by Ryan Hanley

Created on: July 03, 2008

Remember back in the 90's when In Living Color was still on? That was around the time where jokes about one's momma were cool. And any aspect of one's momma was up for grabs. You could attack her weight, her intelligence, her smell, etc. The possibilities were literally endless. Maybe your momma was so fat that she sat on a dollar and made four quarters. Better yet, she could have been so stupid that I told her it was chilly outside and she ran out with a bowl and spoon. Of course, maybe your momma was so easy that she was like a doorknob: everyone gets a turn. Yes, those were the good old days of "your momma" jokes and Homey the Clown. Does anyone miss those days? Well, you are in luck because we have Wilmer Valderrama (TV's That 70's Show to relive them for us with his show on MTV entitled, you guessed it, Yo Momma.

The premise of the show is basically what is in the title. Valderrama goes out and finds those with the sharpest wits and the sharper tongues. Depending on what city the show is in, Valderrama and his crew start with of the various provinces or sections of the city, pick a winner from each, and then the winners eventually square off in a battle to "represent". This happens for a whole season with the winners of the previous shows eventually squaring off in the final round of insult supremacy.

Let me start by saying that no matter how old "your momma" jokes get, the contestants seem to find a way and make them seem like new. For the most part the heavy hitters that turn up on the show have a good sense of pop culture, society, and whatnot and can then work it into the joke. But something seems missing from the jokes...oh wait, I know. The humor!

Sorry Fez, but I really don't think the show is that funny.

And what is even worse is that it is mainly Valderrama's fault. One of the shows little "gems" is that the two champs of their respective sections get to go to their opponent's house and dig up any dirt they can for the challenge. It is during this time where Valderrama shows us just how annoying he is. While the contestant is finding some embarrassing material, Valderrama just embarrasses himself by trying to come up with some weird joke about their findings. It's not so much that the jokes aren't funny (which they aren't), but it's because Valderrama's delivery is always the same: slow and weird. If you don't believe me, you can usually see the reaction off of the contestant, which usually says "why is Fez being dork and when do we get to leave?"

What's also extremely disappointing about Yo Momma is that the set-up of the joke is what makes it memorable and yet the contestants usually resort to just making fun of each other in lame and obvious ways. Despite one of the shows judges saying "OK guys, in this round you are going to joke about 'why yo momma is so fat'", the contestants usually end up saying things like "at least my hair isn't a rats nest" or some other retort towards the opponent. Did I miss something? Isn't the show called Yo Momma? So why are we not sticking to the "momma" jokes? Maybe it is just me, but something about that just makes me uninterested in the show all together.

It's all of these little elements about the show that make it somewhat forgettable. I suppose I could see the potential in it, but I honestly don't think that the potential was reached.

Sorry Fez. Next time you want to be nostalgic, stick to the 70's.

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