Alex Stein (comedian)
Alex Stein (born October 8, 1986) is an American right-wing YouTube personality and comedian known for disrupting local government meetings and confronting both politicians and private citizens.[1][2][3][4] He is the host of Prime Time with Alex Stein on Glenn Beck's Blaze Media network.[5][6]
Alex Stein | |
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![]() Stein in 2022 | |
Born | |
Alma mater | Louisiana State University |
Years active | 2011–present |
Early life
Stein was born to Kelly Stein and Rhett Stein, a bail bondsman.[1] Stein grew up in Dallas, Texas. He is Jewish, but told the Jewish Journal that he did not get a bar mitzvah "or any of the cool Jewish stuff as a kid".[3] Stein described being "obsessed with spy stuff" as a child, which he said led to his enjoyment of conspiracy theories.[3]
Stein went to Highland Park High School in University Park, Texas.[7] After high school, he attended Louisiana State University.[1]
Stein moved to Los Angeles after graduating college to pursue a comedy career. He later moved back to Dallas and worked at selling used cars with his father.[1]
Career
Stein began his career in 2011 by producing and participating in food challenge videos on YouTube.[8] In 2012, Stein was a contestant in the reality TV show The Glass House, in which he described himself as having "no shame", asked viewers, "Should I turn into the most epic villain in the history of reality TV?", and was the first to be voted off.[1][7] He appeared on Season 4 of Worst Cooks in America on Bobby Flay's team in 2013.[9]
Stein became known for disrupting local government meetings, sometimes virtually, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Stein said he began the disruptions after being frustrated by Dallas government unresponsiveness.[3] His disruption of various other local government meetings including New York City and Las Vegas has included rapping about vaccines and other topics.[1][3][10] He rapped about the Russo-Ukrainian War at a city council meeting in Plano, Texas.[11] D Magazine described Stein's city council pranks as "mostly harmless, if at times in poor taste" and said that publicity from the videos had gained Stein access to "larger right-wing platforms where he can spread misinformation, transphobia, and conspiracy theories".[1]
In June 2022, Stein began confronting politicians including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Beto O'Rourke, Rep. Adam Kinzinger,[2][12][13][1] and Rep. Eric Swalwell. He was described as harassing Ocasio-Cortez on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in July 2022 by calling her a "big booty Latina" and accusing her of wanting to "kill babies".[2] He told Kinzinger that he was a "d-bag".[2] He called Crenshaw a "globalist RINO"; Crenshaw compared Stein to an angry little boy in a tweet after the confrontation.[12]
In October 2022, an event featuring Stein and Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes that had been scheduled by the group Uncensored America at Penn State University was cancelled by the university at the last minute after protests and confrontations; Stein taunted protesters and was spit on by one.[14][15][16] In December 2022, Stein and a half-dressed man he called his "wife's boyfriend" broke into the lobby of Barstool Sports and were forcefully removed by security.[17]
Stein was a candidate for the Board of Trustees of the Highland Park Independent School District in Texas, in an election scheduled for May 6, 2023.[18] He received 1% of the vote, according to unofficial results.[19] In June 2023, Stein confronted Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates, recording himself yelling at her as she walked through the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.[20] In July 2023, Stein was scheduled to make his professional boxing debut against Iraqi TikToker MoDeen on the undercard of MF & DAZN: X Series 008 in Nashville, Tennessee, but the bout was called off after a press conference where Stein threw hot dogs at MoDeen, who is Muslim, and yelled "you love pork, right?". Stein later told The Sun that the hot dogs were turkey, not pork.[21]
Prime Time with Alex Stein
On February 8, 2023, Stein debuted Prime Time with Alex Stein on the American conservative media network Blaze Media.[6][5]
Views
Stein's politics have been described as right-wing,[2][15] far-right,[22] and alt-right.[17] Stein himself has identified as a populist[23] and a centrist.[3] He has criticized vaccine mandates, mask ordinances, and lockdowns.[3][24] Stein has said he favors socializing the healthcare system.[3]
Personal life
Stein has said that he believes in God but not organized religion.[3] He often refers to himself as "PrimeTime#99".[25]
Stein's mother, Kelly Stein, died of COVID-19 in October 2021. Stein's father said Stein's experience of watching his mother get extubated "traumatized him" and "totally broke him down". Stein said the hospital's use of the antiviral drug remdesivir had caused his mother's death.[1]
References
- Auping, Jonathan (May 5, 2022). "Alex Stein: Do Not Share". D Magazine. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- Graziosi, Graig (July 15, 2022). "Who is Alex Stein, the troll who sexually harassed AOC?". The Independent. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- Lobell, Kylie Ora (February 3, 2022). "Meet Comedian Alex Stein, a Professional Troll". Jewish Journal.
- Silverman, Ellie; Svrluga, Susan (October 25, 2022). "Criticism grows after Penn State cancels event with Proud Boys founder". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- Palmada, Belinda (February 11, 2023). "Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes goes ballistic at audience | Video | news.com.au". news.com.au. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- "Prime Time on BlazeTV". BlazeTV. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- Dallas News Administrator (July 22, 2022). "Highland Park's Alex Stein Returns to the Glass House After Performing at the Laugh Factory". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- Stein, Alex (May 27, 2011). "The Chicken McMinute – 20 McNuggets in 99 seconds by 99 Alex Stein muckbang". YouTube.
- "Dallas guy and reality TV villain Alex Stein on being evil incarnate and Whataburger vs. In-N-Out". Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- Phenix, Duncan (August 25, 2022). "Extreme public commenting in Las Vegas". 8newsnow.com.
- Teh, Cheryl (March 17, 2022). "Comedian who rapped about putting a 'bullet in Putin's brain' during a Texas city council meeting says he's 'just getting started'". Insider.
- Shoaib, Alia (June 19, 2022). "Rep. Crenshaw derides far-right activist Alex Stein as 'angry little boy'". Business Insider.
- O'Connell, Oliver (June 19, 2022). "'Coward and liar' Ted Cruz slammed over Trump and Cancun by right-wing activist". The Independent. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- Chappell, Bill (October 25, 2022). "Penn State cancels Proud Boys founder's speech, citing the threat of violence". NPR. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- Wilson, Jason (October 25, 2022). "Protesters Maced at Canceled Far-right 'Comedy' Event at Penn State". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- Collegian, Arthur LaBan, Jessie Nguyen & Amy Schafer | The Daily (October 24, 2022). "'They did nothing' | Penn State students, protesters gather in opposition of Uncensored America event". The Daily Collegian.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Chisholm, Johanna (December 13, 2022). "Video shows right-wing activist and half-naked man burst into Barstool Sports offices". The Independent. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- Carter, Simone (January 26, 2023). "Can Alex Stein Troll His Way onto the Highland Park ISD School Board?". Dallas Observer. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- Snyder, Rachel (May 6, 2023). "May 6 Highland Park ISD Board of Trustees Results". Park Cities People. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- Voepel, M.A. (June 10, 2023). "Griner confronted by 'provocateur' at airport". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
- Chan, Marcus (July 21, 2023). "Chaos as YouTube star Alex Stein 'throws hotdogs' at TikToker Mo Dean ahead of boxing clash". SPORTbible.
- Wilson, Jason (March 15, 2023). "Idaho Lawmaker Tammy Nichols Pals With Extremists". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- BlabberingCollector (August 11, 2022). "An Interview With Alex Stein". Geeks + Gamers.
- "Vaccination Rap Song by YouTuber at City Council Dallas". YouTube. January 13, 2022.
- Gallagher, Danny (December 27, 2022). "The 2022 Karen Awards". Dallas Observer. Retrieved December 29, 2022.