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Guys, can we talk about HBO’s How To Make It In America for a second? I think it might be the most incredible show of our time. Interpret the word “incredible” as you will. I didn’t watch the first season because back then Entourage was still on the air, so if I wanted to hate-watch something I could just hate-watch that. And also it basically IS Entourage but about jeans? One Entourage at a time, please. But Entourage is dead now (at least until that movie comes out about Ari Gold being the CEO of GloboChem) so the hate docket has an opening, and How To Make It In America fits perfectly. I’ve watched the first two episodes of the second season, so it’s time for us to talk about it! (Right On Time Gum.) It’s not even that I hate it. It’s so much more complicated than that. How To Make It In America contains multitudes! First, let’s talk about the positives: it has a very good opening credits sequence–as do all HBO shows, incidentally, which is a thing you should write a paper on for your college–that makes New York look so fun and cool, just like the New York we all wanted to move to before we all did move here (and congrats to ALL of us on living here, by the way, and it’s so crazy that not a single person reads this website who doesn’t live in New York, but whatever, who needs them, just kidding). And all of the actors are perfectly fine in it. They say their lines and everything. But if Entourage was a wish-fulfillment show with zero stakes, and How To Make It In America follows the Entourage model, then I have a few questions about what you guys are all wishing for and some exciting news about the discovery of NEGATIVE ZERO REVERSE STAKES!
So, Ben and Cam are launching their own streetwear label. BOOM! YOU’RE ALREADY HOOKED ON THIS SHOW! They’ve got a single duffel bag full of sweatshirts. They didn’t even make the sweatshirts, by the way. They bought blank sweatshirts in Japan (?!) and then they silk-screened their company’s logo onto the sweatshirts. OK. Their company is called Crisp. OK. But, so, like, the main plot arc of the first episode (of the second season) was that they were only able to get a hip boutique to carry two (TWO) sweatshirts. And they are also competing with an “evil” streetwear label. And then Ben smoked weed in front of a cafe with the evil label and had to dip his head in a fountain and Cam said “this is it! This is our creation myth.” Congrats, guys, on your creation myth. They had a pop up shop, which everyone on the show kept saying with the same mystified reverent tones that people used to say “food truck” six years ago. Yeah, we get it, a pop up shop. They sold 30 t-shirts or something. A 14 year old gave them his business card. Also, Kid Cudi is a dog-walker slash pot dealer and Luis Guzman is trying to launch an energy drink? His story is probably the most difficult to follow from the middle. I don’t really get what’s going on, although in the second episode he does try to hire a skateboarder to sponsor Rasta Monster (energy drink) and there is also an appearance by Bubbles from The Wire as a down on his luck advertising executive. It’s basically Mad Men, this show.
Cut To: Episode 2. Here is seriously what this episode is about: “We should go to that brunch even though we weren’t invited because we might meet a lady there who knows buyers at Macy’s.” Unbelievable!
Everyone on this show keeps talking about how they want “in.” But it’s like, in WHAT? People will say things like “I can’t believe Ben has his own line.” Why? Why can’t you believe it? It seems like all he does is try to have a line, and also it seems like having a line is NOT very hard since mostly you just need a single duffel bag full of hoodies that you bought on vacation. It just doesn’t seem CRAZY that Ben has a line. He also might not have one? It’s weirdly hard to tell whether or not anyone has a line. I think they’re saving that for the DVD commentary? When they do crash the brunch it is at this woman’s West Village brownstone where she has a Basquiat hanging in her child’s bedroom, and I guess this is supposed to be the dream that we are all pursuing, which, sure, I mean, yes, we are, who doesn’t want a beautiful brownstone in the West Village filled with fancy art, but while you could understand how Vince getting Aquaman could lead to Turtle driving a Maserati off a cliff, it isn’t clear how selling a hoodie gets you a $14 million dollar historic property. I mean, I know Mark Ecko is rich, but COME ON. So many questions this season. Will they get “in”? Will that 13 year old get to be their sales rep for his bar mitzvah? What does their friend in the necktie actually DO?
I don’t know. I love this show. You guys watching this show? Let’s talk about this show! It’s time. (Season 2, Episode 3: AND SO IT BEGINS.)
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Only on the first paragraph of this, but Emergency Chicago Meetup tonight
Boss viewing party?
For serious.
Also, How to Make It in America? Never heard of this show. Was the first season about how they were all born to upper middle class white parents?
i wouldn’t defend this show, because it is indeed Entourage East, and the characters are pretty cardboard, and there are definitely problems throughout. however, most of the questions raised here can be answered by watching the first season.
So this is really a show? I mean, I’ve seen 1 million (approximately) promos for it, but since I’ve never heard anyone mention it anywhere until now, I figured it was some kind of prank.
I saw 2 or 3 episodes and I’m still not sure it’s a real show
i am aware that this was a show, because i don’t watch TV, i watch HBO and look! there it is on my OnDemand screen, oh, look Bored to Death, nevermind How to Make it in America – is DeNiro in that? maybe…but i had never thought to see what it’s about and i’ve never heard anybody mention it in conversation, but i haven’t been to a high school or college campus in a while.
speaking of Bored To Death how good has it gotten? so good
my schedule has not allowed me to watch any of this season yet, but if its maintained its trajectory from seasons 1 and 2, then yes. so. good.
I want to marry Bored To Death.
Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and George Clooney are listed as executive producers.
Not gonna lie, I would probably buy a Luis Guzman energy drink.
how to make it in america:
step 1: play finch in american pie.
step 2: be on this show.
I live in Philly, so I unfortunately see the real life version of this show all the time. A bunch of lazy jackasses who think if they know the right people and have a cool enough logo, they’ll instantly become rich and famous and everyone will love them. Pardon me, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
A bunch of aspiring Eds Hardy? Cool city.
Sometimes monsters live in Los Angeles but want to live in New York a lot…
Monsters in New York will welcome you with open paws
Monster hugs are the best hugs.
Sometimes monsters live in New York, but then go out to LA for law school…. but they hate it out there, so they move back home, but can’t live in New York anymore because of crushing debt, and an inability to find work — so they settle for Philadelphia.
Sometimes monsters live in Mexico I guess?
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see
Sometimes monsters live in Colorado because it is the greatest place to ever exist.
sometimes monsters live in Raleigh because it’s the only place you can die free
Sometimes monsters live in DC because they wanted to “serve the people” until they realized the people are actually a bunch of assholes.
One of the wonderful things about Facebook (besides all of it, obviously), is that I can tell whether or not I want to watch a show based on who “Likes” it and devotes status updates to it. And, so, since the girl who updated Facebook AS she made her wedding vows seems to love this show AND Kim Kardashian AND Sex and the City (she’s a Charlotte, by the way, but maybe a Samantha after ti many martoonis), I know that I will really love and relate to How To Wear Axe In Axemerica.
this is like these 2 guys i knew who “started a production company” aka, were spoiled rich kids who “sponsored” parties at bars and instead of making a profit, they just blew whatever money they made buying “bottle service” for a bunch of sluts* they just met.
*not meant to describe girls or women, but actual sluts.
You know Jean-Ralphio?!
fuck. read all posts next time before making jean-ralphio joke. my bad, dudes.
so basically its about these guys?
Epic jinx, bro.
oh fuck a duck.
Has someone figured out how to punch a TV show in its collective face yet?
Seriously, I totally love this show. If I say I love its vibe, will I get kicked off videogum? Because I do love its vibe. The opening credits suck me in every time. I didn’t see Entourage at all (I know, right?) so I don’t get the connections but I’m sure that when I watch it on Netflixster I’ll think it is How To Make it In America – West.
It’s debatable how much better the show is than Entourage, but it’s better. Entourage is much more comparable to Sex and the City than this show, in my opinion.
me too me too! i love this show right now (along with Enlightened! can we talk about THAT for a second?!)
i find it much better than entourage cause it’s not empty and lame and going-on-and-on-for-eight-seasons-with-no-real-purpose-or-plot…but that’s just me.
YES YES YES. Gabe, this is no gossip girl recap, but it will have to do.
I haven’t watch this show but I love the ads for it http://stereogum.com/823142/hbo-gives-duck-sauce-a-luis-guzman-remix/video/
Actually I’ll just wait until the fourth season to watch it.
I think Gabe is making this show up. Granted, I have seen billboards for it everywhere (I think the tagline is “America: Go big or go home”? That’s your tagline, show) but I’ve assumed they were part of a citywide effort to punk me (I’m very hard to fool). And everything in the plot as outlined by Gabe bolsters my punking theory.
Incidentally I write to you from my most hungover Monday in a decade. Please keep it down.
HBO just made this show to remind the rest of the country that ‘America’ does in fact = ‘New York City’.
Also, couldn’t “How To Make It In America” really be the title of ANY show that takes place in America?
How To Make It In America
Awesome news, guys! I’m coming out with my own line of CaptClown-branded posts of Gabe’s! Here’s the first one:
If you’d like to purchase it to print and frame, I’m able to accept payment by Western Union. Man, this “Make It In America” is inspirational stuff.
anyone wanna talk about the first two episodes of Enlightened?
Here ya go: “Laura Dern + Mike White = awesome” and “I hope it doesn’t get cancelled!”
OHHHH MAN! For a few years, literally everyone I knew had a clothing line, or worked in a sneaker store, or was a dj, or owned a streetwear boutique, or – even more bafflingly, was a rapper… Not joking, I think working in that environment, as someone with an actual discernible skill or two among people with aimless ambitions of getting “in”, made me mentally ill – or exacerbated some latent issues I already had.
The point is, whenever I see a commercial or even a screencap of this show, I get a bit of PTSD. JUST TAKE IT AWAY!!!
/sent from the fetal position
This show is incredibly average and I incredibly watch it. Yay, recaps!
so this show is basically jean-ralphio moves to the big city?
I tried to watch this but it felt even stupider than entourage.
I just watched the first episode of this season and I honestly don’t understand what they’re saying most of the time.