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| Zach Galifianakis |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
There isn't likely to be a more meta moment this year than the opening scene in Baskets. In the scene, the English-speaking Baskets (Zach Galifianakis) attends clown school in France. Everyone around him speaks French, which is why he becomes a dropout who has to move to Bakersfield, California and substitute as a rodeo clown. It is a moment that plays like the antagonistic brother to FX heavyweight Louie, minus the occasional dive into surrealism. However, it feels like a better summary of why this show will never be above "niche." Galifianakis wants to entertain, but doesn't have the language to appeal to his audience. If the class is perceived as Baskets' sustainability, it is likely that those who don't speak its language will give it the unfortunate heave-ho before too long.
Which makes it interesting as a show. While the comedian rose to fame thanks in large part to The Hangover films, he started off as an absurdist comic through impressive specials such as Live at the Purple Onion. His humor was sporadic, occasionally nonsensical, and almost always more to entertain his desires. To put it bluntly, Baskets may be the most distilled version of the comedian's work since Live at the Purple Onion, and its weirdness is the type of magic that fans have been waiting for. Considering how much surface that the alternative comedy scene has hit in the past decade, it is still surprising to see this outside of an [adult swim] setting. It's weird and antagonistic in ways that probably wouldn't have been accepted if Galifianakis never did The Hangover. The fact that it features a passage in which a clown is bulldozed by a bull to classical music should tell you what type of show this is. It takes pretensions and shatter them.
What is possibly most impressive is that this wasn't directed by Rick Alverson, whose past two films (The Comedy, Entertainment) are reflective examples of the anti-humor movement. It's a place where obnoxious jokes meet drama, creating something new and challenging. Alverson's work isn't for everyone, but it's easy to see an immediate connection between Baskets yelling at a drive-thru clerk for Schwepps and Entertainment's Gregg Turkington's bad jokes. There's a bigger subtext to the experience, especially as the comedy is meant to come from overwhelming discomfort. Baskets has that in spades. It's just that Galifianakis wants to confuse you about just how funny he thinks the jokes are.
What is probably the best part of Baskets is that it is immediately off putting, wishing to find its audience based on how much nonsense they are willing to put up with. Whereas Louie at least started off with blue humor and a grounded approach, Baskets immediately goes for the absurd and never lets you determine the difference between annoying and hilarious. Galifianakis definitely plays the character annoyingly, but considering how boldly it is done, it is an admirable approach. This is a show that couldn't make it on regular channels (The Last Man on Earth is trying, but coming up short), and that makes it far more of a miracle. FX has been developing an interesting brand of comedy series in the past few years which can be hit or miss (lest we forget The Comedians). Still, the fact that the premiere episode features Louie Anderson playing Baskets' mother (you read that right) is something that will either make you laugh or get frustrated.
Baskets is a great show because of how singular and divisive it is. In an era where acclaim means everything, it is intriguing to see a show embrace discomfort with such aggression that it transcends its own pain with humor. Some will consider it just bad writing, but Galifianakis' take on absurd humor has rarely felt more grounded and fans of his early material will definitely have a lot to enjoy. It's a show about clowns whose funniest moments don't involve clowns and whose progression through the story is very weird. It isn't likely to sustain as well as Louie, but it'll be one of those shows to be thankful for while it lasted because honestly, there's a good chance that we might see this show getting kicked out of that French class for as long as it exists. Let's just hope it isn't an expulsion.
Which makes it interesting as a show. While the comedian rose to fame thanks in large part to The Hangover films, he started off as an absurdist comic through impressive specials such as Live at the Purple Onion. His humor was sporadic, occasionally nonsensical, and almost always more to entertain his desires. To put it bluntly, Baskets may be the most distilled version of the comedian's work since Live at the Purple Onion, and its weirdness is the type of magic that fans have been waiting for. Considering how much surface that the alternative comedy scene has hit in the past decade, it is still surprising to see this outside of an [adult swim] setting. It's weird and antagonistic in ways that probably wouldn't have been accepted if Galifianakis never did The Hangover. The fact that it features a passage in which a clown is bulldozed by a bull to classical music should tell you what type of show this is. It takes pretensions and shatter them.
What is possibly most impressive is that this wasn't directed by Rick Alverson, whose past two films (The Comedy, Entertainment) are reflective examples of the anti-humor movement. It's a place where obnoxious jokes meet drama, creating something new and challenging. Alverson's work isn't for everyone, but it's easy to see an immediate connection between Baskets yelling at a drive-thru clerk for Schwepps and Entertainment's Gregg Turkington's bad jokes. There's a bigger subtext to the experience, especially as the comedy is meant to come from overwhelming discomfort. Baskets has that in spades. It's just that Galifianakis wants to confuse you about just how funny he thinks the jokes are.
What is probably the best part of Baskets is that it is immediately off putting, wishing to find its audience based on how much nonsense they are willing to put up with. Whereas Louie at least started off with blue humor and a grounded approach, Baskets immediately goes for the absurd and never lets you determine the difference between annoying and hilarious. Galifianakis definitely plays the character annoyingly, but considering how boldly it is done, it is an admirable approach. This is a show that couldn't make it on regular channels (The Last Man on Earth is trying, but coming up short), and that makes it far more of a miracle. FX has been developing an interesting brand of comedy series in the past few years which can be hit or miss (lest we forget The Comedians). Still, the fact that the premiere episode features Louie Anderson playing Baskets' mother (you read that right) is something that will either make you laugh or get frustrated.
Baskets is a great show because of how singular and divisive it is. In an era where acclaim means everything, it is intriguing to see a show embrace discomfort with such aggression that it transcends its own pain with humor. Some will consider it just bad writing, but Galifianakis' take on absurd humor has rarely felt more grounded and fans of his early material will definitely have a lot to enjoy. It's a show about clowns whose funniest moments don't involve clowns and whose progression through the story is very weird. It isn't likely to sustain as well as Louie, but it'll be one of those shows to be thankful for while it lasted because honestly, there's a good chance that we might see this show getting kicked out of that French class for as long as it exists. Let's just hope it isn't an expulsion.
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