stereotyped.
And finally, Erin Gibson hosts Modern Lady, a segment that looks at how women are treated in the workplace and in the media. Gibson recently replaced resident feminist and comedian Sarah Haskins, after she left the show. While she’s making a clear effort to be smart and witty, Haskins’ place can never be taken. Her popular Target Women segments can still be seen on Current’s website and they are definitely worth taking a look at. But be warned, starting to watch them may cause you to inadvertently spend several hours watching the seemingly harmless clips from past episodes. Once you start, you simply won’t be able to turn it off. Current has something for everyone, so if you’re looking for something fun and interesting this fall and don’t feel like putting on one of the many sure-to-fail new shows the networks are promoting, check out infoMania on Thursdays at 10pm, or the following day on their website.
