Must. Watch. Show.

May 12, 2006 5:30 PM

The Show with Ze Frank. Like the Daily Show, but shorter, quicker, and more spastic. The Show has been going for about a month now, but Ze appears to be hitting his stride now.
posted by monju_bosatsu (50 comments total)

Ze has more to offer than just The Show: things to read, games to play, interactive entertainments. He's fun, he's young, he's thinking so I don't have to Oh. I'm first, too.
posted by threadbare at 5:40 PM on May 12, 2006

Looks like he's going to have a ton of new viewers to try and scare off next week.
posted by BackwardsCity at 5:43 PM on May 12, 2006

Just found out about him two or three weeks ago. Good stuff!
posted by malaprohibita at 5:49 PM on May 12, 2006

Watch out for copycatting in 3 ..2 ...1
posted by elpapacito at 5:56 PM on May 12, 2006

I don't know... I found his on screen personality kind of annoying.
posted by MythMaker at 6:10 PM on May 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

his eyes are huge
posted by wumpus at 6:16 PM on May 12, 2006

Wow. That was awesome.
posted by mkultra at 6:18 PM on May 12, 2006

1. Quicktime?
2. Spastic?

That is all.
posted by reklaw at 6:24 PM on May 12, 2006

I liked it.
posted by Eekacat at 6:32 PM on May 12, 2006

Ze is sexy.
posted by JanetLand at 6:32 PM on May 12, 2006

That's like The Daily Show if The Daily Show were in no way subtle or nuanced or clever.
posted by xmutex at 6:37 PM on May 12, 2006

He's funny, very funny, but in an annoying way that makes me not trust him. He's like a politically conscious Jim Carrey wannabe, except... funny.

In short, I don't know how I feel about him. His flash doodads rock, though.
posted by brundlefly at 6:39 PM on May 12, 2006

ok he's pretty funny
posted by xmutex at 6:44 PM on May 12, 2006

You know, Ze's "How to Dance" clips and his whole bit about creating the color chart for the Department of Homeland Security remain two of my favorite all time things on the web. This new development is pretty good, too. He is a funny, funny man, IMO, but your mileage may vary. Thanks for pointing this new show out, though. I haven't checked out his site in a few months.
posted by Joey Michaels at 7:08 PM on May 12, 2006

Well, some good, some annoying, but nothing I'd watch regularly. Thanks for letting me know its out there though.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 7:09 PM on May 12, 2006

God, why can I not install quicktime without iTunes? So damn irritating, I hate apple.
posted by delmoi at 7:13 PM on May 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

I proposed to Ze Frank once. It's since expired.
posted by krix at 7:18 PM on May 12, 2006

Some of the jokes were funny, but the overall presentation was annoying. He speaks in this robot voice and is messes up the comedy timing.

For example (from the show):

"House Minority Leader sissy girl Nancy Pelosi said the democrats would not impeach the president even if the democrats controlled congress. Even if he did something illegal. WAY TO DO YOUR JOB"

Anyway, you at least need a pause in there after the word 'illegal'.
posted by delmoi at 7:20 PM on May 12, 2006

I was pleasantly surprised. He could even carry a tune. Thanks for the link - I've never heard of him before, but he's worth another peek down the road.
posted by rougy at 7:21 PM on May 12, 2006

God, why can I not install quicktime without iTunes? So damn irritating, I hate apple.

You do know there is a Quicktime Alternative, yes?
posted by washburn at 7:41 PM on May 12, 2006

Quicktime without iTunes.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 7:48 PM on May 12, 2006

I think Powazek put it best. The show rocks.
posted by scottj at 8:06 PM on May 12, 2006

Poop!
posted by mds35 at 8:22 PM on May 12, 2006

yeh I became a viewer a week or two ago. I'm not a new viewer anymore. I have still to come up with a power move.

Ducky!
posted by takeyourmedicine at 8:26 PM on May 12, 2006

His timing is no timing! And I'm not even being sarcastic, even though it seems like I should be.

Bam bam bam. It is machine gun humour. And I like it. Bookmarked.
posted by blacklite at 8:47 PM on May 12, 2006

Since this is sort of, indirectly, a newsy post, since it's linking to a guy who is going on about how fucked the US is, can I link to this AP story? It's not worthy of an FPP by any means, but hell, you know things are a bit screwed up when your intelligence bureaus are openly, publicly taking each other down.
posted by blacklite at 8:48 PM on May 12, 2006

Narcissistic dude with a video camera reads Wonkette out loud. EVERYBODY JERK OFF.
posted by wigu at 9:21 PM on May 12, 2006

Awesome! But, I'm not that into duckies..
posted by Chuckles at 10:44 PM on May 12, 2006

At the sound of the tone you will trust me and I will keep you safe
posted by jouke at 11:11 PM on May 12, 2006

I wasn't prepared to like this but, alas, I did. Thanks for the link.
posted by Staggering Jack at 11:17 PM on May 12, 2006

So how long will it be before zefrank ends up on tv?
posted by puke & cry at 11:20 PM on May 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

I've been waiting for this post for a few weeks now.

I find the show entertaining but no one else I've recommended it to has been impressed or entertained. I guess he's an acquired taste. IMHO, The Show is far superior to Rocketboom and makes me wish I had back the time I wasted watching Congdon toss her hair.
posted by shoepal at 11:36 PM on May 12, 2006

Narcissistic dude with a video camera reads Wonkette out loud. EVERYBODY JERK OFF.

I may jerk off but not to him, thanks. No really , why do you care so much ? Envy ?
posted by elpapacito at 12:06 AM on May 13, 2006

shoepal: Rocketboom was pretty bad. or 'is', I guess, if they're still doing it.

zefrank has a very particular style that I have always enjoyed.

wigu just hates america. why do you hate america, wigu?
posted by blacklite at 1:47 AM on May 13, 2006

Narcissistic dude [...]
Yet Janetland finds him sexy. The chicks always dig the narcissistic dudes.
I think Wigu needs to get layed.
posted by jouke at 2:12 AM on May 13, 2006

Yeah, zefrank's been around for a few years now. The first few times I saw him I didn't know what to make of his schtick. Maybe best classified (if need be) as low-brow humor for the thinking person. I find him more clever funny than ha ha funny.
posted by SteveInMaine at 5:07 AM on May 13, 2006

So how long will it be before zefrank ends up on tv?

Probably not long, but you sure can't aim "What a ridiculously fucknut thing to say" at Nancy Pelosi on TV. Great stuff, thanks, monju_bosatsu.
posted by mediareport at 6:10 AM on May 13, 2006

For the record, I don't hate America. I hate freedom.
posted by wigu at 6:43 AM on May 13, 2006

you still need to get laid.
posted by carsonb at 6:55 AM on May 13, 2006

Get laid with the rocketboom chix Amanda , which is very nice !
posted by elpapacito at 7:04 AM on May 13, 2006

Narcissistic dude [...]
Yet Janetland finds him sexy. The chicks always dig the narcissistic dudes.

Well, you know, if I saw him in person, the narcissistic thing might be a problem . . . fantasy v. reality and all that.
posted by JanetLand at 7:10 AM on May 13, 2006

erm who is
posted by elpapacito at 7:14 AM on May 13, 2006

I know that the unblinking stare is an affectation and not an actual impairment. it's pretty fucking annoying anyway. the chipped tooth is probably an affectation, too. he Photoshopped it in, or something
posted by matteo at 9:08 AM on May 13, 2006

Everybody on here liked him so much I watched him again.

Nope, I still think he's annoying. He needs to do less speed.
posted by MythMaker at 10:29 AM on May 13, 2006

I like it. I'm not sure how well the fast-cut style would translate to a TV show, though. It's sort of annoying, yet it seems to work. I could see it getting old after a while.
posted by defenestration at 12:10 PM on May 13, 2006

If he were to have a show, the format would have to be much different.

Maybe he doesn't need to have a "show" but he could be a "best of" weekly clip on Stewart or Colbert's show, pretty easily I think.

As a Flash beginner, I'm impressed with his Flash work. And I'm also impressed that he can put together a clip like that once a day. Some aspects of his style rub me wrong, but he is a pretty smart kid.
posted by rougy at 12:20 PM on May 13, 2006

Ze Frank explains toward the end of this episode that he doesn't blink because blinking makes his nostril flare.
posted by cgc373 at 5:58 PM on May 13, 2006

this is not a pipe.
posted by robot at 7:40 PM on May 13, 2006

When "How to Dance Properly" hit it big and Ze was posting stats because he was stunned by the amount of attention, he cited an e-mail correspondence with someone who referenced Schrodinger's Cat. That someone is me. I'm freakin' famous!

But seriously, I've loved the guy for years and the new "vlog" doesn't disappoint. It's already a new genre, thanks to Youtube and Google Video and lots of kids with webcams, but his is absolutely the only one worth watching, imho.
posted by Isabeau Sahen at 7:45 AM on May 14, 2006

I think Wigu needs to get layed.



:o
posted by revfitz at 10:38 AM on May 14, 2006