“This fool” is such a great slang, usually meaning something along the lines of, “This clown over here ...” But my favorite is when it simply refers to the person next to you who isn’t necessarily doing anything out of the ordinary. Just the act of existing in this ridiculous world means we’re all “this fool” at various points in our lives. And if you can’t find the humor in that, what are we even doing here?
“This Fool” is also the title of the single-camera Hulu comedy series starring comedian Chris Estrada. Set in the working class environs of a Mexican American community in South Central Los Angeles not unlike Estrada’s own, he plays Julio, a 30-something who is the opposite of cool — at home and at work, he’s often the butt of the joke — but if you squint, he has his own kind of cool. He’s cultured-ish! He likes a nice cup of pour-over coffee!
He’s a caseworker at Hugs Not Thugs, a nonprofit that offers support for former gang members and ex-cons — one of whom is his cousin, Luis (Frankie Quiñones). By temperament, the pair (both live with Julio’s mom and grandmother) could not be more different, and this comedic tension is ongoing throughout the season.
