Blowin' up on MTV

Watching actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy in his quest to be a rapper is akin to seeing someone performing a large flip off of the high dive and then belly flopping into the pool, only to rise to the surface and declare, "I meant to do that!" \n"Blowin' Up," the new reality show on MTV about Kennedy's humorous ascent to stardom as a rapper, should really be called "Suckin' Up." After all, that's what he and his buddy Stu Stone spend their time doing -- in between driving around in Kennedy's Hummer, rapping and waving to everyone else in California. Apparently, you have to do a lot of sucking up in showbiz, but hitting on Ice-T's woman is not the way to go about doing that. \nThe show, billed as a comedy series, is like everything else on MTV -- it sucks you in whether you want to watch it or not. And after a few minutes in front of the tube, Kennedy and Stone begin to grow on you, much like slime does if you lie in the bathtub too long. \nHere's the premise: Kennedy, whose claim to fame is being somebody in the now "classic" "Scream" movies and recent box office flop Son of the Mask (for which he won not one, but two Raspberries), has taken his yen for music and translated it into becoming a rapper with his short, obnoxious friend Stone. The reality show consists of the two of them bickering over music, over Kennedy's career as an actor and the stupid things Stone says and does. Like complimenting Joe Simpson on his excellent sperm. \nTrouble is, no one believes that Kennedy is for real. After all, this is the guy who pulled in three million viewers on the WB with his zany comedy "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," pulling pranks on people week after week. Though Kennedy insists he is serious about becoming a rapper, everyone else in Hollywood just raises their eyebrows. \nAnd like anything Kennedy does, it's hard to know what to expect when watching "Blowin' Up." Though critics have been calling the show a tongue-in-cheek look at two guys trying to be rappers, MTV's plays it straight, and viewers end up believing Kennedy's pathetic attempts. It's only after being immersed in a couple of episodes do the sly, humorous moments begin to reveal themselves. Such as when Kennedy and Stone, promoting their new single, "Circle Circle Dot Dot," about a certain part of the female anatomy, spend an evening traveling to different clubs in Los Angeles, hoping someone will like their pitch, which involves hand movements. No one does, and they return to the Hummer to later try their luck with a Bob Saget rap-a-long. \nBut there is something likable about these annoying white guys with their ridiculous conversations and silly, yet catchy songs. It's like watching a brand-new version of the American dream -- famous D-lister just wants to make it to the B-list (a la Kathy Griffin). America likes to pretend it is the underdog so often, and in "Blowin' Up," so does Kennedy. The results are hilarious.\nSo when all of the bright, whirring lights and funky, computer-generated images that float by on the commercials are pulled away, what remains of "Blowin' Up" is just two friends, sitting around in their car and rapping along to Salt 'n Pepa. And we are along for the funny, funny ride.