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Deadpan is commonly referred to as a type of comedy that leans on a neutral, impassive expression. Usually, this is interpreted as being cold, or even mean, but Nailed It! host Jacques Torres proves it doesn’t have to be. The famous baker and chocolatier steals dozens of jokes from co-host and comedian Nicole Byer with his own brand of deadpan, full of warmth and an easy, unflappable smile.
Nailed It! and its festive spin-off Nailed It! Holiday are zany shows. The ferociously funny baking competition pits novices against each other in a race to recreate terribly complex recipes. The joy is found in watching how these folks handle being overwhelmed by the impossible task, and in how judges and hosts Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres deal with the ridiculousness on display. Nicole Byer is a ridiculously funny comic who leans on big absurd humor, but Torres is more than able to keep up with her. In fact, his commitment to the reality of the moment makes her gags all the more hysterical.
While watching Nailed It! Holiday I realized that Jacques Torres is a secret king of deadpan. Like, I said, it’s not a mean, cold, or cruel version of deadpan, though. It comes with unwavering optimism. It’s his smile that’s impassive and neutral. Torres typically keeps the same calm, jolly focus no matter what’s going on around him. Well, okay, sometimes he cracks, but then those moments are all the more hilarious.
Context is everything in comedy, and Torres’s cool demeanor not only makes the ridiculous baking fails happening around him all the more funny, but it also lets us know that Nailed It! isn’t some cruel experiment designed to torture people. It is a loving, silly show about the inevitability of failure. Torres’s warm brand of deadpan helps us keep our spirits up and gives Nailed It! (and Nailed It! Holiday) its most stealthy laughs.
