Worth Every Penny

When “The State” debuted on MTV in January of 1994, the world had just begun to recover from the periods of excess and turmoil the ‘80s had endured. As we approached decadence, MTV execs made a decision that forever altered the sketch comedy world. They gave us “The State.” “SNL” was entering “The Unfunny Years.” “Mad TV” had not yet appeared to come and stab comedy in the heart. We were skirting times of war while slowly slipping into a boob-tube coma. However, if you can laugh, you can endure. And endure “The State” did, for three (and a half) seasons, not including specials. How?

Because they’ve got Doug. And he’s not some sort of manimal that you can keep in a cage.

The light-hearted, savagely funny cast of “The State” achieved what most shows couldn’t: they transformed ordinary into extraordinary. With a nearly absent budget and an 11-strong crew that wrote, performed and edited everything they produced, “The State” was nearly cast to the land of misfit shows because not many knew what it was at the time. Lumbering towards 20 years later, it remains a cult classic and, unlike its sketch show contemporaries and even aspects of the great benchmark “Monty Python,” “The State” has kept like ancient Egyptian honey – still palatable after all this time.

Watching segments with Barry and Levon, they don’t feel dated at all. Sure we miss the grungy soundtrack that they unfortunately couldn’t get the rights to, but once you see Thomas Lennon and Michael Ian Black swaying their velvet-laden hips, about to gently caress $240 worth of pudding with their derrières, all memories of the original soundtrack fade away.

Perhaps it is even better that we don’t chronicle or define such a great show by the music of that time – it’s preserved much better with a no-frills soundtrack.

Even funny woman Kerri Kenney’s pest problem, Slash (Ken Marino) eating bread and playing guitar throughout the house before getting caught in a man-sized trap has survived the test of time. You would think that a Guns and Roses reference might go wasted on a modern crowd who continues to believe that Jay Z is “old school” rap. It doesn’t matter. The absurdity of it all is more than enough to induce a round of giggles.

Realistically, we live in a time where we can access information whenever we like and could look up each of these sketches on the internet. We would find them. Why should we fork over money for a couple of DVDs? Bonus features? No free gift or cool promo (unless you pre-ordered through their website… and if you did that, you’re likely not reading a review to sway your decision). What is in this wonderful set that is worth the average price of $35?

The compilation of all the seasons in one collection is truly a treasure. Episode by episode, you will continue to enjoy the clever quips that you roared with laughter over growing up all over again. There are unforgettable characters like Marino’s depiction of Louie– the guy who comes in and repeats his catchphrase and Black’s Captain Monterey Jack (a non-sequitur charged motivational speaker). Lennon’s “Old Fashioned Guy” is another recurring character that will crack you up hours after watching. The Laupin Variety Show sketch turned into Eastern European variety show knock off, “Viva Variety.”

The most talked about sketches by the 15-year old-water cooler are likely the “Pants” sketch, where Black takes fitting room hilarity to a whole new level and Porcupine Racetrack, during which the slowest porcupine races to save an (gulp) orphanage.

Ahh, “The State” spared no one with their bitingly sarcastic wit.

A classic favorite? Kabuki Doug. Take Japan’s version of Shakespeare and mix it with a whiny teenage rebel and what do you get? The Love Suicides at Sonezaki featuring Barry and Levon Saggitarius. Smart comedy doesn’t have to be pretentious– it can be absolutely ridiculous and still hilarious.

One thing lost by watching random clips on the internet is clever ties between each sketch.

“The State” cleverly strung almost every sketch together with a sometimes smooth, sometimes inane transition that highlights their brilliance.

Picture this.

A boy bringing home a girl for the first time. Most kids fret over such a situation, and then she appears– A mud-covered, bikini-clad new beau (Kerri Kenney) wrestles a straight-laced dad and yells to Mom (a cross-dressing Ben Garant) to strip down and start drink service (Highballs and beers, mamacita, highballs and beers!). He exits to the deck still serving refreshments, where a whole new sketch starts: one where everyone but resident narcissist Black swims right after eating, causing deadly cramps.

Both are incredibly funny sketches that are tied together seamlessly – and that sense of completion and holistic comedy is just one of the reasons “The State” is one DVD that should be a staple on your boxed set shelf.

Most sketch material is overdone to the point that it is inedible even when sugarcoated. Where “The State” differs from most shows is in their handling of something we’re all potentially familiar with – they destroy every expectation you have for the sketch. But they destroy it beautifully.

If the crowd knows the punch line before you get to the end of a joke, you’re a hack of a comedian. The same goes for sketch comedy. The most refreshing aspect of “The State” is that they had the ability to take something droll, like the phrase “What were you, born in a barn?” and transform it into the foundation for a brilliant digression about dealing with the hardships of fitting in with your high school classmates.

The simplicity and ingenuity of “The State” gang ensures that even if you watch their material 100 years from now, it will still make you chuckle. And buy a much bigger mouse trap.

They didn’t need fancy sound stages, celebrities (except for maybe a random cameo by Gilbert Gottfried) or MTV background noise soundtrack that “preservationists” are whining about, because they had true, raw talent. NYU’s theater department in the early ‘90s acted as a Mickey Mouse Club for modern, edgy comedy. The best of their brand, whether you like them or not, have emerged from “The State,” which was originally known as “The New Group.”

Lennon, Kenney and Garant have continued to crack us up in Reno 911. You might also recognize Deputy Rizzo, aka Joe Lo Truglio from “Pineapple Express” and” I Love You Man.” Black, David Wain and Michael Showalter had “Stella” a few years back and the Michaels currently have their own show on Comedy Central. Wain is responsible for “Wainy Days” and “The Ten.”

Just because you don’t hear as much about Todd Holoubek,  Michael Patrick Jann (Little Britain USA), Kevin Allison and Marino doesn’t mean they’re not involved anymore. Allison and Holoubek teach. Jann apparently has become enthralled by drapery when not wowing us with his directing. Marino (Role Models) is likely sitting somewhere, sweating and shirtless, reenacting “Hot Pursuits.” “The State” still occasionally performs live shows together and there are talks of an eventual movie.

If you’re still hesitant to pick this up, there are a few good reasons to be wary. There are aggravating aspects of the DVD release beyond the unfamiliar musical score. You will frequently notice pictures blurred out in the background– sometimes so poorly done that you may find yourself running a YouTube search just to watch the unaltered footage. It is truly distracting at times.

Furthermore, the actors themselves aren’t making much off this. MTV owns the rights to all of the footage. It appears to be a rushed, poorly tended compilation that deserves much more of an effort. If the masterminds behind this legendary show are making anything off it at all, it’s negligible– a crime for such impressive material.

The bottom line is unless you’re miffed by the new tunes and pay attention to the background, this is a sure bet. If you’re a big fan, the over 90 minutes of previously unaired sketches and outtakes are worth the price tag alone. If you’re a casual viewer, you may opt to wait until “The State” DVD hits the Netflix Instant Queue.

The pluses of this shoddily prepared homage to a groundbreaking comedy group outweigh the negatives.