Melissa McCarthy at SXSW 2017. Image not for public use.
Melissa McCarthy has been a celebrity crush of mine for a long time. She’s a complete role model, pioneering the body positive movement in Hollywood and designing an entire brand to empower plus size women. So, naturally, when I heard whispers of her coming to SXSW, I lost my mind. I had an Interactive badge to the festival, which is pretty good street cred but I needed a Film badge to guarantee my entry into her premiere. I figured with secondary access being granted to those with Interactive badges, I had a 20 percent chance of getting to see her. Nevertheless, I arrived an hour and a half early to stake my spot in line.
I was shocked to discover I was the first of those with my type of badge. The very front. The line slowly began to grow as time went on but not at the pace I’ve seen before or expected. Typically you have to get to a place several hours early if you want to make sure you’re able to attend anything with a celebrity. Time ticked by and finally a tinted black vehicle pulled up to the curb close to where we were standing. People began to gather around as Melissa McCarthy exited, greeting each of them, taking photos and signing autographs. Not all celebrities are like this so it was refreshing to see one that I greatly admired hold up to the standard I had placed her. Soon enough her manager shuffled her along to make sure she wouldn’t be too late for the screening.
I hadn’t heard of the show she was backing. I’d seen a wrapped car driving the streets of Austin but that was about it when it came to the promotion of the television show. As I stood in line, I read the SXSW synopsis and wasn’t really intrigued. It read:
“Nobodies” stars and is executive produced and written by Groundlings alums Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf and Rachel Ramras and revolves around the three as they try desperately to land one of their famous friends for a feature script that they have developed, so that they, too, can rise to fame in Hollywood.
I truly wondered if this would be worth the watch. TV Land, who had picked up the show, had a pretty good reputation with their new comedies but I still felt skeptical. Sitting in the theater, I realized there weren’t many people around me. I had expected it to fill up and leave me in the back row. Yet, there I was in the front. This only supported my worries.
Boy, was I wrong to judge. As the screen went black and the pilot aired, all I could hear was the auditorium laughing in unison. There were only brief moments of silence. It’s safe to say that everyone left throughly enjoying the show.
“Nobodies” Cast at SXSW 2017. Image not for public use.
I have to say, “Nobodies” is a genius comedy unlike anything before it. The characters are genuine yet self-destructive, leaving them quite relatable. There are several moments where you will cringe and then begin laughing. You constantly find yourself cheering on these anti-heroes despite their acquaintance with disaster from one situation to the next. It’s fresh, authentically funny and brilliantly written.
As the panel gathered after the preview for a question and answer session, I was surprised to learn how the pilot was terribly close to the actual story of how the television show came to be. Writers Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf and Rachel Ramras use hilarious moments from their real life experiences to create a narrative almost too awkward to possibly be believable. They are what truly make this show such a unique comedy.
Why we haven’t heard more people raving about it is currently an anomaly. Perhaps that will start closer to the premiere date on March 29th. One way or another, this show’s ingenuity will travel by word of mouth, giving audiences all over a chance to enjoy this comedy gold. I think we’ll see many seasons to come as it makes its mark into classics like Seinfeld and Friends.
Jillian Pedersen is a plus-sized mom from Austin, Texas. She is the creator of Thighs and Lows Blog and Thighs and Lows Blog Facebook group, an online community that encourages and empowers women of every size to appreciate who they are right now. Jillian is an advocate for the body positive movement.