By Emily Huizenga

News Correspondent

The cast of Comedy Central’s “Workaholics” discussed 90s movies, nudity and ground beef last Thursday in a phone interview with The Huntington News and several other college newspapers.
Blake Anderson and Anders Holm (commonly referred to as “Ders” both on and off set) of the hit show called in from their Los Angeles couches. The show’s second season premiered Sept. 20 and will continue to air Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.
In between assessing the quality of catering on set and debating who portrayed James Bond best (Pierce Brosnan won – he got brownie points for appearing in “Mrs. Doubtfire”), the guys responded to inquiries about the show’s latest season and their futures as performers.
On the show, Anderson and Holm star alongside real life friend and collaborator Adam DeVine as roof-sitting, pot-smoking, prank-playing college grads turned telemarketers in an office. “Workaholics” is different from most sitcoms, because much of the show’s material not only is written by the actors themselves, but it’s also based off of real events.
“We draw a lot of the stuff from real life,” Anderson said. “But, of course, we gotta juice ‘em up for TV a little bit. It’s quite possible that we’re dumber on TV than in real life, but I don’t know … the verdict’s still out on that one.”
When asked if there was a specific scene or episode they felt represented their real personalities best, Holm quickly answered on behalf of Anderson. In the particular scene he suggested, Anderson catches a glimpse of another man’s genitalia.
“Maybe the stripper dance scene,” Anderson said. “I’m really into getting naked.”
The cast members agreed the show stems greatly from personal experience. In fact, both DeVine and Holm have worked in telemarketing and now incorporate the depressing mundane tendencies of the industry into the show.
“It’s like you’re sitting at a computer trying to read a magazine and simultaneously tell people to save the whales and shit and all they wanna do is threaten you and say they’re calling their lawyers,” Holm said.
Holm on, on the other hand, enjoyed his previous job quite a bit.
“I worked at a butcher’s shop and it was pretty dang cool,” he said. “Just a bunch of crude guys. And it was worth it ’cause you got free ground beef. And everything’s worth it when you’re getting free ground beef.”
When asked if they were poking fun at the stereotypical nine-to-five job, the guys were quick to clarify the show’s intent.
“It’s the best state of mind when you’re just out of college,” Holm said. “We’re exploring that; where you’ve been free for so long to just party every night, and when you’re put in a job like this you’re still in that mindset, so it doesn’t mean that much. You don’t have all the responsibilities of a real job yet, so you can still [mess] around a bit.”
The guys fool around themselves while on the clock. After Holm told of a time DeVine ate a donut soaked in toilet water for $500, Anderson praised the free-style raps Holm performs between takes.
“Yep, we have some pretty wild lunches,” Holm said.
While at the office (they both write and film on the set of the show’s fictional company “TelAmeriCorp”), the guys create episodes by bringing their “nuggets” of ideas to the writer’s table and working together to generate stories. At the heart of this production is Mail Order Comedy, the comedy troupe Anderson and Holm formed in 2006 with fellow friend and series director Kyle Newacheck.
While “Workaholics” originally premiered last year before South Park on Comedy Central, this season, the show will air before Tosh.0 at 10:30 p.m.
“It’s huge,” Holmon said. “[Tosh.0] is the biggest show on the network. Plus, his audience is very similar to ours: 18 to 24-year-olds on the computer all the time.”
As the show’s popularity grows, so does the actors’. All three guys are on Twitter and Tumblr, but Anderson, also known as @UncleBlazer, is especially praised for his quirky tweets, which he says are usually best right after he’s woken up from a hard night of drinking.
When asked if they’re getting laid more because of the show, Holm said, “Oh yeah, I’m having much more sex with my long time girlfriend now than ever before.”
“I will say this,” Anderson said. “I think it’s really cool that there are dudes out there with curly hair like me. I hope and pray that they’re saying they’re me if it helps – shout out to every dude who’s doing that. If it doesn’t help, then just go back to being yourself I guess.”
Although Mail Order Comedy is currently working on a movie script, the guys plan to stick with “Workaholics” for a while – at least as long as it continues to be fun. They deny that adulthood is the hangover of college.
“In your twenties, you get real loose,” Holm said. “All of a sudden you’ve got a job with a little money in your pocket and you’re hanging out with people who are ready to start something new.”
Anderson added that one aspect of getting older is becoming smarter than your parents.
“They know that and you know that and you can hold if over their heads,” Anderson said. “And that’s a lot of fun.”