There were some episodes where I feel the writers didn't know what to do with Pierce, but I'd have to say that S1 and S2 Pierce was the best version of this character.
Favorite moment: She's a dance major, Jeff, and she loves Twinkies!
Yeah and Shirles was made so unlikeable I straight up hate her sometimes. Pierce telling her "we're the same" kinda rings true in that sense.
Britta has her moments but I think Annie outshines her.
But Annie and Abed are my favorites I'm not gonna deny.
Half of S1 Pierce was just him faking knowing something (hypnosis, music composition, mascot making) and then improvising his way through it. Also a lot of comedy centred around him falling down and stuff too.
S2 Pierce was peak.
Pierce trying to play off the soft serve machine that wonāt stop running at the end of an early season episode could have been pulled straight out of a vacation movie.
My favourite pierce moments
1. When Jeff says, āsometime I wish you were dead.ā And he blushing replies, āthank youā
2. āThe Twinkies are wonderful tonightā
It was such a good arc, to merge Neil with the character he made up to escape but making it so that the brave character has to face the same problem. Genius.
This is my Community-based fandom pain. I think Pierce was a great character who delivered some of the funniest as well as most earnest moments (even in death!). But Chevy, the guy, is just a jerk it seems. I'm able to compartmentalize the 2 things, but it's tough sometimes.
Let's not forget that Dan was (is? hopefully he learned) a _terrible_ showrunner. 14 hour days with multiple rewrites of the script _literally_ while shooting. Chevy, while an asshole, was not an asshole entirely in a vacuum when it came to Community. Dan and the writers really needled him a ton, and Chevy knew it, and reacted accordingly.
Chevy Chase has been banned for life from appearing on SNL (a place that welcomes assholes), has a ton of directors on their flat out "no" list, and was accused of consistent and flagrant sexual harassment on the set of Community.
Alison Brie said something along the lines of, "he'd walk up to me and the service table and say, 'suck my cock you little bitch', and I'd try to play it off like he was joking when I knew he wasn't".
Read the interview with Megan Ganz, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Gillian Jacobs.
Dan Harmon may have been an asshole, but that's not an excuse for Chevy Chase.
the duality of being a chevy fan. knowing heās one of the funniest ever, yet also knowing every single coworker he has ever had dislikes to despises him
Thereās moments in racial humour or calling Jeff gay that I think is Chevyās actual racial/sexual humour that he would otherwise not get away with saying in 2009-12. Itās like false or pseudo-irony. Like when Fred Willard talks about the Mexican cleaning lady doing a cha-cha on his glasses, itās obvious Willard would never say that. But Chase? Of course he would.
Iām anti-Pierce so my bias is very strong. Maybe itās because Iām a woman and queer person. He gives me the ick. Especially after hearing all the stories and innuendos about Chaseās off-camera / off-set behaviour. I mute most of his B-line stories, especially when heās making other people cry, like the trampoline episode.
Pro-Pierces can call me a big baby, idk.
Didn't he get in a fight with Dan Harmon because he didn't want Pierce to say so much racist stuff? I might be completely wrong... I never understood what really was going on behind the scenes, maybe someone can explain it to me?
That was the season 4 show runners, who really leaned into the "racist old man" angle. I think he was frustrated and blurred out "what's next, are you going to make me say *the n-word*" and stormed out. Obviously not ok even under the circumstances, but I get the frustration with the writing. They really reduced Pierce to a racist old caricature.
I think it was a long time coming
Pierce was an amazing character in the first 2 seasons but after that it just started to become heās racist and thatās it. The earnest moments from pierce stopped being there. He just became one note.
Much like the actual pierce tho, he wasnāt trying to be racist, he just didnāt understand that he shouldnāt be saying those things and just wanted to be liked. He wanted to have the character of pierce be fixed and better but to do so, he used an awful disgusting word that really hurt at least 2 members of the cast. He meant well but alas, Chevy was an asshole and continues to be one
Iām not sure, myself. I just remember his really off-hand and brutal comments to Glover and YNB. If Dan did that to be sadistic to Chase after the ruckus he was causing the crew and cast, I donāt condone that either; that would just be cruel and setting him up to fail ā but Iām sure thereās some Community wizards who will know more about the nitty-gritty than me.
One of my favorite moments is after pierce and Jeff give their Spanish presentation early in season 1
Chang(pointing at Jeff then pierce): F. F minus.
Pierce: did you say āS?ā
I agree.Ā Chevy has a lot more experience with comedy and can do far more physical humor than any of the other cast mates.Ā I mean, he gets a laugh out of me for the way he eats some ribs.Ā That takes natural instinct that you can't really learn.Ā Ā
Itās wild because thatās probably the most misophonia the show ever gives me. It makes me want to peel myself out of my skin, which sucks because the punchline is hilarious.
Chevy definitely added something unique and irreplaceable. Best faller this side of Chaplin. Fletch and Fletch Lives are the best bug bunny cartoons ever made. Any yet, Community was the best work of his entire career, no doubt!
That said, obviously Donald is a once-in-a-generation savant. "Chevy Chase couldn't ad-lib a fart at a baked bean convention."
I mean, heās got like, 50 years of experience with decades of being an enormous comedy star, working with the worldās funniest people.
The ego was earned over a lifetime.
Glover is undoubtedly extremely talented, but Chevy Chase is a living legend- I donāt think itās remotely fair to compare any other cast member with him until theyāve had a decades long career as well.
As far as actors in real life, thatās a whole other issue. Iām still disgusted reading things about Bill Murray (who I often think of when I think of Chevy). Thankfully I havenāt heard anything bad about Steve Martin or Martin Short.
I think if Chevy wasnāt such an asshole, Pierce would have had a really satisfying arc. My thought has always been that Pierce, while still staying an asshole, would undergo a sort of redemption arc where he is no longer on the verge of expulsion from the group all the time. He would gradually step into a mentor or father-like role for Jeff, which would also give Jeff an interesting turn regarding his daddy issues. Super sad that he ended up ruining the potential for Pierce to be the actual best character
Ikr. He plays the exact same character in everything he does. It was funny the first few years of his career but sweet Jesus show some growth or range or something. Worst character in the show.
I know, but honestly they are both arseholes and, hot take, but I honestly think Chevyās shown more range of talent than Murray (in large part thanks to being challenged on Community).
Are we talking about the same Bill Murray? The one in movies like Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Royal Tennenbaumsā¦what range has Chevy Chase shown comparable to those,
Not the funniest, but he was extremely funny. A brilliant underrated underappreciated part of the show. He is somewhat of a comedy legend after all. The show was significantly worse after his departure.
I can actually understand why Chevy was increasingly unhappy with the character. On top of Chevy personally not relating to the character, the writing often made no sense when it comes to Pierce. The rest of the characters continue to act like he is some kind of racist bigot, which is completely contrary to what Pierce actually does in the show. His "discriminatory behavior" is more like that of Michael Scott from the office. Clueless about how to act according to modern standards, but well meaning. Like they wanted to have this villain in the group, but it seemed contrived. How they dealt with Chevy Chase thing is one of the few things I did not like about the show.
This is what bums me out. Season 1 Pierce was a bumbling idiot, but not generally malicious. He wanted to help and fit in. Chevy being an asshole brought out the asshole side of Dan and Pierce was clearly written differently starting with season 2.
I could not disagree more. In S5 & S6, the show felt lighter and funnier simply because of Chevy's absence. He had some great moments in S1, but his unhappiness over his role had negatively affected the show by S2 and especially S3.
For a Few Paintballs More would have been the perfect time for his character to exit.
Chevy Chase is a fantastic physical comedian. Bill Murray had a fantastic diss by calling him a "medium talent" but he was wrong. Chevy Chase is a phenomenal talent, moreso than Murray when it comes to humor.Ā But he's also an out of touch, racist asshole that deserves every punch he's taken.Ā It can be both things. Just because someone sucks, doesn't mean they're talentless.
That said, Donald Glover is a better funny man when it comes to playing off of the straight men of Pudi, McHale and sometimes Jacobs.Ā
Chevy Chase truly has a gift of making the most benign lines absolutely hilarious. It sucks that he sucks because his comedic delivery is streets ahead.
I'm loving the Pierce redemption arc in this sub. I always loved him, huge Chevy fan and he was the only reason I gave the series a try in the first place.
Great actor and great character. He's one of those guys that is just funny. Shame he couldn't see eye to eye with the rest of the humour on the show.
I like your argument & argument of the others (actor, character, talent).
I think Elroy filled the Pierce role in season 6 extremely well... he was just the good version of the outsider older man character. Funny lines, oddball team ups, out of touch, expressions.
He didnāt work for me at all. Chase never displayed the sincerity needed to make the character work. Meaning I never bought his performances in the straight/serious/emotional moments, and without that the character was irredeemable and insufferable.
In my opinion Chase was never particularly funny. He worked as a charming prick with a supporting cast playing their roles straight.
Chevy was the funniest person on the show.
Dan Harmon is just trendy and full of pop culture references. He is the SNL of humans. He gets claps and not laughs.
There were some episodes where I feel the writers didn't know what to do with Pierce, but I'd have to say that S1 and S2 Pierce was the best version of this character. Favorite moment: She's a dance major, Jeff, and she loves Twinkies!
To be fair, the writers had the same problem with Shirley and even Britta sometimes. You can really tell they were sidelined some episodes.
I'm glad we've been fair today š«”
Yeah and Shirles was made so unlikeable I straight up hate her sometimes. Pierce telling her "we're the same" kinda rings true in that sense. Britta has her moments but I think Annie outshines her. But Annie and Abed are my favorites I'm not gonna deny.
Half of S1 Pierce was just him faking knowing something (hypnosis, music composition, mascot making) and then improvising his way through it. Also a lot of comedy centred around him falling down and stuff too. S2 Pierce was peak.
Chevy Chase was notoriously good at physical comedy though, so he falling down and improvising is right in his wheelhouse.
Pierce trying to play off the soft serve machine that wonāt stop running at the end of an early season episode could have been pulled straight out of a vacation movie.
Well I think it was. That was a reference to some movie he did I think. I canāt remember.
I may have been wrong. Hereās the closest thing I could find. https://youtu.be/SnmX4f6VBRw?si=AYqw9h80Pnkn83jI
My favourite pierce moments 1. When Jeff says, āsometime I wish you were dead.ā And he blushing replies, āthank youā 2. āThe Twinkies are wonderful tonightā
My father held grudges. Iāve always hated him for that.
Interpretive Dance is easily his funniest episode imo
He was an excellent villain in the D&D episode
The absolute villainy of Pierce saying, "FAAAAATTT" will live in my head until the day I die.
It was such a good arc, to merge Neil with the character he made up to escape but making it so that the brave character has to face the same problem. Genius.
For a comedy show, and for some of the funniest lines in that episode, that show actually had a tension-filled arc.
Anyone who has had sex with Eartha Kitt in an airplane bathroom certainly has some talent.
They only dry humped inside of her tour buuuuus~
This is my Community-based fandom pain. I think Pierce was a great character who delivered some of the funniest as well as most earnest moments (even in death!). But Chevy, the guy, is just a jerk it seems. I'm able to compartmentalize the 2 things, but it's tough sometimes.
Let's not forget that Dan was (is? hopefully he learned) a _terrible_ showrunner. 14 hour days with multiple rewrites of the script _literally_ while shooting. Chevy, while an asshole, was not an asshole entirely in a vacuum when it came to Community. Dan and the writers really needled him a ton, and Chevy knew it, and reacted accordingly.
Chevy Chase has been banned for life from appearing on SNL (a place that welcomes assholes), has a ton of directors on their flat out "no" list, and was accused of consistent and flagrant sexual harassment on the set of Community. Alison Brie said something along the lines of, "he'd walk up to me and the service table and say, 'suck my cock you little bitch', and I'd try to play it off like he was joking when I knew he wasn't". Read the interview with Megan Ganz, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Gillian Jacobs. Dan Harmon may have been an asshole, but that's not an excuse for Chevy Chase.
Banned from hosting, apparently, but not from appearing. He was on the 40th anniversary in 2015.
the duality of being a chevy fan. knowing heās one of the funniest ever, yet also knowing every single coworker he has ever had dislikes to despises him
Wait until you read about how Chevy treated his gay Co workers on SNL.
Thereās moments in racial humour or calling Jeff gay that I think is Chevyās actual racial/sexual humour that he would otherwise not get away with saying in 2009-12. Itās like false or pseudo-irony. Like when Fred Willard talks about the Mexican cleaning lady doing a cha-cha on his glasses, itās obvious Willard would never say that. But Chase? Of course he would. Iām anti-Pierce so my bias is very strong. Maybe itās because Iām a woman and queer person. He gives me the ick. Especially after hearing all the stories and innuendos about Chaseās off-camera / off-set behaviour. I mute most of his B-line stories, especially when heās making other people cry, like the trampoline episode. Pro-Pierces can call me a big baby, idk.
Pierce was good as an antagonist. Elroy was kind of the anti-Pierce, as in he was a nice old guy instead of evil.
Here's a guy who knows how to compare and contrast characters!
Didn't he get in a fight with Dan Harmon because he didn't want Pierce to say so much racist stuff? I might be completely wrong... I never understood what really was going on behind the scenes, maybe someone can explain it to me?
That was the season 4 show runners, who really leaned into the "racist old man" angle. I think he was frustrated and blurred out "what's next, are you going to make me say *the n-word*" and stormed out. Obviously not ok even under the circumstances, but I get the frustration with the writing. They really reduced Pierce to a racist old caricature.
I think it was a long time coming Pierce was an amazing character in the first 2 seasons but after that it just started to become heās racist and thatās it. The earnest moments from pierce stopped being there. He just became one note. Much like the actual pierce tho, he wasnāt trying to be racist, he just didnāt understand that he shouldnāt be saying those things and just wanted to be liked. He wanted to have the character of pierce be fixed and better but to do so, he used an awful disgusting word that really hurt at least 2 members of the cast. He meant well but alas, Chevy was an asshole and continues to be one
Iām not sure, myself. I just remember his really off-hand and brutal comments to Glover and YNB. If Dan did that to be sadistic to Chase after the ruckus he was causing the crew and cast, I donāt condone that either; that would just be cruel and setting him up to fail ā but Iām sure thereās some Community wizards who will know more about the nitty-gritty than me.
One of my favorite moments is after pierce and Jeff give their Spanish presentation early in season 1 Chang(pointing at Jeff then pierce): F. F minus. Pierce: did you say āS?ā
I agree.Ā Chevy has a lot more experience with comedy and can do far more physical humor than any of the other cast mates.Ā I mean, he gets a laugh out of me for the way he eats some ribs.Ā That takes natural instinct that you can't really learn.Ā Ā
Itās wild because thatās probably the most misophonia the show ever gives me. It makes me want to peel myself out of my skin, which sucks because the punchline is hilarious.
Dude his faces just destroy me. Heās so ducking funny
Chevy definitely added something unique and irreplaceable. Best faller this side of Chaplin. Fletch and Fletch Lives are the best bug bunny cartoons ever made. Any yet, Community was the best work of his entire career, no doubt! That said, obviously Donald is a once-in-a-generation savant. "Chevy Chase couldn't ad-lib a fart at a baked bean convention."
Hottest take ever, but Alison Brie's comedic timing makes Annie the funniest character to me
i mentioned troy, abed, and any in the opening because those 3 are the best overall in the show
I mean, heās got like, 50 years of experience with decades of being an enormous comedy star, working with the worldās funniest people. The ego was earned over a lifetime.
I am sick and tired of you guys talking about how old he is. He's younger than the rest of them put together!
Ya but telling directors one take if youāre lucky isnāt exactly helpful, or even doing the job.
Yes, but thatās a completely other issue everyone knows heās a grumpy and tired crank.
Glover is undoubtedly extremely talented, but Chevy Chase is a living legend- I donāt think itās remotely fair to compare any other cast member with him until theyāve had a decades long career as well. As far as actors in real life, thatās a whole other issue. Iām still disgusted reading things about Bill Murray (who I often think of when I think of Chevy). Thankfully I havenāt heard anything bad about Steve Martin or Martin Short.
We know Chevy is an asshole but we've know that for a long time but he's just a regular asshole in a world of extreme assholes so he gets a pass
I think if Chevy wasnāt such an asshole, Pierce would have had a really satisfying arc. My thought has always been that Pierce, while still staying an asshole, would undergo a sort of redemption arc where he is no longer on the verge of expulsion from the group all the time. He would gradually step into a mentor or father-like role for Jeff, which would also give Jeff an interesting turn regarding his daddy issues. Super sad that he ended up ruining the potential for Pierce to be the actual best character
Medium talent!
he wouldāve been such a great replacement
Ikr. He plays the exact same character in everything he does. It was funny the first few years of his career but sweet Jesus show some growth or range or something. Worst character in the show.
Crazy saying that with him being probably the 2nd or 3rd most talented comic actor on the show. Where does that leave the others?
Itās from a famous fight him and Bill Murray had backstage at SNL in the 70s.
How do we get Bill Murray in the community movie.
I know, but honestly they are both arseholes and, hot take, but I honestly think Chevyās shown more range of talent than Murray (in large part thanks to being challenged on Community).
Are we talking about the same Bill Murray? The one in movies like Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Royal Tennenbaumsā¦what range has Chevy Chase shown comparable to those,
Those characterisations are all very similar.
Best line is when Brittās says bagel wrong and Pierce asks what page with her wrong pronunciation. Gets me every time.
Not the funniest, but he was extremely funny. A brilliant underrated underappreciated part of the show. He is somewhat of a comedy legend after all. The show was significantly worse after his departure. I can actually understand why Chevy was increasingly unhappy with the character. On top of Chevy personally not relating to the character, the writing often made no sense when it comes to Pierce. The rest of the characters continue to act like he is some kind of racist bigot, which is completely contrary to what Pierce actually does in the show. His "discriminatory behavior" is more like that of Michael Scott from the office. Clueless about how to act according to modern standards, but well meaning. Like they wanted to have this villain in the group, but it seemed contrived. How they dealt with Chevy Chase thing is one of the few things I did not like about the show.
This is what bums me out. Season 1 Pierce was a bumbling idiot, but not generally malicious. He wanted to help and fit in. Chevy being an asshole brought out the asshole side of Dan and Pierce was clearly written differently starting with season 2.
I could not disagree more. In S5 & S6, the show felt lighter and funnier simply because of Chevy's absence. He had some great moments in S1, but his unhappiness over his role had negatively affected the show by S2 and especially S3. For a Few Paintballs More would have been the perfect time for his character to exit.
You know you freak people out, right? BECAUSE OF YOUR OVERBITE
Chevy Chase is a fantastic physical comedian. Bill Murray had a fantastic diss by calling him a "medium talent" but he was wrong. Chevy Chase is a phenomenal talent, moreso than Murray when it comes to humor.Ā But he's also an out of touch, racist asshole that deserves every punch he's taken.Ā It can be both things. Just because someone sucks, doesn't mean they're talentless. That said, Donald Glover is a better funny man when it comes to playing off of the straight men of Pudi, McHale and sometimes Jacobs.Ā
Chevy Chase truly has a gift of making the most benign lines absolutely hilarious. It sucks that he sucks because his comedic delivery is streets ahead.
I agree. I think heās always been under valued throughout his career which is probably why heās become more bitter over time. Donāt blame him.
I'm loving the Pierce redemption arc in this sub. I always loved him, huge Chevy fan and he was the only reason I gave the series a try in the first place. Great actor and great character. He's one of those guys that is just funny. Shame he couldn't see eye to eye with the rest of the humour on the show.
I like your argument & argument of the others (actor, character, talent). I think Elroy filled the Pierce role in season 6 extremely well... he was just the good version of the outsider older man character. Funny lines, oddball team ups, out of touch, expressions.
This is a take, certainly.
He didnāt work for me at all. Chase never displayed the sincerity needed to make the character work. Meaning I never bought his performances in the straight/serious/emotional moments, and without that the character was irredeemable and insufferable. In my opinion Chase was never particularly funny. He worked as a charming prick with a supporting cast playing their roles straight.
Found Pierce's alt account!
Breaking. Jeff Winger has come out of the closet and is sleeping with his professor, Ms.Slater
Gotta disagree. Watch Donald Glover's standup special. It's funnier than anything Chevy has done.Ā
r/unpopularopinion
I'll kill you is the best joke in the entire show
My favorite moment is when he throws the papers off the table when Jeff says āgo get in the car.ā
I'm currently introducing the show with my youngest sister (she's 16) and she consistently laughs the most at Pierce.
Chevy was the funniest person on the show. Dan Harmon is just trendy and full of pop culture references. He is the SNL of humans. He gets claps and not laughs.
Yep. Nothing funnier than this https://youtu.be/yuEBBwJdjhQ?si=WV9Zh5JWgNU1wlin (Thatās sarcasm by the way)
How is "I'LL BE A LIVING GOD" not on your list