Media Blog Project: "The Carbanaro Effect"

                 I chose to do my Media Blog Project on “The Carbanaro Effect” on TruTV on September 30^th 2015. The episode is named "The Doughy Parts." This show is unlike any other and barely fits into the reality genre, in my opinion. Before I summarize the episode, I’d like to explain a little more about the show, so it’s more easily understood. Michael Carbanaro is a magician who came up with a very strange idea for a show. Every episode, he tries to fool the people he encounters by using his own weird style of magic, which can get very comical. He has convinced people that his shoe laces tie themselves, he has a shrink ray, and he’s even convinced someone that they killed another person via super strong tanning bed that turned them to ash. It’s reality show that features a magician that attempts to bend the reality around the people he encounters, who have no idea that he is a magician. Check out a clip here: (The Carbanaro Effect).

            Michael Carbanaro is a magician who grew up in New York City, NY. He has been in a few things prior to "The Carbanaro Effect" but nothing major. The show is in its second season and its mainly filmed in Atlanta at various businesses. The show is on every Tuesday at 6 PM. The show has similarities to shows like "Impractical Jokers" and even some elements of "Punk'd" in it. If one is old enough to know what "Candid Camera" is, then there are aspects of that in the show as well. Although there are similarities in these shows, nothing is like the amazement on the people's faces that he encounters. The difference between his show and other shows like it is, he gets people to believe in the impossible, even if it is a little silly. Also, the way he interacts with his subjects is very smooth and doesn't feel fake, but is often improvisational. 

               "The Doughy Parts" starts with Michael in an art museum, where he instructs a man to help him remove paint from brushes by painting it on a piece of paper in splotches. After getting as much paint off the brushes as he can, the man jokes about whether or not they should hang his splotches, which Michael has him sign. Then, Michael has the man help him open a box that looks as if something valuable is in it, to find an eerily similar picture of random splotches as they guy just drew. When Michael reveals that the painting that looks almost identical to the man’s splotch painting, is a 500,000 dollar painting, the man’s mind gets officially blown.

                The next victim Michael has is a quirky looking lady. Michael has her hold an egg that is made out of “Persian catacomb clay” to her face to show that it’s cool to the touch. He then has the lady set the egg on a stand and read some special instructions, where it says that the egg shouldn’t be handled without gloves. When the lady notices a large hand print located on the egg Michael was holding that protrudes out, she looks back at her egg. She is blown away to find that the egg has changed into a clay version of her face with her hairdo. Michael leaves in haste like usual.

                Michael then changes location and finds himself in an office as though he is there to interview for a job. The secretary makes small talk and Michael asks if he can pitch his ideas to her pre-interview. He uses an over-sized bag that may hold blueprints to cover most of his body, and when he puts it down, the lady realizes something is different, for now Michael has on some weird Elton John glasses and something behind his ear, like a joint. She busts him out and asks him how he changed the way he looked so quick, and then Michael uses his sliver tongue to confuse or ignore the woman’s claim, which is often very funny. He holds the huge bag up again, to reveal that now he has on completely different clothes, and once again the lady thinks she’s crazy because she was so sure he had on a suit when now he is wearing casual wear. Then, when you think it’s all over, he bedazzles the mind once more by making a bag of cheesy puffs appear out of nowhere and he turns his coffee into a large soft drink. As the seen ends, the lady is questioning life itself and seems like she’s almost in tears.

                The next scene starts at the same desk but a different lady, and once again Michael is there for a job interview. There is a basket of bagels behind her and he asks her for one. She hands him a bagel and he tells her how he’s on a no carb diet and that he scoops out the middle part of the bagel before eating. He slowly starts pulling dough out of the bagel, and pulling, and pulling. He accumulates a few handfuls worth the dough, and even some of it looks way too fresh like it wasn’t baked at all. Then he dumps a pile of sesame seeds out, which was probably two or three handfuls itself.  The lady is shocked that that much stuff came out of a bagel.

                The next scene is by far the funniest and it takes place at a public pool. A lady is told to watch the people and to make sure everyone there has a wristband. Michael walks a suitcase across the pool from her and sits down directly in her view. The suitcase Michael brought looks a little bulgy and very heavy. A few moments later, Michael unzips the suitcase to reveal that a lady is in the suitcase. As she slowly exits the suitcase, the lady who was told to watch the pool was absolutely shocked. The lady cannot believe what she is seeing and a couple moments later she calls security about the lady not having a wristband and how she snuck in. By the time security arrives, Michael has the lady get back into the bag and zips her back up. Michael moves towards the gate but it is cut off by the lady, and she asks him why the lady is in the suitcase. She explains to him that it is a safety issue and that the lady that’s in the bag, needs to come out. When he does so, she is shocked to find a blow up doll and not a real person at all. The lady is blown away and looks around a bit. She tells him to put it back in the bag. When he does his big reveal that he does at the end of every show, the lady and Michael chuckle about how she thought she was going crazy as the episode ends.

Analyze:

                The style of the program is very difficult to explain and should be watched to understand the idea, but in my opinion, it is a reality show with comedy included. There is only one character and that is Michael. All the other people featured on the show are supposed to be unsuspecting strangers. Michael dresses up a little different in every scene in order to disguise himself as well as fit in to the store that he may be in. Michael does a great job of “double speaking,” which is basically altering the persons question to fit what he wants to answer. There is no show on TV that is even close to the premise that "The Carbanaro Effect" has, for it is unlike any other. It is very hard to explain, so I do recommend watching an episode to fully grasp the concept of the show.

Interpret:

                Stereotypes are not that big of an issue on "The Carbanaro Effect,"
but Michael does dress up in attire that may fit the store he is playing tricks in. Sometimes, the outfits he uses are very stereotypical when analyzing the “job” he’s doing in that skit. After watching the commercials, I would guess that it’s directed at younger adults, which does make sense, for I would imagine that younger people enjoy watching the show more. The commercials featured were Mt. Dew, Icebreakers, Doritos, KFC, and Mobil 1. The show is a little confusing until you fully realize what Michael is doing that episode. If I was from another country, the show would be very hard to understand because of the premise that really never gets explained. One may assume that the products he shows people are actually real, which is not the case. My guess is that the show appeals to the 18-25 age range. I would guess the income of viewers may be at the bottom end, for college kids aren't usually rich. I would guess that men and women probably like it the same, but maybe more towards the woman side, for it doesn't have action in it. People that are not in a relationship are also more the target audience, due to the minimal time one has if there is a significant other.

Evaluate:

                The shows strengths are that it’s like no other show on TV, as well as it being very captivating, in that one wonders how he does the things he does. Its weaknesses are that it’s a little hard to grasp at first and some may never understand what’s going on. It does something that no other show does in that he doesn’t tell them he is a magician, so the people’s reaction to what happens is raw. Their reactions are amazement and wonder, and it reminds me of a kid seeing something for the first time. It’s definitely memorable and worth talking about with friends, for all the little ideas he has often come to mind when I see other things. I’ll never see a tanning bed the same again. Neil Genzlinger of the New York Times says that “what makes it all succeed are the reactions of his targets. There is bafflement, but it’s mixed with a 21st-century credulity.” This echoes my same reactions to the show. There are those that didn't enjoy the show as much as I did. I found one on IMDB by lilmul 123, that claims "If you try really hard to suspend your disbelief, you will find entertainment in the show." They rated it as 3 out of 10 stars and was easily the worst review. However, there are many more like Kelly Bate, also on IMDB, who think its a "Great Idea!"

Engage: 

                 I do watch this show on a regular basis. I tried to get my mom to watch the show, but she just didn’t get it. My roommate and I watch it every week though. I’m not a fan on Facebook, nor do I visit the website. Michael is on Twitter and it seems like he uses it a lot. I like that he adds additional insight to the bits that he does. “I love this woman's Sassssssss.... the BEST faces! #poolsideguard #talkingtoherself #carbonaroeffect” is a tweet about the same lady, who was supposed to watch the pool (The Carbanaro Effect on Twitter).

 Conclusion:

               Upon further examination, I learned that the show has many fans, who love the people’s reactions to his “magic,” as much as I do. The kind of culture this show reflects naivety, and that we are very gullible. He is good, but I feel like his best acts are usually people who seem like they’d believe anything. One thing I would like to add, is that I believe I know one of his biggest secrets, and that is… He has an identical twin. Just a guess.