I Told You They Were Freaky

For the last few days I've been enjoying reading American reviews of Flight of the Conchords (both DVDs and albums) and growing evermore stunned at how much the American press just don't get it. Of the course the Conchords insane success in the States doesn't reflect such a statement. The American's near-psychotic adoration for the bumbling kiwi duo is truly warming, and entirely down to Brett and Jermaines musical and comedic talent. But when it comes to explaining the phenomenon, well, the U.S.A. seems a little out of sorts.

It is a matter of cultural literacy, and the Conchords are a book that the Americans have never read before. It's pages are full of whimsy, irony, and 'hilarious misunderstanding's. It is not as stuffy and dry as the letters from across the Atlantic. One could almost say it is British humour that has been translated for America. But the constant self-deprecation of the duos New Zealand roots is an art that possibly only New Zealanders can truly understand.

The Americans find such self mockery hilarious, but to understand it they resort to comparisons with mockumentarys such as This is Spinal Tap, totally oblivious to the cultural references that are so obvious to us in Wellington. This is most apparent in Pitchforks (really quite funny) review of the Conchords self-titled release that followed Season One. Chris Dalen says

"Where do they draw the lines between the real-life band, the band we see struggling on the show, and the band that the struggling band wishes it could be? They bill themselves as New Zealand's fourth-best novelty act-- so should we laugh at the songs, or with them? And their love of AM radio love songs shrines true-- they thank Barry White in the album liner notes, probably not ironically-- but are we supposed to congratulate them for trying to do the same thing?"

Oh lol. Of course the very concept of Flight of the Conchords would make Pitchfork's head spin. To enjoy Flight of the Conchords it is mandatory to just relax and appreciate something for what it is - how are Pitchfork meant to do that?! And once again even the very concept the duo founded themselves on, "New Zealand's fourth-best novelty folk act" is poking fun the absolute direness of where the band come from.

I say to all Americans that it is truly great to watch you go absolutely apeshit for a couple of kiwi jokers on youtube, but if you truly want to get what Flight of the Conchords are doing, listen to the song Fly My Pretties by the assemble of the same name. Because these guys are hilarious, but the context of what it's like to be a struggling musician in Wellington is needed to understand the act of two struggling musicians from Wellington.