So I have been feverish and congested and basically miserable the last couple of days. That means I spent all of today lying on the couch watching sports, which is of course just fine.

One thing I did manage to see that was only vaguely sports-like was "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" on "The New TNN". The New TNN is basically the old TNN but with more wrestling and Star Trek and less Dukes of Hazzard and fishing shows.

Anyway, "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" interested me mainly because I saw on the promos that it was hosted by Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, director and star of vaguely surreal yakuza films like "Gonin" and "Brother", and the cute but still weird "Kikujiro".

Basically, this show was bits of the Japanese game show "Takeshi's Castle" in which various contestants try to do goofy video game-like challenges and end up hurting themselves (French site with images of the wackiness). In a word, it's hilarious. But what's disappointing about the TNN version of the show is that they dubbed the voices nonsensically a la "What's Up Tiger Lily?". Not only are the new lines not funny, they're pretty offensive. Kind of along the lines of "Oh look at the silly Asians". It's clear that the show would have been great if they had just straight dubbed it or subtitled it. Instead we get sub-Beavis and Butthead cracks from the voice talent.

Anyway, watch the show, but turn the sound off. And Takeshi Kitano's movies are good, so see some of them. Even if they kind of freak you out in spots, which they may.

I think I still have a fever.