Nathan For You is one of the greatest comedies ever made, but I can understand if you refuse to watch it.
Several years back, I watched the first two episodes and couldn’t handle the cringe and awkwardness. (It was during Melbourne lockdown, and my patience for a show this awkward was not high). But after loving both The Curse and The Rehearsal (which I’m sure I also watched during lockdown….), I thought, fuck it, I’ll give it another go. My brother might have had something to do with this. He’s a major Nathan For You fan and has been bugging me to watch it for years (even after I told him I bounced off the first couple of episodes).
So, I went back. And fuck me if Nathan Fielder isn’t a genius. I mean, I knew he was, but to see that genius develop across four seasons as he gets bolder and bolder with his schemes — arguably culminating with the art installation that is The Rehearsal — is fascinating and thrilling.
Nathan For You is a deep-cut satire on reality TV where a subject matter expert (like a Gordon Ramsay) goes into a business and tries to fix it. In Nathan For You, the SME is the hapless Fielder, who graduated from “Canada’s top business school” with very modest grades (shown proudly during the title sequence of every episode), offering his marketing expertise to struggling businesses. His ideas are utterly bonkers. Like suggesting to a frozen yoghurt joint make a poo-flavoured yoghurt to court controversy. Or for a petrol station to offer insane rebates on fuel, but where the discount can only be collected after undergoing a complex treasure hunt that no sane person would ever do… except, until, they do… (this is the episode where Nathan For You clicked for me when I realised how far Fielder would go).
It’s important to understand that the businesses are real; they are not in on the joke. (One of the reasons why the show only lasted four seasons is because Feilder became too recognisable). In fact, out of this show came several genuine viral sensations. The first involved a Petting Zoo (YouTube it), the second involved “dumb Starbucks” that was reported nationally in the US, with no one realising that this was a gag (or was it? I mean, part of the genius, is that some of Nathan’s ideas are actually disruptive).
I could go on. I mean, I haven’t even mentioned the two episodes I had to buy off Apple because Paramount + refuses to screen them (one is Nazi-themed, and it is one of the funniest things I have seen. Google: Summit Ice). Nathan For You ends with an 80-minute documentary (or two-part episode) called Finding Frances, which is simply incredible. Even without the show’s context, it’s still an extraordinary short film about regret and lost love.
0 Comments