Randy Barbato writes:

Critics of camp think its all the same thing, but it’s not! There are so many different flavors of camp, especially on TV these days. Have a taste:

PRISON BREAK FINALE – OPERATIC CAMP

The show finally caught up with its bad acting. The season finale was epic camp. From the escaped psych patient (Haywire) riding a bike with no hands AND a playing card attached to the spokes, to the creepy sex freak (T-Bag) lying on the floor looking at the hand that was just chopped from his arm, to Dr Sara (the governor’s daughter…of course) lying unconscious with a hypodermic needle in the foreground. Every single frame of the finale screamed – in a fevered pitch. I cannot wait for season two! (Guarantee that the newly anointed female commander-in-chief is going to bitch-slap her Secret Service.)

JANICE DICKINSON DOES PSYCHOTHERAPY ON TYRA – CAMP X 3

Tyra Banks is camp. Janice Dickinson is camp. Psychotherapy on daytime TV is camp. Put them all together and you get, three, three, three camps in one! Watching Tyra reach over to pat Janice on the leg and seeing Janice physically recoil was delicious. Clearly, Janice’s meds were wearing off during the taping, and she couldn’t remember why she agreed to be there. She was downright manic. Her attitude went from, “Yes, I want to do psychotherapy on national TV and cry” to “How dare you try to psychoanalyze me!” It was great TV, although CAMP TIMES THREE can verge on total sickness. I suspect a safer bet will be Thursday’s show, Women In Prison. (Camp X 2)

CHLOE SEVIGNY IN BIG LOVE – SOPHISTICATED CAMP

Chloë gives camp a good name. Her braid gets longer and her prairie skirts more intricate, as she gives Alexis Carrington’s shoulder pads a run for their money. But Chloë is smart, and determined not to become a one-dimensional camp caricature. She’s a pedigree “bitch” who demands that we take our camp seriously. Watching her character develop in this series has been a joy!

SO NOTORIOUS – DELICIOUS, YUMMY, CANDY COATED CAMP

I cannot get enough of it! This show makes me howl with laughter. Tori is brilliant and the show is so sweet, it makes my teeth ache.

VALERIE CHERISH – CLASSIC CAMP

Lest we forget last year’s camp hero, whom we must keep alive.

– Randy Barbato