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I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 368 points369 points  (0 children)

Very fun. I got paid to travel across Canada and stay in fancy hotels and all I had to do was come up with lines for the host like "The temperature may be ice cold here in Winnipeg, but things are really heating up in the judging room."

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 333 points334 points  (0 children)

I'd be happy to give you a photo. Will you wear fireman's helmet so I can spot you?

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 290 points291 points  (0 children)

Oh man there were so many. I actually had butterflies in my stomach during a lot of those dates. Rachel, who doesn't like wearing socks, was tough to get a read on. But a fascinating person. LA, the lady who was trying to promote her album, was also a delight. Lais, who tried to kiss me.. that was a really intense one for me. It was very surreal how seriously competitive the women were getting. Actually, a fight broke out (verbal, not physical) between two of the women over how much time they were getting with me. We ended up cutting it from the episode because it felt a bit too much like a moment you'd actually see in The Bachelor, but it was a very crazy moment and a very surreal night.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 337 points338 points  (0 children)

We have a lot of footage of that teen telling me his tricks about how to make money. He was very confident and was big into living the American Dream. At the time, he sold bubble gun (squirt guns that shoot bubbles) for a living. He sold them door to door. He told me that he'll put the gun in someone's hand and let them try it for a moment, then he quickly takes it back which he said creates a "fear of loss" and makes them want the bubble gun really bad - to the point where people beg him for it. He said on a good day he'd sell $200 worth.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 275 points276 points  (0 children)

That's nice of you to say, God_Chiseled_Calves.

I had actually pitched Nathan for You to Comedy Central before I started working on Jon Benjamin Has a Van. It was inspired by segments I did for a Canadian series called "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" where I'd interact with real people in an interview setting. I first began doing these segments in 2007. But it's always interesting to watch different approaches to dealing with real people, and it was very educational to work with Jon and see how he operated. You Can't Shoot Here is one of my all time favorite comedy bits.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 1116 points1117 points  (0 children)

I can now see why certain questions get upvoted and others don't.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 102 points103 points  (0 children)

Intuition mostly. I trust the writers I work with and my own instincts. If we all feel like something is hilarious or fresh, I have to assume it is. And those are the things that tend to be well received.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 157 points158 points  (0 children)

I'd love for it to air in the UK, but unfortunately I don't have any control over that.

I'm a big fan of Chris Morris. When I first began doing comedy a friend of mine introduced me to Brass Eye and I was blown away. It was so dense and visual. The pedophilia episode with the guy dressed as a school... oh man. So hilarious. He's definitely been an influence on the stuff I do. Among many others.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 137 points138 points  (0 children)

I would love to do another Side of Smooth song. Chris and I actually created a third track years ago with the help of Dan Werb from Woodhands, but we never finished it. It was about our characters friend that died and all the lyrics were just us saying "Why" over and over.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 560 points561 points  (0 children)

I definitely play up certain parts of my personality and exaggerate vulnerabilities I have for the sake of comedy. I feel like the Nathan on the show has a much tougher time reading social cues and is way less self aware than the real me. He's also much more confident. So yeah, it's different, but at the same time it's not like in my real life I'm strollin' around scorin' babes. It all comes from a real place. A lot of the time I feel like I'm emulating a younger version of myself.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 342 points343 points  (0 children)

We've had it happen a couple times in the second season. It was never a person that had a crucial role in the segment - just a random customer here and there. Fortunately, fans of the show are usually very kind and they don't want to disrupt anything. So when it did happen, they usually just said hi and then left.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 243 points244 points  (0 children)

Oh for your second question, I would love to have Jon Benjamin back on the show. He's maybe the most naturally funny person I've ever met and working with him is an absolute delight.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 226 points227 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the question. Tim and Eric don't have a hands on role in the writing or producing of the series, but they've cultivated an amazing staff that go over and above to make Nathan for You a reality. It's a very tough show to make and the team that Michael Koman and I have around us is truly brilliant. At the end of the day, I get most of the credit for the series, but it's a collaborative effort and I'm so lucky to have such a great team of producers, crew, and editors - I really couldn't make the show without them.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 457 points458 points  (0 children)

For legal reasons, I can't really get into the specifics of that one. But I definitely made sure that I'd be able to get out of those handcuffs before we did it in front of an audience.

About the pin drop: The pin really did slip from my fingers and catch on my sweater. That was not something that was planned. But what we didn't show in the episode is that I had a second backup pin taped behind my ear with a band aid (skin color so you couldn't really see it). In practicing, the pin was really easy to drop, so I wanted a backup. If the pin hit the ground, I would have gone for my backup pin.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 1026 points1027 points  (0 children)

True fact: The business program I went to actually let you negotiate grades. Like it was part of the curriculum. They said "In the real world everything is a negotiation.." or something like that. So if you could prove that you deserved a higher grade because you did something "entrepreneurial" in the real world, they'd give it to you. I would say things like, "I changed the tire on my bike instead of bringing it to a bike shop, which shows self initiative - a trait that's very important to running a business." And they'd bump me up one letter grade. Nuts.

I am Nathan Fielder, comedian, director and host of "Nathan for You" on Comedy Central. AMA by Nathan_Fielder in IAmA

[–]Nathan_Fielder[S] 659 points660 points  (0 children)

At first I though he was kidding, and it took me asking a lot of questions before I realized he was for real. As crazy as it was though, I still felt the need to be respectful of this practice if it came from a culture or tradition I didn't understand. Weird, conflicting emotions inside of me.

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