Second Look: Mr. Show with Bob and David ‘What To Think’ – Put Your Dick In These Holes

‘What To Think’ (aired 11/10/95)

‘Arts Funding’/’Tracking Collar’ – B

The opening of ‘What To Think’ – one of the more elaborate premises of the show, a “Very Special Episode” about government interference in the arts – introduces us to a face that would become familiar on Mr. Show: Senator Howell Tankerbell of Dixiecrat, Georgia. The lengthy cold open is a classic Odenkirk monologue (complete with goofy voice and hair), where Tankerball tells a convoluted metaphor about a salesman going to a farm and fucking his wife, daughter, and milking machine to the glory hole, and insists that America stop the sucking glory hole of arts by controlling it and its funding. A direct result of this is the electrical collar David wears in the open, a quick bit of physical comedy that quickly segues into the first real sketch of the episode… another Tankerbell bit.

‘Old Swerdlow’ – A-

‘Old Swerdlow’ is a quick little bit – but it sneaks in a few jabs at both the government and the “arts” trying to appeal to it. In the sketch, Tankerbell is talking to Old Swerlow, a local, bearded man at a folk festival singing his song with a wooden man dancing on a wooden board, resting on Swerlow’s leg. Tankerball interprets this as ‘tittilating’ and ‘arousing’, condeming the man for having a naked child dancing in his lap, shutting down the whole festival (“it’s like a pioneer porn shop, David!”) while he pats sweat off the back of his neck. It’s a hilarious little shot at senators who are willing to blow anything from video games to rap music out of proportion, twisting it to fit their agendas with the most absurd descriptors imaginable.

There’s also David in the scene, who continuously pleads and negotiates with Tankerbell, reassuring them that their show is just some jokes about how great America is, and nothing for him to worry about. As an industry, the “arts” have to present themselves as favorable to the government’s message and perception, lest their tax credits and dedicated funds be rebuked by the government (which would kill something like the independent documentary community). So what does David do? Try and comfort the senator, bow ing to the man in power, while trying not to snicker behind his back – what else can they do but pucker up and do the dance to keep afloat?

‘Books For Seniors’ – C+

The first of many faux-commercials on Mr. Show, ‘Books for Seniors’ is a quick little bit of absurdity with Tom and Jill reading Senator Tankerbell’s Big Day to an old man, who is passed out on the floor. Is it funny? Maybe the cover of Bibley, the Little Bible, but that’s really it, save for the “you’re watching the What To Think Network” tag, that leads right into the religious-flavored sketch ahead.

‘Good News’ – A-

Mr. Show and religion is always one of my favorite combinations – and it makes sense that an episode focused on the government quelling the individuality and expression of individuals through the arts would see a gay man being pushed by the church back to heterosexuality time and time again. From 1982 to 1994, Bert (David Cross) founded the sexuality-rehab program Overcome, and “slipped back into homosinuality” no less than three times during the decade. It’s a great layered bit, with lots of great costumes for David, a Bob Odenkirk voice, and little touches like Bert not knowing what camera to look at. It’s quick – and really just an ad for an upcoming episode of Good News, allowing it to encapsulate a decade of material in a few minutes.
‘Jesus & Marshal (The 13th Apostle)’ – A-

In terms of deep literary meaning, there isn’t supposed to be a ton to parse out of ‘Jesus and Marshal’; it’s just funny to see a Jewish-looking salesman be a part of the holy team of Apostles, trying to sell fish and bread to the commoners, and even trying to convince God himself that he didn’t need to stop at omnipotence. Set like commercial for a religious film, mixed with a one-man live show, narrated like a hour-long cable documentary, ‘Marshal’ is a deeply layered sketch for its length – but smartly, doesn’t try to apply too much logic or meaning to the sketch, allowing the moments of Jesus brushing off Marshal and convincing him he smells like shit to just be funny.

‘Announcements’ – B

You can tell there’s something big coming in ‘What You Think’; when ‘Announcements’ ends, we’re barely 14 minutes into a 29 minute episode, and there’s only three sketches left for the rest of the episode. As a clear filler for space and a way to slowly move from religious to corporate satire, ‘Announcements’ serves it purpose, as Bob (or Tom in the booth refers to him, “Bobbbyyy”) rattles off a bunch of random ads, including a John Tesh album (“not suitable for any living thing”), an abortion clinic (“We’ll get the kid outta you!”) and finishing with Globo Chem, leading us into the next sketch.
‘Commercials Of The Future (Globo-Chem)’ – A

One of the show’s all-time great sketches, ‘Commercials of the Future’ is a commentary on the culmination of ad agencies, corporations trying to sweeten their public images, and a vulgar pair of ad executives with a hidden agenda. Whether it’s David and Bob’s lines (“What are you, some kind of fatty-fat fuck?”) or their endlessly vulgar ads (the second of which is for a “Ding Dong King Kong Sing Song Burger”, to combat those ‘meat prices going through the fucking roof’, and featuring a slick-looking Cross chewing a burger and cursing his brains out), ‘Commercial of the Future’ is a beautiful bit of Bob’s American absurdity mixed with David’s more vulgar tendencies, a storm of obscenities that grows louder and louder until the big reveal: the ad men were hired to scare the company CEO to death, a man whose business began when his great-great-great grandfather brought his slaveship to America to sell people to people.

‘The Joke: The Musical’/’Senator Tankerbell’ – A

What do you do when the government tells you to dance? You dance, goddamnit – and for Bob and David, that means presenting Senator Tankerbell’s story from the opening segment and turning into into a pseudo musica/rock opera about the morals of sticking your dick in holes. At times, the sketch does feel like it gets a little indulgent (young Jack Black’s voice is terrific, but you can already see some of the manic energy that overpowered much of his comedic talent), but it’s impressive to see Cross’s range (and Odenkirk, singing as the unlucky milk machine in the third hole), along with their ability to write and perform a demanding, lengthy performance piece that only tangentially apply themselves to the overarching themes of the episode. But you can tell how much fun everybody is having, and it adds to what is otherwise kind of a comically thin premise, and turns ‘The Joke: The Musical’ into something more memorable than it deserves to be.

After the credits, Senator Tarkenbell appears on camera, singing the ‘Knock, Knock’ song from the musical to himself. On his way out the door, he leaves a tip for Old Swerlow’s little wooden man – a lovely reminder of how hypocritical politicians can really be, and a perfect little topper to the episode.

Grade: A-

Other thoughts/observations:

– when Tarkenbell wants to see Swerlow’s act, he tells him to “make with the art.”

– the flashback bits of Bert in his “lapses” are hilarious, poking fun at a few stereotypes without assaulting the gay community.

– in Biblical terms, Marshal was a ‘hypnotist’.

– “You know three things Globo-Chem isn’t? Cute, friendly lovable. You know who is? The pansexual spokesthing Pit-Pat!”

– Tarkenbell as the twinkly light in the episode’s final sketch is such a weird, though somehow fitting touch.

– Grandma Betsy’s Biscuit Powder: “We don’t come down to where you work, and slap the dick right out of your mouth.” By the way, Betsy is a man (largest growing segment of the population: transsexuals, who shop for two).