Keke Palmer is charming, funny and possesses a personality that can fill a room. On a Wednesday afternoon in early January, her voice booms down into the main dining area of Prime on Peachtree from a private room on the second floor.
She’s being interviewed by Marco Summers, known for the comedic content he releases under the moniker Funny Marco, before attending the Atlanta premier of the Issa Rae-produced buddy comedy One of Them Days, starring Palmer and singer SZA.
During the interview, Palmer and Summers discuss the movie, with the latter erroneously claiming he makes an appearance (“Oh, yeah, I lied. I’m not in that.”), before playing a game where they guess celebrities based on their baby photos. “If it’s not Tiger [Woods], is it Alicia Keys,” Palmer asks about one baby. Neither is correct, nor is the baby Bruno Mars. Summers eventually reveals the photo is of The Rock. “You can’t win them all,” Palmer says.
The segment is a hilarious display of Palmer’s star power, but it also provides a look into the appeal of Summers as a content creator.
His dry humor has allowed him to disarm some of today’s biggest celebrities in music, sports and film. He has amassed a following — including 5 million followers on Instagram — for his off-kilter interviews with celebrities ranging from rappers Latto, Nicki Minaj and Lil Yachty to basketball star Angel Reese and actress Lala.
Summers’ conversations with celebrity guests are awkward and strange, with no real journalistic value despite the fact that he sometimes refers to himself as a “reporter.”
In the current media landscape, though, viewers and subjects don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. His audience might not walk away knowing anything new about his guests, but they’ll certainly be entertained and will likely get to see their favorite stars in rare form.
In one of his most popular interviews, Summers appears unprepared and erratic as he quickly moves through a series of questions directed at comedian Kevin Hart.
When Hart is asked to name three solo Flava Flav songs, he appears confused before Marco makes up three songs that never existed. “You just lied,” Hart quips. “And it was quick, too. Straight face. That’s a sickness.”
More than 7 million people have viewed the video since it was released more than a year ago, with commenters seemingly confused about whether or not Hart was genuinely appalled or in on the joke.
Summers said Hart and Minaj were his favorite guests to date because of this dynamic. “They understood the assignment,” he said. In the future, he wants to interview rappers Eminem and Kanye West, or comedian Dave Chapelle.
Despite his rising profile, not much is known about Summers. This might partially be because, as Hart once pointed out, he lies. In an interview with the comedian after production wrapped at Prime, it was hard to decipher the truth from the comedic bit.
The Kansas City native said he moved to Atlanta roughly five years ago with hopes of expanding his opportunities as a comedian. But, when asked about what he wants to achieve in entertainment, he repeatedly said he’s limited by his inability to read or write. When he was in 7th grade, he said, he was only reading at a 3rd grade level.
“I can’t spell or read, and when you’re in school, people pick on you. And then you accept it and learn how to be funny,” he said, alluding to his comedic origins. “That’s really all I had.”
For Summers, comedy has been an equalizer for people and a way to overcome the expectations others might have unfairly placed on him. “I just don’t think they give people with disabilities enough credit,” he said.
All of this could be true. Summers might actually be dyslexic and have ADHD as he claims. But, it certainly has not slowed him down professionally and doesn’t seem to prohibit his career.
In recent months, he’s worked on sports content for Netflix in promotion of the NFL games that air on the streaming network. Last month, Bleacher Report announced a digital series, “Marco is Off the Ball,” that will air on their app, as well as on YouTube and MAX.
“I’m interviewing players in a way they didn’t see coming and asking the questions nobody else would think to ask,” Summers said in a press release announcing the series. “Trust me, basketball fans haven’t ever seen their favorite players in interviews like what we’re about to bring them.”
Summers is actively working to expand his reach beyond his own YouTube channel, which is partially the reason he’s looking to drop the “Funny Marco” moniker moving forward. He’s also working to hone his skills as a stand-up comedian.
This month he embarked on the 10-city “Open Thoughts Comedy Tour.” To promote the tour, he straightened his hair and re-created the album covers of James Brown’s “Gravity” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Despite the name change, his uncomfortable and unconventional ways remain.
When asked about what he hopes to achieve this year beyond the series with Bleacher Report and the comedy tour, the content creator dryly responded “I’m [going to] be dead. I think I’m [going to] die this year.”
The comment deeply upset his team, prompting him to clarify “If I’m alive … I don’t know … just doing more stuff and adding more to the table to put my friends and family in a better situation.”
If Summers is seriously struggling with imagining a future for himself, it wouldn’t be abnormal. Historically, many comedians — including, as a member of his production crew points out, the late Robin Williams — have struggled with their mental health all while helping the general public laugh through life.
Still, it’s hard to know just how much of what Summers said is genuine or for shock value. And, in his line of work, that may be the point.
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