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Friday, October 10, 2014 - 7A
I The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, October10, 2014- 7A
'Hey, Tina What'
'Burg
FOX animated
comedy returns with
musical episode
By ERIKA HARWOOD
SeniorArtsEditor
I love Tina Belcher. I often feel
like I am Tina Belcher. Like Tina,
my crotch occasionally itches, I
have an affinity
for boys' butts. B+
and would
betray my own Bob's
blood to be in
a musical of Burgers
"WorkingGirl." Season five
"Work Hard premiere
or Die Try-
ing, Girl," the Sundays at7:30pm
season five -FOX
premiere of
"Bob's Burg-
ers," isn't really about Tina, but
the Belcher's musically inclined
middle child, Gene. It's not that I
don't like Gene - Gene's fine. He's
the loud-mouthed, pop-culture
savvy brother I sometimes wish I
had - and voiced by Eugene Mir-
man to boot.
But I don't really love Gene - at
least not enough to get enthused
about entire episodes being devot-
ed to him. And not just any epi-
sode, amusical episode.
it shouldn't be the case, but
musical episodes - of any show,
ers'
be it animated or on
live, breathing people
as a cop out, because
reason, peoplelovewa
people sing sort of f
It's a guarantee for
shouldn't be guarant
actuality, they probal
ble the work and effo
age episode.Writings
weave a cohesive and
tive probably takes up
I realize that I'm wro
largelyhatemusicalel
largely because the on
vens" musical episod
to this day, onpoint).
"Work Hard" isn'
but two battling mus
Belchers argue with
girlfriend Courtney a:
in Principal Frond's
treated with flashba
the competition bet
idea for the schoolr
based on the movie'
and Courtney's (ba
movie "Working Girl"
father promises that i
is chosen Carly Simo
up on opening night.
but even the unlikeli
gesture is enough to se
on going with "W
The Musical," which
stocked with big hair,
pads.
Thanks to his
younger sister Loui
encouraged to take hi
reopens
ne with real, musical underground - literally -
- strike me in the school's boiler room where
for whatever he will put on a one-man guer-
atching other rilla performance the same time
funny songs. as "WorkingGirl"'s openingnight.
laughs that Despite the complete lack of
eed at all. In burgers (the entire episode is
bly take dou- restricted to the confines of Wag-
rt of an aver- staff), the gang is mostly all here.
ongs thatcan Lindasings in the joint "Die Hard/
funny narra- Working Girl" musical at the end,
a lot of time. the entire Pesto family is present,
ng, but I still from Jimmy Pesto to the twins,
pisodes (Isay and even Daryl (Aziz Ansari,
ie "Even Ste- "Parks and Recreation") shows up
e was, and is to help Gene out with his produc-
tion.
t about one, Gene is no Tina, but "Work
icals. As the Hard" is full of Gene quips and
Gene's ex- unhealthy albeit hilarious knowl-
nd her father edge of "Die Hard" specificities
office, we're that shine through his perfor-
cks detailing mance reminding you why he's a
ween Gene's valuable personality within the
musical (one Belcher clan in the first place.
"Die Hard") As for the musicals, the episode
sed on the doesn't end up being as much of a
). Courtney's musical episode as it is an episode
f her musical about musicals - musical adapta-
n will show tions of 1988 movies to be much
She doesn't, more specific. The songs do have
ihood of the their moments though, and intrue
ell the school "Bob's Burgers" fashion, they're as
orking Girl: off-beat and charming as always.
is rightfully Despite my preconceptions,
and shoulder "Work Hard" turned out and laid
down a solid foundation for a sea-
conniving son full of Belcher mischief and
se, Gene is unconventional yet endearing
s "Die Hard" antics.
COURTESY OF HANNIBAL BURESS
Buress is a cohost of 'The Eric Andre Show,' whose third season premieres in October.
Hannibal Buess talls
'Br
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drink
Buren
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know
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how
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But
knew
just s
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write
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'oad City' star to beenj
forwa
erform at Royal mater
that :
a on Saturday scale.
On
ByAKSHAYSETH distin
ManagingArts Editor prese
show:
m a little foggy from has1
king last night," Hannibal gravir
ss said. trans
just Hannibal style.
that per fo
ve and Buress: it is:
'ct you, Comedy ballet
:er." chara
sure Camesado natur
to reply, Tour tellin
laughed. perke
inside I Saturday, "It'
and October11 mono
o there's audie
doubt Royal Oak Music have
anyone's Theatre the p
, 'll $29 go to
it out perfo:
I love I gett
TV L I V
'Hey! What?'Nothing, we're just really looking.'
'Vampire Diaries a
bark wihout any bite
you too, Hannibal.
In a phone interview with
The Michigan Daily, Buress -
a burgeoning stand-up who's
gone from that all-too-common
category of Just Another
Rising Comic to becoming an
unavoidable, brilliant mainstay
in today's comedy world -
spoke at length about breaking
into the limelight. He spent
nearly a decade honing his craft
on stage behind a mic, quickly
drawing attention for an often-
endearing brand of storytelling
that has seen him wearing a
jumpsuit plastered with giant
blow-ups of his own face
to railing against the racial
stereotypes overshadowed
by a good glass of apple
juice. Then after a stretch of
time behind the scenes, in
writers' rooms for "Saturday
Night Live" and "30 Rock,"
Buress has had one of those
years: regular appearances in
Comedy Central's acclaimed
"Broad City," a well-received
hour-long special in the form
of "Live From Chicago,"
capped off by a memorable
role in this summer's hit Seth
Rogen vehicle "Neighbors."
Now, the comedian is
bringing a slew of newly
written material along for the
Comedy Camisado Tour, which
stops by at the Royal Oak
Music Theatre on Saturday.
"This is my first ever big
theater run as a headliner, you
know? So I'm excited, man,"
he said. "This'll really be the
first time I get to just hit the
road and play for large, 800-
to-1000 seat audiences. My
following's as big as it's ever
eleme
- th
the a
elabor
it's ab
on a p
Th
be
camp
perfor
past,i
Aziz
Show
from
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awkw
encoui
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hooku
Do
a
"It'
tweet
comp
post a
She s
endin
" he r
at he
guess
or so
all th
pictur
or a b
a nin
footba
"So
pic, t
right now so I'm looking 'I think I'm OK with you not
:rd to getting this following me anymore,' " he
ial out there and seeing laughed. "It's always funny
reaction on the larger when people see proof that
"1 something I talk about in my
e of the things that's stand-up actually happened,
guished Buress's stage because they're always like
nce at live comedy 'holy shit you weren't fucking
s over the past few years around, dude.'"
been his tendency to Buress explained how
tate toward an odd-yet- his writing process has
cendentally-energetic changed a little over the
In many of the recent years to incorporate material
rmances he's put on, unfolding around him. He
n't uncommon to see described his comedic style as
dancers or costumed more reactionary as opposed
cters interjecting at to pure exaggeration, a brand
al lulls in classical joke- of jokes which try to capture
g to keep audiences some of the strangeness he
d for the next punchline. sees everyday, as in the case
's fun to mix up the with the Ann Arbor's resident
tony of stand-up for the model/football assassin.
nces, or even myself, and Speaking of strange - "I
a chance to mess with respect the hell out of that
acing aspect of it all. I segue, man. Nice." Baress
a lot of Cirque-du-Soleil interjected - thelth esation
rmances in Vegas where turned to "The Eric Andre
to see all these different Show," which he's co-hosted
nts coming together with Andre on Adult Swim
ie music, the acting, since it first aired in 2012, the
thletic aspect," Buress season 3 premiere debuting
rated. "But ultimately, late in October. The 11-minute
out what it means to put "talk show" features both
'olished event." hosts conducting nonsensical
ough that event won't faux-interviews with
coming directly to celebrities (or celebrity
us this year, Buress has impersonators), eventually
rmed in Ann Arbor'in the cutting them together with
most recently alongside hilarious surrealist skits that
Ansari at the Comedy Andre writes, stars in and
case. In a famous bit usually edits himself.
his 2012 special "Animal "Eric shoots literally hours
ice," he describes an of material for every episode,"
ard Facebook-messaging Buress said. "It's crazy how
inter he had with an Ann much stuff he has. I can't give
r woman he wanted to away too many secrets, but it's
up with while in town. always a weird dynamic."
Like "Broad City," alot of the
show's acting requires a type
be of free-range improvisation
n twhich Buress feels is becoming
coinedian. extremely prevalent in a lot of
the filmed comedy projects he
You'll be has undertaken over the last
couple years. Currently, he's
niserable. in the process of developing
his own show - something he
can't yet discuss at length, but
which he promises will mine
s funny because she from the same vein of humor
ed at me the other day showcased in his stand-up.
laining about why I don't When asked what advice
ny real jokes on Twitter. he'd give aspiring college-age
aid something like 'I'm comedians, he paused fora few
g our friendship ... now,' seconds.
ecounted. "Then I looked "Don't try to be a comedian,"
r Facebook page and I Buress said. "There's no money
she's a wannabe model in it. You'll be miserable. All
mething? And there are the parts are taken. We don't
ese weird, just strange, need you."
es of her wering a bra He paused for another beat
ikini top while holding before laughing.
e millimeter gun to a "Invent a mobile app. Like
all." the Uber version of hiring
I screencapped that private jets," he said. "That'll
weeted it to her and said do it."
ByJORDYNKAY once-stable Elena is now taking
DailyArts Writer hallucinogenic witch herbs in
order to see Damon. Elena refus-
"The Vampire Diaries" is es to grieve and without Bonnie
entering its sixth season on the or Caroline, (Candice Accola,
CW Network and, like last year, "Juno") who's off on her hunt to
the ratings are find a spell to fix everything,
continuing Elena has no one to stop her from
to take a hit. taking this one-way train to crazy
Coming off of The town via witch drugs.
what could be In all honesty, "Diaries" 's sto-
its worst sea- Vampire ries are boring. The writers seem
son yet, "The Diaries to be killing off whomever will
Vampire Dia- make it easiest for them to toy
ries" had a lot Wednesdays with Elena's emotions without
to prove in this really taking into account the
week's pre- Season six rest of the story or the viewers.
miere episode. premiere While Damon is definitely the
Unfortunately, The CW right choice if this is their tactic,
it seems that it wouldn't hurt for them to let
the writers are sticking to old tac- someone in Mystic Falls be happy
tics and viewers shouldn't expect for longer than five minutes. With
to fall back in love with the series two of the main characters gone
that once had the vampire televi- (but not really gone, since we see
sion genre cornered. Bonnie and Damon at the end in
In the season premiere, all of some cottage), the plotline lacks
the vampires, werewolves and creativity.
few humans that are still left are Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen,
coming to terms with the death "Everwood") also refuses to
of both Damon (Ian Somerhalder, mourn Bonnie; like Elena, he
"Lost") and Bonnie (Kat Graham, is having trouble accepting her
"17 Again"). Elena (Nina Dobrev, death. Jeremy and Elena should
"The Perks of Being a Wallflow- have this grieving thing down to a
er"), who has lost more people on science with all the losses they've
the show than anyone else, has faced, but when it comes to the
decided to take the route of denial loves of their lives neither one of
when it comes to her grieving for them has figured it out yet.
Damon. Along the way, Elena also Stefan (Paul Wesley, "Fallen")
picked up a nice drug habit. The has run away, per usual, shacking
up with some unnamed female
character. This lacks any level of
interest, as it has become a rou-
tine that has been used again and
again. Instead of being there to
support the people around him,
he goes off on some mission to get
Damon back from the land of the
dead. And each time, he gives up
on the mission.
The biggest change this season
will be the return of Alaric (Mat-
thew Davis, "Legally Blonde"),
which was the high point of the
entire premiere. Finally, an adult
figure for these vampire teen-
agers to look to for advice has
returned. Alaric was a fan favor-
ite for many, and if anything, his
return gave the season premiere
hope for future episodes.
"The Vampire Diaries" was
the CW's attempt to capitalize on
the latest vampire craze. The first
four seasonswere compelling and
exciting, holdingviewer's interest
from week to week. But based on
the first episode of the new sea-
son, the writers have not looked
at the dwindling ratings and refo-
cused their energies on bringing
viewers back. It seems to be time
that the writers should begin to
wrap up the series and deliver
a payoff to their longtime fans.
In other words, a happy reunion
between Damon and Elena. If not,
it seems as if this could be the end
of "The Vampire Diaries."
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