I have the great fortune to be reporting from the current pop cultural epicenter that is Vulture Fest. Happening, as I type, from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, this weekend is filled with panels, gatherings of cultural figures, and a beautifully niche look at why we crave being a part of the cultural conversation.
This is all an overly pretentious way of this weekend is a gabfest of what we love and what we’re looking forward to from television, movies, and more. As far as looking towards the future, I was able to catch a panel previewing the upcoming Hulu original limited series Welcome to Chippendales. Moderated by the fabulous Jen Chaney of Vulture, the panel was comprised of stars Kumail Nanjiani and Annaleigh Ashford, along with executive producers Rob Siegel and Jenni Konner.
The show follows the ride of the Chippendales, founded by Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee. The brand that is synonymous with bachelorette parties, drunken Vegas nights, and silk thongs has a dark and seedy past filled with lies, deceit, and murder. While true crime has been the preferred limited series topic recently, Siegel mentioned how it’s all based around IP. In a weird way, true crime is its own form of intellectual property. There are articles and news clips that already exist about these victims and perpetrators, so there is a knowledge going in for viewers. This show comes in with double the recognition, since Chippendale’s is such a well-known brand now.
All that said, Kumail Nanjiani made sure to mention he’s in this for more than just the true crime aspect. Nanjiani talked about how he’s not necessarily a true crime fan, but more so wanting to play complex characters. As a person of color, specifically a Pakistani man, he’s not afforded the opportunities to play roles considered as an “anti-hero.” The only reason this opportunity arose was because it was a true story. This type of role would not go to a POC normally, so the chance to play these nuances was a huge gift.
We were given the chance to view three clips from the series, all of them surprisingly funny for such a dark tale. This was by design, though not in the way you’d think. When asked by Chaney how the tone was calculated, Siegel discussed how he goes into projects like this making sure to write for drama, as he “trusts enough ridiculousness is going on” to fulfill the comedic element.
The comedy hit even stronger in the clips knowing the dark places the plot goes throughout the season. Siegel also mentioned how he wouldn’t take on a show this dark and play it for purely shock value. If there’s no actual substance, he won’t partake.
Boy, is there substance! Again, in a show that’s being marketed as a true crime tale, there’s a lot more bubbling under the surface. There’s the media’s portrayal of sex, feminism through the lens of sexual freedom, and the idea of a story about racism through the eyes of someone that isn’t white. The latter was a big selling point for Nanjiani, as he said the story of a POC being seen as a racist isn’t commonplace in the media and he wanted to explore that dynamic.
What was so refreshing about the panel was the chemistry between the four. There was never an air of fakeness put on by any of them when talking. They all seemed to love the project, love each other, and love discussing it all.
Annaleigh Ashford’s presence was especially a highlight, but when is it not? Siegel mentioned how privileged they felt to receive a self-tape from her during the audition process, as he felt someone of her caliber shouldn’t have to tape for roles. Both Nanjiani and Siegel said the moment they saw her tape, it was the easiest casting decision in the world. The introductory scene for her character we viewed was at once insecure, pragmatic, and dripping with tension. As the panel mentioned, never has the phrase “I’m an accountant” sounded so sexy.
Before the panel ended, the group was asked what their go-to stripping song would be if they were part of the profession. Annaleigh mentioned the Streisand/Summer classic “No More Tears,” while Kumail said The X-Files theme song. Jenni Konner mentioned how she’d want to dance to an unattractive 1970s band song, as you never want the sexiness of the song to create ideas about what people should expect from your performance. If this panel is anything, however, we can expect a wonderful new limited series on Hulu.