while watching taskmaster I do sometimes marvel at greg davies' hosting skills. like in a way it's his job to be mean--you know, he's the Taskmaster, it's part of the persona, it's a big part of how he mines comedy out of the tasks. but I think the comedy would be far less effective if he didn't also have 1. the self-evident awareness that it IS all a bit and 2. the self-security to stay the course of said bit when needed.

like, there have been a few times over the course of the show when you can see one of the contestants (usually another man) get their hackles up over being mocked and fire back, and greg's response is always very centered. he doesn't snap but he doesn't back down either. he keeps it light and so the overall signal is like, hey, we are truly just playing here and I can take it as well as dish it out, alright?

you get the sense from this (as well as certain other moments, eg taking james acaster aside for a firm but compassionate one-on-one chat) that his experience as a teacher is really serving him in this role. he recognizes his responsibility as a host not to take things personally, especially since the host role he's playing is by its conceit somewhat antagonistic.

Taskmaster Live on Stage (Chicago)

+bonus:

S18E04 outtake

This is the closest thing to a smile I've ever seen this man do for media

We need real journalism and an independent press. Language matters.

Valid question.

add me to your discord server so I can do the online equivalent of arriving at a party saying hi to the people I know then standing awkwardly in the corner for the rest of the night

You speak to me with words and I heart you in feelings

Give me a scene with Jimmy being confused that “Auntie Audrey” and “Uncle Siegfried” aren’t married come on just do it.

tumblr is the only social media site where it’s completely useless to have a lot of followers

God bless whoever wrote that comment

something something the poetry of science etc

woah

yeah

cruel and unusual that in order to do something you have to begin

was anyone going to tell me that after beginning you then have to continue as well

The reason they make you do group project at school is as a preventative measure against falling into conspiracy theories as an adult. The vast majority of the population can and will come out of the experience with a much better understanding of just how goddamn impossible it is to make multiple people do what they were supposed to do, everything they were supposed to do, and nothing but what they were supposed to do. You can't make five people do that, and yet billions of people are keeping this supposed machine rolling?

I bet there's at least one guy who uses a wheelchair who became a sneakerhead just for the laughs. Wearing pristine bright white brand shoes like "if you let your shoes touch the ground you're a bitch. If you keep them on display and never wear them, you're a coward. I'm the only one doing this correctly. Fuck you, get on my level."

This is the foundation of all hope btw. In the words of Tolkien, 'despair is for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.'