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This is your job.
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You do this for a living.
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>> [laughter] >> You watch people suffer. Oh, his shoe fell off.
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>> [screaming] >> Hey, what's going on everybody from First We Feast?
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I'm Sean Evans and you're watching Hot Ones.
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It's the show with hot questions and even [music] hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Marcelo Hernandez.
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He's a stand-up comedian, actor, and staple cast member on Saturday Night Live.
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Check out his debut comedy special American Boy, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
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And while you're at it, visit marcelo.
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live for show and tour dates near you.
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Marcelo Hernandez, welcome to the show. >> Thank you.
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>> How would you describe your relationship with spicy food before we get started?
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I have heard you say that you think a meal should be peaceful.
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>> Yes, [music] I would say my relationship with spicy food is broken.
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I just think uh some people I understand.
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I understand why people love it.
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I understand people are like, you know what I mean?
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What if food was also a roller coaster?
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>> [music] >> Um but [laughter] I get it.
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It's like makes it fun and exciting and it clears your sinuses out.
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Um but I prefer uh lunch, [music] breakfast, or dinner with no mucus, you know, or no sweat, you know?
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So, that's just a couple of the reasons why me and spicy food have a complicated relationship.
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>> [music] [music] [music] >> I'm going to do the first one with no performance enhancers. Okay. Mhm.
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>> [music] >> That first one is I've watched the show, the first one's easy. You know what I mean?
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The first one it it it it lulls you into [music] a sense of comfortability that is later going to be destroyed by the rest of it. >> You know too much. >> Yes, that was good. That was fun.
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>> So, a lot of your special American Boy centers on growing up around women.
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You know, there's a lot of material about body suits and beauty appointments and Brazilian waxes.
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What, if anything, did that environment growing up actually teach you about women that most men your age don't know?
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>> [music] >> It just maybe gave me a little bit more patience uh and understanding with women, you know, I think sometimes guys [music] they go through a lot with women where they're like, she's complicated or she's, you know, difficult to deal with or whatever, you know, men say that sometimes about women and I think it gave me a little bit more of a >> [music] >> a patient attitude cuz I know that they're going through a lot.
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Imagine like before the date, not only did you get ready for 3 hours, but you talked to your boys for like 4 hours about this [music] person.
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You're like, I'm excited for this thing, it might be a cool thing.
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I met him like this and this is what happened and then this happened and this and [music] you explain this date and why it's important for you to go on it to your friends for hours and then you get there.
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You prepared for 3 hours.
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Your whole friend group knows about this date. >> It's an event.
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>> It's an event >> [music] >> and then you show up and then the person is like, you know what I mean?
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>> I live with my mom and >> It just hits harder. >> whoa.
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What a waste of time and money and emotional energy.
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I think that bite was bigger than it should have been. Okay. Aubergine. Nice to meet you.
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>> [laughter] >> What's it like to have the banger sketch that night on Saturday Night Live?
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Like when you really shine on the show on Saturday, does that make going into work on Monday any easier?
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>> Um no, Monday does feel like a blank slate, but it does make the party [music] on after the show feel cool and fun, you know?
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Because it's hard to celebrate when nothing has really happened. [music] >> Mhm.
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>> Um but when you have a good sketch and you're like with the writers and you're like, man, we did it this >> soak in the glory of it.
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>> Yeah, we did it this week.
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It's [music] so exciting.
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I'm going to do a a performance enhancer just because of the color.
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I'm racially profiling this wing. >> Make no apologies.
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Do what you got to do over here.
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>> Does it How did she do it?
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She like licked her her ass out, right? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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>> She licked it like it was a [laughter] >> little bump >> little bump of this. Immediately after? >> Mhm. And then hit it.
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The Etch A Sketch You shake it clean. >> Mhm. Oh.
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>> [laughter] >> Smells good. Ooh la la. Wow.
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>> What's the secret to a perfect Cuban croqueta?
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Like from filling to crunch, what are you looking for in one that's elite? >> It's got to be hot.
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You know, a cold croqueta Okay.
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>> [laughter] >> All right, man.
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Welcome to the show, Marcelo.
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Um definitely crunch on the outside.
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The inside, it should be soft but also textured.
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>> Food from the Dominican Republic, it doesn't really get its flowers >> Yeah.
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>> the way that Cuban food does.
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Is there an underrated dish from the DR that you think people are sleeping on? >> Mangu. >> Mangu? >> Mangu. I also love sancocho.
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You want to say that one time? >> Sancocho? >> Yeah, nice.
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>> [laughter] >> Um I like sancocho quite a bit. Chuleta con piña.
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>> Do you ever go to colada order and is there a right or wrong way to drink a cafecito?
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>> When I was younger, my abuela Julieta my grandmother, she would make me a cafe con leche, which is coffee with milk and um some sugar.
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And then you grab a a a um toast, Cuban toast, Cuban bread, and you dip it frank. You know what I mean?
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>> I know exactly what you mean. >> Frank, yeah. Bite that. Take that for a spin.
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Do that 7:00 in the morning.
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>> [laughter] >> Turbocharged. >> Turbocharged, dude.
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Go to school and make someone make someone make someone hate their job.
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>> [laughter] >> This color is also unsettling.
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Let me get some of sugar.
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>> Yeah, you got a whole process now.
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>> Yeah, they're making a mess, but Lord >> Anything to survive. >> Mhm.
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>> [snorts] >> I don't like the way these guys are looking at me.
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>> [laughter] >> Now I get it. Mhm.
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>> Yeah, there's a moment of tension. >> Mhm. Yeah, there is.
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>> After each bite in this room.
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Chasing it with the sugar.
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What kind of culture shock did you experience moving from Miami to then go to college in suburban Cleveland?
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Like did you have any sort of defining we're not in Kansas anymore moments?
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>> First time I got to went out in [music] Cleveland and I'm getting ready to go out.
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I'm putting on a little button-down, little tight pants, you know what I mean? >> Yeah. South Beach, yeah.
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>> little white sneakers, Miami vibes, right?
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Little button-down, little tight pants, little white sneakers, little jacket cuz it's going to be cold outside.
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And then I go out and I'm like, "All right, boys, I'm going to meet up with you guys. Where are you guys at?"
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And they're like, "We're over here. We're on Metalbrook." You know?
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[laughter] And then I go to Metalbrook and it's all just like like um hoodies with hockey jerseys over it.
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>> [laughter] >> I'm like, "Who let you do this?"
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>> [laughter] >> In Miami, if you want to date a girl, you go, "Hey, let's go eat let's go eat sushi and then let's go to Mary's and let's live this adult romantic experience."
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In Cleveland, they're like, you know, you ask the girl, you go, "Do you want to go with me to Chipotle? We're going to walk."
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>> [laughter] >> Can't stand romance. >> what I mean? Yeah.
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You're going to tell me to bite again, aren't you? Okay.
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[cough] >> And you're at the halfway mark, which is nothing to sneeze at. >> I know, dude. I'm proud of myself.
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I know it's going to get violent. I know it is.
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>> But so far >> So far, so good, man. >> feet, man.
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>> eyes are always the same. >> We'll see.
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>> You're always looking at me with those eyes, brother. Here we go. Mhm. Oh my god. >> And find your spot. Find your place. There it is. >> You know it is.
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You know this was the real one, huh? >> Centered. >> Here we go. This just got started. >> Feet on the ground. >> this show started. >> [laughter] >> Okay. >> So >> Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Yeah.
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>> You shot your special at Olympia Theater in front of a hometown crowd.
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How would you describe Miami as a comedy [music] city?
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Like does it have a distinctive sense of humor?
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>> [sighs] [laughter] >> You sick puppy. Oh, god.
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Miami is more like a hustler economy for a comedy.
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The improv theaters, uh there's a couple in Miami.
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Um there's just a money and just a funny and villain theater and um you go used to I used to go there all the time.
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I'm going to hit you, man.
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This guy [laughter] He's just smiling at me.
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He knows what's happening. What's his name? >> Young Soo. >> Young Soo.
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>> [laughter] >> Ah, man.
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Um Yeah, so it's hustler. It's hustler.
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I used to go all the time.
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Um there's this guy named Manny that does a bunch of shows down there and he just does random little spots.
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You know, there's Have Nots Comedy Club.
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There's >> What makes Mary's Coin Laundry a quintessential Miami experience? >> Yes, brother.
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>> [laughter] >> Um I'm just trying to say their name as much as possible so they don't go out of business cuz it's my favorite place on earth and it's a coin laundry and a cafeteria.
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So I can't tell which one makes the money. Um [laughter] uh but Oh. Oh, I did the face. >> Yeah. It was that was close. >> really close. My hands are everywhere.
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I got to just But it's funny cuz you you you bring somebody into a panic and then you tell them not what to do with their hands.
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Um so, Mary's Coin Laundry is just it's a quintessential experience cuz everybody goes I I I really don't want it to get packed with like tourists like I cuz I know there's so many locals that go there to get their morning coffee, you know, such a quintessential experience in Miami.
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People are going there before work, after work.
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Dude, the thing is There's four more.
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[laughter] >> Five more, actually. >> more. >> But let's check.
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>> one, you saw how long it took me to recover from the last one. Woo! Little bite.
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But I hate it when people don't bite at all, you know what I mean?
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That pisses me off when I'm watching the show and somebody goes So, you know what?
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>> We're commit- we're committing. >> Kamikaze.
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I feel embarrassed about my eating station.
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>> I've seen way worse on this show.
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>> What you just said reminds me of something. >> Mhm.
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>> You said I've seen worse on the show, right? [music] >> Right.
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>> supposed to be a compliment for me.
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>> [laughter] >> I meant it that way. >> I know, I know.
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That's That's how you meant to say it, right?
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>> So, when I was in um in uh elementary school, my mom was like, I want to go Mom, I want to go to this party this weekend.
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My mom goes, okay, you want to go to this party this weekend?
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You got to get a note from your teacher at the end of the week telling me how you behaved that week, okay?
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And I go, great, fantastic.
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So, every day, you know, I'm I'm doing I'm doing my best.
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Not perfect, but I'm doing my best.
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[music] You know what I mean?
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I'm I'm going less than usual.
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At the end of that week, I go up to the teacher out of nowhere at the end of class and I go, hey, um Miss Hutton, can can you please write a note to my mom about how I behaved this week?
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It's the only way she can let me out of the house.
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And she goes, well, I thought it was average. And I go, okay, cool. Just write it down.
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That's I think that's going to work.
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And then she wrote she wrote down "Hello Mrs.
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Hernandez, your son's behavior this week was mediocre. Love, Miss Hutton."
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And I read it and I go, "Yes." You know what I mean?
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I'm excited cuz I but they There was an O when I said mediocre because that's a bad word for average. >> than average, yeah. >> Exactly. Exactly, man.
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And she got so offended by that. She was like, "Mediocre?
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She said you were mediocre? My son is mediocre?"
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And in English it's like it doesn't sound as aggressive, but listen to this. Ready, mom? Mi hijo es un mediocre.
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>> [laughter] >> Sounds dark. >> It does, yeah. That has a knife's edge. >> Yes.
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So, she said that to me a few times and safe to say I did not go out.
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>> That's what was my follow-up question.
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>> I go even if Miss Hutton would have wrote I've There was worse behavior [laughter] in the class, my mom still wouldn't have let me out.
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>> to trigger this event.
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>> Someone has called a dragon.
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>> You better not tell me what it's called. >> [laughter] >> Okay.
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>> So, your MLB weekend update bit made you basically famous overnight.
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Do you have any sort of working theory as to why the Dominican Republic, despite being a relatively small country, produces an incomprehensible number of elite baseball players?
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>> I think the Dominican Republic is like the Brazil of baseball. Right?
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Brazil's obviously bigger country, but when you think about Brazil, you go, "Okay, the best players of all time in soccer have been people that came from nothing.
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What's the game that people are playing in this country as the way out of their situation?
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For the Dominican Republic, that's baseball.
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It's an emotional experience, you know?
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Latin baseball players, when they you know, you think about American guys that maybe they come from a nice home in the suburbia and they work their butt off and they made it to the MLB, right?
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They hit a home run, they go That's fine. I did that. That's fine.
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When you come from a small village in the Dominican Republic and you made it and you took you got out of there and you gave your mom a house and you finally you know, gave your family some more stability and you are the reason [music] you are the ticket for your family to make it out of a difficult situation.
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When you hit a home run, brother, >> Let that thing fly.
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>> that bat as far as [laughter] you can. You know what I mean?
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You talk to Jesus for an hour when you finish because it's just such a big thing.
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>> This next one is the bomb. Beyond insanity. >> Okay.
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>> In the eighth spot, you're doing great. >> Yeah, okay.
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>> Some turbulence along the way.
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>> [laughter] >> It's just a sinister laugh back there. Okay.
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You're saying this is going to be bumpy.
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>> [clears throat] >> Yeah, it's turbulent. >> Okay. I do love a white pilot.
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>> [laughter] >> You know what?
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It doesn't even taste like food.
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>> It's almost like a poison. Yeah. >> Yeah.
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>> Your body kind of rejects it.
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>> [cough] >> And then same wavelength, throw it on the fire. >> Lips lighting up.
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>> [laughter] >> Did that help? >> You shut your mouth.
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>> [laughter] >> So, you're going to ask me a question.
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>> But it's got a nice long wind wind up to it. >> Uh-huh.
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>> So, you have some time to recover.
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But, you know, before Saturday Night Live and Netflix specials, you did a Tik Tok show called Only in Dade, which reported on news and cultural updates out of Miami-Dade County.
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So, what I want to do is bounce some headlines off of you, okay? >> No.
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>> Some of them are from Miami. >> Oh.
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>> Others are from other parts [music] of the country.
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And I'm just wondering, as a self-appointed journalist of record for South Florida, if you can spot which is which, okay?
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Lawyer's pants erupt in flames during arson trial in court.
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Was that out of Miami or someplace else? >> Somewhere else.
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>> It was actually out of Miami.
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Attorney Stephen Gutierrez fled the court and later returned unharmed with a single pocket, blaming a faulty battery in his e-cigarette. >> That's interesting.
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He's a Latino, but he's not in Miami.
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>> Up next, monkey in high chair bites boy at Italian restaurant. >> No, not not in Miami.
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>> Actually, it is in Miami. >> Okay, whatever. I don't care.
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>> A 9-month-old capuchin monkey named Jojo was eating dinner at Carrabba's when it bit an 8-year-old boy trying to pet the animal in its high chair, ending a weekly tradition known as Monkey Mondays.
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Would you like some ice cream? >> Sure.
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>> All right, we can make that happen. Incoming.
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>> You were [snorts] ready, huh? You see?
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>> [laughter] >> Why does he not come in? Why did she wait?
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>> Just finding that moment, finding that pocket.
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Woman gets jail after unleashing swarm of bees on sheriff's deputies >> jail. >> during an eviction.
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>> Unleashed a swarm of bees on sheriff's deputies during an eviction.
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In Miami or not in Miami? >> It could be in Miami.
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>> It is Miami-coded, but that's actually out of Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
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>> Oh, yeah, I've been there. Very nice town.
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>> [laughter] >> Man faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly trying to smuggle birds in his pants. >> Miami. Does it matter? >> It is Miami.
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>> Customs officials at Miami International Airport found 16 Cuban bullfinches that had been sewn into the interior of the elderly man's trousers. Go ahead, take a lap.
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And I have to say for someone who came in, you know, with almost no spice experience, you're in rarefied AIR OVER HERE.
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>> [laughter] [screaming] [screaming] >> LISTEN, I I'LL TELL YOU THIS, MAN.
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>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
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>> Let me tell you >> you this. I love you, brother.
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>> I love you right back.
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[laughter] >> I think you're a good guy.
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You give people a platform. Not without a price. >> No. No, there's a caveat. There's a catch.
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>> you give people a platform, you know, you made this thing.
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>> [snorts] >> I'm not getting emotional.
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I just it's >> [laughter] >> I understand.
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>> Um but it's nice what you do, you know, for artists and and entertainers and you give them a a platform to promote their stuff and it's nice, you know.
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I don't know if you know, you get that type of gratitude, you know.
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>> I appreciate you saying that. >> a lot of people. >> Mhm.
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>> A very [snorts] diverse group of people.
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There's very few white guys. >> We got a couple.
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[laughter] We got a couple. >> Very few. >> Yeah. >> Very few.
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And I will not be doing the last dab.
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I don't care what you say.
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I just had a full experience. Okay.
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>> Not a walk in the park. Not easy.
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But after the last one, I'm looking back at the last one.
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I'm getting like hangxiety.
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>> [laughter] >> Was I crazy?
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Was I a little crazy with the last one? >> No. No. >> This guy said yes. >> [laughter] >> Bill? >> Bill.
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Bill looks like he could be Latino. Are you Latino, Bill? No? >> [laughter] >> Okay. Lo siento.
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>> Our photographer actually though is a Miami Cubano actually. >> I'm like you. >> Dude.
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>> [laughter] >> Take your hat off for a second. Oh my god. Come here.
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>> [laughter] >> Take your hat off. Take your glasses. Look at this.
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Look at look look at look look. Tell me. >> I'm not him. >> Guys. >> [laughter] >> Guys. Guys. Guys, come on. TAKE YOUR GLASSES OFF. TAKE YOUR GLASSES OFF. GUYS. >> [laughter] >> GUYS.
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Which one of these guys is Cuban?
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>> [laughter] >> The guy wearing a crew neck or the guy wearing A SILK SHIRT?
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>> [laughter] >> YOU COULD BE CUBAN.
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I'M TELL That's the proof. Wow. That's awesome.
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He's dressed like a white guy.
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>> [laughter] >> And you're dressed like a Cuban guy. Wow. >> [snorts] >> Woo!
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>> And now it's hot in there. Oh god. Okay. Oh god.
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I wanted to destroy What if I start destroying stuff?
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Actually, the camera's cool, but I'll knock over all this. >> Yeah. So yeah.
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>> Cameras are expensive. All right.
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That's the last thought, brother.
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>> [snorts] >> And with that Marcelo Hernandez, the wings of death are behind us.
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And to close things out, you know as we learned today, your comedy, your perspective largely shaped by the women you grew up around.
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What would a protective mom say about the experience of doing Hot Ones?
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Do you think it's possible you're scolded for eating the bomb on camera after this?
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>> [sighs] >> Um well, what would my mom say?
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You know, my mom has gotten cool.
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She's gotten cool, but >> [snorts] >> cuz she knows this is good for my career, you know?
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>> [laughter] >> But she sees the big picture.
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>> Yeah, but if this was like recreational, she'd be like, "Don't do that." "Don't do that. Don't eat that."
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"You're going to feel bad." >> But you know what?
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You have to feel good right now taking on the wings of death, living to tell the tale.
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Now there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for [music] you.
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This camera, this camera, this camera, let the people know what you have going on in your life.
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>> Um I uh I did a movie.
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>> [sighs] >> I did a movie over the summer with Kevin Hart. Comes out in July.
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>> [gasps] >> Uh My special still available on Netflix. American Boy. Uh Shout out to my mom.
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Uh My mom, my dad, my stepdad, my sister, my little baby toe. I love everybody.
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UH >> [applause] [applause] >> UH >> YOU GET PEOPLE INTO LIKE UH >> IT'S A TRIPPY EXPERIENCE. >> YEAH.
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>> YEAH, and I just try to be like a shaman through it all. >> It's horrible.
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>> Where you going with that?
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>> [laughter] >> Ah And then >> [laughter] >> there's nowhere to run.
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>> You know who's behind here, probably? >> Who?
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>> All the people from Squid Games, you know what I mean?
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[laughter] Some rich guy sitting there with masks on. Yes.
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Dude, you keep You can't take this stuff, man.
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[laughter] Can't take this stuff, dude.
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These guys, they want to clean up, man.
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>> [laughter] >> Uh >> [laughter] >> What am I doing? I'm fighting it off.
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>> Just happy to not be on the receiving end. >> it off. Imagine.
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>> [laughter] >> You got to put that in somewhere. I don't know where.
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>> [laughter] >> It's a funny bit, and I did it. Ah!
23:42
>> Here at Hot Ones, we take spice and flavor very seriously, and now we're cranking up the heat on barbecue with our brand new line of Hot Ones barbecue sauces.
23:50
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24:09
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