this guy has never heard of cringe. this guy doesn't know what the word means. this man is more powerful than anyone i've ever met in my life. also, i need to stress that those aren't patron shoutouts, he doesn't have a patreon. nobody paid for those shouts. he's just doing it
my favorite part of watching Joe is you will almost Never pin down what his score is going to be. you can count on spiciness taking the score down because he's painfully white, and having to wait for his food will dock points UNLESS it's scalding hot when it gets to him, which MIGHT cancel out the docked points. if it's from Popeye's you're starting at 8 on the 10-point scale and going down from there.
he can hate it and give it an 8.0, he can say only good things about it and give it a 6.1, and old Joe pre-Tiktok was even wilder, things he like will get a 5 and things he hates will go all the way down to 1.1.
there's a beauty in that chaos.
This man is a joy and an enigma to watch. A few months ago I emailed to get a birthday shoutout for my boyfriend and the process was quick and ruthlessly efficient. He is the gourmand, he is the frustrated consumer advocate, he is probably known by name and face to every fast food outlet within fifty miles of his home.
The only comparable youtuber I can think of is The CNSR / The Pengest Munch, who has spent the last ten years doing high-production-value reviews of cheap chicken shops across London (and elsewhere):
An inconsistent rating system, a regular "crep check" displaying his twin passions of chicken burgers and designer trainers, a soundtrack of club bangers. But the mood is completely different. Where Joe is tight and efficient, CNSR is more casual and breezy. Joe eats in his car and in his food-bunker; CNSR eats at the restaurant or on the street. The latter is the biggest contrast, I think: CNSR is always connected with place, shouting out the chicken shop's local area and even incorporating that into his assessments. Apart from mentioning his Georgia location, Joe could be anywhere. CNSR chats with his cameraman and sometimes has friends try the food too, even having some cameo appearances. Joe is always isolated onscreen and literally talks with himself.
So we have a carnival of fascinating juxtapositions. British/American, connected/isolated, urban/suburban, local celebrity/viral sensation, etc etc. And yet they both make really engaging and fun videos. Food YouTube is a land of contrasts.
