Foul, gross, lewd, profane, vulgar, raunchy and, last but not least, hilarious.
All of the above are words that describe “ADDTV,” the Community 21 cable-access show that challenges the age-old debate that contemplates whether obscene humor is out of style. These guys say it never left.
The beginning work for “ADDTV” came from producer Aaron Franz’s delinquent days back in central Pennsylvania. As a skateboarder, Franz said he and his friends felt no one cared about them and people just wanted them to disappear. In turn, Franz and fellow skaters became public disturbances, performing intentional acts that people would hate and taping them out in the open. The final product was Franz’s first documentary, “Barrel of Monkeys,” which he sold for $7.
“Aaron was always just a little different because art had always been his thing, but I am so glad that he can take his talent and do something constructive with it,” said mother Linda Franz.
After his hometown success, Franz brought his documentary dreams to Columbus, where he attends the Columbus College of Art and Design.
As a freshman, Franz met Jonas Nicholes in the dorms where they began producing “The Jonas and Aaron Show,” which in only two short episodes became “ADDTV.”
“My show is the other side – the other perspective,” Franz said. “It is a show about rebels who make their own realities, and ‘ADDTV’ gives the Columbus area a chance to see what realities I have made for myself.”
Each episode requires 10 hours of taping before Franz edits his life, using only a video camera and VCR to create his 30 minute program. The show quickly jumps back and forth between unrelated events to the tune of hard and fast punk metal; hence its reference to Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD.
“I like the title because it tells you what you can expect but it doesn’t give away that much,” Franz said. “But most of the time people don’t get it. They think it’s ‘add’ – like the math function – TV.”
Franz described the taping of “ADDTV” as haphazard. The unexpected madness and shaky camera that gives “ADDTV” its low-budget effect is a factor that makes Franz consider “ADDTV” as truly ‘real’ reality TV.
” ‘ADDTV’ is loaded with intense images of real people in stupid situations,” Franz said.
Nicholes said the people involved and their actions is what makes “ADDTV” a genuinely diverse program.
“For my whole life, I have always been surrounded by a bunch of freaks,” he said. “And there is just too much crazy stuff and too many crazy people out there to ignore.”
Nicholes said he feels anyone can relate to or laugh at their random acts.
“Any normal person flipping through the TV is going to stop and watch when they see a naked guy doing jumping jacks on the top of a car in the middle of 4th Street,” Nicholes said. “In all honesty, most of our ideas come from being drunken idiots.”
The alcohol factor comes into play because much of the “ADDTV” footage is shot at local parties.
“When you’re out, you always see things and go ‘man, I wish I had a camera,’ so Franz always has his,” Nicholes said. “Wherever we go – parties, Wal-Mart, White Castle – the camera goes with us.”
Various White Castle locations appear to be frequent sets for “ADDTV.” From handing the drive-thru teller a mouse in their money to performing in the dining room dressed in suits with guitar and amp in hand, the stars of “ADDTV” cause mayhem wherever they end up.
“All of our taping is on-the-spot,” Franz said. “We have no scripts and no plans. The situation usually presents itself and then we just do what comes into our heads.”
“ADDTV” catches a lot of flack from viewers who say their show is too similar to MTV’s program “Jackass.”
“The comparison gets really annoying,” Franz said. “We’re two totally separate concepts. ‘Jackass’ is a bunch of thoughtout skits that are elaborately trying to be funny. They have a plan, prepare for it and then tape. I feel that no one does anything interesting anymore, let alone anything on their own, so that’s where “ADDTV” steps in. It’s not about buying into something, it’s about doing your own thing.”
Roommate and cast member Larry Webber shares some of the same humble thoughts about “ADDTV.”
“To us, the show is not that big of a deal,” Webber said. “We didn’t start taping so we could be on TV. It was more so we could sit back, watch and laugh over and over again at ourselves. In a way, ‘ADDTV’ is our family home movie.”
“When I first moved into the house, I thought ‘how do I get drug into these idiotic events?’ But if you lived with these people, you’d see that there is no way around it and this type of behavior is expected,” Webber said.
Webber sees “ADDTV” as a release of pent up energy, but sometimes that release can be pretty loud.
Ex-neighbor Amanda Love knows all about their loud behavior – she used to live on the opposite side of their two house duplex last year.
“I knew if I lived there it would be crazy, but fun,” Love said. “They treated me like one of the guys and I was never offended by any of their actions. At first their nudity and graphic nature was a little shocking, but I quickly became comfortable with it because they are so comfortable with themselves.”
Fireworks in the house and bottle breaking sometimes forced Love to hide in her room, but she has no regrets.
“When I’m around them, all I do is laugh and what makes them even more funny is that their humor comes so naturally,” she said.
In addition to their surrounding peers, the “ADDTV” crew still continues to make themselves laugh after four years.
“We don’t do things to be funny – we just do what we do,” Webber said.
Not everyone who watches the show agrees. At the end of each program, viewers are encouraged to send in their thoughts and comments to the show’s Web site. The overall consensus is mixed. When comments come in that suggest that the cast “die” or “go to hell” Franz simply responds with “thanks for your input and remember to keep watching the show.”
“I love it when people write in positive comments, but I also love it when people hate us and get angry,” Franz said. “I go for both because there is no middle ground with ‘ADDTV.’ The show is purposefully in your face and the humor is on the edge but at the same time, it’s a wake up call and we consider ourselves to be challenging modern society.”
With each episode, “ADDTV” continues to improve with new stunts and scenarios, faster paces and shorter cuts.
“It’s just going to keep getting better and better,” said Nicholes.
Cable access programs have no regular schedule, but due to its controversial subject matter, “ADDTV” usually airs at 12:30 p.m. on Channel 21 on Fridays and Saturdays.
