Bruce Lee... and spicy chicken wings?
By Thomas Lee
Editorial Director of “We Are Bruce Lee”
“Hot Ones” just may be the most interesting thing to watch on the Internet right now. Mostly because the most surprising things can--and usually does--emerge from this YouTube show.
The premise itself seems pretty absurd. A celebrity eats chicken wings dipped in hot sauces that get progressively hotter while answering questions from host Sean Evans. By the time the celebrity consumes the Da Bomb sauce, the celebrity usually looks as if he/she is about to puke or die or both.
You would think a celebrity choking on hot sauce is the only reason to watch “Hot Ones.” But the show is actually pretty thoughtful because Evans asks excellent questions.
And as it turns out, the hot sauce also acts as kind of a truth serum. Instead of the usual canned responses celebrities give to benign questions on pedestrian talk shows like the “Tonight Show,” the guests on “Hot Ones” give very thoughtful answers to interesting questions.
When your tongue feels like it's going to melt off, I guess you don't have any real ability to censor yourself.
On a recent episode, actress Brie Larson took the hot seat so to speak. The Oscar-winning actress is primarily known for her role as superhero Captain Marvel. But Larson turns out to be quite a movie buff.
Evans: What classic movie would you recommend to an adrenaline junkie that has never seen anything outside of the Marvel Universe?
Larson: An adrenaline junkie? Like “Enter the Dragon?” I would consider that a classic. Getting into the Bruce Lee catalog is definitely...There's so much passion, so much excitement, so much artistry. It's like wow...wow...I've been rewatching some of his stuff.
I must admit that I never expected to hear a Bruce Lee reference in a show whose main star is delicious poultry.
That Larson is such a big fan is also pretty surprising — and significant. Larson, 30, is a white millennial woman whose best-known role is playing a comic book character who teams up with Captain America and Thor of The Avengers — a group of Earth's mightiest heroes — to fight evil.
Her reverence for Bruce Lee shows how the martial arts legend's appeal continues to transcend race, gender, genre, and generation nearly 50 years after his death.
I was particularly struck by her observation that Bruce Lee infused his movies with passion, excitement, and artistry. Because that's exactly what Bruce Lee tried to do.
Larson and Bruce Lee actually share some things in common. They both have the same initials and they both played superheroes.
I personally think that Kato would have made a fine addition to the Avengers.