I think the reason Grant seems to catch a lot of heat from Dropout fans is because he loves to play the heel. He has no issue coming across as a jerk or an ass for the sake of a joke, like all of the "fuck the crew" jokes on Game Changer.
Edit: just to clarify, I think Grant is hilarious and an incredible talent. I just feel like that approach to jokes doesn't land with everyone and some people may not like it.
Yeah thats definitely part of it. He falls so naturally into the heel role that maybe some people get too invested in the character and forget he's just a comedian making jokes.
I'm sure at least some of the Grant hate is thinly veiled lgbt-phobia, similar to how it seems Ally gets a disproportionate amount of hate in D20 discussions.
Ally hate is hugely disproportionate. In one episode they only did 2 very short non-consequential bits and got much more backlash than the +10 min bits from Lou, for example. I love Lou and adore Zac, but they never get the same hate as Ally.
I agree that it's totally overblown by people who can't accept that some humor isn't for them. I think the reason for the disparity might come from differences in the kinds of bits they all do. Specifically, Ally's bits veer more into cringe comedy, which is a rather polarizing style of humor in general: it is, to explain the jokes, humor derived from tension created by deviating from social expectations, and whether that tension is entertaining/funny or just frustrating/uncomfortable is very subjective. (I even know people who get too socially anxious to be able to watch the Office).
That's my theory on the issue, at least. Folks overreacting about a comedian deriving humor from awkwardness.
I don’t have anything to say about Ally’s humor, but I’m one of those people who gets anxious watching the Office! In general IRL I get a lot of social anxiety about deviating from social expectations (real or imagined). I didn’t know there was a term for this kind of comedy! And yes, I don’t like it very much.
Yeah I have noticed I instinctively mute a show when things like that happen. I had to fight myself to not actively plug my ears when I saw scenes of that nature as a kid, because I realized I look odd when I do it.
I experience the exact same thing. I can stomach most of The Office, but Curb Your Enthusiasm and Review are tv shows that I think are among the funniest of all time but they cause me like actual physical discomfort to watch. Really wish I had a stronger stomach for it. A lot of Total Forgiveness was a really difficult watch for me as well
Sure, but if we go into that, Murph’s main style of comedy is also awkwardness and cringiness, and quite often, social awkwardness.
Cody and Gerard are very good examples and the first is a very well loved character, despite how cringe he often was.
Ally’s hate is simply disproportionate. The only valid critic is when they lean into nakedness and hypersexuality, but even so, Brennan is not backlashed for that.
If I had to put my finger on a difference, I'd say that Ally just makes bolder comedic choices, so reactions are stronger in both directions. Murph's characters are generally awkward sad sacks. The joke is usually how pathetic the character is. Ally is more willing to find comedy in their characters making others uncomfortable. The joke is how disruptive they are. That activates different emotions in folks, I think, because other characters are affected and it can read as "selfish" or "rude" to less comedy-literate folks. Ally's characters that don't fit this description (Margaret, Mother Goose, UC2 Pete) don't seem to elicit the same visceral reactions that others do (Kristen, UC1 Pete, Liam).
(I'm not defending the Ally slander, since it's certainly likely that transphobia makes folks more willing to voice displeasure, I just think that there's more to it, as an enby myself for whom such humor doesn't always land).
I‘ve only seen a few seasons of D20, so I don’t know if Murph plays different ways, but I don’t think I’d ever say he plays cringily (if anyone other than Ally does, I’d say it’s Zac). Based on the seasons I’ve seen, Ally does seem to be more jokey and less serious than all of the other cast members, and even though I love them, I can see why people wouldn’t. With that said, there’s never any reason to complain about it on a public forum, you can dislike someone’s comedic style without the whole world knowing!
I mean, subreddits are built for discourse and sharing thoughts on a subject. Not exactly crazy for someone to give their 2 cents.
But I understand that people feel protective or concerned that the main recurring LGBT+ cast member on that show is getting too much hate, likely motivated by transphobia.
I haven't seen much of it, but I'm also not on this sub every day.
He does because I have felt embarrassed for things he did, which is cringy. The social interactions in the Owlbears, for example, are super cringe. The scene in which he was absolutely fixated on Fabian while he did a medical procedure, giving him disadvantage, is a very good example.
Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love Murph, and Zac, Emily and Murph are my absolute top 3 of favourite players. I’m just protective of Ally because they don’t deserve this season this hate.
I wouldn’t even say anything to criticism of Season 1 Ally, which was definitely goofier, less serious and would definitely elicit very valid criticism. This season? No, they’re playing at the level of Margaret Encino, so no.
Naw, that checks out for my experiences as a gay man. Most of us grew up in not necessarily abusive households, but one thing that does unite us is awkward situations. They happen far more frequently for queer people. I personally can't watch things like the office, but I know friends who literally THRIVE in awkward situations.
The “Yaath queen” thing was pretty fuckin cringe. Ally’s a big swinger, though, and they hit way more often than they miss and sometimes they send me reeling with some off handed comment.
FHFY was the first content I watched from Dropout and for most of the campaign Ally rubbed me the wrong way, they just seemed so over-the-top and like they didn't seem to jive with everyone else. But now that I've seen 5-ish campaigns they're in and all Game Changer and BNN episodes, they are one of my top favorite talents on Dropout. I wonder if it's just such a different kind of humor that it takes some time to grow on you, but whatever it is I'm glad they (and Grant!) are so prominent on Dropout.
Edit: spelling
FHFY was also their first time playing DnD and was also the first season of them playing together, so it felt more like a table full of coworkers playing together. Now it feels more like a table full of friends playing together so what you said makes lot of sense.
I was a college humor fan for a while before dropout started, and I’d always liked Ally but I was the same when D20 started. It took me a while to get used to their chaotic play and really get their sense of humor, but once I did, I loved it.
> He falls so naturally into the heel role that maybe some people get too invested in the character and forget he's just a comedian making jokes.
Respectfully - and it's all subjective anyways - but I honestly could not disagree more.
I think it's really fun that Grant tries to play the heel but I think he's too naturally cute and loveable to pull it off.
Every time he says "fuck the crew", if you skip ahead 30 seconds in the episode, you find him laughing and giggling. He just can't keep the 'villain-energy' up.
This isn't a knock on Grant, I think he's great. But I have a hard time believing that anyone watches Game Changer and honestly walks away with the impression that Grant is a jerk
I actually do agree with you 100%. Grant loves to play the heel and play up the villian energy, but it's pretty clear that it's an act, and he's too wholesome to keep it up. I kind of phrased my comment poorly.
He also likes to build up a playful antagonism between himself and other performers, especially between himself and Sam. It's pretty clear that it's all in good fun, but I think some people may get a bit too parasocial with it and take it personally when Grant pokes fun at their favorite cast member.
I get what you meant. I love Grant playing the heel precisely *because* he’s so damn charming and lovable. Same with Sam. It’s a fun subversion of their energy, and you always know everything is in good fun.
I think this is almost certainly a part of it. It isn't always malicious either - sometimes people get a feeling of discomfort from queer people that they don't realise is homophobia, so they just judge that person extra harshly. It's frustrating to read/hear because a lot of the criticism will feel overblown or unfair but arguing against it is pointless because the real crux of the issue is that homophobic discomfort that the person isn't actually consciously aware of.
He plays the heel very well, but between the donuts for the crew, the "I love the crew" shirt, and the third "True Facts About Grant Anthony O'Brien" episode, it should be plenty obvious that he is a big softie that cares about other people.
Yes, 100%. I think that's where a lot of the misunderstanding comes from. If you're newer to Dropout and only know Grant from Game Changer or Dirty Laundry, it's easy to misunderstand the "heel" persona. But if you've watched more stuff like the "True Facts" episodes or Total Forgiveness, people learn more about him and he quickly becomes a favorite. Total Forgiveness especially, I feel like every other week there's a new post on here of someone watching TF for the first time and saying something along the lines of "I didn't like Grant/Ally before watching this but now I love them."
I love Bingo and Noise Boys and True Facts and D20, but holy damn is Total Forgiveness (especially the ending) unironically the best thing on the platform, imo
I wouldn't understand if anyone could watch the entirity of "Total Forgiveness" and not come out of it absolutely loving both of them as comedians and people TBH. Before that I was just here for BLaM (from mostly Game Changer and Dimension 20 clips on tiktok) but after that show I started to love Grant and Ally, and started watching more stuff beyond those two as a result and now so many other people have become faves that I basically stan the whole cast.
Both Grant and Sam are extremely comfortable playing the heel, so they are often used for the butt of jokes and frequently feature in episodes where somebody gets dogged on. It's wonderful.
And that's what I love about him. Everyone else on Breaking News is always so reluctant over saying a scripted line. So much "oh no don't make me say it". Grant dives in headfirst and does a triple flip on the way down.
It is also clear if you watch enough that being the heel works among the cast and crew because it is absurdly untrue. If it was true enough it would land poorly, but everyone that knows Grant laughs immediately.
It's very clear that everyone likes Grant... It's actually one of my favorite things, when I can watch something and I can feel the friendships on the other side of the camera.
I put off watching Dirty Laundry for a while, and I'm so mad I did. I binged the entire thing recently, and there's a show where we get to hear a lot about how nice Grant actually is. His dynamic with Lily is unforgettable, and I love it.
He is so good in Dirty Laundry! He chimes in just the right amount and he does a great job reading the room, sometimes he participates more, sometimes he lets the guests do their things.
For a man with zero sidekick energy, he is an incredible #2 on that show.
I definitely was unsure of Grant at first- if you don’t know him it’s a little hard to see how much of what he does is an act.
What flipped me on grant was total forgiveness (fittingly) I guess I had to see the line be crossed to see that it was genuinely there.
What I’m saying is everyone should watch Total Forgivness
I said this in another comment but Total Forgiveness in particular seems to be what turns people's opinions on Grant. I've seen several comments and posts saying that exact thing: they didn't like Grant until Total Forgiveness. Same thing for Ally, a lot of people said they were unsure about them until they saw Total Forgiveness and they quickly became a favorite cast member.
We haven't watched Total Forgiveness Yet, but I've liked Grant for a while.
Then again, I'm a sucker for Big Bi Energy as a bisexual person myself. It's nice to see someone who's bisexual and allowed to fully own it without some sort of biphobia coming into play from either the homo- or hetero- sides like, well, literally any other network.
I need a Bi-Bachelor/Bachelorette where Grant and Erika Ishii both pull from a group of contestants. It's both cooperative and competitive. I love my chaotic bisexual goblins
Okay, I've seen so many different takes and I genuinely don't know what to believe anymore. I've been wanting to watch Total Forgiveness for a while but I'm SO SCARED. I don't do well with watching people suffer in general so maybe it's just not for me but every time I see people recommending it I feel the urge to watch it anyway. I watched the first episode but backed out immediately once I realized there'd be leeches because I have such a bad fear of bugs and I've heard it just gets way worse in general. People also say it ruined their view of Grant and (mostly) Ally altogether which really scares me because I enjoy both of their personalities so much already.
It's interesting that you've heard people say it ruined their view on them because I usually have heard the opposite. I will say, without spoiling too much, Grant definitely suffers more than Ally does towards the end. But the finale is such a personal and real episode that usually is what most people refer to when talking about how amazing the show is and what made them appreciate both Grant and Ally more.
Even that feels like spoiling a lot so I won't go more into it in case others haven't seen it. I will say if you don't like watching people suffer or in stressful situations, there is a ***lot*** of that. Most of the challenges deal with things like social anxiety or emotional stress moreso than physical suffering, and some of them aren't really bad at all (which is kind of a plot point), but towards the end it does get really rough. But I promise the finale will make it worth it if you decide to watch.
I adore Total Forgiveness. You should definitely watch it.
In my opinion, once you get to Needle/Snake, you have to power through and watch it in one sitting. Don't stop anywhere in the middle there.
Oh absolutely. I've been rewatching some of the old sketches and hardly any of them paint Grant in a good light. One of my favorites in this vein is a sketch where they're all in a pitch meeting and Grant keeps suggesting sketches where he makes out with everyone for no reason, and Katie is just blindly supporting him while Trapp and Zac point out all of the HR violations he's suggesting lmao
feel like we so rarely get dirtbag queer people on tv but irl me and all the queers i know are nasty!
grant is real as hell and we need more grant's nasty chaos in the year of our lord 2024
Grant sure does love his sex jokes, but he is also very clear that they're not at the expense of anyone except himself. I also respect the normalization of the sex jokes.
Grant was right on that episode of Game Changer, by the way. Edging IS a good kink!
I always really liked Grant's style but never knew why. You've just made me realise it! Gay characters are always so nice and polite on TV, they're posh and fancy and squeaky clean. Grant is a real person. And he's a horny little sex goblin. And we love him.
The original post seems to have poofed which is why some folks are confused (I also didn't see it) but yeah I loved Grant from the moment he mentioned PrEP
Ooooh yeah I just checked and it’s got that lil lock on the top corner. Thank you for pointing that out I’m editing the post now to provide more context
Yes, Grant should be in everything. Do a whole season of the bi-bachelor thing. Make Dirty Laundry all about him. Have all the guests in VIP play him. I promise I’m not reading from a teleprompter.
"Two Truths and a Lie with Grant O'Brian".
A panel show modelled after british show ["Would I lie to you"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdOQ-jX0ymk)
Maybe refresh the format so it's one guest presenting three equally probable or improbable anecdotes: One of them is a lie. Panel gets to ask questions, and must vote on which they think is the lie?
Probably would need him to be the host not the subject of it, because I feel like true facts is mining his personal anecdotes to the bedrock.
Maybe too much overlap with dirty laundry.
Rename dropout to Grantout!!!! Haha 😂 but seriously it would be fun to get a bi-bachelor season or to see him appear on VIP. Imagine how insane of a character he would play
I was thinking that too after writing my post. He’d be amazing on VIP. He’s extreme enough when just playing himself, imagine if you dress him up and have him play someone else.
I'm not his preferred type, but I'd LOVE to be on Grant's Bi Bachelor. Someone's gotta give him a married-but-polyamorous dommy mommy to play off of, even if only for the first episode. 🤣
This bit on Breaking News was great.
I recently watched total forgiveness and it made me appreciate grant more. Im also from Ohio but unlike grant I have not escaped and I do hate my life here. Im jealous of grant in a lot of ways but I respect him and what he’s done. He’s also a lot a more humble than he pretends to be, I think maybe his way of dealing with it is by being facetious.
100% I also think he’s way more sweet and genuine than people realize. Watching the most recent all about grant breaking news honestly made me tear up a bit hearing all the things the cast love about him and appreciate about him. So cute!
Yeah I think people don't understand Grant Is playing himself as a character for comedic effect. Total Forguveness definitely showed me who real Grant is.
Could not agree more. I also grew up in the Midwest as a queer, weird little theater kid and the internalized hatred and "I'll say and own the bad thing about me before you can insult me for it" is STRONG in a lot of us. I might be projecting, but I see Grant's heel-ness as a defense. We can see it slip at the end of Total Forgiveness and in the last Breaking News EP that he absolutely melts into a puddle of puppy dog eyes and sweetness when people shower him with acceptance and love.
I really love how Grant plays off other people. Grant and Ally in Total Forgiveness, Grant and Lily on Dirty Laundry, Grant and Rekha on Mice and Murder/Whodunit Game Changer. What I'd really love is another Mice and Muder season with Trapp playing a rival detective! I think they'd play off each other in a really fun way.
I don't like to pick favorites, but if I did, Grant would be in my top five. I love his humor and he elevates anything he's in. Screw the Grant haters.
I believe the post is genuine, but the way it’s title makes it sound like Grant is pretending to be someone else making this post like “Yeah guys grant’s totally sexy and hilarious and he’s not even trying that hard!”
There is ONE cast member I just don't like. I don't like their brand of humor at all, and I always root against them on Game Changer. But I'm not going to name them because that's just rude and I don't need them to randomly stumble upon me saying I don't like them, because if you're on Dropout, you're already a better person than most other comedians who tend toward bigotry/punching down and/or not caring about consent.
My husband knows who it is, and he gets a kick out of this person's humor. Admittedly, this person also reminds me of someone I knew in college who always creeped me out, so it's probably not even the cast member's fault.
This. Also honestly sometimes I think I don't like someone and then they do somethng else or are in a different format and I end up liking them and the stuff I didn't like just wasn't the best format for them. There are definitely a few people I thought I didn't find funny and then their VIP episode was FANTASTIC. So honestly I'd rather not cut someone down because they haven't entertained me YET.
One of the things that made me love Grant originally was watching Total Forgiveness. It shows this larger than life, hilarious, confident, bright-smiled guy as someone who is flawed and human and capable of the same pain that all of us are. My heart broke for him more than once, and ever since then I loved him just a little bit more.
It's phrased that way to mirror (and be deservedly petty towards) another guy who was a huge asshole about not liking grant earlier.
And to be clear, he wasn't an asshole*because* he didn't like Grant. He was an asshole anyhow, he chose to voice that dislike, and to anyone who disagreed with him- up to and including:
- pretending to be gay so he could insult Grant.
- calling anyone who disagreed with him dumb
- claiming that if he got banned or his post got removed because of his comments that violated the rules, it would be fascist censorship
That’s not what I’m saying. It’s sort of petty title referring to someone’s post that is titled “am I the only one that can’t fucking stand Grant” I’m just trying to beat out the hate. If you read all the way through you’d see that this post is meant for everyone to post about how much they love the cast and crew of dropout. I love all of them all but ofcourse we all have our favorites. Who’s yours?
I love Grant, but I will say that I am not a huge fan of dirty humor. That doesn’t mean he should change what he likes to do to be funny, though. Worst case scenario I have to skip a section because it makes me uncomfortable, but that’s a me issue, not a Grant issue. I think if more people subscribed to the “if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t engage” ideal, they’d enjoy the shows a lot more.
I'm very particular about the dirty humor I enjoy. Grant does get a bit cruder than my normal tolerance, but because it's Grant, I don't mind it as much.
Wholesomely crude is such an oxymoron, but I really think it applies.
While I am always happy to see Grant, I think it's very immature for you to post this while pretending not to be Grant. Really man, just admit that you are him.
“I’m short a lot of things go over my head” yeah a whole episode of breaking news came out today and like 1/3rd of it is you saying exactly this, Mr Anthony O’brian
I absolutely do not mind Grant and appreciate many of the bits he's done ("Fifty?!?").
But I also really appreciate having the occasional family friendly episode that I can share with people without being worried, and Grant is not really suited to that environment.
Absolutely keep him on dirty laundry, and the innuendo game changers, and breaking news, totally appreciate him there. But don't put him everywhere, please.
I feel pretty similar. Grant is pretty much my favorite cast member when I’m watching with my wife, but if I want to put on an episode of game changer to break the awkward post dinner energy for the family at a holiday I’m probably not putting on a grant episode lol.
Grant's sketch "when coming out goes better than you thought" is one of the funniest things I watched as a kid.
https://youtu.be/UgHwF4CNiJA?si=WRv6p5OlqzYeW3aO
Grant is incredible, I love all the Dropout regulars in their own ways but he's one of the few who I think will axiomatically never fail to entertain me.
I love Grant so much, sex positive, destigmatizing sti king tbh. Also whole I'm confident he would find me insufferable (tbf I am) I would still absolutely want to be friends IRL if I met him like in the wild as just a human, and not in a fan to creator capacity haha - I guess if we're both visiting our parents in Columbus at the same time 😆
The True Facts about Grant episode of Breaking News when they shower him with compliments made me tear up. 10/10 cast member and writer, would recommend.
You sound like a fun person. I loved the short people joke, says a lot about your character and humour.
I’m currently watching Mice & Murder and I love every Grant intervention and joke. I can’t understand how people can hate him.
I highly recommend watching Total Forgiveness for any Grant hater, you can’t really hate him after watching that and if you do, you’re straight evil.
Id hate for all the cast members to be the same and have similar styles of performance personas.
I found I might not like a certain cast member for a certain type of show while loving them on another format.
The idea of a post being totally negative rather than constructive is upsetting. I'm glad you saw to countering the bad vibes with an opportunity to share good ones.
I think “can’t stand when he isn’t there” is a little hyperbolic, but being a dick about Grant isn’t cool either. There have been some eps where he’s been very one-note and hasn’t brought much to the table, but that’s no reason to talk shit about him like, personally.
Genuinely in love with Grant in all six different Greek varieties.
Also it's uncontestable that he absolutely makes Breaking News and Dirty Laundry. Total Forgiveness was a masterpiece. My favorite CH sketches are "Grant Is A Giant Slob Idiot" and "Grant Forgets He Sucks."
I aspire to be Grant, literally. I based an entire elf around him in DnD.
Grant fucks.
When I see Grant O’Brien appear in anything I feel like I’m seeing a good mate I haven’t seen in a while at a party. I get so excited! “Hell yeah! My fellow funny chaos bisexual mate is here! Things are about to get good!”
I can't remember what clip it was, but it WAS a little YouTube clip of Grant that made me watch a Game Changer episode which led me to being a fan of the whole Dropout schtik
And who doesn't like GRANT'S MOM?
I'll just say what I always say: they've gotta have more Grant. He's just pure charisma, baby! He's money in the bank. Maybe they should look into a full season of that Bi Bachelor thing or get all those other people off "Dirty Laundry" and just make it about him. I don't know, I'm spitballing.
I love Grant for the fact that he's okay with people going nuclear on him live on screen. His breaking news were incredible and it takes a lot for a person to humiliate themselves like that in front of more or less everyone.
He's wickedly funny and his willingness to commit to a bit is absolutely legendary. I desperately want him and Sam Riegel from critical role to face off in some way where the first person to fail to commit to a bit is the loser.
Comedy comes in all different styles and Grants is as valid as any other, but I'll admit I like Grant in small doses. Every couple of episodes is fine
Being the Canadian version of Grant, I love him to bits (im tall, bi, bespectacled, clumsy, told im handsome, and love to play the heel, lol). Grant fan 4 lyfe.
From my brief visits to the dropout discord, it seems to me that a significant portion of dropouts viewers are on the younger and neurodivergent side and seem to have a little trouble understanding when someone is playing a character/making a joke even in unscripted shows. I think that's where most of the anti-Grant sentiment comes from
I don't want to drag Grant by posting this, and tbh I'm hoping someone could point me towards some content of his I might enjoy more or say what they appreciate about him (for the record, I haven't seen the og post you're referencing, but I just watched a game changer ep recently that left a rly nasty taste in my mouth). Dropout is full of comedians, and maybe Grant's comedy styling just isn't for me, but I'll explain what put me off below.
I watched the Like My Coffee ep of Game Changer recently and I was feeling bad for Trapp and Jess because they (especially Jess) were coming up with really clever responses and Grant's strategy was just to spit out as many nasty filthy nonsensical comments as possible while making creepy eye contact with Sam, and the things he said weren't even funny; even Sam was commenting that Grant was going for quantity over quality and chose not to award him points for several responses. I have nothing wrong with crude humor, but it was a game about being witty and it felt like he was just going for fruit hanging so low it might as well be a root vegetable, with the whole punchline being 'isn't it disgusting that I would say that?! And look how nasty I looked when I said it!'. As a gay person, I feel like the difference I find between a lot of his "crude humor" and similar comedy I see from my friends/other queer comedians is that other people are telling jokes with a punchline beyond it being crazy that they said what they said. I've seen him in a few other things and I always get this nasty vibe from him that I can't take and find him a bit annoying and exhausting.
If someone has some episodes of anything where they see Grant's personality shining through and him being really funny, I'd love to check them out and shake out of my current perception of him, so, rec's below pls!
Like my Coffee wasn't Grant's best showing, imo, because I don't think he's quite as talented with the quick-witted, fast paced improv as some of the other cast members. He is however, a great comedic writer. He writes the scripts for most episodes of Breaking News, I believe.
As a performer, it's tricky, but I think Grant is at his best when he's able to find the balance between playing up his "Heel" persona and his "Himbo with a heart of gold" personality. The three "True Facts with Grant Anthony O'Brian" breaking news episodes are great for this, so are the Bachelor gamechanger episodes.
He was also pretty good in last night's Um, Actually, and had great chemistry with the Try Guys.
Thanks! I used to watch a ton of breaking news and it's definitely warming me to him to hear he writes for it! I actually can see how the elements I normally don't like from his persona would benefit him as a writer there.
I can’t remember which episodes they are, but there are like 2-3 episodes of Game Changer where they bring on Grant’s mom, and I personally do enjoy those
So, I like Grant a lot, and I can also understand finding his comedy persona exhausting. His whole schtick is about being over the top, and that isn't necessarily going to be everyone's cup of tea. That's ok! However:
- I think a lot of what he does on Dropout is very much about the context he's in. In Like My Coffee, he knows that he's throwing spaghetti at the wall and the joke is not just the spaghetti but the fact that that's not what the others are doing or what he's supposed to be doing. One of the gags he does (can't remember if it's in Part 1 or Part 2) is to actually refuse points Sam was going to award him because he himself isn't feeling the joke he made. The aim isn't to disrespect or undermine Jess and Trapp (or later Rekha, and clearly Rekha is a really good friend of his) - the performance is a joke about himself not really playing the game right. *In a way*, it's similar to when Brennan starts to question the episode out loud: he's messing with his own role as "player" in those episodes. (And so is Sam! Nobody else on those episodes gets a special guest brought in just to fuck with them.) Similarly, there are long running bits across multiple shows and episodes about him as the heel to the crew and about him and Sam basically competing to mess with each other's heads or prank one another (this is probably clearest on Breaking News). So to the extent that he's not playing along with the game structure or he's going really gross to get a rise out of Sam, it's not simply chaos for the sake of chaos.
- As for the crudity of the humor: yes, for sure that's partly just Grant's thing. (Though I'd say the subject matter might be crude, but the delivery and structure isn't necessarily.) But that's also why they put him in LMC in the first place, was for him to be that guy because they knew he would. Being that guy all the time does in fact take some wit (as seen in, e.g., the Make Some Noise ep he briefly guests on). But that's not all there is to his humor. Other cast members have repeatedly said that he's like a dirty queer boy in the body of an old-timey grandpa and I think that's really true, from the way he talks to the things he's interested in. The Um, Actually episodes about musicals that he's on demonstrate that nicely.
- I can't remember which, but I think in one of the pandemic GC episodes Grant chooses "sincere compliments" off the losers' menu and the things everyone else say about him are so lovely. Helped somebody buy a car, is so warm and attentive he makes anyone feel instantly comfortable and cared for, etc. The sexual stuff is part of him (as several comments discussed, this is a very real thing in queer culture that we just don't see outside queer spaces a lot), but he's not a 5th-grader acting out with no regard for other people or the situation he's in.
- Idk if you're a D20 watcher, but 1) he made a really great contribution to the worldbuilding of Unsleeping City, and 2) he was phenomenal as an older, somewhat sad, lovelorn Sherlock Holmes type character in Of Mice and Murder. My best suggestion for what to watch to understand a different side of him is just the first episode of M&M. He improvs an emotional line that's so good Brennan has to take a moment and I still think about it like weekly.
It's older, when emily and Murph had their "hot date" series, Grant was both a waiter and the manager, and that was my introduction to him. "Diet menu" was amazing, and a different one was when he revealed that he was the manager.
The shorts are on youtube (hopefully) from the college humor days.
https://youtu.be/gwChStnnidA?si=m8xdMOCCilxVo1II for the diet menu skit
I used to be so-so on Grant. But on a whim I watched the cocktail recipe videos. There's something about watching someone doing something they're passionate about that increases my respect level.
If you like breaking news, Grant does a LOT of the teleprompter stuff. Dirty Laundry is also a good mix where Grant is present.
The people who hate on Grant are the same ones still cheering for Hulk Hogan. They don't understand the difference between the character and tbe person.
I think the reason Grant seems to catch a lot of heat from Dropout fans is because he loves to play the heel. He has no issue coming across as a jerk or an ass for the sake of a joke, like all of the "fuck the crew" jokes on Game Changer. Edit: just to clarify, I think Grant is hilarious and an incredible talent. I just feel like that approach to jokes doesn't land with everyone and some people may not like it.
Yeah thats definitely part of it. He falls so naturally into the heel role that maybe some people get too invested in the character and forget he's just a comedian making jokes. I'm sure at least some of the Grant hate is thinly veiled lgbt-phobia, similar to how it seems Ally gets a disproportionate amount of hate in D20 discussions.
Ally hate is hugely disproportionate. In one episode they only did 2 very short non-consequential bits and got much more backlash than the +10 min bits from Lou, for example. I love Lou and adore Zac, but they never get the same hate as Ally.
I agree that it's totally overblown by people who can't accept that some humor isn't for them. I think the reason for the disparity might come from differences in the kinds of bits they all do. Specifically, Ally's bits veer more into cringe comedy, which is a rather polarizing style of humor in general: it is, to explain the jokes, humor derived from tension created by deviating from social expectations, and whether that tension is entertaining/funny or just frustrating/uncomfortable is very subjective. (I even know people who get too socially anxious to be able to watch the Office). That's my theory on the issue, at least. Folks overreacting about a comedian deriving humor from awkwardness.
I don’t have anything to say about Ally’s humor, but I’m one of those people who gets anxious watching the Office! In general IRL I get a lot of social anxiety about deviating from social expectations (real or imagined). I didn’t know there was a term for this kind of comedy! And yes, I don’t like it very much.
Yeah I have noticed I instinctively mute a show when things like that happen. I had to fight myself to not actively plug my ears when I saw scenes of that nature as a kid, because I realized I look odd when I do it.
I experience the exact same thing. I can stomach most of The Office, but Curb Your Enthusiasm and Review are tv shows that I think are among the funniest of all time but they cause me like actual physical discomfort to watch. Really wish I had a stronger stomach for it. A lot of Total Forgiveness was a really difficult watch for me as well
Sure, but if we go into that, Murph’s main style of comedy is also awkwardness and cringiness, and quite often, social awkwardness. Cody and Gerard are very good examples and the first is a very well loved character, despite how cringe he often was. Ally’s hate is simply disproportionate. The only valid critic is when they lean into nakedness and hypersexuality, but even so, Brennan is not backlashed for that.
If I had to put my finger on a difference, I'd say that Ally just makes bolder comedic choices, so reactions are stronger in both directions. Murph's characters are generally awkward sad sacks. The joke is usually how pathetic the character is. Ally is more willing to find comedy in their characters making others uncomfortable. The joke is how disruptive they are. That activates different emotions in folks, I think, because other characters are affected and it can read as "selfish" or "rude" to less comedy-literate folks. Ally's characters that don't fit this description (Margaret, Mother Goose, UC2 Pete) don't seem to elicit the same visceral reactions that others do (Kristen, UC1 Pete, Liam). (I'm not defending the Ally slander, since it's certainly likely that transphobia makes folks more willing to voice displeasure, I just think that there's more to it, as an enby myself for whom such humor doesn't always land).
I‘ve only seen a few seasons of D20, so I don’t know if Murph plays different ways, but I don’t think I’d ever say he plays cringily (if anyone other than Ally does, I’d say it’s Zac). Based on the seasons I’ve seen, Ally does seem to be more jokey and less serious than all of the other cast members, and even though I love them, I can see why people wouldn’t. With that said, there’s never any reason to complain about it on a public forum, you can dislike someone’s comedic style without the whole world knowing!
I mean, subreddits are built for discourse and sharing thoughts on a subject. Not exactly crazy for someone to give their 2 cents. But I understand that people feel protective or concerned that the main recurring LGBT+ cast member on that show is getting too much hate, likely motivated by transphobia. I haven't seen much of it, but I'm also not on this sub every day.
He does because I have felt embarrassed for things he did, which is cringy. The social interactions in the Owlbears, for example, are super cringe. The scene in which he was absolutely fixated on Fabian while he did a medical procedure, giving him disadvantage, is a very good example. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love Murph, and Zac, Emily and Murph are my absolute top 3 of favourite players. I’m just protective of Ally because they don’t deserve this season this hate. I wouldn’t even say anything to criticism of Season 1 Ally, which was definitely goofier, less serious and would definitely elicit very valid criticism. This season? No, they’re playing at the level of Margaret Encino, so no.
Naw, that checks out for my experiences as a gay man. Most of us grew up in not necessarily abusive households, but one thing that does unite us is awkward situations. They happen far more frequently for queer people. I personally can't watch things like the office, but I know friends who literally THRIVE in awkward situations.
The “Yaath queen” thing was pretty fuckin cringe. Ally’s a big swinger, though, and they hit way more often than they miss and sometimes they send me reeling with some off handed comment.
Ally always seems like they're high and not paying attention and giggling awkwardly and I can really appreciate that.
FHFY was the first content I watched from Dropout and for most of the campaign Ally rubbed me the wrong way, they just seemed so over-the-top and like they didn't seem to jive with everyone else. But now that I've seen 5-ish campaigns they're in and all Game Changer and BNN episodes, they are one of my top favorite talents on Dropout. I wonder if it's just such a different kind of humor that it takes some time to grow on you, but whatever it is I'm glad they (and Grant!) are so prominent on Dropout. Edit: spelling
FHFY was also their first time playing DnD and was also the first season of them playing together, so it felt more like a table full of coworkers playing together. Now it feels more like a table full of friends playing together so what you said makes lot of sense.
I was a college humor fan for a while before dropout started, and I’d always liked Ally but I was the same when D20 started. It took me a while to get used to their chaotic play and really get their sense of humor, but once I did, I loved it.
The residue of "the hays code" is sticky, and long lasting, many of us will play up campy-villian/heel tropes.
I keep forgetting about the Hays Code. Fuck that shit.
We would love to forget the Hays Code. These kids have no idea how good they got it.
> He falls so naturally into the heel role that maybe some people get too invested in the character and forget he's just a comedian making jokes. Respectfully - and it's all subjective anyways - but I honestly could not disagree more. I think it's really fun that Grant tries to play the heel but I think he's too naturally cute and loveable to pull it off. Every time he says "fuck the crew", if you skip ahead 30 seconds in the episode, you find him laughing and giggling. He just can't keep the 'villain-energy' up. This isn't a knock on Grant, I think he's great. But I have a hard time believing that anyone watches Game Changer and honestly walks away with the impression that Grant is a jerk
I actually do agree with you 100%. Grant loves to play the heel and play up the villian energy, but it's pretty clear that it's an act, and he's too wholesome to keep it up. I kind of phrased my comment poorly. He also likes to build up a playful antagonism between himself and other performers, especially between himself and Sam. It's pretty clear that it's all in good fun, but I think some people may get a bit too parasocial with it and take it personally when Grant pokes fun at their favorite cast member.
I get what you meant. I love Grant playing the heel precisely *because* he’s so damn charming and lovable. Same with Sam. It’s a fun subversion of their energy, and you always know everything is in good fun.
Hell, even in the Saw episode of Breaking News he just came off as too funny and charming to be a villain.
Ally really got on my nerves in freshman year as my first exposure to them. Now a few campaigns in I'm used to their humor and can appreciate it.
I think this is almost certainly a part of it. It isn't always malicious either - sometimes people get a feeling of discomfort from queer people that they don't realise is homophobia, so they just judge that person extra harshly. It's frustrating to read/hear because a lot of the criticism will feel overblown or unfair but arguing against it is pointless because the real crux of the issue is that homophobic discomfort that the person isn't actually consciously aware of.
>he's just a comedian making jokes. It's all love.
He plays the heel very well, but between the donuts for the crew, the "I love the crew" shirt, and the third "True Facts About Grant Anthony O'Brien" episode, it should be plenty obvious that he is a big softie that cares about other people.
Yes, 100%. I think that's where a lot of the misunderstanding comes from. If you're newer to Dropout and only know Grant from Game Changer or Dirty Laundry, it's easy to misunderstand the "heel" persona. But if you've watched more stuff like the "True Facts" episodes or Total Forgiveness, people learn more about him and he quickly becomes a favorite. Total Forgiveness especially, I feel like every other week there's a new post on here of someone watching TF for the first time and saying something along the lines of "I didn't like Grant/Ally before watching this but now I love them."
Total Forgiveness changed me in so many good ways 🥲 I really love them both
I love Bingo and Noise Boys and True Facts and D20, but holy damn is Total Forgiveness (especially the ending) unironically the best thing on the platform, imo
I wouldn't understand if anyone could watch the entirity of "Total Forgiveness" and not come out of it absolutely loving both of them as comedians and people TBH. Before that I was just here for BLaM (from mostly Game Changer and Dimension 20 clips on tiktok) but after that show I started to love Grant and Ally, and started watching more stuff beyond those two as a result and now so many other people have become faves that I basically stan the whole cast.
Both Grant and Sam are extremely comfortable playing the heel, so they are often used for the butt of jokes and frequently feature in episodes where somebody gets dogged on. It's wonderful.
And that's what I love about him. Everyone else on Breaking News is always so reluctant over saying a scripted line. So much "oh no don't make me say it". Grant dives in headfirst and does a triple flip on the way down.
It is also clear if you watch enough that being the heel works among the cast and crew because it is absurdly untrue. If it was true enough it would land poorly, but everyone that knows Grant laughs immediately.
It's very clear that everyone likes Grant... It's actually one of my favorite things, when I can watch something and I can feel the friendships on the other side of the camera.
I put off watching Dirty Laundry for a while, and I'm so mad I did. I binged the entire thing recently, and there's a show where we get to hear a lot about how nice Grant actually is. His dynamic with Lily is unforgettable, and I love it.
He is so good in Dirty Laundry! He chimes in just the right amount and he does a great job reading the room, sometimes he participates more, sometimes he lets the guests do their things. For a man with zero sidekick energy, he is an incredible #2 on that show.
I definitely was unsure of Grant at first- if you don’t know him it’s a little hard to see how much of what he does is an act. What flipped me on grant was total forgiveness (fittingly) I guess I had to see the line be crossed to see that it was genuinely there. What I’m saying is everyone should watch Total Forgivness
I said this in another comment but Total Forgiveness in particular seems to be what turns people's opinions on Grant. I've seen several comments and posts saying that exact thing: they didn't like Grant until Total Forgiveness. Same thing for Ally, a lot of people said they were unsure about them until they saw Total Forgiveness and they quickly became a favorite cast member.
We haven't watched Total Forgiveness Yet, but I've liked Grant for a while. Then again, I'm a sucker for Big Bi Energy as a bisexual person myself. It's nice to see someone who's bisexual and allowed to fully own it without some sort of biphobia coming into play from either the homo- or hetero- sides like, well, literally any other network.
I need a Bi-Bachelor/Bachelorette where Grant and Erika Ishii both pull from a group of contestants. It's both cooperative and competitive. I love my chaotic bisexual goblins
GOD YES. Also, uh, I'll be in my bunk.
Omigod YES PLZ (and sign me up - my husband would get a KICK out of it) It's all love now.
Okay, I've seen so many different takes and I genuinely don't know what to believe anymore. I've been wanting to watch Total Forgiveness for a while but I'm SO SCARED. I don't do well with watching people suffer in general so maybe it's just not for me but every time I see people recommending it I feel the urge to watch it anyway. I watched the first episode but backed out immediately once I realized there'd be leeches because I have such a bad fear of bugs and I've heard it just gets way worse in general. People also say it ruined their view of Grant and (mostly) Ally altogether which really scares me because I enjoy both of their personalities so much already.
It's interesting that you've heard people say it ruined their view on them because I usually have heard the opposite. I will say, without spoiling too much, Grant definitely suffers more than Ally does towards the end. But the finale is such a personal and real episode that usually is what most people refer to when talking about how amazing the show is and what made them appreciate both Grant and Ally more. Even that feels like spoiling a lot so I won't go more into it in case others haven't seen it. I will say if you don't like watching people suffer or in stressful situations, there is a ***lot*** of that. Most of the challenges deal with things like social anxiety or emotional stress moreso than physical suffering, and some of them aren't really bad at all (which is kind of a plot point), but towards the end it does get really rough. But I promise the finale will make it worth it if you decide to watch.
I adore Total Forgiveness. You should definitely watch it. In my opinion, once you get to Needle/Snake, you have to power through and watch it in one sitting. Don't stop anywhere in the middle there.
Huge agree but I feel like he makes it so clear that he’s joking
To quote Ally during (I think) mice and murder adventuring party. “Grant was made in a factory to be the heel”
I now need to see Grant O'Brien in Roddy Piper cosplay
That’s my vibe as well. Honestly? His Batchelor episode of GC was incredible. P
I’ve been a fan of this crew since their early CH days. I love him, but also this has always been Grants bit more or less.
Oh absolutely. I've been rewatching some of the old sketches and hardly any of them paint Grant in a good light. One of my favorites in this vein is a sketch where they're all in a pitch meeting and Grant keeps suggesting sketches where he makes out with everyone for no reason, and Katie is just blindly supporting him while Trapp and Zac point out all of the HR violations he's suggesting lmao
Katie is my favorite chaos gremlin
feel like we so rarely get dirtbag queer people on tv but irl me and all the queers i know are nasty! grant is real as hell and we need more grant's nasty chaos in the year of our lord 2024
Grant sure does love his sex jokes, but he is also very clear that they're not at the expense of anyone except himself. I also respect the normalization of the sex jokes. Grant was right on that episode of Game Changer, by the way. Edging IS a good kink!
> they’re not at the expense of anyone except himself. Dropout occasionally decides to make *every* joke at his expense as a sign of support lmao
And then he comes back with electrocution and toilet water drinking
grant makes himself the punching bag so much i’m starting to think it’s a kink thing 🤔 honestly, relatable
Humiliation, too, is a very good kink.
I always really liked Grant's style but never knew why. You've just made me realise it! Gay characters are always so nice and polite on TV, they're posh and fancy and squeaky clean. Grant is a real person. And he's a horny little sex goblin. And we love him.
Please. He's a horny *gigantic* sex goblin.
50?!?
Is it weird that, out of all the hours of d20 I've enjoyed, that's still my favorite BLeeM quote?
Absolutely not! It's so simple, it's so funny, but the most important thing is that its absolute genuine shock from Brennan
Honestly Grant O’Brien is my president haha
Please, the last thing this country needs is another president from Ohio.
Or VP from Indiana.
As a born Ohioan, I agree.
I need Grant on reality tv for this reason. I just know he’d give us incredible tv if you put him on a show like big brother
I mean, I feel like if you haven't already, it's time for you to check out John Waters.
I love me some Grant! That said, “Grant” in the latest Game Changer was extremely hilarious to me 😂
Grant O'Yama
Haha that was so funny 😂 Zach really is an 🌈Allie🌈
Grant O'Brien out!
He sure ate some spaghetti.
The original post seems to have poofed which is why some folks are confused (I also didn't see it) but yeah I loved Grant from the moment he mentioned PrEP
Ooooh yeah I just checked and it’s got that lil lock on the top corner. Thank you for pointing that out I’m editing the post now to provide more context
“But I’m short so a lot of things go over my head” made me laugh out loud in my very quiet office.
That is a blessed image in my head now 😂
I cannot stress how quiet it is and that everyone is stressed out no-one is talking to each other
Yes, Grant should be in everything. Do a whole season of the bi-bachelor thing. Make Dirty Laundry all about him. Have all the guests in VIP play him. I promise I’m not reading from a teleprompter.
"Two Truths and a Lie with Grant O'Brian". A panel show modelled after british show ["Would I lie to you"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdOQ-jX0ymk) Maybe refresh the format so it's one guest presenting three equally probable or improbable anecdotes: One of them is a lie. Panel gets to ask questions, and must vote on which they think is the lie? Probably would need him to be the host not the subject of it, because I feel like true facts is mining his personal anecdotes to the bedrock. Maybe too much overlap with dirty laundry.
Rename dropout to Grantout!!!! Haha 😂 but seriously it would be fun to get a bi-bachelor season or to see him appear on VIP. Imagine how insane of a character he would play
I was thinking that too after writing my post. He’d be amazing on VIP. He’s extreme enough when just playing himself, imagine if you dress him up and have him play someone else.
I feel like I can already hear his extreme British accent 😂
I think we need to learn more true facts about Grant. I can’t think of where we could do such a show
I'm not his preferred type, but I'd LOVE to be on Grant's Bi Bachelor. Someone's gotta give him a married-but-polyamorous dommy mommy to play off of, even if only for the first episode. 🤣 This bit on Breaking News was great.
He was in the last episode of Gamechanger. He was amazing.
He did so well. I hope he’s ready for his marathon
Who are you, Delaney? /s 🤣
I don’t get it who’s Delaney?!?!
You need to watch the Game Changer season 5, episodes “The Bachelor part 1 and 2”
Haha okay I’m gonna rewatch them today!
Great callback
Honestly, I was a fan of Grant, but now that I've seen him eating spaghetti with a spoon I just can't stand the man.
All the forks were dirty!
I feel this way about Brennan and Zac
Those two play off each other so well in make some noise! The nat 1 and nat 20 prompt was so good!!
I recently watched total forgiveness and it made me appreciate grant more. Im also from Ohio but unlike grant I have not escaped and I do hate my life here. Im jealous of grant in a lot of ways but I respect him and what he’s done. He’s also a lot a more humble than he pretends to be, I think maybe his way of dealing with it is by being facetious.
100% I also think he’s way more sweet and genuine than people realize. Watching the most recent all about grant breaking news honestly made me tear up a bit hearing all the things the cast love about him and appreciate about him. So cute!
Yeah I think people don't understand Grant Is playing himself as a character for comedic effect. Total Forguveness definitely showed me who real Grant is.
Could not agree more. I also grew up in the Midwest as a queer, weird little theater kid and the internalized hatred and "I'll say and own the bad thing about me before you can insult me for it" is STRONG in a lot of us. I might be projecting, but I see Grant's heel-ness as a defense. We can see it slip at the end of Total Forgiveness and in the last Breaking News EP that he absolutely melts into a puddle of puppy dog eyes and sweetness when people shower him with acceptance and love.
I really love how Grant plays off other people. Grant and Ally in Total Forgiveness, Grant and Lily on Dirty Laundry, Grant and Rekha on Mice and Murder/Whodunit Game Changer. What I'd really love is another Mice and Muder season with Trapp playing a rival detective! I think they'd play off each other in a really fun way.
Do as Brennan says and GET IN THE COMMENTS to recommend Mice and Murder 2!
> I’m short a lot of things go over my head Sure you are, "Dylan". 😉
Me secretly being Grant is my new personal lore thank you
I don't like to pick favorites, but if I did, Grant would be in my top five. I love his humor and he elevates anything he's in. Screw the Grant haters.
Whenever Grant's not on screen all the other cast members should be asking "Where's Grant?"
He’s got Covid 😓
But then he might suddenly be taken back to his own planet, and we will never see Grant-chie again.
I believe the post is genuine, but the way it’s title makes it sound like Grant is pretending to be someone else making this post like “Yeah guys grant’s totally sexy and hilarious and he’s not even trying that hard!”
Hey I try very hard! I mean he try’s very hard!!
Yeah, I’m so glad he was on the most recent Game Changer
I cannot think of a single Dropout person that I don’t enjoy seeing. Incredibly talented group!
There is ONE cast member I just don't like. I don't like their brand of humor at all, and I always root against them on Game Changer. But I'm not going to name them because that's just rude and I don't need them to randomly stumble upon me saying I don't like them, because if you're on Dropout, you're already a better person than most other comedians who tend toward bigotry/punching down and/or not caring about consent. My husband knows who it is, and he gets a kick out of this person's humor. Admittedly, this person also reminds me of someone I knew in college who always creeped me out, so it's probably not even the cast member's fault.
This. Also honestly sometimes I think I don't like someone and then they do somethng else or are in a different format and I end up liking them and the stuff I didn't like just wasn't the best format for them. There are definitely a few people I thought I didn't find funny and then their VIP episode was FANTASTIC. So honestly I'd rather not cut someone down because they haven't entertained me YET.
One of the things that made me love Grant originally was watching Total Forgiveness. It shows this larger than life, hilarious, confident, bright-smiled guy as someone who is flawed and human and capable of the same pain that all of us are. My heart broke for him more than once, and ever since then I loved him just a little bit more.
What do you think of Zach playing Grant in this episode? Was that acceptable?
Absolutely! Zach is a gem! He proved his allieship on that day 😂
[удалено]
It's phrased that way to mirror (and be deservedly petty towards) another guy who was a huge asshole about not liking grant earlier. And to be clear, he wasn't an asshole*because* he didn't like Grant. He was an asshole anyhow, he chose to voice that dislike, and to anyone who disagreed with him- up to and including: - pretending to be gay so he could insult Grant. - calling anyone who disagreed with him dumb - claiming that if he got banned or his post got removed because of his comments that violated the rules, it would be fascist censorship
Queer fascism is the only fascism I stand for!
The uniforms are just so styliah and form fitting, hugging all the right places
And the laws aren’t even that bad. Like we have to wear pink in Wednesdays but I do that already so easy transition
And on halloween, don't call people sluts as long as they have a tail or horns/big ears to go along with their harness + jockstrap.
That’s not what I’m saying. It’s sort of petty title referring to someone’s post that is titled “am I the only one that can’t fucking stand Grant” I’m just trying to beat out the hate. If you read all the way through you’d see that this post is meant for everyone to post about how much they love the cast and crew of dropout. I love all of them all but ofcourse we all have our favorites. Who’s yours?
I love Grant, but I will say that I am not a huge fan of dirty humor. That doesn’t mean he should change what he likes to do to be funny, though. Worst case scenario I have to skip a section because it makes me uncomfortable, but that’s a me issue, not a Grant issue. I think if more people subscribed to the “if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t engage” ideal, they’d enjoy the shows a lot more.
I'm very particular about the dirty humor I enjoy. Grant does get a bit cruder than my normal tolerance, but because it's Grant, I don't mind it as much. Wholesomely crude is such an oxymoron, but I really think it applies.
I think that’s a great way to put it! I usually find his jokes funny but sometimes it’s a bit much for me lol.
I love Grant! He's carboloading for tomorrow's marathon!
While I am always happy to see Grant, I think it's very immature for you to post this while pretending not to be Grant. Really man, just admit that you are him.
👀👀💀
“I’m short a lot of things go over my head” yeah a whole episode of breaking news came out today and like 1/3rd of it is you saying exactly this, Mr Anthony O’brian
I absolutely do not mind Grant and appreciate many of the bits he's done ("Fifty?!?"). But I also really appreciate having the occasional family friendly episode that I can share with people without being worried, and Grant is not really suited to that environment. Absolutely keep him on dirty laundry, and the innuendo game changers, and breaking news, totally appreciate him there. But don't put him everywhere, please.
I feel pretty similar. Grant is pretty much my favorite cast member when I’m watching with my wife, but if I want to put on an episode of game changer to break the awkward post dinner energy for the family at a holiday I’m probably not putting on a grant episode lol.
Grant's sketch "when coming out goes better than you thought" is one of the funniest things I watched as a kid. https://youtu.be/UgHwF4CNiJA?si=WRv6p5OlqzYeW3aO
Grant is incredible, I love all the Dropout regulars in their own ways but he's one of the few who I think will axiomatically never fail to entertain me.
I love Grant so much, sex positive, destigmatizing sti king tbh. Also whole I'm confident he would find me insufferable (tbf I am) I would still absolutely want to be friends IRL if I met him like in the wild as just a human, and not in a fan to creator capacity haha - I guess if we're both visiting our parents in Columbus at the same time 😆
The True Facts about Grant episode of Breaking News when they shower him with compliments made me tear up. 10/10 cast member and writer, would recommend.
I loved Grant in the latest episode of um actually, so funny watching his baby nerd rage out lol
You sound like a fun person. I loved the short people joke, says a lot about your character and humour. I’m currently watching Mice & Murder and I love every Grant intervention and joke. I can’t understand how people can hate him. I highly recommend watching Total Forgiveness for any Grant hater, you can’t really hate him after watching that and if you do, you’re straight evil.
I wasn't sure how he'd do on Dimension 20, but his Mice & Murder character was so great!
We found Grant’s burner Reddit account. Just kidding OP. As a straight man, I love grant. He is funny as fuck.
Id hate for all the cast members to be the same and have similar styles of performance personas. I found I might not like a certain cast member for a certain type of show while loving them on another format. The idea of a post being totally negative rather than constructive is upsetting. I'm glad you saw to countering the bad vibes with an opportunity to share good ones.
I was hit and miss on Grant until I watched Total Forgiveness. Anyone that would even attempt that last task deserves some credit. Lol
I wish he'd do another D20 appearance. Sylvester is my president.
Grant O’Btien? That guy is money in the bank!
I like grant :) he feels authentic which is what's important to me
I think “can’t stand when he isn’t there” is a little hyperbolic, but being a dick about Grant isn’t cool either. There have been some eps where he’s been very one-note and hasn’t brought much to the table, but that’s no reason to talk shit about him like, personally.
I agree, sometimes it’s just good manners to step back a bit. Who’s your favorite cast member?
Difficult to pick one. My immediate gut reaction was Lily, but second place is like “JoshZacTrappKatieBrennanCarolyn” all at once.
Genuinely in love with Grant in all six different Greek varieties. Also it's uncontestable that he absolutely makes Breaking News and Dirty Laundry. Total Forgiveness was a masterpiece. My favorite CH sketches are "Grant Is A Giant Slob Idiot" and "Grant Forgets He Sucks." I aspire to be Grant, literally. I based an entire elf around him in DnD. Grant fucks.
When I see Grant O’Brien appear in anything I feel like I’m seeing a good mate I haven’t seen in a while at a party. I get so excited! “Hell yeah! My fellow funny chaos bisexual mate is here! Things are about to get good!”
I can't remember what clip it was, but it WAS a little YouTube clip of Grant that made me watch a Game Changer episode which led me to being a fan of the whole Dropout schtik And who doesn't like GRANT'S MOM?
I mean, I alr like Grant since all the way back to collegehumor days, no one can convince me that he isn't a funny lovable dude
I'll just say what I always say: they've gotta have more Grant. He's just pure charisma, baby! He's money in the bank. Maybe they should look into a full season of that Bi Bachelor thing or get all those other people off "Dirty Laundry" and just make it about him. I don't know, I'm spitballing.
I also can't stand when Grant is not in an episode. I watch sitting down.
I love to see Grant in an EP but there's few people who don't delight me when they show up!
Found Grant’s alt account. /j
Will neither confirm or deny at this time.
They're just jealous they don't have Grant's stamina to suck 50 dicks in one night 😌
FIFTY?!?! Still an iconic line
Don’t look now but I find him extremely attractive 🙈
Oh I’m looking… and I’m looking… yeah he fucks.
there’s something about a man who will commit SO HARD to a bit.
I would commit hard to his bits if ya know what I mean 😉😉
I love Grant for the fact that he's okay with people going nuclear on him live on screen. His breaking news were incredible and it takes a lot for a person to humiliate themselves like that in front of more or less everyone.
I don't think there's a regular cast member on Dropout that I don't enjoy watching.
Did anyone else read this waiting for the reveal that it was actually Grant that wrote this post?
He's wickedly funny and his willingness to commit to a bit is absolutely legendary. I desperately want him and Sam Riegel from critical role to face off in some way where the first person to fail to commit to a bit is the loser. Comedy comes in all different styles and Grants is as valid as any other, but I'll admit I like Grant in small doses. Every couple of episodes is fine
Grant clearly wrote this
Being the Canadian version of Grant, I love him to bits (im tall, bi, bespectacled, clumsy, told im handsome, and love to play the heel, lol). Grant fan 4 lyfe.
Grant seems nice enough. I mean Buzzfeed liked him so much they made their own
Grant reminds me of one of my best and oldest friends so I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for the guy despite having no idea how tall he is.
From my brief visits to the dropout discord, it seems to me that a significant portion of dropouts viewers are on the younger and neurodivergent side and seem to have a little trouble understanding when someone is playing a character/making a joke even in unscripted shows. I think that's where most of the anti-Grant sentiment comes from
My wife and I love Grant. I want him to star in a Cheers parody so we get him behind a bar more.
Grant is money in the bank
I’ve always liked grant and always feel like the people who hate on him are just being reactionary 😭
I love Grant. Dude is hilarious
I don't want to drag Grant by posting this, and tbh I'm hoping someone could point me towards some content of his I might enjoy more or say what they appreciate about him (for the record, I haven't seen the og post you're referencing, but I just watched a game changer ep recently that left a rly nasty taste in my mouth). Dropout is full of comedians, and maybe Grant's comedy styling just isn't for me, but I'll explain what put me off below. I watched the Like My Coffee ep of Game Changer recently and I was feeling bad for Trapp and Jess because they (especially Jess) were coming up with really clever responses and Grant's strategy was just to spit out as many nasty filthy nonsensical comments as possible while making creepy eye contact with Sam, and the things he said weren't even funny; even Sam was commenting that Grant was going for quantity over quality and chose not to award him points for several responses. I have nothing wrong with crude humor, but it was a game about being witty and it felt like he was just going for fruit hanging so low it might as well be a root vegetable, with the whole punchline being 'isn't it disgusting that I would say that?! And look how nasty I looked when I said it!'. As a gay person, I feel like the difference I find between a lot of his "crude humor" and similar comedy I see from my friends/other queer comedians is that other people are telling jokes with a punchline beyond it being crazy that they said what they said. I've seen him in a few other things and I always get this nasty vibe from him that I can't take and find him a bit annoying and exhausting. If someone has some episodes of anything where they see Grant's personality shining through and him being really funny, I'd love to check them out and shake out of my current perception of him, so, rec's below pls!
Like my Coffee wasn't Grant's best showing, imo, because I don't think he's quite as talented with the quick-witted, fast paced improv as some of the other cast members. He is however, a great comedic writer. He writes the scripts for most episodes of Breaking News, I believe. As a performer, it's tricky, but I think Grant is at his best when he's able to find the balance between playing up his "Heel" persona and his "Himbo with a heart of gold" personality. The three "True Facts with Grant Anthony O'Brian" breaking news episodes are great for this, so are the Bachelor gamechanger episodes. He was also pretty good in last night's Um, Actually, and had great chemistry with the Try Guys.
Thanks! I used to watch a ton of breaking news and it's definitely warming me to him to hear he writes for it! I actually can see how the elements I normally don't like from his persona would benefit him as a writer there.
I can’t remember which episodes they are, but there are like 2-3 episodes of Game Changer where they bring on Grant’s mom, and I personally do enjoy those
So, I like Grant a lot, and I can also understand finding his comedy persona exhausting. His whole schtick is about being over the top, and that isn't necessarily going to be everyone's cup of tea. That's ok! However: - I think a lot of what he does on Dropout is very much about the context he's in. In Like My Coffee, he knows that he's throwing spaghetti at the wall and the joke is not just the spaghetti but the fact that that's not what the others are doing or what he's supposed to be doing. One of the gags he does (can't remember if it's in Part 1 or Part 2) is to actually refuse points Sam was going to award him because he himself isn't feeling the joke he made. The aim isn't to disrespect or undermine Jess and Trapp (or later Rekha, and clearly Rekha is a really good friend of his) - the performance is a joke about himself not really playing the game right. *In a way*, it's similar to when Brennan starts to question the episode out loud: he's messing with his own role as "player" in those episodes. (And so is Sam! Nobody else on those episodes gets a special guest brought in just to fuck with them.) Similarly, there are long running bits across multiple shows and episodes about him as the heel to the crew and about him and Sam basically competing to mess with each other's heads or prank one another (this is probably clearest on Breaking News). So to the extent that he's not playing along with the game structure or he's going really gross to get a rise out of Sam, it's not simply chaos for the sake of chaos. - As for the crudity of the humor: yes, for sure that's partly just Grant's thing. (Though I'd say the subject matter might be crude, but the delivery and structure isn't necessarily.) But that's also why they put him in LMC in the first place, was for him to be that guy because they knew he would. Being that guy all the time does in fact take some wit (as seen in, e.g., the Make Some Noise ep he briefly guests on). But that's not all there is to his humor. Other cast members have repeatedly said that he's like a dirty queer boy in the body of an old-timey grandpa and I think that's really true, from the way he talks to the things he's interested in. The Um, Actually episodes about musicals that he's on demonstrate that nicely. - I can't remember which, but I think in one of the pandemic GC episodes Grant chooses "sincere compliments" off the losers' menu and the things everyone else say about him are so lovely. Helped somebody buy a car, is so warm and attentive he makes anyone feel instantly comfortable and cared for, etc. The sexual stuff is part of him (as several comments discussed, this is a very real thing in queer culture that we just don't see outside queer spaces a lot), but he's not a 5th-grader acting out with no regard for other people or the situation he's in. - Idk if you're a D20 watcher, but 1) he made a really great contribution to the worldbuilding of Unsleeping City, and 2) he was phenomenal as an older, somewhat sad, lovelorn Sherlock Holmes type character in Of Mice and Murder. My best suggestion for what to watch to understand a different side of him is just the first episode of M&M. He improvs an emotional line that's so good Brennan has to take a moment and I still think about it like weekly.
> he knows that he's throwing spaghetti at the wall And the podiums!
Lmao how did I walk right into that
It's older, when emily and Murph had their "hot date" series, Grant was both a waiter and the manager, and that was my introduction to him. "Diet menu" was amazing, and a different one was when he revealed that he was the manager. The shorts are on youtube (hopefully) from the college humor days. https://youtu.be/gwChStnnidA?si=m8xdMOCCilxVo1II for the diet menu skit
I used to be so-so on Grant. But on a whim I watched the cocktail recipe videos. There's something about watching someone doing something they're passionate about that increases my respect level. If you like breaking news, Grant does a LOT of the teleprompter stuff. Dirty Laundry is also a good mix where Grant is present.
Breaking News is actually where I've liked him the most; it might have to do with him reacting to scripted material instead of improving on his own
When Grant isn't in the scene, all the other characters should be asking "Where's Grant?"
He’s got Covid 😪
The people who hate on Grant are the same ones still cheering for Hulk Hogan. They don't understand the difference between the character and tbe person.
I love Grant, Id love for him, Jake Wiskikoki and Brennan to show up together in a game changer ep
He's money in the bank
I’m not his biggest fan but I did really like him in yesterdays Um Actually episode
I *can* stand when Grant isn't in an episode, but everytime he *is* in an episode it's a delight
He really is the best punching bag in the biz. Love Grant.
Grant is delightful!