In an exclusive interview with 'Distractify,' Edgar Ramírez were given candid about Netflix's miniseries 'Florida Man,' which is in accordance with the viral meme of the identical identify.
Abbey Lee and Edgar Ramírez in 'Florida Man'
Director Janicza Bravo famously turned a viral 2015 Twitter thread via A'Ziah “Zola” King into 2020's surreal drama Zola. Variety's Owen Gleiberman deemed the movie "a visionary tale of the digital age."
Similarly, on April 13, 2023, Netflix released its crime drama restricted series Florida Man, which is in line with the chaotic, peculiar, and unthinkable alligator-centric headlines that spawned the "Florida Man" internet meme.
From showrunner Donald Todd (Samantha Who?) and Jason Bateman’s (Ozark) manufacturing corporate, Aggregate Films, Florida Man follows the misadventures of Mike Valentine (Edgar Ramírez), a improving playing addict and disgraced cop who's "forced to return to his home state of Florida for a shady mission only to get swept up in a wild — and deadly — treasure hunt," consistent with the reputable synopsis.
Once upon a time, Mike Valentine's escapades may just've easily landed him a function on the now-defunct Twitter account @_FloridaMan.
In an exclusive interview with Distractify, star Edgar Ramírez (Deliver Us from Evil) opened up about how Florida Man spins the viral meme. Let's talk about the origins of the internet staple as well as Edgar's thoughts on the series.
Edgar Ramírez in 'Florida Man'
The Florida Man meme won traction in the mid-2010s.
When outlandish headlines like "Florida Man Tries to Steal Car From Jail Parking Lot Moments After Being Released for Car Theft" and "Florida Man Arrested for Trying to Get Alligator Drunk" hit the internet, hilarity ensued.
Per Esquire, a number of subreddits and Tumblrs dedicated themselves to spotlighting zany Florida headlines, as did the famous Twitter account @_FloridaMan. Created in 2013, the Twitter account compiled quite a lot of Sunshine State information tales and pretended the crimes were all dedicated by means of the same lawless man. With over 340,000 fans, the account referred to the fictional persona as the "world’s worst superhero.”
In early 2019, the "Florida Man Challenge" made waves, prompting internet users to type their birthdays into Google along with the words "Florida Man." The results are always a trip.
As the bulk of internet users howled and cackled over the Florida Man's illegal antics, others questioned the ethics of the running joke. A May 2019 article by the Columbia Journalism Review rightfully sucked the fun out of the meme, suggesting that most of the viral stories "merely record the travails of the drug-addicted, mentally in poor health, and homeless.”
Additionally, the guy behind the Twitter account, Frank Campion, in the end felt the meme made excuses for bullying.
“How a lot do I want to be a celebration to necessarily making a laugh of other people on the worst day in their lives, despite the fact that they've performed something wrong? Like, who gave the internet the right to add to somebody’s punishment?” he told the The Washington Post.
The account disappeared in July 2019. The meme, alternatively, lives on via headlines poking fun at former U.S. President Donald Trump — whose Mar-a-Lago estate sits in Palm Beach County — and Netflix's latest miniseries.
Actor Edgar Ramírez believes Netflix's 'Florida Man' "creates metaphors out of life."
“[People] chuckle at the mug photographs and the headlines, but what’s the story in the back of the meme?” Donald Todd said all the way through an interview with Tudum. "The brightest sun casts the darkest shadows, so people can hide in shadows," he continued, referring to the state's nickname.
"All of that creates an ethos that’s perfect for a bright and noir-ish crime story."
Kellen Boyle and Edgar Ramírez in 'Florida Man'
Edgar Ramírez is in awe of the masterpiece Donald has concocted.
"I think that Donald thought — you know, as a creator and writer and all the amazing writers that collaborated with the show, they created something very unique, something that, to me, is very classic," he solely told Distractify. "I mean the show happens in Florida and he recreates all the craziness of a place like Florida."
Though Edgar mentioned the show "gives a spin to the Florida Man meme," he believes weird happenings can spread anyplace.
"The reality is that life anywhere you are is filled with strange circumstances. You know, we always find ourselves at some point in our lives in awkward situations," he mentioned. "I don't know, I find that very moving. I mean, how we navigate those situations, I think it's very moving."
Experience Mike Valentine's Florida-tastic adventure in Florida Man, which is lately streaming on Netflix.
Reporting by way of Gabrielle Bernardini
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