KIND OF A BIG DEAL

The story behind one of the most beloved comedies of the past couple decades.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy may be known for its catchphrases, sight gags, and wildly over-the-top plot, but this well-crafted tale reveals its unexpected feminist roots and satiric look at the changing business of news. Austerlitz, an adjunct professor of writing and comedy at NYU and author of numerous books about comedies on TV and film, assembles an impressive amount of research and reporting about the 2004 movie into an exhaustive, yet fast-paced text about how it was made and why. His use of an omniscient narrator places Anchorman in the context of not just Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay’s work—as well as how it boosted the careers of Steve Carell and Paul Rudd—but also the discrimination against women in the workplace and the shifting priorities of local news. It’s a heady combination, but Austerlitz pulls it off with style. He also offers revelations about the alternate version of Anchorman that got its own release, called Wake Up, Ron Burgundy, which featured an entire plot about a counterculture group of activists played by Chuck D and comedian Maya Rudolph. No matter how small the movie detail, the author provides some kind of insight that places it into the broader themes he wants to tackle. Take his explanation of the movie’s use of the Starland Vocal Band’s hit “Afternoon Delight.” As he writes, “the song is a paean to love by a sensitive but cloddish white guy, and as such is the ideal vehicle for Ron’s ode to love, which feels romantic while also being nothing of the sort.” Austerlitz also has no problem questioning the sexist jokes that don’t seem so funny anymore or why many of the jokes poking fun at homosexuality were always problematic.

This surprising history doesn’t just stay classy; it reveals how remarkably deep the Ferrell comedy really was.