Ned Fulmer was at the top of his career in 2022. Fulmer was one of the founding members of The Try Guys, a quartet of men who made entertaining videos about them trying different things, whether it be wearing women’s underwear or cooking without a recipe. The Try Guys originally formed with Buzzfeed, but gained enough success to start their own company in 2018.
With over 2.5 billion views and 8 million subscribers on YouTube, The Try Guys’ success translated into a book, a national tour, and several podcasts and series under their new company, Second Try, LLC. Then Fulmer was caught cheating on his wife, Ariel, with a company employee. Fulmer disappeared from the spotlight after being removed from the company as a result. That is, until last week, when he announced he’d be reentering the limelight with a new podcast called “Rock Bottom,” where he’d speak with people about their lowest moments. His first guest? His ex-wife.
Is a podcast enough to bring back Fulmer’s career? It may be difficult, according to Northeastern experts, especially given how attached people became to his wife through his content. “One of the main reasons why influencers are successful and differ from traditional celebrities is giving the audience perspective into their private life,” says Amy Pei, an assistant marketing professor at Northeastern University. “It’s establishing that personal connection and creating a very intimate relationship with followers. The followers feel like they are the influencers’ friends and they know every detail in their lives. It gives you that sense of authenticity and intimacy.”
