Mark HoagieS finally got his 15 minutes of fame in "Mr. Cupcake Man" this past Sunday's all-new episode of Universal Basic Guys. The episode was cream-filled with hilarious hijinks and unwrapped a more profound message that was unexpected but literally the cherry on top of Mark's cupcake hat. There were plenty of UBG aesthetics that are the show's norm, but in truth, "Mr. Cupcake Man" feeds off of them.
Universal Basic Guys started off as weak to me, but it grew on me, and now, I look forward to watching new Hoagies adventures weekly. It's ridiculous, but it's fun to tune in, and I think that was the intention of the Malamut brothers when they created the show. It's not meant to be over-serious but utilized as light-hearted and carefree.
Meanwhile, Hank had his focal point as a silly pink sprinkle guy and was once again subservient to Mark as a cupcake. It's one of Hank's funnier episodes, but so was "Bird Cage," when he temporarily became the Philadelphia Eagles mascot.
You're all probably wondering why Mark decided to costume as a cupcake while his brother was his sprinkle. This review will answer your questions and more.
Let's get on with it.
Reviewing Universal Basic Guys season 1 episode 9 "Mr. Cupcake Man"
First, the synopsis:
"Mark writes a hit song that becomes the next Baby Shark, and enlists his family and neighbors to join his management team; David tries to capitalize in Mark’s wake by resuscitating his old and out of touch climate change educational magic act."
Mr. Cupcake Man came to be when a baby cried in the restaurant when Mark was dining. In an effort to cheer the baby girl up, Mark grabs two cupcakes from the counter and makes up a goofy little tune about how he' Mr. Cupcake Man. The feedback is more than positive, as the baby was cooing and smiling at Mark's spur-of-the-moment musical act. Powered by the possibility of becoming internet famous, Mark dresses up in a cupcake clown costume with Hank as his sidekick, Sprinkle Boy.
Something clicked inside Mark, and he vowed to get a billion views on YouTube. However, his views are coming up really short, and he is thinking of deleting the video. But when Tammy tells him how a young patient at the hospital loved the video, Mark changes his mind.
The views jumped to 500K when Mark and Tammy were out dining and kids were being immeresed by the cute little random song. The more that I think about it,the more I'm glad that I didn't grow up among the throes of social media and the internet, as the majority of kids today. And sadly, "Mr. Cupcake Man" strongly illustrated that. At the same, he did make kids happy, so that's what counts here.
As you guessed, the views went to Mark's head and he panics to the bathroom. When he comes out, he dressed as his viral character. He snaps a selfie with a fan (after acting better than the patrons) and recruits his friend and neighbor, Mertz as his PR guy to handle the bookings and gigs. Yet, he was later "dismissed" in favor of Andrea, David Jinglebells' wife, who has a background in public relations. She gets Mark all the lucrative deals, cashing in on the viral sensation.
Tammy, meanwhile, is annoyed by his fame and reminds him that he should think of the kids he does it for and suggests that Mark should perform at the hospital for the terminally ill children. It's a good idea, but Mark changes his vibe after reading a negative online comment and takes his act to a dark new level that only terrifies the kids.
Yeah, we all know that the online world is toxic, but no need to get weird about it.
Now a million in the hole, Mertz comes up with a fast booking from a client in South America, who'll pay a million for Mark's performance. Yet, the trip places the Hoagies brothers and Andrea in danger, and she must devise a plan to save them. With Mark flying back home to perform at the hospital, Hank does a dim-witted performance to distract, and, luckily, it saves everyone, plus Andrea's promise of getting the criminal client drones, which later shoot down his estate.
So, in essence, the trip wasn't in vain.
So, what adventure will the Hoagies get into next time? UBG will be taking a week off and will be back on November 24th.