Resumption-of-Disbelief Review of Comedy Bang! Bang!

Comedy Bang! Bang! (2012–2016)

Random humor. Next to offbeat it's my favorite kind of humor.

[10/10 · 28 February 2013]

Let's start by recognizing that Comedy Bang Bang is made for comedy connoisseurs. This is the American talk show deconstructed: it is not so important that you "laugh" so much as you appreciate the aesthetics of the bit; it is not so concerned with jokes as it is concerned with the technique and form of jokes. Disagree? Look, it cannot be a coincidence that the season one guest lineup is a virtual Algonquin Round Table of all the major figures in the alt comedy scene: Galifianakis, Poehler, Oswalt, Tompkins, Helms, Rogen, Odenkirk, Forte, Kroll, Rudd, Barry, Arnett, Cera, Koechner, Cross, Black, Scott, Lennon, Scheer … and you get the sense that this is the kind of material that they would perform for each other if there were no audience around: esoteric, experimental, and with a healthy amount of self-aware meta-humor. This is, in other words, hard-edged alternative comedy for the dedicated enthusiast, not the more palatable and softened version that you get from, e.g., Portlandia, Parks and Recreation, etc. Indeed, that most viewers will find this show alienating is kind of the point – a big part of the reason that one out of ten people will love this show is because they know the other nine are going to hate it. Add to that great chemistry between Scott Aukerman and Reggie Watts and pitch-perfect character performances from both and you have, in my opinion, the most consistently interesting television that I have seen in years. Hey, one out of ten people can't be wrong, no?