“Sexual Intercourse: American Style” failed to tie “Gemberling’s” record for “longest-running [Channel 102] show,” but it set another: “longest-running show to never reach #1.” And perhaps nothing sums up “SIAS” better than that. It was a niche show, with a core of devoted followers who kept it going for a long time, but it lacked the mass appeal to catapult it into “Shutterbugs” territory. But sometimes, that’s what characterizes true art. And “Sexual Intercourse: American Style” is art.
Mitch Magee’s brilliant Sexual Intercourse: American Style played out over seven Channel 102 screenings, from April of 2006 to January of 2007. Starting off with a light-hearted tone, SIAS quickly veered into uncharted waters around episode 3. It was sublime.
But then, tragedy struck. With every intention to self-cancel at the eighth episode, SIAS was resoundingly canceled by the largest crowd that Channel 102 had ever seen. Many of them were drunk.
This Thursday night, this blight on humanity will be corrected. The finale of SIAS will finally happen.
This Thursday
Union Hall
Park Slope, Brooklyn
9:00 (plus another show at 10:00)
702 Union Street @5th Avenue
All seven episodes will be screened, followed by the epic finale. I hope you’ll be there.
If you can’t make it, you can always watch the seven original episodes on the 102 site.