On IFC’s Portlandia, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein lock Steve Buscemi in a feminist bookstore after forcing him to make a purchase for using the customers-only bathroom. Picking up something embroidered with a rotary phone, he says, “I’ll take this wristband.” “That’s not a wristband, that’s a coffee cozy,” they reply in earnest.
From dumpster diving to ear-plugged bike messengers to the Sherlock Homies, a hipster adult hide ‘n seek league, the two are funny not just because of the hi-larious writing, but because they get everything so, so right. “The 90’s are back in Portland,” they sing in the show’s theme song (the seriously multitalented Brownstein wrote it), since there you can juggle, pierce yourself, sleep till eleven, and live in a broken-down house with a lot of roommates to your heart’s content.
Unlike many a parody, writers Brownstein and Armisen (with SNL’s Jonathan Krisel) seem to have both an understanding and affection for their subject. And unlike many similar projects, the show is not just a good idea, but really funny. Be sure to check out the upcoming (sex themed!!!) issue of BUST, which profiles the duo and their journey from online short creators ThunderAnt (where the feminist bookstore sketch was born) to big-time IFC stars.
Portlandia airs on IFC, Friday nights at 10:30, starting Jan 21st.
PHOTO COURTESY pastemagazine.com