Baroness For Life
Baroness von Sketch Show is snowballing as people have taken note of its subtle and not-so-subtle skewering of everyday life. The New York Times, W Magazine, and Vogue have heaped on the praise, but IFC had a few more probing questions...
IFC: To varying degrees, your sketches are simply scripted examples of things that actually happen. What makes real life so messed up?
Aurora: Hubris, Ego and Selfish Desires and lack of empathy.
Carolyn: That we're trapped together in the 3rd Dimension.
Jenn: 1. Other people 2. Other people’s problems 3. Probably something I did.
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IFC: A lot of people I know have watched this show and realized, "Dear god, that's me." or "Dear god, that's true." Why do people have their blinders on?
Aurora: Because most people when you’re in the middle of a situation, you don’t have the perspective to step back and see yourself because you’re caught up in the moment. That’s the job of comedians is to step back and have a self-awareness about these things, not only saying “You’re doing this,” but also, "You’re not the only one doing this.” It’s a delicate balance of making people feel uncomfortable and comforting them at the same time.
IFC: Unlike a lot of popular sketch comedy, your sketches often focus more on group dynamics vs iconic individual characters. Why do you think that is and why is it important?
Meredith: We consider the show to be more based around human dynamics, not so much characters. If anything we’re more attracted to the energy created by people interacting.
Jenn: So much of life is spent trying to work it out with other people, whether it’s at work, at home, trying to commute to work, or even on Facebook it’s pretty hard to escape the group.
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IFC: Are there any comedians out there that you feel are just nailing it?
Aurora: I love Key and Peele. I know that their show is done and I’m in denial about it, but they are amazing because there were many times that I would imagine that Keegan Michael Key was in the scene while writing. If I could picture him saying it, I knew it would work. I also kind of have a crush on Jordan Peele and his performance in Big Mouth. Maya Rudolph also just makes everything amazing. Her puberty demon on Big Mouth is flawless. She did an ad for 7th generation tampons that my son, my husband and myself were singing around the house for weeks. If I could even get anything close to her career, I would be happy. I’m also back in love with Rick and Morty. I don’t know if I have a crush on Justin Roiland, I just really love Rick (maybe even more than Morty). I don’t have a crush on Jerry, the dad, but I have a crush on Chris Parnell because he’s so good at being Jerry.
Jenn: I LOVE ISSA RAE!
IFC: If you could go back in time and cast yourselves in any sitcom, which would it be and how would it change?
Carolyn: I’d go back in time and cast us in The Partridge Family. We'd make an excellent family band. We'd have a laugh, break into song and wear ruffled blouses with velvet jackets. And of course travel to all our gigs on a Mondrian bus. I feel really confident about this choice.
Meredith: Electric Mayhem from The Muppet Show. It wouldn’t change, they were simply perfect, except… maybe a few more vaginas in the band.
Binge the entire first and second seasons of Baroness von Sketch Show now on IFC.com and the IFC app.
