AMA with Tim Heidecker (From Tim & Eric and the new film The Comedy)

also please join reddit/r/timanderic

Can you explain why adding an 's' to a celebrity's name or terribly mispronouncing it is so funny? IE Donald Trumps

it just is.

Do you ever have trouble not laughing on set when you do anything with John C. Reily as Steve Brule?

hands are always firmly over our mouths.

Is the "my son, Spray" sketch a real prank call?

yes.

Hi Tim,

Obviously, as everyone else has said, I'm a huge fan. You inspired me kill the status quo and question life. I have a fucking ton of questions for you, but I'll just stick to one:

Do you believe there's a common personality trait among fans of your comedy, or just absurdism in general? I guess I ask this because some people just get it, and some people don't. Why do I--and all these guys here--like your stuff? Why does it speak to us?

Once again, you're so awesome... thanks again for everything you've done. You've inspired me in so many ways, and I'll be forever grateful for that.

thanks for the kind words. our fans tend to be slightly artistic, musical or creative types IN GENERAL.. but we've seen literally ALL types. I think like any comedy i like - it's something that makes you feel like you're not alone in the world.

Thanks guys! That was fun! what a smart bunch!

sorry if i missed you but i tried not to answer the same question twice sort of thing... love you and support "The Comedy" if you feel up for it.

http://timheidecker.com/post/34234434463/the-comedy-is-now-ready-for-you

any chance of some tim and eric night live in 2013???

i would really like to do that. was really fun. we'll see.

Is Pusswhip Banggang ever releasing a full album ? Flip me the bird, please.

tried to get that going - no interest!

Timboy,

Any chance we can see your work in the advertising realm again? I am certainly not a fan of Absolut vodka but I definitely drank it for about 3 weekends because of your now famous ad campaign.

i'm sure we'll direct more commercials. not the most fun thing to do but hard to say no unless it's for something truly awful.

Does it annoy you when fans just quote you your own lines constantly?

not really. but it's nicer when the quotes go deep - i don't need to hear about Chippy anymore.

How did the Dr. Steve Brule segment get started?

john came in to do a voice on TGTTM and he saw a board we had up for Awesome Show ideas. he was curious and had the idea of doing a news doctor character - Brule was born!

Let us see the candid footage of Gary Buesy you guys have!!

when he croaks.

i'll do another 15 mins ok?

[deleted]

i am not productive on pot so it's more of a chill situation for me. legalize it of course. so dumb not to.

Any details about your new show? Is it going to be similar to Awesome Show or is it something completely different?

pretty different i think

I think you're hilarious in you're small roles where you play a straight edge guy. I was laughing hysterically at every scene you were in, in Bridesmaids and no one in the theater understood what was so funny. Was that your intention when you took on that role?

not really, but i guess that credit goes to the director for thinking that would be funny to some people.

Who is your favorite person to work with? either in awesome show, check it out, tom goes to the mayor.. anything really!

Eric Wareheim

Hi Tim, my co-worker has an unhealthy crush on you. How do I proceed? (she is cute and smart)

tell her you know me.

The podcasts you do with Duncan Trussell are amazing and have me laughing the whole time. Do you plan them or improv them?

fully scripted. no - improv and not discussed ahead of time. but we know our roles.

Do you know why David Liebe-Hart hates you guys so much?

he doesn't.

can we be expecting more tim and eric specials/episodes soon?

next year!

How much piss can you drink in one sitting?

as much as i can.

Hi Tim, thanks for doing another AMA.

What led to your involvement in The Comedy?

I met Rick after a mutual friend asked if I had any interest in being in a movie. I said “sure” and Rick and I talked on the phone. Rick explained to me the movie he wanted to make - he wanted to explore the lives of upperclass, listless, middle-aged hipsters living in brooklyn and capture the way they talk and behave in a way that hadn’t been done properly. Rick also said he wanted to cast comics and people who knew each other so the interactions would seem as genuine as possible. He wanted Eric in it and Gregg Turkington. I thought the whole thing sounded a bit ambitious and the idea of Eric and I both acting in a “non-Tim and Eric” thing might be a bit confusing... but I was willing to hear him out some more. Then he send Eric and I a copy of his film “New Jerusalem” which really blew us both away. We looked at each other and said “this guy means business.”

How do your parents feel about your comedy?

generally supportive - i don't think they like ALL of it, especially the sex stuff.

Hi Tim,

I clearly love your work, and all of my friends think I am a weirdo because of that. Well maybe it's also because of my random Tim and Eric memorabilia around my living room. You signed an Awesome Show dvd for my outside the back of Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY a couple years ago. Anyways, I was wondering... That sex scene in B$M... Did your wife get jealous of your moves?! Or did she think you blew it???

she BLEW it off! come on!

I've always been amazed at the guests you have on Awesome Show, particularly David Liebe Hart. How do you find these odd people?

mostly auditions but DLH came from Public Access.

Tim, I seem to remember that a long time ago before you guys got famous you posted on the Something Awful forums sharing your videos up to that point. Is this correct or am I imagining it? I seem to remember that I didn't get it and probably posted something saying this shit isn't funny. I would like to apologize and say I was completely wrong and I was probably just grumpy that day.

Also I am looking forward to finally watching the Comedy.

sound right!

Tim, What is your favorite memory on and off set with Eric?

our 3 weeks in Baja. just 2 dudes on dune buggies.

Is it weird seeing Bob Odenkirk in Breaking Bad playing such a serious role? Whenever I hear him discussing money laundering, all i can think of is "It's Brule's rules! With Dr. Steve Brule!" (Cue sax intro)

no. bob's a talent and he can do anything!

The Comedy is the first film you've acted in without being the director. Was that more or less difficult?

in this case it was less difficult - rick was amazing and i really trusted he knew what he was doing.

Why don't you let the real cinematic genius of Gregg Turkington turn "On Cinema" back to its original mission? You are way off base with all this political nonsense and i'd love to just get it back to what it was, talking about enjoyable and wonderful movies. C'mon, what gives?

Technical Issues.

In your college days how did other students react to you and Eric's projects? Did you get flack from any professors for the Lobsters In Film video?

students hated it but proffs loved it, god bless em!

You probably get asked this a lot, but what was it like when you first met Eric? Was the connection great right off the bat, or did it take a while to know each other?

we connected thru humor

Any chance you'll be making another B$M?

hope so.

Tim, thanks for all the laughs.

Ok so we know about people like Eric, Bob, and Doug who've played large roles in your success story. Is there anyone, that people may be less aware of, that you feel influenced your career positively and deserves more twitter followers??

there's a woman at Cartoon Network named Khaki Jones - good friends with Mike Lazzo who saw our stuff and really pushed Mike to watch it. She's huge in our career!

Hi Tim, big fan and grateful you're doing this again. I still consider the show I went to see in Austin for the Tour the most fun I've had. Now for the questions.

1. Why do you think other comedians are so drawn to you and Eric's style of comedy?

2. What are your favorite and least favorite skits from Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!?

3. Who was the hardest to work with during the show not named Tommy Wiseau?

4. Your favorite story with Richard Dunn?

1. usually doesn't work.

2. i don't do favorites.

3. Busey - no question. TGTTM

4. Oh man, richard was just the best. We goofed around with him a bit but it always in good fun. he visited us at the office a lot and i really do miss him. DON'T SMOKE U GUYS!

Hi Tim, Thanks for being here, first of all thanks for being here. Who will you be voting for in this year's election, Bop Bop or Bill Clinton? Great job on the AMA!

Bop

Hey Tim,

I just watched The Comedy and I think I liked it, though to be honest I think it's still sinking in. While it explored this upperclass character well enough, it seemed more so to deal with (ironically) the inherent tragic nature of life itself, seeing this character confront death and sickness, as well as generally trying to find his place in the world, really only coming to the conclusion that perhaps youth and innocence is a good thing. Your character spends so much time on his boat, only to find himself wresting the waves at the beach alongside a child by the end.

My point is, what's the meaning of life?

you just nailed it.

Tim, Can't wait to see The Comedy!

I have a question about your graphic design work on Awesome Show. Is it something you and Eric participate in? Do you pick your own jokerman fonts and liquify your own frowny faces? Some of the design work seems like a character in itself on Awesome Show.

Bonus: anything else on the horizon for Heidecker & Wood?

Thanks!

It's a combination of our artists and editors and us coming in to comment and work with - eric and i established our aesthetic early on so that creates a framework.

Do not steal from this man. My friend tried to torrent The Comedy and watch it last night only to find it was not quite the movie. I thought that was very well played. Whose idea was it to release that?

can't remember but feel really good about that prank.

Is it true that the Tim and Gelman project is becoming a FX series with the same deal as Louie?

yes. same deal. same time slot.

jk.

Are there any skits in Awesome Show that embarrass you?

no. maybe the boogs.

Hi Tim- How would you describe your relationship to mainstream media? Do you think of yourself outside of it? Do you aspire to wider recognition? Does it ever veer into antipathy? Do you ever think of it at all?

most of it i can't really take - but i like a lot of popular stuff - like all the great dramas on TV right now - what can you do? i'll never understand what makes some things popular and other things not - i would like to see people come out of the super hero / chilren's lowest common denominator phase we've been in for a while tho.

Pretend I'm lame and have never heard of or seen any of your work. What would you say to convince me I should go watch THE COMEDY?

i'm in it.

What was it like working with James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem)? Is he truly a funny guy?

THE funniest man i've ever met. no, james was cool, nice guy. was fun to talk music with him most.

Your character in The Comedy seems to share a lot of your comic sensibility. My question is: what is something in the movie that Swanson finds funny, but Tim Heidecker does not?

racism.

Hey Tim,

Your comedy always seems to be a hyper intelligent spoof of media and the transmission of ideas, mocking the medium itself.

How would you spoof yourself? That is to say, turning your lens back on the role of this comic, what would a sketch mocking Tim and Eric look like?

i think it'd be easy to spoof us now that we've created so much - the onion did it very well when they had obama doing all this comedy. look that up.

Hello Tim, I'm a huge fan, thanks for doing this AMA, great job. You da man. Two questions for ya there, partner:

1) Do you remember the skeleton key I got you for moo-moo day last week?

2) Can we ever expect to see Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie PART 2?

I wish ya the best,

Taargus Taargus

i think we'd like to take a stab at TDM

Hey Tim, I know you and Neil Hamburger do a lot of shows together. What's he like offstage and not in persona?

no comment.

Do you regret making "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" for any reason, financial or otherwise?

nope.

How do you decide when to be "in character" and when not to be? Some interviews are clearly jokes, some are real, etc. Is there an overall meta-joke to all of this or is it case by case?

almost all interviews on camera are "in character" mostly so its entertaining for US!

The Comedy really hit home with me. I've been dealing with anxiety and more importantly depersonalization, or DISASSOCIATION. Does Swanson have any disorders? He must have brushed his teeth 5 times in the film - was that on purpose? I can see him being desensitized due to his upbringing and more so from dealing with his dying father. Great job, Tim. So much respect for what you and Eric do.

thanks. i think you're onto something there. it's something Rick is interested in as well.

I listened to the commentary you did for The Comedy (which I love, btw) and you and Rick mentioned a lot of cut footage. Can we expect to see some of it on the DVD release? What other stuff might be included? Thanks!

i hope so!

Hi Tim, gigantic fan of yours since I started watching Tom Goes in 2004. I know Eric has briefly mentioned the possibility of a new show in the works revolving around an apocalyptic subject; can you verify this at all, or add to this claim? Can't wait to see the both of you live again, and am also about to view The Comedy, soon. Keep doing what you do best, it has gotten me through some incredibly difficult periods of my life and you guys are some of the only people I idolize.

pilot written for FX and passed on. We are now developing a few show ideas over at the only real place to make television in america. good old Adult Swim.

Thanks for all the laughs, Tim. What's the craziest thing you've either seen or done at a party?

hmmm - i'm pretty reserved at parties.

I saw THE COMEDY with a friend of mine, and he came out of the movie with a unique perspective. He found a lot to admire in Swanson because the character wasn’t constrained by anyone else’s rules or expectations. My question is: do you see positive traits in Swanson or his behavior? It seems easy to brush his actions off as deplorable, but also kind of lazy to disregard his humanity.

I love this film and how it challenges its audience. You and Rick Alverson did a tremendous job.

Also, I’m probably wrong but I think those sandwich cookies are pretty important.

Thank you Tim!

I don't really see any positive traits in his behavior. But I think it has to be taken in context and understand that a lot of the things he's saying he probably doesn't really believe - he's just trying to get a rise out of people

Hi Tim! Obviously your brand of humor is very subversive/polarizing, and isn't for everyone. For people who are trying to make it in the comedy industry and have similarly dark/alienating aesthetics, what advice would you give? In other words, how did you get your work noticed/on TV without compromising your comedic sensibility? Hope my question is clear, thanks!

it's clear but a long answer which we're talking about our beginings in a lot of interviews - check out our AV club interviews and there should be a good account of how we got started.

What influence has David Lynch had on you? I noticed in the episode in which Casey goes missing the use of flashlights in Steve Mahanahan's van was similar to a scene in Fire Walk With Me. Any other references you've slipped in there?

we get Lynch a lot and i kind of think we're influenced by him but also parodying him a bit as well. kind of mix.

[deleted]

yes - robin told me it was the right move.

Hello Timothy, What is one of your favorite made up words or names you have ever made? Some of my favorites are Bilb Ono and all the variations of Dingus you do. You da man, Lou

Bilb Ono was based on an intern we had named bill bono! the first name Sack is pretty funny. I think naming one of our characters Diarrhea Jones was about as dumb and great as something can get.

Hi, Tim. I was wondering if you'd seen Harmony Korine's short film "Blue Lotus Community Center", and if so, what is your opinion? Are you a Val Kilmer fan?

have not -

If I am being completely honest, my friends and I all hated your show and couldn't understand why it was on cartoon network when it first started. Your show, Saul of the Molemen and the Mighty Boosh all melded into one why the fuck are these awful live-action programs on Cartoon Network.

Then my girlfriend made me watch the Tim and Eric Billion Dollar movie and suddenly your show became hilarious to me. My friends still don't like you and I have been trying to convert them.

Which brings me to my two questions:

1. Why is this? Did I go mad? Was it the healing power of the Shrim? It was the Shrim wasn't it?

2. Why are these live action shows on Cartoon Network? Did you guys suck Space Ghost's Balls? Did you guys threaten to piss in the Adult Swim pool?

it's nice to hear from a convert. i can never understand the hatred but then i remember how i feel about Russell Brand.

Hello Tim! Thanks for doing this.

I've been a long time Tim and Eric fan and just this morning I watched The Comedy.

While it was a dark comedy, it had some very touching moments. You were excellent in creating a character that I was able to equal parts love and loathe. It was a fantastic performance.

Do you see yourself doing more serious roles, or would you say that you belong in comedy?

Also, what's next for you? Just in general.

I'll do whatever I'm asked to do that seems interesting.

What's it like working with the esteemed and well known Mr. James Quall?

He's a treat.

What happened with "The New Big Ball with Neil Hamburger?"

it just didn't work. not everything can.

Hi Tim, Big fan since way-back-when etc.

My question: Between this new film, the episode of T&E:AS,GJ! titled "Comedy", your stand-up act, and the shorts with Gelman - it seems you have a pretty low opinion of what mostly constitutes COMEDY... How/When did you form this opinion, and how do you see your role in shaping the medium?

Follow up: Can I be your intern? I've submitted my resume a few times, but don't think you were bringing people on. I'll do whatever you need me to (carry weights, stay up late, y'name it!)

i LOVE comedy but tend to goof of the slimy, hacky "in it for the wrong reasons" elements of it. i'm drawn to pathetic, sad characters and there are tons of that in comedy world.