Maria Bamford Brings a Bright Spot To a Somewhat Banal New Web Series About Banality

at
Share This Post

review

Screen Shot 2016-06-10 at 11.52.50 PM

Maria Bamford’s omnipresent rich-woman voice narrating “You Are Nothing” is the best part of the quasi-philosophical web series. The show’s pilot premiered on YouTube this week with a wandering narrative dictated by Bamford outlining steps to achieving self-isolation and finding the happiness in nothing. Sounding like a guru preaching the futility of pursuing a successful professional life, Bamford guides an unremarkable man through his unremarkable flop of a day.

The show’s star Joel Bryant plays Mitch Repter as the moderately successful , but equally unsuccessful, advertising executive whose long-term goal of securing a Latino loan company is immediately ruined by a racist creative pitch. The writing isn’t strong and the jokes attempting to be edgy are predictable, with the racist pitch that ruins Repter’s business deal being a trite slogan about the company issuing loans to illegal immigrants and thus “protecting your money and your secrets”. The blunder wraps up with an awkwardly thrown in line about all of the Latino executives carpooling in the same van. It’s old, tired racial humor; it’s not so much offensive as it is boring. Bryant’s performance is similarly contrived and the best jokes are typically visual. There’s Repter drinking from a plastic jug of vodka while watching the “Aquarium Channel” (just the screensaver of tropical fish swimming) or Henry Winkler’s unscrupulous medical character having a name plate that reads “Doctor” Sherman Watts. Overall, the plot line is unremarkable and when it eventually stalls, a romantic interest is thrown in of no character other than the protagonist being arbitrarily attracted to her.

There’s a few reasons “You Are Nothing” smacks of staleness; it could be that it’s tough to make a show purposefully centering on boring things and make that banality an exciting experience. It could be that it’s incredibly worn territory for a Caucasian man of no discernible age to complain about his humdrum life. The gimmick of “You Are Nothing” as a pessimistic message in the form of a spiritual life guide is a fairly one-note irony and the most distinguishing tone in the show is the vibe set by Maria Bamford’s voice. It’s the same voice powering an episode of “Lady Dynamite” where opportunities in Maria’s career and love life arise only when she uses her “rich lady voice”. So that accomplishment hardly belongs to “You Are Nothing” so much as it’s on loan.

There are five more episodes to go.“You are Nothing” could always explore more interesting issues of mental health and relationships as temporary band-aids covering humanity’s innate loneliness. Who knows?

 

 

Read more comedy news.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

Rachel Crowe

The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.
Rachel Crowe

Rachel Crowe

The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.