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Fake Apatow Sitcom Parody Better than Most Sitcoms

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (22)



jason_schwartzman.jpg

Ah, viral marketing. Another thing that’s been so done to death that it’s hardly effective anymore, just another element of the marketing campaign. Trailer. TV Clips. Junkets. Talk-show appearances. And viral marketing. Judd Apatow does it better than most, though he gets it wrong with “Yo Teach!” a fake sitcom within the movie (Funny People) about a stand-up comedian (Adam Sandler) dying of cancer and his support group (including Seth Rogen and Jason Schwartzman). The sitcom is “Yo Teach!” which looks like something that would’ve appeared on Friday night on ABC in 1990. And I would’ve watched the hell out of it.

What happened to those Friday night sitcoms,anyway. “Family Matters,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Full House,” and “Lust over Topanga”? Why have the networks given up on Friday nights, and why isn’t one of them smart enough to bring back a family sitcom block?

Anyway, here’s a clip from “Yo Teach!” It’s kind of lame, but it’s lame in just the right sort of way. Like “Saved by the Bell.” And even now, I’d watch this show while hungover on an early Saturday morning. Make it happen, TBS:









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Comments

No comprende.

I don't get it. Not the post and definitely not the clip. Is this supposed to be irony?

Posted by: courtney at May 29, 2009 9:57 AM

oh wow. is that raj from what's happening?

where's dee? she was the best bratty little sister from my albeit very white childhood.

Posted by: gp at May 29, 2009 10:01 AM

Holy Shit! That is Raj! Nice call, gp.

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Posted by: Dustin Rowles at May 29, 2009 10:03 AM

and “Lust over Topanga”?
Way to make my day!

Posted by: Patty O'Green at May 29, 2009 10:21 AM

O man. That hit every beat that a 22 minute episode of a 90s sitcom would have had. It was like concentrated nostalgia.

I also feel very bad for my former hatred of Jason Schwartzman. Maybe it's just because he reminds me of my best teachers in this clip, but he really has grown on me.

Posted by: JakesAlterEgo at May 29, 2009 10:23 AM

Is that the classroom from Welcome Back, Kotter? Except for the computer, it looks like that classroom.

Posted by: BWeaves at May 29, 2009 10:27 AM

This throws off the dynamic, as it's supposed to be the sassy black teacher with the principal that's white and trying to pimp out the students. I think the Steve Harvey Show was on WB, but Hangin' with Mr. Cooper definitely was on ABC.

Well, I guess there was also Hang Time, but Bob Golic can't be sassy, so it doesn't count.

This is why on-demand TV is so evil. You get concrete evidence on the exactly how stupid you were as a child for watching this tripe (and still loving every minute of it).

Posted by: Sean at May 29, 2009 10:39 AM

'You're wearing a sleeveless shirt and a winter hat!'

Bwahahahahaa.
I love Jason Schwarzman, the dude would have been AMAZING if this was a real sitcom. And I wish it WAS a real sitcom. You just know that when they did their very special episodes, it'd be Schwartzman(I dont know how to spell his name so im trying every variation) reliving his performance in Spun and getting high out of his gord on ...was it crystal meth?
Then he'd have stayed awake all week and tried to form a midnight study session which would have gone terribly wrong when he finally crashed out and a fire started from one of his lit cigarettes(which he'd have started smoking on his descent to bad behaviour) nearly killed his students and he and they ended up in hospital and that Jock kid would have had potentially career ending burns on his legs and Teach would have learned a valuable lesson about Crystal Meth and Jock kid would have been fine by next week and Teach wouldn't have gotten fired but may have impregnated a hooker which would be the next 'Very Special Episode' when she died and the baby was left to him as its dad and he would totally have DNA tests done but while waiting for the results would grow super attached to the baby and realise he did want to be its dad after all only to find out he wasn't the father and the kid would go into foster care and the audience would go 'aaaaaaaaaaaaw' as the gentle, african american social worker(they always are on sitcoms) took the baby away and Jason would look sad and wonder if he'd ever realy have his own kids but then realise, his STUDENTS where his kids really.

If you sat that whole thing out loud fast enough, you almost dont notice its a HUGE run on sentence.

Posted by: Nadine at May 29, 2009 10:55 AM

I would watch HOURS of that.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at May 29, 2009 11:06 AM

It's YouTube celebrity and teenage douchebag Bo Burnham! I hope this doesn't mean he's about to get a real career doing shit for Apatow.

Posted by: AMT at May 29, 2009 11:09 AM

I would watch Hours of Jason Schwartzman fertilizing a lawn.

But that's beacause I love him.

Posted by: Stacy D at May 29, 2009 11:11 AM

You nailed it with the Friday night line up comparison. I see shades of Mister Rooney all over Schwartzman's hip to the lingo of the teens portrayal. Easily as good as Saved By the Bell, which has not aged well.

Plus I kind of want to pinch his little cheeks for wearing a corduroy jacket with elbow patches. Geek chic.

Posted by: Leigh at May 29, 2009 12:22 PM

I would watch that. I liked the "You're wearing a sleeveless shirt and a winter hat!" line.

Posted by: Lucas at May 29, 2009 12:56 PM

It's Bo Burnham! The rapping basketball kid. He's freaking hilarious. He has a youtube channel that I almost don't want to pimp, because while I wish him success, I kind of want to be the only person who knows who he is.

Quite a conundrum.

Posted by: Clee Shay at May 29, 2009 1:01 PM

yum. jason. thanks for the great picture.
i look forward to both this movie and his new hbo show.

Posted by: maxpurr9 at May 29, 2009 1:23 PM

The line about the English language being his biggest rival? Too smart. Too funny.

Posted by: Matches at May 29, 2009 1:41 PM

Is it, er, wrong that I cried a little at the end of the clip?

I haven't seen Jason Schwartzman much, but I do believe his performance in Marie Antoinette was, like, perfect.

"I hear you like to study locks."
"Yes."
...
"And you... enjoy locks?"
"...obviously..."

Posted by: Ling at May 29, 2009 7:07 PM

Sorry, misquoted:

"I hear you make keys as a hobby?"
"Yes."
...
"And you... enjoy? making keys?"
"...obviously..."

(It never hurts to plan ahead for comments section teardowns, does it? No matter how unlikely?)

Posted by: Ling at May 29, 2009 7:24 PM

I hate Schwartzmann with a passion, but dammit if that wasn't watchable. MAKE IT HAPPEN, TBS!

Posted by: Shane at May 29, 2009 8:15 PM

I saw Rushmore in the theater three times and thought it was good, but the whole "OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Bill Murray is a halfway decent serious actor" shocked vibe from the hipsters was annoying.

But the praise for the movie went straight to Jason Schwartzman's head and blew his ego up to the size of the fucking universe. The fact that he was made the centerpiece of that years MTV Movie Awards show where he played his director charcater nerd from Rushmore sealed a permanent "I'm just SO much hipper and cooler and with it and hipper and cooler then you could ever hope to be on your bestest day ever so don't even bother even dreaming about it, just suck my cock" smirk on his face and attitude in his mind.

I loathe him and pray that he is horribly injured in a tragic on set accident involving a water tower and an arc light.

Posted by: ILikeWhores at May 30, 2009 5:16 PM

I only hope he gets the Keith Moon biopic over that piece of shit Mike Myers... He looks like him and can actually play the drums.

He is an awesome actor - Rushmore in my top 3.

Posted by: scott at May 30, 2009 9:06 PM

Late to the party, but everybody keeps saying this is Friday night ABC-esque, when OBVIOUSLY, it's Saturday morning NBC. Just had to say it.

Posted by: Blogette at July 6, 2009 9:51 PM

















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