Unnatural Love
Encyclopedia
"Unnatural Love" is the fifth episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords
. This episode first aired in the United States
on February 15, 2009. It received two 2009 Creative Arts Emmy nominations, for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation and Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for the song "Carol Brown".
is horrified to discover he has accidentally slept with an Australian. Bret
and Murray are also dismayed, but Jemaine can't resist continuing to date
her.
With the help of Dave, Murray forces Bret and Jemaine to visit a nightclub to experience "dancing music
". Inside they discover that the club is overpopulated with men and they sing the song "Too Many Dicks (On the Dancefloor)". Jemaine manages to pick up
a woman at the club but when he awakes at her place the next morning, he discovers that he is surrounded by Australian memorabilia. It is only then that he realises that he has slept with an Australian.
Jemaine tries to sneak out but he can't unlock the door. He phones Bret for help, but the woman catches him and introduces herself as "Keitha". She asks him to stay longer, but he leaves and heads straight to the doctor for a checkup.
Later at a band meeting, Bret reveals to Murray what Jemaine has done. Bret and Murray discuss whether Jemaine should be expelled from the band for his transgression, but they allow him to stay.
Jemaine revisits Keitha to retrieve his missing wallet and over a cup of tea he interrogates her about her family to determine exactly how Australian she is. It turns out she is very Australian, but nonetheless she manages to entice him into bed again.
Jemaine and Keitha start dating, much to the chagrin of not only Murray and Bret, but also Keitha's two Australian housemates. Dave approves of the relationship, claiming, "It's like that movie... Interracial Hole Stretchers 2". After a discussion with Keitha about why she has decided to date him despite the opposition of her friends, Jemaine sings the song "Carol Brown".
The lovers decide to elope to New Jersey
and Jemaine waits for hours at the predetermined meeting spot but Keitha never shows up. Jemaine dejectedly makes his way home, only to discover that the apartment has been cleaned out
by Keitha and her friends. He also discovers a helpless Bret, who has been overpowered by the girls and duct tape
d to the back of the door.
to the Paul Simon
song "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
" (there are later references to Simon and Garfunkel
in the subsequent episode "Prime Minister"). In "50 Ways" the singer suggests a number of ways that a man can escape an unwanted relationship, including "hop on a bus". In "Carol Brown", Jemaine sings "there must be 50 ways that lovers have left me" and it instead describes all the ways that women have left Jemaine, including "Carol Brown" who "took a bus out of town".
Jemaine is accompanied by a chorus
of women playing his ex-girlfriends. They sing about his many deficiencies as a boyfriend.
In the video for the song, Jemaine pretends to play a small videotape editing console with a guitar neck attached to it. Bret plays a similar contraption consisting of a bass guitar
neck attached to a video mixer console.
Director Michel Gondry
has a cameo in the video as Bruce, Jemaine's ex-girlfriend who turned out to be a man.
Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy
is a member of the chorus of ex-girlfriends.
was used for the exterior shots of "The Score Spot" nightclub that Dave, Bret and Jemaine visit.
Keitha's apartment is at http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=124+Ridge+St,+New+York,+New+York,+New+York+10002&sll=40.71929,-73.982985&sspn=0.006757,0.009559&g=126+Ridge+St,+New+York,+New+York,+New+York+10002&ie=UTF8&ll=40.719201,-73.98306&spn=0.006757,0.009559&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbll=40.719277,-73.983018&panoid=HEdA8E31sJI8d_WhpPqylQ&cbp=12,131.80140869191646,,0,-13.319580378146162124 Ridge Street, Manhattan].
The location where Jemaine waits for Keitha before their elopement was filmed at the Avenue of the Americas entrance to Central Park
, just next to the statue of Simón Bolívar.
, the original cowboy from the disco group Village People
.
The khaki
shirt and shorts that Jemaine is wearing when Bret and Murray first meet Keitha is a reference to Steve Irwin
.
Flight of the Conchords (TV series)
Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that debuted on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement...
. This episode first aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on February 15, 2009. It received two 2009 Creative Arts Emmy nominations, for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation and Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for the song "Carol Brown".
Plot synopsis
After a one night stand, JemaineJemaine Clement
Jemaine Clement is a New Zealand comedian, actor and musician, best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Bret McKenzie.-Early life:...
is horrified to discover he has accidentally slept with an Australian. Bret
Bret McKenzie
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie is a comedian, actor, musician and producer, best known for being one half of the Grammy Award winning musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement....
and Murray are also dismayed, but Jemaine can't resist continuing to date
Dating (activity)
Dating is a form of courtship consisting of social activities done by two persons with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse...
her.
Plot
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
". Inside they discover that the club is overpopulated with men and they sing the song "Too Many Dicks (On the Dancefloor)". Jemaine manages to pick up
Pickup artist
Pickup artist describes a man who considers himself to be skilled, or who tries to be skilled at meeting, attracting, and seducing women.The use of pickup in this context, slang for making a casual acquaintance with a stranger in anticipation of sexual relations, dates from at least the World War,...
a woman at the club but when he awakes at her place the next morning, he discovers that he is surrounded by Australian memorabilia. It is only then that he realises that he has slept with an Australian.
Jemaine tries to sneak out but he can't unlock the door. He phones Bret for help, but the woman catches him and introduces herself as "Keitha". She asks him to stay longer, but he leaves and heads straight to the doctor for a checkup.
Later at a band meeting, Bret reveals to Murray what Jemaine has done. Bret and Murray discuss whether Jemaine should be expelled from the band for his transgression, but they allow him to stay.
Jemaine revisits Keitha to retrieve his missing wallet and over a cup of tea he interrogates her about her family to determine exactly how Australian she is. It turns out she is very Australian, but nonetheless she manages to entice him into bed again.
Jemaine and Keitha start dating, much to the chagrin of not only Murray and Bret, but also Keitha's two Australian housemates. Dave approves of the relationship, claiming, "It's like that movie... Interracial Hole Stretchers 2". After a discussion with Keitha about why she has decided to date him despite the opposition of her friends, Jemaine sings the song "Carol Brown".
The lovers decide to elope to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Jemaine waits for hours at the predetermined meeting spot but Keitha never shows up. Jemaine dejectedly makes his way home, only to discover that the apartment has been cleaned out
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
by Keitha and her friends. He also discovers a helpless Bret, who has been overpowered by the girls and duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
d to the back of the door.
"Too Many Dicks (On the Dancefloor)"
After Dave asks Bret and Jemaine to give him more space on the dance floor, the band sings this dance track about a nightclub populated by too many men."Carol Brown"
"Carol Brown" is an homageHomage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
song "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a 1975 hit song by Paul Simon, from his album Still Crazy After All These Years. Backing vocals on the single were performed by Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson and Phoebe Snow.-Creation:...
" (there are later references to Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
in the subsequent episode "Prime Minister"). In "50 Ways" the singer suggests a number of ways that a man can escape an unwanted relationship, including "hop on a bus". In "Carol Brown", Jemaine sings "there must be 50 ways that lovers have left me" and it instead describes all the ways that women have left Jemaine, including "Carol Brown" who "took a bus out of town".
Jemaine is accompanied by a chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
of women playing his ex-girlfriends. They sing about his many deficiencies as a boyfriend.
In the video for the song, Jemaine pretends to play a small videotape editing console with a guitar neck attached to it. Bret plays a similar contraption consisting of a bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
neck attached to a video mixer console.
Director Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
has a cameo in the video as Bruce, Jemaine's ex-girlfriend who turned out to be a man.
Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy
A Fine Frenzy
Alison Sudol , known professionally as A Fine Frenzy , is a US alternative singer and songwriter and pianist. Her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, was released on July 17, 2007, and peaked at number 91 on the Billboard 200 chart...
is a member of the chorus of ex-girlfriends.
Filming locations
"Club Exit" at 149 Greenpoint Ave in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
was used for the exterior shots of "The Score Spot" nightclub that Dave, Bret and Jemaine visit.
Keitha's apartment is at http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=124+Ridge+St,+New+York,+New+York,+New+York+10002&sll=40.71929,-73.982985&sspn=0.006757,0.009559&g=126+Ridge+St,+New+York,+New+York,+New+York+10002&ie=UTF8&ll=40.719201,-73.98306&spn=0.006757,0.009559&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbll=40.719277,-73.983018&panoid=HEdA8E31sJI8d_WhpPqylQ&cbp=12,131.80140869191646,,0,-13.319580378146162124 Ridge Street, Manhattan].
The location where Jemaine waits for Keitha before their elopement was filmed at the Avenue of the Americas entrance to Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, just next to the statue of Simón Bolívar.
Cultural references
The bouncer at the night club who leads the conga line during "Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor" is Randy JonesRandy Jones (singer)
Randy Jones is an American disco and pop singer and was the original cowboy from Village People.As of 2006, he currently lives in New York City....
, the original cowboy from the disco group Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
.
The khaki
Khaki
This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
shirt and shorts that Jemaine is wearing when Bret and Murray first meet Keitha is a reference to Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
.