Ted Danson's ultra-swishy hair stylist is the main show. He plays the arrogant Vincenzo to stereotype perfection. I can see gay pride folks condemning the role as cartoonish. Nonetheless, poor Elaine gets a hair make-over from heck, while Vincenzo loftily claims her complaints result from working-class myopia. His coterie of middle-age groupies are too intimidated to not agree. So will Elaine cave-in or will she stand up to his arrogance, especially since she now looks like a red haired muskrat. The taxi gang is mostly in a supporting role, as it's really Elaine's and Danson's show. How entertaining you find the 30- minutes likely depends on how you view a controversial gay stereotype.
2 Reviews
The ending is extra special, more so than we realize
Dphilly52121 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
In valuing this classic TV episode, the way in which it ends carries a lot of weight. With the removal of the ending, perhaps this is still a likable episode of Taxi though the absence of the way in which it ends removes it from the categorization of being such a treasured classic.
As for what the Louie De Palma character does at the end to make it so brilliantly special, the Dale Carnegie principles significantly imply that it is a grossly inappropriate thing to do. After all, Don't criticize condemn or complain is the number one principle and that which Louie De Palma did falls under the category of condemnation. It has been my observation many times over that there are significantly many situations in which it is grossly inappropriate to do something like that. On the other hand, I have also learned that there are certain situations in which nothing is more appropriate.
To walk away from a situation like that and do nothing except to tearfully rationalize "I'm better than you": What does this do? And please note that I did NOT just ask What does this not do? I asked What does this do?
I would like to take this a step further. It is my understanding that these episodes of Taxi were filmed before a live studio audience-one which I am sure fairly represents the general way in which society generally feels toward certain occurrences within the course of the script. Sure, there are exceptions. There are occasions on which the audience breaks out in strong laughter while someone at home watching scratches his head and wonders, "What was so funny about that?" And there are opposite reactions in which someone rolls on their living room floor hysterical with laughter while it barely draws a giggle from the live audience members. In general terms though, the reaction of that audience says an awful lot about how society as a whole feels. It is an opinion-not right nor wrong-yet a strong reaction signifies popularity and events which are popular are popular for a reason.....
When the Louie De Palma does what he does at the conclusion of this episode, the live audience erupts with an uncontrollable ovation of approval. Just seconds earlier, when Elaine Nardo remarks. "I'm a lot better than he is" and then turns to leave, I did not hear a single clap from that audience.
God bless Taxi: The Unkindest Cut. That is my two cents. (Okay. Maybe three.)
As for what the Louie De Palma character does at the end to make it so brilliantly special, the Dale Carnegie principles significantly imply that it is a grossly inappropriate thing to do. After all, Don't criticize condemn or complain is the number one principle and that which Louie De Palma did falls under the category of condemnation. It has been my observation many times over that there are significantly many situations in which it is grossly inappropriate to do something like that. On the other hand, I have also learned that there are certain situations in which nothing is more appropriate.
To walk away from a situation like that and do nothing except to tearfully rationalize "I'm better than you": What does this do? And please note that I did NOT just ask What does this not do? I asked What does this do?
I would like to take this a step further. It is my understanding that these episodes of Taxi were filmed before a live studio audience-one which I am sure fairly represents the general way in which society generally feels toward certain occurrences within the course of the script. Sure, there are exceptions. There are occasions on which the audience breaks out in strong laughter while someone at home watching scratches his head and wonders, "What was so funny about that?" And there are opposite reactions in which someone rolls on their living room floor hysterical with laughter while it barely draws a giggle from the live audience members. In general terms though, the reaction of that audience says an awful lot about how society as a whole feels. It is an opinion-not right nor wrong-yet a strong reaction signifies popularity and events which are popular are popular for a reason.....
When the Louie De Palma does what he does at the conclusion of this episode, the live audience erupts with an uncontrollable ovation of approval. Just seconds earlier, when Elaine Nardo remarks. "I'm a lot better than he is" and then turns to leave, I did not hear a single clap from that audience.
God bless Taxi: The Unkindest Cut. That is my two cents. (Okay. Maybe three.)
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