It’s the stupidest concept for a show, so stupid that it could be mistaken for an Onion headline: One bald host and one celebrity chat over Buffalo wings that progress from mild heat to tongue-numbingly hot levels.
But Hot Ones, the hit YouTube series by Complex’s First We Feast, stops being stupid after the concept.
Hot Ones brings together celebrities from every corner, from comedian Kevin Hart and actress Charlize Theron to Olympic skater Adam Rippon and celebrity chef Guy Fieri. The celeb sits across from host Sean Evans in a minimalistic studio that allows focus on what’s important.
Between Evans and his guest are 10 wings that ascend in spiciness to preposterous height. The wings themselves, and the sauces they’re doused in, act as a sort of side character, catching guests’ eyes with their often outrageous names — Da Bomb Beyond Insanity, Zombie Apocalypse Ghost Chili and Blair’s Mega Death Sauce with Liquid Rage are some of the spiciest sauces that have featured on the show.
As the guest works their way up the Scoville scale, Evans throws a variety of far-ranging, well-researched questions their way. In stark contrast to the vague, simple questions guests are often tossed on late-night talk TV, Evans and First We Feast editor-in-chief Chris Schonberger dive deep into the guest’s background. Evans told Business Insider: “I'll usually binge-watch every possible YouTube video. If it's a musician, I'll listen to their music; if it's somebody who wrote a book, I'll read their book.” Evans’ level of preparation has become a hallmark of the show, and guests often comment on it.
But most of all, guest variety and strong interviewing aside, the thing that sets Hot Ones apart is how genuine it is.
In the age of reality TV and easy-to-manipulate questions, Hot Ones brings celebrities to their knees — sometimes almost literally — via the combination of research and hot wings. The excessive heat of the ridiculously named wing sauces tears down any guise that a celebrity might have brought to the table. Gone are the public relations-style answers; instead, real answers — often accompanied by real tears — spew from guests.
This isn’t just good for the viewer, though. The wings reveal the real person behind the celeb persona, endearing them to the audience.
He could do a thousand interviews for the rest of his life, but it’s hard to imagine that astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will ever explain the universe more beautifully than did with all 550,000 Scovilles of Blair’s Mega Death Sauce with Liquid Rage coursing through his body.
It’s a ridiculous idea, but Hot Ones works to perfection — and it makes you hungry.
Alex McCann is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you watch Hot Ones or eat scalding-hot chicken wings? Tweet Alex @alexrmccann.
