Dan Hentschel
| Dan Hentschel | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Daniel George Hentschel |
| Born | June 4, 1996 Baltimore, Maryland, US |
| Medium |
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| Years active | 2017–present |
| Genres | |
Daniel George Hentschel[1] (born June 4, 1996) is an American comedian and satirical creator, known for creating caricatures of himself and other original characters.[2] Through his viral stunts, Hentschel has repeatedly pranked news outlets and viewers of his content into believing parody stories and advice.[3]
Viral jokes
[edit]In 2022, Hentschel gained widespread attention when he posted a series of videos to TikTok with satirical relationship advice. In October, he claimed that he had found a "genius" method to detect if a significant other still has romantic feelings for their ex. He then proposed that viewers should photoshop the ex out of an old photo and see if their partner notices. The video was then posted by outlets such as New York Post, which shared the advice to their Sex and Relationships column and discussed the pros and cons.[4]
In December 2022, Vice reported that the idea of "quiet quitting" a relationship could be attributed to Hentschel, after he uploaded a video where he pretended to be a psychiatrist and gave satirical relationship advice.[1][5]
In June 2023, Hentschel posted a series of videos on TikTok where he convinced viewers he had put salt in his partner's water in order to dehydrate her. The videos showed Hentschel in various costumes as he claimed to put bacon grease in his partner's beauty products. The storyline led to her being hospitalized for poisoning, and dying. The joke was an elaborate parody that involved a fake mugshot photo of Hentschel, a fake New York Post article and doctored security footage.[2] After changing his TikTok profile to appear as a true crime news outlet, Hentschel was able to fool viewers into thinking the story was real, including fans who did not know it was his TikTok account.[6]
In August 2024, Hentschel claimed to have taken his girlfriend on a road trip across the United States, with the road layout spelling the words "Will You Marry Me". He followed up by implying that at the end of the road trip, his girlfriend had broken up with him; a story that immediately caught the attention of some news outlets.[7][8][9]
Characters
[edit]Hentschel has impersonated multiple professions, most notably a disgruntled therapist who documented his hatred for patients and their issues. He has also played the role of a teacher going through a mental breakdown, a judge handing out life sentences to avoid missing lunch,[10][11] and a priest.[12][13] A common theme throughout Hentschel's videos involve disgruntled employees, anti-establishment influencers, and characters documenting themselves committing a crime such as murder. Most characters are caricatures of Hentschel himself. He often wears facepaint or over-the-top costumes to gain viewer attention, recording videos in his car to appear more realistic.[12]
Background
[edit]Hentschel was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended John Carroll School, and at 14 years old, Hentschel won the first prize in a local film festival hosted by Baltimore High School.[14] He received a major in Dramatic Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.[15]
Hentschel first began working as a stand-up comedian in 2017 during his studies at SCAD, performing in two talent shows and becoming the Vice President of the college's stand-up comedy club.[16]
Hentschel's comedic inspirations have included John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, Louis C.K., Michelle Wolf and Mike Birbiglia.[16]
Hentschel claims that his videos are "a place that's between satire and truth" and admits that "an accidental byproduct" of his videos have been "how outrageous [he can] make the premise", with viewers openly admitting to doing his satirical behavior.[3] Hentschel believes that viewers enjoy his content because it feels "spontaneous" and realistic. Due to the fact he does not edit his own videos, Hentschel believes it "feels like somebody who's just talking to you", which adds to the realism of the satire and sympathetic approach to some of his characters.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "How to Know If Your Partner is 'Quiet Quitting' Your Relationship". VICE. 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ a b "TikTok prankster Dan Hentschel tricks viewers with fake crime story of poisoning his partner". Dexerto. 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ a b Cavender, Elena (2022-10-20). "How Gen Z is using TikTok to learn about social etiquette". Mashable. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ Lefroy, Emily (2022-10-11). "'Genius' trick to find out if your partner has feelings for ex". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ "Here's how to tell if you or your partner are 'quiet quitting' your relationship". triple j. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ "Satirical TikToker uses common true crime video tactics to trick viewers into thinking he got arrested for poisoning his girlfriend: 'That feels illegal'". Yahoo Life. 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ "Road Trip That Spelled Out 'Will You Marry Me' on US Map Ends in Breakup". Times Now. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ "Man on road trip spelled 'will you marry me?' on map, realises they 'a good fit for each other'". India Times. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ DC Web Desk (2024-08-18). "American health content creator makes marriage proposal unique using GPS technology". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ "The Disturbing Truth Behind Comedian's Bit About 'Hangry' Judges Giving Harsher Sentences". YourTango. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ "Comedian jokes judges' rulings are harsher when they're 'hangry.' A study surprisingly backs him up". scoop.upworthy.com. 2024-05-10. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ a b Miles, Ruby (2024-11-27). "Ruby Miles: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ Plunkett, John (2023-09-19). "This joke was already good but the comeback made it even better". The Poke. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ "Dan Hentschel, '14, captures 1st place in film festival | The John Carroll School". archive.johncarroll.org. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
- ^ Dembling, Ian (2018-03-09). "Free tickets available for live taping of SCAD's newest sitcom". WTGS. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
- ^ a b "Joking Around With Dan Hentschel – SCAD Radio". 2018-04-14. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
- ^ Lorenz, Taylor (2024-08-20). "Why Creators Have Stopped Editing Their Content". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-12-05.