Paul American Won’t Go There

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As the first episode of the new reality show Paul American unfolds, Max’s latest creation featuring the Paul family who repeatedly claim to be “controversial,” reminiscent of a modern-day Candyman incantation, Jake, a former influencer turned boxer, commends his Dutch fiancée Jutta Leerdam for her straightforwardness. This week’s revelation of their engagement, conveniently timed for the Paul American premiere, highlights this trait. While Jutta speaks her mind directly, Jake muses wistfully that “Americans can be a bit insincere at times,” a statement that ironically echoes the essence of the entire Paul American production.

Long before they achieved fame as a WWE star and heavyweight boxer, brothers Logan and Jake were already popular on YouTube. This means there’s little distinction between their public and private selves. However, the purpose of a reality show like this is to expose something new, anything at all, about the subjects that we wouldn’t learn otherwise. Unfortunately, the show named “Paul American” doesn’t seem interested in revealing anything beyond what the Paul brothers already present as their personas. Instead, they describe themselves as “the true American family,” asserting that “this is America, and we are from the heart of America.” These claims are lofty for a show that avoids any genuine introspection and appears reluctant to delve deeper into the lives of these brothers beyond their public images.

Rather than expressing affection as “With Love, Meghan” and “The Baldwins” do, or informally as “Paul American”, the show instead creates an enclosed and carefully managed environment, where its characters frequently rehash familiar narratives about themselves. The intriguing details that could reveal who the Pauls truly are when they’re not conscious of being filmed are scarce in the initial four episodes of “Paul American” that have been shared with critics for review.

Important Notice: This critique discusses significant events from the initial four episodes of the current season, details that might be considered spoilers. However, given the nature of reality television, much of what’s mentioned may have already been reported on in the media.

What we observe: Their competitive spirit towards one another
What we don’t: Their mutual comprehension of each other

Jake and Logan are sometimes humorously called “the Testosterone Kardashians” by themselves. The first episode hints at their frequent disagreements, stemming from their time in Los Angeles during their 20s when they both pursued influencer careers. Their feud reached new heights with public diss tracks that boosted their fame even further. Currently, their relationship appears stagnant, with Jake still harboring resentment over Logan dating one of his former partners. Pam, their mother, subtly mentions that her attempts at reconciliation were initially dismissed, as she notes: “Why should they listen to me? They’re earning far more than I ever did.

It appears that no one is directly addressing the notion that YouTube, a platform where creators’ success is measured by likes and views, significantly enriched the Paul brothers but may have also damaged their relationship beyond repair. Instead, people tiptoe around the topic, as when Jake refers to “YouTuber syndrome” being a dangerous substance that helped him cope with his unspecified traumas, or Logan dismissively jokes about their heated argument just before they pitched their TV show. The Paul brothers justify their volatility, but when others question its authenticity, such as Jutta telling Jake to “be more real,” they seem at a loss for words. In the fourth episode, Logan almost achieves self-awareness when he admits, “I think it’s harmful when young people get what they want.” However, it’s challenging to empathize with the Paul brothers’ struggles with constant camera presence when their conflicts in “Paul American” often feel like an exaggerated continuation of their YouTube personas or boxing careers.

What we see: The brothers hustling
What we don’t: The brothers working 

In this scenario, Logan and Jake are observed engaging in various activities such as exercising, recording podcasts, promoting their goods, trading cryptocurrencies, jetting between multiple residences, and cruising around in Paul-branded golf carts and helicopters. Even Jake’s act of burning money serves to emphasize that the Pauls are wealthy and reckless. However, if you’re hoping for insights into the reasoning behind their actions, ‘Paul American’ merely shows the Pauls being industrious, but it fails to offer a comprehensive look at their decision-making process.

From my perspective as a fan, I’m not advocating that Paul American should disclose their tax returns (although there might be a case for it), but the constant boasting about success creates moments where they seem to question the relentless work ethic, which feels like intriguing revelations that the show could delve deeper into. In the second episode, when Logan suggests, “There’s more to life than marketing your kids,” and his parents respond, “No, there’s not,” it leaves us hanging for a conversation between Logan and Jake about their parents, whose wealth was built on allowing their children to market themselves. The series seems to hint at a theme about the brothers finding purpose solely through the grind due to the capitalist mindset of our like-and-subscribe era, but Paul American fails to explore this thread fully.

What we see: Greg Paul being Greg Paul
What we don’t: How the family really feels about Greg Paul 

The fellow dressed as Crocodile Dundee is named Greg Paul, who on his YouTube show, “Paul American,” portrays himself as an anti-liberal curmudgeon (though endearing!): He criticizes cancel culture, boasts about being a Realtor, carries knives, and lambastes the youth. However, the most significant conflicts arise when Greg’s sons, Jake and Logan, discuss their father’s physical abuse (a topic they previously addressed in the 2023 Netflix documentary “UNTOLD: Jake Paul the Problem Child”). Their bonding moments often come from standing up against their dad, such as when Logan claims that he and Jake had successful pitch meetings independently, while the meeting Greg attended was a disaster. (He reportedly insulted an executive who suggested removing him from the show.) Here’s what I think “Paul American” should have explored: Why wasn’t the recording of that meeting shown? What made the brothers exclude their father, whom they call a liability? How does his presence in their lives still impact them, particularly Logan, whom Greg threatened to punch in front of everyone? Unfortunately, “Paul American” doesn’t delve deeper into these questions.

Paul American seems to rely on Greg for his provocative outbursts. He shouted “Do you want to give me head?” at one of Jake’s boxing opponents. He spouts off controversial right-wing opinions, such as criticizing adoptive fathers for babies “sucking on their nipples.” He even goes so far as to say, “If I could destroy all of L.A. with a button right now, I would do it in an instant.” While some fans of Paul American may find his behavior amusing, it’s clear that both Logan and Jake have mixed feelings about their father and the tumultuous environment they grew up in, as Logan puts it. However, instead of using Greg’s shock value to delve into sibling dynamics, the show merely uses him to promote the family’s brand of controversy.

Instead of directly mentioning that Logan is concerned about his past relationships with women, the text implies that he is worried about having a daughter.

The text suggests that Logan’s concern isn’t explicitly about his history with women, but rather about becoming a father to a daughter.

In the second episode, when Nina Agdal, Logan’s supermodel girlfriend, shows him a positive pregnancy test, he’s taken aback, exclaiming, “Wait, are you filming this?” However, when Logan learns he’s having a daughter, the character known as Paul American doesn’t delve into why this news leaves him feeling “really fucking depressed.” The show uses this statement as a cliffhanger, and in the following episode, Logan claims to have found peace about having a girl. The narrative does not reveal the source of his internal turmoil, which leaves viewers wanting more insight, especially since Logan acknowledges that having a daughter feels like “life karma” for how he’s treated women in the past. This treatment is not elaborated upon. Instead, we are left with a vague statement from Logan about not wanting to appear as a “woke asshole,” but expressing his belief that life is tough for women. The episode concludes with Logan stating that he’s now comfortable being a girl-dad, and that seems to be the end of it. However, the text suggests there might be more to the story, perhaps involving Logan’s relationship with his mother or other female relatives, but these aspects are not explored further in this particular episode.

The Pauls are expressing their concerns about transgender individuals in their discussions with the camera” or “The Pauls are airing their opinions about transgender people to the camera”. In both cases, the focus is on their conversations being directed towards the camera and discussing transgender topics.

In the premiere, a video showing the brothers with Donald Trump, along with Greg’s overall demeanor, provide clear hints about the Paul brothers’ political views. Their homes display gun artwork, Jake criticizes Joe Biden from a Puerto Rican airfield due to Air Force One delaying his private jet, and during a 2024 boxing event, Jake granted an interview with Fox News. The reporter, Ryan Morik, queried Jake about his stance on “transgender athletes in women’s sports,” a controversial issue he addressed, with Greg stepping up to respond before Logan attempted to end the discussion by expressing a desire to leave. Initially evading Morik, Jake later returned to discuss how males and females should compete separately, and when speaking into their Paul American camera on their way out of the venue, Jake asserted: “Someone will die in boxing… When a biological male kills a female, the blood will be on the hands of those who prioritize politics over safety. I don’t care if you’re upset. I can’t be canceled.

The response given is unclear, filled with misrepresentations and a generic adversary referred to as “they.” It’s also consistent with Jake’s earlier performance for conservative media outlets, where he presents his views in public settings. Unfortunately, Paul American does not provide insight into how the Paul brothers might discuss this subject privately among themselves or with their family members. Instead, it appears to be another evasion of the topic regarding transgender people. It’s unclear if Logan holds different opinions from Jake, and if so, why he reacted negatively to Morik’s question. We don’t see how the brothers would address these issues with Nina or Jutta, whether Logan’s stance on this issue has evolved due to having a daughter, or what sets their beliefs apart from traditional ones. These aspects are missing, leaving their political views one-dimensional and in line with what their existing audience already expects.

… And we’ve got plenty on our plate already.

This is when Paul American gets too real.

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2025-03-28 17:57