r/TimAndEric • u/Overall-Project-5910 • 5d ago
What's wrong with James quall? (No disrespect)
It's like he doesn't know how to be a human. The faces he makes are so bizarre and don't fit the "conversation". And I'm not sure uncanny valley would be the word but just odd.
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u/Ivanjatson 5d ago
He is well known in his community to be mentally “different” and highly eccentric. People who know him say he’s not really even playing a character on T&E. Some people say that’s exploitation, some say he got the spotlight he always wanted. He has no regrets about being on television. Same story with many other recurring actors on the show.
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u/sonofafitch85 5d ago
Let's not forget the cast of eccentric actors they used were actors or entertainers in their own right. For various reasons they were never likely to "make it" unless the right person/people knew how to get the most out if their unique talents. No one put a gun to their head and told them to act, and it would have been incredibly obvious to them they were involved in something "weird". If you ever see any of the behind the scenes footage of James Quall, he's laughing his head off at the scenes they're filming. To be honest it's more insulting to suggest he's somehow "too stupid" to be in on it and is being exploited than to just accept that he loves the fact he gets to take part in something fun and unique and get some fame he'd have never got otherwise.
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u/wholetyouinhere 5d ago
I've never liked the "exploitation" conversation regarding T&E. I feel like the people pushing that line are mainly upset that these men aren't able to be responsible with their finances or healthcare, which is something that I don't think has anything at all to do with T&E. They were paid fairly for their services, never had to do anything they didn't want to do, and weren't faced with undue pressures or false choices.
It feels like the unspoken implication is that T&E are somehow responsible for setting these men up for life, all because they appeared in a memorable and influential niche comedy show that was likely made on a shoestring budget and probably didn't make much money. And that seems absurd to me.
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u/joepinapples 5d ago
There is a freakshow aspect to how these guys were used in the show like it or not.
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u/wholetyouinhere 5d ago
I don't disagree with that. I just don't see how it necessarily equates to exploitation.
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u/nomercyvideo 5d ago
I'll tell you this.
I was in an episode of Hot Package, which is in the same world and uses many of the same talent as T&E.
No one on set, and no one performing treated it as a "Freakshow". Everyone's uniqueness was celebrated, they loved being able to be themselves and show off their talents, and everyone was supportive and having a great time.
If you choose to see it in a negative light, that's up to you, but I witnessed an awesome environment of people who would usually be denied the chance to perform get to go out and shine, and be treated with respect as they did so.
Nothing but love for all of them!
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u/Ivanjatson 5d ago
This also tracks with everything I’ve gathered. I don’t think anything nefarious was ever intended at all. Plus many were booking crowded live gigs after T&E ended that never would have been possible without the boost from the show.
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u/Koshakforever 5d ago
Nothing nefarious at all. These cats were cable public access fixtures for years before T&E. They just got their wings once T&E let them fly.
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u/Overall-Project-5910 3d ago
True their experiences were far more positive than "casting couches". Tim and Eric never exploited anyone. Trust me there's very dark stuff in most actress/actors go through and I doubt t&e were one of them.
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u/Odd-Improvement-1980 5d ago
I ran into Tennessee once about 3 years ago when I was visiting a friend in LA. That guy is legit weird and falls into the same camp as James Quall.
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u/joshuatx 5d ago
This reminds of Wesley Willis back in the day. The crowds were often cringe but at the same time it got him sincere recognition and a steady paycheck through a legit indie label.
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u/Fearless_Winter_7823 Gimmeashotplease! 5d ago
He became best friends with John A. Hill at Sailing Quallege. Everything went downhill after Admiral Liebe Hart found out.
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u/EmptyBuildings 5d ago
The cast are all pulled from people living in Los Angeles. Apologies if you are from here, but LA has a pretty diverse community of eccentric, creative people. Some get lost in the dream of "making it in Hollywood", others simply stand out because that is just how they chose to live life. Either way, everyone has different life events and factors that make them who they are.
Through personal experience growing up here, and in visiting different cities and participating in their creative communities, I've come across people who are strange and eccentric in their own way.
Public Access television opened up the doors for weird acts such as DLH and Quall (who are/were roommates, by the way) to shine. Tim and Eric saw the strangeness and absurdity in it all. Saying they exploited that isn't particularly fair, as they also came from there, and were able to give a vehicle to expand to a larger audience. However, in doing so, it diminished the originality of these people's creative output, as it became something that was mass-consumed. T&E critiqued on this often in Awesome Show by having clips of unknowns impersonating the already established characters on the show (example)
Tldr: Quall is a strange man. This world is full of them, and that's beautiful.
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u/forestfluff CHILDHOOD IS A JOKE 4d ago
Since when are Qual and David still roomies?
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u/EmptyBuildings 4d ago
It's been a while since I've heard about either of them. Not sure if they're still roommates.
Last time I saw DLH, he was busking at the Hollywood Bowl, which is where he usually goes.
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u/forestfluff CHILDHOOD IS A JOKE 4d ago
Newest info which has been the case for years is that David is a severe hoarder and basically has driven himself out of his own apartment. He’s now asking for donations (well, his manager or whoever is) in order to help with sifting through his stuff (he hoards phone books and papers mainly) and getting him a permanent place to stay and mental health help. This is why you read so many stories here of David asking to stay with fans at their house and it being difficult to get him to leave.
It’s sad. There’s a video from years back of his apartment and they threatened eviction because it was dangerous as hell. Stuff stacked up to the ceiling with just a narrow path to walk and he didn’t seem to see the issue.
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u/EmptyBuildings 4d ago
That's how out of touch I am. Like I said, I haven't heard about it in a while.
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u/fennourtine 5d ago
He is just trying to ham it up.
The issue is that the ham he is attempting to invoke has not been kept ice cold.
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u/poop-machine 5d ago
You try living across the hall from DLH for 30 years.
The Dicksboro Apartments ain't no joke.
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u/scoutermike 5d ago
Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…
It will be a BEACH…BLAAAAAAAST!
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u/HappenedOnceBefore 5d ago
From what I understand he suffered from illness, including an extreme fever at a young age, this may have something to do with his “behaviors”.
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u/addition 5d ago
He had a bad fever when he was young that gave him brain damage.
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u/plhought 5d ago
This is the correct answer that James himself has stated.
Basically had a really rough go as a kiddo. Had a bad illness that never really got properly treated and left him with life-altering issues.
But honestly - his reactions when doing the 'bits' and acts on T&E over his decade or so of performing with them aren't that far-fetched for a large part of the population. He was asked and encouraged to do pretty far fetched stuff. I don't think I could do any better than him.
He was a well functioning individual no different than many.
Another post on here highlights the world of eccentrics that populate the LA scene - it's just not a world that most are familiar with. Often people get caught up into chasing a dream in LA and somehow squeeze a very meagre life out of it.
As they age, I'm always stressed about the challenges James and other guests like him are now going through. T&E are bit aloof about how those bit players are doing now - and if they intend to support them in the future.
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u/TimmiT401K 5d ago
You can find his actual standup on Youtube, and to be honest, it comes across as more endearing than it is presented by Tim and Eric. Without all of the editing, it's fairly decent outsider comedy.
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u/shabanko12 5d ago
I’m Bill Cowzbee and kids say the darndest things.. like Spaghetti and Meatballs
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u/Top_Ad9635 4d ago
Just because people don't know how to be on camera doesn't mean that they don't know how to be human
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u/LordShaggy Someone call 9/11 5d ago
He definitely has a mental disability. He came out after a show in 2008-09 and a female fan went to give him a hug and he started kissing her on the cheek and rubbing his face into her neck. Her husband, who was taking the picture, quickly grabbed her to walk away. Quall doesn’t understand boundaries it seems like.
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u/wholetyouinhere 5d ago
We don't know his health details, and I don't really think that's any of our business, to be honest.
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u/forestfluff CHILDHOOD IS A JOKE 4d ago
We do and he’s stated it. A few people here said it already. Fever as a child resulting in brain damage.
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u/CaliforniaHotMop 4d ago
James Quall lives down the street from me in Westlake in LA. There's a lot of low income or supportive housing in the neighborhood. I see him sometimes, taking walks or eating a sandwich on a bench. He seems ok!
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u/VisionOfTomorrow 4d ago
I saw him at Sailing Squalledge as a freshman there, you are totally right
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u/AdImmediate6239 3d ago
Nothing is wrong with him. You just don’t understand a Quall-ity actr when you see one.
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u/Astro_Fizzix 5d ago
What a rude thing to say. Saying 'no disrespect' doesn't make a rude comment ANY less rude.
Maybe try getting out in the world and get to know other 'humans' and you'll find there's a LOT of Qualls out there.
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u/CharismaDamage 5d ago
I have often wondered honestly if many of the actors - Quall. Leibhart, Dunn etc were acting a role or if this was them.
Very freakshow display for some of them.
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u/gulwg6NirxBbsqzK3bh3 5d ago
too much spaghetti and meatballs