Ethan Klein and the Downside of Being the Internet’s “Good Guy” (feat. Ben Gail)

FluentlyForward

Nov 9, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

Today I'm joined by the lovely Ben Gail (@oldirtydog on TikTok) to dive into the Ethan Klein/H3 cheating scandal, and more importantly, the way the internet reacts when one of its favorite people falls from grace. We get into the downfall of the internet's beloved "wife guys," why cheating scandals always turn into a competition over which woman is hotter, the weird power dynamics of influencers employing their own superfans, and why the internet seems to punish hypocrisy more than actual bad behavior. We also discuss parasocial relationships, why being the "good guy" online might be the worst branding decision you can make, and how the internet's obsession with moral superiority creates some pretty bizarre double standards. And of course, we put on our morally questionable PR hats and ask the important question: if Ethan Klein hired us to save his career, how would we do it? Including my potentially genius (and deeply unethical) theory that you could actually manipulate the internet into defending someone by making everyone hate them too much. Follow Ben on TikTok @oldirtydog and check out his new podcast, The Ben Gail Power Hour! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.