tales from the freakboy zone…: channel freakboy: HATERS BACK OFF! (2016-2017)

Thursday, June 11, 2020

channel freakboy: HATERS BACK OFF! (2016-2017)

Miranda (Colleen Ballinger) wants to be famous more than anyone wants anything. More than her sister Emily (Francesca Reale) wants to be an artist. More than her Uncle Jim (Steve Little) wants to relive his high school Color Guard days. More than her mother Bethany (Angela Kinsey) wants to recover from imagined ailments. More than her neighbor/potential love interest Patrick (Erik Stocklin) wants to be a successful popsicle salesman and professional magician.

The problem is that Miranda suffers from a severe lack of talent. She truly believes her terrible singing is truly amazing. It doesn't help that her mother and Uncle Jim have encouraged this erroneous belief all of her life. Now, with assistance from Uncle Jim and his 5-phase plan, Miranda begins by uploading a video to You Tube, even though this grab for fame may tear her family and friend apart.

I stumbled upon Netflix's HATERS BACK OFF! while searching for the Britcom MIRANDA, starring Miranda Hart. I was disappointed to not find what I wanted but I ended up seriously enjoying what I found. My sister and I didn't know what to expect when we sat down to watch the first episode of HATERS BACK OFF! Honestly, we weren't quite sure what we had just watched when that first episode ended. All we knew was that we laughed at the craziness surrounding these very different characters.

I suppose these characters could be seen as unlikable or pathetic. Sometimes they are and sometimes they are borderline caricatures. Yet, somehow through hijacking a parade, crashing a funeral, staging a backyard performance of ANNIE, and holding a hospital fashion show, I often felt sympathy and even empathy for these characters. Yes, I related to them because they live in their own little world, but are still not quite good enough.

HATERS BACK OFF! is about the ultimate outsiders and I understand because I am one too. Awkward, weird, occasionally off-putting and never quite succeeding, even with the best of intentions. Miranda, Patrick, Bethany, Emily and Uncle Jim are my televised people. Especially when one of them reaches for the sky, fails miserably, but keeps on trying.

In conclusion, my sister and I have watched the entire series three times since 2018. So, if you want to experience something truly different and feel uncomfortable while laughing, then sit back, stress-eat wieners and enjoy HATERS BACK OFF! on Netflix!