This story is featured in CityBeat's March 20 print edition.
It’s a sunny, winter afternoon on Beech Avenue in Price Hill and Sean Fogelson is standing in front of his childhood home.
“It didn’t used to be blue,” says Fogelson, a.k.a That One Mailman of TikTok fame. “We used to hoop over there,” he points to an empty driveway across the street, then takes a second to recall countless barbecues and block parties the neighborhood would throw. “We used to take those orange traffic cones and shut down the street ourselves,” he admits, smiling at the memory.
Then a wiry, yippy dog comes out of nowhere with a misplaced vengeance. The yellow-haired yapper approaches and regresses in militant form, offering a booming warning with a high-pitched, hostile bark that conquers the conversation.
“Welcome to my world,” Fogelson says.
As a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service, he’s been skirting aggressive dogs for six years. These days, since becoming a local celebrity after realizing influencer status on social media, Fogelson also encounters eager fans pretty much everywhere he goes. While the sudden burst of energy from a random fan is a little more pleasant – and flattering – than an agitated dog, he’s still not used to the fame.
“I can’t go nowhere without people coming up to me. It’s crazy,” Fogelson tells CityBeat. “It’s cool though. I like it. Seeing the joy [people have], it’s like when you get home from work and the kids see you; it’s like that. Indescribable. It’s cool.”
Fogelson is a gracious, down-to-earth guy. He’s a West Sider through and through and embodies that warm, hometown friendliness you find on that side of Cincinnati. He grew up in Price Hill, lives in Price Hill and works in Price Hill. He attended public schools in Cincinnati, went to grade school dances, parish festivals and participated in sports like baseball and basketball when he was young. He says he learned the value of hard work growing up in a crowded house, where he wanted to buy his own snacks and 2 liters – not the “cheap shit,” he says. So he found odd jobs at the 25 Hour Store on the corner of Grand and Glenway avenues to afford things like name-brand snacks and his beloved pet bearded dragon.
“I was just growing up in the hood, one day at a time,” he says. “I would always work to buy what I wanted, like school shoes. I didn’t want Walmart shoes; I wanted Nikes. I didn’t grow up in the trenches, but I didn’t grow up wealthy or nothing.”
As fate would have it, when Fogelson started at USPS, he was assigned a route in Price Hill. After a certain amount of time on an assigned route, one can elect to change neighborhoods, he says, but he chose to stay close to home.
“We’re different here. Everybody in Cincinnati hustles,” he says. “I ain't been too far out the city, but we are just different here.”
Currently, Fogelson is getting that out-of-city experience he’s yet to have as the host of a comedy tour that stemmed from his social media fame. That One Mailman and Friends has stopped in Atlanta and will see two sold-out shows in Cincinnati at the Liberty Township Funny Bone Comedy Club on March 24.
Fogelson’s genuine nature and effortless humor have gained him 2 million followers on TikTok since he launched his account two years ago. But he didn’t set out to be an influencer and he definitely hasn’t put on a front to earn that status. There isn’t much of a difference between Sean Fogelson and That One Mailman, even the regular use of his catchphrase, “Hey lil’ stank-a-booty!” that he uses in his viral videos.
Fogelson tells CityBeat that the phrase came from a friend in school who once called him a “pale-neck-stank-a-booty-ass little boy,” in jest. From then on, Fogelson used the phrase as a silly pleasantry. He later found that the origin of the initial comment was derived from the comedy movie Next Friday. Now, Fogelson uses the phrase in nearly all of his videos, mostly to greet friends and fans before moving on to whatever comedic topic he has in store for that segment.
Fogelson approaches his social media presence with an air of regularity and without predetermined lines. He doesn’t piggyback off of what’s trending; his hilarious commentary typically plays on relatable subjects like the glory of getting Tupperware for leftovers at a restaurant, ignoring a busted headlight or using a tax return to go to a nice dinner (somewhere “hood-nice,” he’ll declare, like Red Lobster.)
Then there’s the slew of skits that reveal mail-carrier-only problems that Fogelson describes comedically, like dogs, heavy packages or being hounded by residents about lost mail. His first-ever viral video is dubbed “Temu Tired.” It caught on so well that Yahoo News reported on its popularity and accurate hilarity. In the video, Fogelson jokes about awkward, bright-colored packaging that holds an outrageous amount of items purchased from the online store.
“I’m tired of this Temu shit. Y’all killin’ me,” Fogelson says playfully in the video. “It’s Temu, Temu, Temu. I’m Temu tired, aight? They put all 17 items you just ordered in one big-ass bag.”
Fogelson created the That One Mailman TikTok page to make tough days at work bearable, he says. During COVID, he was working 70 hours per week. Although he’ll be the first to admit that he loves his job, that amount of overtime is trying. So he decided to bring a bit of comic relief to his day and share it with the internet. He was already creating funny one-liners and toying with mail-carrier-related problems in his head, why not put it on TikTok?
“You're by yourself all day when you’re a mailman,” Fogelson tells CityBeat. “You get in your head, but TikTok took my mind off of that. I was using sounds at first, and I kept thinking about how can I use this sound to pertain to mail or what video am I going to make? So I just kept thinking about that all day and it saved me.”
Over time, Fogelson started posting videos of himself outside of work. He’s seen tailgating at Bengals games and unboxing products from small businesses — and there’s no shortage of his famous fit checks. He’s often joined by comedian Gary Owen, who most recently appears in a joint video with Fogelson as they render their best version of the trendy “Made For Me” song by Muni Long. Owen also joins Fogelson on the That One Mailman and Friends tour, and Fogelson has appeared on stage at Owen’s shows, too.
But how does That One Mailman’s witty persona and comedy made for the brevity of social media translate to the stage? As a host for his lineup of comedian friends, the tour will be Fogelson’s first experience with standup comedy. He says he plans to “sling a couple jokes,” and be himself. He aims to bring the same improv style that bore “Temu tired,” to the stage.
“I'm excited. I'm just gonna get up there and be myself,” he says. “I'm not gonna try too hard. They know what they're coming to see, what to expect. I’m not gonna overthink it. I think it's gonna go alright. I'm a little nervous, but I was made for this. I think this is my calling. We're all here for a reason. I think I’m just that lucky person to find a reason, find my purpose. It’s cool; it’s real cool.”
Fogelson stays real cool pretty much all the time. His relaxed confidence pairs with an uninhibited yet nonchalant personality. He’s able to be silly while delivering jokes, but he stays poised and self-assured. Most importantly, he’s always positive. He doesn’t get caught up in the depths of the internet, which inevitably shows its true, trolling colors once a person hits a certain level of fame. Every once in a while, he addresses negativity in the comment section via a PSA (“Public Stank-a-Booty Announcement”) combating it with humor and humble positivity.
Tons of faceless internet users and a few real-life encounters have tried to call Fogelson out for faking his online persona and mail carrier career. He doesn’t respond with contempt, but he questions why he would need to make any of it up. “It’s just me,” he says.
“That's me. All the time. Granted, I'm not calling everybody stank-a-booty every 10 words, you know what I mean? But it's me,” Fogelson tells CityBeat. “Nobody believes who I’m working with. Like I’m working with Gary Owens and his road manager is my manager. Everybody asks him, ‘Is he really like this?’ He’s like, ‘Nah, bruh, this is him for real.’ When we’re out in public, I’m cracking jokes. It’s me. I don't need social media [to be me]. You know what I mean? For me to get on here and lie — like, I work in the public. It'd be too easy for me to get caught up. I’m a grown-ass man; I don’t need to lie. I have a wife and kids. I have a family. I don’t need to lie to nobody. It’s pointless. Out of all the occupations, why in the hell would I pick a mailman to act like?”
He trails off, still keeping his cool. He hasn’t raised his voice and his body language doesn’t change. He does have a point to make, but he doesn’t care if you get it or not.
“It is what it is. People will find out eventually,” he says.
As far as social media influencers go, one might expect to meet a loud personality. Every time Fogelson starts a video with his lively line, “Hey lil’ stank-a-booty,” or throws in a jovial “quit playin’ stank,” he interacts with his audience enthusiastically. But in person, Fogelson is as modest as he is indulgent in his videos.
One thing Fogelson is not quiet about: style. He’s a die-hard Cincinnati sports fan. If he isn’t wearing a USPS hat, he’s flaunting a Bengals or Reds flatbill. And he isn’t shy about his love for Ecko Unltd., a brand that’s been around for 30 years and represents urban fashion and streetwear style. Can’t forget the Jordans on the feet, either.
“My style is old school, ‘90s, early 2000s,” he says. “I was born in ‘92. I ain't never changed. I still got clothes from when I was a teenager in the closet. This new style, I can’t do it,” he says, flashing That One Mailman smile, never seen without a diamond-studded or gold grill.
That One Mailman is a brand in itself. Fogelson created the brand out of his persona and he has the fanbase to prove it. He tells CityBeat that the reason he’s venturing into standup is because his fans suggested it. He created That One Mailman merch – sweatshirts, T-shirts and tank tops – because fans insisted he do so, continually inquiring about where they could find it.
“It’s crazy. It's insane. It blows my mind,” he says. “I can't even wrap my head around all this as it is and then to see somebody out with me on their shirt — like, what? It’s cool as hell.”
For every humble moment Fogelson personifies, there’s a fan or a customer along his mail route that will jump at the opportunity to talk about what a kind, genuinely funny and caring person he is, deserving of all the attention and fame. As a mail carrier, he’s been known to go the extra mile for his customers, making sure to hide bulky packages or knock on someone’s door if he knows they're waiting for a check or a certain piece of mail.
Betsy Sundermann, a Hamilton County judge, has lived in Price Hill for 10 years. Fogelson has been her mail carrier for a few years, and she says she’s never known any of her mail carrier’s names before him. Sundermann says Fogelson can be seen “literally running” from house to house delivering mail. When her daughter attempted to mail Taylor Swift bracelets, Fogelson noticed that the envelopes weren’t addressed correctly and brought it to the family’s attention.
“What mailman does that?” Sundermann says. “What mailman knocks on your door and tells you that you put a stamp on wrong and that you should fix it? Most mailmen would just take it and then it would be returned to sender. I asked him once, ‘How much do you walk every day?’ and he said over 10 miles. That's unbelievable. And he loves his job. And he's always talking to all the neighbors when he’s dropping off the mail, so we just kind of became friends.”
Sundermann not only considers Fogelson a friend but also a “neighborhood celebrity,” even before he found online fame. She says she trusts him to keep an eye on things around the neighborhood and that he creates a commonality among neighbors.
“It's no surprise to me that now he's going to be a national or international celebrity,” Sundermann tells CityBeat. “He is so likable and so relatable.”
Businesses like Kickstand Cocktails and Southpaw Roofing have used Fogelson’s likeness for advertising, and he takes it upon himself to talk about GoFundMe and charitable initiatives to bring financial aid to people in need. Fogelson’s celebrity and mail carrier status even helped him find a realtor and aided in the house-hunting process.
Molly Thoms of Team Thoms Realty is also a customer on Fogelson’s mail route. She says his kindness and magnetic personality enabled their relationship to grow professionally. “He’s the only mailman I’ve ever had that will knock on your door and personally hand you your packages,” she says.
While working in the incredibly competitive housing market, Thoms often posts photos of her clients to social media. She says a photo, along with a personal story can create a network that helps the buying process in surprising ways. Individuals sometimes come forward and offer off-market options or opportunities that wouldn’t present themselves otherwise.
During Thoms’ recent venture to find Fogelson a house, she decided to post him on Facebook and await a result.
“I said, ‘Look, Sean, this has worked for some of our other clients. What if we take a picture of the two of us and I post your search on social media and see if we can find somebody who has an off-market deal? This has worked for previous clients, and I think that with your following, it really could help you,’” Thoms tells CityBeat. “And that post blew up. There were over 600,000 impressions. People were sharing it left and right.”
The post reads: “Our mailman (yes, he’s actually our mailman) needs your help and so do we! Sean, aka ‘OG Stank’ and his wonderful family are looking for a house to call home.”
The Facebook post led to an off-market opportunity for Fogelson and his family. Once they walked through the house, Thoms says Fogelson put an offer in that night. “People want to help people,” she says. The process is in its final stages, Thoms says, and Fogelson’s family’s goal to find a house by springtime is almost a reality. He’ll remain on the West Side – when he’s not hosting a standup comedy tour, of course.
“I want to emphasize how wonderfully kind and sincere [Fogelson] is and how he has this light that lights up around him, as a mailman, as someone on TikTok,” Thoms says. “It's such an encouragement for me to be who I am. To be authentically you, and don't let anybody squash that light, because it makes a difference in the world. It makes a difference for the people around you. It inspires people; it motivates people.”
That One Mailman and Friends will meet a sold-out crowd on March 24 at the Liberty Township Funny Bone Comedy Club, when Fogelson steps on stage for the first time in his hometown as the host of a standup comedy show. Fogelson will also be an official judge at CityBeat’s annual Margarita Madness competition on May 17 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
To learn more about That One Mailman and Friends or Sean Fogelson’s content, visit tiktok.com/@seanfogelson513.
@seanfogelson513 And you kno we eating out, prolly for a couple weeks too 😂😂 #fyp #funny #funnyvideos #taxes #loveyall ♬ original sound - That "One Mailman"
