So, I’m not sure when or how I discovered the Baronesses, but, in their own very unique way, I think they are as funny as SNL in its prime or even SCTV. Their comedy is often female-centric, but anyone (with a sense of humour!) will find it hilarious. Some of their sketches must have just written themselves. (For instance, from the very few times that I was talked into (or forced into) going to a cottage, I could have written most of Cottage Rules myself!). Each sketch lasts between a minute to maybe 4 to 5 minutes max. Great writing. Great acting. And something that doesn’t get mentioned or noticed enough — great editing!
The Baronesses are not afraid to deal with heavy topics (Unfounded and Land Acknowledgement) and sometimes it’s just pure slapstick (Psych-up salad and Bag hate). They can get a bit raunchy as well (Trim, Placenta, Private Vagina and a few others). I love it all!
And okay, I will admit to having a wee crush on Meredith MacNeill — well — a crush on the person that I feel she might be, given that I have only her TV personae to base it upon. Real life Meredith might be a different matter, although she’s from small-town Nova Scotia — fairly down-to-earth, “real” folks tend to come from those places. A couple of years ago, a musician friend ran into her in a store in Toronto and she was really nice.
Had I been there, I would have fainted or peed myself on the spot. Ok, not true. I undoubtedly would have been too shy to say anything and would likely have gone into “she’s famous and needs to have a normal life without jerks like me bugging her” mode. It’s happened before. Years ago, in NYC, the resto staff sat Jon Voight at the table right next to me, and in an effort not to bug him, I didn’t stare or say anything — or pee myself!)
Alright. Enough about that! I’ve gotten way off-topic. Sorry. Here ya go. Check these out. I love all of their sketches but I’ve tried to narrow it down to the ones that I return to when I really need a Baroness fix. I see that I’m a bit heavy on the Meredith-centric ones, but I tend to view her as the “Curly” of the group, so the selections are not too surprising given who I am.
The first three sketches listed will introduce you to Aurora, Carolyn, Jennifer, and Meredith, the four principal Baronesses. This will give you a pretty good idea of who and what you’re dealing with. (And if any Baronesses happen to be reading this, yes, I would LOVE an autographed photo.) 🤓
So open a bottle of red wine, go to YouTube, and have a good time.
Red wine ladies
Last table at the wedding
Red wine ladies at the cottage
Rock store
Psi
Stay pregnant
Unfounded (Baronesses list a trigger warning.)
Psych-up salad
Server’s nightmare (one of my very favourites, and hey, no Meredith in this one!)
Placenta (filmed a block or two from where I lived my first 35 years.)
Dry shampoo (kudos to the makeup department!)
Lawyer Mom
Back off my buffet (Meredith does a spot-on Col. Willard from Apocalypse Now.)
Private vagina (WOW)
Trivia night (All I can say is WOW again!)
Send nudes (don’t miss Meredith’s flawless Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie!)
Perimenopause
Cottage rules
Bag hate
Trim
G4 summit (brilliant!)
Land acknowledgement (genius!)
Hell time (also genius!)
And if you can’t get enough of Meredith (I know that I can’t), check out her performance as an ADHD hyperactive little boy in a This Hour Has 22 Minutes sketch: “3 reasons living with your grandkids could be good for you”. Amazing!