While I am a fan of cringe comedy, it’s hard to justify supporting some of Nathan Fielder’s most outrageous bits. In his two television shows, Comedy Central’s Nathan For You and HBO’s newly-released The Rehearsal, the comedian gets away with stunts that seem completely unreal. He crosses the line of political correctness in much of his work and, honestly, some of his skits make me wonder how he hasn’t become a victim of “cancel culture.” Despite his problematic tendencies, I can’t look away from Fielder. His monotonous demeanor somehow conveys friendliness and apathy at the same time, and this perfectly suits the complex schemes carried out in his shows that often include provocative material. His shows are controversial in a way that feels similar to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: both entities know they’re problematic and continue to get away with it because they’re able to simultaneously make light of their own content and material. The difference is that the former is merely a sitcom, while the latter depicts real people living authentic lives.
If you’re unfamiliar with Fielder and interested in witnessing his deadpan, anti-humor style for yourself, I recommend starting with Nathan For You, the less elaborate (but probably more ridiculous) of his two shows. The premise? Nathan approaches struggling small-business owners and pitches absurd, nonsensical plans to revive their clientele. The most recognizable episode has to be “Dumb Starbucks” (S2E5), involving an insane ploy that landed the show on national news outlets. In the episode, Nathan encourages a Los Angeles coffee shop to adopt a new logo resembling Starbucks’ and rebrand themselves as “Dumb Starbucks” to draw in more customers, all done in a completely legal way. After unintentionally attracting widespread media attention, Nathan was forced to come clean and shut down the location. I consider this to be a good place to start because the episode steers clear of offensive material in favor of a simply ridiculous plot that leaves your jaw hanging in disbelief and your ribs sore from laughing.
My personal favorite episode of Nathan For You is S1E4, “Gas Station/Caricature Artist.” The first half of the episode captures the craziness of the show as it depicts desperate car owners going to extreme lengths in order to receive a rebate from a local gas station. In a scavenger hunt for the rebate documentation which includes climbing a mountain and staying in a tent with strangers overnight, the participants eventually discover that the rebate itself does not actually exist. So much goes on in those ten minutes that I can’t even begin to describe; you have to watch it for yourself. The second half of the episode highlights Fielder’s willingness to push boundaries, as his attempt to help a caricature artist includes drawing over-the-top offensive illustrations of unknowing beachgoers. You can stream Nathan For You on Hulu.
After getting a feel for Fielder, I recommend starting his newest project, The Rehearsal. The formula is similar but the premise is completely different. Fielder is still in the “helper” role as he assists participants in preparing for real-life situations via “rehearsals.” The show gets progressively more outrageous with each scene and had me talking out loud to my television screen in disbelief. For example, Nathan helps a woman prepare for motherhood by renting a house and hiring several child actors to portray her fake son throughout various stages of child development. With only six episodes, this show is less of a commitment than the four seasons of Nathan For You, but it will surely bring all the same laughs. You can stream it on HBO Max.
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