The Gringo Papi
YouTube · 2022 · 25 min
A heavily scrutinized 25-minute YouTube set about family life.
Rather than trying to hide his outsider status in the stand-up scene, former UFC heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub leaned directly into his personal life, delivering a brief set largely focused on the daily culture clashes of being married to a Mexican woman.
Filmed at the Addison Improv in Dallas, Texas, the self-released special runs a mere 25 minutes. It represents a pivot point in Schaub’s post-fighting career, arriving three years after his heavily criticized Showtime debut, You’d Be Surprised. Instead of seeking another network distributor, Schaub hosted this effort on his own Thiccc Boy YouTube channel.
The material centers on domestic anecdotes, including jokes about his wife’s family, eating habits (most famously summarized by a repetitive bit about beans and cheese), and his experiences with spicy food. Production choices, such as the cartoonish cardboard Dallas skyline backdrop and the audible audio editing, became immediate talking points.
Rather than cementing him as a touring headliner, the release was met with near-universal panning from critics and comedy audiences alike, eventually securing an IMDb rating of 1.1 out of 10. For better or worse, the performance quickly evolved into an online artifact, obsessively scrutinized by internet forums and other commentators as an unintended case study in modern comedy mechanics.
The set list
-
Marketing of the COVID-19 vaccines
Ridiculing Krispy Kreme donut promotions and contrasting a disheveled Johnson & Johnson recipient on the news with the idea of hiring attractive actors to persuade men.
-
Quarantine during pandemic lockdowns in Los Angeles
Contrasting Texas with California, describing LA as 'North Korea with a beach,' and complaining about being quarantined with his children and wife.
-
Marriage to an authentic Mexican woman and her cooking
Contrasting his white heritage—claiming a 23andMe test yielded dry mayonnaise—with his wife and mother-in-law preparing bean- and cheese-heavy meals that interfere with his keto diet.
How it plays
- Tone
- Described as mean-spirited toward family members and heavily reliant on cultural and ethnic stereotypes.
- On stage
- Self-described 'bro whisperer' addressing a target demographic of young men.
- Pace
- Described by reviews as having stagnant pacing, poor comedic delivery, and awkward rhythm accompanied by an apparent laugh track.
- About
- COVID-19 vaccination, California pandemic lockdowns, Marriage and family life, Mexican food and cultural stereotypes, Dieting
What the critics said
Overwhelmingly unfavorable, drawing severe criticism for weak premises, reliance on ethnic stereotypes, substandard technical production, and an intrusive laugh track.
In the room: Characterized by an awkward room dynamic and noticeable editing inconsistencies, including user observations of laugh tracks and mismatched crowd reactions.
Backstory
Independently produced through Thiccc Boy Studios, set against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and personal anecdotes about his marriage to his Mexican wife.
Details
- Released
- Runtime
- 25 min
- Where
- YouTube
- Director
- Michael Nell, Casey Geraghty
- Topics
- Before
- You'd Be Surprised (2019)
More from Brendan Schaub
-
You'd Be Surprised
Showtime
If you liked this
-
Aziz Ansari Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening
Comedy Central
-
Marlon Wayans Woke-ish
Netflix
-
JC Currais Tequila Werewolf and the Taco Bell Maniac
Don't Tell Comedy