The 10 Best Sketches from The State

By Chris Cummins in Daily Lists, TV
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 8:04 am
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​Over the years MTV has had a history of innovative sketch comedy shows that has included everything from The Idiot Box to Human Giant. Of these, The State remains the most enduringly popular. The 11 members of the eponymous sketch comedy troupe originally collaborated with the network on the short-lived Jon Stewart comedy show You Wrote It, You Watch It. They wowed the suits with their work on that program enough to get a development deal, and The State soon followed. At first, audiences didn't know what to make of the series' offbeat humor, what with it including jokes about eating Muppets and shoes with piggies on them and all. The critical reaction was so negative that eventually the troupe mocked their viciously bad reviews in a memorable promo that was accompanied by The Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke."

Fortunately, MTV remained committed to the show and through word of mouth it eventually earned the success it so rightly deserved. While The State left the airwaves following an ill-fated leap to CBS in 1995, it helped spawn such shows as Viva Variety and Reno 911! as well as the Stella comedy troupe/series and the feature Wet Hot American Summer. As any self-respecting comedy nerd will be eager to point out, the group's members -- Thomas Lennon, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, David Wain, Kerri Kenney, Kevin Allison, Ben Garant, Michael Patrick Jann, Joe Lo Truglio and Todd Holoubek -- are still heavily active in the entertainment industry. But what of the show that launched them all? Nearly 20 years later do you still wanna dip your balls in The State's comedy? Of course you do, so start off by checking out this list of the show's ten finest moments.

A quick note before we begin, due to Viacom removing most of the clips of the show from YouTube, the embedded videos featured in today's Daily List aren't up to the usual quality standards of what you expect from Topless Robot. So if you like what you see, be sure to buy the official DVD set to experience the series in all of it's A/V glory.

10) Capt. Monterey Jack
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​With their unhappy grunge music and nihilistic attitudes, kids of the 1990s needed some guidance. Unfortunately for them, Captain Monterey Jack was on the case. As portrayed by Michael Ian Black, Jack was a motivation speaker who presented tough talk about what he felt were the big issues of the day (the character only made limited appearances on The State, slightly predating Chris Farley's Matt Foley on Saturday Night Live). In his greatest sketch, Jack taught a group of teens the importance of having properly tied shoes. Think that is an inconsequential problem? Tell that to the grieving families of anyone killed in a shoelace-related escalator accident. This one gets bonus points for the Doug cameo, easily The State's most popular character. More on him in a bit.

9) The Barry Lutz Show

At the risk of incurring the wrath of Ingrid Newkirk, let me just clarify something here: real-life monkey torture isn't funny. That said, this sketch featuring Michael Ian Black as a talk show host who is pitch perfect in his cluelessness and Thomas Lennon as an animal researcher who is all about mindfucking simians is totally hilarious. From Black's Barry Lutz character showcasing his narcissism by introducing himself to a chimp to Michael Patrick Jann's brief appearance as Lennon's smarmy accomplice, this bit is crammed with nuances that reward repeat viewings. If nothing else, it serves as a nice warm-up to a Planet of the Apes movie marathon.

8) Superfriends

As this sketch illustrates, not even superheroes are immune to the bullying epidemic that is sweeping our nation. While his colleagues in the Justice League are given tasks that are vital to maintaining the safety of mankind, Aquaman is mocked relentlessly. Still though, you've got to kind of side with Superman here, no?

7) Sea Monkeys

About a decade ago, I decided on a whim to buy one of those elaborate Sea Monkey aquariums. Even though I intellectually knew that they were nothing more than brine shrimp, I kept hoping for the fun that was promised by the packaging. Instead, all I got were some gross-looking creatures that swam around their little tank until I accidentally knocked it over, spilling the little fuckers and the rancid water that had become their home all over my computer desk. When this occurred, the first thing I thought of was the above sketch and how terrifying (and just awful smelling) human-sized Sea Monkeys would actually be. Shudder.

6) Doug and Dad

Though it was a toss-up between what you see above and the insane Kabuki-themed Doug sketch from the series' third season, this one has an advantage due to Michael Showalter's tremendous performance as the disaffected teen who is always seeking a way "outtta heeeeeeeerrrrreeeee." Surrounded by his equally sullen pals, Doug finds himself dealing with a "too cool" dad. Along the way, he discovers that Bob Dylan is his uncle and throws out a truly impressive Manimal reference. That's right, Manimal folks. The only way this sketch could have been funnier would be if it name-checked Automan somehow.
Tags: Comedy, MTV, Superfriends

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