Trying to figure out if Portlandia is good or not with Wil

We watched the first two episodes last night.  I kept almost wanting to turn it off but then sort of liking it and then sometimes liking it quite a bit but then not liking it at all again.  It's certainly creative, interesting, odd, somewhat memorable, and daring.  But is it funny?  I didn't laugh at all.  But I was amused.  It certainly seemed like something I would find funny. 

The song and subtle head nod number about Portland perpetuating the dream of the 90s was funny(.)(?)(I don't know)

 
Wil wants to give it at least another episode's chance.  I will oblige.   However, we agree that some of humor seems off because Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein seem distant from the characters they play, like they're making fun of them while being them instead of making fun of them by being them.   Or, like, they're making fun of caricatures.  But, I have a weird kind of distant respect for Armisen, and always want to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe he's making a kind of meta-comment on...
something?

-I liked the putting-birds-on-everything-is-art sketch. 
-I liked when the organic foodie stereotypes chatted with each other about Fred having pretty eyes.  And when Fred interrupted to state that he wanted to say the same thing as the person he interrupted.
-And when Steve Buscemi said he had been at the bookstore so long he had to use the restroom again.
-Aubrey Plaza!  See, okay, Aubrey Plaza does a distant deadpan thing.  That is her signature thing. But, it's a kind of lively deadpan, if that's even possible.  It's a charming deadpan.  There's more connection with the audience.  Maybe her eyes smile a bit even though her mouth doesn't.  Or maybe she seems like she just smiled or is just about to, even if you don't get to see it?  I don't know why I'm so fixated on smiling.  I'm just very (overly) interested in why things are or aren't funny and I think intimacy with the audience is at least part of it.  I know I was happy to see her pop up and kind of disappointed when she left.
I don't really like most of the jokes involving the Women and Women First bookstore (including that it's named Women and Women First...maybe that is kind of funny.  This show messes with my head so much.  Which way is up, which way is down?)   Anyway, I think Armisen's Joy Behar is much, much funnier than his bookstore lady.

Speaking of SNL, Stefon makes me laugh uncontrollably and I think it would be a great writing exercise to try to write a Stefon monologue because it has a nice, built-in structure but requires tons and tons of creativity.  More than I've had yet.  

Overall, I'd say Portlandia is no Mr. Show but it has moments. 

[image via stereogum.com]