COMIC RELIEF

Using ‘Taskmaster’ tasks as motivation

The British panel show is the greatest television of all time. 

By KIMBERLY AGUIRRE
Alice Park / Daily Trojan

When life gets tough, I always know how to make it better. Talk with friends and family? Sure, that’s great. Go outside and do something I enjoy? Undeniably a very good option. More important, though, is watching the British panel show “Taskmaster.”

The show takes five comedians and challenges them to complete ridiculous tasks like “Make the best parachute for this wooden spoon. Slowest and most dramatic fall wins” and “Make this coconut look like a businessman.” The comedians’ attempts are then judged by the almighty Taskmaster — 6-foot-8 comedian Greg Davies — and awarded one through five points. Davies is aided by his meek assistant “Little Alex Horne” who often becomes the punching bag of the jokes. Horne is also the mastermind behind the show and its tasks.


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The show has been a huge success with numerous international remakes such as “Bäst i test” in Sweden and “Stormester” in Denmark. The original British version is set to premiere its 18th full-length season on Thursday. “Taskmaster” has truly struck a chord with millions of people worldwide.

I’m 30 installments into “Comic Relief” and I always knew the “Taskmaster” edition would come. I’ve watched each season of “Taskmaster” at least three times. I’ve watched a few upwards of eight times. If you find me on my couch, it’s likely an episode of “Taskmaster” is on the TV.

All my favorite comedians have come from this show. The stickers on my laptop and the posters in my room are representative of my love for the show.

Moments like when Mawaan Rizwan attempted to put helium in an egg or Desiree Burch tried to pop a balloon with a rubber duck have made me full-on belly laugh alone. I could have the most horrible day — three hours of sleep, slip in the rain, fight with a friend — and I would still have “Taskmaster” to turn the day around.

I first discovered the show right at the start of 2020’s lockdown. The team uploads full episodes onto YouTube for free viewing. I finally understood the meaning of love at first sight.

The very first task of the very first season was to “eat as much watermelon as possible.” One contestant failed hilariously, only getting one mouthful of the fruit. Two others smashed the watermelon to bits, with one having to scoop up its remains from the floor. As much as my life revolves around writing, I find it impossible to put into words the comedic genius of this moment — and how much it meant to the high school junior in Zoom classes.

As a lot of people can echo, I lost a lot of motivation in 2020. With online classes and no more extracurriculars, my bed was a very appealing place. I was less engaged in school, less engaged in life.

The discovery of “Taskmaster,” then only nine seasons deep, gave me something to be excited about. My outlook on life was able to shift, even just a little bit. My calculus homework was probably a little less fun than creating a coconut bobsled team, but it was still a task for me to do.

“Take this calculus test. The best grade wins” and “Go on a walk. Most enjoyable time wins” became my new way of thinking when all I wanted to do was stay curled up in bed.

It sounds ridiculous, but it worked for me. And, it still does.

I will admit that as I’ve grown, I have learned better mechanisms to take care of myself, but the tasking always works. I find myself a college senior now, and it feels like I can’t take two steps without someone asking me about my post-graduate plans. I can’t help but be a little stressed out.

That’s when I need to remind myself that sometimes life needs to be taken one task at a time. Cooking a healthy meal or writing a paper on time can be worth five points.

There’s never been a moment where “Taskmaster” hasn’t made my life at least 1% better. So, shoutout to Little Alex Horne and everyone at “Taskmaster” for creating the single greatest television show of all time. For any person needing just the tiniest boost on a tough day, I guarantee that “Taskmaster” is the ultimate cure.

​​Kimberly Aguirre is a senior writing about comedy. Her column, “Comic Relief,” runs every other Tuesday. She is also the editor in chief of the Daily Trojan.

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