Joe Pera and John Wilson make nice shows for nice people
Good evening, or morning if you’re reading this first thing with your coffee. It’s nice to meet you. Of course I don’t know you specifically, but if you’ve taken a moment to read my nice essay about nice people making nice shows, then I know I already love you. Not even “like”, I’m skipping that and going straight to love because heck, that’s what the world needs more of these days.
With the nation collapsing and the world always in danger, it’s hard to feel happy about anything these days. I won’t even name the many issues of the world because we should focus on the positive. Stuck inside, I watched more TV and films than ever before (and the number was already high). Today I’d like to talk about two shows in particular that tickled my fancy during quarantine: How To with John Wilson and Joe Pera Talks with You. Two delightful, calming, good-hearted shows that got me through 2020.
And remember: if at any point you find yourself disinterested or too overworked to focus on this silly little essay, you can click out. No one will ever know and besides, you could always come back to it next week or month or even year. No feelings hurt, I promise. Remember, there’s love between us.
As far back as I can remember TV has always been loud. I was a 90s kid so things tended to be brightly colored with tilted camera angles, usually involving someone yelling at the screen. Whether it be the Cartoon Network & Nickelodeon days of my youth or when my teenage instincts brought me to the likes of MTV and VH1. People were IN. YOUR. FACE.
Sorry, I got a little too intense with the capitalization. This is supposed to be a soothing article about good vibes. The throw-on-some-of-your-favorite-instrumental-music-while-you-skim-through-this-article kind of vibe.
Television in this time, and for most of its life, has been an extrovert. Always talking at you and not exactly to you. While it was fun for a time, I eventually found difficulty connecting to such programs. I didn’t want to feel bullied by my TV, I wanted to be friends. Equals even. I wanted it to welcome me into its world. But aside from folks like Mr. Rogers, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
Flash forward to the year 2016. Wait, did you buckle your seatbelt? Dang it that’s my fault. I should’ve warned you there’d be time jumps. If you need to take a second to hurl, go for it. I’ll still be here.
That year a video was shared with me entitled “Joe Pera Talks You to Sleep.” It was a 10 minute animated video that premiered on Adult Swim and it brought me such comfort. It was, for lack of a better word… slow. Television tends to be fast-paced with cuts happening every few seconds. This is especially true for a place like Adult Swim (that being said, I find strange comfort in The Eric Andre Show).
But here was something different. It was a man, who I’d never heard of or even met at a BBQ, who was telling me everything is going to be okay. More specifically, he’d made this short film to help anyone who is having trouble falling asleep. I come from a family of insomniacs so I know the feeling; you’re up and you just can’t get your brain to turn back off.
What I loved most about it was how often I found myself laughing when really he wasn’t even telling jokes. Just honest sentiments ranging from the grandness of the universe to beautiful barn architecture. As with most things that I share, I can’t properly describe them so I implore you to take 11 minutes out of your day and watch the actual thing:
About two years later Joe premiered his own episodic television show, this time in the flesh. I was so excited that there would be more of these if not a tad worried how he’d hold up in the live action world. Luckily, I think he made the transition marvelously. The tone remained and the cinematography is stunning. You can tell that this is the show Joe Pera wished to make. No quick cuts, no foul language, no sex appeal, just a nice show made by nice people (for nice people). He takes you on adventures such as “Joe Pera Takes You On A Fall Drive” and “Joe Pera Shows You How To Dance.” He never claims himself to be an expert in these categories but simply wishes to share his knowledge with us. Both seasons are currently running on HBO MAX.
A quick side tangent if you’ll allow it — I want to talk about Conner O’Malley. Conner not only writes and produces Joe Pera Talks with You but also stars as one of his neighbors. Now, I first saw his crazy sense of humor on Broad City as well as videos he releases on his Twitter. They’re the complete opposite of Joe Pera’s style. Screaming at the camera, using a selfie stick, about utter nonsense. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s funny content but it made me worry about how he’d adapt to Joe’s writing style and overall tone. Despite my fears, he fits in perfectly. Mr. O’Malley has proved that he can morph into whatever style he’s presented with, and that takes skill. This is my Conner corner to just say: well done sir. Keep up the good work. You and Joe and the whole team.
We’re gonna fast forward again now to the dreaded year of 2020. COVID-19 has struck and we’re being told to stay inside our homes like hermits. As scary as the disease is, I love staying home. Not to mention, HBO MAX has come out and they present all this original content including a new show entitled How To with John Wilson. Listen, I’ve never met this John Wilson nor have I seen him at any BBQs either. But the show is produced by Nathan Fielder (of Nathan For You fame) so how could I not find myself interested? I decide to watch the first episode and lo and behold, I enjoy it. It doesn’t blow me away but I’m willing to stick with it. Then comes episode 2, which I would come to realize is my favorite episode of the whole show: “How to Put Up Scaffolding.”
As someone who has lived in New York for only 6 years, I also found myself fascinated with the crazy amount of scaffolding in this city. I don’t remember seeing it in movies or during family visits to my uncle in Harlem and yet there it is, everywhere. Thus, I felt like John was talking directly to me. What I love even more about his show is we never see him talk to us. All of his words are done in voiceover as he finds the proper visuals to place over his thoughts. It’s different than anything I’ve seen before and unlike Nathan For You it doesn’t wish to poke too much fun or make things awkward. It’s an honest program about a man, and his camera, just trying to make sense of this crazy world.
As I was watching the scaffolding episode, my fiancé (Hailey) was doing work on her laptop. This is a tradition we have during quarantine; she tends to work late so I put on something calm on the TV that won’t distract her too much. And yet, she couldn’t take her eyes off the program. She ended up loving the episode just as much as I did and we began suggesting it to everyone we know. We ended up watching the rest of the series together and it really helped with our collective anxiety. We were legitimately upset when we found out there were only 6 episodes. But then again, if there were more than this it’s possible each one might not have felt as special (and the finale is truly a special one).
As mentioned before, I’m not good at describing what makes these shows so special so I ask you, beg you even, to watch all six episodes. The way Mr. Wilson’s mind works is fascinating and while the episodes get tangential in their storytelling he always wraps it up in a nice bow by the end. He’s able to make a show that flows like how our brains work, and yet you never feel lost. You’re in the capable hands of John who is guiding us through his own thought process. I get a smile on my face every time he closes the episodes with his sign-off: “This is John Wilson. Thanks for watching.” It’s a simple phrase with no frills, but it means the world to me. No one these days thanks you for stopping by their show and here he is, appreciative of the viewer.
This brings me to you, the reader of this very article. Can you believe we got through all this together? It’s been quite a journey and, similar to John Wilson, I would like to thank you for stopping by. I may not have done a great job at explaining both shows or why they lift my spirits but I truly believe if you give them a shot, you might find yourself in a better place in 2021.
I appreciate you stopping by. You are loved.
