Alison Herman

1 sketch, 8 claims, and 5 fun items attributed to them. What was said about them.

Personality, episode by episode

The Big Picture: Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) (guest)

Loves Atlanta, Catastrophe and You're the Worst, especially warmth beneath the cringe. Cannot watch such scenes without muting or opening another tab. Notices staging details like low-angle shots.

Stances

  • Juneteenth is the emotional climax of Atlanta season one
  • Cringe comedy works when partners share the embarrassment

Humor: Wry self-deprecation and a contractual Game of Thrones plug.

In their words

  • “I would be lying if I said I could watch these movies or TV episodes without pulling up a different browser tab” (0:09:42)
  • “but I am contractually obligated to make that reference in this podcast.” (0:07:54)

Their shows' recurring bits

Running bits, not opinions; a critic read aloud is cited, not present.

The Big Picture

Their claims

Showing 1–8 of 8 claims.

  1. career (career): Donald Glover → Community. Alison says Glover was mostly a comic performer (stand-up, Community ensemble) before Atlanta let him be a reactive straight man.
    “he's mostly the comic performer either as a stand-up or an ensemble member in community.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:03:38 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage): Juneteenth (Atlanta episode) → Eyes Wide Shut. Donald Glover's character describes the party as a Spike-directed reboot of Eyes Wide Shut.
    “this is like a spikely directed reboot of eyes wide shut”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:04:44 · Alison Herman (0.85 sure it was them)
  3. theme (theme): Juneteenth (Atlanta episode) → Get Out. Alison says it reminds her of Get Out in using white affluence to create dread, though Get Out is more visceral.
    “it almost reminds me of get out, like using the trappings of white affluence to inspire this feeling of dread and discomfort”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:04:44 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  4. contrast (contrast): Juneteenth (Atlanta episode) → Atlanta (TV series). The season finale is a low-stakes caper, while Juneteenth is the emotional climax.
    “the finale is much more of a caper that isolates aren't on his own”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:07:27 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  5. industry (industry): Juneteenth (Atlanta episode) → Game of Thrones. Alison jokes that the episode is the season's Battle of the Bastards, a money shot, and that she is obliged to plug Game of Thrones.
    “It's like the Game of Thrones money shot, but I am contractually obligated to make that reference in this podcast.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:07:54 · Alison Herman (0.70 sure it was them)
  6. craft (craft): Atlanta (TV series) → Catastrophe. Alison says both pair partners who commiserate through awkward situations.
    “I brought up catastrophe in the sense that you get the sense of these people as a couple commiserating together”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:08:52 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  7. theme (theme): Catastrophe → You're the Worst. Alison names it as another TV romcom pairing two people who share the embarrassment.
    “you're the worst is coming back soon is another excellent example”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:09:08 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  8. verdict (verdict): Chris Ryan → Catastrophe. Chris Ryan avoids these cringe shows because he does not want to feel bad about social interaction; Alison and Sean love Catastrophe anyway.
    “our colleague, Chris Ryan, always says that he can't watch these shows because he doesn't want to feel bad about social interaction.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:09:27 · Alison Herman (0.80 sure it was them)

Their fun items

Showing 1–5 of 5 fun items.

  1. fun, about Juneteenth (Atlanta episode): The host husband's condescending compliment to Ern.
    “Black people taking ownership of music.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:03:36 · Alison Herman (0.85 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Donald Glover: Glover has one of the most gif-able reaction faces; Atlanta lets him play a reactive straight man.
    “Donald Glover has one of the most all-time jiffable reaction faces”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:03:38 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Juneteenth (Atlanta episode): The white optometrist hostage-holds the guests with an impromptu slam poem about Jim Crow; Bravo films him from below so he looks warped.
    “gives a like impromptu slam poem about Jim Crow.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:05:14 · Alison Herman (0.90 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Juneteenth (Atlanta episode): Monique's balcony confession to Van.
    “It's my husband uses black people as a hobby, but I like him, but I love my money.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:07:03 · Alison Herman (0.85 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about Chris Ryan: The Ringer colleague avoids cringe comedy.
    “he can't watch these shows because he doesn't want to feel bad about social interaction.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:09:27 · Alison Herman (0.80 sure it was them)