Overcompensating: Finally, A Queer Comedy That’s Hilariously Real, Not Cringey

If you’ve ever had to say “bro” at a barber shop just to survive, Overcompensating is for you.

Benito Skinner’s new series on Prime Video is, in my very correct opinion, a masterpiece. It captures the very real, very exhausting experience of being a young, closeted gay man trying to blend into aggressively straight spaces. It’s code-switching 101—but make it heartbreakingly funny.

For those unfamiliar, “code-switching” is a fancy academic way of describing how queer people, especially gay men, change the way they talk, walk, and exist just to stay safe or be accepted. Like how you suddenly channel straight frat energy when texting “yo” to a straight guy instead of sending the Beyoncé GIF you actually meant to. Or how you dap a guy up instead of your usual “hey diva” greeting. Overcompensating nails that feeling.

The situations in Overcompensating aren't just well-written-they're scarily specific. These are scenes from the show that had me living but also wincing at the TV because they literally happened to me:

There's a scene where a straight guy starts freestyling like he's the second coming of Eminem. I too have sat, held emotionally hostage, while a straight white high schooler rapped Look at Me Now by Chris Brown in my face fully unprompted, fully off-beat.

Every time the show featured a drinking game or literally any sport, my body physically tensed. I was immediately transported to the time I WHIFFED a shot during a game of pool—with the entire football team watching. I’m still not over it.

Then there’s Benny eating pot brownies and chugging Beta fish (yes, you read that right) just to seem cool. Been there. I once hit so many gravity bongs trying to fit in at a party that I threw up outside and ran away. It was also my 17th birthday. Thank you for your concern.

And of course, Benny starts to catch feelings for a straight guy who gives him the tiniest shred of positive attention. I once drove my beat-up car through an actual snowstorm to deliver weed to a straight guy who called me “mad cool” one time. In my mind, we were married.

What makes the show even smarter is how Benito plays Benny. You might watch the first episode and think, “Is this bad acting?” And the answer is: yes! On purpose. Benny’s character is acting—trying so hard to be a version of himself that fits in. You can literally see it in his shoulders, his voice, his clenched jaw. And then… slowly… he softens. The tension drops. The voice shifts. The real him starts coming through. It’s brilliant because that awkwardness isn’t a bug—it’s the whole point. That’s what the closet feels like.

As someone who’s followed Benito forever (shoutout to my fellow Benny Drama stans), this show is so much more than funny. It’s inspiring. To see someone who’s made me laugh online for years turn around and create something so personal, well-written, and real? It’s everything. And as a gay man and a writer, it’s a reminder: your story doesn’t have to be watered down. You don’t have to wink at the audience. You can just tell the truth—and make it cool.

Speaking of cool… enter Hailee Marie Matthews (aka Hmm). Truly one of the best written characters on TV in recent memory. We all knew a Hailee in college: loud, unfiltered, loyal, confident to a fault, borderline delusional—in the best way. And her major being bio chemistry is extremely spot on. Because it’s always those type of girls in college that you find out years later is like a brain surgeon or something. The kind of girl who passes out at a Wiz Khalifa concert but aces her trigonometry exam the next day (I actually witnessed this exact situation). The one who somehow makes you feel safer by just existing. She’s not the comic relief—she’s the spirit of the show.

And okay fine pull my leg, we can talk about Charli XCX. Just kidding, you know I’m obsessed. Not only does she have a perfect cameo, but her fingerprints are all over the show’s soundtrack. You can tell a pop expert helped curate these songs. It’s current, it’s nostalgic, and it gets the millennial-college experience—because Charli was the college soundtrack for so many of us. Hearing “I Love It” in 2025 just hits different.

Every detail of Overcompensating feels intentional:

• The casting? Spot-on.

• The writing? Taken straight from lived queer experience.

• The slang? Actually what we say now—not “fire emoji slay” written by a 55-year-old.

• The culture? Yes, we finally got a King’s Cup drinking game reference. Groundbreaking. I personally played with a Four Loko in 2012 and almost died.

I’m just so proud of Benito. Seeing him on press tours, on talk shows, getting the flowers he’s deserved for years. He’s always been talented, but now people outside of Instagram get to see it too. This isn’t just a good debut—it’s a defining one.

Watch Overcompensating. Watch it twice. Then go text that one straight guy from college who called you “mad chill” and tell him you finally found closure. Or don’t. Just know you’re not alone—and Benito Skinner gets it.