I certainly got flamed for my intensely negative review of their season 1 DVD review, but I only spoke the truth as I saw it, which is what a review is.

In my defense, I gave these two a chance. I was mildly amused by “Tom Goes to the Mayor” and could even laugh a few times during that show.

I gave this show two chances; season 1 and season 2.

Not once in that entire time did I ever so much as crack a smile, much less laugh.

By my title of “stroke-inducing” is in reference actually to one of the newer episodes. I was watching Adult Swim, and they show a commercial for this show, featuring some kind of sketch about the beginning of the universe, with the fatass Eric going “BWAAAAAAH” making stupid explosion sounds while touching his head. I frowned so hard, I felt a sharp pain in one side of my head, and thought it may have been some kind of blood vessel popping or a stroke-in-the-making.

Nothing these two do is ever funny! I tried and I tried and I kept watching TWO WHOLE SEASONS but they just simply are not funny.

I can’t even put into my own words just WHY they are so terrible, but just say that all their sketches are almost exactly the same; low-energy, nonsensical stupidity with strong emphasis on “sound humor” and extreme and awkward closeups of people’s faces without makeup, and lots of shoddy green-screen things. I realize that’s obviously their whole “thing” in mocking local public access shows and such, but when they do it it’s just so damn terrible.

Despite it being in relation to Season 1, the words of this “[...]” reviewer are true enough for this season as well:

“Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are like a tenth year music student that records an entire album on cassette using only a Casio keyboard and their own voice, not because the cassette tape and Casio keyboard somehow validate or complete their artistic vision, but because they’re under the false impression that enough irony will somehow cover up their lack of talent. Tim and Eric didn’t have the skill to be the next Andy Kaufman or Kids in the Hall, or even Mad TV (how sad is that?), so they choose to hide behind the thin veneer of plausible deniability. If I don’t find it funny I must just not get it, right? Wrong, I get it, and it’s still just two sub-Tom Green man-children posing as performance artists.

The only saving grace is the small possibility that the real masterminds behind the show have secretly been inspired by David Cronenberg’s Videodrome to perform their own brand of retroactive Darwinism. Maybe Tim and Eric Awesome Show actually gives the viewer cancer when viewed in large portions. Maybe decent human beings are expected to be disgusted by the sheer unfunniness of the show and change the channel, thus only those with the worst senses of humour can possibly be infected. It might be less diabolical; perhaps the show just leaves viewers infertile. This is the only explanation for the participation of such admirable celebrities as Maria Bamford, Michael Cera, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Brian Posehn, John C. Reilly, Paul Reubens, Fred Willard, and Jeff Goldblum–they must think they’re doing some kind of public service.

Another theory pertaining to the show’s continued airing is that Heidecker and Wareheim own large shares of stock in Adult Swim, or perhaps have incriminating photos of Mike Lazzo in their possession. Why else would they even get a second chance after the resounding failure of their first series Tom Goes to Mayor (which was pretty bad, but nowhere near this bad)? Unless, of course, Lazzo and the Adult Swim network is in on the `killing in the name of good taste’ plot.

Overall

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job is that kid in your third grade class that did anything for attention, the one the phrase `ignore it and it will go away’ was invented to stop. It’s that guy that thinks he’s the life of the party when he quotes Dumb and Dumber who wears the same Goonies t-shirt every Tuesday. It’s that teenager that buys a guitar and only learns the opening chords of Metallica’s most popular songs. This is Dadaism for beginners who don’t want to read the textbook or graduate the class. I hate it.”

Those words sum up the entirety of this series exactly the way I feel about them. Maybe that sudden migraine I got was almost a tumor from their show.

After thoroughly enjoying Tom Goes to the Major, and the first season of TAEASGJ, I was overjoyed when they got a contract for more seasons. Then I tuned in…

Somehow, the novelty wore off, and the cleverness disappeared. Was it just filler? Were they burnt out and wanting out of their contract? Instead of getting better a lot of bits were so poor in comparison. While watching this season I felt embarrassed for the comedians I normally enjoy.

Looking into the dead eyes of the main stars, it seems like they sold their soul for a longer contract. And when they lost that they also lost their ability to be funny and clever.