Good issues come to those that wait, and as we speak, we bought one of many funniest streamers on the market. He first got here throughout my radar from a Naruto skit and now he’s lastly at rolling out. Should you don’t know Theo, you’re in all probability not humorous otherwise you’re spending an excessive amount of time on apps you don’t should be on. Both manner, permit me to catch you up.
Theo’s rise to web stardom didn’t begin in some fancy studio or influencer mansion. It began on his mother’s telephone, in center faculty, the place a 12-year-old Theo was making Vine skits about Black dad and mom vs. white dad and mom. “I had white lotion throughout me like, ‘You’re grounded,’ after which for the Black mother or father, I had like 5 belts in my hand,” he informed us. “That’s when folks in school began saying, ‘Yo, I noticed you on Vine, you humorous.’”
Like many people, Theo was impressed by Vine legends like Reggie Couz, King Bach and Jerry Purpdrank. “That was my introduction to short-form content material,” he mentioned. However in contrast to most, he took it past 6 seconds and constructed a profession out of it.
It wasn’t all skits and giggles, although. Theo admits faculty was by no means actually his factor. “I had like a 1.9 GPA. I failed my SAT. I hated faculty. I by no means favored studying. I in all probability learn two books in my life,” he mentioned, fully unbothered. When requested what he was doing as an alternative of finding out, Theo stored it actual: “It was simply me, my laptop computer, and a few lotion.”
And whereas that quote deserves to dwell in meme historical past eternally, the true turning level got here after highschool—through the pandemic. “I graduated in quarantine. No promenade, no actual commencement. Simply me at dwelling, going to work and coming again,” he mentioned. That job? Papa John’s. “I used to be flipping pizzas, they liked me in there. They was unhappy after I give up.”
However quitting Papa John’s was the transfer. Theo saved up for a automotive, switched to DoorDash for versatile hours, after which made a significant leap: sleeping on his brother’s sofa in Midtown Atlanta. “I needed to be nearer to town and within the combine,” he mentioned. And inside two weeks, growth: one other viral video.
You may keep in mind it. Theo would ask ladies to fill out a “survey” that was simply his contact listing. “That bought posted all over the place, Shade Room, all the things. I gained like 25K followers in per week. That basically began my profession.”
Should you noticed that hilarious development the place a bunch of ‘avenue’ ladies and guys are dancing to the Naruto theme track, yep, that’s Theo too. “It was a development from some time in the past, however I did it my very own manner,” he mentioned. And after I requested if it was onerous to get folks collectively for skits like that, he was unfazed. “I do know the place to search out them.”
That’s the factor with Theo. He simply… is aware of. Whether or not it’s timing, tendencies, or trolling, he is aware of the web just like the again of his hand. He is aware of which tendencies to hop on and the best way to put his personal twist on it. Just like the Ashton Corridor remake video he did final month that reached 2.5 million views. Or when he recreated a viral Indian slap-boxing video and made his personal model that went nearly as viral as the unique.
Oh, and he’s a severe anime head, able to die about Assault on Titan. “Biggest anime of all time? It’s not an opinion, it’s a truth. Assault on Titan,” he declared. I informed him I couldn’t give him that one. He challenged me again, play-by-play, episode-by-episode. “First episode, bro’s mother will get eaten by a Titan. He joins the scouts. He’s trash at first, however retains going. Then growth—he is the Titan. That’s deep!”
Theo’s power is uncooked, unfiltered, and wildly relatable. From Vine child to Papa John’s worker, from sofa browsing to changing into a content material king, his story is greater than inspiring. It’s hilarious, sincere, and actual. It’s straightforward to see why he gained his million plus of followers; the dialog was nearly as humorous as his content material. His content material and comedic genius has already gotten him off his older brother’s sofa, and he’s able to take it a lot additional.