TV

Who is 'The Driving Crooner' and why is he all over the internet?

Who is 'The Driving Crooner' and why is he all over the internet?

The mysterious Driving Crooner

Netflix

The Driving Crooner is popping up all over the shop, but who is he? A good Samaritan who picks up people who are way over-the-limit on a night out and drops them home is the easy answer, but the reality? He's the biggest meme from the new season of 'I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson'.

Each season of the Netflix comedy has enjoyed a breakout skit with perhaps the defining one coming from the first season; The infamous 'hot dog man' - who is omnipresent in the replies of anything a politician ever tweets. A perfect response tweet to the ever-evolving disaster that is the 21st century.

However, the Driving Crooner from the new season - season three - could be about to blow that away, and honestly; for no good reason apart from it being excruciatingly funny in the stupidest way. It's not a response to anything. It's just nuts.

This explainer is not going to do it justice. Here are the memes, stay for the explanation.

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As explained, the skit starts with a man offering his number to colleagues so they avoid drink-driving (an accident had occurred to a colleague). One colleague takes the man up on this and calls him. Smartly dressed, he arrives taxi-like, picks the colleague up and drives off, starting some small talk.

So far, so normal - but with only minutes in the sketch remaining, so many angles appear. Firstly, the man announces himself as The Driving Crooner - and nods to the decals on his driver-side window (a fedora and a cigar). Then he starts to scream and alter speeds as the traffic flows around him at speeds that do not line up the decals with his head (the others are trying to make him look fake). Then a bunch of "frats" arrive in an SUV and tell him they are going to kill him. Then he almost breaks out into tears wondering how he is ever going to make money from The Driving Crooner idea (it's too good, you see). Finally, he berates a dog-walker for "trying to steal his decals" (he is 50yds away, minimum).

It's the perfect Tim Robinson skit of an earnest idea presented to the world by a man who thinks the world revolves around him, only to find out there is genuine lurking threat, a bit of sadness, and a whole lot of chaos.

Go stream I Think You Should Leave right now.

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