In case any of you were wondering, Chevy Chase still has thoughts about Community. Lots of them. That he’s willing to share with you and everything. At length. Probably even, like, if you just run up to him on the street and said hi. You could be all “Whoa, you’re Chevy Chase. Some weather we’re having, huh?,” and I bet he’d be like “Here are 20 things I do not like about working on a television show, which I will casually litter with backhanded compliments aimed at people I currently work with. Furthermore, I reserve the right to expand the list to 50, which I will and already have in my head.”
Case in point, here’s an excerpt from an interview with Huffington Post UK (emphasis mine):
Q: Do you enjoy doing TV?
Well, what else have I done, besides a lot of movies? I prefer movies because the money is better and certainly because you really know where you stand when you are making movies, and I have made a lot of them: 50 something, I don’t know. The hours in this kind of show are not commensurate with the actual product.
The hours are hideous, and it’s still a sitcom on television, which is probably the lowest form of television. That’s my feeling about it. I think the reason I have stuck around is because I love these kids, the cast – they are very good. It’s not like I am working with the great innovators of all time, but at the same time, they are my friends and I am out, and one of my daughters is out here, and wants to be in the business, so she is living with me. I will have some time off and I will be looking for a film, which I think will be my next thing, my next move. [HuffPo UK]
Cool story, Chevy Chase. And that doesn’t even include the part where he calls taking the role “a big mistake.”
Now, here the thing: I am a little — A LITTLE — conflicted about all this. One on hand, I like very much when people are honest in interviews. Writing for a TV website means I spend a lot of time reading Q&A’s with actors and actresses, most of which are nothing more than marketing and public relations buzzwords. “I loved working with Dave Whatshisbutt. I’ve been a fan of his since [insert independent movie the subject has never seen]. What a professional blah blah blah.” It would be infuriating if it kept my attention long enough to upset me. So when someone sits down and actually starts firing from the hip and naming names and getting RAW, it makes my day. This is why I think Charles Barkley should be on TV 24/7, like The Truman Show but with more turrible golf swings.
However, on the other hand, JESUS CHRIST, Chevy Chase. That’s about enough outta you on the following subjects: Community, Dan Harmon, sitcoms, the state of television, your castmates, and what is and is not funny. You have proven that you are incapable of discussing them without being a total wiener about it, so you have officially lost the privilege. From now on, when some interviewer asks you about any of those topics, just politely decline or talk about Fletch or Caddyshack or something. Those are fine. For now.
Oh, and never do anything like this ever again (UPDATE – Upon review, this might not be an insult. Or maybe it is. It’s tough to tell. I’m just so used to him being a dick that my brain gets stuck on that setting.):
Q: Have you seen Louis CK? Do you think he’s funny?
Yes, I’ve seen Louis CK. I wouldn’t in any way make a degrading remark about Louis CK, but the question is do I think anyone is funny? And the answer is not too many people. He might fit right in there.
We all good here? Great. Good talk.