While I was working on a report tonight I had ABC (Almost Broadcasting Company) on in the background. Drew Carey (a very funny guy) was on. About a third of the way through his show he announced that they were doing a company-wide Y2K test of all the computers. The system failed, lights went out, and it was very serious in a comedic sense. Drew rushed to the IT department where he was lectured for approximately 2 minutes on how bad Y2K was really going to be and that our very own government was lying to us to prevent panic!

The IT guy gave Drew a book about Y2K to read. Drew and his gang read the book, and seriously (in a comedic way) began preparations, food, water, money, and a fall-out shelter was built in his basement. It was in no way treated like anybody who prepared were "doomers". Instead, their preparation was treated as prudence with comedy thrown in.

It's an amazing coincidence that when T minus 100 arrived it seems like its okay to talk about Y2K.

If anyone else saw the program I'd be interested in his or her feedback.

Regards,

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Y2KOK.ORG), September 23, 1999

Answers

I saw it, too. But it looked to me that they were making a joke out of it. Lewis and his $37,000 in a trash bag was a clever way to make people squirm at the thought of taking their money out. Did you notice the trash man picked up Kate's bag of $2000 and she had to chase him down? IMHO - subtle -very subtle. Seems to me the spin has had to take a new turn., i.e. talk about it openly but make it into a big joke.

-- April (Alwzapril@home.com), September 23, 1999.

everything that happened in that episode was very in character for those people. Kate is severly irresponsible, Lewis is a moron and Drew worries. It all made sense if you have been a fan of the show for any length of time.

-- b (b@b.b), September 23, 1999.

I think some poetic license is appropriate. Laughing at a problem is, to a certain point, in my opinion a very healthy thing to do. If one can laugh at a problem, psychologically, then one has won and the problem has lost.

-- Ann Y Body (annybody@no.where.dis.org), September 23, 1999.

My favorite part was the new Toyota commercial with the Times Square New Year's Eve countdown, at Zero all the lights in the city go off!

Toyota is steppin' on KIA's toes here. (and not doing it as well!)

I think the only thing that Drew Carey gets is the fact that Y2K mockery has become mainstream comedy fodder. The "final joke" was a take on an old "Twilight Zone" episode with Burgess Meredith. The nukes drop on Cleveland, and Drew is happy to be the last man alive, safe in his bunker with his pile of Playboy magazines. He sneezes, his glasses go flying and shatter. Now he's stuck with all those Playboys, and he can't see them.

Y2K is all over the place now, but NEVER looked at seriously. Robin Williams was on Letterman on Tuesday night, and he DID seem to get it. Dave asked him if he was going to do one of those big New Year's Eve shows, and Robin was like NO WAY! Dave said he thought everything was going to be fine, and it became quite uncomfortable for a moment before the subject was changed.

It's still just a big joke to most, and with the release of this latest Senate Report, it will get even funnier. People are going to die.

-- (dot@dot.dot), September 23, 1999.

GREAT! I loved it. The other(polly) shoe never dropped. Don't complain that they made some jokes for cryin out loud, it's a sit-com not a senate report! No one on the show-not once, said anything to the effect of "it ain't gonna happen". They built a bunker for cryin out loud! If this show opened even one persons sleepy eye's, I say hooray!

-- CygnusXI (noburnt@toast.net), September 23, 1999.

I agree, the other shoe never did drop. I was waiting for the joke where everyone who is preparing is a "tinfoil." But it never came. It was a good show for those who have been thinking about it for some time, but don't really GI. It was almost like a public service. Very cool.

-- mar (derigueur2@aol.com), September 23, 1999.

I read an article about Robin Williams a few years ago in a computer magazine. He is a big computer/internet buff. He really does get it. I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't visited here once or twice. I would love to hear about his preparation plan.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), September 23, 1999.

See also: <:)=

OT.ABC Drew Carey this evening.

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 23, 1999.