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'Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids': Fans shocked comedian is Elle King's father and criticize accents

Humor is subjective and if it is to be judged on the basis of the live audience’s reactions and the reactions of many on social media, Schneider’s set was a hit but there were also those who were critical of it

Spoilers for ‘Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids’

In his debut Netflix stand-up special, ‘Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids’, the actor and comedian failed to impress. The almost-45-minute set was a cornucopia of bad racially-stereotypical accents where he mimicked his wife Patricia Azarcoya Arce’s Mexican accent that sounded suspiciously like Speedy Gonzales. He also mimicked Koren and Chinese waitstaff, his daughters, and his Filipino mother. 

None of the impressions were good and at the same time, his set was filled with what can easily be called “boomer humor” where he made jokes on his relationship and men’s attitude towards women, along with some pop-wisdom dropped in here and there. But humor is subjective, and if it is to be judged on the basis of the live audience’s reactions and the reactions of many on social media, Schneider’s set was a hit.

In the set, his jokes were punctured by loud bursts of laughter. On Twitter, many sang his praise. “@RobSchneider, I already want to watch it a second time,” wrote a Twitter user.

Another Twitter user wrote, “@RobSchneider Just watched the special Rob and it was a breath of fresh air! Thanks for the laughs!”

But not everyone was in awe. A few Twitter users pointed out just how problematic his accents were. One wrote, “Started watching Rob Schneider's new special on Netflix but couldn't get past even half of it. Russell Peter-esque but way way worse.” Russell Peters, the Indo-Canadian stand-up comedian, is notorious for his liberal use of stereotypical accents in his set. In fact, he has long been criticized for it.

Another Twitter user wrote, “So I started watching the new @RobSchneider special and I have a question… How the f*** in 2020 do people still think it's okay to do accents in the name of comedy? I thought we finally figured this shit out last year with Apu.”

But what seemed to surprise most people was the end of the special. Before ending his set, Schneider called onto the stage his daughter, the singer-songwriter Elle King. Together, they sang a duet. King’s singing and songwriting are globally famous and Schneider was above average; which makes one wonder if this whole show could have been a father-daughter duet with some (not much) comedy thrown in here and there. It would have been more wholesome. 

What baffled people was that they had no idea King and Schneider were related at all. A Twitter user wrote, “Earlier today on @netflix I watched Stand-Up @RobSchneider, Asian Momma, Mexican Kids. It was funny. (Thank you for the laughs). At the end, he sang with his daughter. I so didn't know his daughter was singer @ElleKingMusic. Elle, I absolutely love your song ‘Little Bit of Lovin’.”

Another wrote, “I’m sorry wait. Did everyone know that Elle King was Rob Schneider’s daughter?!”

Yet another Twitter user said, “Just watched Rob Schneider’s new comedy special on Netflix and I’m in SHOCK at the fact that he can SING!!!! Him and his daughter do a duet at the end and it’s absolutely endearing and beautiful......what a beautiful moment.”

‘Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids’ is available for viewing only on Netflix.