Quality cinematic comedy found on cable

What is with the state of cinematic comedy these days? Now, more than ever, we as filmgoers need to take our minds off the war horrors force-fed to us via the idiot box. Yet, nothing even resembling a masterfully made comedy (excep "Old School") is in our midst.\nAudiences apparently yearn to laugh, and as such the Steve Martin/Queen Latifah "comedy" "Bringing Down the House" has been raking in the dough. Honestly, this saddens me. I've yet to see the film, nor do I have any plans of doing so -- the trailer alone is enough to make me retch. When will oily-haired, bespectacled execs clad in Armani suits stop playing the race card to elicit cheap laughs? When will the utterance of "You got me straight trippin', boo" as spoken by a pie humper's dad (i.e. Eugene Levy) finally exit public consciousness? When will we as audience members smarten up and see films actually worth seeing? And when will Martin actually muster up the cajones to make another flick as stupidly funny as "The Jerk?" He'd be better off mining old "Saturday Night Live" bits.\nSadly, I see none of these things happening. Just look at the commercials for Chris Rock's upcoming film, "Head of State," which serves only to further this annoying trend we've all unfortunately been bombarded by lately. I have no problems with the prospect of a black president either in fictitious fluff or in reality, but I do have problems with a once edgy comedian making what looks to be a pansified PG-13 bomb, void of substantive political issues or foul-mouthed shenanigans. Instead, we're saddled with something that looks as though it's unworthy of airing in sitcom format on the WB. \nRock seems to be taking a path somewhat akin to his "SNL" predecessor, Eddie Murphy. Though Murphy actually made some funny films ("48 Hours," "Trading Places," "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Coming to America") before riding the gravy train to hacksville, Rock's successes came through cult movies no one's seen ("CB4" and "Nurse Betty") and his brief stints in Kevin Smith films ("Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"). Why sell out now? Rock and Co. are using tepid, reverse racism recycled from Adam Sandler's 1998 effort, "The Wedding Singer," to schill this drivel. Rapping, hip-hop-obsessed, elderly honkeys weren't funny then and they sure aren't funny now. Yet both "House" and "State" ripoff this dated, stupid gag. Somewhere Joe Piscopo is blushing in embarrassment. Between Rock, comedian du jour, Bernie Mac and Tracy Morgan (the only watchable "SNL" cast member these days), "State" could've been something special, even hilarious. It could have been Rock's "Trading Places." Instead, it's looking far more akin to Murphy's 1992 dungheap, "The Distinguished Gentleman."\nSo where does one find decent comedy these days? Well, certainly not in Cuba "Show me the money" Gooding Jr.'s homophobic romp, "Boat Trip." Certainly not in Gwyneth "I have an Oscar" Paltrow's vapid flight attendant flick, "View from the Top." \nWhy not try TV? Wedged between our nationalistic, war-mongering media machine lots of hilarious, observational humor can be found on cable. Comedy Central is ruling Wednesday nights with its one-two punch of new "South Park" episodes and recent debut, "Chappelle's Show." Who can fault an hour block of television featuring a taco-bodied alien who poops ice cream and a blind, black, white-supremacist? Trey Parker and Matt Stone are two of the keenest, most underappreciated satirists working today, and Dave Chappelle is seemingly filling the shoes of Richard Pryor, whereas Rock and Murphy are currently failing/flailing. \nHBO has also become a haven for comedy enthusiasts with taste, so long as you avoid "Arli$$" like gonorrhea. Both "Da Ali G Show" and "Real Time with Bill Maher" are hilarious new additions to the network. If you haven't seen Ali G naively interview a DEA agent or Maher grill conservative pundits beyond the constraints of ABC's (his former TV home) overzealous censors, you're missing out. Now more than ever humor is needed -- just be selective in where you go to find it.