Between our appreciation for Wet Hot American Summer, Childrens Hospital, The State, Stella, Role Models, and more, it’s fairly safe to say we’re fans of comic writer, performer, and director David Wain. But while Wain’s absurdist, deeply silly comic voice is pretty well-established these days, it’s always good to take a look at a comedy hero in their earlier days, when they were still working out their material, or maybe—in this case—just yelling about how crappy marriage is on Donahue.
Earlier today, Wain posted a clip of himself doing exactly that latter activity, in a segment from a 1988 episode of the classic day-time talk show. It’s a real treasure chest of little audio and visual treats, too, as Wain’s ever-distinctive voice cuts into the middle of a conversation—in true Donahue style—to complain about the ways marriage limits individuality, especially if “you’re as much of an individual as I think that I am.” Given how much fun Wain and his sketch comedy friends had mocking stuff like Donahue on The State, the clip wouldn’t feel out of place on the old MTV classic. It’s even funnier here, though, if only because the younger Wain seems entirely sincere in his loudly stated beliefs