In L.A., Desus and Mero and Dave's GaTa stick Dave Burd with their legal weed bill
The Dave stars also talk mental health, viral success, and unexpectedly sincere cringe comedy
TV News Dave
FX’s surprise hit comedy series Dave nimbly walks the line between continuing the over-hyped rise of viral YouTube rap sensation Lil Dicky (Dave Burd) and deconstructing the way that catching an online wave of overnight popularity can raise some very unlikely people into the national consciousness. On Thursday’s Desus & Mero, Burd, alongside his co-star, friend, and collaborator GaTa (Davionte Ganter), sat down with the road-tripping Bronx hosts to talk about Dave’s unexpectedly heartfelt and funny (and, sure, filthy) examination of the whole, potentially tired “unassuming white guy making it in the rap world” idea. Right after Desus, Mero, and GaTa bailed out of the friendly neighborhood weed emporium and left the perpetually put-upon Burd to pay for their expensive vaporizer.
It the sort of bit that Dave’s Lil Dicky might find himself in on the average episode, Burd’s bashfully ambitious would-be rap star half in and half out of the cool guys’ club. But there seemed to be no hard feelings, as the quartet went for some authentic (and suddenly necessary) Mexican food and talked over Dave’s ability to combine vulnerability with self-aware filthy songs about, say, Lil Dicky’s infamously misshapen penis. As GaTa told the hosts concerning his character’s own autobiographical storyline about his struggles with his mental health, “In our community, we do not talk about mental health.” As Mero joked/not joked about how the relatively relaxed temporary sojourn to L.A. from New York has seen him go two full days without his Xanax, GaTa was earnest in saying, “It’s okay not to be okay,” and praised Dave for making room amidst the undeniable wackiness and incessant dick jokes for, “me with the mental health, him with his insecurities and stuff.”
As on Dave, it’s the seemingly mismatched friendship between the two stars that came through most appealingly throughout. Burd, while taking Desus and Mero up on their signature neon sign offer to do some basketball trash talking, was also up front about his utter inability to embrace the hedonistic excesses his (and his character’s) rap and internet fame throws at him. (And the truly surprising number of actual rap stars willing to collaborate with his nerdy would-be superstar.) While GaTa confessed to an appreciative Desus and Mero his experience with Dave groupies on the road (it’s up to you to know what “double toppy” means), Burd, further blurring the line between character and reality, could only admit to thinking, “Who raised you? You don’t even know me at all!,” to any women inexplicably moved to proposition him after he comes offstage.
Dave’s second season is currently airing on FX.
14 Comments
“Dave is currently airing on FX.”
WHAT?!?!? I had no idea Dave was back!
I’m so sick of this Dave dude getting press.
Why? Have you watched the show? It’s really great. Well written, funny, touches on a lot of taboo subjects in the rap world. Homophobia. Mental health. All done with tact.
Agreed. This show is way funnier than I expected. It’s so gross and juvenile, and yet… weirdly sophisticated in some of its commentary
Okay, why?
Because there are about a million people I’d rather see get a tv show than some white joke rapper.
Tell me you know nothing about Lil Dicky without telling me you don’t…
I know enough to know I’m not into the schtick. I’ve seen his videos, seen his show. Not joining the fuckboy club sorry.
This would have been easier if you just said “I’m an asshole” and left it at that.
Sorry your feelings are so fragile. What’s wrong with someone not sharing your tastes?
Fragile? Nope, I just don’t understand the people that feel the need to announce how much they hate something and then get defensive when someone calls them out on their bullshit. But you do you boo.
Admittedly I don’t go to all the hippest websites or anything, but this is literally the first interview I’ve ever seen with him. He deserves any interview he gets, though, because his show is excellent.
Dave is actually a pretty good show, but it’s a good show in spite of its protagonist, who is such a basic, selfish, delusional asshole who never actually learns anything (despite desperately needing to learn everything) and who substitutes outrageousness for having an actual personality.
I love Desus & Mero!!