Generally speaking, for anything to be snarky, cynical and, quite frankly, sometimes offensive, it can be hard to see the beauty in such an entity—no matter how hard you squint. Hulu's "Difficult People" can be characterized as all of the above and more. However, where such a caustic combination in a show could be a turn-off for viewers, Difficult People somehow managed to charm me beyond expected while making me laugh out loud and anxiously refresh my browser in hopes that maybe next week's episode might magically appear.
The show stars Billy Eichner, known for his roles in "Parks and Recreation" and "Billy on the Street," as Billy and Julie Klausner, known for her writing on" Billy on the Street" and "Mulaney," as Julie playing two longtime comics and friends trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Along the way, they find themselves annoyed with everything and everyone along the way.
The series boasts a healthy amount of famous guest stars such as "Saturday Night Live"'s Kate McKinnon, Martin Short and Fred Armisen and "Late Night with Seth Myers"' Seth Meyers. Adding to the starlight, the series produced by SNL-alum and Parks and Rec star Amy Poehler could be compared to a ballsy, sassy, quick-witted incarnation of the E! network. Dropping pop culture references and outlandish comparisons, the comedy in this show is insanely cutting. They express what everyone's thinking about human stupidity coming from two characters who don't care about anything except show business. It's tantalizingly addicting.
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Recently, this sort of brash comedy has gotten the show in trouble for a joke Klausner's character made about whether Beyonce and Jay-Z's 3-year-old daughter Blue Ivy was old enough for R. Kelly to pee on her during a recent episode—a reference to R. Kelly's alleged act of peeing in a woman's mouth for sexual pleasure. In the episode, Klausner's character was met with a lot of backlash and raises the question of whether comedy should have any boundaries.
These sort of lampoons at the industry and at political correctness and society's sensitivity are large motifs in this show. Whether it be the hilarious angst of Eichner or the grief of Klausner's character's mother never truly accepting her profession, this comedy finds its way to be witty without compromising its readability. If you can stomach a saturated amount of sass, tune in for the final three episodes of the season.
Difficult People streams on Hulu.com with new episodes released on Thursdays.
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