Grown Ass Boys: Sketch Comedy Masterminds

For me, comedy is like an ice cold beer at the end of a long day, my chance to escape the seriousness of reality and get some relief from daily stressors. Comedy for many is a reason to make light of shitty situations, and laugh at our mistakes. For University of Hartford’s recent grad Brad Stoll, however, comedy is everything, and everywhere. And his new comedy sketch series, titled Grown Ass Boys, about the struggles of collegiate and graduate life is not just one cold beer at the end of the day; it’s the whole bar… And it’s happy hour!

Currently in its second season that can be found on YouTube, Grown Ass Boys is a window into the everyday lives of four young men trying to find their way in the world, while exploring different comedic styles and getting into plenty of shenanigans. Stoll describes the sketch series as “Four guys, one studio apartment and a lack of mental stability.” In season 2, however, the GAB move to the big apple where, as Stoll puts it, “Anything can happen. I truly mean anything.”

In fact, the basis to this show is really based on anything. One of the great aspects about this series is that the character development is hilariously consistent, but the situations the GAB get into are unique and always changing. As Stoll puts it, the show is “relatable” and “exaggerated” with tons of college humor.

So what makes these four young men work so well together? Well, GAB comprises everyone’s “least favorite” friend. “For every group of friends you’ve ever had, think of the person you couldn’t stand the most, and imagine putting that one with everyone else’s, all in one room,” said Stoll.

Brad (played by Stoll), is the “narcotic one.” Mike Liguore flawlessly plays “the pretty boy.” Nick Baldwin is the hilarious and out-of-the-box “illogical one,” and Jordan Bronstein is the loud and boisterous “man-child.” “The scenarios are definitely ridiculous and over the top, but it’s more or less ‘you’ve been there before’ kind of stories,” Stoll said in our interview.

Stoll owes this all to one random night, reminiscing about old playful videos he used to make as a kid, such as his “Late Night With Brad” themed bar-mitzvah. Stoll also owes his inspiration to shows like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and South Park. His sketch comedy inspirations are from groups like GoodNeighbor, Derrick Comedy and Britanick.

While still in some beginning stages of planning for the future of the show, it’s no secret that Stoll and the gang eventually want to pitch to a network. A more immediate goal is to expand their Internet following and create a tight-knit audience to share their adventures with, and if you’re like me, you’re already hooked.

So what’s in store for the GAB in season 2? Stoll gave me an inside scoop in our interview, stating that the guys plan on stepping back into the college lifestyle for a weekend, and revisiting their school in a road trip to Hartford, CT. We will have to see if Stoll takes Bronstein’s advice in playing on his fear of heights in season 2, but doesn’t seem too eager to give out details!

Although the future is still a bit hazy, the motivation and inspiration is crystal clear, Stoll and the GAB are “revving to go, and we’re not letting anything stop us!”

To start your GAB adventure, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and like them on Facebook for updates and more!

To check out my complete interview with GAB creator Brad Stoll, click here.

Interview with Grown Ass Boys Creator Brad Stoll

HB: What made you want to start GAB?

BS: I’ve actually had some experience before Grown Ass Boys, I used to make sketch comedy videos with some of my friends growing up but in the end, what inspired me to start up again was the moment I showed one of my old videos to a friend and then reminiscing/dreaming about another sketch group while getting plastered at a bar. It’s amazing how one small idea to make to make a pilot for a network turned into a sketch series.

 

HB: Who is involved & how did they get involved?

BS: Well Mike Liguore was the first guy I showed the video to, and Nick Baldwin was the guy I got plastered with, so I made sure to snag them up. Marshall Ross, our Cameraman and Technician, came in the clutch when our first director of photography backed out due to creative differences. Jordan Bronstein started as a fill in when one of the guys couldn’t be there but then became a regular once he showed a great effort of dedication to the group. Honestly it’s been an amazing time and I’m lucky to have been able to work with these guys. Jason Long and Andrew Mazer are new on board and will move up to become main members of Season Two’s cast as the wacky story of post college grads continues.

 

HB: Why Comedy?

BS: I’ve just always loved it. I would watch SNL growing up and always ask my parents for anything Adam Sandler. I would go far beyond staying up late just to listen to comedy CDs and any kind of stand up that was out. My theme for my Bar Mitzvah (surprise I’m jewish) ended up being “Late Night With Brad” with all sorts of comedy puns. As years went on, I loved being on stage but nothing brings more life to me than making someone laugh.

 

HB: Explain the title Grown Ass Boys. How did you come up with it?

BS: Originally we were heavy set on Butt Naked Comedy, since some of the beginning writing process used nudity as punch lines but when developing, we wanted to keep something a little less forward and more puny, which instinctively became GAB.

 

HB: What is the synopsis of the series?

BS: 4 guys, one studio apartment and a lack of mental stability. There is a plot undertone meaning, all you know, is that these 4 degenerates live together and are in college, the videos don’t necessarily fall back on one another. Season 2 shows a different side to our creativity, showing that when moving to New York. Anything can happen. I truly mean. Anything. Can happen.

 

HB: What are the characters like? Are they based on real people?

BS: We like to think of each other, as everyone’s least favorite out of the group. So for every group of friends you’ve ever had, think of the person you couldn’t stand the most, and imagine putting that one with everyone else’s, all in one room. Brad is the narcotic one, Mike is the pretty boy, Nick is the illogical one, and Jordan is the man-child.

 

HB: What are some themes that can be found in GAB?

BS: College Humor. Something college kids can relate too but completely exaggerated. The scenarios are definitely ridiculous and over the top, but it’s more of less you’ve been there before kind of stories. It’s similar to when your friend said to you,“OMG, your taking like 5 hours to get ready!” Which is completely satirized in Going Out.

 

HB: How would you describe the comedy presented in the show?

BS: At the end of the day, awkwardness is funny. It’s terrible when it’s happening to you of course, but when it happens between other people, somehow it becomes drop dead hilarious. Think of shows like The Office and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There are times of which you cringe at the moment, but can’t help but laugh at the situation. We also try and keep the punch lines clever and want to make our viewership think. We want to keep everyone’s full attention, otherwise, they might miss the joke. We have found the comedy doesn’t really attract an older crowd so much, but to our target audience, well…actually…we’re still pretty freaking weird.

 

HB: Is it a short series or are you interested in creating full episodes in the future?

BS: This first season has been monumental in our decision making of what we want to do in the future. We have received criticism, both good and bad, to which we hope to improve upon as we dive into shooting our second season. The structure of our writing and production value is top priority on our list for Season 2. A big issue we had was really figuring out how to execute our sketches but our new team has a lot great things in the works and we know we’re gonna bring it long and bring it hard this winter/spring!

 

HB: What are the goals for the show?

BS: Originally my idea was to try to pitch it to a network (which is still on the table) but for the time being our goal is to build a great following on the internet and give everyone fresh material that can spread laughs all over.

 

HB: Who would like this show? Who is the demographic?

BS: We’re really aiming for college-aged individuals, although I wouldn’t say that we’re closing off others from enjoying it. I have found as we progress in our writing, we’re expanding our demographic slowly but surely.

 

HB: What types of adventures and shenanigans do the Grown Ass Boys get into?

BS: We’re doing a roadtrip to Hartford this October! Jason for some reason has played to one of my greatest fears, (heights) and for some reason always jokes and fake jumps off the balcony. He really enjoys to scare the shit out of me. Or attempts to anyways. Whether we choose to incorporate that into a sketch down the road…well…we shall see.

 

HB: Who are some of your comedian heroes? Who do you look to for inspiration/ what is the inspiration for the show?

BS: I would say a lot of the big sketch groups like GoodNeighbor, Derrick Comedy and Britanick. They have that similar style of comedy, very out of the box that is rare to see in sitcoms or any tv series. I have also found a lot of inspiration from shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and South Park.

 

HB: If you could compare Grown Ass Boys to another sitcom or comedian, who or what would it be like?

BS: I’d say we’re nothing like a sitcom because we don’t have any episode follow one another. Although, we fall into this sketch group category which is a booming but smaller community on the Internet. We have our inspirations however, and it’s hard to say what Grown Ass Boys will turn into for the future. Just know that we’re revving to go, and we’re not letting anything stop us!

Brad Stoll

 

A Happy Medium

I’m a huge sucker for animated films; Disney Pixar, in particular. These movies take me back to a simpler time when my imagination far exceeded the norms of reality. Nowadays, I look at these movies differently than I used to.

The other night, I watched The Incredibles (2004), an animated film in which a family of superheroes has to lay low and hide their powers from the rest of the world. The beginning of the movie starts out with Mr. Incredible, a handsome man with super strength, and Elastigirl, a good-looking woman with the ability to stretch her body in all directions. Along with other super hero side characters, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl defeat evil and save the city on numerous occasions. Eventually, they fall in love.

When Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl (Now called Bob and Helen) are all settled down, they are stuck in bad routines with misbehaving children and their lives are basically beyond boring. Bob is now overweight, in a dead-end job with a horrible boss. He is monotone, distracted, and longing for his old life back as a superhero. While Bob is at work or locked away in his office all day and all night, it is Helen’s responsibility to clean anything and everything. She does the laundry, makes dinner, picks up the kids, deals with their misbehavior in school and gets them ready for bed. When she asks for Bob’s help, he is essentially an idle body caught up in his own thoughts. Helen is usually angry at this point in the film, and thinks that Bob is cheating on her while he is trying to be a superhero again.

This got me thinking… Is this really what we all have to look forward to? A life of excitement and endless possibilities while we are young, and then dreary days of housework, boredom and lost passions when we start our families and grow older? I wonder if it is better to be Elastigirl or Helen, and how both of those completely and drastically different portrayals could actually be the same character.

I wonder if either of those could be me. And that’s also when I realized even more the effect that the media has on us. This is a KID’S MOVIE. At such a young age we are taught through the media that, when it comes to starting a family, we as women have house duties, the man is the breadwinner and the kids are annoying. And why is the woman usually always the one worried about the man cheating? What is this saying to younger generations of female (and male) audiences? How come the guy in the picture has tons of options besides his own wife?

I still wonder if I will be an Elastigirl or a Helen. Perhaps I will be some great combination of both, like a happy medium. But maybe I want to be someone new all together. I think that sounds pretty cool.

Girls Love Beyonce

What came first; the chicken, or the egg? This same concept can be applied to the role of young women in today’s popular culture. Sure, sex sells, but is that because women have been portrayed as sex objects in the media for decades or because it is our nature to feel powerful and sexy?

Artists like Beyonce and Lady Gaga have been adored by millions of fans for being strong women and artists with serious talent and drive. The passion that they have is inspiring to young women, not to mention their performances and voices are extremely powerful. Women watch their performances and videos and just love everything about them. However, has anyone else noticed that they wear outfits just as scandalous and some of their lyrics are just as tantalizingly explicit as Miley Cyrus?

I personally believe that these three artists I mentioned are very different, should be admired for who they are, and I enjoy their music. But who are we as women to say that 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” girls are trashy and degrading when the popular music we listen to and admire still revolve around some of the same themes? What separates these idols apart from video girls besides millions of records? Is it acceptable for us to be sexually desirable and promiscuous as long as it is for our own personal empowerment, rather than for pleasuring those wandering eyes?

Maybe none of this is true. Perhaps it is part of being a woman, feeling comfortable and sexy in your own skin, loving who you are and being confident in showing that off to the world, being the “chicken.” Or- have we been destined to feel like sex objects long before we hatched?