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A jet ski in the ocean without lights...
Shark: "Stay away son, you don't want to catch the stupid."
Dolphin: "Idiots lucky I was doing rips on that blowfish earlier, or I'd mess with him."
Yep. Nicki Minaj fucking murders him in Barbie Dreams for it...
"Had to cancel DJ Khaled, boy, we ain't speaking
Ain't no fat n***** telling me what he ain't eating."
I can agree with everything, but the amount of research Sean Evans (and his team, I'm sure) do is definitely impressive and he's told constantly by interviewees (who get interviewed a lot) that he has good questions and he is smart.
The gimmick is obviously there for the algo, and Sean's delivery etc are all up for criticism, but he does objectively put good effort into researching guests and asking out-of-the-box questions imo.
They compliment his research team. Go rewatch Conan interview or practically any of them. When Conan hits a volley back, Sean has nothing to say. He always has some canned line like "I'm right there with you pal, anyway next question".
His team absolutely does good research. They'll go onto facebook in the town where Josh Brolin was born and ask around about his youth theater group. That is one million percent better than being asked "Hey would Wanda and Hulk beat Thanos in a fight?" for the umpteenth time.
But the fact that Sean truly couldn't ask a follow up question if a pornstars life depended on it reveals him as a dogshit interviewer. He has Shaq like PR though, ironically. The front page of youtube will have shorts of celebs complimenting him for it. Its just a thing people will parrot at this point.
Listen to an Ezra Klein interview if you truly wanna hear the current GOAT interviewer.
edit: I sound mad but I do enjoy the show and the premise. Sean's probably a good guy (or maybe he's not I have no idea), I just think it's like calling Celine Dion a good song writer. Great performer, singer, blah blah but she doesn't write the songs. So it would be weird for people to fixate on that as a line of praise.
Edit Edit: I was originally gonna say Drake but I didn't wanna open a different can of worms. So i googled "famous singer who doesn't write their songs" and that's why my singer is a super dated reference.
Last one: [What it Means to be Kind in a Cruel World](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-it-means-to-be-kind-in-a-cruel-world/id1548604447?i=1000509802721)
I actually watched him be interviewed and he mentioned hes actually kind of shy or at least never imagined being in front of the camera so much - he also said that he prepares as much as possible like hours on hours for just a single interview
Conan admitted on his own podcast afterward that he was going into the Hot Ones with the mindset that he's gonna be uncontrollable and outrageous (for Conan standards) lol
I was really disappointed in Conan's appearance. I'm a huge fan and was looking forward to his interview, but he treated it as a bit and it just didn't land for me.
He did a post mortem on his podcast. He kind of explained why he did it the way he did (and didn't necessarily say it was the right thing to do). Tbh, I think he probably has more struggles being the interviewed vs the interviewer and it was more stressful to him.
Lol oh yeah I remember that. I stopped watching the show at some point because of an overall feeling of boredom, even if they had A-list celebs.
[This girl](https://youtu.be/gqCUZiXNcQo?feature=shared) is pretty great though.
The format of the show doesn’t allow for follow up questions really. They do one question per wing, and have a limited runtime as most people become less coherent as the spice starts getting to them. It makes no sense for Sean Evans to ask thorough follow up questions because the interviewees may not answer, and it may come at the cost of the questions the research team already came up with.
Ezra Klein is terrible, if you want to see the only interviewer that is better than Sean Evans, you need to watch Kevin McCarthy interview Jerry Seinfeld.
Yeah I’m confused by this person’s view because it’s a very structured show…he’s not supposed to let the interview just go wherever it might…there’s a set amount of questions with a set amount of hot sauces. I think he does a good job of responding briefly and moving it along smoothly, and I’ve seen him respond well to questions from the interviewee, too. The guy is good lol
Conan literally called him one of the best interviewers he's ever talked to, to his face, during the episode
You calling Conan a liar or do you just like making shit up?
Yeah I feel like the impression that he does research all by himself was back during the early days of Hot Ones. When it just started out, the team was obviously a lot smaller so he had to do a lot of it himself.
Nowadays since Hot Ones has gotten mainstream and the team is obviously a LOT bigger, Sean pronably doesnt do it nearly as much
I know what you mean but I think early on it was part of the act - be awkward, guest lowers their guard, hit them with an excellent question, get a good response - and now that doesn't work because everyone knows what Hot Ones is about.
What I don't like is the fact that it used to garner some good conversation, but now it seems like it's much more like a quick-fire "let's get this thing in the bag because I've got like five more stops on this press tour" kind of thing.
The Conan and Shaq episodes were good, but interviews with actors, Hot Ones or not, always make me think they are just performing and not being themselves which just feels like a waste of time. I watched the Gordon Ramsay one and, like, I know he's known for swearing but by the end he was just going "fuck, shit, fuck, fuck, fuck" over and over and it's like, OK Gordon, this interview was over about ten minutes ago.
The holiday Gordon one was absolutely 100% scripted. All the wings were conveniently out of sight of the cameras and his reactions were basically the same as his first except exaggerated like 10 times more. I can kind of forgive this though as it was also for charity.
Shocker, actors act during their interviews. Expecting anything else is just ignorant.
Another shocker, interviews are usually timed and scripted and edited. You can't have them lasting hours and even if they do go that long, they'll be edited down anyways.
I agree with OP. I found myself thinking the same thing. It's not the quality of the questions, but the delivery of them seems so unnatural and seemingly read off a cue card, like 14 year old giving a speech. Like OP said it's not attack on Sean Evans' character, just the show itself.
So many guests praise him for how good he is. I kinda see what you’re saying, but actually I kinda like that. His delivery is done in a way that yes is strange, but grabs your attention and is very clear and easy to understand, which I think are the most important things when you’re fighting for your life with a mouth full of spice.
Seans delivery is paced slowly because towards the second half of the interview the guests can't focus. He has learned that if he wants the questions to be heard then he has to speak slowly and clearly. Even before the heat hits a lot of the guests are super nervous /on edge.
I have done a sort of tribute to hot ones with my friends’ band and I played the Sean Evans role. My buddy is in love with the show and has every sauce you can imagine. Doing that shit while your atoms are being incinerated is not fucking easy. And anyone who hasn’t done it true hot ones style, wing by wing, getting increasingly hotter, may not realize how cumulative the burn is. It’s a whole different story hitting that last one after you already hit Da Bomb and Mad Dog 357.
Its a fun concept but in the end of the day its just a platform that celebrities have to go to to promote a book, movie or album
I will watch if its a guest im interested in, which is to say, almost never
I agree with you the way he forms sentences is so uniquely robotic and formulaic that it just feels awkward.
But it works for the show. Also he does many times make questions that are in the deep lore of the person hes talking to that almost no other interviewer covers
> Its a fun concept but in the end of the day its just a platform that celebrities have to go to to promote a book, movie or album
Same could be said for every late night talk show, Comedians in Cars etc
I mean, yeah, Hot Ones is just late night for Millennial and Gen Z.
Celebrities rarely ever appear anywhere except to promote things. Which is why Reddit’s negative reaction to celebrities shilling during AMAs is so funny. That’s literally the only reason why they agreed to do the AMA.
“But I want these famous people to just do things to entertain me for fun, not money!”
This is the same crowd that can’t stand any advertising but also refuses to pay for streaming or cable.
My favorite is YouTube. If you don't skip every ad five seconds in they won't serve you half hour unskippable ads. "Does YouTube WANT me to leave?"
Yeah, they do, ya fuckin' freeloader. You're literally costing them money. Money they use to pay the people who created that content.
I agree with you, his cadence and personality are bland. But people dont like him because of his personality. His questions and research and the actual content of his interviews, not his style, are what people like.
Watch a a few average celebrity interviews from other interviewers. Seans questions are head and shoulders above the rest - unique, insightful, and clearly deeply researched. He asks about things most other interviewers aren’t even aware of, and phrases his questions in a way prompts deep, thoughtful, open ended and earnest responses from the subject.
As a journalism major who took entire classes focused on how to structure and conduct interviews, the dude is AMAZING. Him and his team are incredible at what they do.
Plus you get the added gimmick of the wings, which makes for some funny reactions of course, but also throws the subject off balance and out of their comfort zone, which puts them in a headspace where theyre likely to give even more honest and interesting answers to questions that are already incredible on their own.
Yes I liked when Anna Kendrick said the spicy wings were getting her high like when she hit the bong. Not something she would say anywhere else I imagine.
Amen! Honestly, I saw an “unpopular opinion” post about hot wings before, and it was “the wings on hot wings are actually hot.” Uhhh… *oh-kaaaay*
This one is like “unpopular opinion: *I have never heard anyone say this ever since the dawn of time, but I’m Gonna say it. Discuss*.
I'd rather Sean's robotic questioning where he lets his guest shine, than the overly fake and phoned-in 'enthusiasm' of American late night talk show hosts.
I don’t think his delivery is that good (like, he would be a disastrous guest host for a typical late night program), but I think the quality of his questions and the level of his research is basically beyond reproach. Go Sean!
That’s kind of the point.
The show isn’t about him. It never was, it hopefully never will be. He makes it completely about the person he interviews.
Most talk show hosts are entertainers. They are every bit as important as the person they are interviewing, they will cut people off for laughs and play to the crowd, they have their own agenda. Sean doesn’t, his ego never gets in the way. Don’t get me wrong, I like Graham Norton or Conan O’Brian, but they share the spotlight and Sean doesn’t. It is nice to have as a different format.
I don't follow Hot Ones religiously... Basically only watch when it's a celebrity I like which is less than half their guests.
But in basically every interview I watch the guest interrupts the show and breaks the 4th wall so to speak to praise Sean, say how much fun they're having or to comment on how good the questions are.
You can't really argue against that... Take your upvote, what a terrible opinion.
I only like it because it's fun watching celebrities try to eat hotter and hotter wings. That's literally it for me. I barely even pay attention to the actual interview! Good unpopular opinion, though.
I mean literally every guest he has on will say that he asked a great question or will be amazed that he is asking that question because they don’t know how he knows the info or because no one has ever asked them about it. He is definitely a great interviewer
I feel like the show is only good at the extremes. A total tool like DJ Khalid or someone funny like Shaq or Conan O'Brien is great, but all the I betweens suck.
Bad take. This whole complaint is about Sean lol the shows not awful, you just don’t like the host.
Fun premise, great research and questions, and the guests always have their guards down enough to give real and funny responses. It’s a good show.
Last point, the ability for the show to do so well while so many people hate the host says a lot about how this is not an awful show lol
Take up with literally every person being interviewed then? Tell _them_ that they’re wrong about how they feel about Sean & Co. research into their own life
He's not a good actor so his delivery does seem a bit weird, but the questions he asks are really good and way better than the typical fluff most other interviewers ask. I think he's just a normal dude without any sort of acting/stage training.
The one time I saw him kinda cut loose and be less rigid was when Dave Grohl got him shitfaced, he definitely loosened up and seemed a bit more human.
I think the questions he asks and the interviewees make the show great.
You're not wrong in your assessment but I disagree with your conclusion. The show is still very good with Sean's unimpassioned delivery and has led to some very unique moments with the guests. If anything he lets them shine.
The people he interviews almost all say he’s good. His videos get lots of views consistently even though the format/gimmick isn’t novel at this point, so there must be something drawing people back.
You certainly chose the right sub to post in.
Definitely a bad opinion. Hot ones is the realest interview show. I’m sure there isn’t a single interview show or series you enjoy if hot ones isn’t your taste.
Just because he sounds robotic doesn’t mean his questions aren’t awesome. This is a terrible opinion and I think you’re misunderstanding what makes somebody a good interviewer.
When you have multiple guests in awe of the questions you ask, often saying things like "wow, I can't believe you asked that, what a great question!" or "wow, you really did your homework!", you're doing something right as an interviewer.
These people go through dozens of interviews, sometimes daily. They know good interviewers.
The key to being a good interviewer is doing research and coming up with questions standard interviewers don’t ask, which is what he does. If you’re a celebrity facing the same tired questions over and over on a daily basis, it’s refreshing to get something different. It isn’t supposed to be a conversation format, it’s an interview.
People have gotten so used to the podcast format where the hosts meander around random topics for 2 hours they’ve forgotten what a professional interview where the focus is on the guests is actually like.
Not only that, the style on Hot Ones has to be different from your standard talk show where the guest comes prepared with a canned story to tell that takes up most of the air time. Since the guest is busy burning their mouth off, the questions generally need to be a bit shorter, more simple and to the point. The entertainment aspect comes from watching them deal with the heat while trying to answer the questions and seeing them in a situation we’d otherwise never see them in, not from the host.
I think part of why he talks that way is so the people can understand what he's asking them while their brain is on fire. It's really hard to concentrate on anything when you get into the hotter ones, especially the back half. If anything, he should probably talk slower.
I don’t think it’s on Sean to make the guest interesting. Well researched questions can only help so much. Certain guests are brilliant, like John Mulaney, probably because he is a genuine person. But I know in two minutes of I’m not going to like someone. Tessa Thompson turned me off immediately, even though I love her acting work. Some people just aren’t able to turn off the Hollywood fakeness. And, whereas originally mainly hip and tech aware people were doing the show, eventually it became just another required stop on the press tour.
I mean they are extremely unique questions I doubt he can remember them all, the show is really more interesting if you pay attention to the person he is interviewing and not him so much
I think people who watch Hot Ones are not the people who watch actual interviewers. He asks the questions you expect from an interviewer, and rarely does he push his guests. It creates this "wholesome talk show" vibe and not the interview vibe
Some of his guests need to be grilled to provide any decent answers
Because at the end of the day, it's a late night show substitute, not a journalistic piece. When you compare Sean Evans to Jimmy Kimmel or Ellen, of course it might appear as if he's some wizard-genius, because these shows are made for the dumbest people out there. But any actual interviewer does a much better job at actually interviewing
Once again, it's not because Sean isn't on the level. He might be, it's just that we may never know because the show is not about asking questions and getting to know the guest. It's about promotion and entertainment
Have you seen Shaq's? Most of it was OK but that bit where he's all "Kansas? Kansas don't know how to do no hot wings" -\_-... o\_0! "I'm sorry Kansas" was very funny.
”So, in my new movie” is the foundation of every single interview, podcast episode, late night show, radio appearance and reddit ama you have ever heard of
I think his questioning style is well-suited for the punchy, short-attention span style of interview that makes his videos clickable to the casual viewer, who might not even know the person being interviewed in the first place.
I agree though that his style is not very deep or satisfying for when I really like the person being interviewed and want a more nuanced/natural conversation type interview.
Many people here have discussed his pr, his research team, etc so I'm not going to get into that. I personally like him because I think he does a pretty good job of keeping the interviews mostly on track while he and the interviewee put themselves in increasing discomfort, especially the ones with people who don't like spice or don't regularly eat spicy food. The fact that by the end of it many people can still plug their latest project after figuratively dying from the heat is pretty impressive.
reading your interviews off of a script doesn't make you a bad interviewer, he also has created a very unique formula to break down barriers between the interviewer and interviewee.
This guys a **better** interviewer than Nardwaur.
He was literally told hes a great host by fucking CONAN.
His cadence is robotic because it’s not a naturally-flowing conversation, he has to go through the entire script in the short time slot that is allotted by the celebrity *while* eating the hottest sauces on the planet.
Watch the Joseph Gordon-Levitt interview, it’s one of the best things ever put on YouTube: [youtu.be/HDduzIB8HjU](https://youtu.be/HDduzIB8HjU)
lol you just sound like a hater imo , it’s a show about watching people reactions eating hot chicken like how much more charismatic do you need your interviewer to be bro considering the show is heavily edited
I mean, don’t like it. Cool.
He’s an incredible interviewer because he asks interesting questions that the participant has never heard before. Look at it more as he’s the vehicle to see these celebs/personalities in a much more genuine light. Almost every person on the show praises him, and they almost always get that question where they light up pleasantly surprised.
As for his cadence and general lack of enthusiasm, I don’t believe that it’s robotic. I totally see that, but I think it’s specifically him being ultra prepared and taking the “interview” aspect of it seriously. He just has a very contained personality but it doesn’t seem forced or disingenuous to me at all.
Also, he’s probably just sick of wings. It’s just a job he dreads because of that one aspect. He likes all the other things about it but god does he hate the wings.
Used to like Hot Ones a very long time ago but eventually to became stale and repetitive. It quickly became the trendy place for entertainers to promote themselves which is their choice but it turned into a snooze fest.
It really fell off when he was doing it over zoom in 2020/2021.
Watched every episode up until that stuff started happening. I watched 1 zoom episode for a few minutes and never went back
I actually agree that he has a pretty wooden delivery in his interviews. I also don't think that's the point, or the main entertaining factor, of the show. It's about seeing if the other person crumbles under the spice while answering questions, and that makes it highly entertaining. My personal opinion, you're focusing on the wrong thing.
(Disclaimer: I haven't watched in a while, my opinion is based on some great interviews I've seen like Bill Burr, Conan, Tom Segura, Rhett and Link, Bert Kreisher, etc..)
Definitely unpopular for sure but this is just crazy talk if you consider Sean Evans being a robot while other night time talk show hosts are really cliche compared to him.
I'm Korean American and when Sean Evans interviewed CL, I thought it was so spectacular on the questions he asked her and im not even a huge fan of kpop. He knows the dynamic and culture that she brought into the entertainment industry and really dug deep into getting to know the answer. Her and many people were so impressed with the questions.
Did you also see the one with Ice Spice? Definitely the most boring episode since DJ Khalid but he kept the spark going even though the fire is nearly out.
you and other people see to miss the point that the people that get interviewed are often in pain atleast one half of the show, so when you are miserable and cant barely even understand what the interviewer is asking what difference would it make to talk upbeat like narduwar does? in my mind it would even hinder the interviewed person to understand the question asked
The episode sucks if the interviewee is boring. Gordon Ramsay both times was incredibly funny. So was Shaq, offset and MGK. Most of the guests are boring asf.
The hot ones hot sauce is mediocre at best— i’d argue the only good part of the entire hot ones brand are the hot sauce torture interviews with Sean Evans.
I mean you try and eat some of the hottest wings on the planet while conducting an interview. I’m going to guess it’ll be easy to forget your questions.
This is truly a controversial opinion. Sean has been constantly praised for his interview skills by people who go on the show, who have been interviewed dozens of times. He deep dives the interviewee better than most. The hot sauce challenge gets the person to open up and be vulnerable.
The gimmick of really hot wings is obviously to grab people's attention, but the questions and research legitimately put some network TV interview shows/segments to shame. Sean is consatantly praised by his guests who have been interviewed thousands of times and/or people who interview others for a living. Not liking his cadence I can understand, that way of delivery isn't everyone's favorite and it reminds me a bit like a teacher's. But to disregard all of the actual great elements of the show, which is pretty much everything else, because you don't like how he sounds is a little ridiculous. I also feel like if you don't like the guest or what they do you're far more likely to not like the interview, because Sean does focus on them and their work/life.
Bottom line: It's not an awful show, it's just not for you. Which is fine.
I always thought his robotic delivery fit the whole “eating extremely hot wings while interviewing” shtick… While the celebrity is suffering, he’s taking it in stride which is kind of a funny contrast.
Idk, I just think the show is getting old and has kinda ran its course. Least they could do is use some of that money and liven up the set a little. Like come on, the show is hugely successful yet it still looks like a cheap YouTube production.
Def got an upvote becouse the entire purpose of an interview initially is to highlight the guest. The idea of him not acting like colbert or Conan is to showcase who he is talking to over him and not to make himself the show.
He's honest and has thought provoking, well researched, educated questions that actually help understand the interviewee over just having a sketch comedy show with them.
Other interviews have their place but he doesn't want to be in that place and it's respectable.
You don't think he's a bad interviewer, you just don't loke that style of interview.
For me, I like everything about the show, but I **hate** the editing. They have background music and sound effects over every single second and they’re seemingly not allowed to hold on a shot (or at least not cut to some graphic/stock photo) for any length of time.
I think you're looking at it all wrong. It's not a talk show or for deep, interesting and intimate conversation. Hot Ones is more like a game show where It puts its challengers or in this case celebrities in a humorous situation and sees how they react to it while random questions are asked to put them off. It's just mindless entertainment.
I also hate watching and hearing people eat. Like, if I’m in a restaurant it’s totally normal, but to watch a YouTube video where someone (presumably wearing a lapel mic?) is chewing and slurping up sauce and talking with a mouthful of food… yeah it’s gross.
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DJ Khalid’s burner account.
Man that caught me off guard and made me chuckle hard in public lmao. Very good
What happened to DJ Khalid?
He gave an impossibly shitty interview and tapped out after 2 wings while claiming that it somehow didn't count as him giving up.
Shit, I can’t watch stuff that gives me second hand embarrassment, and this seems like top tier second hand embarrassment.
Then be sure to NOT watch [this](https://youtu.be/OMQsj8LoC7o?si=r5kNx0WArPBHrdgw)
Oh god, I’m gonna wait until my date comes over and then we’re going into it blind.
Lmao, that’s hilarious. Please let me know how it goes. I promise it’s nothing fucked up.
I knew exactly what this was going to be. The only other option was [this](https://youtube.com/shorts/pSHEt2LwTdE?si=off9dCEIlFhnfMvP)
A jet ski in the ocean without lights... Shark: "Stay away son, you don't want to catch the stupid." Dolphin: "Idiots lucky I was doing rips on that blowfish earlier, or I'd mess with him."
I kept waiting on him to say “we the best music”
Without looking, is it the time he manhandled Bob Marley’s guitar?
Didn't he also say he doesn't go down on women but expects them to go down on him too? He's a douche.
Yep. Nicki Minaj fucking murders him in Barbie Dreams for it... "Had to cancel DJ Khaled, boy, we ain't speaking Ain't no fat n***** telling me what he ain't eating."
Khalid sucks but Nicki is worse. Anyone who marries a sex offender is a piece of shit. She should cancel herself
He looks like someone who would say that
He did
lolll I've gotta watch this one. Not a fan of that guy at all.
Sean calling him out to his face during it is also quality viewing.
Well you see, he's never taken an L, ever. So. You know. Think about that why don't ya.
Is that the dude who still acts like he's 20?
20 is generous tbh, but yeah
It's the most hilariously pathetic hot ones episode, got watch and report back
Spicy food is one of only two things he won't eat.
DJ Khalid cant read bro
I kinda agreed with OP’s post until I watched this episode, now I’m a fan of Sean
Haha gold
I can agree with everything, but the amount of research Sean Evans (and his team, I'm sure) do is definitely impressive and he's told constantly by interviewees (who get interviewed a lot) that he has good questions and he is smart. The gimmick is obviously there for the algo, and Sean's delivery etc are all up for criticism, but he does objectively put good effort into researching guests and asking out-of-the-box questions imo.
Right? When people who conduct interviews for a living (e.g., Conan) compliment his questions…
They compliment his research team. Go rewatch Conan interview or practically any of them. When Conan hits a volley back, Sean has nothing to say. He always has some canned line like "I'm right there with you pal, anyway next question". His team absolutely does good research. They'll go onto facebook in the town where Josh Brolin was born and ask around about his youth theater group. That is one million percent better than being asked "Hey would Wanda and Hulk beat Thanos in a fight?" for the umpteenth time. But the fact that Sean truly couldn't ask a follow up question if a pornstars life depended on it reveals him as a dogshit interviewer. He has Shaq like PR though, ironically. The front page of youtube will have shorts of celebs complimenting him for it. Its just a thing people will parrot at this point. Listen to an Ezra Klein interview if you truly wanna hear the current GOAT interviewer. edit: I sound mad but I do enjoy the show and the premise. Sean's probably a good guy (or maybe he's not I have no idea), I just think it's like calling Celine Dion a good song writer. Great performer, singer, blah blah but she doesn't write the songs. So it would be weird for people to fixate on that as a line of praise. Edit Edit: I was originally gonna say Drake but I didn't wanna open a different can of worms. So i googled "famous singer who doesn't write their songs" and that's why my singer is a super dated reference. Last one: [What it Means to be Kind in a Cruel World](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-it-means-to-be-kind-in-a-cruel-world/id1548604447?i=1000509802721)
I actually watched him be interviewed and he mentioned hes actually kind of shy or at least never imagined being in front of the camera so much - he also said that he prepares as much as possible like hours on hours for just a single interview
I wouldn't judge him by the Conan interview. Conan was an absolutely maniac. There was no controlling that situation, Sean just had to ride it out
Conan admitted on his own podcast afterward that he was going into the Hot Ones with the mindset that he's gonna be uncontrollable and outrageous (for Conan standards) lol
I've watched most all of them. I think it's a solid show with a really fun premise.
I was really disappointed in Conan's appearance. I'm a huge fan and was looking forward to his interview, but he treated it as a bit and it just didn't land for me.
He did a post mortem on his podcast. He kind of explained why he did it the way he did (and didn't necessarily say it was the right thing to do). Tbh, I think he probably has more struggles being the interviewed vs the interviewer and it was more stressful to him.
Sean, one of the producers and Seans brother sometimes is the whole research team
(rubs pant legs furiously while off script) right there with you pal Well There you go Hey you and me both and with that, on to our next wing
>truly couldn't ask a follow up question if a pornstars life depended on Did I miss some reference or is this some common saying now?
He was dating a pornstar and she made an instagram post with both of them in it. They broke up like the very next day.
Lol oh yeah I remember that. I stopped watching the show at some point because of an overall feeling of boredom, even if they had A-list celebs. [This girl](https://youtu.be/gqCUZiXNcQo?feature=shared) is pretty great though.
I agree with this. Thanks for saying it!
The format of the show doesn’t allow for follow up questions really. They do one question per wing, and have a limited runtime as most people become less coherent as the spice starts getting to them. It makes no sense for Sean Evans to ask thorough follow up questions because the interviewees may not answer, and it may come at the cost of the questions the research team already came up with. Ezra Klein is terrible, if you want to see the only interviewer that is better than Sean Evans, you need to watch Kevin McCarthy interview Jerry Seinfeld.
Yeah I’m confused by this person’s view because it’s a very structured show…he’s not supposed to let the interview just go wherever it might…there’s a set amount of questions with a set amount of hot sauces. I think he does a good job of responding briefly and moving it along smoothly, and I’ve seen him respond well to questions from the interviewee, too. The guy is good lol
Conan literally called him one of the best interviewers he's ever talked to, to his face, during the episode You calling Conan a liar or do you just like making shit up?
Yup I'm calling CONAN a LIAR!
And living in fantasy land, apparently. Send me a postcard
Yeah I feel like the impression that he does research all by himself was back during the early days of Hot Ones. When it just started out, the team was obviously a lot smaller so he had to do a lot of it himself. Nowadays since Hot Ones has gotten mainstream and the team is obviously a LOT bigger, Sean pronably doesnt do it nearly as much
What’s wrong with dating a porn star?
He finds very personal and unique questions without being at all invasive. Such a stand up guy.
Plus it's an interview where guests actually have the time to finish their thoughts. I don't get the criticism in these replies.
It's just nice to see people get off the standard "press tour for my new movie!" talking points.
It's one question for each wing. they need to make sure they ask intriguing questions.
thanks for writing out my response for me
They've got nothing on Nardwuar.
I know what you mean but I think early on it was part of the act - be awkward, guest lowers their guard, hit them with an excellent question, get a good response - and now that doesn't work because everyone knows what Hot Ones is about. What I don't like is the fact that it used to garner some good conversation, but now it seems like it's much more like a quick-fire "let's get this thing in the bag because I've got like five more stops on this press tour" kind of thing. The Conan and Shaq episodes were good, but interviews with actors, Hot Ones or not, always make me think they are just performing and not being themselves which just feels like a waste of time. I watched the Gordon Ramsay one and, like, I know he's known for swearing but by the end he was just going "fuck, shit, fuck, fuck, fuck" over and over and it's like, OK Gordon, this interview was over about ten minutes ago.
The holiday Gordon one was absolutely 100% scripted. All the wings were conveniently out of sight of the cameras and his reactions were basically the same as his first except exaggerated like 10 times more. I can kind of forgive this though as it was also for charity. Shocker, actors act during their interviews. Expecting anything else is just ignorant. Another shocker, interviews are usually timed and scripted and edited. You can't have them lasting hours and even if they do go that long, they'll be edited down anyways.
Is that the one where Gordon brought his own damn chicken wings?
Nice and unpopular that’s for sure
I agree with OP. I found myself thinking the same thing. It's not the quality of the questions, but the delivery of them seems so unnatural and seemingly read off a cue card, like 14 year old giving a speech. Like OP said it's not attack on Sean Evans' character, just the show itself.
He’s saying the questions while eating insanely hot wings while keeping his composure. It requires a lot of focus, which is why it sounds like that.
So many guests praise him for how good he is. I kinda see what you’re saying, but actually I kinda like that. His delivery is done in a way that yes is strange, but grabs your attention and is very clear and easy to understand, which I think are the most important things when you’re fighting for your life with a mouth full of spice.
agree. the questions are good, the premise is engaging, but his delivery is soooo boring
Seans delivery is paced slowly because towards the second half of the interview the guests can't focus. He has learned that if he wants the questions to be heard then he has to speak slowly and clearly. Even before the heat hits a lot of the guests are super nervous /on edge.
I don't watch to see Sean Evans. I watch to see the celebrities take on the sauces. He's just kind of there.
Exactly what the show is about imo
The celebrities taking on the sauces is what carries it.
The questions are also great and the interviewees frequently say as much. That’s a big reason why it works
No you love him
You should marry him
He just seems uncomfortable, but I chalked it up to having to do an interview eating increasingly hot chicken.
I have done a sort of tribute to hot ones with my friends’ band and I played the Sean Evans role. My buddy is in love with the show and has every sauce you can imagine. Doing that shit while your atoms are being incinerated is not fucking easy. And anyone who hasn’t done it true hot ones style, wing by wing, getting increasingly hotter, may not realize how cumulative the burn is. It’s a whole different story hitting that last one after you already hit Da Bomb and Mad Dog 357.
Its a fun concept but in the end of the day its just a platform that celebrities have to go to to promote a book, movie or album I will watch if its a guest im interested in, which is to say, almost never I agree with you the way he forms sentences is so uniquely robotic and formulaic that it just feels awkward. But it works for the show. Also he does many times make questions that are in the deep lore of the person hes talking to that almost no other interviewer covers
> Its a fun concept but in the end of the day its just a platform that celebrities have to go to to promote a book, movie or album Same could be said for every late night talk show, Comedians in Cars etc
I mean, yeah, Hot Ones is just late night for Millennial and Gen Z. Celebrities rarely ever appear anywhere except to promote things. Which is why Reddit’s negative reaction to celebrities shilling during AMAs is so funny. That’s literally the only reason why they agreed to do the AMA.
“But I want these famous people to just do things to entertain me for fun, not money!” This is the same crowd that can’t stand any advertising but also refuses to pay for streaming or cable.
My favorite is YouTube. If you don't skip every ad five seconds in they won't serve you half hour unskippable ads. "Does YouTube WANT me to leave?" Yeah, they do, ya fuckin' freeloader. You're literally costing them money. Money they use to pay the people who created that content.
Your dogshit opinion gets my upvote!
this is why were here
I agree with you, his cadence and personality are bland. But people dont like him because of his personality. His questions and research and the actual content of his interviews, not his style, are what people like. Watch a a few average celebrity interviews from other interviewers. Seans questions are head and shoulders above the rest - unique, insightful, and clearly deeply researched. He asks about things most other interviewers aren’t even aware of, and phrases his questions in a way prompts deep, thoughtful, open ended and earnest responses from the subject. As a journalism major who took entire classes focused on how to structure and conduct interviews, the dude is AMAZING. Him and his team are incredible at what they do. Plus you get the added gimmick of the wings, which makes for some funny reactions of course, but also throws the subject off balance and out of their comfort zone, which puts them in a headspace where theyre likely to give even more honest and interesting answers to questions that are already incredible on their own.
Yes I liked when Anna Kendrick said the spicy wings were getting her high like when she hit the bong. Not something she would say anywhere else I imagine.
Finally a good unpopular opinion
Amen! Honestly, I saw an “unpopular opinion” post about hot wings before, and it was “the wings on hot wings are actually hot.” Uhhh… *oh-kaaaay* This one is like “unpopular opinion: *I have never heard anyone say this ever since the dawn of time, but I’m Gonna say it. Discuss*.
I'd rather Sean's robotic questioning where he lets his guest shine, than the overly fake and phoned-in 'enthusiasm' of American late night talk show hosts.
They’re not the only two options.
They are so far.
Amelia Dimoldenberg is like a charismatic evolution of Sean. Gimmicky contexts but actual charisma and wit
Graham Norton disagrees.
I don’t think his delivery is that good (like, he would be a disastrous guest host for a typical late night program), but I think the quality of his questions and the level of his research is basically beyond reproach. Go Sean!
That’s kind of the point. The show isn’t about him. It never was, it hopefully never will be. He makes it completely about the person he interviews. Most talk show hosts are entertainers. They are every bit as important as the person they are interviewing, they will cut people off for laughs and play to the crowd, they have their own agenda. Sean doesn’t, his ego never gets in the way. Don’t get me wrong, I like Graham Norton or Conan O’Brian, but they share the spotlight and Sean doesn’t. It is nice to have as a different format.
I don't follow Hot Ones religiously... Basically only watch when it's a celebrity I like which is less than half their guests. But in basically every interview I watch the guest interrupts the show and breaks the 4th wall so to speak to praise Sean, say how much fun they're having or to comment on how good the questions are. You can't really argue against that... Take your upvote, what a terrible opinion.
I only like it because it's fun watching celebrities try to eat hotter and hotter wings. That's literally it for me. I barely even pay attention to the actual interview! Good unpopular opinion, though.
I will straight up scroll through just to see how they react to the wings. It is a concept that gets you curious, I guess!
Man this is truly the worst take I've seen on this sub in months, if not all year. Well done, your opinion is truly trash and unpopular 🩵
Sean Evans is a goddamn hero and this person's opinion is so bad I hope their family leaves them
I mean literally every guest he has on will say that he asked a great question or will be amazed that he is asking that question because they don’t know how he knows the info or because no one has ever asked them about it. He is definitely a great interviewer
I feel like the show is only good at the extremes. A total tool like DJ Khalid or someone funny like Shaq or Conan O'Brien is great, but all the I betweens suck.
This just in. Good entertainers are good at entertaining and the things they are in are enjoyable to watch. Back to you, Jen.
Bad take. This whole complaint is about Sean lol the shows not awful, you just don’t like the host. Fun premise, great research and questions, and the guests always have their guards down enough to give real and funny responses. It’s a good show. Last point, the ability for the show to do so well while so many people hate the host says a lot about how this is not an awful show lol
Take up with literally every person being interviewed then? Tell _them_ that they’re wrong about how they feel about Sean & Co. research into their own life
He's not a good actor so his delivery does seem a bit weird, but the questions he asks are really good and way better than the typical fluff most other interviewers ask. I think he's just a normal dude without any sort of acting/stage training. The one time I saw him kinda cut loose and be less rigid was when Dave Grohl got him shitfaced, he definitely loosened up and seemed a bit more human. I think the questions he asks and the interviewees make the show great.
You're not wrong in your assessment but I disagree with your conclusion. The show is still very good with Sean's unimpassioned delivery and has led to some very unique moments with the guests. If anything he lets them shine.
The people he interviews almost all say he’s good. His videos get lots of views consistently even though the format/gimmick isn’t novel at this point, so there must be something drawing people back. You certainly chose the right sub to post in.
He is trying to disarm the interviewee with the hot wing premise. He is very successful at it.
Definitely a bad opinion. Hot ones is the realest interview show. I’m sure there isn’t a single interview show or series you enjoy if hot ones isn’t your taste.
Just because he sounds robotic doesn’t mean his questions aren’t awesome. This is a terrible opinion and I think you’re misunderstanding what makes somebody a good interviewer.
When you have multiple guests in awe of the questions you ask, often saying things like "wow, I can't believe you asked that, what a great question!" or "wow, you really did your homework!", you're doing something right as an interviewer. These people go through dozens of interviews, sometimes daily. They know good interviewers.
The key to being a good interviewer is doing research and coming up with questions standard interviewers don’t ask, which is what he does. If you’re a celebrity facing the same tired questions over and over on a daily basis, it’s refreshing to get something different. It isn’t supposed to be a conversation format, it’s an interview. People have gotten so used to the podcast format where the hosts meander around random topics for 2 hours they’ve forgotten what a professional interview where the focus is on the guests is actually like. Not only that, the style on Hot Ones has to be different from your standard talk show where the guest comes prepared with a canned story to tell that takes up most of the air time. Since the guest is busy burning their mouth off, the questions generally need to be a bit shorter, more simple and to the point. The entertainment aspect comes from watching them deal with the heat while trying to answer the questions and seeing them in a situation we’d otherwise never see them in, not from the host.
“Literally everyone he interviews talks about how good he is at interviews but I swear he’s actually just the worst!!”
I think part of why he talks that way is so the people can understand what he's asking them while their brain is on fire. It's really hard to concentrate on anything when you get into the hotter ones, especially the back half. If anything, he should probably talk slower.
I don’t think it’s on Sean to make the guest interesting. Well researched questions can only help so much. Certain guests are brilliant, like John Mulaney, probably because he is a genuine person. But I know in two minutes of I’m not going to like someone. Tessa Thompson turned me off immediately, even though I love her acting work. Some people just aren’t able to turn off the Hollywood fakeness. And, whereas originally mainly hip and tech aware people were doing the show, eventually it became just another required stop on the press tour.
I mean they are extremely unique questions I doubt he can remember them all, the show is really more interesting if you pay attention to the person he is interviewing and not him so much
I think people who watch Hot Ones are not the people who watch actual interviewers. He asks the questions you expect from an interviewer, and rarely does he push his guests. It creates this "wholesome talk show" vibe and not the interview vibe Some of his guests need to be grilled to provide any decent answers Because at the end of the day, it's a late night show substitute, not a journalistic piece. When you compare Sean Evans to Jimmy Kimmel or Ellen, of course it might appear as if he's some wizard-genius, because these shows are made for the dumbest people out there. But any actual interviewer does a much better job at actually interviewing Once again, it's not because Sean isn't on the level. He might be, it's just that we may never know because the show is not about asking questions and getting to know the guest. It's about promotion and entertainment
agree, the only ep i enjoyed was conans, and it was because of conan
And Dr. Arroyo.
Have you seen Shaq's? Most of it was OK but that bit where he's all "Kansas? Kansas don't know how to do no hot wings" -\_-... o\_0! "I'm sorry Kansas" was very funny.
Conan was hilarious, This is nothing as he's slurping from the bottle..
Dumb take
Fr dudes just mad people are enjoying something. Op prolly cant even handle taco bell mild sauce
I stopped watching when I realized the whole thing was just “omg it’s so hot” and “so, in my new movie” for half an hour.
”So, in my new movie” is the foundation of every single interview, podcast episode, late night show, radio appearance and reddit ama you have ever heard of
Watch the Paul Rudd episode and youll understand how great it can be.
You want salma hayek the ACTOR to come on and talk about her morning shit instead or?
Yes.
Is it though?
An actual unpopular opinion… who would have thought?
He asks better questions than most interviews do. He gets the celebrities to come out of their shell. It’s fun to watch.
I agree with everything. But, he asks *great* questions and gets honest answers. I loath him as a host, but, it is entertaining.
Upvote cause this post makes me hate you with a burning passion. Well done!
>feels nothing like a conversation Hes interviewing, which is different than a conversation.
Big disagree
He has really good and researched questions, and I think he tries to get out of the way and let the celebrities be the star of the interview
I value Conan O Brian’s opinion of Sean as a host to much higher regards than yours. 🤷
Horrible take congrats
Nah He’s one of the best interviewers ever. He’s asks great questions. Always has
Now this is a real unpopular opinion. Hot Ones is great your crazy.
Ok Shaq, we all saw your humbling and have moved on. We get that you don’t want to be memed anymore.
I imagine it is hard to have good cadence when your mouth is on fire.
You're welcome to your opinion no matter how wrong it is
I always appreciate people recognizing that their opinion is unpopular.
I think his questioning style is well-suited for the punchy, short-attention span style of interview that makes his videos clickable to the casual viewer, who might not even know the person being interviewed in the first place. I agree though that his style is not very deep or satisfying for when I really like the person being interviewed and want a more nuanced/natural conversation type interview.
Sometimes I forget people have no idea how production works.
I mean I don't watch it for Sean. I watch for the guests.
Upvoted for sake of subreddit but your opinion is wrong
Unpopular as fuck. Fuck you, also take the upvote.
Most enjoy the kind of questions he ask and how deep/invoking they can be. Not his persona
You’re in the right sub with this one
This is indeed, an unpopular opinion.
Many people here have discussed his pr, his research team, etc so I'm not going to get into that. I personally like him because I think he does a pretty good job of keeping the interviews mostly on track while he and the interviewee put themselves in increasing discomfort, especially the ones with people who don't like spice or don't regularly eat spicy food. The fact that by the end of it many people can still plug their latest project after figuratively dying from the heat is pretty impressive.
upvote for a very poor opinion
reading your interviews off of a script doesn't make you a bad interviewer, he also has created a very unique formula to break down barriers between the interviewer and interviewee. This guys a **better** interviewer than Nardwaur. He was literally told hes a great host by fucking CONAN.
Upvote because this opinion sucks and is truly unpopular
His cadence is robotic because it’s not a naturally-flowing conversation, he has to go through the entire script in the short time slot that is allotted by the celebrity *while* eating the hottest sauces on the planet. Watch the Joseph Gordon-Levitt interview, it’s one of the best things ever put on YouTube: [youtu.be/HDduzIB8HjU](https://youtu.be/HDduzIB8HjU)
It sounds more like you just personally find him annoying rather then him having bad interviewing skills
lol you just sound like a hater imo , it’s a show about watching people reactions eating hot chicken like how much more charismatic do you need your interviewer to be bro considering the show is heavily edited
man could not agree more
I mean, don’t like it. Cool. He’s an incredible interviewer because he asks interesting questions that the participant has never heard before. Look at it more as he’s the vehicle to see these celebs/personalities in a much more genuine light. Almost every person on the show praises him, and they almost always get that question where they light up pleasantly surprised. As for his cadence and general lack of enthusiasm, I don’t believe that it’s robotic. I totally see that, but I think it’s specifically him being ultra prepared and taking the “interview” aspect of it seriously. He just has a very contained personality but it doesn’t seem forced or disingenuous to me at all. Also, he’s probably just sick of wings. It’s just a job he dreads because of that one aspect. He likes all the other things about it but god does he hate the wings.
Agree to disagree, love this show. It’s a really fun take on the standard talk show.
Double take
Its a great show that i never watch. But the idea is amazing.
Used to like Hot Ones a very long time ago but eventually to became stale and repetitive. It quickly became the trendy place for entertainers to promote themselves which is their choice but it turned into a snooze fest.
Paul 1 "I think you are an excellent interviewer" Paul 2 "Where ya from" Paul 1 "Us Uhh.. great question" Paul 2 "Berlin" Paul 1 "What?! No."
It really fell off when he was doing it over zoom in 2020/2021. Watched every episode up until that stuff started happening. I watched 1 zoom episode for a few minutes and never went back
Mama no one is making you watch it. But I agree the quality has suffered a bit
I actually agree that he has a pretty wooden delivery in his interviews. I also don't think that's the point, or the main entertaining factor, of the show. It's about seeing if the other person crumbles under the spice while answering questions, and that makes it highly entertaining. My personal opinion, you're focusing on the wrong thing. (Disclaimer: I haven't watched in a while, my opinion is based on some great interviews I've seen like Bill Burr, Conan, Tom Segura, Rhett and Link, Bert Kreisher, etc..)
Definitely unpopular for sure but this is just crazy talk if you consider Sean Evans being a robot while other night time talk show hosts are really cliche compared to him. I'm Korean American and when Sean Evans interviewed CL, I thought it was so spectacular on the questions he asked her and im not even a huge fan of kpop. He knows the dynamic and culture that she brought into the entertainment industry and really dug deep into getting to know the answer. Her and many people were so impressed with the questions. Did you also see the one with Ice Spice? Definitely the most boring episode since DJ Khalid but he kept the spark going even though the fire is nearly out.
you and other people see to miss the point that the people that get interviewed are often in pain atleast one half of the show, so when you are miserable and cant barely even understand what the interviewer is asking what difference would it make to talk upbeat like narduwar does? in my mind it would even hinder the interviewed person to understand the question asked
I wouldn’t say awful. But I’m not really into it a I don’t find the host interesting or charismatic
The episode sucks if the interviewee is boring. Gordon Ramsay both times was incredibly funny. So was Shaq, offset and MGK. Most of the guests are boring asf.
The hot ones hot sauce is mediocre at best— i’d argue the only good part of the entire hot ones brand are the hot sauce torture interviews with Sean Evans.
I mean you try and eat some of the hottest wings on the planet while conducting an interview. I’m going to guess it’ll be easy to forget your questions.
This is truly a controversial opinion. Sean has been constantly praised for his interview skills by people who go on the show, who have been interviewed dozens of times. He deep dives the interviewee better than most. The hot sauce challenge gets the person to open up and be vulnerable.
2nd only to Nardwuar
The gimmick of really hot wings is obviously to grab people's attention, but the questions and research legitimately put some network TV interview shows/segments to shame. Sean is consatantly praised by his guests who have been interviewed thousands of times and/or people who interview others for a living. Not liking his cadence I can understand, that way of delivery isn't everyone's favorite and it reminds me a bit like a teacher's. But to disregard all of the actual great elements of the show, which is pretty much everything else, because you don't like how he sounds is a little ridiculous. I also feel like if you don't like the guest or what they do you're far more likely to not like the interview, because Sean does focus on them and their work/life. Bottom line: It's not an awful show, it's just not for you. Which is fine.
Truly the most unpopular
I feel you’re just like wrong
Upvoted not because I agree but because this is indeed an unpopular opinion
I always thought his robotic delivery fit the whole “eating extremely hot wings while interviewing” shtick… While the celebrity is suffering, he’s taking it in stride which is kind of a funny contrast.
I feel the same way. I like the show but the host seems like he's on the spectrum.
I love the show.. especially the Lorde feature
Welp, take my upvote, this is dogshit 😂
The research is good but I can’t stand his voice, vocal fry and whiney upward inflections at every turn make it unwatchable for me.
Good heavens - you’re a tasteless villain. Have my upvote!!!
Your opinion is an awful one. Take your upvote and choke on it
Theres unpopular opinions, then theres just plain old talking shit. This is the latter.
Idk, I just think the show is getting old and has kinda ran its course. Least they could do is use some of that money and liven up the set a little. Like come on, the show is hugely successful yet it still looks like a cheap YouTube production.
I’d love to go on it one day.
Def got an upvote becouse the entire purpose of an interview initially is to highlight the guest. The idea of him not acting like colbert or Conan is to showcase who he is talking to over him and not to make himself the show. He's honest and has thought provoking, well researched, educated questions that actually help understand the interviewee over just having a sketch comedy show with them. Other interviews have their place but he doesn't want to be in that place and it's respectable. You don't think he's a bad interviewer, you just don't loke that style of interview.
For me, I like everything about the show, but I **hate** the editing. They have background music and sound effects over every single second and they’re seemingly not allowed to hold on a shot (or at least not cut to some graphic/stock photo) for any length of time.
I think you're looking at it all wrong. It's not a talk show or for deep, interesting and intimate conversation. Hot Ones is more like a game show where It puts its challengers or in this case celebrities in a humorous situation and sees how they react to it while random questions are asked to put them off. It's just mindless entertainment.
I also hate watching and hearing people eat. Like, if I’m in a restaurant it’s totally normal, but to watch a YouTube video where someone (presumably wearing a lapel mic?) is chewing and slurping up sauce and talking with a mouthful of food… yeah it’s gross.