Yesterday I was so happy to learn that Ali Wong will be directing a one-hour special from Frankie Quiñones as part of Hulu’s “Hularious” banner:
Frankie Quiñones is a stand-up comedian and actor who starred in Hulu’s This Fool, a show that was probably canceled because people like me kept it on their “to-watch list” for too long. I feel like an idiot (or a fool!), but I had never put it together that this guy was the genius behind “Creeper,” my favorite Cholo fitness and wellness influencer. Here is your introduction to CholoFit. When I need a laugh (or I need to work out my gluteus más o menos or my triceratripas), I watch these first three videos in order:
(this last one is just for Lainey!)
There is so much depth and specificity in this character and these videos—they are such rich texts! I could be a total academic about it and break down each of the choices — the locations, the props, the background actors, the meditative practices, the cultural details…and how they make simultaneous commentaries on wellness culture, masculinity, police brutality, the prison industrial complex, Mexican American culture…but then I let my graduate student self go and I just LAUGH. I laugh because I recognize that man’s voice and his mannerisms; because I recognize that woman/family member who makes you feel bad about yourself (sheds single tear); because I also think tamales and horchata are amazing body fuel (lol); because I am a sucker for bilingual wordplay, and because this man is such a payaso and I LOVE HIM FOR IT.
Frankie describes in the IG video below how his dad was this “old school homie” who is one of “the most positive people” he knows. This inspires the positivity of Creeper who wants to make you better by getting you in shape. But he is going to do it with weighted chanclas, an 18-pack of beer on your shoulder, and a self-awareness meditative exercise where you lean against the wall nodding to your homie.
There is a positivity and gentleness to Creeper that, as I said, I recognize. There are Chicanos my age who share his positivity, his humor, his sweetness. We could use more of that out here.
What I’ve seen Quiñones do in his CholoFit videos and his official statement about the news makes me excited for his special: “To have my homegirl Ali Wong produce and direct my first one-hour special is a dream come true…Be ready for some vulnerable ridiculousness. That’s what’s up.”
While I still feel like a fool for not supporting Quiñones earlier in his career, especially while on This Fool, I am game to catch up on it now, and I look forward to watching him on what’s coming up—he has a pilot for a sketch show on Hulu, he has a movie that is currently in production, and he is scheduled to appear on the new comedy series St. Denis Medical, which is giving me Superstore: Continued vibes.
In her statement about his special, Ali Wong said that “Frankie, on and offstage, was always one of the funniest coming up in the Bay Area comedy scene. I’m really honored to be directing and producing his first stand-up special because his hour is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. People mostly know him as Creeper from the viral Cholofit videos or from his hilarious performance in ‘This Fool,’ so I’m excited for the world to watch his stand-up.”
I am thankful Ali Wong is throwing her support behind Frankie Quiñones. Because that’s what you do when you have the platform and the talent you see is undeniable. You use the power you have in your talent and name to shine the spotlight on one of your homeboys. You find a way to share your homeboy’s talent with the world. Because you’re no fool.