drama kids

Ben is coming to you LIVE from VIDCON with the epic tale of how they defeated their stalker! After blowing up on TikTok during the pandemic, Ben started getting knocks at the door of his parent's house from strangers asking for "BENOFTHEWEEK". What was Ben to do? How was he to navigate these encounters?! You won't want to miss this special episode of DRAMA MAMA!! Watch the podcast on YouTube: http...

After over a year of contemplation Ben has bravely decidedly to broach the subject of cults, specifically ones that are hitting a little too close to home. After watching a former acquaintance fall victim to a weird religious cult, Ben decided to do some digging into the rising trend of influencers joining cults. Join him on today's episode to learn everything he's found from his research. Watch t...

Just when you thought the internet couldn't possibly become more like an episode of Black Mirror, Ben is here to introduce you to some chilling TikTok Live money making schemes. Creators are becoming more and more like NPCs and TikTok's payouts are becoming more and more dystopian. Tune in to find out what Ben thinks about the future of monetizing content creation! The Fits Everybody collection an...

Who is in charge of SHEIN's PR?!! Last week, waves were made when SHEIN invited influencers to tour their sweat shops... Find out what Ben has to say about the state of influencer marketing, brands being evil, and the ethics of paid promotions. Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/DramaMamaYouTube Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this...

Have apology videos reached their boiling point? After years of creators navigating the art of the apology videos, Colleen Ballinger reached new heights last week when she posted an apology video in the form of a 10-minute ukelele song with lyrics like, "all aboard the toxic gossip train, chugging down the tracks of misinformation". This week Ben discusses the latest in "cancel culture", predicts...

Did you hear the good news?! MEMES ARE BACK!! The McDonald's Grimace Shake, the Titanic death toll increase --> memes are officially returning. Join Ben as he theorizes who is responsible for the meme renaissance and what it means for the future of "monoculture"! Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/DramaMamaYouTube Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're liste...

Did you hear about the submarine on a Titanic expedition that went missing this week?! Fear not, Ben is here with the details! This week Ben talks about tourist adventures that take it too far, analyzes people's fears of the ocean, and broadens the discussion to all phobias and the cultural significance of identifying oneself through a fear. Are you scared of the ocean? Maybe it's time you should...

Ben has seen one too many creators pretending to be a different race online?!! Pop culture has a long history of stealing from black culture from language to fashion to everything in-between. On the extreme end of this, there are people who outwardly claim to be black when they are from entirely different ethnic groups. This week Ben dives into a few case studies of this phenomenon and theorizes t...

Ben went to Super Mario World, so you don't have to...what he expected to be a cool, interactive experience was hours of waiting in line for ONE RIDE and surprise extra costs everywhere he turned. Ben details his personal experience going to Super Mario World and goes on to theorize where the creatives behind the world went wrong! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAMA and download the Zocdoc app for FREE....

This week Ben does a deep dive on Doja Cat's messy "rebrand". Ben compares content creator rebrands to that of musical artists and theorizes why the majority of rebrands fail. Stick around until the end of the episode when Ben reads YOUR drama! Grab your Liquid I.V. in bulk nationwide at Costco or you can get 20% off when you go to https://LIQUIDIV.COM and use code DRAMA at checkout.  Watch the po...

Ben's journey to YouTube success is LONG and WINDED!! After being on YouTube for over a decade, Ben sits down with you today to talk about the past, present, and future of his time on YouTube. He reflects on everything he's learned, offers advice to those of you interested in pursuing a similar path, and discusses what he hopes to continue to build going forward. Grab your Liquid I.V. in bulk nati...

Is it just Ben or are fluxes of influencers getting into the art of cigarette smoking? Using @bestdressed as a case study, Ben breaks down the resurgence of the glamourization of smoking in online spaces and highlights the dangers of smoking while having a captive and impressionable young audience. Ben theorizes why smoking has made its way back into the lexicon and reminds us all of why we should...

Just because something is popular doesn't mean it's good! But also, enjoying popular things isn't so wrong either!! This week Ben talks about the magic of consuming content outside of the mainstream and how TikTok has democratized what becomes popular. Ben theorizes a happy marriage between appreciating both popular and more niche content and urges you to keep your mind open to different types of...

Another day, another rich person flaunting their wealth on the internet. From thousand-dollar Erwhon hauls to two-thousand-dollar pizza, to having to decide whose private jet to take, rich people need to chill. Join Ben this week as he breaks down the trend on TikTok of rich people showcasing their wealth and explains why he thinks it's problematic. Go to https://Zocdoc.com/mama and download the Z...

Do you think you're special? If everyone's special than is no one special? Why do we think someone is more important than someone else? This week Ben grapples with the frustration of our society equating greater worth to certain people over others. Ben breaks down why he thinks seeing yourself as special is problematic and the ways in which this trend in today's society harms us. Watch the podcast...

SunnyV2 might just be the worst youtuber ever according to Ben. From posting problematic videos to mobilizing hate speech, Ben is so over SunnyV2's platform. Tune in to hear why his content sucks and what it greater exemplifies across creator spaces. Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/DramaMamaYouTube Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using...

"unalive" "seggs" "corn" MAKE IT STOP!! Ben is back this week to remind you that you ARE NOT in face "shadow banned", your content just SUCKS! Creators on TikTok have long made code words in lieu of saying the real thing in hopes of avoiding their account getting flagged, but things have gotten out of hand. Full fledged adults are using these code words IRL and Ben thinks it's CHEUGY AS HELL. Get...

Ben's starting to feel like there's been no new ideas in over a decade... With Olivia Rodrigo having to pay royalties to other artists for her original songs being too similar to creators copying Mr. Beast thumbnails verbatim, to every movie being made being a sequel to a sequel, Ben is OVER IT. Join Ben as he breaks down the difference between using other artists for inspiration versus blatantly...

Whose feeling capital E, existential?!! This week Ben predicts the collapse of our species, gets down about the death of celebrity in modern culture, and theorizes why so many horror films have been coming out lately. Tune in for ALL the DRAMA, plus stick around until the end of the episode to hear an exciting personal announcement!! Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/DramaMamaYouTube Do...

This week Ben dives headfirst into the topic of TikTok's systematic efforts to deplatform people living with disabilities. After seeing some disheartening videos on the app and researching the issue Ben is ready to bring attention to this important issue and discuss what needs to change. Go to https://ZocDoc.com/MAMA and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today...

Ever been stuck in a situation with someone who can't stop blurting out toxic positivity? Or worse, someone who forces negativity just for the sake of having a hot take? This week Ben dives into the topic of forced negativity and forced positivity as it relates to online culture. He explores the YouTube comment section, TikTok comment etiquette, and influencers whose entire brand is based on being...

It's not the first time there's been widespread discussion about the potential ban of TikTok but Ben wants to walk us through what it look like if we were to wake up one day and no longer have it! This week on Drama Mama, Ben explains the TikTok privacy concerns, why the app was banned in India, and what banning the app in the US would mean for the Biden administration. Ben also breakdown why TikT...

The internet used to be FREE, what the f*ck happened?!?!! This week Ben looks at why online platforms that used to be free are introducing monthly fees. Ben also looks beyond social media at the streaming and gaming industries and discusses why the business practices of all these companies hurt the consumer. Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/DramaMamaYouTube Don’t forget to subscribe to...

We all know using your children for views is bad, but is the reverse more ethical? This week Ben is diving into the morality of children using their parents for views online. While parents can consent to being filmed in a way a toddler can't, the older generations lack of digital literacy poses the question of whether they fully understand the extent of what they are consenting. Tune in to find ou...

Urban Dictionary defines “icks” as "something that’s a turnoff when you have romantic interest in someone" or "is used to describe something that makes you uncomfortable". This week Ben reads out your icks and tells you if he thinks they are valid! From Double texting to having bad dental hygiene to chewing with your mouth open, tune in to find out what icks are top of mind in the culture today. W...