It’s a bit difficult to contextualize the Sklar Brothers. To begin with, there are two of them. And while they are identical, they do many different things within Sklar Enterprises – they’re comedians, actors, encyclopedic sports buffs, sneakerheads, podcasters and now travel show hosts. Although, to hear them tell it, they see it all as natural extensions of the way they see the world. “Comedy is the observation and dissection of our daily societal experiences,” says Randy Sklar, younger brother (by five minutes) to Jason.
And the way they see the world is vast: they are ‘infotainment’ connoisseurs with an amazing gift to frame the cultural zeitgeist through a humorous lens. “We read the Sunday edition of The New York Times front to back and search multiple news sources each morning for stories,” the twins say in unison. The Sklars’ sponge-like memory retains most things they digest, ranging from the random (Chris Jent’s Ohio State jersey number [#21]) to the even more random (the name of the drummer on Bob Dylan’s Street Legal album [Ian Wallace]).
In their latest venture, the Travel Channel’s Finding Funny, they arrive in a different city each week with a mission to perform a locally sourced comedy set. The process and results make for engaging television, “We ask a lot of questions and devour the culture, food, and rhythms of that region for three days which culminates with a show.”
In this show, as in most of their performances, the twins wear sneakers on stage. While they are appreciative of their multi-faceted career and two-decade-long place high on the comedy mantle, they feel even more fortunate for never having to wear adult shoes on a regular basis. “Wearing sneakers on stage is like lacing up for open gym: we run into a town on a Thursday night and continue the game for a while, work up a sweat and go home,“ says Jason.
Randy’s Silver Lake, Los Angeles bedroom closet is filled with well-worn “summertime shoes,” such as Stan Smiths, Rob Lavers and Jack Purcells. “If you look at the heel of my shoes, you can see how weird I walk,” Randy notes as he points to a billowy indentation on the upper left side on each pair.
Jason, more of a pure sneakerhead, coyly shares that he gets the boutique, made-to-look-old Italian Golden Goose brand in both red and black.
Acknowledging their price tag, he quips, “My kids will just have to attend a less expensive college.” Becoming more serious, he further justifies his posh purchase by bringing attention to the fact that he cares for and holds on to his kicks for a while. “I still wear my black Reebok Iverson Answer 3s from 1999.”
The brothers’ observations on kicks, hoops and life can be heard weekly on their podcast, “Sklarbro Country,” as they hilariously intersect sports and comedy (the duo lists former NBA player Baron Davis as a frequent guest). Their fascination with words and athletics began with listening to Cardinals games on the radio at night during their St. Louis childhood. This youthful passion, coupled with their strong work ethic, have recently steered them to directing a documentary titled Movement about society’s relationship with feces.
When asked about the antecedent for the excretion-inspired movie, the twins explain, “the theme and subject matter organically developed while visiting the Staples Center for basketball games the past few seasons.”
Randy and Jason Sklar are characters who translate the events and situations they experience into humorous art. Individually, they each embrace a love of sports, while collectively, they enhance their knowledge with honed but natural comedic interplay. They have a penchant for exploring new territories in sports and beyond, and they have the well-worn kicks to prove it.
