
Dead Sea Squirrels
Some 2,000-year-old squirrels offer some great lessons about both the Bible and life in this clever new Minno series.
Have you ever avoided doing something—such as confessing to a fib or starting a family—because you’re afraid of what might happen?
Well, real-life comedian Nathan Fielder has found a way to predict the outcome of nearly any awkward encounter. And he’s offering ordinary people the chance to “rehearse” key moments in life in order to help them create the perfect scenario.
Using replicas of these people’s homes, actors to portray their friends and family and an extensive flowchart system, Fielder runs multiple “if this, then that” simulations, allowing his test subjects to test every variable that might present itself.
But the ends don’t necessarily justify the means.
Although Fielder genuinely tries to get the results people want, he uses a lot of deception to get there. (Not to mention the fact that he lies about who he really is in order to convince them to participate.) And it ranges from simple white lies to elaborate plots involving fake websites and disguises.
Fielder’s part, it seems, is at least partially scripted. And like most reality series, who’s to say what’s real and what’s fake? But whether it’s scripted or not, foul language is present, including uses of the f-word and abuses of God’s name.
Really, it’s a strange social experiment that Fielder is running. But I think I prefer running these types of simulations in my head.
Nathan Fielder helps prepare a man to tell his friends that he lied about having a graduate degree.
People lie, manipulate and cheat. Two men joke about a sexual self-help book. They also discuss their divorces. We see a few men in swimsuits. There is a joke about bowel movements.
A cop describes a hostage situation, saying a gunman shot someone in the head before holding up four other people. (It turns out the cop is an actor and the story is fake.) While discussing the plot of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Nathan says Willy Wonka killed several of the children who entered the factory. A man lies that his grandmother recently died of brain cancer.
We hear a couple uses of the f-word and s-word, as well as some abuses of God’s name. A man says he “curses the Chinese” for inventing gunpowder. Someone offers prayers for a family in a bad situation.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
Some 2,000-year-old squirrels offer some great lessons about both the Bible and life in this clever new Minno series.
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