(Who can stay submerged the longest?! Holding Your Breath Underwater Battle!!)
http://channel.pandora.tv/channel/video.ptv?ref=em_over&ch_userid=keigoo&prgid=37578186&categid=all&page=1
笑福亭鶴瓶 (Shofukutei Shohei) Real Name: 渡士洋(Toshi Hiroshi)
脈理 (みゃくり): Pulse
酸素 (さんそ): Oxygen
乱暴(らんぼう): Rude, violent, unreasonable.
故障(こしょう): Breakdown, failure.
鼻 ほじる (鼻ほじる): Pick one's nose.
- Go in the water and hold your breath. Whoever is submerged the longest time wins!
Furthermore, they've got a guest. Introducing him by his "real name" (again, as they often do) the regulars bring out "Toshi Hiroshi" otherwise known as the familiar Gaki no Tsukai Guest "Shohei!."
As Shohei arrives, they engage in a little light introductory banter. Matsumoto, exercising his usually weird take on things calls Shohei "Underwater Entertainer Toshi Hiroshi," then confirms that he is their "Sempai." (Superior in age and experience.) Shohei notes this too, as Matsumoto asks how long he's been in show business. "About 29 or 30 years," he answers.
"Twenty nine or thirty years!" says Matsumoto. "Hard to understand." (a both brilliant and common Matsumoto line). "Your career is just as long as 佐野 元春 (Sano Motoharu, a Japanese guitarist and Rock musician.)" Matsomoto says, to which Shohei agrees. Then turning on a dime, Matsumoto asks, "But don't you want to stop talking already?" There is laughter all 'round, and Shohei say's he's happy to be there, as it's been a while since they've met. For this occasion, Hamada says, Shohei has been given the TOP position in their contest. As will be mentioned frequently throughout the episode, he's to be "Top Batter" ("first up.")
After the credits role, the soon to be familiar bumper rolls: "トップバッター!" (Top Batter!). It also mentions Shohei works for the 太田プロ (Ohta Puro "pro" Talent Agency.)
First Attempt:
Before submerging himself, Shohei says his pulse is racing, and that uses oxygen! He also mentions that Matsumoto is a little rude and unreasonable, but he's soon underwater! However, as director 堤本 (Dotemoto, or nicknamed つっつん "tsuttsun") mentions, when he comes out, there's obviously been a problem with the timer-- it didn't stop when desired. Would they mind waiting a moment?
While the crew waits (a hilariously uncomfortable and long time) for the timer to be replaced, Shohei asks if they could measure his time from when he was inside (the tank, by the video recording)--? But Hamada says that wouldn't allow them to do the "reveal" of the timer value.
Soon the crew from Telmic arrives to replace the timer, and while it's gone, some regret sets in-- and Shohei's ("getting cold...") request for a towel is answered in an.. underwhelming.. way ("we don't have any bath towels" says the crew). When Endou asks if they haven't got something for Shohei to put on, the results are similarly underwhelming. The towel (vest?) is also hardly appropriate. "We don't have any bathrobes," says the crew, on cue.
Second Attempt:
The regulars are amazed Shohei opens his eyes during his second attempt, but Shohei's manager (府野 or Funo) is less impressed. He carried out his attempt without his glasses on! It's a non-starter for the Ohta talent agency if he doesn't wear his glasses. Matsumoto also mentions (the audience) will find it difficult to understand who he is without his glasses on. The director thinks they ought to reset and do it again. He's reluctant, but as a real pro, He'll do it again.
Third Attempt:
The events all follow a bit more quickly now. Shohei's third attempt is cut short by Tanaka's sudden nosebleed. (Shohei: "Tanaka, why are you saying 'sorry'?") After he gets out of the tank, Shohei asks when it happened. "Kind of.. during recording," answers Tanaka. "I've picked my nose a little."
"It's a reset," says the director, to which Shohei asks, confused, "Who? Who's the person who should reset?" The answer to that question is soon made clear.
Fourth Attempt:
Shohei gets up to the reveal of his time (15 seconds underwater) when the taping is interrupted by producer Suga ((菅 賢治 Suga Kenji) who mentions that Shohei's "D*ck came out" during taping. "It was small, but it came out. And to be certain, it was VERY small." So, saying he'll close his legs, Shohei goes back in.
Fifth Attempt:
Now all realism is thrown out the window. As Shohei is about to submerge himself, Yamasaki falls down in a fit, meowing like a kitten. But producer Onuma (大沼) knows what to do: he dons the robe of a Shinto priest and says Yamasaki is possessed by the spirit of a snake! After a short ceremony, he is able to exorcise the spirit-- but not before it jumps into Endou! When everything is soon put right, neither can remember what happened.
After this drama, Shohei understandably mentions that perhaps they've filmed enough. "With narration, it ought to be enough." Downtown meet this suggestion with a rude silence, and Shohei's goes back in.
Sixth Attempt:
This attempt is soon interrupted by グレート義太夫 (actor, the Great Gidayuu) who joins Shohei in the tank. When asked what he's doing, Gidayuu says he's just staring to hold his breath. "But why have you come here on your own?" asks Matsumoto. "If you're holding your breath, there's no WAY I wouldn't be here," answers Gidayuu.
In this weird situation, Hamada asks Shohei to have a word with Gidayuu. Uncomfortably, he does so. After five minutes, Gidayuu leaves. "He surprised me!" says Shohei, just as it's time to reset. But the repetition and cold (Yamasaki: "We're cold... Shohei: And I'M cold...) is starting to grate. With a "Last Time!" on his lips, Shohei enters the tank again...
Seventh Attempt:
Finally, everything seems to fall into place-- but at the last minute Producer Suga interrupts the proceedings again. "It came out. Your d*ck. It was small, but it came out. In 30 years of television work it's never come out so many times, so continuously. With Shohei, it invariably comes out!" And the credits roll, production raps, leaving Shohei standing wet, alone, and without a towel.
I suppose most normal television programs would use the one thousandth show to indulge in a little lazy self-congratulation with an obnoxious "spectacular" filled with clips, guest stars and wistful reminiscences. Not so the Gaki crew, who use the occasion to present an episode that presents the stripped down essence of what the show is about. But that doesn't make it any less of a "spectacular."
What is this essence they present? There are many sides to it, but I think it boils down to this: all things are subservient to "the Gag," a central, pre-scripted joke that can be repeated and varied in endless clever ways.
In this case, the simple Gag is Shohei's inability to complete his breath-holding attempt. But this simple conceit, repeated six times in the episode (almost a Shichi-Henge, or "seven apparitions?") is played upon differently in each, in both major and minor ways. They never deviate from the Gag, but it is instead used as a springboard-- each time using the same situation to different comedic ends, such as:
- Exploiting tension in the Senpai relationship between Shohei and the Gaki regulars. They make an explicit point to mention this early in the episode in order to accentuate inappropriate humiliations that are heaped upon Shohei.
- Exploiting long, uncomfortable, "jokeless" situations, to tease humor from social awkwardness.
- Using increasingly ridiculous staged "television" style broad comedic situations (Yamasaki's posession.)
- Improvisational, Rakugo or Manzai style comedy-- such as used in Matsumoto and Shohei's initial conversation.
- Playing with "mockumentary" style that includes television crew as speaking, comedic roles. This increases the tension between obvious broad "unreal" comedy and more "real" instantaneous, improvised comedy
- Repetition. Part of the humor also comes from the sheer nerve at repeating such and obvious comedic situation so many times so brazenly. Some jokes, like Producer Suga stopping the program, are funnier the second time.
- Irony/Nostalgia. Having Shohei, an entertainer that the cast seem faintly embarassed of (at the same time they revere him) also touches the intermittent nostalgia that marks many Gaki episodes, making light of slightly passe and outdated entertainers and humor.
Thank you for the post!
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