In an episode of the comedic television series "Nathan for You", host Nathan Fielder explores the world of witchcraft and attempts to use it as a marketing strategy for a struggling clothing boutique. The episode titled "The Ghost Realtor" follows Fielder’s signature style of blending deadpan humor with real-world business advice, as he devises a plan to attract customers using supernatural themes. In his quest to revamp the store's image, Fielder enlists the help of a local witch named Julie. She introduces him to various witchcraft practices, including tarot card readings and spellcasting. Fielder proceeds to incorporate these elements into the store's marketing campaign, requesting that Julie perform witchcraft rituals to bring good luck and prosperity to the business. The main idea of this episode is the unique and unconventional approach that Fielder takes in trying to help struggling businesses succeed.
No? Us neither, but who are we to question his genius?
This particular moment was from a special called The Claw of Shame , in which Fielder claims that he must demonstrate to the public that he is willing to put his own embarrassment on the line if he is to continue embarrassing the business leaders on his show. The escape artist revealed that over the past month, he had been learning how to pick the lock on a pair of police handcuffs, all in preparation for the big act, which involved freeing himself from a solid steel frame.
The main idea of this episode is the unique and unconventional approach that Fielder takes in trying to help struggling businesses succeed. He goes beyond traditional marketing strategies and ventures into the realm of witchcraft, hoping to tap into its potential as a promotional tool. The comedic element lies in the juxtaposition of the serious content of witchcraft with Fielder's deadpan delivery and his genuine belief in the effectiveness of his marketing techniques.
It was clear right away I was drowning in talent.
One of the favorable aspects of Nathan For You is the show’s looseness with its own rules. Nathan often deviates from his original plan, getting caught up in twenty different schemes only to return to his first one. Of course, it doesn’t happen often. When it does, though, it’s more entertaining than following a linear path. With “Shipping Logistics Company,” Nathan manages to subvert the audience’s attention to a larger ambition. He does this with the charm and grace we’re accustomed to. And, best of all, it’s completely unexpected.
This week, Nathan wants to help an LA shipping broker save a little cash. Obviously, he can’t take over all of the packages and accounts the broker works with so he choose the smallest (yet equally hardest) item to work with: smoke detectors. The plan is to rebrand smoke detectors as instruments in order to avoid tariffs. Take a minute to appreciate how expediently Nathan comes up with the ideas. Yes, there is a full team of producers behind him but lets pretend Nathan is the only brain behind the outfit. The broker tells Nathan that smoke detectors are difficult to ship and end up heavily taxed. He doesn’t even blink at the challenge. Say what you will about Nathan – he’s awkward, sociability is non-existent, women avoid him, etc. – but he is nothing short of brazen.
Quickly, with almost no real reference to the starting point, Nathan turns focus of the episode to starting a band. There are a couple of steps he takes in order to arrive at the next evolution of the idea but all in all he lands there fairly quickly. From hiring a blues legend to make an instructional video to rebranding the boxes the detectors come in, Nathan is ready for any roadblock. He eventually builds the band -- The Banzai Predicament –using flyers and not Craigslist. Replacing the skilled guitarist’s instrument with a lone smoke detector turns into the band needing to release an original hit. In one scene, the viewer gets a possible hint as to why Nathan went down the musical route. He options a song he wrote and oh so painfully sings against his lead singer’s. Obviously, the band chooses the latter. It’s here that Nathan’s true feelings are revealed ("And that's great. Because the best song won and that's what we wanted”). In one sentence, his dreams have been dashed – almost as if this entire venture was for him to reach the singing spotlight.
The second half of the episode deals with one of the more industry perilous plans Nathan’s had. Tricking a poor fool into thinking he was hired by Shell Corporate, holding a fake town hall in Shell’s name to “apologize” for recent oil spills and presenting a fake promo (using the song from the band) only to use said promo as a platform to protest against the corporation. There’s no sane way to describe anything that occurs on Nathan For You. Which begs the question: why? Why is he doing this? For the smoke detectors! They need to be seen as instruments. Again, he manages to trick KTLA. And, again, the video is no longer able to be found. Regardless, the scheme works. All of it. A small package of smoke detectors are able to be shipped with zero tariffs attached, the band sells an original song and some guy had a job for a few days. So what if the broker was entirely skeptical?
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While he still hasn’t earned my trust back from last week’s escapade, Nathan manages to weave yet another interesting plan. I have no idea how he curves around loopholes and things of that nature. He’s a master at what he does.
But while the majority of us are able to nurse our bruised egos in private, those who broadcast their confusion to the world via social media are left looking somewhat red-faced, as one or two people recently discovered.
Fielder's experiment with witchcraft ultimately proves unsuccessful, as the boutique fails to attract a significant increase in customers. However, the episode serves as a platform for exploring the eccentricities of the business world and the lengths to which individuals may go to try and achieve success. Overall, the "Nathan for You" episode on witchcraft showcases Fielder's knack for unconventional solutions and his ability to find comedy in unexpected places. It highlights the allure and mystique surrounding witchcraft, while also satirizing the world of marketing and the desperate measures businesses may resort to in order to thrive..
Reviews for "Nathan Fielder's Witchcraft Masterclass: Lessons from Nathan for You"
1. Emily - 2/5 - I was excited to watch "Nathan for you witchcraft" as I'm a fan of the show, but this episode fell flat for me. The whole concept of Nathan Fielder trying to create a witchcraft business seemed forced and lacked the usual cleverness and wit that the show is known for. The interactions with the so-called witches felt awkward and uninteresting, and the humor just didn't land for me. Overall, it felt like a failed experiment, and I hope that future episodes of "Nathan for you" will return to the level of quality I'm used to.
2. Brian - 1/5 - I found "Nathan for you witchcraft" to be a complete waste of time. The entire episode seemed like a desperate attempt to create humor by incorporating witchcraft, but it just wasn't funny. The jokes were incredibly weak, the situations seemed forced, and the overall concept felt like a cheap gimmick. I was left feeling disappointed and confused as to why this episode was even made. I hope that the show reverts back to its usual clever and intelligent comedy in the next episodes.
3. Samantha - 2/5 - As a fan of the show, I usually enjoy Nathan Fielder's unique approach to solving business problems. However, "Nathan for you witchcraft" missed the mark for me. The episode felt disjointed and lacked the usual flow that keeps me engaged. The attempts at humor with the witchcraft theme felt forced and fell flat. It seemed like the episode was more interested in creating awkward situations rather than delivering the clever and insightful comedy that I usually expect from the show. Overall, I was disappointed with this episode and hope that future episodes get back on track.