parody
01/02/2007
Impossible is the Opposite of Possible
At first I thought this Aleskey Vayner parody video was promoting Michael Cera’s new CBS web series “The Good Life.” Then I learned it was produced for the McSweeney's Presents: The World, Explained event, a benefit to support creative writing among youth. This just proves that my barely-legal crush is an even more talented actor than I had thought; the way he enunciates each word with such posh relevance -- much like the Vayner video -- is a brilliant forecast of what "The Good Life" will be.
Personally, I never found the Vayner video very funny because it was about a guy who REALLY wanted to be successful. Vayner actually thought that by putting his entire heart and career into a video portfolio, he would gain the respect of his colleagues and others would believe in his superiority. Since Cera’s self-aggrandizing antics are only for the sake of parody, I think it is not only funny, but genius. Knowing that Cera doesn’t actually believe his outrageous claims means that I can laugh as loud as I want and sleep soundly at night.
Moral of this story: Hurry up and get this web series out there, CBS! Mockumentaries are what Cera does best and if this new web series is even 1/nth as brilliant as this video or Cera in Arrested Development, I will be a very loyal fan.
11/30/2006
Nobody's Watching Friends
Nobody's Watching is a scripted web series conceived by Bill Lawrence, the creator of "Scrubs" and "Spin City." Originally intended for television, Nobody's Watching broke the two-cameras-and-a-stage sitcom and fleshed out the characters of Derek and Will, two young guys from Ohio who were so over television that they decided to make their own comedy show.
In this episode, Derek and Will play all of the characters in the Friends cast. Though all of quirky dramatizations are effective, the Jennifer Aniston bit cracks me up.
Related: Nobody's Watching the Emmys
11/17/2006
Goodnight Burbank
Talk about inter-office politics? Goodnight Burbank is a sketch-comedy series that goes behind the scenes “and between the headlines.” With American news anchors achieving near celebrity status, GN Burbank is a behind the scenes look at the the “almost big time.”
Created, written by, and staring Hayden Black, Goodnight Burbank’s cast is a mash-up of actors that you feel like you have seen some where before. Possibly because you have. Burbank regulars include Shulie Cowen (Reno 911), Jamie Denbo (Happy Hour), Angela Espinosa (Young & The Restless), Kenny Schickler, John Schaffer (West Wing), Wendy Rosoff (David Letterman) and Eve Savona (French Maid TV).
Featuring news anchors, who care less about the news and more about their personal lives, the satiric comedy humanizes the nightly news anchors that we, as an ignorant public, assume live, eat, and breath News.
Cleverly well-scripted, Goodnight Burbank is one of the longest running series online. See why the San Fran Chronicle calls Goodnight Burbank a cross between Studio 60 and The Daily Show.
