Hollywood Insider - News Entertainment & Culture

Substance & Meaningful Entertainment

Against Gossip & Scandal

Independent Media Network

Global Stories From Local Perspective

Factual Culture News

Hollywood Insider Eric Andre Comedian

Photo: Eric Andre

‘The Eric Andre Show’ Is Brilliantly Anarchic, And Its’ Return Is A Blessing To Us All.

The Eric Andre Show is a talk-show that, according to its host, deliberately aims to be “the worst talk show of all time”. Still, it has all the structure of a normal talk show; there are celebrity interviews, musical guests, monologues, and street skits. The catch is that its content is, well, totally bonkers. The Eric Andre Show is a gloriously strange prank show which brilliantly skewers the late-night format. It is made in a way that is so specific to its host, which helps it stand apart as a unique creation. Andre’s good cop (kind of) co-host, comedian Hannibal Buress, is a vital component to the show’s success. The Eric Andre Show is an easy, short watch for those who like madcap comedy.

Related article: A Tribute to Jerry Seinfeld: Midas of Comedy

Related article: HBO Max’s ‘How to With John Wilson’ is the Must-Watch Comedy of 2020

The Eric Andre Show

The Eric Andre Show is a great spin on the talk show format, especially for those who are indifferent towards the high levels of artifice and formality such programmes typically contain. Every Fallon-esque trope you’ve come to expect is turned on its head. Instead of stroking his guests’ egos, Eric Andre does as much as he can to make them uncomfortable. He isn’t mean spirited but he has a clear, admirable contempt for celebrity. He strips and beats up his cameraman and even vomits (then eats) oatmeal – to hilarious effect. Some guests are hilariously irritated by Andre’s antics, such as Lauren Conrad and T.I., whereas others play along well. The guests are varied – sometimes “impersonators” even appear like celebrities, such as the fake versions of George Clooney, Russell Brand, and Reese Witherspoon (played, of course, by a black man in a blonde wig) that regularly reappear. The lineup, shall we say, variety is fitting to the show’s random, manic feel.

Hannibal Buress brilliantly adds to the discomfort. He hovers behind the guests, which is a simple but hilarious gag – they have to turn around to speak to him and are often visibly disorientated. Andre’s monologues are deliberately terrible – instead of reading off of a prompter, he rants nonsensically. Most of the time his ramblings don’t even contain any jokes, which is exactly what makes them funny. Even the musical guests are given an injection of madness – a recent bit included Anderson Paak being beaten by boxing gloves whilst trying to drum. It was called ‘Anderson Pacquiao’. Brilliant. The show also created a game called ‘Rapper Warrior Ninja’ – a highly entertaining affair where rappers (JPEGMAFIA and Freddie Gibbs, to name a few) have to rap whilst being endlessly assaulted by tennis balls and electric shocks.

Related article: MUST WATCH – Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s Love Letter to Black Lives Matter – VIDEO

Subscribe to Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. 

A Prankster

Eric Andre is a fantastic prankster. His sense of humour is undeniably low-brow but the brazenness and creativity of his activity sets him apart from similar comics. His ability to act insanely throughout each and every skit is seriously impressive. This is most comprehensively demonstrated during the street pranks in New York, where Andre brings rats on trains, stages fake murders, and orchestrates police chases that turn into make-out sessions. He goes all out, even so far as to get arrested. This dedication is to me, admirable. Andre’s energy, bravery, and madness are a huge part of what makes his show so funny.

For the most part, The Eric Andre Show is an exercise in pure insanity. The content is strange and extremely fast-paced. As a result, the experience of watching the show is genuinely maddening, which is a great reason for its appeal. During each opening, Andre destroys the set in an anarchic fashion. Such sequences are packed with hilarious, truly wild imagery, one of which included John Cena hurling Andre through a shelf (and actually concussing him). Sometimes watching a show with such a lack of logic is the perfect therapy, and The Eric Andre Show certainly fits the bill in this respect.

Related article: The Power of Positivity: Ikorodu Bois + Chris Hemsworth + Russo Brothers + Sam Hargrave

Limited Time Offer – FREE Subscription to Hollywood Insider

Click here to read more on Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy. 

‘Be As Crazy As Possible’

Andre’s concoction benefits from being short in episode length. Each episode is around eleven minutes long. The jokes are jam-packed into the runtime –  every few seconds we are given a new, sillier gag. This suits the show’s wild vibe and makes it easier to watch. Each episode provides a short journey into the insanity that crucially, doesn’t outstay its welcome. Beyond this, each season freshens the setup. Andre changes his appearance every new outing, to hilarious effect – the Season 3 wig, Season 4 dreadlocks, and Season 5 shaven head are all brilliantly bizarre. Though the format essentially remains “Be as crazy as possible”, the fact that such changes occur ensures The Eric Andre Show remains fresh.

Hannibal Buress is the show’s unsung hero. Though Season 5 did well to continue the party in his absence, his brand of observational humour and oddity is a brilliant complement to Eric Andre’s more aggressively crazed persona. His witty reactions to the madness give the show a sense of necessary self-awareness. It knows that its humour is stupid, but it goes about being so in a smart way.

Related article: Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema”

Related article: The Masters of Cinema Archives: Hollywood Insider Pays Tribute to ‘La Vie En Rose’, Exclusive Interview with Director Olivier Dahan

The Eric Andre Show is mainly for those who enjoy absurd comedy, and who have a contempt for the formality of the normative talk show. For those who don’t, it may baffle. Even though the episodes are short, it is best consumed in small doses – watching several episodes at a time can genuinely make you feel like you are going crazy. In shorter doses though, The Eric Andre Show is hilarious fun.

If you appreciate the brash humour The Eric Andre Show boasts so extensively, it is a must-watch. At its heart, it is a silly, deranged exercise in propagating madness. It is also a truly fresh take on the talk show format. The two leads have excellent chemistry. Seeing celebrities made to feel this uncomfortable is undeniably fascinating, and perhaps the show’s main draw. The street pranks are almost as good. There is a mad, unique creativity that runs throughout the show, one that ensures its unique status in comparison to other similar programs. If you can handle the oddity, The Eric Andre Show is worth your time.

By Amhara Chamberlayne

Click here to read Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Black Lives Matter, in which he tackles more than just police reform, press freedom and more – click here.

An excerpt from the love letter: Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “Hollywood Insider fully supports the much-needed Black Lives Matter movement. We are actively, physically and digitally a part of this global movement. We will continue reporting on this major issue of police brutality and legal murders of Black people to hold the system accountable. We will continue reporting on this major issue with kindness and respect to all Black people, as each and every one of them are seen and heard. Just a reminder, that the Black Lives Matter movement is about more than just police brutality and extends into banking, housing, education, medical, infrastructure, etc. We have the space and time for all your stories. We believe in peaceful/non-violent protests and I would like to request the rest of media to focus on 95% of the protests that are peaceful and working effectively with positive changes happening daily. Media has a responsibility to better the world and Hollywood Insider will continue to do so.”

Ways to support Black Lives Matter Movement to end systemic racism

More Interesting Stories From Hollywood Insider

– Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY

– Compilation: All James Bond 007 Opening Sequences From 1962 Sean Connery to Daniel Craig

– Do you know the hidden messages in ‘Call Me By Your Name’? Find out behind the scenes facts in the full commentary and In-depth analysis of the cinematic masterpiece

– A Tribute To The Academy Awards: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | From Rami Malek, Leonardo DiCaprio To Denzel Washington, Halle Berry & Beyond | From Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep To Bette Davis & Beyond

– In the 32nd Year Of His Career, Keanu Reeves’ Face Continues To Reign After Launching Movies Earning Over $4.3 Billion In Total – “John Wick”, “Toy Story 4”, “Matrix”, And Many More

Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre, Eric Andre

Author

  • Amhara Chamberlayne

    Amhara Chamberlayne is a graduate in English Literature from Warwick University who shares Hollywood Insider’s passion for cinema. When he is not watching films he is writing about them. Uninterested in gossip and agenda, Amhara instead believes in sharing his honest individual reaction to cinema. He enjoys the multi-variant reactions films elicit and believes his take is just as valid as others. For Amhara, the joy lies in the exchange of opinions.

    View all posts
Website It Up