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2017 NBA Awards

Source: Taylor Hill / Getty

Desus Nice and The Kid Mero came from the mud; but their crazy come-up story doesn’t even scratch the surface of why they are not only so likable, but prevalent in today’s world inundated with commentary. With social media, everybody with a phone can–and usually does–put in their 2 cents on everything that comes across their screen. It becomes hard to weed out what consumers themselves actually want to see, and whose takes are important enough to seek out on the regular.

Though Desus and Mero got their start as those same social media warriors, they’ve risen to boast resumes that include their TV show (already renewed for a second season) Desus & Mero, their weekly Redbull-sponsored podcast The Bodega Boys, a sold-out line of merchandise, and a plethora of live appearances throughout the US and Canada both at huge comedy festivals and on their own headlining bills.

Because these Bronx, NY natives’ claim to their most mainstream fame is a late night television show, a logical comparison would be to the other players in that genre like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. The truth remains, however, that with a network like Viceland and personalities like Desus and Mero, the only place their show compares to the others is on paper. Featuring both smaller guests and people like Diddy, and almost completely off-the-dome narrations, the only gripe most viewers have with the show is that it should be longer than half an hour.

The most refreshing part of watching these two is the stark contrast from the political correctness of a show on a major network. Hosts like Jimmy Fallon and James Corden saw endless backlash over humanizing Donald Trump and his former press secretary Sean Spicer, and that’s something fans of Desus and Mero never have to worry about. Though they’ve mentioned many times before (possibly in jest) that they can’t wait to be sell-outs later on in their career–we all have our price!–the compromising of their own ideals would make the entire shtick they’ve mastered obsolete.

Fans who have had the pleasure of seeing this rise to stardom from their Twitter roots, to their year-long stint on Complex while they  juggled their day jobs, have no choice but to be die-hards. No matter how big Desus and Mero get in their career, they’ll always maintain an intimate fan relationship that feels like those same underground podcasters you heroically put all of your friends onto. In a world that’s growing more cynical as each day passes, it’s important to find and champion those who help you get through those days–and Desus and Mero continue to be the best medicine for all of life’s ailments.