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EPISODE · Sep 2, 2026 · 13 MIN

Comedian Alex Pearlman on the Taco Bell Rant That Went Viral and Turning Anger Into Comedy

from Here's What We Know · host Gary Scott Thomas

Send us Fan Mail What happens when anger becomes funny? Alex Pearlman has built a following by saying the things many people are thinking but cannot always say themselves. His viral Mexican Pizza rant helped put him on the map, but there was a lot of work behind that moment. This week on Here’s What We Know, comedian and TikTok star Alex Pearlman talks about growing up outside Philadelphia, finding his voice through more than two decades of comedy, going viral, and what happens when the internet suddenly decides you're an "overnight success." Alex believes people have lost sight of the fact that there is a real person on the other side of the screen. His Crashing Out Tour is part of his effort to get people out of comment sections and back into real conversations. Listen now. In This Episode: The real story behind Alex's viral "Mexican Pizza Hut rant" and what he learned about timing, monetization, and TikTok Why Alex calls himself an "anger translator" for people who can't say what they're really thinking Growing up in Delco, outside Philadelphia, and how that shaped his comedic voice The difference between angry-and-funny and angry-and-jerky, and why so few comedians land on the right side of that line What Alex means by a "25-year overnight success" and the odd jobs that quietly fed his material for decades Why his wife became his most trusted editor and what that partnership taught him about ego The danger of young creators going viral with no life experience to back it up Why Alex built the Crashing Out Tour around getting people off their phones and back into a room together What's coming to San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts on September 11th Catch Alex Pearlman's Crashing Out Tour on September 11. Pick up your tickets here before they sell out! This episode is sponsored by: Sterling Oak Cabinetry Reed Animal Hospital Bio: Alex Pearlman is a comedian, podcaster, and creator who has been performing stand-up since 2002. A longtime Philadelphia-area resident, Alex has built a following with his sharp, often angry, and always funny takes on everyday life, culture, and politics. His viral videos have introduced him to a much larger audience, but his comedy is rooted in more than two decades of performing and developing his voice. He is also the creator of the Crashing Out Tour, which aims to bring people out of online arguments and back into real conversations with one another. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearlmania500/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearlmania500/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pearlmania500 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexPearlman2000 Connect with Gary: Gary's Website Follow Gary on Instagram Gary's Tiktok Gary's Facebook Watch the episodes on YouTube Advertise on the Podcast Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 2, 2026

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Send us Fan Mail What happens when anger becomes funny? Alex Pearlman has built a following by saying the things many people are thinking but cannot always say themselves. His viral Mexican Pizza rant helped put him on the map, but there was a lot of work behind that moment. This week on Here’s What We Know, comedian and TikTok star Alex Pearlman talks about growing up outside Philadelphia, finding his voice through more than two decades of comedy, going viral, and what happens when the inter...

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Comedian Alex Pearlman on the Taco Bell Rant That Went Viral and Turning Anger Into Comedy

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