Crashing - Comparison and Confidence
*Spoilers ahead for Crashing season two*
Don’t let the alliterative title fool you; this post is a bit of a downer, odd considering we are talking about a pretty hilarious show in Pete Holmes’ Crashing. While Crashing treads familiar territory in its focus on the struggles of an aspiring comedian, it still feels fresh for a number of reasons. Holmes’ religious upbringing has always rendered him a unique figure in the world of comedy, as his material is considerably cleaner and more reflective than that of his peers. The show— heavily inspired by Holmes’ real-life ascension through the comedic ranks— focuses heavily on how Holmes’ faith and kindness can make him a fish out of water in an industry that tends to be rather competitive.
What I find so interesting about Crashing is the amount of stand-up the show actually features. Past shows to focus on comedians often included actual stand-up performances as afterthoughts, but HBO’s Crashing puts stand-up front and center, and rightfully so. The amount of stand-up performances that the show offers makes it a blast to watch, as episodes can often feel like a who’s who of comedy. Characters come and go each episode, closely matching life’s way of letting people slip in and out of our lives.
Not all of the show’s comedy is good, but that’s kind of the point. Holmes is a master of making bad jokes hilarious, but some sets also legitimately fall flat so as to illustrate the struggles of up-and-coming comics.
I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of “bombing” onstage, and how terrifying that must be. Holmes and just about every other comic in history has had to endure a cold crowd, probably more than once, and yet, they have emerged as successful talents in the industry. Still, these past failures can act as heavy blows to one’s confidence, and Holmes’ character on Crashing demonstrates this idea. Because the show highlights so many bits of stand-up from so many different performers, the audience is invited in comparing each of these comics, and particularly in comparing them to Pete.
The show does a great job of investing us in Pete’s ambition, so the audience and Pete are rendered one and the same as we can’t help but compare ourselves to every other bit of comedic performance we see. This effect makes for an authentic viewing experience, one that elicits true emotion beyond the laughs. After all, this perspective is incredibly common.
We all are guilty of comparing ourselves to others, especially when it comes to competitive environments such as the world of stand-up. No matter who we are, we often measure ourselves the easiest way we know how: comparing ourselves to those around us. Of course, we are proud of our peers for their accomplishments and successes, but there is still that very human part of us that asks “why them? Why not me?” which Pete even does in Crashing’s second season when his friend Porter receives an opportunity with HBO.
Is this jealousy? Maybe. But it is a universal truth of our egocentric minds. We tend to think about other people’s experiences in relation to our own lives. This tendency can be quite damaging to our self-confidence, but comparison is difficult to avoid.
So how do we overcome it? How can we reach a level of self-confidence, a level of comfort in who we are and what we do, that allows us to thrive and find our own successes?
Crashing suggest a few answers, but for starters, find your scene. Pete performs night after night at a small comedy club, but finds little success. One night, he is invited to attend an alternative event hosted in an apartment. He goes on to receive plenty of laughs on the alternative scene, clearly amongst like-minded individuals. In a more welcoming environment, Pete may still compare his jokes to those of others, and viewers may join him in doing so, but these comparisons can be reframed as opportunities for self-improvement and self-reflection, not self-hate or self-doubt.
A significant figure in Pete’s life as his career starts to turn is Ali, a love interest and fellow rising comedian. It is Ali who initially invites Pete to an alternative show, exposing him to an entirely new and warm environment. Crashing is well-written throughout, but the writing truly shines in the interactions between Pete and Ali. Judd Apatow has a knack for injecting everything he touches with a healthy dose of authenticity, but it is not redundant to emphasize just how genuine these conversations are. Pete and Ali talk not like characters in a TV show, but like two actual people! They are awkward at times, talking over each other, tripping over their words, and stopping to think about what they want to say. Their relationship feels so real in all its beauty and all its ugliness. It is admirable yet complicated. Sweet but stressful. Still, what develops between Pete and Ali can be described only as a sort of energy, a feeling that emerges deep beneath the surface of their interactions.
I am a firm believer that we all have certain energies, and there are people we come across who match our energies perfectly. This isn’t some love-at-first-sight bullshit, but rather the idea that there are select people out there with whom we are entirely in tune. Our energies match, and so we connect effortlessly. Such a connection does not always have to be romantic. In fact, Pete Holmes and Jamie Lee— who plays Ali in the show— have dated in real life. Despite breaking up, they remain close friends and collaborators. Perhaps their similar energies allowed for such a civil breakup.
These few people with whom we connect do not poison us with the temptation of comparison; they do not threaten our confidence. In fact, they carry us towards an even greater sense of comfort. This special connection emerges between Pete and Ali, despite the season finale’s bitter ending. You don’t write a relationship this good just to let it disappear, and I am confident Crashing will demonstrate the power of these energy-based connections, along with the inevitability of their success in some capacity. Offering romance as a solution to one’s problems can often be a cop-out in storytelling, but Crashing manages to offer up a unique and powerful take on relationships as means of finding ourselves.
On his podcast You Made It Weird, Pete Holmes often references the teachings of Ram Dass, which reinforce spiritual sentiments of self-love and living in the moment. I am eager to see Crashing explore these passions of Holmes’, and the show’s central relationship will act as a great lens through which these notions may be examined.
As Pete continues to grow, Ali will likely be a big part of that. And as we continue to find faith in ourselves, we must find our own energy matches, and our own places of comfort, even if doing so seems daunting at first.
Until next time,
Cory Reid