Nowadays, it’s impossible to scroll for even a few minutes on any social media platform without the inundation of unsolicited self-help advice. Whether it’s tips on how to “un-f yourself” or someone cleansing your aura through a screen, the self-help/wellness industry is booming due to our constant search for clarity and comfort.
Award-winning comedian, musician, writer, filmmaker and viral internet sensation Anesti Danelis seeks out the humor in this phenomenon via his musical comedy This Show Will Change Your Life, which is currently taking the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival by storm.
I had the privilege of chatting with Anesti about what inspired him to create this show, what audiences can expect, who his Instagram guru wellness persona would be and cornering the market on bisexual breakup songs.
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This interview is condensed for length and clarity.
Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. What’s Anesti Danelis’s origin story?
Anesti Danelis: I saw an advertisement for Second City classes online. I had no idea what Second City was at the time, so I took the class. At the same time, there was this spam email I got to audition for a musical. I thought I’d give that a go, too, because I was bored. Fast forward 10 years plus, and here we are. I’m here because of spam.
MM: Let’s talk about This Show Will Change Your Life. Can you tell me what it’s about and what inspired you to create it?
AD: This Will Change Your Life is a spoof on wellness culture and self-help advice. I was inspired tangentially by all the self-help topics, from relationships to financial advice and everything in between. I wrote songs around that. Honestly, what inspired me to write this show was so much unsolicited advice from everyone and everywhere.
I remember one time I was walking into a Chapters Indigo bookstore. I don’t know what happened, but there used to be like, “How to manage your time properly,” etc. Now, all the books are “How to un-F yourself” and “How to stop being a piece of crap.” I thought it was a funny topic because it’s built on false promises. So, I think naming a show This Show Will Change Your Life and then giving you absolutely nothing was perfect.
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MM: What can audiences expect when watching this show?
AD: Audiences can expect to have a fun time. It’s an original musical comedy, stand-up paired with music — like a comedy concert, in a way. You’ll see piano, guitar and a lot of great instrumentation. If you’re a fan of Flight of the Conchords or The Lonely Island, this show will be up your alley.
MM: Describe This Show Will Change Your Life using three words.
AD: Music, ridiculous, change.
MM: Is there anything you hope viewers take away from this show?
AD: First and foremost, I hope they have a good time. I hope they take away how ridiculous a lot of the unsolicited advice we get is. We don’t have to listen to advice from anybody. We can live our lives because nobody knows anything.
MM: Amen to that! Do you have a favorite song you can tease?
AD: One song I’m excited about is “Your Parents.” A relationship ended this year, and I realized there’s no bisexual breakup song. There’s not a “You Did Me Wrong” bisexual version. So, I brought it upon myself to write one. I was thinking, “What comically and hypothetically would happen if you messed with a bi person’s heart? Oh yes, they would bang your parents. Both of them, because they go both ways.” It sounds like a ballad, but it’s so ridiculous.
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MM: Have you been on the receiving end of ridiculous self-help advice?
AD: Constantly. You can open up Instagram or TikTok —
MM: Oh, it’s everywhere.
AD: It’s everywhere. I was scrolling once, and somebody was doing Reiki at the camera, cleansing my aura. Or even when you’re scrolling, they’re like, “Stop scrolling; save this sound. Next year, you’re going to be living your best life.”
MM: If you were an Instagram wellness guru, who would you be, and what kind of wellness would you promote?
AD: This is like The Upside Down version of me. I think I would be the spiritual guy. I feel like I’d be the one walking through the park, being like, “Look at this nature, take it in. You don’t need a nine to five. You just need to go to a park.”
MM: Have you binge-watched anything interesting lately?
AD: I just binged Stranger Things.
MM: Name your top five favorite films.
AD: Drive.
MM: That’s a good one.
AD: Home Alone, Halloween, Step Brothers and Back to the Future.
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MM: Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Anesti! Congratulations on This Show Will Change Your Life!
AD: Thank you, Melody!
You can follow Anesti on Instagram (@anestidanelis) and Twitter (@AnestiDanelis). This Show Will Change Your Life is currently at the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival til July 17 at the Al Green Theatre.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/avaah-blackwell-interview-star-trek-strange-new-worlds/
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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