Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous

I had never heard of this little gem until it popped up on my Netflix page. Seeing it starred Bo Burnham I was intrigued. I had no idea this was something he did almost a decade ago.

I loved this show so much. Seeing a young, semi-manic Bo allows the viewer into his head somewhat. ZSIGTBF shows the beginnings of the genius he becomes in his stand up and specials. He's a genius to say the least. This show could have been made today and it would be relevant. A teen who wants to be famous but has nothing to offer for that to happen is literally the Instagram and TikTok of today. The difference is that this show is funny, smart, and tender at times. It looks like MTV did a poor job of promoting this show when they had it. Ironic since the theme is insta-fame via in your face media.

This is BY FAR the funniest, smartest and most self-aware show ever offered to the Millenial set. By a million miles. Even as a huge fan of Bo Burnham (confession: I may have at some point had some of his YouTube raps memorized), the quality of the writing and Burnham's acting is astonishing.

He plays a recent high school graduate who forgoes college to instead spend all the grocery store wages he has saved on a camera crew. They film his entire life, ostensibly for some nebulous TV show, with the end goal of making Zach famous. Any nature or degree of fame will suffice. The gimmick is believable mainly because Zach Stone is so delusional that he really would want cameras there all the time. His quest for fame motivates everything (well, almost everything) in his life, and he is willing to do anything to make it to stardom.

It's easy to compare it to "The Office", and fitting that it is premiering within a month of that show's series finale. Both of them are ostensibly behind-the-scenes looks at the making of two documentaries that will surely never been made. Both handle moments of quiet And they both turn out to be showcases for movie-star-level character acting and charisma. That was certainly the case for Steve Carell as Michael Scott. And Burnham was much closer to being a movie star than we know. He was reported to be developing a "High School Musical" parody for Judd Apatow (at the peak of Apatow's box office success).

Burnham decisively satirizes the MTV generation--the show's premise explores the idea that all you need to be famous is a camera crew. But his character is so likable and non- threatening that the satire might as well be delivered wrapped in marshmallow. (I don't mean to say the satire isn't dead on or cutting--it is.) And if you're familiar with Burnham's previous work, the character is even more clear-cut. He has always exhibited an overblown and carefully-crafted sense of egomania. There's more than a little bit of YouTube era Burnham in Zach Stone, but with the real Burnham (who has shown incredible depth in songs like "Welcome to YouTube" and "I Am an Artist") running the show.

Everyone involved with this show has major cojones, especially the MTV execs who put a show on the air that could possibly have alienated most of its audience. They shouldn't have to worry, because Burnham plays Zach Stone remarkably likable and sympathetic. But great shows struggle for viewership all the time, so I might as well start the plea now. PLEASE watch this show to make sure it gets a second season. This show has the potential to be one of the best on television.

How's this for irony? If you're looking for the smartest voice of our generation in television, it's on MTV.

I must preface this by saying I miiiight be a little biased - this is my biggest comfort show. But, I've had other comfort shows, and I didn't feel this highly about them! This show makes me feel so many things in a way no other piece of media has ever made me feel. This show, at it's core, is about the sadness and loneliness of a young adult named Zach Stone who just wants people to like him. On the outside, from the first episode, it seems like the show is just going to be about some crazy high school graduate who's obsessed with himself doing anything to get fame, but as you continue, you realize that really, Zach just wants people to like him, because he doesn't like himself. This sentiment resonates with myself and many other teens and young adults. This show is emotional and funny at the same time, and is possibly Bo's best work.

Wonderful show. If you are a fan of Bo Burnham's material, then you know what to expect. A great, well thought out idea, expertly executed that will have you laughing one moment and feel sad the next. Witty, funny and still full of emotion and meaning. There isn't really anything like this show out there. Well done, well done! Even if this show was made 8 years ago, it is still just as relevant. If not more so.

There are plenty of variables that would make one think this show could be horrible: 1. It's on MTV 2. It's about a teenager trying to be famous 3. It's about reality TV 4. It's on MTV

But the show is a surprisingly funny AND poignant satire/parody of people's lust for fame. I would've thought the main character would be annoying to watch, but the way the show is written, the awkward situations he gets himself into are hilarious. I'm a fan of awkward humor shows (ie The Office, Peep Show, etc.) where it makes you cringe sometimes because the situations get so awkward for the characters.

And the show's poignancy comes from how the main character's selfish conquest for fame affects his most important, long term relationships with family and friends.