via Prime Video
As a feminist writer and social commentator, I often talk about toxic masculinity. I’ve seen the work of Andrew Tate and his ilk ruin an entire generation of men, destroy dating, and actually cause a massive burnout in all genders involved.
So, when I see a trending show that actually gives men a good message, I can’t help but applaud it. That’s why I’m touting Haha, You Clowns, from Adult Swim and the mind of YouTube-famous Joe Cappa.
If you’ve watched 90s family shows, you have a good idea of what ‘Haha, You Clowns’ is all about.
Do you remember Family Matters? Or, that show with Tim Allen, Home Improvement? That’s basically the premise of Haha, You Clowns. It’s a family-centric show of an older, wholesome, widower weatherman who’s busy raising three young, kinda derpy teenage boys.
The family is still grieving the loss of their mom, but every day, they take on a new challenge and grow together as a family. It’s sweet, right? Well, yes. It is. But it also has a fairly dark undertone to it that can get very freaky at times. Still, it has all the charm you would expect for a show like this.
Hence, why it’s on Adult Swim.
Wait, what do I mean by “dark undertones?”
There are multiple things that make it dark, but they tend to be subtle. Some of the more noticeable include:
The most notable example of this would be the multiple hallucination bouts from the sons.
One faints when he holds a baby due to a psychotic break from the sheer fear he had about dropping the newborn. During their time in the hot tub, a terrible fever causes them to hallucinate skeletons in the tub with them.
And when one of the boys, Tristan, gets into improv comedy, there’s a point where his hallucinations make you think he killed his brother on a golf course. That episode made me wonder if Tristan actually did kill his brother — though it becomes clear he didn’t later on.
In some scenes, there’s evidence that the mom is actually haunting them.
The most noticeable event happens in the pilot episode’s end, where you can see a ghostly handprint on their mom’s old shed. Oh, and all the Campbell family’s eyes turn red when they’re upset.
The show also actively shows some very bizarre yet relatable grief moments.
Tom Campbell, the father, actually can’t sit through movie nights with films that involve losing the wife and mom. At one point, his sons make him watch a zombie movie. That movie night ended after he broke the TV after seeing a zombie attack a woman.
Another time, one of the boys, Preston Campbell, lost the bomber jacket his mom gave him. When he didn’t have the jacket, he became cruel, vindictive, and mean to everyone around him. It’s only when police brought it back to him (stained with another person’s blood from a shootout) that he calmed down.
Actually, there’s a LOT of mental illness going around in there.
Tom’s date (set up by the Campbell boys) had a schizophrenic meltdown during their dinner. She had to get picked up by her husband, which is a whole ‘nother issue in itself.
Then, there’s the panicked behavior that Tom has when he’s on the plane. It definitely rings of panic disorder, especially when you take into account how that airline attendant calmed him down.
A family friend also shows serious signs of alcoholism, which culminates in a letter from the boys saying that they hope he seeks treatment.
With that said, the Campbell boys are the type of guys I’d want my son to emulate.
People often accuse me of hating men, but this show illustrates why that’s not the truth. The Campbell family shows everything that men should aspire to in each of the boys:
It showed the boys volunteering at the senior home. That is some awesome show of caring for the community.
They often work through feelings in therapy. They also were quick to notice when a therapist was toxic. It’s also great that Tom actually signed them up for therapy.
Whenever they’re very upset, they try to come up with a solution. Whether it’s a letter to a friend asking him to get help, taking responsibility for not being able to lead, or making a new bomber jacket, they always try to come up with something.
They talk each other up. When one brother accidentally destroyed his mother’s prized flowers and replaced them with fake ones, his brothers make a point of telling him that his mom would be proud of them anyway.
Apologies are commonplace in the Campbell home. So is the art of admitting when things didn’t go as planned.
They don’t always act perfect, but they do try their hardest. For example, they were kind of jerks to their dental hygenist’s husband. But at the end of the day, they did throw a baby shower for the new family. They also do what they can to keep confident in themselves, which is a nice touch.
Did I mention they treat their girlfriends well? Their girlfriends don’t have a major part in the show, but you always see them cuddling them. How nice! Oh, and they also thank their waitress at Casa Baja.
I’ll be honest with you guys. I tend to have a bad taste when it comes to fraternity brothers, but the way they made fraternity friends appear in Haha, You Clowns made me second-guess myself.
When women talk about toxic masculinity, they’re not talking about Campbell boys.
A lot of people seem to think that calling out toxic masculinity means women assume all men are toxic. That’s not the case and the best example of positive masculinity on TV right now might be the Campbell boys in Haha, You Clowns.
The Campbells are all leaders. They’re all caring. They’re tough, honest with themselves, and also genuinely decent human beings. They also give back to the community through songs and entertainment. And Tom? Dude, he’s amazing.
Overall, it’s hard not to like the way they write the Campbell boys. They aren’t always the brightest, but it’s clear they’re all amazing people who like to build others up. That, my friend, is what positive masculinity is all about.
There are so many beautiful, truly wholesome displays of positive masculinity in this show.
While Cappa does add a weird dark turn to a lot of the episodes, the truth is that he was truly masterful at creating male characters that really shine. There is something so beautiful at the way they show brotherhood, the way they show fatherhood, and the cozy way men act in this series.
Do these guys have their jerk moments? Absolutely. However, that’s what makes them good characters. They’re real. They’re not these impossible standardized “Prince Charmings” that feel fake. You could see yourself living next door to these kids.
I may have mentioned it before, but it’s clear that Adult Swim is using cozy, uplifting shows like this one as a way to help our country heal from all the crap that’s been going on. I, for one, find this show to be a warm mug of minestrone soup on a cold winter’s day — delightfully soothing.
I, for one, can’t wait to see Season 2.
Yep!
