Vanessa González Talks Fries & Her Hulu Special 'Mamona' | Takeout and Talk
It feels incredibly familiar speaking with stand-up comedian Vanessa González, whose new one-hour special titled ‘Mamona’ is currently streaming on Hulu.
Even though this is our first-ever interaction, we clearly understand one another because of our shared border connection – she’s originally from Laredo, Texas, and I’m from “nearby” Eagle Pass (in reality, the cities are about two hours away from each other). Regardless of the actual distance between the two port towns, their cultural similarities are undeniable and easily identifiable by anyone with Tejano ties – hence our immediate chemistry.
Now in true Eagle Pass fashion, I’ve ordered myself a heaping plate of nachos from San Francisco’s Tacos El Patron for our chat. They’re topped with pollo asado, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole. Fun fact: the nacho was famously created in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is right across from Eagle Pass. So it’s safe to say that I’ve had more than my fair share of the dish over the years.
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Meanwhile, González, who now also lives in California, has ordered her meal for the very first time: a chicken shawarma wrap with a side of fries from Burbank’s Yalla Habibi restaurant. As if we didn’t already have a lot in common, we both talk about our deep love of french fries. “It’ll be Sunday and I’m like, ‘I had fries every day, I need to calm down,’” González joked.
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But we also have another mutual deep love: Tejano music sensation Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, whose discography and corresponding legacy absolutely shaped both of our lives. I instantly saw references to the iconic singer throughout González’s special, starting with her overall look. Mirroring one of Selena’s more recognizable stylings, González can be seen performing with a high center ponytail and a bold red lip. González says the fashion was of course intentional, noting that she also specifically asked for a suit inspired by the superstar.
“[I’m] always giving homage to the Queen.”
Another deliberate choice González made was to record the ‘Mamona’ special in Austin, Texas, where she first started comedy in 2008. “The people there have supported me and lifted me up so much,” she said, adding that the special “felt like a love letter to Texas” – which I can vouch for whole-heartedly. González is returning to the Texas capital city on September 27 for a live screening, followed by another in New York City on October 1.
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And in a way, ‘Mamona’ is also a love letter to her family, which she mentions quite a bit during the routine and who she says was present during the initial taping. She even sourced its original music from her brother’s band. “Even though I make fun of my family a lot, they are very supportive and they show up,” she said. “My mom loves when I make fun of her. She, like, laughs the loudest.” (I first became aware of González earlier this year because of a viral video where she hilariously recounts a shopping experience with her mother).
There’s honestly a lot to laugh at in this particular special, from González reminiscing about a memorable church retreat to her talking about her family’s association with brujería or witchcraft. I ask her if she’s had a moment to identify what her witch powers are.
“I definitely think it's putting myself first,” González said. “I feel like, you know, kind of shedding that generational guilt. Like, I see literally every woman in my family that I come from has not been given the choice to, like, follow their dreams. I feel them and I hear them and they’re like, ‘Go. We would have loved to just go. You please go.’ I’m trying to carry them all with me and use that as my power… to be brave and just keep following my dreams for all of them.”
Sometimes those dreams come with a few doubts. “Everything in the world is on fire,” González said. “Like, who cares about me doing a special? And so, yeah, there were just all these reasons why I was talking myself out of doing it.”
But she persevered and conquered whatever fears she had, going so far as to self-fund and self-produce the now televised event. “I was like, ‘I want to enjoy every moment.’ And so I just made sure I was as ready as I could be, so I could really be in it.
“I took a risk, I bet on myself, and it paid off.”