TV's Funniest Frenemies

The upshot: However you define it, the dynamic between these two is magnetically fun to watch, both onscreen and off. As to how they really feel about each other, I figured I’d let them speak themselves and asked them some probing questions. And then I threw in some other random queries that have been nagging me since we wrapped production.

JK: Sho, what quality do you most despise in Black?

MS: He’s a dick sometimes.

JK: What quality do you most love in Black?

MS: He’s got a good heart. [author’s note: aw…]

JK: Black, what quality do you most despise in Sho?

MIB: His stubborn refusal to believe that life originated by itself on Earth and was not transported via microbial life aboard a deep-space asteroid. To me, this smacks of provincialism.

JK: What quality do you most love in Sho?

MIB: His excellent taste in sneakers and child-like enthusiasm for his Kindle.

JK: Sho, how would you describe the issues between the two of you?

MS: He’s a family man; I’m a cat lover. He’s uptight; I’m a flake. He’s passive aggressive; I’ve got anger issues. He’s obsessed with his own celebrity; I do all the work.

JK: Black, do you possess any similarities other than your shared first name?

MIB: We’re both white, although his father is an Episcopalian so he’s more white than me. Also, we both like good gazpacho… He likes sandwiches far more than me, but it’s probably fair to say that we both enjoy a good sandwich… We both at times have shared an addiction to online poker.

[During production, Black’s morning mood seemed to change depending on the current amount of Kashi in his apartment. I asked him about this possible addiction.]

MIB: My love for and fascination with Kashi Go Lean Crunch actually began before production, but certainly escalated…when I needed something I could rely on to get me through those long desperate days. I knew that Kashi was always going to be there for me when I needed it most. Consistency is not something I normally crave, but fiber is.

[While Black was nibbling on Kashi to stay calm, Showalter, an admitted reality-show junkie, was unwinding with his weekly fix of Real Housewives of New Jersey.]

JK: Do you think Michael and Michael Have Issues has any chance at being as compelling as Real Housewives of New Jersey? I know it will be funnier, but can it possibly be more compelling?

MS: Real Housewives is compelling in the same way that watching a kid getting smacked on the street by his parents is compelling. Part of you wants to call the police; part of you just wants to stand there and watch; part of you wants to run away. Our show is compelling in the way that watching someone trip and fall on the sidewalk is compelling. Part of you wants to call an ambulance; part of you wants to run away; and part of you wants to crack up. Does that make any sense?

Readers, you decide. Watch the show tonight on Comedy Central at 10:30. For clips, blogs, behind the scenes photos and other musings from the Michaels, go here.

Jessi Klein is a writer and comedian who has frequently appeared on Comedy Central, CNN, VH1, and the Today show. She also likes to think she has value as a human being aside from her numerous credits in the entertainment industry.