Chelsea

Not her first Netflix Original, Chelsea Handler's self titled Chelsea is a great show that dives into some tough topics in a very "Chelsea" way. The first episode "Dear, India" was essentially a culture and travel documentary with a splash of talk show thrown in here and there. Incredibly entertaining, mostly due to her outright expressions and blunt comments, Handler meets super interesting people and has some equally cool experiences in her time in India. 

It almost goes without saying that Handler's style is quite blooper-esque. The entirety of the show had strange clips mixed in that completely reminded me of that small joy in waiting after the credits roll to see the funny scenes that didn't make the cut in a movie-- only this time there was no waiting and no credits, I loved it! For example, walking in one of the Indian markets, she made random conversation with a farmer selling her veggies and ended up just giving him a wad of money and grabbing whatever she wanted from the baskets as she walked along the narrow path. Totally crazy and a little bit illegal, she did it anyway because "why not" is seriously her life motto. Additionally, there were many B-roll parts that gave the scene a particular voice and emotion. That specific type of intercut really emphasized the organized chaos that is India. Showing short video clips of the massive crows and colors all swaying and swirling about complimented with the more reflective and appreciative tone of the narration definitely achieved the desired effect. 

Handler's reason for making the show was purely for teaching, so she told an Indian woman near the end of the episode. That caught my attention because in that moment she stopped becoming just a comedian, she became a teacher, an activist, and a real traveler. She even took it so far as to meet with one of India's well known women's rights activists and take a self defense class together after talking about some of the insane truths of India's lack of action against rape. She asked the questions we all are curious about but never have the courage to ask, like what arranged marriage is really like, how sex works in Indian culture, and what the deal is with Indian food, because she really wanted to blow off the dust and actually teach her viewers the truth.

Handler totally embraced being an outsider at the beginning, but as the episode continued she met people who remind her that there are more similarities than differences, and that those differences can be pretty funny to exploit. I like to pay attention to the way episodes end because they generally have some sort of cliffhanger or meaningful reflection instilled in the viewer that's key to whether I should continue with the show or stop there. In "Dear, India" she concluded by stating that India isn't just a county, it's like a whole world. Opening up that sort of perspective is pretty amazing to think about; there can be so much diversity, so much adventure and laughter in one country that it feels like a whole world. And with that I will be watching more of Chelsea Handler's Chelsea.