An Ode to the Greatness of Will Forte

I listened to a podcast recently where they talked about the movie "Nebraska". I remember liking this movie. I enjoyed what I saw. During the episode they mentioned how good Will Forte is in the movie. I then remembered that they were correct. Forte really shines in this role. He plays the drama really well, and when needed, he is a comedic genius.

This got me thinking about his other performances and how great an actor he has always been. I became aware of Forte from "SNL". I instantly liked what I saw. He was absurd and silly. He did sketches that I hadn't seen before on the show. He was doing some wild stuff, especially for "SNL", and I was in from that point on. I decided a long time ago that I was going to be a Will Forte fan. I followed his work after "SNL" to one of my favorite shows ever, "Clone High". He voiced Abe Lincoln, and I found it absolutely hilarious. He was one of the main characters, and he did some excellent voice acting. I then watched "The Brothers Solomon". When I first watched it, I did not enjoy the movie. It was almost a little too absurd and bizarre. The writers seemed to take the jokes too far. But I watched it again, older, and I found myself enjoying it a bit more. The movie is wild, but the jokes hit a little better the older I got. Some of the stuff I didn't get landed with me this time. He was barely in the movie "Beerfest", but he was memorable. He did some more voice work, and a few more movies with friends, some of which I saw, others I skipped.

Then "MacGruber" came out.

I have loved this movie since the day I first saw it. It is absurdist humor at its absolute best, and Will Forte crushes as the lead character. This is such a perfect role for him. He can go as big as he wants, and fans like me will love every second of it. I have watched "MacGruber" a bunch since, and each time I find something else that makes me laugh even harder. "MacGruber" is a stone cold classic.

Forte then had an excellent run on "30 Rock". He was great in that show. We have the aforementioned "Nebraska", in which he proves his acting chops. He appeared on the "CBB" television show a few times, each appearance funnier than the last. He did some work on "Kroll Show", an underrated gem. He did a few things with The Lonely Island, all of which he is amazing in his small roles.

Then we got "Last Man on Earth".

This is one of my favorite shows of all time. I think it was funny as could be, but it also had a bunch of dramatic moments, where Forte crushes it. When he finds out his brother is still alive, Jason Sudekis. The things between the two of them are touching as hell. I buy that they were brothers. When Sudekis leaves, presumably to go die, I was in tears. And the way Forte and Kristin Schaal work off one another on the three seasons of that show is a thing of magic. "Last Man on Earth" is a gem as well.

I really enjoy his work in "A Futile and Stupid Gesture". He does some good work in "Good Boys" and "Booksmart". During the pandemic he did some solid work. Peacock did a "MacGruber" show. It was funny, but not as funny as the movie. He has a recurring role on "Bob's Burgers". He's in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story". He's done three episodes of "The Simpsons". He is endlessly memorable and quotable on "I Think You Should Leave". And now he has a new Netflix series called "Bodkin", which I will almost certainly watch very soon.

Will Forte is a true pro. He is endlessly reliable. He is hilarious and has proven he can do drama. Will Forte is awesome and I just wanted to give him some love today. Forte is great. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches the New "Clone High"

Back in 2003, while living with RD in a townhouse, I stumbled upon a show called "Clone High". I didn't think much of it at the time, but it very quickly grew on me. I loved the show. I watched each week. I had to see it. It was a TV show on MTV that felt worth my time. When it was canceled after one, 13 episode season, I was bummed out. I thought the show could use more time. I thought it was going into more promising territory. I started to care about cartoon characters and their story arcs. But in an instant it was gone. There were always rumors that it may come back, but I never fully bought in.

The show was created by Lord and Miller, and they have clearly moved on to bigger things. But the show did come back. They officially announced it awhile back and I was amped. But then I kind of forgot that it was coming back. With HBO Max switching over to Max and announcing a ton of canceled shows, I just assumed "Clone High" would not be made. But it is back and I am loving it as much as I did before.

So far I have watched the first four episodes and I cannot get enough. It still has the feel of the original show. Everyone is back, except for Gandhi, and they have added new people. Gandhi was, quite possibly, the best part of the show, and I do not know why he isn't back, but the transition has been pretty seamless. Abe, Joan, JFK and Cleopatra are back. So is Professor Scudworth and his trusty robot assistant. They have added another evil shadow government villain, and a good amount of new students. Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, Christopher Columbus and Confucius are here, and I have enjoyed all of them so far. They also have most of the original voice cast, and the actors cast to voice the new characters are great as well. I really like how they did the new premiere too, thawing out the old students and just setting them down at Clone High in 2023. I like how the show is taking on cancel culture and male toxicity. I have read that some people are calling the show "woke" and opining for"the good old days when you could tell real jokes' '. I hope those people realize that, in the second episode, they are who Topher Bus is being. He is a little shit online and hides behind a screen name. That is how all of those people bad mouthing the new direction of the show act and sound. They need something to complain about so they go on their computer in their parent's basement and gripe. Topher Bus' portrayal and the writer's portrayal is spot on. I like the new direction of the show. Things evolve. People grow up and change. The world changes. And the people behind the show have to have realized that it has been 20 years and they cannot say some stuff they did in the early aughts. That is a sign of maturity.

I'm all in on the "reboot" or second season or whatever we are calling it. I want it to stick around for longer than a season. They have a formula that works and works really well. If you liked the original version you have to watch the new version. It is a really decent throwback and I remembered instantly why I liked this show in the first place. Check it out. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.