‘Desus & Mero’: The Talk Show You Need to Be Watching

What is the best show you’re not (or maybe you are?) watching? Easy: It’s Desus & Mero, the finest late-night show hosted by two nonwhite men and often just the best late-night show, period. The mere sight of this duo — Desus, 34, and Mero, 32, sprawling in armchairs on a set with a taxidermied bear gazing placidly behind them — is inviting, intriguing. Their nightly show is a rich gumbo of political and pop-culture commentary, taking in both Donald Trump (or “President Cheeto,” as they like to call him) and Mariah Carey, and playing host to guests who really have to have their wits sharpened to keep pace with these smart guys.

Desus and Mero have opinions about everything, from Trump’s neckties (Desus: “Our president-elect cannot tie a tie. Why does he look like he’s in juvenile court about to see a judge and his defense attorney tied it for him?” Mero: “You can’t even flex a double Windsor, my n—a?”) to Ben Carson’s qualifications to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (Desus: “Donald Trump said, ‘What are you good at?’ Ben said, ‘Fixin’ brains.’ Trump said, ‘Bang! You’re in charge of the projects!’” Mero: “He thinks running housing means, like, replacing the toilet paper when you run out”).

The team has traveled a modern route to success: Twitter following led to a podcast (“Bodega Boys”), which led to a Web series, which led them to Viceland, which was looking to break up its pot-centric programming with some timely commentary. The show is structured like ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, with a list running down the right side of the screen with topics that the fellows machine-gun through (sample list one night: “Trump, Army-Navy, Robbery Fail, Life Lessons, McDonald’s, Drake/JLo?”). They will frequently have a guest for a brief interview midway through the half-hour. Many times these are white people who somehow come off extra-white in the presence of the hosts — delightfully so. They opened a session with Willie Geist by asking him if he could correctly spell Mika Brzezinski’s last name. (He could!) Their interview with New York Times food editor Sam Sifton remains a model of the form:

It should also be said that their recent interview with humorist John Hodgman yielded a great story by Hodgman about his time as the Apple “Get a Mac” spokesman, having a random encounter with the guy who does the Verizon commercials and the latter’s betrayal to competitor Sprint. (Not for nothing is Hodgman the judgmental “Judge John Hodgman” of podcast and New York Times fame.)

Desus and Mero radiate an easy affability; an astute political sensibility; and an encyclopedic knowledge of movies, TV shows, music, and books (watch the show for a week and you’ll come away with numerous items you’ll want to track down and consume). I frequently laugh harder at their most casual observations than at any other late-night host’s most carefully written joke. (On Jim Brown’s recent visit to Trump Tower: “Jim Brown played with the NFL when they used doo-rags for helmets, so who you’re asking this guy for insights? I don’t know, Mr. Trump.”)

Watch Desus & Mero, but don’t expect Mariah Carey to show up anytime soon, not after Mero observed that “Mariah went from being very sexy songstress to being, like, your drunk aunt that kisses you on the mouth at Thanksgiving.” On second thought, Mariah might just show up to throw down with these gentlemen. So: Watch.

Desus & Mero airs weeknights at 11 p.m. on Viceland.