Review: Jeff & Some Aliens “Jeff & Some Laughs”

Laugh it up, fuzzball!

Comedy Central’s TripTank short-turned series Jeff & Some Aliens is a masterfully executed nihilistic satire. Part of its success derives from the relatable themes. “Jeff & Some Laughs” continues the series’ societal exploration with an onus on social media and modern humor.

Jeff (Brett Gelman) and his parents Stanley (Richard Kind) and Pam (Tress MacNeille) are enjoying a family trip. However, there’s a car crash and Jeff’s dad is rushed to the hospital with a broken spine. A distraught Jeff returns to his house and explains the situation to alien pals Jimmy, Ted, and Sammy (Alessandro Minoli). Luckily, Sammy, Jimmy, and Ted have a device that converts laughter into healing power.

As per usual, when Ted, Jimmy, and Sammy produce a bit of alien tech, there’s usually a catch. It’s rather entertaining to witness Jeff’s blunders as he consistently ignores the manual and operating instructions. Aided by the extraterrestrial trio, Jeff rises to stardom as an internet comedy hit.

However, it’s not purely altruistic motivations that incite the Jimmy, Ted, and Sammy to aid Jeff. Rather, they too aspire for greatness. There’s a riotously funny scene at the beginning of the episode where the aliens are scrolling through their version of Facebook or Instagram. The feed is overpopulated with videos of aliens living seemingly fantastic lives. In comparison, Sammy, Jimmy, and Ted feel inadequate.

“Jeff & Some Laughs” fosters plentiful laughs. Modern humor, more specifically internet comedy, is the primary focus. Through data analysis, Jeff and his alien cronies discover that comedic consumption is most efficiently absorbed in six-second increments. Thus, Jeff becomes an internet celebrity by making painfully childish yet side-splittingly hilarious videos. The two are not mutually exclusive.

The comedic content is reminiscent of the short video meme click bait that you see overwhelming social media. Sure, it’s lowbrow humor, but you likely watch it anyway. Throughout the episode, it turns out alien culture isn’t so, well, alien. Rather, the extraterrestrials appreciate immature internet humor and watch trashy television. There’s rather funny Dancing with the Stars in the Stars parody of Dancing with the Stars.

Alien culture is further probed in “Jeff & Some Laughs.” While Jimmy, Ted, and Sammy are on a mission to study Earth’s most average guy (Jeff), their own culture isn’t quite that different from humanity. Certain aspects are universal, like imbecilic humor and cultural sensitivities. There’s a parallel between alien anatomy and human anatomy.

What’s more, by juxtaposing alien and human culture, there’s a rather poignant message. When Jeff mistakenly jokes about a serious extraterrestrial topic, it’s similar to cultural differences within humanity. Certain topics remain taboo in various cultures. Similarly, Jeff drops a joke that offends the alien masses.

I appreciate the running theme lampooning social media. It’s a consistent, and perpetually entertaining, source of laughs. Further, alien culture feels distinctly grounded through aspects like reality television and a fascination with lowbrow humor. With the continue exploration of extraterrestrial society, the more human it feels.

In “Jeff & Some Laughs,” we once again see Jeff’s father and meet his mother. I like the way this episode fleshes out Jeff’s backstory and includes his family. One particularly fantastic moment finds Jeff’s mom worrying about whether Jeff will provide her with any grandchildren. It’s a gem of a moment, notably because of its social media basis. Overall Jeff & Some Aliens continues to shine and moreover shape its satire as even further focused on modern culture.