MTV After Hours' Celebrity Catfish Segment Had Viewers In Stitches
Here's a hot reality TV concept you might not be familiar with: "Celebrity Catfish." Basically, it's the MTV reality TV series we all know and love about the hazards and dramatic peaks and valleys of online dating (and the people who use the internet to mislead others about their real identities), but with the rich and famous instead of regular joes from the real world. Why have you never heard of such a surefire success for a TV show, you wonder? Because unfortunately, it isn't a real show, but instead a sketch from the web series "MTV After Hours."
The segment has been on YouTube since November 2014, but viewers seem to continually discover it, thanks partly to its stacked list of celebrity participants. The premise is simple: "After Hours" host Josh Horowitz calls on "Catfish" hosts Nev Schulman and Kamie Crawford for help meeting his soulmate: Rebel Wilson, who for some reason refuses to meet him in person. You can imagine what's going on here, but the really impressive part is how many big names the show manages to catfish simultaneously within the sketch.
It turns out half of Hollywood has been catfished by a fake Rebel Wilson
The sketch escalates in a very amusing fashion. First, the "Catfish: The TV Show" team brings Josh Horowitz to what they believe to be Rebel Wilson's home, so the two online soulmates can finally meet in person. But as it turns out, Horowitz isn't the only person to have been falling in love with Wilson over the internet. Joe Manganiello coincidentally shows up at the same time, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Then Anna Kendrick shows up — not to meet Rebel Wilson, but Channing Tatum. And the home turns out not to be Wilson's or Tatum's, but Mark Wahlberg's. Wahlberg himself is the self-described "Catfish f**kin' King," imitating several people online at once.
It's funny stuff, and the commenters on YouTube seem to be in agreement on that point. "It's 2020 and I just found this?!?!?!? Ps I start dying every time Mark talks," says commenter JustAnotherWeirdoYT. Anna Kendrick's performance as a perpetually distracted and confused version of herself also gets acclaim. As glazeymaam puts it: "I love how Anna Kendrick doesn't give a damn what is happening around her which is such a mood. Love you Anna."
The positive comments continue, with nary a negative reaction to be found. It just goes to show the "Celebrity Catfish" concept is a strong one, and in today's TV landscape, such a show could actually come about. Watch the sketch above, and remember: the next time you're talking to someone who seems friendly on the internet, it might actually be Mark Wahlberg in disguise.