and utter chaos and destruction.
Here, thePortlandiaplayers relive the sketch that began on a wing and a prayer.
Its shorthand for This is artistic.
Or: Now that theres a bird on it, you should put a frame around it.
Cracking the hosts passive-aggressive relationship was key to the sketchand to the show.
It happened late in the planning stages.BROWNSTEIN:At first we were thinking of a more low-key artisan couple.
That they were a little more controlling of things.
That became the formula for all the sketches.
What did you do with my cup?
Which never made it into the actual piece.
Those characters are a really good example.
They are really buttoned up and fastidious, but theyre secretly rage-filled and angry.
We didnt even really know what the format was going to be.
The piece has a very chopped-up feeling, so I remember thinking, This is nothing.
I was crossing my fingers.ARMISEN:I wasnt used to Jon as a director.
This was all brand-new.
He wanted us to separate the words.
I didnt understand what was happening, but I trusted it.
Never does she play the usual part in a sketch where theyre going, Who are these crazy people?
The button is the irony of us being grossed out by a little bird.
Its just a weird animal to have on set.KRISEL:And it wasnt a professional movie pigeon.
Just give it a button?
[Note: It involved digital-editing magic, not animal cruelty.]
And the button was Carrie vomiting because then Fred went, Ew, gross!
So I said, Put the gross!
back at the end after they kill the bird, so theyre saying gross!
to the bird.KRISEL:It looked good enough that you kind of get the idea.
(What are the odds of that?
That was so crazy.
And right on the podium.
that I realized it was something.BROWNSTEIN:Peopleyellingit.ARMISEN:They still do.
[Put a bird On it!]
I suspected the same thing might happen with the Spike character when he was screaming Bicycle rights!
I thought, Oh, thats sort of a thing too.
But Put a bird on it!
And I feel too self-conscious wearing things with birds now.
So its ruined birds for me.
Portlandiaairs Thursdays on IFC>
