I watch more Youtube content than I’d like to admit.

At times, I watch interesting and valuable videos, let’s say a Vice documentary circa 2009 about Liberian warlords and their quest for cannibalistic royalty. Sometimes I watch informative clips- How to become a great poker player FAST? How to manage my incredible capital and still make extremely generous donations to charities?

Most of the time, however, I watch a bunch of bullshit.

Which is probably how I stumbled upon this horrible anxiety ridden nightmare of a show called “Getting Doug with High,”

The show consists of a series of “interviews” on comedians or comedic actors who fancy themselves stoners. The premise of each episode is sort of just a bunch of dudes getting incredibly too high and talking about weed–simple enough. I’d also admit, although I have virtually no interest, that cannabis as a general culture and industry has a cult following. To each their own- If you want to watch guys get stoned on the internet that is your American right- carte blanche!

Watch this one minute clip for a summary.

The show’s innovative host is Doug Benson, a stand-up comedian who’s certainly more infamous and influential for his gargantuan pot use than he is his comedic bits. He’s multiple times been named America’s top stoner from High Times Magazine, performed a Netflix special, and created a movie spin-off of Super Size Me that was brilliantly labeled Super High Me.

Stoner Stand-up Doug Benson to Record His 'Doug Loves Movies ...

Image-San Antonio Current

If you couldn’t tell, this guy burns.

As you could imagine, my issue is not with the stoners. I love the stoners. The stoners love me. The stoners are tremendous. I’ve done great deals with the stoners.

My issue stands with people who become so consumed by marijuana that it becomes their entirety identity. The guys who push their pot agenda on you so hard and it completely defines them, consumes them. It’s the same reason why Seth Rogen rubs me the wrong way- I think he’s funny enough that he doesn’t need to go on Jimmy Kimmel every other week and talk about how he get’s high and does pottery. Plot twist- being a pothead and being oddly talented in ceramics require similar skills. You don’t hear alcoholics boast about boozin’. They just booze in sadness and secrecy like a man with integrity ought to.

As for the show itself, it plays out almost exactly how it should.

Imagine getting toked up in front of a collection of cameras, during a live broadcast, with an incompetent host who has no real game-plan in terms of what the show will consist of. If you’re someone with anxiety, the second-hand anxiety will honestly give you pain. Benson seamlessly makes even the most interesting of guests seem completely not entertaining. The likes of Joey Diaz, Eric Andre, and Jeff Ross can’t save this mess.

Look at this clip some creative maestro produced of the legend Jack Black having a total bug-out!

(WARNING: DO NOT WATCH IF SCHOOL OF ROCK INSPIRED YOU AS A YOUNG MAN/WOMAN.)

Everyone’s been in this situation before. (Legal, of course) weed, and more importantly the green-out phenomenon, has hit seasoned stoners and bug-out boys alike. The only thing that’s different about this scenario is that Black acts like some connoisseur of nugs. “Mhhm” he says confidently as he takes a whiff, “is this an indica?” he asks. A brief five seconds after perusing strands and showcasing his grandiose pot knowledge..boom…he’s mid-panic attack on this shitty YouTube show. Life comes at you fast. It’s ironic that the Kung-Foo Panda seems to have an unbalanced chi.

Credit to Benson for trying something “new.” I think 35% of Joe Rogan’s immense following only enjoy him because regularly embarks on mythical DMT journeys and talks Elon Musk into smoking with him. Guy’s like Snoop Dogg and Cheech and Chong have, to some extent, created this new genre.

The reality is most people, even those who smoke, don’t want to sit down and just talk about smoking, noticing and over-analyzing every move they make while hundreds of thousands watch at home. It just makes for extremely awkward and uncomfortable conversation fueled by paranoia and weird green-screen sets.

There’s a solid chance nobody made it to this part of the blog about some strange Youtube show that I have stumbled upon, which I understand. All the Pani-philes out there good looks for being a day uno. Stay with me, I’ll keep providing weird blogs for the night-dwellers and the fellow internet vagabonds.

 

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