During this time of quarantine and chaos, I have taken up some experimental binging. For years, I was told and recommended about the epic saga of the Belchers and their quest to succeed against a middle class curse that keeps them forever entomb them in mediocrity…
and then you realize that description is a gross exaggeration.
No, Bob’s Burgers is about as mundane as a show can be, but until you truly give it a chance you fail to realize that the mundane nature of the show (that somehow is as absurd as it is mundane without the Simpsons-esque sensationalism) is the show’s greatest strength. Up until recently. I mistook this as a weakness and never gave the show the chance it truly deserved. Now, it is definitely one of my favorite shows of all time. My apologies for being late to the bandwagon, but better late than never I suppose.
The key elements to Bob’s Burgers lie in its characters and proximity. As for the characters, they practically speak for themselves. I would argue that the show boasts perhaps the most realistic caricature of the middle class family ever conceived by an animated series. Yes, that includes The Simpsons. (Fight me) In fact, I believe the reason why I keep coming back to this Simpsons comparison is that Bob’s Burgers is the anti-Simpsons in certain ways, but a mimic in others that create a perfect blend all its own. For example, the side characters of the nameless every-town by the sea (a la Springfield) are all as compelling and as diverse, if not more so at times, as the Belchers themselves. However. whereas The Simpsons supporting cast is mainly built on the more zany aspects of personality, the universe of characters centered around Ocean Ave. are much more grounded in reality; both in design and story. No matter how unique or weird any one character may be, there’s always something that grounds them closer to the community and humanity in general.
In terms of proximity, a similar comparison arises. The Simpsons (especially the more modern iterations) seem to be continually placed in earth-shattering situations that affect your entire community or the whole world. With Bob’s Burgers, the stakes are much more subdued without losing their intrigue. The stakes remain high because they are more personal to the characters themselves. Things like lost rings, mushroom foraging, saving bioluminescent plankton, and cheating on a mile run to get free ice cream (among a multitude of others) might not initially sound like compelling storylines, but this refreshing take on simple storytelling and creative characters manifest something absolutely incredible. Also, the few times the Belchers do affect the fate of the whole community, the hilarity and absurdity are amped up to the max to reflect this.
On top of all this, Bob’s Burgers does at least one musical number for every single episode they produce. There’s the occasional cover now and then, but the overwhelming majority of them are quirky and catchy original pieces sung by the cast themselves. This simple, yet increasingly uncommon, trope brings such a pure charm to the show that it would be a completely different show without it.
Seeing how I love the music and the show so much, I recently downloaded The Bob’s Burgers Music Album. Let me tell you, it has become an instant favorite of mine. It is reminiscent of a Silly Songs with Larry from VeggieTales album or another children’s song collection, only with more sexual innuendo, adult content, toilet humor and higher production quality. Almost every music genre is represented in this 112 song eclectic masterpiece of music. From Broadway-esque show tunes, sensual jazz about equally sensual topics, rock ballads about cotton candy and water balloons, to random noises and fart sounds placed together into an melodic miracle, there is absolutely nothing else like it in music. I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re a fan of the show, you should love this album.
Plus, there’s some serious star power in the album. Cyndi Lauper sings the epic “Taffy Butt” while Carley Simon makes an appearance in “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl.” Plus, a plethora of actors and comedians that make their singing voices heard, including Megan Mullally, Kevin Kline, Bill Hader, Ken Jeong, Aziz Anasari and more.
There’s only two bad things about the album that are not truly bad, but I still think are mentionable. Firstly, it only goes up to episode 100. As the show is still going strong to this day, I would love to see a volume two sometime in the future. Secondly, the album has the worst cover of “You’re The Best” I have ever heard. Nothing personal to Sam Seder, the singer behind this atrocity, I find it much more comical than offensive. I think that’s what you were going for.
So, if you’re like me and looking for something wholesome and comforting during this small apocalypse, I highly suggest that you binge Bob’s Burgers. Whether this is your first time or your a seasoned Belcher patron, I believe we can all find something to relate to and chuckle about on the menu
Calm and Cultured 