Why is it so hard to find quality video on the Web? The barrier to entry is so low that anyone can take a stab at Web stardom. And “Flock of Meeses” is a perfect example.
The new Web series “Flock of Meeses” mostly consists of short gag bits and fake commercials. The skits are uneven, leaving the viewer either mildly chuckling or completely perplexed, with very little room in the middle. The premise is solid — sketch comedy generally works online — but the execution leaves plenty of room for improvement.
The first skit begins with a couple sitting with a professional looking man behind a desk. An accountant? An auditor? Tough to say at first, since this skit was completely silent. As the auditor reviews the couple’s finances, he places increasingly larger dildos, one by one, on his desk, indicating just how, er, screwed, the couple is. The payoff? Moose Juice lube — courtesy of the “Internal Rapin’-U Service.” Funny for an IRS joke.
The second skit featured a young woman in the bathroom, having that not-so-fresh feeling for the first time. Her mother comes to comfort her. The product? “My First. Because Jesus bled for you. Now it’s your turn.” Groan.
The second installment was structured like the first, with two gag bits, each about a minute long, just not as funny. It starts with what I think is a weak attempt at a Russian history skit. That’s all I could make of it. It was followed by an even worse video for another fragrance. A scantily clad women, writhing in pleasure on a bed. The fragrance is “Furburgher,” where the “R” is silent.
Another episode was an animated interview between Larry King and Sarah Palin where King begins the interview by asking, “How many ignorant white trash pills do you take each morning?” From there, it just becomes an expletive-laced exchange that features plenty of clichés and little humor.
The most recent commercial was for acne medication that turned a zit-riddled teenage girl into a clear-faced cheerleader that was “attractive enough to violate.” Not quite the message anyone is looking to send.
If “Flock of Meeses” is trying to be Funny or Die, or College Humor, they are falling terribly short on the funny and humor. The gags are low-brow, which doesn’t really present a problem for me. More problematic for the Flock: they aren’t terribly original. Each skit reminded me of something I’ve seen before, and not likely something I’d add to my must-watch list.
Like Mommy Mafia, “Flock of Meese” is looking to raise funds on Kickstarter. It is looking to raise $15,000 by September 12th. Based on my experience watching the first few products, I can understand why it is still $14,786 short of its goal. In fact, the only video from “Flock of Meese” that I’d deem truly funny was the video for Kickstarter that asks for help raising money. So I’ll share that one with you below. You can head over to “Flock of Meese’s” YouTube channel for the rest of the videos … but only if you’ve seen every other video on the Web already.
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