Thingstarter

Thingstarter is an intriguing web series that originally premiered in 2013 on the Above Average youtube network, which is a digital comedy channel produced by Broadway Video, an American multimedia entertainment studio. The comedy series offers audiences a unique and humorous take on endeavoring into the world of entrepreneurial startups.

The premise of Thingstarter borrows from the culture of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, presenting prospective inventors and their absurd, left-field ideas. These amusing novelties range from inexplicable kitchen gadgets to nonsensical lifestyle accessories. Each episode comes with an ambitious inventor along with a highly unpractical invention idea that they passionately try to bring to life. The comedy also seeps in with the creators' belief in their zany inventions, which is treated with utmost seriousness despite how ludicrous it might appear to viewers.

Thingstarter isn't just a standard web series but a mockumentary-style parody that gives audiences a satirical view of product development. The show blends elements of reality TV and scripted comedy by depicting the 'behind-the-scenes' troubles, absurdities, and eccentricities of the inventors and their inventions. The playful imitation of the Kickstarter style pitch video's enhances the show's comedy and takes its satire a notch higher.

This comedy series successfully takes viewers on a hilarious journey through the conception, design, marketing, and launch of several fictional products. The show brings in professional actors and comedians who strike the right chord between over-the-top humor and quasi-realistic portrayal of their characters. The inventors are portrayed as genuine and serious, despite their outlandishly impractical inventions. This poker-faced dialogue delivery in the face of absolute ridiculousness forms the crux of the show's humor.

Thingstarter comes across as a clever critique of the startup culture and crowdfunding fervour, creatively using this trend for comic effect. The series ingenely highlights the point at which ingenuity stops and foolishness begins. It also draws a caricature of the unwavering faith, passion, and relentless belief that creators and entrepreneurs possess, even when their products or services don't make sense practically. Irrespective of the ridiculousness and the impracticality of the products, the show presents a wild ride that takes the audience through the product development journey from conception to marketing.

The show employs top-notch production quality, engaging storytelling, and well-written narrative arcs, making it an entertaining watch. Each episode presents a single invention that keeps the audience hooked till the end, making you wonder what bizarre, over-equipped, or downright preposterous products are going to make their unsuccessful debut. The witty scripts give a hearty laugh, and the execution by talented comedians does justice to the satire with their expressions and comic timing.

Furthermore, one cannot overlook the unique fact that Thingstarter is a show about satirizing startups, created, produced, and distributed over the internet, which is a substantial contributor to the actual startup ecosystem in the contemporary world. This creates a reflexive aspect, making it a biting satire of its own medium, which adds an extra layer of cleverness to the show. It's a neatly packaged commentary on the growing culture of technology-backed instant entrepreneurship—an age when anyone with an idea, no matter how ridiculous it seems, can become an entrepreneur.

In conclusion, Thingstarter by Above Average offers a humorous and sarcastic take at trending startup culture. Filled with amusing sketches, ludicrous product pitches, and comedy depicted in a wonderfully straight-faced manner, the show is sure to tickle the funny bone of its audience. Despite its target of making fun of startup culture, Thingstarter doesn't come off as derisive or dismissive, but rather a jovial ribbing, almost a loving poke at the modern world's quirky obsessions. Despite its comedic intent, it subtly points out the problems, pitfalls, and peculiarities associated with the world of entrepreneurship. It's a worthwhile watch that will give you a laugh, especially, if you have voyaged earth of entrepreneurship or are familiar with the startup ecosystem.