{"id":168760,"date":"2022-05-25T12:05:57","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T17:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=168760"},"modified":"2022-05-25T15:06:04","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T20:06:04","slug":"hacks-embraces-ted-lasso-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/hacks-embraces-ted-lasso-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hacks Embraces the Ted Lasso Effect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A deep-dive into the surprisingly uncynical world of HBO’s Hacks<\/em> and Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso<\/em>, and how one embraces the other.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I do always remember this thing he told me about this one team. Their motto was trust the process. And I remember thinking that\u2019s a good philosophy. Ya know, like every game, win or lose, it\u2019s just part of it. You\u2019re on the path to something bigger so the individual setbacks don\u2019t get you down. So, maybe just trust the process.<\/p>– Hacks<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Those words could be spoken by Ted Lasso as he drinks a pint with Coach Beard. Or, perhaps in Rebecca’s office offering a reason to believe in the future of AFC Richmond as a Premier League leader. But it’s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those lines come from Hacks.<\/em> A series that centers around the professional relationship between a young comedy writer and a legendary stand-up comedian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Actress
Jean Smart<\/a> as Deborah Vance <\/em>in Hacks. Image via HBO Max<\/a>. <\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the outside looking in, both series couldn’t be more different. Ted Lasso<\/a><\/em> is set in the male-centric world of professional soccer.  A fish-out-of-water story that follows an out-of-his-depth American football coach unexpectedly recruited to coach an English Premier League soccer team. Ridiculed and undermined, he eventually overcomes skepticism to win over the hearts of the owner, team, and fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hacks<\/em> is decidedly female-driven. Stand-up comedian Deborah Vance needs to keep her relevance since the casino where she performs wants to cut back on her performances. Brash comedy writer Ava cannot find work because of an offensive tweet. Her only option? To work for Deborah, who reluctantly hires her to revamp her material. Over time, they grow in respect and empathy for one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Optimism and Empathy Reign<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Promo
Promo picture of the cast of the comedy series <\/em>Ted Lasso. Image via Apple TV+<\/a>. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ted Lasso<\/em> and Hacks<\/em> both share something unique in the world of comedy\u2014optimism and empathy. Optimism stems from believing that your efforts will result in positive, desirable, and favorable outcomes, even when it’s hard and the odds aren’t in your favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a moment in Ted Lasso’s Season 1 finale when optimism and empathy are fully displayed. The team is demoralized, losing badly at halftime. Ted enters the locker room under a handmade sign that says “Believe” and quietly and confidently expresses this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I\u2019ve been hearing this phrase you all got over here that I\u2019m not too crazy about\u2014it\u2019s the hope that kills you. You all know that? I disagree. I think it\u2019s the lack of hope that comes and gets ya. See, I believe in hope. I believe in believe.<\/p>– Ted Lasso<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Humor is generally based on cynicism or chaos.\u00a0 A pie in the face, an unexpected squirting flower, a slip on a banana peel.\u00a0<\/strong> From Archie Bunker to Rosanne to Jerry Seinfeld, most lead comic characters have an expectation that the outcome will be bad or you\u2019ll be disappointed.\u00a0 Such as this joke: You want to know why New Yorkers are so cynical?\u00a0 The light at the end of the tunnel is New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Ted Lasso<\/em> burst onto the scene in August 2020, it wasn’t exactly an optimistic time. It was five months after the eruption of Covid-19, people were locked down, and businesses were closing abruptly. The economy was in a freefall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, here’s a main character undergoing immense turmoil himself\u2014in the midst of a divorce, hired to fail, riddled with anxiety, ridiculed in the press, and professionally unfamiliar with the rules that he’s tasked to master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he’s guided by kindness and faith, and regularly engages in emotional conversations with teammates, superiors, and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the most masculine of worlds\u2014the locker room, the playing field, the executive offices, the local pub\u2014he bakes biscuits, advises on relationships, and inspires a narcissist to be a team player. He respects his female boss and routinely upends any notion of toxic masculinity, even as he represses his trauma.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, this is storytelling<\/a>. There must always be conflict and flaws in every character, even the kindest, most compassionate, and most empathetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hacks<\/em> has a sense of optimism and empathy, yet approaches it from a completely different angle. Deborah Vance is no Ted Lasso\u2014brash, blunt, independent, and exacting, she’s not baking Ava a homemade biscuit or giving credit when due.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, want to talk about optimism? Jean Smart, who plays Deborah Vance, is 70-years-old. Let’s say that again. In a hit comedy series, the lead character is a 70-year-old woman regarded as sexual, intelligent, funny, and most impressive of all, in charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her character rose through the comedy ranks in the 1970s. It was challenging for women at that time to be taken seriously, let alone be successful. Despite personal losses and career setbacks, she bounced back at every turn, not only surviving but thriving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Characters with the Courage to Care<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Actresses
Kaitlin Olson<\/a> and Jean Smart in Hacks. Image via HBO Max<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second season of Hacks<\/em> starts with Deborah at a low point, losing her coveted position headlining in a popular Vegas hotel, preparing to test new material on the road, and coming to a painful misconception on why a personal relationship with a man she desires didn’t work out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a moment where she steps up emotionally for her often estranged daughter DJ, reluctantly attending her son-in-law Aiden’s UFC fight. He’s a brutal underdog, something Deborah can relate to immensely.  Emboldened to flip the script of his certain defeat, she barrels down courtside and gives the weak and beaten Aiden a pep talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cynical take would be to play Deborah’s galvanizing as the brunt of a joke. Have her give a rousing speech, only for him to get his ass kicked. Instead, the Lasso effect kicks in\u2014the embracing of optimism, the courage of the writers to give her a win, and it not feel predictable but inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deborah is crafted as a character who rises when her expectations are at their lowest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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All Swear Ted Lasso Is an Effing Delight <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Both shows live in rarefied air, embraced by critics and fans alike. For one such fan, Crisann Morgan, Ted Lasso<\/em> gave her a sense of optimism and hope, making her battle with cancer lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crisann told us her friend, actor Todd Stashwick<\/a> knew how meaningful the show was to her during this challenging period and he had a connection to several of the actors involved with Ted Lasso<\/em>. In fact, Todd was the one who suggested to the producers that Hannah Waddingham<\/a> would be perfect for Rebecca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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