Gen Z and The Try Guys

The Try Guys are an ensemble from BuzzFeed who went viral in the 2010s. For some Gen Z, the Try Guys faded fast from memory. For others, the Try Guys helped them find a community.

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When was the last time you heard of the Try Guys? Maybe during Ned Fulmer’s viral affair? This event was horrible for the remaining guys and their fans, but it is not their whole story.

A quick scroll through the Try Guys subreddit unearths post after post of viewers thanking the Try Guys. These viewers explain that the Try Guys helped them overcome depression, get through school and break-ups, and accept their sexualities or identities. The Try Guys, an ensemble that started as a random group of guys trying traditional female experiences, went on to become an online community that fostered friendships, belonging, and self-acceptance for many young people.

The Try Guys are an internet comedy group that got their start on BuzzFeed in 2014. Ned Fulmer, Eugene Lee Yang, Zach Kornfeld, and Keith Habersberger were the Try Guys, and their ensemble was part of a larger cast of BuzzFeeders, many who went on to have independent (and successful) careers as authors, YouTubers, TV writers, and actors.

Although the group was originally cast randomly, viewers soon developed an attachment to the guys and their friendship dynamics. Viewers appreciated Keith’s humor, Zach’s kindness, and Eugene’s extraordinary talent. They experimented with their content and started making videos with more depth, like the Try Guys fatherhood series or alcohol and drug awareness content.

In 2018, the Try Guys left BuzzFeed, and in 2019, they launched the Summer of Try. They went on tour. They made a documentary. They wrote a book. This period cemented their audience and their fame.

I started watching the Try Guys in middle school, but I became devoted to their content during the Summer of Try and the pandemic. I, and thousands of other young people, followed the Try Guys through high school and college and all the turbulences and joys of those periods. I am part of the Gen Z cohort of their audience, a sizeable percentage of their viewership.

Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with the internet, and according to some reports, the loneliest generation. Is there a connection between these two facts? Maybe. And yet, the internet is not all bad.

After each of the Reddit posts thanking the Try Guys, there were numerous comments from Try Guys lovers all around the world supporting each other. These users consoled each other, wished each other well, and shared experiences and insights. The Try Guys also have in-person events, such as concerts, shows, and meet-and-greets.

These events foster connections. People meet each other from all walks of life. Miles Bonsignore, who recently joined the Try Guys cast after working at their company since its founding, spoke about this phenomenon in his podcast, “Sometimes people have been coming to my shows solo and meeting each other, and then I’ll meet them after the show and I’m like, ‘Oh, you guys are all childhood friends, right?’ and they’re like, ‘No, we all individually arrived here tonight and we’re leaving as pals.’”

Online communities can foster friendship, and there is something especially wonderful about friendships built around the Try Guys because many of their fans share crucial insights learned from the Try Guys. They aren’t just guys who try stuff. Or they are. But through being that, they have taught a generation of young people how to live a good life. Get out of your comfort zone. Go for your dreams. Fail.

And try again.