Cole Tamarri
Managing Editor
Finally, in a world filled with thousands of channels of questionable quality, there is hope. I present the comedy duo of Desus Nice and The Kid Mero.
The Bronx natives have returned to the late night television scene with quite the entrance as their debut episode premiered last Thursday, Feb. 21 at 11 p.m., featuring the popular congresswoman from, you guessed it, the Bronx, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
First, a little background on Desus Nice and The Kid Mero. They got their start in television with Complex’s Desus vs Mero, a 46-episode series that began in December 2013 as well as featuring in MTV2’s Guy Code season 5 in 2015.
They started a podcast that same year on Sept. 11, entitled “Bodega Boys,” that features Desus and Mero doing observations shaped by their upbringing in the Bronx and comedy sketches that are irreverent as they are poignant in the way they address topics from the opioid crisis to the current president of the United States.
It can be found on Youtube, Soundcloud, and iTunes. I recommend starting from the beginning with the podcasts, so you can understand references they make in later episodes, and content from the podcast finds its way onto the television show as well.
Most recently, they had a show on Viceland which ran from 2016 until June 2018, when the network unceremoniously pulled off the air because network officials were incensed the duo were in talks about moving to Showtime for a weekly show, according to TheFader.com.
This iteration of the “Bodega Boys finds them in an actual studio, unlike the conference room with a table, two chairs, and a mascot in a stuffed bear with Timberlands boots at Viceland (R.I.P. Juicebox).
The premiere begins with a great sketch in which the duo show up in an elementary school, a nod to career days in elementary schools. They take jabs at former president Barack Obama, roast a movie up for awards at the Oscar, and interview Ocasio-Cortez, as well as visit her office in D.C.
I won’t give away details of the episode, which can be found on Youtube for free and with the debut of the show, Showtime’s cost for their streaming service is 4.99 for six months after a 30-day free trial with the promo code “Hive.”
What makes these two so great is their genuine approach to comedy. They don’t wear suits and sit behind a desk, and the bright lights of Hollywood haven’t changed them.
As they joked on the latest episode of their podcast, often referred to on social media as “the art,” they’ll be the only Grammy winners to still do graffiti, do the occasional shoplifting, and smoke marijuana in public.
They know how to make their guests comfortable, and no one ever comes on any version of their show just to promote their new products. It is always a laid-back conversation that you’d have with friends at a bar on Saturday night for instance.
This show combines elements of Chappelle Show in their sketches that take pop culture and current events, turn them on their ear to create a brand of comedy that is refreshing.
I highly recommend this show if you are looking for refreshing humor that is real, is not afraid to speak truth to power, and is relatable to the everyday struggle. If you’re looking for a break from the standard depressing fare of cable news, this is a show for you.
Also, if you just need something funny to laugh with after a long night of partying or a show to get you through a hangover, I highly recommend Desus and Mero.
The show can be found on Showtime at 11 p.m on Thursdays, and in a world of stale late-night television, this is the freshest dynamic duo in comedy.
Email Cole at:
ctamarri@live.esu.edu
