“Life is silly and filled with mistakes and you can’t be perfect all the time,” host Nicole Byer says is ultimately the point of Netflix’s reality competition bake-off series “Nailed It!” Watch our exclusive video interview with Byer above.
In “Nailed It!” three amateur bakers with questionable baking skills compete to replicate complicated cakes and edible masterpieces. It was inspired by the viral internet sensation where people tried and failed to re-create elaborately designed cakes.
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While the show, which was nominated at the Emmys last year as Best Competition Program, initially might appear to celebrate mediocrity or failure, it actually promotes positivity, having fun, not taking yourself too seriously and lightening up a little. Byers as host emphasizes these qualities so perfectly because she has fun in each episode, throws out endearing one-liners and makes appalled faces at the travesties that the baker contestants have attempted to create. “I think I toe the line between calling things out and being not harsh, but saying ‘this does look insane, you have to admit that,'” she laughs.
“It’s celebrating that you have to try. If you don’t try something how will you know if you’re good at it? Also, you’re not going to be good at something the very first time that you do it. I think it celebrates people just trying their best,” Byer explains. “The wilder the cakes look, the happier I am! I love when they look insane!”
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Byer is a renowned comedian, actor and writer in addition to her “Nailed It!” hosting duties. Her comedy is often hilariously unfiltered, a little raunchy, loud and daring. Asked about whether she believes there are any limits to comedy these days, Byer says it is important to have balance outrageous and controversial on the one hand and measured and sensitive on the other.
“I do think you can joke about anything,” she explains. “As long as it’s funny. If you are going to talk about something that is a hot button issue or is something that could offend somebody you also have to realize that you could offend somebody. There is a very fine line between edgy comedy or hurtful and mean. Why are you joking about this? What is the point? It has to be undeniably funny and if you have to explain why it’s funny, it might not be funny!”
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