Comedy Forging the Future: Brought to You by the Rating R

The Puppet Masters

The MTV2 series Wonder Showzen begins with the theme song Kids' Show and a disclaimer that the show is not for kids. Which to believe? Consider the episode that portrays the letter N as a shame-filled, slutty drunk. ("Nobody Needs me!" she wails.) Or a segment in which a kid dressed as Pope John Paul II asks passersby whether he's going to hell.

You might think creators Vernon Chatman and John Lee, both 34, have it in for the shows like Sesame Street that they parody. Actually, Chatman says, "Sesame Street may be the best TV show ever." Big Bird and...

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