Community At PaleyFest

It's been almost two weeks since I saw Community at PaleyFest, and I know I probably should have written about it before now seeing that the Internet is going to blowing up with Community-related bidness tonight and tomorrow, but I don't care.  The posts come as they come, folks.  Anyway, it was an amazing night.  One of the reasons I've waited so long to do this is that the way the panel made me feel is almost ineffable.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My seat was in the third row.  I can't emphasize enough how much of a difference that made.  Being close enough to not only see but also hear every little thing that was going on with the people on-stage was like being let in on a secret.  Watching the panels on LiveStream or even from farther back in the theater where you have to rely on the big screen is an incomplete experience.  The camera usually only shows 1-3 people at a time, but often the rest of the panel is doing or saying something that you would also like to see or hear, or the camera isn't quick enough to catch a quick visual joke that someone makes.  Danny Pudi and Ken Jeong in particular were sitting together and were basically just making jokes and having fun the ENTIRE time.  It was maravilloso.

Danny must hate his job

So the TV critic who's running the panel (my future job, fingers crossed) came out and introduced Dan Harmon, who then came out and gave a little talk that was equal parts grump and gratitude.  I love how little he cares about what anybody thinks of him and also his visible graciousness to his fans.  That was something that was apparent over and over again during the night: the people who work on Community know how much their fans love them, and the impact that the fans have had on the show's (hopefully rising) success, and they seem to be happy and even eager to do what they can to return that love.  So.  Basically they are all amazing people making an amazing show and I love them all.  The end.

Look at Danny's face!

Just kidding!  There is so much more!  Mr. Harmon introduced the episode that premieres tonight, "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" (ahahahaha what?!) and then we got to watch it!  On the big screen!  Which was awesome.  I honestly don't remember much more than the basic plot of the episode because I was so hyped up on adrenaline, white wine, and love, but I remember it being VERY funny and having so many things I adore (Dreamatorium, anyone?) and laughing pretty much constantly and thinking, "Wow, they sure packed a crazy ton of jokes in here for the fans".  So be excited.  What's the opposite of a disappointment?  Because this episode is it.  I was able to scribble down one singular quote, which I believe was from Britta:  "I know what [an analogy] is! It's like a thought with another thought's hat on!"

So after the episode the panel came out for the discussion.  It included Harmon, two or three writers/producers, and the entire cast excepting Donald Glover and Chevy Chase.  During the Q&A somebody asked why Chevy never came to these things, which I thought was both rude and also wrong, because I've watched him on at least one of these panels before.  They were all like, "Uh, he does when he can.  He's busy.  He's Chevy Chase.  So rude! (words and emphasis mine)"  Basically the critic/moderator asked questions and people would answer them or just talk about whatever.  I'll admit, in the past I've been kind of bored by these types of panels, but what made this one so great is that everyone just used it as an opportunity to not only give a lot of love to the fans and share some cool behind-the-scenes tidbits with us, but also just to make a ton of jokes and be incredibly funny.  Danny Pudi and Ken Jeong were rocking it (I can only imagine what kind of fembot explosion I would have gone through had Donald Glover & his overwhelming hotness & mad improv skills been there), but Joel McHale was also totes killing it with his off-the-cuff one-liners and Jim Rash was/is (a) an amazing genius and (b) the toast of the theater/Internet, fresh off his Oscar win/successful mockery of Angelina Jolie.  This is where it became obvious that sitting up close was crucial.  While one person would be answering a question, somebody else would be telling a quiet joke to their neighbor, or, more often than not, doing a physical comedy bit, and the camera would miss it.  But not me!

And here we come to my most favoritist part of the evening:  sitting in my seat and laughing until my face hurt  (seriously, I was laughing or Cheshire Cat-grinning for two hours straight), and making real, sustained eye contact repeatedly with Danny Pudi and Joel McHale.  Ok, that sounds creepy.  But what I mean by it is not, "I looked into Joel McHale's eyes and now I know we are soulmates". To have a comedic artist I admire make a very funny, unrehearsed joke, and to be laughing wholeheartedly at that joke and then to meet their eyes and see them taking me in and be able to communicate through that connection just how much I appreciate them and their work is, for me, almost as satisfying as actually being able to talk to them and communicate it through words.  I think part of the reason this kept happening to Danny and me (I won't presume to imagine that he recognized me from the one time he read this blog) is that he could sense the energy and joy that was literally bursting from my body - and I made a habit of looking at him even when other people were talking because I knew odds were he would be doing something hilarious.  I'm not sure if I'm communicating this very well - every time I say it to someone I think I come off sounding like a deluded fangirl - but what I find most enjoyable about interacting with celebrities whose work I truly respect is the opportunity to express my love and appreciation for their work.  I don't think we're going to be best friends, and I don't want a picture or an autograph...I don't want anything FROM them at all, really.  I just want to convey that I think they are awesome, and that's what these joke-induced, eye-catching moments allow me to do.  It's also what I love most about Twitter, which has the added bonus that it increases the odds that they might read something that makes them think I'm awesome.

Anyway, here's a rundown of a bunch of stuff that happened, culled from the very sparse notes I managed to take:

• Yvette Nicole Brown and Ken Jeong especially look much younger in person.  That is not to say that everyone else looks older!  But I think smiling in a non-maniacal way does wonders for Ken's face.
• Dan Harmon was also brilliantly funny and quick with the jokes.  I really do love everything about him.
• Jim Rash brought his Oscar! And put it on the little table in front of his chair.  And kept doing running gags with it all night.  Man, they ARE shiny!  It would have been the closest I've ever been to an Oscar had I not been able to check out the awards Pixar displays in their main lobby the last time I was there. #explanabrag
• Allison Brie, whose sexually motivated fanbase I find wearisome, kept talking about her love for Yvette's boobs and not much else, although she was, like everyone else, quick to the joke-draw.
• When asked about on-set shenanigans they all talked about "Chang Tongue", which is this thing they do to try and crack each other up where their mouth hangs open and their tongue just sort of lies there (see image above).  Danny also talked about Ken doing things to make him, Danny, laugh when he's supposed to be in character as Abed and basically they all just made the Community set sound like the most fun thing ever.
• Dan Harmon was, per usual, incredibly self-deprecating and thus even more endearing and hilarious and, as my friend Matt pointed out, not ever thinking he's good enough is one of the things that makes him SO GOOD.  Man, I love me some Dan Harms.
• There's a note in my book that says "Jeff as leader" so I know they talked about Jeff being the leader and I remember agreeing with it and it being very insightful but I have forgotten exactly what the point was.  Maybe I was just in a fog of laughter.
• What I do remember being bemused by was that Joel was dressed exactly like Jeff (nice jeans, navy sweater over a collared shirt), which isn't really that weird as it's like, a normal dude outfit, but it did look very "Jeff Winger".  
• They also talked about Abed a bunch (por supuesto), referring to his role as observer (which made me think of Fringe, and the relationship between September The Observer (who interfered when he wasn't supposed to) and Abed (who sometimes remains too detached when he should be getting involved).) and also discussing the emotional aspects of his character.  Abed HAS complex emotions, he just expresses them in very Abed ways.  God, I love me some Abed.
• Yvette talked about her Malcolm Jamal Warner love, partly because he's in the episode but mostly because who DOESN'T love that guy and talking about him all the time? Like Community already had the best, most talented, AND most racially diverse sitcom cast, and then they brought in Theo Motherfuckin' Huxtable. You either wanted to date Theo Huxtable or be Theo Huxtable, but either way, MJW is undeniably fantastic and I...look, there I go, talking about Malcolm Jamal Warner. It can't be helped, he's compelling!  Anyway, Yvette was, like everyone else, pretty damn great.
• Gillian Jacobs (who I haven't mentioned yet but who was also (duhdoy) super funny and looked GORGEOUS, I wish I could've asked a question during the Q&A just so I could tell her how fabulous her shoes were) did, by request, BOTH the "Me So Hungy" AND the "Me So Christmas" dances.  IT. WAS. AWESOME.
• They talked a bit about what's to come for the rest of this season, and there are a bunch of great guest stars and some cool shit coming up but WHO CARES, JUST GIVE ME THE LAW & ORDER EPISODE RIGHT NOW.  When Dan Harmon mentioned that I let out an uncontrollable gasp-giggle of glee.  A Law & Order-themed Community episode?  My life is complete.  Merry Happy to me!

Finally, the last person from the audience to ask a question mentioned first thing that Danny Pudi was her favorite and how much she wanted to hug him and while asking famous strangers for hugs is not my thing (exceptions made only for Jorge Garcia and Tim Gunn), what was really amazing was that Danny LEAPED up and ran down the aisle and gave her a big hug and she was so overwhelmed and thankful and it was just very sweet.  I bring it up because it was just the last in a long line of statements and actions from the panel that demonstrated just how huge their love for their fans is.  None of them was the least bit patronizing or above-it-all or anything but warmly thankful that we were all there and that we all love the show.  I think they were making so many jokes and being so funny because they were feeding off our energy but also because they truly wanted to give something back.  Community has a symbiotic relationship with its fans - they make the show for us, and we love it more because of that.  Being able to be at PaleyFest with the cast and crew at that moment before Community returns to the air after having built up so much support and (hopefully) skyrockets to incredible success...it was truly special, and I'm honored to have been a part of it.


And Danny, if you're reading this, I was the blonde girl in the third row with the awesome cleavage who was maybe creeping you out but hopefully instead making you feel super talented and amazing by laughing a lot and making eye contact, and if in lieu of a hug I could get an interview, that'd be the greatest thing ever.  Also you're The Best.  And tell Donald he's The Best, too.  And your Kermit legs are even more magnificent in person.

Images via LiveStream