i made some funny

My friends Greg and Kim are brilliant writers, and wonderfully creative people. I met them at ACME, where I had the pleasure of performing with them both, and writing with Kim.

Greg has a company called Mediocre Films ("They're better than they sound") that has created some hilarious shorts, including Phone Call to God and Shoes. Kim is the executive producer on a web-based series called The Guild, which just won a YouTube award, (it will sit nicely on a shelf with the eleventy billion other awards they've won) and the two of them collaborate on the Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show.

Greg and Kim have a friend named Ponce, who has Down syndrome. Ponce is an actor and a comedian, and they worked together to come up with a series of comedic shorts they could release on YouTube. They call it Retarded Policeman, and it's really, really funny.

Greg and Kim are doing with video and sketch comedy what I'm doing with publishing: refusing to take the traditional route to reach an audience, and having a lot of fun while we do it. Greg and I have been trying to find a way to do a Mediocre Film together for a long time, so when Greg offered me a chance to work on Retarded Policeman, I grabbed it.

I'm sure this will offend some people, but I want to make it clear that nobody is exploiting or making fun of Ponce, or anyone who has Down syndrome. If that was the case, none of us would have done it. If anything, it's making fun of how arbitrary and, well, retarded police stops can be. This episode makes a reference to Episode 4, which was really funny until it wasn't.

If you liked this, you should totally watch Episode 6, which I think is absolutely hilarious and the funniest one yet.

Comments

[swordman69]

Starting countdown until someone tries to come to the rescue of all exploited Downs people everywhere because of this video. Despite what Wil said.
10...
9...
8...

[alikitty619]

You know that someone, somewhere, is going to have issues with this video. But not me, I thought it was FUN-NY.

[Zombie]

I think this is brilliant! My other half has mild cerebral palsy. People constantly tip toe around him in order to save his sensibilities. Problem is, his IQ is so high it scares me, he was a world class gin player, and now he deals poker here in Vegas (and Wil, you've met him although you probably don't know it) so very little offends him.

My point is people always assume that just because another person isn't *normal* that they must be handled with extra special, fuzzy bunny, rainbow care when in actuality most just want to be treated like everyone else. That includes making jokes about yourself and your abilities. I know the other half secretly dreams about starting a gimp revolution.....

[starshine_diva]

After seeing your episode, I took a look at the other ones, and while some of them were just "eh" funny, there are a couple that literally make me lmao.

[kelly]

I love "The Guild."

[Eric in PA]

Funny stuff!

[Nita]

"EXACTLY!"

...Brilliant.

[LucidApathy]

I have to agree that episode 6 is very funny. But... for some reason I had to watch all the others to get into the mood for it. Just watched each video twice... and 6 made me lol.

I feel like I should feel dirty, or rude or something... but I don't.

Wil this rocks - thanks for sharing.

[Kathleen]

I've seen a few of these before, and they are hilarious. I think the Policeman himself has been interviewed or quoted saying that he loves doing them and thinks they are funny. He's obviously intelligent.

And likes spooning. If you change your mind...

[caitlen315]

I've always been able to make fun of my shortcomings (HA! SHORTcomings...I'm 4'10"..get it?..get it?!..oh, nevermind.) and I love it when other people are able to do the same. That way, we can all get over our hang-ups and laugh at things that are really funny - like the fact that I'm 30 years old and I still jump up onto my kitchen counter to reach things. :)

Oh, and some fangrl (or fanboi) is going to be up all night trying to unscramble your license plate number.

[Natalie]

I found this gem of an episode on youtube a little while ago, it was such a pleasant surprise! The whole series was a bundle of unexpected hilariosity.

"Damn you, lady! Damn youuuuu!"

[Annika]

Holy crap! That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. (Well, seven of them.) I am now going to watch everything Greg and Kim have ever made. So much for turning in early tonight.

[Matthew J. Sanderson]

I'm certainly not one of the most politically correct people in the world, but I honestly was expecting to cringe through that.

I didn't. I thought it was hilarious. Well done, to ALL involved. Funny stuff.

[Colleenky]

@Kathleen: Here is Ponce's video comment about Retarded Policeman.

[Nicole Gustas]

That was hilarious! It had the same bizarre humor I expect from Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show.

Also - this is weird. My boyfriend is friends with Kim and Greg and has worked on some shorts with them. People say LA is huge, but I'm becoming convinced it is just a small town, and 95% of the population is merely set dressing.

[cryssyer]

OMG, I was cracking up when you blinked twice. Awesome stuff! Now I have to watch ALL of their stuff. So much for working today, huh?

[sdesros]

After the initial "shock". I watched all of the episodes. I think I prefered the first 2 as they're just more random. :P

[justme]

I was expecting to cringe a bit, too. I work in the disability advocacy field and all too often people with disabilities aren't in on the joke. Clear that's not the case here, as I think the drivers looked more ridiculous than the cop.

And btw - you're all spelling it wrong! It's "retardid"

[Ryan Waddell]

Hrmm... I didn't really find yours all that funny. Number six, however, was awesome. "Touch your nose. Now touch your other nose. Now touch my nose." "Eww, it's wet." "That means I'm healthy!" :)

[Mrs. Wonderful]

Ok, now you've done it.

Spew alerts, next time, please?

::wiping pecan flavored coffee off verrry expensive monitor::

LOVED it.

[junkurchin]

Wil, I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid on this one. I have no problem with the subject matter, the actors, or the Down's Syndrome jokes, but this was genuinely un-funny. In a very not-funny way. Didn't even crack a smile. Sorry.

[CattieBrie]

Hey Wil

Much as I *love* your work, I have to say this didn't do it for me. Aside from the fact that it didn't make me laugh (not the subject matter, just not funny, sorry), it felt too 'acted'. It got better towards the end of the scene, from the part about the writers strike onwards, but the first part just feels so stilted, and barely lifted off the page, especially when compared with some of the performances in otyher episodes (esp. the guy in ep. 6) I don't know if those other guys are professional actors, but I don't know, I just felt you could have done better. Sorry Wil, I don't like to rubbish anything creative anyone does, but I thought you might appreciate honesty, even though my opinion matters not in the least.

[MJBUtah]

I had to watch it twice to figure out what was bothering me, but I finally figured it out! Wil's not wearing his seatbelt. Scandalous! LOL

I thought it was funny, although a little awkwardly edited toward the beginning. I will have to try and find time to watch the rest of them.

[Quenfis]

Wil not wearing his seat belt? Now you're going to have to send out a public appology like Miley Cyrus.

The Guild is teh awesomeness. The mother who ignores her children to play...I think I know some of those people.

Even though I didn't laugh out loud on this one, Greg and Kim are still hilarious. GTCMS is the best. "Are you going to ask me any questions?" "Okay." *silence*

[Ian Coomber]

Ah man, retarded policeman is genius.

And I loved ponces video to all the naysayers as well!

'I might have down syndrome, but you are f*cking retarded'!