Fool Coverage with Manny MUA & Laura Lee

Episode: Reacting to our unfiltered hate comments (this is hilarious)
Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this playful and surprisingly insightful episode, OG beauty influencers Manny MUA and Laura Lee dive into the world of internet hate by reading and reacting to their meanest (and sometimes funniest) hate comments. The duo, known for their glam and candid personalities, take a look at their online reputations—especially on Reddit—while reflecting on how their approach to criticism has evolved throughout their careers. The episode is a blend of laughter, real talk about self-confidence in the influencer world, and some advice for creators on dealing with negativity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Peaks and Pits: Personal Updates

• Manny’s Microneedling Experience:

  • Manny shares his first microneedling facial experience, describing both the improvement in his pores (“I feel like my pores look smaller,” 03:21) and the rough recovery (“I was actually, like, beet red like, all over my face for, I would say, like, three days,” 04:39).
  • Candid skincare struggles—peeling, shedding, and the challenges of wearing makeup while healing.
  • Quote: "I'm just trying to hold it together by a thread." — Manny (06:31)

• Laura’s TMI Digestive Saga:

  • Laura gets real about her constipation problem—six days without pooping!—and the eventual, triumphant return.
  • Quote: “I had the biggest poop ever… I literally screamed. I was like, Ty! I'm pissing. He's like, YES! Thank goodness.” — Laura (14:34-14:45)
  • The importance of water, fiber, and healthy habits for influencers (and everyone).

• TV Show Recommendations:

  • Laura shouts out "The Task" on HBO (21:01), praising its dual storytelling of law enforcement and criminals for a “deep and amazing” show experience.
  • Discussion on how good storytelling humanizes both sides, with references to "Breaking Bad" and "Sons of Anarchy" (22:16-23:57).

2. Diving Into the Hate Comments

The heart of the episode is a hilarious and therapeutic journey through Reddit hate comments—though finding real hate proves to be harder than expected.

The Shift in Online Reception

• Both hosts note that most feedback now is positive—growth that happened as they and their audiences matured:
  • “We’re in the golden years of our career… we do reap the rewards of being OGs… but we don’t receive all the backlash.” — Laura (26:07)
  • “It just feels nice.” — Manny (26:30)

Funniest & Most Notable Hate Comments

• “Loud, obnoxious, everyone’s talking over each other.”

  • Manny: “Did she stutter? Did she lie?” (27:10)
  • They own the criticism of their chaotic chemistry, attributing it to genuine excitement and comfort with one another and guests like Jaclyn Hill (28:08).

• “Those two made Jaclyn Hill look like Jaclyn Chill.”

  • Manny: “When I tell you, I scream…” (29:27)
  • They laugh about their famously energetic presence, insisting Jaclyn is just as manic and that’s why they click (30:09).

• Surprisingly Positive Reddit:

  • Laura: “Since when do you write positive, positive notes on Reddit?” (31:24), shocked by the current supportive tone she found.

Critiques on Voice and Persona

• Laura’s Distinct Voice:

  • Reddit: “I just can’t listen to her voice for very long.” (34:38)
  • Laura: “I’ve let people make me hate it forever and I just don’t really do that anymore.” (35:05)

• Manny “Not Smart” Insult:

  • “Manny is just not smart. Sorry I said it.” (37:34)
  • Manny: “My voice makes me sound like I’m not smart… but at the end of the day, I am schooled, honey.” (37:41)
  • Discussion about projection and how haters’ comments often reflect their own insecurities (38:15).

• Used Car Salesman Energy:

  • “Laura and Manny give me used car salesman energy. They’re sleazy.” (39:39)
  • The pair cackle, attributing it to people not understanding podcast advertising. Manny: “That’s unique. That’s a good one.” (40:46)

• Shrek Comparisons:

  • Someone posts a meme, comparing Manny to the ugly stepsister from Shrek (41:09).
  • Manny: “I have been tagged in that… and the female dragon too!” (41:55)

Standard Hater Generalities

• “Forgot about her and Manny, both of them are awful people. I do not respect.” (45:03)
  • Manny: “100 people don’t like us.” (45:10)
  • Laura: “I want to line all hundred up, plus the one that left a comment and go—me too, me too! And then that’s it.” (45:31)

3. Deeper Conversations Sparked by Hate

Handling Negativity & Self-confidence

• Both hosts talk about getting comfortable with who they are, no longer feeling responsible to prove themselves.
  • “I’m not here to advocate, to beg you to do it. Like, I’ve let that go. That is what it is.” — Laura (55:04)
  • “There comes a time where you get confident in knowing who you are and knowing that you’re a good person.” — Laura (55:43)
  • “At the end of the day, you cannot control how people perceive you.” — Manny (56:21)

Industry Insight:

• Manny discusses calling out 13 Lune for unpaid invoices—defends using his platform after exhausting private measures.

  • “What I have that a lot of people don’t have is an audience and a reach…and I think that it’s important when you do have those things to be able to utilize them.” — Manny (52:32)
  • “It was worth me talking about it because I don’t want people to potentially go into business with a company like that…” — Manny (53:42)

• Laura addresses why she closed her beauty brand—agrees with an online theory, shares her evolution away from makeup into skincare/hair (49:41-51:01).

  • “As time changes, things… you learn, you grow.” — Laura (51:01)

4. Recurring Humor and Notable Moments

• Constant Self-Deprecation:

  • “I’m just trying to hold it together by a thread.” — Manny (06:31)

• Tagging Doppelgängers:

  • “Never tag me.” — Laura, on people tagging supposed lookalikes (42:15)

• Detractors & Perception:

  • “At the end of the day, people don’t always stay problematic… you should watch where a person is now.” — Manny (55:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:21 — Manny describes microneedling experience
• 10:26 — Laura’s bowel journey (“I hadn’t pooped in six days…”)
• 21:01 — Laura raves about HBO’s The Task
• 26:07 — The golden years of influencer life
• 27:10 — “Did she stutter? Did she lie?” on criticism about their podcast style
• 29:27 — “Those two made Jaclyn Hill look like Jaclyn Chill.”
• 31:24 — Surprised by positive Reddit comments
• 34:38 — Laura’s “annoying” voice and self-acceptance
• 37:34 — “Manny is just not smart” and projecting insecurities
• 39:39 — Accused of “used car salesman energy”
• 41:09 — The “ugly stepsister from Shrek” meme
• 45:03 — The ‘100 people don’t like us’ comment
• 52:32 — Manny’s explanation for publicly calling out 13 Lune
• 55:04 — Laura on acceptance and boundaries with haters

Memorable Quotes

• Manny: “Did she stutter? Did she lie?” (27:10)
• Laura: “When you’re peeling, you just gotta go full natural.” (08:40)
• Manny: “I’m just trying to hold it together by a thread.” (06:31)
• Laura: “Since when do you write positive, positive notes on Reddit?” (31:24)
• Manny: “At the end of the day, you cannot control how people perceive you.” (56:21)
• Laura: “There comes a time where you get confident in knowing who you are and knowing you’re a good person.” (55:43)

Episode Flow and Tone

• Energy: Playful, loud, very “besties hanging out,” but also grounded in transparency.
• Insightful: The hosts genuinely reflect on criticism, their growth, and the psychological aspects of being public figures.
• Supportive: Encouragement for any creators or listeners struggling with self-doubt or criticism.
• Candid: Open discussion about deeply personal struggles (skin, digestion, confidence).
• Self-aware: The hosts acknowledge flaws, poke fun at themselves, and reject the need to please everyone.

Summary

This episode is a candid, humorous, and refreshingly honest look at what it feels like to live online as a longtime beauty influencer, with Manny and Laura facing their “haters” head-on and coming away with more laughs than scars. They highlight how time, maturity, and genuine self-acceptance change the experience of online criticism—for the better. The message: even internet “fools” can have the last laugh.