Review of Weird America

Created and curated by Chuck Cirino, “Weird America” is a web vlog spin-off from the “Weird TV” segment of the same name, which aired on late night TV in Canada and LA in 1995 and has been nominated for several Webby Awards in its post-Fox incarnation. Cirino anchored “Weird TV” as the host of sorts, introducing the show’s various sketches and video. “Weird America” – the Canadian version – featured documentary of various personalities and events that could be considered outside the normal cross-section of Americana. “Weird America” – the vlog – does the same.

The main site features selected video clips from both the archives of Canadian ‘Weird TV’- including some that predate it- and new production by Cirino. It’s basically like if you hopped in a car for a road trip across the country and stopped every time you came across some cultural oddity to gawk/cheer/interview. A truly eclectic mix of the best of the ‘out there’ out there, ranging from plaster Buddhas made from deceased pets

’ ashes to Zeke the Sheik the rhyming Guru of Doo-Doo to the philosophic ramblings of Dr. Hal at the Odeon. Each clip, between 2 and 4 minutes long, offers a glimpse into the very real but very bizarre worlds of the people who call this country home. Whether you see it as a freak show or an affirmation of the freedom to follow an individual lifestyle that has made America the diverse country it is today, the characters you meet in ‘Weird America’ are truly one-of-a-kind.

Wondering what it was that pushed Cirino to go to these lengths to document our country’s kookiness? Just what was that one weird thing that got the ball rolling? See the woman whose yard started it all in this clip from 1989 that sparked the hunt for all things unusual and uncommon.