UNC graduates normally shoot for the big time by heading to New York or L.A. Troy Griffin, on the other hand, decided to stay home and bring the big time to Chapel Hill.
A May 2000 graduate of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Griffin has found success as producer and host of "Random Insanity," an irreverent variety show on Chapel Hill's cable access People's Channel. The show premiered in December, and has quickly established its bad self -- in a good way, of course.
"I hate to label it," Griffin said of his show, "but it's like a cross between '(The) Tom Green (Show),' 'Jackass' and 'The Man Show.'"
Like those go-for-broke comedy shows, "Random Insanity" will go to any length to get a laugh. Segments for the show come from just about anywhere. A stuffy Thai restaurant has become a DJ funk party, a critical lens has been turned on a best buns contest at the beach, and -- most memorably -- a toenail has been pulled out of a toe by someone's teeth.
Nudity and profanity are not obstacles on the quest for "Insanity." "We're not setting out to be profane," Griffin said of the show. "It's a TV show ... I'm trying to put together a show people will watch."
Inspiration for "Random Insanity" came before the success of "The Tom Green Show" and "Jackass." "I had this idea years ago, so at first I was pissed," Griffin says. "But they've opened the window, and my show's different enough that it won't be labeled a copycat."
The idea to do the variety show was in the front of Griffin's mind his senior year at UNC, when he worked and learned at the "Carolina Week" news program, which airs on Student Television.
"I took in as much information as I could there, because I knew I wanted to do the cable show," Griffin said.
It was the professional atmosphere of "Carolina Week," not the news aspect, that attracted Griffin. "I learned a standard of professionalism from that show as far as quality and putting it together," he said.
