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Funny, irreverent 'Stella' tackles life's drama
By Tiphany Orticke
Comedy Central's new show "Stella," which premieres Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., friggin' rocks. There. I said it. Comedy Central is billing its latest fare as "Dumb comedy dressed up in a suit," but it's not. First of all, there are three suits. Second, "Stella" is aeons removed from dumb. Starring Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain, former members of MTV's "The State" - a groundbreaking, anti-"Saturday Night Live" that only lasted a heartbreaking two seasons in the early 90s before they tried and failed to move onto bigger and better things - "Stella" began as a live sketch act and gained Internet-based fame for the downloadable short scenes made for their live show. The shorts were so popular because they were so unique: Irreverent, sarcastic, chaotic, cynical and quite exuberant, they boasted appearances from guest stars such as Sam Rockwell ("O, Brother, Where Art Thou") and had tons of fun with iconic figures like Santa Claus. And let's not talk about "the Dick Fish." You have to find out what those are for yourselves. For those of us who guiltily, yet faithfully, plug into the host of sundry clip shows that have plagued VH1 for about three years now ("I Love the '70s, '80s, '90s and so on" or "I was a High School: Geek; Popular Girl/Guy; Metalhead etc." and "The Best Week Ever"), you will recognize Black, a commentator who became a droll staple on all of them after appearing on the critically acclaimed, yet audience-deprived "Ed" for NBC. And then there are cult classics, like Comedy Central's "Viva Variety" (Black was host Johnny Bluejeans) and the 2001 film "Wet Hot American Summer." Directed and written by Wain, starring Showalter and Black, "Wet Hot" was a flippant snap on the teen-targeted films of the day, and a reunion of The State, filled with its usual themes including the angst and terror of youth, crazy veterans and talking inanimate objects. The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely.
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