Meeting Wee Man

Dear natives of the South Bay, I apologize for my unadulterated ignorance of Wee Man. Not watching "Jackass" for about ten years (aside from the random YouTube clip over the years) is my only excuse for not putting together. That said, it did land me the opportunity to chat with Jason Acuña at his restaurant, Wee Man's Chronic Tacos at Pacific Coast Highway and Torrance Boulevard. 

So for once I don't completely regret my ignorance.

Walking into Chronic Tacos for the second time I was more informed and had a greater purpose than just sampling tacos. It was exciting. In addition to my deep desire to make people laugh, I just plain love talking to people about their lives. I find others’ philosophies, stories, and personalities fascinating. Especially if it's brand new or regarding something I know little about. I'm a student of life. Teach me.

Jason Acuña is a seriously good guy. 

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he grew up in the ever-homey South Bay (Torrance to be exact). Let's go with that. We'll take credit for this one. 

For being one of the stars of the show and multi-film empire Jackass where crazy, adolescent-boy stunts* of challenging pain tolerances are king, you wouldn't expect Acuña to be a key player if you just met him on the street… or at a Chronic Tacos. He's unassuming. 

It's clear Acuña loves coming to his restaurant. And who wouldn't if you were getting a stream of constant praise from customers— 40-year-old dudes, that mom who can't wait to go home and tell her kids she just saw Wee Man. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

I'm sure it is everyone's (not so) secret hope who enters this particular venue that they'll catch a glimpse of him. Today, that was actually possible, and I'll tell ya, his fans are not shy.

But I think the real reason Acuña loves coming to his restaurant is because it's such a part of himself. He feels a real kinship and pride towards it. Acuña and the restaurant's manager have been buds since elementary school.

"I always wanted to open up a taco place around here, and with the extra pennies from the show" that was possible, Acuña said. After first considering opening a tattoo parlor, his manager and friend introduced him to the Chronic Tacos franchise and the rest is, as they say, history. 

"We started off with 26 employees, but are now down to a tight group of 15. It's like a family now," Acuña said. Not only does Acuña appreciate his staff, but he is also fond of his restaurant because he designed it. Compared to other Chronic Tacos, it's quite different. 

"At one point I wanted to be an architect," says Acuña. Using this dream, he was able to create his own vision for Chronic Tacos right down to the bolts used to decorate the bar. He insists that the picture of himself breaking through the menu wasn't his idea.  A bit embarrassed, he said, "It's not my style."

After talking to Acuña, it's obvious it’s not his style to indulge in his celebrity. 

"I've always been a fan of the Robin Hood theory. I go out, beat myself up, and give them money. Give the underdog a chance," said Acuña, who is excited about giving back to the community.

"I got to do something I love that made all of this happen," he said.

Acuña seems to be pleasantly surprised by his power of fame, noting that once he donated a signed skateboard for a breast cancer benefit only to be informed later that it was the second highest sold item.

"4Gs. [That's] 400 mammograms for ladies who can't afford to pay for them," he said.  

But being known isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

"People should know there are misconceptions about me. I don't know if it's from fame… people have good and bad days. My mom and dad would kick my ass if I were horrible to somebody," 

Being in the public eye definitely has its disadvantages.

"It's like that saying, if someone does something good, three people will know about it, but if they do something bad, eleven people will." 

But Acuña seems to take it all in stride. 

His own tactic for surviving stardom is something we can all take to heart for our own lives as well. "You gotta work with it and can't let it affect you. We all get up and we all have to wipe our own ass," Acuña said.

Truer words have never been spoken.

As far as the future of Wee Man goes, projects are definitely in the works. Unfortunately, he couldn't indulge me any further, other than, "I'm the kind of person who can't sit still." It sounds like we can expect a lot more from Jason "Wee Man" Acuña. 

 *My favorite from back in the day being Urban Kayaking.