Thin Watermelon - A glimpse at the Nathan Fielder surreal comedy

Published by Reblogs - Credits in Posts, March 12th, 2023

'Thin Watermelon': A glimpse at Nathan Fielder's surreal comedy

Thu 9th Feb 2023 22.00 GMT

While the landscape of modern comedy is highly divisive, there can be no doubts about the unique nature of the brand of humour pushed forward by Nathan Fielder. Known for his incredibly funny Comedy Central show Nathan for You, Fielder has constantly reinvented the frameworks of television comedy throughout his career. Incorporating elements of parody, intelligent satire and philosophical concerns, Fielder’s body of work is an anomaly: it’s just that good.

Born in Vancouver, Fielder was introduced to comedy through his school’s improv group, which coincidentally had Seth Rogen as well. While Fielder worked on many productions at the beginning of his career, none of it would compare to the impact of Nathan for You. One of the smartest shows on television in the last decade, it featured Fielder as the world’s most ludicrous business consultant with the knack for coming up with the most hilariously bad ideas of all time.

Some fans consider Fielder to be the reincarnation of a trickster god, and they aren’t far off. The comedian’s shenanigans on Nathan for You regularly attracted the attention of national media outlets who had no idea about the facetious nature of the show, transforming the entire production into more of a social experiment than a simple comedy show. Fielder has made a career out of playing around with the various lenses of reality, earning the reputation of being the modern Kiarostami.

During a conversation with the National Post, Fielder explained that he was primarily concerned about uncovering the hidden aspects of people’s lives because they make for compelling cinema. According to the comedian, these investigations are the most essential part of his approach to comedy.

He noted: "Digging beneath the surface with someone and seeing something unexpected. It’s endearing when you get a hint of some part of someone that they’re normally trying to hide."

Fielder returned to this central concern with last year’s The Rehearsal, one of the greatest TV shows of 2022. He conducted an unprecedented examination of the structures of reality that are obscured in modern reality TV shows, revealing the intimate details of his subjects as well as his own life. While some critics felt that The Rehearsal was exploitative in its treatment of the participants, they failed to notice that it was an overwhelmingly powerful critique of the reality TV industry.

One particular project by Fielder that showcases his approach to comedy is a short called Thin Watermelon. Although it’s just 30 seconds long, it beautifully highlights one of Fielder’s greatest obsessions – the fundamental conflict between the illusion of representation and the limitations of our own perception.

Holding the thinnest watermelon slice in the world, Fielder plays with the voyeuristic expectations of the audience by exposing the artifice of the cinematic medium. The shot of the surreally slender slice swaying in the wind is one of the most sensuous shots in the history of cinema, proving once and for all that Fielder is a true modern master.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/thin-watermelon-nathan-fielder-surreal-comedy/