MAX is expanding their reality TV catalog. The streaming service is already the home of series like the 90 Day Fiance universe and originals like Selena + Chef, but they've announced that they're expanding their reality TV offerings with a new show that follows a pair of controversial internet personalities.
A trailer for Paul American, a new series that will follow brothers and social media stars Jake and Logan Paul, was released recently. Here's everything you need to know about the new MAX show and the controversial stars of the series.
Who are Jake & Logan Paul?
Jake Paul and Logan Paul are a pair of brothers that grew up in Ohio and originally rose to internet fame on the short video app Vine. Following the closure of the Vine app, the two of them transitioned to YouTube where they quickly made a name for themselves for their over-the-top videos and for feuding with each other, but the two of them are definitely not without their controversies.
In 2017, older brother Logan Paul was on the receiving end of some serious backlash from not only his fans but the mainstream media after he vlogged himself filming the body of a deceased individual in Japan's Aokigahara, colloquially known as the "suicide forest" due to the number of people who have historically taken their own lives there.
In the years after his Aokigahara video, Logan Paul has continued to garner criticism with controversial podcast guests, offensive jokes, and an alleged cryptocurrency scam. Along with his social media career, Logan Paul has stepped into the world of professional boxing and wrestling.
Similarly, younger brother Jake Paul got his start on Vine and transitioned to YouTube as well as appearing on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark for the first two seasons of the show. And like his brother, Jake Paul's online career has been marred by a number of controversies, including offensive remarks, taking part in an alleged cryptocurrency scam, and causing problems in the neighborhoods he's lived in -- including one party during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns, among a number of other scandals.
What is Paul American about?
MAX dropped a sneak peek for Paul American on January 30, but the trailer doesn't reveal too much about the show. Still, from the two-minute runtime of the trailer, it looks like fans are going to get an inside look into the life of the Paul brothers and see exactly what made them so controversial online.
"Global sports and entertainment superstars Jake and Logan Paul are pulling back the curtain for their latest venture: a family reality TV show."MAX
In the trailer, Jake Paul refers to himself as "un-cancellable" and goes on to say that his bad behavior is exactly what got him to the level of fame he has now. "Villains and bad guys make the most people want to tune in," he says in the trailer.
Meanwhile, Logan Paul backs that claim up by saying, "Jake and I know how to create the viral media that the internet feeds on."
As the two of them are talking, a montage of their YouTube view counts going up while they're shown in a montage of clips that include at boxing events, spending time with their family, and in the midst of eye-catching situations with fireworks, private jets, and champagne bottles being popped.
"I know who they really are, that's all that counts," says their mother, Pam Stepnick, in one clip during the trailer, seemingly referring to the extreme reactions that the two of them gain for their online personas.
When is Paul American streaming?
Paul American will be released on MAX starting on March 27. The first season of the reality TV series will have a total of eight episodes that release weekly.
Paul American is being produced by the same company that has brought fans other massively popular reality TV series, including Cheer, America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Netflix's newest reality dating show, The Later Daters.