If you've been watching the baseball playoffs on TBS, you've probably seen ads for the Frank Caliendo sketch comedy show Frank TV, oh, about a billion fucking times. The most annoying part of the Frank TV commercials–and there's a lot of competition for the "Most Annoying" award here–is the part at the end where Frank's lovably idiotic version of George W. Bush smirks at the camera and says "Very funny!"
Beleaguered sports fans will remember the "Very funny!" tagline from the NBA playoffs, when TNT (TBS' sister network) ran round-the-clock ads for Tyler Perry's House Of Payne. Each round of painfully unfunny clips from House Of Payne would end with Tyler Perry smirking at the camera and saying "Very funny!" (You see the pattern here?)
I've never watched Frank TV or House Of Payne, but based on the premise that commercials are intended to sell products by showing us the best they have to offer, I feel I can safely conclude that neither show is "Very funny!" or "Funny!" or "Amusing!" or even "Watchable!" In fact, I'm sure both shows are, in fact, "So tedious they can't even be enjoyed ironically!"
Still, you can't beat the genius of using the "Very funny!" tagline for shows totally lacking in comedic value. If the funnyman impersonating the president on TV tells us he's very funny, then he must, in fact, be very funny, even if you're not laughing or smiling or lowering the gun from your temple. Who are we to disagree with Frank Caliendo? Not only is he inexplicably part of Fox's NFL Sunday pre-game show, he has his own variety program on the Superstation. He's the king of all media! Man, I'm laughing already! Hey Frank, do your impression of John Madden walking into a gay bar! Boom!
I wonder if putting "Very funny!" next to other unfunny things has a similar "humorization" affect. Tell me if this does anything for you:
Larry The Cable Guy: Very funny!
An American Carol: Very funny!
Schindler's List: Very funny!
Testicular cancer: Very funny!
President John McCain: Very funny!
Who's laughin'?
P.S. I realize that we have ads for Frank TV all over this site. So, please, ignore everything I just wrote!