When it comes to dealing with whatever problems trouble us in life, the expertise and insight of a professional psychologist can help. However, in the popular comedy web series THE GOODER LIFE, an absolutely inept practitioner of such advice dishes out some extremely unorthodox solutions toward typical dilemmas.

The long running sketch comedy series, which premiered in 2010, is currently streaming via its official web site and Youtube pages. Through wacky skits, situations and characters, the show’s psychotic, neck brace wearing host, Dr. Jesse (played by series creator/writer/director Jesse Christensen) shows us that some people have problems that are wackier than others.

Accompanied by his strangely silent ventriloquist dummy, Dr. Jesse guides viewers through sketches that feature a talented company of performers.

Along with Christensen, the cast of THE GOODER LIFE features comedians Joey Unis, Kylie Alexander, Jeremy Lovasco, Riley Knispel, Bard Carvalho, and Ian Von Steffan, all of whom portray hilarious and bizarre characters throughout each episode.

The series will also feature guest appearances by popular internet meme (and 2016 presidential candidate) Vermin Supreme, who became a worldwide sensation when he “glitter bombed” one of the many 2012 candidates.

Supreme was impressed by some of Christensen’s video work, and approached the show’s creator for a guest spot on THE GOODER LIFE. “He actually saw some of my videos, at which point he called me and asked if I would like to collaborate. I jumped at the opportunity!”

Notable segments include Knispel playing an arrogant, sex crazed man who refuses to get tested for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), and whose one night stand with a man who idolizes him leads his admirer to get tested himself.

There’s also the documentary style FAMILY TRADITION, featuring Unis and Alexander as a married couple who attempt to pass down the same “traditions” to their two not quite grown up adult sons (played by Christensen and Von Steffan).

Another highlight of THE GOODER LIFE comes in the form of CHEF ZAC, starring Lovasco as a gourmet chef-for-hire whose life is made even more miserable when his seedy old friend Cal hires him, and gradually peppers him with overwhelming demands and thankless jobs that involve a lot more than just cooking. In addition, Carvalho makes his first of several memorable turns in CHEF ZAC as the rotund, bearded and cheerleader outfit wearing “woman” Duchess.

Ever since childhood, Christensen always wanted to be part of a sketch comedy TV series a la SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – either in front of, or behind the camera. It’s a goal he started to work towards during his school years, which provided him with plenty of opportunities to learn the nuts and bolts of the format.

“My best friend Ross Franklin (who also frequents the show often and starred in our first sketch MEIN KOFFEE) and I used to borrow the giant cameras that you record directly onto a VHS tape from the AV club during my freshman year of high school. This is when we started making our own sketches,” he says.

As he got older, Christensen soon realized that the only way he could make his dreams of sketch comedy stardom come true was to create a show of his own. Enter THE GOODER LIFE.

“When I was 25, I acted on the little voice inside me that had been telling me for years that if I didn’t develop my own show and follow my dreams I’d regret it for the rest of my life,” he remembers. “I started writing, and I started making dates to film. I started asking people if they wanted to get involved. Over a very short period, it became a reality.”

Christensen feels that unlike many Youtube and web based sketch comedies, THE GOODER LIFE may be a unique animal; a sketch comedy show with scenes and situations that are highly structured despite all appearances to the contrary, and one that doesn’t necessarily base its success solely on over the top adult humor – even though there’s plenty to be found in each episode.

“I really don’t think there is anything quite like our show. It’s crazy, weird and loose (for lack of a better term) and yet we try to have a beginning, a middle and an end. We try to have what makes no sense at all at least make a little sense, if that makes any sense,” Christensen says.

“It can tend to focus on yucky subjects, yet, in my opinion, we do it in a clever way. I guess what I’m saying is the dick and fart jokes are a nice spice rather than a main ingredient. Our videos can get pretty ‘spicy’, though. “

Amid all the otherwise perverse aspects of its humor, THE GOODER LIFE also pays homage to the substance and visual aesthetics of old time movies and TV series.

“We also do a lot of period sketches that take us back to the look of old film and television. It can be both funny and surreal to see a 1950’s Marlon Brando type character wafting one of his own farts at himself.”

Both classic mystery movies, plus edgy contemporary comedy and animation (REN AND STIMPY, STRANGERS WITH CANDY, plus Chris Farley’s run on SNL), served as some of the key inspirations for Christensen as he set about producing THE GOODER LIFE’s skits. For Christensen, some of his show’s viewers were taken by complete surprise at just how unique several of his sketches actually were.

“Some people might notice that I show my love for dramatic film (i.e. classic film Noir) in some of the sketches,” Christensen says. “Someone told me recently that they hadn’t seen anything so nutty and stupid be so “artistic” at the same time. That comment rang true for me!”

In fact, he believes that fans of all those shows, plus current SNL and the popular overnight Cartoon Network adult programming block ADULT SWIM will definitely find something to like in THE GOODER LIFE.

Making the series even more exceptional is its use of a host (in this case, Christensen as “Dr. Jesse”) who bridges the gap between sequences, and puts the sketches in an equally humorous, yet linking, context. “I felt that there were so many sketch shows, so I wanted to give this one something special other than just a bunch of back to back wacky videos. That’s where the Dr. character came in.”

Like many of the characters Christensen developed for the series, Dr. Jesse evolved as the writing process went on. “First I thought that I should introduce the sketches as myself, but I decided that I’d seen it done too many times,” he says. “At some point or another, I decided on a mad scientist type character that I could portray, and over time it developed into the mentally deranged Dr. Jesse.”

Thanks to the talents of Christensen’s cast and crew, the production aspect of THE GOODER LIFE was just as enjoyable, and with moments that were just as funny as the sketches themselves. With a cast of comedians and actors comprised both of longtime friends and emerging talent, plus a dedicated production crew, the atmosphere on set was both relaxed and professional.

“Production is always a blast with big laughs on set. I’ve been so lucky to be able to work with folks that are not just hilarious, but also professional, respectful towards everybody, and able to take direction beautifully,” Christensen says.

“It would have been much tougher if I had to work with people that were funny but kind of ‘loose cannons’ so to speak.”

Every episode of THE GOODER LIFE proves that no matter what kind of problem we all face, laughter is truly the best medicine – even if it comes from a slightly unhinged doctor with a bad smoking habit, and with highly unconventional advice that no professionally licensed psychologist would ever dream of giving to his/her patients!

For Christensen, though, just making people laugh is the real goal for THE GOODER LIFE’s success. “Financially I’m just like everyone. I’d love to make as much dough as possible doing what I love,” he says. “Artistically, I feel like I have already accomplished the goal of creating something that makes others laugh. Laughter is a wonderful thing, and I believe one of my main purposes in life is to help others feel better through laughter.”

Thanks to its off the wall humor, characters, and storytelling structure, Christensen has already made the perfect prescription for laughter, and for his own success as a comedian/filmmaker. In a nutshell, Christensen describes THE GOODER LIFE’s formula for comedic healing in very simple terms: “Give your mind and body a break, stop taking life so seriously (if only for a moment) and let the power of the Jesse take over. Don’t fight it!”

(Note: Regarding closed-captioning of THE GOODER LIFE, Christensen says: “Off the record, I don’t think it is (closed-captioned). I’ll have to check on it.” When asked if it will be in the future, he says: “I would say that, yes, indeed it will be.”)

ON THE WEB: http://www.thegooderlife.com

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/thegooderlife?feature=mhee

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DoctirJesse

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gooder-Life-With-Dr-Jesse/108882969197095