Choe Show TV Show Review

By: Ashley Harris-Houdek

Raw, experimental, incredibly fluid, “The Choe Show” is a beautiful reflection of those held to an impossible standard—perspectives from quirky celebrities such as “Bojack Horseman’s” Will Arnett, and “The Office’s” Dwight, Rainn Wilson, to porn stars such as Asa Akira. “The Choe Show” is therapy meets artwork, as Choe guides each guest into a personal exposure of their childhood traumas, addiction, and hope. While he conducts the interview, he creates a unique portrait of his interviewee. 

It is important to understand our host, Los Angeles artist David Choe. With a childhood stemming from abandonment issues and religious trauma, he quickly turned to crime. An artist, mostly of graffiti in his early days, he continually weaved in and out of jail. Choe worked on a mural piece for Facebook in 2005 and accepted Facebook stock as opposed to cash. When Facebook exploded on the internet with the expansion of mobile devices and global wifi access, Choe went from a nobody to a multimillionaire overnight. With this came addiction, an evolution of his art, and darkness. Choe shares his struggle in this therapeutic television show, and in turn, uses this to grow as a human and a creator.

Choe interviews celebrities in an incredibly refreshing and unique style. He creates an extremely safe space for his interviewees by opening up about his past and creating a friendly and informal atmosphere. The interview takes place in Choe’s old family home that he completely reshaped with a colorful paint eruption covering every corner of the building. The space is later described as an “art trap house” by one interviewee, rapper Denzel Curry. Sometimes the interviewees and Choe play with clay while they talk. Other times, they sit in paint-splattered wheelchairs. By creating a haven for celebrities, they can relax and let go of all the bureaucratic expectations typically seen in interviews. Choe guides every piece of the interview with bold empathy. This becomes even more aggressive art. 

The editing of the show is also too notable. The show often weaves and cuts between past interviews when discussing universal topics such as addiction. Director Paco Raterta seamlessly blends the show with animation of 2D sketch art, claymation, and family home videos of Choe’s. This is an entirely new experience for viewership, especially in mainstream television. The blend of visual art, the spirit of childhood, and the raw exposure to taboo topics create something groundbreaking for the viewer: an entirely new experience and a completely new perspective on celebrities who completely unmask themselves.

Choe is the executive producer on the show, meaning he funds a big chunk of his production, which means this show is also one of his artworks. Choe is not trying to create something to appeal to the masses but instead creates a postmodern masterpiece. So far, there have been four episodes released. Each episode is incredibly dense yet flies by as it holds your attention, like an overwhelming rollercoaster. It’s chaotic, just as humans are. You can stream The David Choe Show on Hulu.