The internet scandal has caught the attention of major news outlets like CNN and even A-list celebrities like Seth Rogen who tweeted "what is a Try Guy?"
Most millennials my age are familiar with the Try Guys and have watched the group get into hilarious situations for years! I even went to the Try Guys live show back in October 2019! The Try Guys were comprised of four individuals: Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, Eugene Lee Yang and Ned Fulmer. The Try Guys have always been wholesome and the last people to ever find themselves at the center of a scandal.
They made their debut on Youtube back in 2014 under Buzzfeed and made videos of them trying random activities as a group which often resulted in comical outcomes. In 2019, the four of them left Buzzfeed and together formed their independent production company, 2nd Try LLC.
Before I dive into the mess that Ned has created for The Try Guys, I want to make it clear that Ned Fulmer was fired from 2nd Try LLC effective Friday, September 16, 2022, because Ned Fulmer as a partner and owner of the company, having relations with an employee is a workplace violation and subsequently jeopardized the company's future. If Ned had an affair with anyone, but his employee, then that would be his personal life and not related to the company.
The fact Ned built his entire brand around being married to his wife Ariel of 10 years and ends up cheating is insane! There are numerous compilations of Ned saying "my wife" on Youtube because he says it that often! Then there is Alexandria, who was engaged to her boyfriend of 11 years. Downright ludicrous that Ned and Alexandria threw away their relationships of a decade each to have a fling with each other. The internet has been bashing Alexandria for breaking up the Fulmer family and the Try Guys family. Both Ned and Alexandria are equally at fault. They are adults
The two managed to keep the affair a secret for nearly a year, but clearly, they got sloppy because Try Guys fans spotted Ned and Alex kissing at a club in New York City over Labour Day weekend. Earlier in the day, they went to a Harry Styles concert together which is where more fans recognized Ned and asked for pictures. That is also when the Reddit thread began which took on a life of its own and is also when the other three owners - Keith, Zach and Eugene - found out about the affair.
On September 27th, The Try Guys made the official statement that Ned Fulmer has been fired! The best was yet to come which was the October 3rd, Youtube video titled "What Happened" in which Keith, Zach and Eugene discuss things frankly. I believe the three had ZERO ideas that the affair was going on.
Eugene was in pure rage. His anger was radiating through the computer screen. I thought I was going to get punched by Eugene through the screen. That was pure rage because Eugene and the others had been betrayed by their friend of 8 years with whom they built a company with. Zach was choking back tears and Keith was uncomfortable.
The statement Eugene, Keith and Zach released was done very well. It was professional, and mature and addressed Ned's dismissal head on. Other Youtubers need to take notes because this is the gold standard on how a scandal should be dealt with.
Zach and Keith shared a couple more details during their podcast. The two of them clarified that their statement on Instagram was NOT coordinated with Ned. He posted his statement on Instagram within the hours of The Try Guys and even used the same format and font as the Try Guys to give the illusion that he was still in good standing with the rest of the group. We have to admit, Ned is one smart and incredibly shady man for doing that! I will be honest, I thought they coordinated the statement, so Ned fooled me!
It is worth noting that the statement Ned released on Instagram had carefully chosen words. "consensual workplace relationship" - first off, this relationship was an affair! Seems that Ned knows there are legal ramifications to dating his employee and felt it was important to clarify that he and Alex were both consenting adults and mutually made the decision to cheat together. Power Imbalance in a workplace relationship leads to serious trouble and Ned is experiencing it first hand.
Everyone is frustrated that Alexandria is still employed at the Try Guys because Ned has been fired for his indiscretions, so why not Alex? Though she too was part of the affair, if the Try Guys tried to remove her, she could sue them for not protecting her from Ned. However, does Alex really want to return to a job where basically everyone hates her! The Try Guys team has made it abundantly clear that they are standing behind Ariel! Several Try Guys employees have unfollowed Alexandria and Ned on social media which is essentially publically announcing that they no longer wish to associate themselves with this duo of cheaters.
What is sad and pathetic are ex-employees of Buzzfeed coming out and saying that they are not surprised that Ned was shady. If they knew that, why did they never say anything to Ariel who has been in numerous Buzzfeed videos? Just petty and my guess is these ex-employees are just trying to find a way to stay relevant by using Ned's scandal to their advantage.
The internet being the internet, once an infatuation begins with a subject matter, the internet needs to uncover every single detail. SNL has only refuelled the situation with their awful skit. It is the definition of cringe. Turns out, Ned is close friends with a writer at SNL, so now everyone thinks that is why SNL never mentions Ned and attempts to make the other three seem like whiny adults. SNL really missed the mark.
Try Guys have had to take down several videos which I can only guess is because sponsors no longer want to be associated with their brand. They are trying to edit Ned out of future videos and several videos they will never be able to even show. Needless to say, The Try Guys have lost a lot of money because of Ned's actions. Zach mentioned all their new merchandise is going straight to donation centers, so that sucks. The team is working on removing Ned from all branding. If you head over to the Try Guys website, Ned has been removed from promotional material and Ned only branded merchandise is no longer there.
I strongly believe the Try Guys are going to recover because so many more have now discovered their content. My favourite Try Guy is Keith and I will watch the Try Guys until the day he leaves. He is comical! Check out his Eat the Menu series! You will also catch the now-hated Food Babies making regular appearances on the show. I adore YB and it really sucks she is getting backlash because people are confusing her with Alexandria. We will always love you YB because you are the spice queen!
Changes are inevitable considering they have always been a quartet. Keith and Zach have already announced that Eugene will no longer be doing podcasts as it is something that Eugene has never enjoyed doing. At this time, the team has decided to not find a replacement for Ned and I agree with that decision. The three of them are fabulous and instead, the Try Guys will be having more frequent guests as the fourth Try person. I am hoping to see more of Kwesi in upcoming videos because he works so well within the group dynamic.
Are you a Try Guys fan? What are your thoughts on Ned cheating with Alexandria?
BYES
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