The World of Simon Rich

Every once in a while something comes along that seems made for you. I felt it when I first heard The Smiths; I was sure of it when I first read Dan Rhodes, and this week I felt it when listening to Simon Rich. When people produce art that you love, it feels as though your personality has been lifted by a skilled ghostwriter and transformed into articulacy you’re incapable of. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does it’s so exciting, because you then look at the artist's back catalogue and think, “How have I missed all this!” The regret soon fades as you relish the wealth of material you'll now have to catch up on.

Simon Rich is the boy wonder of the humorist scene. A prodigious talent, he signed his first book deal when he was still a student at Harvard University. On graduating he became a staff writer for American institution, Saturday Night Live. It wasn’t long before he received the call to be part of Pixar's creative time, where he would go on to provide additional material for Inside Out. With a sitcom based on his short stories gaining critical acclaim Rich has his fingers in a lot of creative pies.

Rich had something to do with this.

Looking to conquer his next medium, Rich’s imaginative sails have reached radio where he can now be heard in The World Of Simon Rich. Following a recommendation in the Radio Times, I downloaded the first episode and was quickly bowled over by a mind at play. The radio show is a platform for Rich’s writing with most of the contributions coming from his short story collection, The Last Girlfriend on Earth and other stories. Rich reads a few of the pieces, but many of the vignettes are performed by the vanguards of the British alternative comedy scene: Tim Key, Peter Serafinowicz, Cariad Lloyd and Joseph Morpurgo. This is a sensible move on Rich’s part as it elevates the show from being a collection of readings into something more distinct and engaging, benefitting as it does from the best vocal talents in the country.

Download the iPlayer App - it's great.

The centre-piece of episode 1 was the story Unprotected read by Tim Key. This to my mind is a distillation of the author’s talent: a rude premise romantically executed. The story is narrated by a condom, personified to tell his life journey from the factory warehouse to the wallet where it's raised. What is stunning about the storytelling is the intricate details that Rich includes; for instance, when the condom gets to the wallet he describes how:  'I also met photograph of girl human. Very beautiful. Eyes like Blockbuster Video. Blue, blue, blue.' 

Why the banal simile? Because the condom's world is limited to a wallet, it is only be able to compare the girl to things it’s seen, hence the Blockbuster Video card. Another genius moment in the story is how the condom’s life is entwined with his owner Jordi Hirschfield As Jordi gets older, the Velcro Batman wallet is displaced for stiff brown leather, meaning Condom must vacate his comfy home for more austere surroundings, a relocation he is not happy about: 

‘I am angry. What was wrong with Velcro Batman? It had many pockets and was warm. I miss my friends and I am lonely.’ 

This transference marks Jordi’s move to adulthood, a transition that he hopes leads to a sexual awakening; however, will this desire for sexual gratification come at a cost to our narrator? Essentially, it’s a grown up Toy Story 3 with the waste paper bin being the incinerator – don't fear Condom's fate though, as in most of Rich's tale the climax isn't what you think.

Tim Key voices the condom.

Episode 2 that aired this week followed a similar format with quick sketches alongside longer narratives. My favourite was The Adventure of The Spotted Tie, a pastiche of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock stories. As in the original, Watson narrates the puzzle Holmes must solve. Unlike the original, Holmes’ private life is the source of the mystery, with his girlfriend Alyssa the focus for his investigation. It appears that when looking through her overnight bag Holmes found a spotted tie – a spotted tie that doesn't belong to him. How could a man’s tie end up in his girlfriend’s possession? Suspicious, Watson asks: “Where is she now?” Holmes replies, “With her personal trainer, Jeremy. They meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. For her thumb.” For Watson this is an open and shut case; for Holmes, a man in love, ardor has blindsided logic. Like much of Rich’s work, it’s a story that shows how love conquers all – including the intellect of men.

Unable to get enough of Rich’s mercurial talent, I bought The Last Girlfriend on Earth and other stories where these two stories come from. Personification and pastiche are just two comedic skills in the man’s armoury: there’s analogy too in Occupy Jen Street where an Occupy protestor sets up an encampment at a girl’s house, refusing to move until she reciprocates his love demands; there’s Sci-Fi in the Archeological Excavation Report which brilliantly deconstructs 21^st century mating rituals from the vantage point of the distant future; there’s surrealism in Is it Just Me? which tells the modern story of a girl’s relationship with Adolf Hitler. The movement between styles gives the work a kaleidoscopic quality, imbued as it is with a revolving richness that constantly entertains.

The brilliant Simon Rich.

So there you have it. I’ve fallen hook, line and sinker into The World of Simon Rich. If anyone wants to join me down this rabbit hole, then turn on Radio 4, Thursday at 10pm.  I promise you, it's a pretty good place to be.

Previous episodes of The World of Simon Rich are available through the BBC iPlayer Radio App.

The Last Girlfriend on Earth and other stories is £1.99 on Amazon.