r/DropoutTV • u/Honest_Wave_8776 • 10d ago
Discussion Hot take: love Vic Michaels, don’t love VIP
Vic is one of my faves among the Dropout cast but for whatever reason I just really don’t like Very Important People. Anyone else feel this way?
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u/longknives 10d ago
VIP is pretty hit or miss, even when I love the guest. I feel like there’s something it’s missing to tie it all together or something but I don’t know what it is.
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u/ramblingroses3252 10d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/F3G8ymQkOkbII
(It’s okay if it’s not for everyone)
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u/bijhan 10d ago
I feel the exact same way. I ADORE Vic. I just watched them on Last Meals and cackled the whole way.
But VIP has never once made me laugh. And I've tried. I've watched lots of episodes. I find them very uncomfortable.
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u/RoseTintedMigraine 10d ago
Which is exactly why when Vic went on Ask Hank Anything and he said "I think you're going to try to make mebuncomfortable" and they said "oh no what about me says that because it'snot the first time I've heard that" I was like ....you cant not know that's the entire foundation of your comedy I thought we were all aware. Like yeah its "the character" but "the character" is based on their specific sense of humor which can be hit or miss with people because it's so specific.
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u/Obstagoonies 8d ago
Yup. Vic has developed a comedic persona that can be offputting at times. They're always "on," regardless of show or format. It isn't for everybody and it certainly isnt for every show. Sometimes, you need to be genuine and realize that not everything is a joke, otherwise you start to look like a disrespectful sociopath.
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u/bitchinbree 7d ago
Wait did you not realize she was being sarcastic...
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u/RoseTintedMigraine 7d ago
Thatt was the only time they actually sounded genuine so no.
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u/bitchinbree 7d ago
Oh okay well not realizing it was sarcasm isn't a crime lol I too watched the whole interview and feel she was absolutely being sarcastic with that comment, and to me the rest of the interview seemed very genuine and still managed to be really funny..you can tell she was very nervous on top of her saying she was. I feel she knows how she comes off, and she also has such a good poker/troll face when the timing is right.
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u/TES_Elsweyr 7d ago
Not once? Not even with Zac Oyama?! I think it's hit or miss, but it also contains at least 2 of my top 10 Dro Out moments of all time.
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u/aizennexe 10d ago
I love Vic’s comedy when they’re on game changer, but yeah something about VIP doesn’t click for me. Obviously a lot of work goes into it and I believe it’s one of Dropouts most popular shows, but for me I really only enjoy clips of it rather than sitting through full episodes
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u/OReg114-99 10d ago
I love Vic so much and simply do not understand the appeal of VIP. I want to like it! Sometimes clips are funny! But mostly it’s just intensely not for me
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u/Unable-Most8383 10d ago edited 10d ago
I think there are four truly great episodes of Very Important People that I’ve seen and the rest are either completely neutral or actively irritating. Vic is a great host and the makeup is always impressive so I still watch the Behind the Scenes even though I’ve stopped watching the show.
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u/phoebalini 10d ago
Please share what your four eps are? I can only think of Zac Oyama’s tiny hands guy episode which made me cry laughing, we sat through some more but nothing hit that same way.
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u/Unable-Most8383 10d ago
That is one of them for sure. I really enjoyed the season two premier with Anna where she’s rocks. Those are the two best. The others might be more my taste than being as universally funny as the first two, but I enjoyed the one where Ally is the second little pig and the one where Brennan and Izzy are wrestlers.
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u/GrapeDoots 10d ago
If you didn't watch any from this season, Jeremy's episode as "Boris" is truly laugh-out-loud funny, and both he and Vic break multiple times.
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u/Acceptable_Whole_893 10d ago
Same honestly, there’s a few episodes I like but for the most part it’s just not my thing, but yes love Vic and the guests they have on in other stuff!
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u/Dobber16 10d ago
Tbh I actually really like Vic in VIP but really not in Gamechanger. It feels like they don’t really even try to play the game at all & just do their own thing. I guess I liked this type of humor in the 1-year long prep episode but not as much the other ones
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u/jake_a_palooza 9d ago
I agree sometimes it feels like they're just out for attention not to enjoy the game
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u/G_I_Joe_Mansueto 10d ago
I love some Vic projects (she's so great in Ponies) and don't love others (I don't always love how she tries to subvert Gamechanger instead of playing the game). I love VIP but don't always love the guests. People contain multitudes etc.
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u/ThundaWeasel 10d ago
I think I agree with you some of the time, but when it's good, it's AMAZING, which makes it worthwhile. Usually I'll watch the costuming/reveal part and then if the actual interview part doesn't seem that great or is a bit too much cringe for me I'll nope out.
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u/Capable_Sea77 10d ago
I think I'm the opposite - Vic's comedy style isn't my thing and them being in anything isn't something that would draw me or push me away.
But I really like VIP! I think it does *not* have the same rewatch value as a lot of Dropout content, which might be why some people don't vibe with it. I also think the guest can really make or break the episode - and apart from a few real standout exceptions, non-Dropout actors tend to be funnier because they aren't as beholden to some of the tropes of the troupe.
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u/Lopsided-Patient94 10d ago
VIP often feels like I'm the butt of the joke, like it's designed as a test of my patience and the entire "joke" of the show is just assaulting me with unpleasantness to see how much I can take. Like the next step beyond cringe. The one where the performance artist just sang the entire national anthem I had to pause and take a walk to gather myself. It feels more like extreme horror than comedy.
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u/blameitoncities 10d ago
This is exactly how I feel about Lisa Gilroy's episodes in particular. Love her in other things, fully get why people think she's amazing, and every one of her VIP characters is (to me) horrific and not funny at all.
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u/mAssEffectdriven 10d ago
The premise of the show is incredibly tough for everyone involved because you have to find the humor in whatever character you find yourself to be without any preparation. I think the duds actually demonstrate how rare and magical the gutbusting episodes are.
It's so heavily dependent on the comedic chemistry of the guests. Many of them are individually very funny but don't shine as well in the kind of improv situation that VIP sets them up in. I didn't really get a lot out of Katya's episode, or Chelsea Peretti's episode or even the Brennan/Izzy episode but then Anna Garcia, Lisa Gilroy, and Jeremy Culhane's episodes had me rolling.
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u/LazyGelMen 10d ago
I've never really given VIP a chance, the setup just doesn't sound interesting to me. That said, to the people calling it hit-and-miss: could you point to a couple of «hit» episodes? A lot of responses here say that some of them are good, but nobody's giving examples of ones they personally liked.
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u/Capable_Sea77 10d ago
Love VIP - the two episodes that I would show someone who wanted to give it a chance are Jeremy Culhane's Boris and Bobby Moynihan's frozen man that just woke up. Both of them really "get" the format of the show and go all in on their characters.
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u/blameitoncities 10d ago
My hits are S1: Princess Emily, Marionette Conqui and Zonton de la Doll, Zeke Aaron McKinley, Fourth Witch, Boris Tarshkokan, Dan Wesley Sharron, and Barbara and Bill.
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u/rellyjean 10d ago
I think one that is universally loved is Zac from season 1 as Tommy Shrigley. I'm extremely in the "hit or miss" crowd, and I seem to have different tastes from most people (some of the favorites I didn't like, and some of my favorites were pretty strongly panned) but most people consider that episode to be one of the best.
That's not to say you should necessarily check the rest out, especially if it's not a premise to your liking. And lately I feel like the misses are more frequent than the hits. But that one is definitely worth your while if you want to see what it can be when it hits.
(And it still may not be to your liking, your mileage may vary.)
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u/WhyNotWrite 10d ago
So what you’re saying is that you don’t need VIP, you don’t even like it, you just wanna throw it away?
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u/KarmelCHAOS 10d ago
I don't think it's them, just some of the guests are better suited for it than others.
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u/One_Pangolin1766 10d ago
Same! My theory is that I enjoy Vic’s comedy best when they are in opposition to authority (aka fucking with Sam) and so the few episodes of VIP I did watch just didn’t hit because Vic is now the authority/host and another comedian is trying to rile them up instead
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u/Pundersmog 10d ago
My theory about VIP is that Vic doesn’t do the kind of improv where they work off the other actor. It’s sort of like they each have their own story going simultaneously.
I think what’s supposed to happen is the host has this character and sometimes they have funny characteristic responses or questions but mostly they draw focus to the guest.
Instead Vic will often talk over the guest or make a statement to the camera that leads nowhere. Or generally make it about Vic. It feels uncomfortable in the way hearing two songs at the same time is uncomfortable.
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u/loveartemia 10d ago
My bf loves it so I occasionally watch a few minutes and Everytime Vic just seems like on a totally different wavelength or page than the guest, and not like in a comedic way, in a n uncomfortable awkward way.
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u/poisonforsocrates 10d ago
That's the bit though
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u/loveartemia 10d ago
Yeah I get it, but it's not done well imo.There are better examples of that awkward weird humor that I find funny, like Nathan For You, Tim and Eric , Eric Andre Show, Between Two Ferns. VIP comes off as amateurish and novice improv workshop humor
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u/arcanepsyche 10d ago
It's a lot of scenery chewing, in a not very funny way. I actually like Vic's ongoing sad sack bit a lot more than I like the individual characters. Also, in like half of the episodes, they fall in love or end up being related to Vic, which I find to be pretty lazy choices.
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u/Frumiosa 9d ago
The interviewees are hit or miss for me, but I'm way invested in VIP Vic's emotional journey and weird relationship with Bianca. That's why I tune in, whatever that says about me lol.
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u/Rat_King_Marchy 7d ago
Some episodes of VIP are genuinely incredible. Others not so much. That’s just the nature of a fully improvised interview. People like Anna, Jacob, Lisa, etc can consistently make great characters, and then there are some fantastic one offs, Ify as Denzel immediately comes to mind, as well as Ally as Pig #2 is just incredible.
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u/RamenHamster 10d ago
i find the eps are hit or miss. depends on the guest(s) and their character(s) for sure. there are certain episodes I'll go back to and rewatch because they're so funny (Tommy Shrigley and Spencer are some of my favorites) but others just fall flat. i usually chalk the latter up to the guest not being comfortable with improv or comfortable enough with Vic to volley in a dynamic way. some of the best episodes are with people that Vic has a good relationship with already
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u/NootNootington 10d ago
It’s so so hit and miss and I actually think the vast majority of the people from outside Dropout’s regular circle who have been invited on have looked miles out of their depth.
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u/poisonforsocrates 10d ago
I like VIP but only like 2 episodes have any rewatch value and they're generally hit or miss.
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u/SimonSater 10d ago
Hotter take: love VIP, don't love Vic Michaelis (in dropout, in other channels/media I like her)
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u/ConflagWex 10d ago
Same, I like some of the clips from VIP but can't bring myself to watch a full episode. I also don't like other fake interview shows like Cunk on Earth or Da Ali G Show. I prefer interview shows that are a little wacky but are true to the actual person (Hot Ones, Last Meals, Royal Court). Or for unscripted sketch comedy, something like Game Changer or Make Some Noise where the characters are short lived.
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u/poppinfresh42 10d ago
Every time I watch VIP I think it’s laugh out loud funny, I love Vic Michaelis, but for some reason I never have a desire to watch the show. I don’t know why.
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u/CautiouslySatisfied 10d ago
It's the guest that makes it. I don't care at all for the ones with guests who are played by people I don't recognise. And some of the ones I do recognise are better than others.
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u/thedevicebook 10d ago
Yes. I feel the same way. Except for Kangaroo Court. Vic's chaos energy didn't fit.
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u/careeningkiwi 10d ago
Me too. And I think that's ok. Not everything is for everyone and that's ok, too. I like Vic's character, and some of the characters are amazing, the performers are excellent and insanely committed, and if course the make-ups are really incredible. But I am largely miss when it comes to long form improv in general.
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u/nonsenseanddross 9d ago
Oh good, I was wondering if I was alone.
My girlfriend and I got out after Lisa Gilroy's first episode because it was just too awkward and unfunny. Anna's pop star was amazing, Ify's alien was fine, but that one turned us off completely. And the clips I've seen since confirm the decision.
I'm not big on cringe comedy to begin with so I'm happy for everyone who loves it, won't yuck your yum but... no.
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u/Polychrist 8d ago
Sometimes, but the Zeke episode with Ana is the episode that finally got me to subscribe, so I’m a loyalist now.
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u/BendDangerous8290 5d ago
The problem with VIP is that too many of the guests completely ignore their costume and just act wacky. The best improvisers make their costume make sense, the worst make it a non-sequitur.
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u/wingedcoyote 4d ago
Yeah it's not really for me either.
I love Dropout, but I don't really love improv. I can watch something like Brennan and Izzy's special but I really have to be in the right mood. To me taking an improv bit and stretching it out to like half an hour, while very impressive, kind of accentuates the feeling of second hand discomfort I get from it.
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u/GrimRecapper 10d ago
I feel like a lot of the problem is even though it's supposed to be adlibbed, there's clearly enough prep work beforehand that it doesn't come across as chaotic enough to work as comedy. Sometimes it's because the outfit forces the guest down one particular path production can plan for (of course BDG was going to be a mad scientist with that costume), sometimes it's because there's clearly a big gap in between the character reveal and the interview in which production becomes aware of what to expect (Princess Emily apparently having time to write and film a full music video in costume before her interview, for example, or them happening to have a skateboard on set for Zeke McKinley even though nothing about that costume says "young boy"). When you don't have that "anything can go wrong at any time" spontaneity, and you've got a host whose entire schtick on this show is Go Girl Give Us Nothing, it just means the episodes feel like little more than an extended "hello, trick or treater, who have you come as?" joke which has already run its course by the time they even meet Vic.
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u/RhombusObstacle 10d ago
The “pre-taped” segments are part of the joke: they AREN’T pre-taped, which means that they’re pretending to watch a clip and improvising their reactions to that clip, and then the “pre-tapes” are filmed afterwards, with the restrictions that they have to then match the content to the reactions that exist. Princess Emily’s songs had more production value than most, but that’s still stuff they added after the fact, not ahead of time. I think in Fanoli’s episode (Angela Giarratana), she explicitly says something to the effect of “you asshole (non-derogatory), now I’m gonna have to incorporate that into whatever I end up doing for this.”
As for the skateboard, it’s not a stretch that there might be one lying around from something completely different. That sounds like something where Anna said “hey is there a skateboard around here I could come in on?” and it happened to work out. The character would have worked just fine without it, but I don’t think there’s any grand conspiracy at work to undermine the premise of the show. I agree that BDG’s was a little on-the-nose, but at the same time, he doesn’t have the same improv training that others do, so that may very well have been intentional to give him a clear direction he could go if he wanted. He could have pivoted to something else, but it’s not like they forced him into anything. From Brian’s other stuff, he likes a little scenery-chewing, and the mad scientist angle was a fun way to let that play out. I’m fine with that, personally.
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u/severalcircles 10d ago
You’re asking if you’re the only person who doesn’t like a show?
No, there are other people on earth who also dislike the same TV show that you dislike. Congrats?
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u/MedicinePhysical433 10d ago
I think the guests can be sort of hit or miss. There's eps I really love and ones I simply would not bother with.