No One Can Hijack Ridiculousness Quite Like Eric André
Don't underestimate the power of Eric André — the comedian and actor just seems to know what gets audiences laughing. His series, "The Eric André Show," has cemented itself as one of Adult Swim's best offerings — a major feat considering the programming block is home to a myriad of unforgettable projects. Since 2012, "The Eric André Show" has offered a surreal perspective on the absurdities of life.
A series highlight is André's segments with unexpecting members of the public. Sometimes on the street, other times under controlled circumstances, the brand of chaos only makes these segments more hilarious. There seems to be no limit to how much he can bring to the genre — an element that critics agree on. "There's no indication that André is running short on ideas on how to confuse, shock, and otherwise unsettle everyone he crosses paths with," wrote IndieWire's Tyler Hersko.
André's interactions with audiences don't just stop at his own series; he's proven to be a memorable guest on a variety of projects. Nothing demonstrates this more than his appearances on "Ridiculousness." The MTV show offers the blueprint for anyone who wants to give André a guest spot.
Sometimes cavemen say the strangest things
Rob Dyrdek's video clip show "Ridiculousness" quickly became a staple of MTV programming following its debut in 2011. Its blend of meme-worthy moments from the internet and in-person commentary gives it a fun, refreshing take on the clip package format. Dyrdek and co-hosts Chanel West Coast and Steelo Brim have seen a lot of guests stop by to talk about the curated vids, but none have been quite like Eric André. The trio learned that early on during one of the comedian's first appearances on the show (via YouTube).
The host found out about one of André's most unlikely jobs during the episode. André confirmed he played one of the GEICO cavemen for promotional appearances. For anyone who might have missed that commercial trend, the cavemen became a strange sensation for the insurance company; actors wearing prosthetics could appear anywhere to keep the promotional momentum going. For the comedian, it wasn't exactly a prestigious career option.
He revealed the company sent him to a Super Bowl and concert event Lollapalooza. "It's a pretty boring story," André told Dyrdek. Asked about what he did, he said his job was walking up to people there and telling them, "Merry Christmas." What did he get paid for this? André said they paid $5,000 for the privilege of having the then-unknown comedian practice his craft. "Yeah, hey, it wasn't bad, man," he added.
Pizza can make people agitated but money solves anything
Not everything always goes according to plan for the comedian's on-the-street moments. It's something "Ridiculousness" addressed when Eric André appeared in the same episode. Dyrdek mentioned how the moments might mess with people's emotions. The dry-witted André responded, "It's an emotional journey" (via YouTube).
Those unscripted segments also have the possibility of going awry. André admitted that people have tried to fight him. "People get upset when I mess with them," he said. Dyrdek cited one example that seemed to sum up the sometimes dangerous nature of his comedy. In a clip, André's joke involving a man's pizza slice left the latter visibly annoyed. The man then threw the pizza into the comedian's face.
According to André, that isn't all that happened during the incident. The man went on to pull out his genitals in anger — something that didn't make it to the final show. André mentioned that they asked the pedestrian to sign a release and even offered him another slice, in addition to $50. After that, it was all good between the comedian and the pizza guy.
André has a knack for band names
A creative approach to band names had the "Ridiculousness" hosts and audience laughing (via YouTube). As Dyrdek showed various names created by Eric André, the host asked to stop on selected options from the list. The host was curious as to where André came up with these interesting titles. "My brain. I do a lot of LSD," the comedian jokingly responded. "Passive Aggressive Barista" and "The Boring White People Band" were a few of the highlighted names. The funny moment saw André draw attention to one of the choices, "Alien Versus Predator Versus Brown Versus The Board of Education." That level of social consciousness and cultural references merged into something even casual fans could enjoy.
It got Dyrdek wondering if any of the names ever gave a band inspiration. André replied back with a joke that was perfect for the time. "Are you familiar with the band Creed," he replied. While the band didn't really take their name from the comedian's list, the delivery made the moment all the more hysterical. As always, the comedian let the joke get its due as those laughs only got louder.