Nathan for You

[Garam]

This has been the funniest show on television for 3 years in a row now. The amount of work that goes into each episode is staggeringly impressive. The level of planning, serendipity, quick thinking, insanity on show in the general LA populace and power of Nathan Fielder in the face of the most absurd hilarity not to crack up and break character really makes me feel like this show is something of a miracle. Greatest comedy of this fake-reality type spoof since Brass Eye. Yes, better than Ali G/Borat too. One of the greatest comedy shows I've ever seen. Funniest Canadian of all time.



Hype enough for you?

I don't think I could ever truly love somebody who didn't think this show was hilarious. It just works for me, on every level. Perfectly catered to my sense of humour.

I'm not going to post a clip cause taking it out of context of the episode itself would just ruin it...

Anyway, season 3 is currently airing and it's halfway through it's 8 episode run. I hope to Christ there'll be a 4th. And 5th. And a film. And a sequel.

edit: scratch that fuck it here's a clip

[Jeremy Blackman]

Just watched the Best Buy episode on Comedy Central's website. It was brilliant and laugh-out-loud funny. I'm sold.

There were at least 2 Best Buy commercials, which was amusing. And a total of 17 commercials about 10-20 sec long each. No exaggeration, four ad breaks of 2, 5, 5, and 5. I'm never watching anything legally again.

[Garam]

I'm never watching anything legally again.

Welcome to the light side.

edit: here's another segment from the latest episode. It is utterly demented.

[wilder]

Those clips left me crying and I can't wait to see more. Thanks for sharing this

[wilder]

[Jeremy Blackman]

I cried laughing at least twice. Feel really bad for the realtor though.

[cronopio2]

my new favorite show, obvs.

the Smoking Allowed episode is just too perfect, the kind of artistic work i will always be envious of.

[jenkins]

i wasn't conscious of my familiarity with this show until Garam started this thread, represent.

yesterday while reading the show's Wikipedia i came full circle and realized how i knew about him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Starbucks

then i greatly enjoyed reading about détournement, culture jamming, and subvertisements.

then i became a little sad because i don't think alternative culture means what i thought it did when i was young. i don't think it means big changes can happen. alternative culture can't make big changes because it's fueled by small numbers which, even when they make an impact they get swallowed back up by big numbers.

the big numbers swallowing the small numbers is called "recuperation" btw.

thanks for this thread Garam.

[03]

yeah this is show is incredible.
this may be a stupid question but are there any articles about his process or does anyone know how he pulls this shit off?
the authenticity is almost torturous sometimes.

[Pedro]

I, too, love the show.  Hilarious, cringe inducing, and, sometimes, surprisingly moving. 

are there any articles about his process or does anyone know how he pulls this shit off?
the authenticity is almost torturous sometimes.

 

 Here is an article suggesting that, through the second season, the most brilliant moments were serendipitous combinations of Fielder's brilliance and the subjects' genuine feelings.

http://splitsider.com/2014/07/inside-nathan-for-you-with-co-creator-michael-koman/

Thanks for bringing this up. It's likely that some excellent moments come about in such a way, but this is "reality TV" we're talking about.  Participants are primed, prepared, and ready to go.  When Nathan and a business owner have a conversation in two framed shots, I can't help but imagine botched takes.  I guess it doesn't matter?

[cronopio2]

god dammit , last week's episode was fantastic. this show is full of cool ideas.

[Garam]

Well that was a great season. Nathan Fielder is the millenial P. T. Barnum. It's been renewed for a fourth, too. Happy days.

[cronopio2]

god damn.

almost cried.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Oh, I did cry. I certainly did.

Not entirely sure how to feel about the finale, though. It was 110% amazing, for sure. But Nathan is kind of evil. It was a couple steps over the line and I was completely in awe of it.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS

Come on guys we need to talk about this. Jasmine is an actress, right?

It's very unlikely that she didn't notice the prosthetic face. I mean, she was staring right at it for a long time. Even if we buy that she thought it was real, how could you not be gradually horrified by a potato face? And even if we accept all of that, surely Jasmine could tell that the real Corey was different. She did not seem dumb.

Also there's the fact that the climax seemed to hinge on her continued participation.