FILM I COMEDY

I Used to Like Seth Rogen, I Think

An essay about Seth Rogen and his latest film ‘An American Pickle’

I like Seth Rogen. He is a funny dude. Well, actually, let me rephrase that: I used to like Seth Rogen. I mean, I think once I convinced myself that I liked him.

All I’m trying to say is that his new comedy on HBO Max, An American Pickle, is not funny. It’s simple, silly, and often sore like a muscle strain.

What happened to that Seth Rogen, I wonder.

But hold on, I re-watched The 40-year-old Virgin not too long ago, and he was a confident and likable ass in it. What happened to that Seth Rogen, I wonder. He had a weird beard, dry humor, and swore a lot super casually. His “I-don’t-give-a-shit” attitude was charming.

In his defense, at least I can say that he didn’t write or direct this film, which is a plus. I still believe that he can be funny. You know, like Superbad funny. Which is not excellent, but it’s certainly better than a Jew from 1938 with an awkward accent.

An American Pickle’s plot would’ve made a mediocre comedy in the late ’80s that nobody would remember, apart from Seth Rogen and his bunch. You’ve got to be brave to make such an imbecile film today. He must have thought that playing two dumb characters is more appealing than playing one. I can’t argue with that, well, I could, but I don’t really want to.

An American Pickle is about a Yiddish guy called Herschel (Seth Rogen) who works in a pickle factory in 1919. He accidentally falls into a huge container of brimmed pickles and preserves himself for a hundred years. Then he wakes up in 2020’s Brooklyn. The explanation? “The scientist explains. His logic is good. It satisfies everyone.” I didn’t make that up, that’s what Rogen’s character says in the movie, and I appreciate that meta-humor. That’s the only joke that made me smile throughout the 90 minutes.

Herschel meets his great-grandson (who happens to be also Seth himself minus the beard.) I wouldn’t call that original, but it’s an idea. So, 2020’s Rogen suggests to 1919’s Rogen to move in with him because he’s a lame mobile app freelancer who lives alone. He has no regular income but, magically, he can afford a spacious apartment in Brooklyn, New York. Fine, I admit that I don’t know the current rental prices of Brooklyn apartments in New York. You got me!

Herschel’s grandson Ben is single, and he wears hats with a skill that only a nerd and unemployed guy could have. He decides to educate his great grandfather about the future. He speaks about cabs, iPhone apps, and seltzer making machines. You know, as if these are the most important things out there to know about the future.

In my opinion, Seth Rogen should only make stoner-comedies, like Pineapple Express and This is the End. In those films, at least he’s remotely funny.

The two Rogens don’t get along because Ben is not religious anymore, and he also can’t talk about his dead parents. Herschel can’t get a grasp on this fact, so he gets upset, then beats the shit out of some decent billboard workers and leaves Ben to make pickles on the streets. Can you guess what’s coming? They become enemies. Afterward, a bunch of crazy shit happens that I’m not willing to reveal because it’s not worth telling.

In my opinion, Seth Rogen should only make stoner-comedies, like Pineapple Express and This is the End. In those films, at least he’s remotely funny. I’d watch a few of them occasionally on boring Wednesday nights.

However, now that I think about it, I’m not sure whether I like him or not. And, if you made it this far, you know that this is supposed to be an essay about him. I hope that’s clear. God, I should listen more carefully to other writers and editors when they tell me to be clearer in my writing. You must think that I can’t make up my mind. Damn.

Perhaps, I should write another essay that’s more organized and detailed about the pros and cons of Seth Rogen. I mean, I mentioned him by his name at least 17 times, but maybe that’s not enough emphasizing.

Ok, wait, before you leave, let me tell you at least one thing about American Pickle. It’s a comedy that’s awkwardly unoriginal, unnecessary, and it made me unsure about whether I like Seth Rogen. It’s as far from being funny as 1919 is far from 2020. That is a lot of years. I’m not entirely sure that I like Seth Rogen after this film, but I’m positive that it’s a pile of garbage. But maybe, just maybe, it’s recyclable.

P.S.: Don’t give up, Seth! I still count on you.

If you’re a big film enthusiast like me, you might want to check out this piece as well: