Deli Boys, a new comedic crime series on Hulu, shows it knows what is up from the jump. Writer and producer Abdullah Saeed borrowed from his years immersing himself in drug culture for Vice in the upbeat show with a dark side.
Saeed is a writer, producer, and journalist well known in the weed world for his Vice reporting and culinary cannabis series Bong Appétit. The writer has been busy writing and seeing the new Hulu television series Deli Boys through in the last few years. The series establishes cannabis clout in the first episode.
Cannabis glass, like bongs, pipes, bubblers, and other smoking devices, has rarely been accurate in film, according to some connoisseurs. The superstar actor character in the HBO series Entourage was often shown smoking out of cheap acrylic bongs and dugout one-hitters. Even in the 1990s and 2000s, he would likely have a fancy Zong, Vapor Brothers box vape, or equally heady piece to use at home. However, at the time that the show was produced, cannabis props were not even an afterthought.
There have been some less tone-deaf props in recent media. Millionaire tech investor from Silicon Valley, Erlich, showed an affinity for Grav Labs pieces and even engineered something all his own that fans recreate. In Philly, glass blower illadelph is featured twice–once when an extra hit one of their bongs and another via a brand sticker on Charlie’s keyboard. Still, these instances are rare.
Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre came out with a laugh-track-heavy cannabis dispensary sitcom in 2017 (Disjointed) that ran for two seasons. That show commissioned a polymer clay sculpted bong made to look like Salt Glass with signature creepy eyes and skin tones. The series flopped after a dismal second season, and maybe a knowing nod to the culture would have kept it alive. Deli Boys is a solid example of solid weedhead representation. The series may have just taken one giant leap for cannabis culture in traditional creative media with the display of heady glass in its very first episode.
Deli Boys opens with a juxtaposition of one straight-laced brother complimenting his father and boss while the other awakes from his “orgy cabal” with a dab from a heady rig using an e-nail with temp control to the degree. The stoner character, Raj Dar, later hits an artisanally-made glass bubbler plucked from a table strewn with that same rig from earlier, a doubler percolated tube, and other cannabis accouterment.
This scene comes after the FBI walks by with a box of heady bongs. Raj must be held back from retrieving as he says, “Hey, those are prescription medical devices. Let me get the Prism!”
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Prism may refer to a type of bong, perhaps this one. Whether brilliant marketing placement or a nickname Raj has for one of his beloved glass pieces, this first episode establishes immediate trust with those who love weed. It is pretty funny, too.
Tune in to Deli Boys on Hulu for a comedic crime series following two deft Pakistani-American brothers as they uncover their Baba’s crime ring and attempt to fill his rather large shoes after his death. Saeed wove together stories from his imagination, life experience, and those he heard during his time as a drug reporter. This comes together in a charming, albeit sometimes predictable, romp featuring some of the best South Asian actors and personalities working right now.
