'Maxxx': Middle-aged washed-up celebrity trying to stay relevant may sound like BoJack Horseman, but he isn't
O. T. Fagbenle, best known for his role in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, is soon to arrive in a decidedly different role. Created by Fagbenle himself, the UK channel E4’s six-part comedy series ‘Maxxx’ features the 40-year-old British-Nigerian actor as a former boyband member, a washed-up pop star.
From what is visible from the show’s trailers and photos, at the height of his celebrity, the titular hero was wildly popular. And it makes sense, boybands were a thing two decades ago. Weird stage performances with futuristic costumes, stadiums filled with cheering fans, Maxxx was as good as Kanye West back in the day. But popularity doesn’t stay, does it?
Present-day Maxxx is a nobody. His former agent actually thought he had died, and doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore. And to make matters worse, his supermodel ex-girlfriend is still successful, and happily moving on with life. And that forces Maxxx to want to revive his career.
A washed-up celebrity trying to stay relevant past his prime immediately reminds you of Netflix’s critically-acclaimed animated dramedy ‘BoJack Horseman’, and rightly so. The show charts his journey from a once-famous horse on television to a nihilistic, jaded, alcoholic who is a bit of an a****** to everyone.
But there is a big difference between the motivations of Maxxx and BoJack. While Maxxx wants to be famous again and wants to win his ex back, BoJack doesn’t. BoJack is too afraid to move past his prime and wants to stay content knowing that people know him from that “really famous TV show” from “back in the ‘90s”. BoJack is afraid of judgment. And he’s afraid of realizing he was never good at what he did.
Maxxx, on the other hand, seems to have no underconfident bone in his body. He performs at funerals and messes things up there (from what it looks like in the trailer), and he is hell-bent on getting his fame back.
But there may be a deeper similarity between the two. And that is the idea of measuring one’s self-worth in an external locus. Maxxx has an adopted teenage son (Alan Asaad) and he could very well find happiness in raising him. But he seems restless and dissatisfied without the love of his fickle fans. It’s almost as if he ceases to find meaning in existence without their supposed love.
BoJack may not want to act and finally see if he’s worth anything in that department, but his love validation, whether from Diane, or Herb, or Sarah Lynn, or just about anyone stems from similar insecurity.
Either, it would seem, can’t love themselves for what they are. So they choose to seek it from others. And for BoJack, at least, that never ends well.
‘Maxxx’ will drop on Netflix on July 28.
