The title sequence of 'Too Many Cooks,' an Adult Swim 11-minute short that has gone viral because of its strange and eccentric storyline Credit: Screenshot of 'Too Many Cooks'

The title sequence of ‘Too Many Cooks,’ an Adult Swim 11-minute short that has gone viral because of its strange and eccentric storyline
Credit: Screenshot of ‘Too Many Cooks’

“Too Many Cooks,” a spoof video that aired Oct. 27 on Adult Swim, is an accumulation of human fear and is an anxiety-inducing hell that seems to go on without sense or end.

That being said, I highly recommend trying to get through the entire video at least once.

(To the squeamishly-inclined, I suggest watching with a buddy or simply reconsidering.)

I will say that although the first viewing of this video is potentially psychologically damaging, the second viewing is remarkably more enjoyable because the senses are dulled from the trauma of the first viewing.

Here’s the rundown: it pulls in the viewer with an innocent enough title sequence for an ’80s-style sitcom and then slowly dissolves into chaos as more genres and more characters are endlessly introduced (and subsequently murdered). By the end of it, reality itself seems to have been turned inside-out and no one is having fun anymore.

Sure, many news outlets, such as The New Yorker, have described it as being “unsettling,” “insane” and “weird,” but I would argue that these are the very things that make it great. It is its pointless and terrifying nature that asks the viewer, as a human being, an important and introspective question: What really is it about this video that is so very disconcerting?

Is it the senseless violence that makes one squirm in their seat? One would argue against this, considering the average person is exposed to alarming amounts of gratuitous violence from the media far worse than the hilariously fake blood and gore used in this video.

Perhaps it is the cheery ’80s-sitcom theme music constantly played throughout the video as it gradually progresses from silly to deranged.

This might be a reflection of my own character, but my favorite part about it is its lack of meaning. Nothing profound is going on in this video, and I greatly enjoy the idea that time and money was put into birthing this 11-minute nightmare just for grins and maybe to ruffle a few parents.

Adult Swim most likely had no agenda or ultimate motive in airing “Too Many Cooks,” yet at the same time, it’s challenging the idea of what content is worthy for television. After all, this is a network known for pushing the envelope in this manner (who could forget a gem like “Superjail!”?).

I would like to emphasize again that this was not just uploaded to YouTube and was, in fact, aired on cable television, albeit at 4 a.m.

The creator of the video, Casper Kelly, has called the response to the video “surreal,” especially considering that it has gotten more than 2.3 million views on YouTube since Adult Swim uploaded it on Nov. 7.

Go watch it, and then promptly tell your family and friends that you love them.