You can now watch Pauly Shore's Richard Simmons short film online

The short film actually centers on a character named David. (Jesse Heiman, whose performances and distinctive appearance in shows like The Big Bang Theory have paradoxically made him weirdly famous as a background performer.) A segment producer on a daytime talk show that is, basically, Ellen, David ends up in a pep talk/conversation with Shore’s Simmons during a commercial break, giving those of us in the audience a chance to evaluate what Shore is actually bringing to this, aside from some frizzy hair.

The result comes off as manic, committed—and kind of facile, as Shore hits all the Simmons-y beats without giving much of a real glimpse at the person hiding underneath the platitudes. It’s engaging enough—none of Shore’s old slacker affect bleeds through here, and he resists the urge to make Simmons a figure of ridicule, or play his goofy optimism as a joke. But it’s also not clear what he has to offer with this quest, beyond some cheap inspirational material and a touch of novelty.

Shore debuted the film last night, noting, per TMZ, that he’s supposedly been texting with Simmons, who supposedly told him “good luck” before the premiere.