Nauseating people often claim that it’s not the food that makes a great meal but rather the company that you share it with. And if It’s on Me is any indication, they’re probably right.
Featuring “Chef Boyar-Key” (director/producer Kire Paputts) and his thoroughly intriguing musical sidekick, Larabee, the series sees the pair raid their local dollar store—Dollar Tree Canada, in a great piece of mutually beneficial arts patronage—to try and create favorites like shepherd’s pie and fish tacos.
As you can probably imagine, meat is the major issue. It seems unlikely that even the “Delicious 4-in-1 Pasta & Pizza Seasoning Mix” is ever going to disguise the taste of the off-brand Spam. Nor will the canned peas negate the dire consequences of basing a meal around a foodstuff that is, as we speak, killing an entire country.
But just like those smug folk claim, it really isn’t about the food. It’s about Larabee—an ageless, feathered-haired busker who still, one day, hopes to be a star.
And it may happen yet: He’s fantastic to watch. Larabee misses his cues, conflates the “origin” of a dish with his own private remembrances, and becomes visibly annoyed about not being interrogated further about his infected abdominal wound—which he proudly displays. But it all works because he’s so clearly a guy who remains unaffected by trend or attitude. And that’s an admirable thing.
It’s not the first time that Paputts has used Larabee in one of his productions. He’s a guest on another series that he has going, Chillin’ With Dylan where the host Dylan Harman—who has Down syndrome—manages to find out a little bit of his backstory. As you might guess, it’s not all rosy, but with a Yuletide special of It’s on Me apparently imminent, at least he’s got Christmas dinner sorted.
Screengrab via Made By Other People/Vimeo
