MTV's 'Headtrip' is a sorry exercise in mindless futility

In a turn of events surprising to no one, yet another new cartoon has debuted this fall. Producers these days seem to be increasingly enamored of the potential for cartoons to attract audiences. The like-minded programmers at MTV seem to think that throwing the staple stars of their channel into these cartoons as well is an even better idea. And why not, though dreadful, MTV's Celebrity Death Match is a hit and it seems like a genuinely good idea to base more TV shows on the heckling of the laughable gaggle of stars currently popular with MTV's audience.

Unfortunately, what MTV has given us is "Head Trip," possibly the worst show in the sorry history of failed MTV television shows. There is no real point or direction to this show, each is merely a series of unrelated scenes that are, without exception, incredibly unentertaining.

"Head Trip's" basic component, cutouts of celebrity's heads saying witty things, is even stupider than it sounds. The photograph heads on badly animated bodies evoke South Park's rendition of Saddam Hussein, but unlike Saddam, "Head Trip's" characters don't have anything even remotely funny to say.

"Head Trip" serves up such wretch inducing scenes as Ricky Martin trying to convince someone how loco he is because he runs with scissors, the revelation that Brittany Spears is a robot and Puff Daddy does really bad standup comedy. Its like they wanted this show to be funny, but just in case anyone portrayed might be offended, they limited the edginess of "Head Trip's" humor to the occasional use of the word "bitch".

"Head Trip" isn't all poorly written cartoon high jinks though. There are also music videos with what MTV terms "funny comments" but which are better characterized as the most unimaginative, insipid jokes ever written. It's like Beavis and Butthead, only much more stupid. Doesn't sound possible? Just try to imagine people with squeaky voices spending three minutes commenting on the dancing in a Sugar Ray video.

One would think anyone could come up with amusing things to say about Brandy and Monica's fun-to-deride video for "The Boy is Mine," but "Head Trip" fails even at this seemingly simple task.

There is no break from "Head Trip's" proclivity to being annoying and unwatchable throughout its unbearably long half-hour. MTV, defying all expectations, has managed to sink even lower in the quality of its programming. They'd be better off just putting on more Backstreet Boys videos than leaving the horrendously bad "Head Trip" on the air any longer.

11-09-99