Nathan Fielder uses his brand of awkward, uncomfortable humor (and a hint of darkness) to flip the script on contemporary TV’s obsession with reality. From creating cringe comedy that’s achieved cult status on his shows Nathan For You and The Rehearsal to his latest hyper-real horror show with Benny Safdie, The Curse, he shines a light back on the audience, making us reflect on the less pleasant parts of human nature. That might be our awkwardness or our selfishness; or, in the Curse specifically, our obsession with looking at the lives of other people. So what is Fielder really trying to tell us about the world and ourselves? And why has he decided to do it in such a weird way? Let’s take a closer look at Nathan Fielder’s special brand of unreality.

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