The beloved YouTube quartet, the Try Guys, have become embroiled in a scandal that has rocked the Internet, and became a spotlight for the uneven dynamics of a workplace relationship that are often overlooked.
The group has a prominent social media presence and has been online for almost a decade at this point. Composed of a colorful, comedic and close-knitted cast: Eugene Yang, Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld and Ned Fulmer, the Try Guys come together under a simple premise: to try new things.
Their beginnings started on YouTube attached to Buzzfeed and then becoming popular enough to build their own company. The general public considered these four a group that had a bond that was practically unbreakable. That is, until Fulmer was exposed for cheating on his wife of 10 years, Ariel Fulmer, with Alex Herring, a producer for the Try Guys.
Rumors came about after anonymous Reddit and Twitter users spotted them acting flirtatiously at a bar in New York City over Labor Day weekend. After being made aware of this, Yang, Habersberger, and Kornfield decided to terminate Fulmer’s employment in the company on Sept. 16.
I think people are overlooking the possibility of an unethical relationship between boss and subordinate. It is possible that Herring was influenced into pursuing an extramarital relationship with Fulmer because she felt as though she had no choice as someone who is below him in the company.
In their YouTube statement, Kornfeld is emotional when he informs the viewers that “[They] immediately removed Fulmer from work activities and engaged an HR professional to conduct a thorough review of the facts,” followed by: “you will never see him and that is due to his involvement.”
The Try Guys also reported in their statement that any videos that have already been filmed with Ned will be edited in a way to effectively remove him.
An interesting line spoken by Yang was that “the internet has a tendency to be a lot harsher towards women than men.” The fact that this was mentioned makes you think of the situation on a larger scale. Ned Fulmer is a founder of the Try Guys company, and was also an executive producer, a manager and an acting HR representative in the department. Alex Herring is an associate producer, meaning that Fulmer was her superior in the company. Can employees ethically consent to their employers?
It is hard to say whether or not unethical power dynamics were involved between Fulmer and Herring, as any specific details have not been disclosed about their relationship. The wording of the statement video allows for speculation, especially after Yang’s comment on the treatment of women on the internet. As previously stated, Ned Fulmer does have superiority over Alex Herring, so it is likely that an unequal dynamic was present.
Time will tell if more information is revealed, but for now the Try Guys have to adjust to just being Tri-Guys.
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@bobbyabstractt
