Editing Strangers with Candy (section)

===Legacy and influence===
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| quote = “It certainly influenced a generation of comics and comedy writers. There’s an old thing that people say in rock ’n’ roll: [[The Velvet Underground]] didn’t sell a lot of records, but every record they sold went to someone who started a band. Their influence is enormous. I would say the same thing about ''Strangers With Candy''.”
| source = —[[Doug Herzog]], former president of Comedy Central's parent company [[Viacom Media Networks|Viacom]].<ref name="CCORAL"/> 
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Although the series had low ratings during its emission, it became a [[Cult film|cult classic]], and served as inspiration for other comedians and screenwriters.<ref>{{cite web|last=Adjei-Kontoh|first=Hubert|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/feb/19/amy-sedaris-at-home-season-two|title=How Amy Sedaris and her distinctive comedy finally found a home|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=February 19, 2019|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220062222/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/feb/19/amy-sedaris-at-home-season-two|archive-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Leary|first=Matt|url=https://www.gawker.com/5459925%2Fexit-57-down-in-the-basement|title=Exit 57: Down In the Basement|work=[[Gawker]]|date=January 30, 2010|access-date=September 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213102342/https://www.gawker.com/5459925%2Fexit-57-down-in-the-basement|archive-date=February 13, 2023}}</ref> When talking about ''Would It Kill You to Laugh?'' [[John Early (comedian)|John Early]] and [[Kate Berlant]] cited the show as an influence, with Early saying: "It pushes back against schmaltziness in general, I feel a real kinship with that. It’s irreverent and it’s handled so well that it feels very personal."<ref>{{cite web|last=Harper|first=Blake|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/blakeharper/kate-berlant-john-early-inspirations|title=The 10 Things That Inspired Kate Berlant And John Early|work=[[Buzzfeed]]|date=June 24, 2022|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229111525/https://www.buzzfeed.com/blakeharper/kate-berlant-john-early-inspirations|archive-date=February 29, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gibsone|first=Harriet|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/feb/10/goodbye-lena-dunham-why-john-early-is-millennial-comedys-new-king|title=Goodbye Lena Dunham! Why John Early is millennial comedy's new king|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=February 10, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223222817/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/feb/10/goodbye-lena-dunham-why-john-early-is-millennial-comedys-new-king|archive-date=February 23, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Levin |first= Hannah |date=June 23, 2017|url=https://masterchatmag.com/2017/06/23/john-early-the-art-of-good-taste/|title=John Early: The Art Of Good Taste|work=Master Chat|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504012001/https://masterchatmag.com/2017/06/23/john-early-the-art-of-good-taste/|archive-date=May 4, 2023}}</ref> [[Lena Dunham]] also talked about it as an inspiration for ''[[Girls (TV series)|Girls]]'' and cited Jerri Blank as one of her favorite television characters.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schoenbrun |first=Jane|author-link=Jane Schoenbrun |date=March 12, 2012|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/42146-five-questions-with-girls-creator-lena-dunham/|title=Five Questions with Girls Creator Lena Dunham|work=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker Magazine]]|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414141533/https://filmmakermagazine.com/42146-five-questions-with-girls-creator-lena-dunham/|archive-date=April 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Carlson|first=Jen |date=April 4, 2012|url=https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/lena-dunham-talks-emgirlsem-boys-emdawsons-creekem|title=Lena Dunham Talks Girls, Boys & Dawson's Creek|work=[[Gothamist]]|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220103042/https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/lena-dunham-talks-emgirlsem-boys-emdawsons-creekem|archive-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Everett|first=Cory |date=April 4, 2012|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/03/sxsw-12-lena-dunham-judd-apatow-the-team-behind-girls-discuss-the-brilliant-new-hbo-show-112170/|title=SXSW '12: Lena Dunham, Judd Apatow & The Team Behind 'Girls' Discuss The Brilliant New HBO Show|work=[[IndieWire]]|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501120905/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/03/sxsw-12-lena-dunham-judd-apatow-the-team-behind-girls-discuss-the-brilliant-new-hbo-show-112170/|archive-date=May 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|people=Blair-Henderson, KR (Interviewer)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av33w0k0lDQ&t=360s|title=Lena Dunham & Lesley Arfin (GIRLS) - What's In My Bag?|work=[[Amoeba Music|Amoeba]] |medium=Interview|via=[[YouTube]]|date=April 9, 2012|access-date=April 27, 2023}}</ref> [[Cole Escola]], who was Sedaris's co-star on [[At Home with Amy Sedaris]], also praised ''Strangers with Candy'' and recalled watching it as a teen with their high school boyfriend.<ref>{{cite web|last=Chris|first=Azzopardi|date=December 15, 2022|url=https://pridesource.com/article/actor-cole-escola-has-played-a-fetus-so-anything-is-possible/|title=Actor Cole Escola Has Played a Fetus, So Anything Is Possible|work=[[Between the Lines (newspaper)|Pride Source]]|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421111710/https://pridesource.com/article/actor-cole-escola-has-played-a-fetus-so-anything-is-possible/|archive-date=April 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Marine|first=Brooke|date=January 20, 2021|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/cole-escola-search-party-interview|title=Cole Escola's Comedy Defies Categorization|work=[[W (magazine)|W]]|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430173050/https://www.wmagazine.com/story/cole-escola-search-party-interview|archive-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=February 19, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0xS9uwVbGM|title=Amy Sedaris and Cole Escola talk the new season of At Home and Strangers With Candy|work=[[A.V. Club]]|access-date=April 27, 2023}}</ref> [[Ilana Glazer]] claimed "Jerri Blank is at least 15 percent of my facial expressions, so I thank her for part of my face."<ref>{{cite web|last=Travers|first=Ben|date=April 4, 2017|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/broad-city-donald-trump-season-4-origin-episode-1201858942/|title='Broad City' Previews Empowering Season 4 Episode at Comic-Con to Heal the Damage of Donald Trump|work=[[IndieWire]]|access-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430173051/https://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/broad-city-donald-trump-season-4-origin-episode-1201858942/|archive-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref> [[Julie Klausner]], who worked as an intern on the show while in college, said of it: "I can’t really overestimate how influential that show was to me, [...] It’s not for everyone, but the people it is for love it so passionately that when fans meet each other, it’s almost like finding some sort of kinship."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ruskin|first=Zack|date=January 9, 2019|title=The Delightfully Difficult Julie Klausner|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/culture/the-delightfully-difficult-julie-klausner/|access-date=March 31, 2021|website=[[SF Weekly]]|archive-date=September 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916115130/https://www.sfweekly.com/culture/the-delightfully-difficult-julie-klausner/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=July 14, 2016|last=Bramesco|first=Charles|title='Difficult People': How Julie Klausner Graduated from TV Superfan to TV Queen|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/difficult-people-how-julie-klausner-graduated-from-tv-superfan-to-tv-queen-66159/|access-date=March 31, 2021|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308125147/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/difficult-people-how-julie-klausner-graduated-from-tv-superfan-to-tv-queen-66159/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=June 30, 2016|last=Wright|first=Megh|title=Julie Klausner Looks Back on Her Days as a 'Strangers with Candy' Intern|url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/julie-klausner-looks-back-on-her-days-as-a-strangers-with-candy-intern.html|access-date=April 27, 2023|magazine=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220085740/https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/julie-klausner-looks-back-on-her-days-as-a-strangers-with-candy-intern.html|archive-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref> Rapper [[Amanda Blank]] based her stage name on Sedaris's character.<ref name="The Return of Amanda Blank">{{cite magazine|last=Feeney|first=Nolan|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/the-return-of-amanda-blank-the-ruiner-interview-1235028420/ |title=The Return of Amanda Blank |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=February 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209154144/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/the-return-of-amanda-blank-the-ruiner-interview-1235028420/|archive-date=February 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Tan|first=Lin|url=http://itm.junkee.com/amanda-blank-a-charming-chatterbox/12632|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209175245/http://itm.junkee.com/amanda-blank-a-charming-chatterbox/12632|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 9, 2022|title=Amanda Blank: A charming chatterbox|publisher=In the Mix|date= December 22, 2009 |access-date=February 9, 2022}}</ref> Colbert has claimed that Blank served as a basis for [[Stephen Colbert (character)|his character]] on ''[[The Colbert Report]]''.<ref name="GQ"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'', noted the show was part of the "tonal DNA" of [[Adult Swim]]'s ''[[The Heart She Holler]]''.<ref name="HSH">{{Cite news|last=Egner|first=Jeremy|title='A Soap Opera Bent Out of Shape'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/arts/television/the-heart-she-holler-is-back-on-adult-swim.html|date=August 30, 2013|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170718183024/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/arts/television/the-heart-she-holler-is-back-on-adult-swim.html|archive-date=July 18, 2017}}</ref> Other fans of the show include [[Dan Levy (Canadian actor)|Dan Levy]],<ref name="92Y"/> [[RuPaul]],<ref name=TVA>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/news/online-originals/strangers-with-candy-amy-sedaris-paul-dinello-interview-25th-anniversary|first=Neil|last=Mortiz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408151607/https://www.emmys.com/news/online-originals/strangers-with-candy-amy-sedaris-paul-dinello-interview-25th-anniversary|url-status=live|archive-date=April 8, 2024|title=Strangers with Candy's Amy Sedaris Reflects on the Cult Sitcom's 25th Anniversary (Exclusive)|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]]|date=April 5, 2024|access-date=April 8, 2024}}</ref> [[Trixie and Katya]],<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i8VVgXZ3Xw&t=849s|title=A Public Service Announcement for Our Fans with Trixie and Katya {{!}} The Bald & the Beautiful Podcast|work=Trixie & Katya|medium=Podcast|via=[[YouTube]]|date=March 25, 2025|access-date=March 26, 2025}}</ref> [[John Mulaney]],<ref name="youtube.com">{{cite web|last=Colbert|first=Stephen|author-link=Stephen Colbert|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxlwLr4b4E0|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/TxlwLr4b4E0| archive-date=October 29, 2021|title=John Mulaney Bonds With Stephen Over Their Time As Altar Boys|website=[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]|date=December 9, 2016|access-date=January 24, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Dave Atell]],<ref name="CCORAL"/> [[Harvey Guillén]],<ref>{{cite AV media|people=[[Stephen Colbert|Colbert, Stephen]] (Interviewer)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgBy5e4Z4lU&t=352s|title=Harvey Guillén Nailed His First Audition With A Monologue From "Strangers With Candy"|work=[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]] |medium=Interview|via=[[YouTube]]|date=October 17, 2024|access-date=March 26, 2025}}</ref> [[Brian Tyree Henry]],<ref>{{cite AV media|people=[[Stephen Colbert|Colbert, Stephen]] (Interviewer)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72r3gnjxcgo&t=282s|title="You Watch Them Run For Their Lives For Eight Episodes" - Brian Tyree Henry On "Dope Thief"|work=[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]] |medium=Interview|via=[[YouTube]]|date=March 4, 2025|access-date=March 4, 2025}}</ref><ref name="BTH">{{cite web|last=Salud|first=April|title=Meet an Emmy Nominee: 'This Is Us' Guest-Star Brian Tyree Henry|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/meet-an-emmy-nominee-is-us-guest-star-brian-tyree-henry-1027009/|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=August 4, 2017|access-date=March 4, 2025|archive-date=June 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615043816/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/meet-an-emmy-nominee-is-us-guest-star-brian-tyree-henry-1027009/}}</ref> [[Justin Theroux]],<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx5pCufj8mI&t=19s|title=Justin Theroux {{!}} Celebrity Watchlist|work=[[IMDb]] |medium=Interview|via=[[YouTube]]|date=February 16, 2019|access-date=October 18, 2023}}</ref> [[Kevyn Aucoin]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Surratt|first=Troy|title=What It Was Like Assisting the Most Famous Makeup Artist in the World|work=[[Out (magazine)|Out]]|url=https://www.out.com/fashion/2019/3/15/what-it-was-assisting-most-famous-makeup-artist-world|date=March 15, 2019|access-date=February 28, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228185408/https://www.out.com/fashion/2019/3/15/what-it-was-assisting-most-famous-makeup-artist-world|archive-date=February 28, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Kevyn Aucoin|work=Mon Dieu Adore|url=https://www.mondieu.nu/adore/kevyn-aucoin/|access-date=February 28, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228185409/https://www.mondieu.nu/adore/kevyn-aucoin/|archive-date=February 28, 2024}}</ref> [[Sharon van Etten]],<ref name="sharon">{{cite web|last=Barton|first=Chris|title=Sharon Van Etten changes the psychology of her songwriting on 'Remind Me Tomorrow'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-ms-sharon-van-etten-remind-me-tomorrow-20190118-story.html|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 18, 2019|archive-date=April 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424012747/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-ms-sharon-van-etten-remind-me-tomorrow-20190118-story.html}}</ref> [[Jack Antonoff]],<ref name="lat24"/> [[Danny DeVito]],<ref name="Danny">{{cite web|last=Colbert|first=Stephen|author-link=Stephen Colbert|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTu5BFgwe6g|title=Instagram Loves Babies Who Look Like Danny DeVito|website=[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]|date=November 24, 2016|access-date=April 27, 2023}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and [[Natalie Wynn]].{{r|Wynn}}

In 2003, Dinello said of the show's cult status: "People were angered by it or fanatical about it. We were mocking the conventions of after-school specials and most of what you see on television--how easily things are sewn up, how false relationships are."<ref name="chicagotribune"/> In a panel with Levy, when asked about why they think the show had such a dedicated fanbase, Dinello and Sedaris said, "We embrace losers, misfits and outcasts." Sedaris has described the audience for the show as "[[Drag Queens]] getting ready on a Friday at 5:30."<ref name="92Y"/> as well as "Homosexuals and 14-year-olds and farmers and ghosts."<ref name="Transcript"/> She has also said, "I’m just glad it still lives on. It’s fun to know that you threw a hole on the wall, you went through it, you did this show that you didn’t know what it was, and now there’s a whole new generation of kids watching it. It’s still out there and still alive, and we’re all really proud of it.<ref name="CCORAL"/> Colbert echoed the statement: "It's a badge of honor that I served Amy's comedic vision. I could do hack shit for the rest of my life, but I'd go, "Yeah, but I also wrote that stuff."<ref name="GQ"/> In 2024 he described the show's fan base as "deeply troubled," continuing, "And I’m happy for them, because I’m deeply troubled too."<ref name="lat24"/>