George Perez on the Juice Unlocked podcast: OC has always been as active as LA

Is Orange County as active as Los Angeles, or more? Comedian George Perez (@georgepcomedy) says yes. Juice Unlocked posted the clip from its podcast on April 5, 2026.

"I think Orange County has always been active," Perez says in the clip. "It's just now there's the internet to show it."

Why LA got the reputation

In the conversation, LA's reputation comes down to visibility. People wanted proof, and back then the movies were all about LA. One speaker remembers watching "Colors," then going to LA and realizing it was active, "but so is my area."

The panel still gave LA its due, saying it simply has more people. One speaker adds that Orange County has its own reputation and that "everybody has to have their own flavor."

“I think Orange County has always been active. It's just now there's the internet to show it.”

The city of Orange in the middle

Talk then turns to geography. The city of Orange is "super active," one speaker argues, because it borders Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Anaheim, putting it in "the little center spot." The other guests' areas, he jokes, border places whose attitude is "nah, we're good," and he names El Toro and Lake Forest.

The segment ends on a line about pride, not turf: "It's not where you're from, it's how you represent that part."

“Back then LA had proof because the movies were all about LA.”

Who is George Perez

Perez is a stand-up comedian who was born and raised in the city of Orange. According to a 2022 L.A. TACO profile, he had recently been released from prison and was working as a cement mason before he started comedy. His material draws on his time in prison, his past with drugs and depression, and topics like race, immigration and politics.

That profile said the World Famous Comedy Store was set to add his portrait and plaque to its walls on July 23, 2022, making him the first self-described cholo comedian so honored there. He has also worked with MTV and Comedy Central and appeared on Showtime and Netflix, the profile said.

“It's not where you're from, it's how you represent that part.”