"Da Ali G Show"
Of course, those who enjoy a side of hearty chortles with their caustic wit flocked to the feeding trough of Sacha Baron Cohen of HBO's "Da Ali G Show." This year, Cohen's alter egos cornered a whole new herd of unsuspecting boobs into making insufferable assholes of themselves for our entertainment. From Borat, the reporter from Khazakistan who often seems to be channeling Peter Sellers, to Bruno, the Austrian fashion reporter, to white gangsta idiot Ali G, Cohen uses his incredible talent for improv and physical comedy to subversive effect, exposing crusty American attitudes simply by stumbling onto the scene armed with a dangerous mix of fake ignorance and back-slapping enthusiasm. Amazingly, the second season of the show was even better than the first, featuring interactions and interviews with people so odd or offensive, they were far more entertaining than anything Cohen could've dreamed up himself. Take James Broadwater, who not only answers Borat's question "Which is the party of the homosexuals?" but allows Borat to campaign by his side, warning constituents that if they don't vote for Broadwater, the man will simply seize power, Stalin-style. Or who can forget Pastor Quinn, who informs Bruno that eating brunch isn't immoral, as long as it's "with Christian friends and there's no one else around that's gonna seduce you into sin"? Let's just pray that Cohen won't get too popular, so that Ali G will have plenty of oblivious targets for many seasons to come.

"My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss"

Better not judge a TV show by its title, because "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss" is the best reality TV lampoon to date. A direct parody of "The Apprentice," the show features a gaggle of aspiring business types anxious to win a job from jerk boss N. Paul Todd, played brilliantly by William August. Sounds awful, right? Just tune in for a small sampling and see for yourself. Take this recent episode, where Todd announces that he'll be reshuffling the teams of contestants:

Mr. Todd: Let's face reality. Some of you are, quote, "prettier" than the others. In business, people who are more attractive have a leg up. OK, so here's how it's going to work. We're going to split into two new teams. There will be equal amounts of attractiveness and unattractiveness, according to me.

In the absurd moments that follow, Todd and his assistant pretend to consult, telling people to switch teams, then switch back, presumably trying to balance prettiness with ugliness between the groups. The looks on the contestants' faces, as each person wonders how they might be tipping the scales in one direction or another, are unforgettable. Once the teams are established, Todd forces the teams to sell "eco-pons" (ecologically safe tampons made of sticks and leaves) and reusable toilet paper, and the contestants somehow manage to sell both, mostly with cheap tricks and outright lies. Finally, Todd makes everyone come up with a slogan and a hand gesture that he can use when he fires them. If you can ignore the excessive Fox-specific cliffhanger percussion and double-takes, this show is a pure delight to watch, particularly for those who've lost more hours of their life to The Donald than they'd care to admit.

"Doonesbury"

It might seem strange to count Garry Trudeau's long-running political cartoon as evidence that this was the year satire broke wide, but any mention of satire without Trudeau would seem an even bigger crime, particularly given Trudeau's brilliant work this year. Trudeau's stories offer a rare blend of cutting wit, bitterness and genuine concern for those who get caught under the wheels of the system; he recently told Rolling Stone that his story ideas, some of which focus on the troops in Iraq, are informed by real soldiers who e-mail him with stories and perspectives on the war. Maybe that's why Trudeau makes the cynical satirists in his midst look like children with switchblades -- for Trudeau, the specific ways in which the government fails us are more than just fodder for potty jokes. Take this recent cartoon, in which two voices are heard coming from the White House:

Voice No. 1: Powell never should've happened! That's why we're creating a new Cabinet-level post.

Voice No. 2: We are, sir?

Voice No. 1: Secretary of toady affairs! A loyalty enforcer to ensure that everyone in this government is singing from the same hymnal!

When Trudeau takes a chunk of flesh from the administration for its audacity, you can somehow trust that these are the reactions of a man who has witnessed the flailings of every president from Nixon to Bush II -- he even went to Yale with our current president. In fact, in the same Rolling Stone interview, he says that he still remembers how good Bush was at controlling people through "little bits of perfectly placed humiliation." These days, Trudeau is getting his revenge with a little daily serving of the same.

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