Twelve-year-old Ciro Ortiz mans a stand in a New York City subway station and dishes out “emotional advice” to passersby who ask for it, so of course late night host Jimmy Fallon decided to snatch up the composed young man and have him on his show Thursday night. But the wise Ortiz—who admitted casually that he’s not really a committed viewer of Fallon’s—still managed to steal the scene.
It turns out that Ortiz’s father was pretty instrumental in getting his son set up with the Peanuts-style therapy stand.
“I said something about setting up a stand, and my dad said something about giving out emotional advice because I’m good at that, apparently,” Ortiz explained. So what do people tend to ask? Mostly family trouble or “something like that,” he said.
For his part, Fallon wanted some advice on how to brush off the online haters.
“It’s not a big deal. Just words on a screen. Do your best to ignore it; I do.” Wise words, well said.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com