Idiot Abroad: That’s Not My Voice

"I'm cold," Karl whimpered. "I'm cold."

On Idiot Abroad, the producers, including Ricky Gervais, give their lead character, idiot Karl, who’s really not so dumb, a bucket list of exciting options. Each week he chooses from the list. This week, he chooses “whale watching.” However, those two words don’t come close to conveying the litany of trials and ancillary activities for our hero to endure before he reaches his goal. The show’s logic flows like this: Karl wants to go whale watching. That happens in Alaska. What do we know about Alaska? Ice road truckers. Polar bears. Eskimo. Snow, ice, and mountains. Karl’s whale watching must involve all of these things, too.

Soon enough, Karl finds himself slogging for nine hours through five-foot deep snow guided by an Alaskan who giggles each time Karl falls over and patronizes him by saying “awesome” when Karl can keep his skis straight enough to slide 10 feet down a slope. Continue reading