‘This is so funny but I would literally cry’: Woman is so happy to meet the Grinch in real life, but he roasts her to a tiny cinder

It’s hard to say if landing a gig as a Mall Santa is rewarding or not (the children who are happy to see you are likely balanced out by the children who scream in terror at the sight of you, which is probably no help to your ego), but there is not a doubt in my mind that getting to be a Mall Grinch is among the most undiluted endorphin hits you can stumble upon.

Indeed, imagine getting paid to unleash the most rancid version of yourself to anyone who dares step up to you, all in the name of giving them the purest, most unabashedly hilarious Grinch experience you can provide them. One Seuss enthusiast sought exactly that from her local Mall Grinch, and we can’t tell if we’re jealous of her or if we feel sorry for her.

Distributed on TikTok by @pubity, our hero (the mother of the video’s original poster, Jodi) steps up to the Grinch plate in hopes of snapping a photo with the sardonic Christmas hater, to which he snappily retorts “That makes one of us, let’s go.” This, following an introductory exchange that’s positively dripping with sass and faux irritation. Jim Carrey would be proud.

Eventually, the Grinch and his new best frenemy pose near the Whoville sign for a photo, where Jodi’s mom tries to make conversation with the Grinch about her family. But our green antihero is not having it; “Ask me if I care!” he growls as Jodi’s mom is continuously caught off-guard by his entertainingly toxic demeanor. It all culminates in a recreation of the Grinch’s hoarse-yet-shrill, mean-spirited laughter that this actor surely dedicated hours to crafting perfectly.

All of a sudden, those recent Golden Globe nominee announcements seem premature, because this man definitely deserves some kind of statuette for this masterful portrayal of pop culture’s most festive villain, all without needing a script to pull it off. Kudos to you, mystery Grinch actor.

If there’s any justice in the world, this gig is earning him a cut above what most holiday character impersonators are paid, and that sum isn’t too bad to begin with. According to Insurance Canopy, the national average pay of Mall Santas is $24 per hour, with high-end Mall Santas earning up to $30 for their holly-jolly labor. This is offset, of course, by the fact that these gigs are seasonal, and so you can’t realistically make a career out of being Santa Claus or his green foil.

But, my God, does this guy ever deserve to make a career out of these Grinch chops. Imagine walking through the mall in the middle of July, and you suddenly realize that your friend might be getting a bit too big for their britches, so to speak. What do you do? You march them over to the Grinch’s nest, and you let him roast your friend into the depths of hell, because good friends will keep you humble, but the best friends will enlist professional help in order to make that happen.