Birding IRL, and back to the couch to watch Tuca and Bertie

May 19, 2019 6:15 PM

Ryan F. Mandelbaum is birder, who took to the hobby as a way to log off and get outside (Gizmodo), as something of a real-life Pokémon adventure. But now he's inside again, paying close attention to Tuca & Bertie (YouTube, official trailer; previously on MeFi) because he's trying to identify All The Birds (io9).
posted by filthy light thief (14 comments total)

speak of the devil, I was just watching this. It had occurred to me that it might actually have more breasts than GoT, although for some reason the raunchiness in Tuca and Bertie is fun and energizing instead of making me feel sad and achy.

I appreciate that this is one of the few shows I know to address high-anxiety days and the panic attack vector that is the grocery store.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:27 PM on May 19, 2019 [6 favorites]

yess, I just finished mainlining Tuca and Bertie this weekend, and I am excited for All of the Related Content.

(Also I would like to second the recognition of how panicky the grocery store can be. And also I just almost lost it when picking up a pizza, and knowing that I was just Bertie-ing out helped ground me. Fuck I love this show.

Also it probably has more boobs than GoT but, uh, handles sexual violence...rather differently. They are very positive boobs, basically.)
posted by kalimac at 6:47 PM on May 19, 2019 [3 favorites]

No mention of Bertie's cassowary coworker? That one was my favorite
posted by emjaybee at 9:10 PM on May 19, 2019

Speckle is trans now
posted by Going To Maine at 12:18 AM on May 20, 2019 [6 favorites]

everyone please post more about this show

why isn't it on fanfare yet
posted by DoctorFedora at 12:55 AM on May 20, 2019 [5 favorites]

I know nothing about bird watching, but this prompted me to identify by song the unusual birds I heard the other day. Turns out they were Acadian Flycatchers, not exactly a rare bird, but well outside their normal range. Aside from hearing them, the only thing I observed was that there appeared to be a small bird-like thing up in a tree. They're said to be usually identified by the distinctive noise they make though, so it's probably an accurate ID. It did draw a small crowd of people pointing excitedly at the trees, so I'll leave it to them to report this bird out of place to the proper authorities.
posted by sfenders at 5:22 AM on May 20, 2019 [2 favorites]

Artists and illustrators on social media are creating "birdsonas" for themselves, which I love and also sends me into a tailspin of deciding what my birdsona would be (should my birdsona be local to my area? represent some aspect of my personality? or should I just pick the most awesome bird? halp!).
posted by Rora at 5:37 AM on May 20, 2019 [2 favorites]

why isn't it on fanfare yet

be the change etc

(I haven't watched it yet, but it's on my list. At first I was taken aback by how much it looked like Bojack Horseman, but then, Futurama looked a hell of a lot like The Simpsons and I stopped noticing after about 3 episodes because it was so clearly its own thing - is Tuca and Bertie like that?)
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:27 AM on May 20, 2019

It really is. To the extent that Bojack Horseman is about male emotions and growth, or lack thereof, Tuca and Bertie is about female emotions and growth, or lack thereof. It's also just really funny and surreal.

Late last night, I saw episode 9, which references child sexual abuse and healing, and it was ... well, it was beautiful, and it was really something I needed. I wish it had been around when I was younger. It explains a lot about some of Bertie's choices, I think, although I haven't seen the whole season. If that sounds too heavy, rest assured that there is a lot more screentime for the sentient pubic lice.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:36 AM on May 20, 2019 [4 favorites]

From TFA: I think to the right of Holland is a domestic duck, descended from the ubiquitous mallard.
...didn't that character identify herself as a goose?

Some fun casting in ep 3: Michelle Dockery as Lady Netherfeld, and Siobhan Thompson, who you might have enjoyed in "Anglophenia" on YouTube, as the pervy birdwatcher.

The overwhelming excellence of Tuca & Bertie inspired me to start listening to the Baby Geniuses podcast, which Lisa Hanawalt co-hosts. Thumbs up!
posted by polecat at 1:29 PM on May 20, 2019

At first I was taken aback by how much it looked like Bojack Horseman

From IMDb:
“Lisa Hanawalt was born on June 19, 1983 in Santa Clara, California, USA as Lisa Lenore Hanawalt. She is a producer and production designer, known for Tuca & Bertie (2019), BoJack Horseman (2014) and The Exquisite Corpse Project (2012).”
posted by terrapin at 5:16 PM on May 20, 2019

I loved this show so much that I immediately started a rewatch.

My friends know me as a crazy bird lady (my apartment is full of my free-flying flock of five), but I also identify with Bertie the crazy bird/lady now (I have terrible anxiety too).

I could identify most of the birds in the show, but it's interesting that Speckle looks more like a female robin than a male! And yes, the coworker identifies herself as a goose, not a duck.
posted by fiercecupcake at 9:15 AM on May 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

why isn't it on fanfare yet

I done did it, for one episode at least.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:31 PM on May 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

I done did it, for one episode at least.

I did a full season one because making all of the individual ones is going to take quite a long time.
posted by Going To Maine at 12:04 AM on May 28, 2019 [1 favorite]