George Bernard Shaw once said, “When a thing is funny, search it for a hidden truth.” Well, I’ve searched… and searched… and searched and the hidden truth in Brickleberry is nowhere to be found.
For those of you who may not have killed brain cells watching it yet, Brickleberry is an adult animated sitcom series produced by Daniel Tosh on Comedy Central. The show follows the daily lives of a group of park rangers who work in Brickleberry National Park. The humor on Brickleberry is crude, tasteless, and highly offensive. And while it is true that the same could be said about the humor of similar adult cartoon shows such as South Park and The Simpsons, Brickleberry seems to be in a league of its own… and not a in a good way.
I’ll admit, I am a sucker for physical humor and borderline offensive jokes up to a certain point. There were way too many times while I was watching Brickleberry that the cringe-worthy humor made me extremely uncomfortable rather than giggly.
Still from Brickleberry, “Antichrist” (Season 2, Episode 13, 2013.)
Brickleberry doesn’t have a sense of direction and instead of hammering away at one or two offensive topics per episode, it tries to throw in as many offensive topics as possible. In the pilot episode alone, jokes are made about handicapped kids, old people, masturbation, black people, Asian people, Latino people, rednecks, AIDS, abortion, BDSM, sexual and physical violence towards animals and alcoholism. These topics are not addressed in a satirical manner meant to spark deep thought or change within society. Read more about the importance of humor as social commentary here.
I would be more accepting of the humor of Brickleberry if it had a hidden truth to it. Comedy has and always will be a form of social commentary that should not be taken lightly. The bad jokes on Brickleberry have little to do with the plot line and absolutely nothing to do with the betterment of society. In hindsight, I’m not even sure why I wasted so much time watching this show.
WFUmediaphiles 
Blog Post by Kylie Long
I feel like Brickleberry just goes for the shock value in its plots and doesn’t really focus on norms. It seems very unnecessary and seems like a waste to me, but I guess there are some people who really enjoy mindless comedy.
Sam Bishop
I have to say, I love Brickleberry and its stupidity, however, concede that it serves no purpose and has no meaning below the surface. It was made by comedian Daniel Tosh, who’s show “Tosh.O” is just wildely inappropriate and offensive jokes about videos he present, therefore, when it first came out I knew it would be about nothing besides that. I mean its a rude talking bear who lives with humans, and they are no better. A PTSD suffering and politically incorrect boss, an alcoholic ranger, an African American ranger who solely engages in relationships with elderly woman, a clueless ranger, and a lesbian ranger who’s only purpose is to be ridiculed and treated horribly. If anything could be taken from the show is the exact opposite of the way we should treat people in general and of sexual and racial minority groups. Each episode has a plot, however, it is meaningless, as the whole 30 minutes is just how many vulgar and degrading comedic jokes can be made. I commend you for searching for a deeper meaning, but you are accurate in concluding there is none. I too think why I wasted so much time watching it. The post was great and coincided with how I feel about the functionality of the show, there is no social commentary that we usually see in comedic sitcoms. I really enjoyed this.
– Anthony Duran
I totally agree with you. When humor is crude and offensive to just be crude and offensive, I don’t find it funny at all. Humor I believe, does come with a little heart at the bottom of it. These shows like Brickleberry definitely are suited for some people’s sense of humor but I would contest the majority of people prefer something with a hidden meaning or truth.
-Maia Scacchi
Completely agree with what you’ve said here. I at least have some faith that the majority of viewers felt the same way and that is why the show was cancelled. It seems that shows who try to jump on board the South Park train of offensive for offensive’s sake never seem to reach the same success. Here is a YouTube video about transgressive humor or satire and the importance of meaning behind offensive content, which I find very interesting.
-Tommy O’Haren
I have never seen this show, but as soon as I read that it was created by Daniel Tosh that told me everything I need to know. I despise Daniel Tosh and he goes past the point of crossing the line, his jokes aren’t even funny they’re just offensive and gross. The only reason I know of him besides his stupid show Tosh.0 is because of an instance which was so horrible and disgusting and sexist, he is just so stupid and offensive just for shock value and to be a jerk. I am not surprised at all that the show he has created is racist or misogynistic, and it’s really frustrating that a huge network gives someone like this an entire show, when there are people who are actually talented and funny in the world. I understand offensive humor, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is my favorite show, but his stuff is like Donald Trump created a television series and is filled with white man rage.
Delaney Broderick
I watched a couple of episodes of this show. It is almost another version of Family Guy in the way that offensive jokes play a large role in its’ humor aspect. Is there not a show on that draws humor from stereotypes? I found it very hard to find one, which is disappointing. Jordan Stackhouse
Tell me how you really feel, Delaney. Don’t hold back! Chortle. Excellent post. Funny and clearly argued. (Don’t forget about using page breaks.)