From today’s NY Times:
- For Fine Living, a fast-growing but small channel available in about 50 million homes, the endeavor comes with a built-in punch line that doubles as an insurance policy. The co-hosts of “Whatever, Martha!” are Ms. Stewart’s daughter, Alexis Stewart, and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, who is the daughter of the chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Charles Koppelman.
Martha Stewart is not widely known for her sense of humor. But she is in on this particular joke. In fact, she created it, dreaming up the premise after watching reruns of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” during a sleepless night. That series, produced from 1988 to 1999, delivered sarcastic commentary about old horror movies, and had blossomed into a cable cult hit.
It was your new boyfriend’s idea, wasn’t it?
39 responses so far ↓
1 Katie M. on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:22 am
My question: When and Where did she see said reruns??
2 Courtney on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:25 am
I bet Martha was at Comic Con. We just didn’t recognize her in her “Sexy Bobba Fett” costume.
3 Nanobots on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:28 am
Or maybe *SHE* was the one in the Darth Vadar costume!
Whattya say, Kevin?
4 SecretIdentityCrisis on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:28 am
I’m not sure what’s more strange; that Martha had an MST all-nighter, or that she ripped off the concept, or that she’s willing to be made fun of..
She could probably knit up a couple of darling robots for that show.
5 Nanobots on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:34 am
Fight back. Start a rifftrax cooking show!
6 ThePete on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:37 am
Does it count as parody if you do it to yourself, though? I mean, part of why MST3K worked so well was because it *wasn’t* made by folks from Hollywood. Rifftrax wouldn’t be funny today if George Lucas co-hosted for “Phantom Menace” and was like “Yeah, Jar-Jar Binks! What was I thinking?”
Ah well, anything for a buck, I suppose. I wish my mom would create a show for me to be in.
7 TeeJay on Aug 11, 2008 at 9:39 am
I’m still trying to get over the horror that is Howard Stern and Martha Stewart in the same picture…
My eyes hurt
8 Smuttynose on Aug 11, 2008 at 10:03 am
“Ms. Stewart’s daughter, Alexis Stewart, and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, who is the daughter of the chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Charles Koppelman.
HUTT!!!
Does anyone else here see this? WE ARE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS HERE, PEOPLE!!!!
9 Rob T Firefly on Aug 11, 2008 at 10:25 am
She hooked a flux capacitor to her cable box in order to watch reruns from the past. And that’s a good thing.
10 Spookette on Aug 11, 2008 at 10:35 am
I don’t know what’s more sad, the fact that Martha thinks this show will be a hit, or the way Ms. Koppelman Hutt thinks whittling a twig is “screamingly hilarious”.
11 Tim on Aug 11, 2008 at 11:17 am
If future episodes of “Whatever, Martha!” begin to feature “Alexis and The ‘Bots” voicing wisecracks over Martha’s cooking segments, can you imagine the epic battle that will enmsue between the Middle-Earth-size legions of lawyers, commanded by Martha and Jim Mallon?
12 Onil on Aug 11, 2008 at 11:23 am
According to the article, the hosts are often raunchy and nothing is off limits. I, for one, cannot wait for riffs on Martha Stewart’s caged heat days.
I wish I could tell you Martha fought the good fight and the Sisters let him be… etc., etc.
13 seanf on Aug 11, 2008 at 11:50 am
Since Martha has pitched herself as being the embodiment of the American ideal (well, apart from that whole convicted felon thing), Bill, I think it’s only fitting that you introduce Martha to the most American institution of all: a lawsuit!!! Maybe as a settlement, she’ll agree to do a guest riff on a Michael Bay film. Now THAT would sell like hotcakes.
14 seanf on Aug 11, 2008 at 11:53 am
Actually, it would be pretty awesome if Lucas riffed on the Phantom Menace. Although from what I’ve read, the riffs would be more like:
George: Now, this a great scene. I wish I had thought of putting in huge pointless and kind of boring pod chase in the original Star Wars. Wait…. maybe it’s not too late!
and
George: Now this actor here– the guy that plays Qui-Gon– I can’t remember his name– I love the way that his lightsaber looks.
15 seanf on Aug 11, 2008 at 11:56 am
Hey, TeeJay, you’re not the same TeeJay over on RWG and RWI, are you? And if you have to ask what RWG and RWI stand for, then I think you’ve answered the question.
16 R.A. Roth on Aug 11, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I propose the immediate startup of the MST3K Network, which will include the cooking show, “Martha Eats Crow”.
Randy
17 Hugh on Aug 11, 2008 at 12:43 pm
That sounds downright pornographic.
18 suzanne on Aug 11, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I too have spent many a sleepless night, watching MST3K and dreaming up shows for Martha Stewart to be in and subsequently ridiculed by her own daughter. Glad to see I’m not alone.
Also, Conor is a lazy ass.
19 Cornjob on Aug 11, 2008 at 1:04 pm
That’s really funny because one night I couldn’t sleep and I was up watching old Star Trek reruns, and I “dreamed up” my new original TV show idea about a space ship full of people exploring the galaxy.
20 Ben on Aug 11, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Sounds like your money problems are over? I smell a lawsuit burning in Martha’s kitchen and she even admits stealing the riff idea.
Uh…you guys did originate and copyright that, right?
21 Ryan on Aug 11, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I’m sure Crow (wherever he is) is suitably horrified.
22 Mr. Slick on Aug 11, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Martha is dating Eegah!?!
23 Mr. Slick on Aug 11, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I looked at the article and I invite anyone to look at the picture of Martha’s daughter and tell me she does NOT look like David Spade in drag.
24 Heather on Aug 11, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Martha’s explanation sounds a lot like the plot of the “Money for Nothing” music video.
25 Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk on Aug 11, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Someone ought to sue Martha Stewart for having a cooking show and clothing line. SURELY those ideas have already been done!
I, for one, don’t care. I think it’s great that more people want to get in and riff. And hell, it’s not like she could do any worse than Mike and crew have done with Rifftrax thus far.
26 Mike "ex-genius" Kelley on Aug 12, 2008 at 4:03 am
I’m surprised no one has commented on the truly upsetting implication here: Martha Stewart is an MST3K fan.
It kind of makes me rethink my whole devotion to the show.
27 Tom on Aug 12, 2008 at 5:14 am
I don’t see how Martha could be a serious MST3k fan. I’m pretty sure one of her staff said “Hey, wouldn’t it be coll if someone riffed on Martha?”. At that point she promptly threw her staffer under the bus and proclaimed the idea as her own.
28 Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk on Aug 12, 2008 at 6:41 am
Well, that explains the “ex-genius” part. Seriously, how old are you.. six? Just because someone you don’t like happens to be interested in something you like, you have to question your devotion to it? It sounds to me like there is no question here.. you’re not that devoted.
29 Mystok on Aug 12, 2008 at 7:12 am
I’ve officially seen everything now (Howard and Martha in love), let the collider build the black hole now… please!
30 dhilema on Aug 12, 2008 at 7:29 am
Dear Smuttynose,
Are you in N.H.? Portsmouth area? ala Smuttynose brewery? Could my days of watching J & the bots in hiding be over?
D.
31 Bix Dugan on Aug 12, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Howard’s first questions to Martha had to do with which brand of vibrator she uses.
“The Tickler”?
“The JackRabbit”?
I forget. She did come up with a name, though. It was like 2 years ago.
But the word they used to describe Martha’s daughter’s “possible” disposition? I won’t even go there…
Rhymed with “bunty”, and she agreed!
Now it’s a sound bite.
32 sooOOODium on Aug 12, 2008 at 7:23 pm
It’s a small internet. From my house, I might be able to see the Portsmouth Brewery Restaurant with a good pair of binoculars.
33 Mike "ex-genius" Kelley on Aug 13, 2008 at 9:18 am
Hmmm, I’m guessing that *some* folks here aren’t familiar with sarcasm (shoe fit, Jesus?)
Odd that you would be interested in a show that almost exclusively deals in it. Sigh.
34 Enron Hubbard on Aug 13, 2008 at 10:45 am
“Wow. Sarcasm. *That’s* original.”
(Beat)
Signed,
Dr. Horrible
35 Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk on Aug 13, 2008 at 11:01 am
Sarcasm is one thing. Cutting & pasting the same statement and spreading it throughout the internet is another. Your latest post reeks of cop-outedness (is that even a word? if not, I’m claiming it!) due to the shame you feel for being called out for making such a ridiculous statement. The very fact that you said “kind of” leads me to believe that you weren’t being so tongue-in-cheek as you’d like us to believe.
36 The Elusive Bob on Aug 16, 2008 at 12:38 pm
If the show is a rip-off of MST3K, then Best Brains can and should try to get an injunction to stop her from making it.
37 Sideswipe on Oct 21, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Wow, Jabba the Hutt’s 2nd cousin, Jennifer Koppelman Hutt? I should check this out!
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