Meeting someone for the first time is always a little awkward. Telling them you’ve spent all afternoon Googling them? That’s a bold strategy.
That’s how it went when Houston Mayor John Whitmire met popular streamer Speed during a Thursday night World Cup watch party in Houston, producing a painfully awkward exchange that has quickly made the rounds online.
“Are you the mayor of Houston?” Speed began, getting off to a good start.
“I think you are tonight,” Whitmire responded in jest, having to repeat his fawning comment because Speed had no idea what he meant at first.
The joke didn’t quite land.
Undeterred, Whitmire continued showering praise on the 20-year-old streamer, telling him, “You’re taking over my city, taking over the world,” ultimately trying to endear himself by mentioning that “I’ve been Googling you all afternoon.”
Speed once again appeared unsure how to respond.
The meeting came as Speed was making appearances around Houston during the FIFA Club World Cup. The streamer, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., has recently been spotted at NRG cheering for Portugal in a match against DR Congo and at a watch party, where he yelled “Siuuuuu!” as fans cheered his name.
So it seems Whitmire’s public relations team thought it would be a good photo op to organize a meeting between the mayor and a streamer.
Despite claiming to have spent hours researching his guest, Whitmire appeared to walk away with only one memorable fact (for the most part). “Your father,” he said before correcting himself, “grandfather was the first fire chief in Detroit?” Whitmire appeared to ask rather than state.
“Yes,” Speed merely responded, validating the mayor’s inquiry. The conversation briefly hung in the air before moving on.
Exchanging information after a car accident is less awkward, so mercifully, at this point, the great meeting of minds came to a close. Whitmire concluded by telling Speed to “Keep making a difference,” and invited him to come see an Astros game the next time he’s in town.
It remains to be seen whether Speed will take him up on that, but at least it will give the mayor more time to Google.