Lead Blog Post: Eric Andre
I genuinely believe that Eric Andre is one of the funniest people alive. However, I don't blame anybody for disagreeing with that or for not even knowing who he is since he's only on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, and nobody really watches cable anymore. Eric Andre hosts The Eric Andre Show, a talk show parody that features street skits and pranks. This description does not do the show justice, however. The entire show is made with a layer of absurdity and is completely different from any other talk show. You could honestly hardly even call it a talk show, its just a montage of Eric doing insane things that aren't even always legal. If you haven't heard of Eric, you've probably heard of his co-host, Hannibal Buress, who is also as ridiculous and funny as Eric is. The two create an atmosphere of insanity and hilarity that no other show can really capture nowadays.
Here's a random clip of an interview to help you get a better idea of the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hcn5eV8NDI
Hopefully you enjoyed that, because it has caused some of the hardest laughter I've ever experienced. There are many things to note about this clip alone that is also reflecting of Eric's show as a whole. Firstly, the superiority theory is massively prevalent in the show. We as an audience are in on the joke, we know how utterly crazy Eric can and will be. The guests, however, have literally no idea what they're in for. They just assume it's some low-budget show, which it is, but they're never prepared for what will happen. The guests are nearly always either pissed off or confused, but, as audience members, we can laugh at their misfortune since what's happening to them really isn't that bad. We're aware of the true nature of the show while the guests aren't, and that's how the superiority theory is found.
Here's another clip that's not really related, it's just funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yet2Q0M32GQ
The next theory of humor is relief theory. I think that The Eric Andre Show is one of the best shows in terms of achieving this theory since it is essentially a satire of modern talk shows. Show hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and others can appear so bland or fake and the shows can feel really monotonous. Eric's show lacks any form of predictability, it is truly impossible to see where joke or skit is going. It's honestly a relief to find a show that doesn't follow the norms of television. It can be so refreshing to watch a show where the host literally drives everybody around him insane. The style of humor can definitely be hard to enjoy, and I truly don't blame you if you don't find him funny. It's not for everybody, but it can certainly provide nice relief for people who are tired of "normal" tv shows.
Eric's show has also created some great memes. Here are two good examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcnWyN4KYM
https://youtu.be/UpHQTU6Jcd8?t=37
Anyways, here's the last point. The last and best part of this show is how absurd it is. Eric has done some of the most crude and random things I've ever seen. These relates to the final comedic theory of incongruity. The show's unpredictability again plays into this by never holding true to one specific joke or narrative. It's constantly changing and deliberately inconsistent. You can't try to focus on the logic of the show because it's nonexistent. These three comedic theories are what make The Eric Andre Show so great. It's a rollercoaster of a show with obscene and absurd humor. Again, I don't expect you to like it, but I hope you give it a try, because this is some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen in my life.
Here's a random clip of an interview to help you get a better idea of the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hcn5eV8NDI
Hopefully you enjoyed that, because it has caused some of the hardest laughter I've ever experienced. There are many things to note about this clip alone that is also reflecting of Eric's show as a whole. Firstly, the superiority theory is massively prevalent in the show. We as an audience are in on the joke, we know how utterly crazy Eric can and will be. The guests, however, have literally no idea what they're in for. They just assume it's some low-budget show, which it is, but they're never prepared for what will happen. The guests are nearly always either pissed off or confused, but, as audience members, we can laugh at their misfortune since what's happening to them really isn't that bad. We're aware of the true nature of the show while the guests aren't, and that's how the superiority theory is found.
Here's another clip that's not really related, it's just funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yet2Q0M32GQ
The next theory of humor is relief theory. I think that The Eric Andre Show is one of the best shows in terms of achieving this theory since it is essentially a satire of modern talk shows. Show hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel and others can appear so bland or fake and the shows can feel really monotonous. Eric's show lacks any form of predictability, it is truly impossible to see where joke or skit is going. It's honestly a relief to find a show that doesn't follow the norms of television. It can be so refreshing to watch a show where the host literally drives everybody around him insane. The style of humor can definitely be hard to enjoy, and I truly don't blame you if you don't find him funny. It's not for everybody, but it can certainly provide nice relief for people who are tired of "normal" tv shows.
Eric's show has also created some great memes. Here are two good examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcnWyN4KYM
https://youtu.be/UpHQTU6Jcd8?t=37
Anyways, here's the last point. The last and best part of this show is how absurd it is. Eric has done some of the most crude and random things I've ever seen. These relates to the final comedic theory of incongruity. The show's unpredictability again plays into this by never holding true to one specific joke or narrative. It's constantly changing and deliberately inconsistent. You can't try to focus on the logic of the show because it's nonexistent. These three comedic theories are what make The Eric Andre Show so great. It's a rollercoaster of a show with obscene and absurd humor. Again, I don't expect you to like it, but I hope you give it a try, because this is some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen in my life.
I always wonder to what extent the interviews are staged or at least partially planned. I realize he denies this. It reminds me a bit of Between Two Ferns, which also is supposedly not staged. But in the latter case, it does seem like they are acting to some extent, whereas the anger and confusion seems more genuine with Eric Andre. But who knows, that could all be part of the put on.
ReplyDelete