Prime Videohas been receiving all the attention because it released a new hit comedy series,Overcompensating, which is excitingly refreshing (not just because there is a lot of female and male nudity going on, but because it isthatgood). The main character in the raunchy comedy, Benny Scanlon (Benito Skinner), is the college dream boy, as some would say. He is a talented football player, the homecoming king, and, of course, valedictorian. Everything is out there for the other students to see. The only part of him that isn’t out there? The fact that Benny is gay. To hide his sexuality, Benny tries his best to form sexual connections with girls, longing to receive acceptance from the straight guys.
Benito Skinner’s Amazon show, which is inspired by his experiences and the reason why he plays the role of Benny, explores American college hell and reveals Benny’s tumultuous journey from being a closeted golden boy jock to maybe one day finding confidence in his sexual identity. Even though the teen comedy starts with exploring toxic masculinity in great detail,Overcompensatingdevelops into a heart-warming, new coming-out comedy. TheLGBTQ+series has gained significant buzz and is rapidly turning into a hot contender to become a future cult classic, but one choice almost ruined Prime Video’sOvercompensating.
Overcompensating
Prime Video’s Hit Series ‘Overcompensating’ Is a New Fan-Favorite
If there is one thing that is far from new, then it is the constant pressure to conform to the traditional expectations of masculinity.Overcompensatinghighlights exactly that, as Benny is caught in a cycle of proving he belongs with the straight guys and subsequent self-loathing. He doesn’t just want to belong, he wants to be seen, admired, even.Whether it is the typical conversation sprouting from toxic masculinity or the cringey bro handshakes and terrible hook-ups, Benny tries his best to adapt and blend in (or stand out, more so).
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Even though it might sound like it, Benny is not a bad guy at all. He is simply a prisoner with his restrictive mindset and the outside pressure of fitting in. Homophobia and misogyny are uncovered in this raunchy comedy series with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, but it offers a new, comforting clarity of what it is like to drown in the desperation to stay in the closet. The series also highlights the beauty of having an ally, though, and Carmen becomes exactly that to Benny. She accepts him and supports him wherever she can. This exact level of deep emotional connections elevates the series, and is the reason whyOvercompensatingcould become a future cult classic.
The Cast’s Age Almost Ruined ‘Overcompensating’
Overcompensatingis obviously set in college and focuses on 18-year-old Benny’s struggle with sexuality and many other college ups and downs. Because of this, the expectation would be to feature a cast who are in their early 20s (at most) to ensure that the viewers can easily connect with the characters and, even more importantly, connect the characters to the situations that are unfolding.Unfortunately, though, the cast ofPrime Video’s LGBTQ+ seriesis fairly far away from their teenage years. The viral TikTok star Benito Skinner is over 30 years old, and so is Mary Beth Barone, who plays his on-screen sister, Grace. Adam DiMarco, the actor behind the cliché frat boy Peter, is also well above 30, and even Rish Shah, who is the actor stepping into the role of Benny’s crush, Miles, is already in his late 20s. The one closest to being a teenager is Benny’s best friend, Carmen, who is portrayed by 22-year-old Wally Baram.
It needs some time to get used to connecting the older cast to a teenage setting, but theOvercompensatingcast has still done an incredible job. The group effortlessly delivers electric performances that are wonderfully unhinged. There seems to be a reason behind the choice to cast older actors instead of actual teenagers. Benito Skinner is the mind behind, arguably,the best comedy drama series on Prime Video, and he also effortlessly steps into the role of the main character.
As already mentioned, this decision was based on the fact that the actor, comedian, and series creator is sharing his personal experiences of grappling with his sexuality in the series. Seeing that his life at college was far from easy, stepping back into the same atmosphere and experiencing various incidents and scenarios once again might serve the purpose of freeing him from the potential pain he still carried.
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Benny is one ofthe best gay characters in TV history, and the majority certainly stems from the fact that he is portrayed by Benito Skinner himself.Benny oozes realness in the most thrilling way, allowing viewers to find some kind of connection to him within an instant. Additionally, the themes of identity, queerness, self-worth, and self-acceptance require attention to detail and should be dealt with in a careful manner, which might be easier to do when a cast of similar ages works together instead of adding actual teenagers to the mix. This isn’t to say that teen actors don’t have the skills to portray sensitive subjects, quite on the contrary, but when portraying an actor’s personal, often difficult, experiences, providing a cast that can work together well and understands each other is essential.Overcompensatingis available to stream on Prime Video.
