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Breaking Down the Nathan for You Controversy at the Center of The Rehearsal Season 2 Episode 2

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In the second episode of Season 2, Nathan Fielder’s popular HBO show, The Rehearsal, is already pushing boundaries with its daring concepts. Given his history of creating ingeniously eccentric projects like The Curse and Nathan for You, we wouldn’t be surprised by this!

One key episode of the mid-2010s Comedy Central series, “Nathan for You,” where Nathan Fielder devised unconventional marketing strategies for struggling businesses, is integral to the current season of “The Rehearsal.” After the first episode set the stage for the season’s relevant theme, aviation safety, Episode 2 ventures into fresh, unpredictable territories (which is characteristic of Fielder’s approach). One intriguing detour in this episode examines the connection between a “Nathan for You” episode being pulled from Paramount+ and the mission of “The Rehearsal” to guide individuals through complex real-life predicaments.

In the Season 2 opener, Fielder proposes his hypothesis that several plane accidents occur because co-pilots struggle to voice their concerns to their commanders when they suspect something is wrong. In Episode 2, Fielder establishes the context by likening these predicaments to his own unsuccessful attempts to challenge Paramount over removing Season 3, Episode 2 of Nathan for You from their platform due to “sensitivities.” In a 2015 episode, titled “Horseback Riding/Man Zone,” Fielder, who is Jewish, collaborated with a rabbi to develop an excessive Holocaust awareness-themed display for his outdoor apparel brand Summit Ice. This venture was inspired by Fielder discovering that Taiga, the manufacturer of a jacket he wore during Nathan for You filming, had paid tribute to a Holocaust denier in one of their winter catalogs, which featured items like several Nazi flags and a reproduction of the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign from Auschwitz’s main entrance.

The charitable initiative, initially a stunt, led to celebrities like Jack Black and John Mayer being seen in Summit Ice jackets following the episode’s broadcast. In less than two months, the clothing line recorded sales exceeding $300,000, with all earnings donated to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. In Episode 2 of The Rehearsal, Fielder mentions that Summit Ice has since amassed millions for Holocaust awareness and considers it his “greatest accomplishment.

Via this arrangement, it becomes clear that he was informed about a decision made by Paramount+ Germany towards the end of 2023 to eliminate the episode in their region. This decision was likely prompted due to discomfort with any content relating to anti-Semitism following the Israel/Hamas conflicts.

Fielder further explains that Germany’s action sparked interest from various European Paramount branches, causing the episode to be removed worldwide due to the influence of “Paramount+ Germany’s ideology” spreading globally. He also mentions that during the filming of Season 2 of The Rehearsal, a search on the Paramount+ app returned 50 results for “Nazi,” 10 for “Hitler,” but none for “Judaism.” Despite this, the Nathan for You episode remains unavailable on Paramount+ as of Sunday. However, enthusiastic viewers can stream it on Max or buy it to watch on Prime Video.

To address his predicament with Paramount, Fielder initially employed a unique strategy: he enlisted an actor to portray himself in the emails he had previously exchanged with the streamer about the subject matter. As Fielder puts it, “The challenge lay in the fact that Paramount was currently broadcasting another series of mine, a scripted drama that hadn’t been renewed yet.” He continued, “Given the context, how I communicated with them could potentially impact my career, much like it does for co-pilots.

In an attempt to find a productive approach when interacting with Paramount, Fielder constructs a set reminiscent of a Nazi war room and hires an actor to simulate sparring conversations in German-inflected English. Initially, he admits that while he acknowledges Germany may be overcompensating for its past, by limiting the expression of Jewish artists, they might unintentionally convey the wrong message about their true values. “It might surprise you,” he says, “but we share the same objectives.

After prompting the actor to speak more spontaneously, the scene concludes with his co-actor stepping out of character to express doubts about Fielder truly being there to comprehend Paramount’s viewpoint. In reality, it appears that Fielder is deliberately shaping a situation that would undeniably favor him.

As a devoted cinephile, I’m saying this not to advocate for any specific viewpoint, be it Paramount+ or the German one. Instead, I find myself questioning your apparent seriousness. It seems less about genuine inquiry and more about personal grievances. Why not take the time to comprehend us instead of using your platform to tarnish our image?

This instance appears to directly address the argument Fielder appears to be presenting regarding the authenticity of people’s expressions, particularly their sincerity. More specifically, as TIME TV critic Judy Berman stated, “it raises questions about whether this comedian, known for his history of humiliating others dating back to Nathan for You, can manage to gain serious consideration from others on an issue he truly feels passionate about.

But he certainly walks a tightrope to make it to that revelation.

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2025-04-28 07:06

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