Crashing is Painfully Endearing

The show Crashing, on HBO, is such a funny show, but it is painful to watch the main character, Pete, bomb his standups and awkwardly navigate the city trying to get gigs. I’m not going to lie, I am loving this show that is not only written by the star, Pete Holmes, but it is directed by my current favorite director, Judd Apatow. Honestly, Judd can do no wrong as I watch so many of the shows and movies he’s involved with including Girls, Love in addition to Crashing and my all time favorite movies such as Brides Maids, Anchorman, Step Brothers and This is 40. Ok, I’m over my fangirl moment…

Anyway, if you don’t already know, Crashing is written about his start as a comedian. So yes, the sweet personality that doesn’t remotely match the personalities of any of the other comedians, that’s all him. Oh, and him bombing his standup gigs? Yep, all him and all true! Can you imagine how hard it is to relive the days where people constantly rejected you or worse didn’t even laugh at your jokes? The funny thing is, it’s not as sad as it sounds.

Pete has to be the most likable guy I’ve ever laughed at in my life. It’s like I feel bad for even laughing at him because he is genuinely trying and although corny, he is quite funny. I just love seeing the juxtaposition between his character as a comedian and all the other comedians he befriends. Most of them are jaded, use self-deprecating humor, or just seem like unhappy people who use drugs and alcohol to get by.

The most recent episode is one that really shows how different Pete is as a comedian. The episode entitled Barking showed Pete with a group of aspiring actors that couldn’t believe the way he talked and how he acted wasn’t him putting on a show, pretending to be Mormon. They realized he was really just a sweet Christian man trying to make it in the stand up comedy game. Watching the difference between every other comedian in the episode who was willing to lie about headline performers to get people to show up or him having a fight over a corner he’s working (to get people to the comedy show, not prostitution, lol) was really funny, especially since he got the most people to attend the show by being himself. It helped him earn a spot for the next time around from the door guy who bombed on stage, himself, lol.

Pete is the most likable, honest character I’ve seen in a long time. He’s not ashamed to be himself in a world where so many people are trying to pretend they’re something they’re not just to fit in or just to make a buck. Pete isn’t willing to do that. He believes he can make it by being himself and sticking to the stuff he knows.

Hey, we know it worked; he has a show on HBO!!! If you don’t watch the end scene where he’s walking with the other comedians asking if he can hang out with them while they cynically shut him down and tell him that he’s basically lame and creepy for being so kind and not fall in love with his character, then you’re a monster!

Crashing comes on Sundays on HBO. Here’s the preview for the next episode: