If you’ve read the buzz about Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, you know the Portlandia co-stars have an amazingly close but platonic relationship. They even text one another every night before bed, but have never shared a bed, in the sexual sense.
We caught up with Brownstein and Armisen at the show’s star-studded season premiere in New York and chatted them up about their wonderfully strange bond. Also in attendance were SNL comedy powerhouses Kristen Wiig, Seth Myers, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, some of whom have guest star spots on the series.
Brownstein, ur-riot grrrl in her days as headwoman of Sleater Kinney, has been in romantic relationships with both men and women before, but she’s never had anything like her friendship with Fred. She tells us in the video above that the two have an “adult relationship with the energy of a middle-school friendship.”
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Armisen, a longtime SNL staple, said that he prefers playing a woman over a man because he can escape gender cages. “As a girl, I can let myself go,” he told Queerty. “If I’m a guy, I’m still a guy. If I’m a girl, I’m like, hey, this is not me. I don’t have a vagina, so I can be this whole other thing.”
Jonathan Krisel (left), creator and director of Portlandia, dreamt up the best adjective for Carrie and Fred’s relationship: “post-sexual.”
“It’s the most otherworldly thing,” he told Queerty. “The good thing about it, is that it’s super creative. It’s good that they are different sexes, I think, because they’re supporting each other and pushing each other. It takes the pressure off. If it was two girls, that could get catty sometimes. If it was two guys, that can get competitive.”
Portlandia‘s second episode hits the IFC Channel Friday at 10pm EST.
Photos via IFC, Evan Mulvihill
newcityspot
Looking forward to Season 2 having momentum throughout. Season 1 had a really bad drop off after like the 5th episode. It was painful to watch the latter half of the season knowing they had run out of material and were filling in the rest with whatever, which happen to be really unfunny.
Kurt
And we’re supposed to care about a platonic relationship because…?
Esculapio Mitiríades Torquemada de la Cueva
@Kurt: I don’t know. Because they’re cool, interesting people?
Tim
“Post-sexual” is something a person from Portland would say. I am a HUGE Sleater-Kinney fan and totally dig Carrie’s new band, Wild Flag, but I never find this show funny. Each sketch is very one-dimensional and the improved parts are just awkward. The fast cuts and editing make it seem like they just go on for hours hoping something will be funny that they can then stitch together. I still love Carrie…
NateB79
@Esculapio Mitiríades Torquemada de la Cueva: This all the way. Some people act like it’s a requirement to be a snarky dick and belittle other’s opinions on here.
John-David
That New Yorker profile was super interesting — espesh the parts about carrie’s life. I loved season 1 (save a few awkward sketches — sparkle pony?) and I loved the premier of season 2 last week. h8rs can suck it.
LandStander
Living in Portland and having been here all my life, I love this show. It really catches the feel 🙂
WTF
Did you just type “espesh”, John-David? Can I throw a brick through a computer? Anyway, never seen the show but it sounds like these people are all going to a lot of trendy buzzwording effort to describe a platonic friendship. I can’t believe I read this.
Lynn
Wow, that video was painful to watch. You could tell she wanted to give him the Brownstein attitude lol