Life Wide Open with CboysTV

Episode: How A Prank Led Ben To Meeting His Girlfriend
Date: March 26, 2024

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Life Wide Open finds the Cboys (CJ, Ben, Ryan, Ken, Evan, and Micah) swapping road trip stories, pulling hilarious prank calls with "Contact Roulette," and finally revealing the story behind Ben meeting his girlfriend through—of course—a prank. The crew dives into behind-the-scenes moments with other YouTubers (notably Stradman), discusses their latest off-road antics with their viral "Jeepbini" build, and has honest and comical chats about business, fandom, fan tattoos, and the absurdity of blackout tattoos.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weather Woes & Sauna Suffering (00:00–03:00)

• The team commiserates over returning to a snowy home after time away, joking about lost driving skills and winter’s persistence.
• "You and Jake are like two complete opposites of the spectrum. Like, Jake is going like 30 minutes in the crazy, 40 minutes in the hot." (B, 00:02)

2. Practicing for the Freedom 500 & Race Simulators (03:01–06:48)

• Ryan shares his excitement for the upcoming Freedom 500 race: “Ryan, you have to win this helicopter, bro.” (A, 02:20)
• The crew visits Stradman, getting “fanboy” moments with his $40k racing simulators. They recount how impressive (and intense) the experience—complete with broken-thumb warnings—was.
• “It was like a 25 minute setup… but Ryan, you were like, ‘Oh, no, don’t do it.’” (C, 03:32)
• CJ admits to "fanboying" over meeting Stradman: "I was just being so cool. I was trying to be like—I was just excited." (C, 06:46)

3. Stradman House Tour & YouTuber Encounters (06:49–08:57)

• The Cboys detail awkward/funny impressions from their visit to Stradman’s home—including inadvertently dusting him and his girlfriend with clouds of exhaust.
• Nostalgic stories about meeting YouTube heroes; Evan is typically oblivious to their fame: “He 90% of the time has no idea who they are.” (A, 08:19)
• Micro-celebration for Evan’s (Ev's) birthday by calling him live: "Happy birthday, bro. What do we got going on today, boys?" (A, 09:23)

4. The Adventures of the "Jeepbini" Off-Road Rig (10:23–18:24)

• Recap of their viral project, building a fake Lamborghini (Jeep Liberty-based "Jeepbini"), and its surprising off-road success.
• “People might think that it’s cool and then they find out that it’s a Jeep Liberty... it’s kind of less cool.” (A, 11:00)
• Highlights: losing and recovering the door in South Dakota, the car’s attention-grabbing presence in Las Vegas ("equivalent of driving a Bugatti," A, 16:36), and the fun of being instantly recognized by fans across the country.
• "That just shows how much cooler it is to have a weird vehicle... It's way more entertaining than a real Lamborghini." (A, 17:53)

5. Group Dynamics, Vegas Gambling, & Friend Trolls (18:25–27:12)

• Reflection on team camaraderie during their road trip—high spirits, intense filming, little rest, but fun off-camera moments in Vegas.
• "The nice part about going to Vegas with Ken is you don’t have to bring money, because Ken’s going to make money." (A, 22:24)
• Extended sequence of banter about Ken's gambling prowess and the cycle of borrowing money.
• Ben recounts trolling his girlfriend Greta into believing their friend Mike "didn't trust banks": “He doesn’t put his money into it. He just puts it underneath his mattress.” (A, 26:18)

6. Group Pranks, Running Gags, and Contact Roulette Setup (27:13–40:01)

• Discussion on ongoing friend-group deceptions—long-running jokes about fake cousin relationships and trolling new crew members.
• The team reminisces about pushing, stretching, and sometimes forgetting inside jokes over years.

7. Extreme Tattoos, Identity & Body Mod Culture (32:24–39:25)

• Spirited talk about fan tattoos inspired by their slogan "Life Wide Open."
• Memorable moment: envy over fans having the tattoo before the Cboys do. “It’s pretty messed up... It’s our slogan!” (D, 31:27)
• Dive into tattoo trends like "blacking" (covering large body areas in black ink), notable celebrity examples (MGK, Twenty One Pilots singer), extreme mods (eye tattoos, body implants), and the consequences for employment and regret.

8. The "Contact Roulette" Game – Prank Calls Unleashed (40:02–1:10:21)

• The centerpiece segment; the crew plays "Contact Roulette"—randomly calling contacts in their phones to create awkward, confusing, or outright hilarious conversations, often trying to keep the other party on the line as long as possible.
• Ben reveals the origins of how a prank within this game led him to reconnect with his now-girlfriend Greta:
  • “So, he [Ben's friend] goes, ‘Go to your Snapchat, scroll, close your eyes, pick a girl, send her a Snap.’ And I did that. Boom. Greta.” (A, 41:14)
  • “I was just talking to her about this the other day... She was so caught off guard when you hit me up, ‘cause like, we were friends...’” (A, 41:48)
• The team recreates this chaotic magic, with varying degrees of social bravery and success, culminating in awkward/absurd calls to old friends, colleagues, and strangers:
  • “The goal is to leave them as confused as possible. Like, really make them just, like, when they hang up, they’re just like, ‘What? Why did he call?’” (C, 61:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Meeting Stradman:

• “I was just excited. I almost was acting like a fanboy when I was editing it.” – CJ (06:46)
• “He was so well spoken and down to get on any joke—he was great.” – E (06:54)

On the Viral "Jeepbini":

• “I think that’s one of our best vehicles... definitely our most viral.” – A (15:24)
• “People just want to talk to you; it's like you’re an A-list celebrity.” – A (15:53)

On Contact Roulette & Ben’s Romantic Origins:

• “Go to your Snapchat... pick one person, and... send her a Snapchat. And I did that. Boom. Greta.” – A (41:14)
• “I was, like, trying to work my way out of, like, the friend zone.” – A (43:23)
• “I guess we thought... we should have dressed up as leprechauns.” – A (17:17)
• “[With pranks]...there are still some that I think I know and don’t know, you know?” – D (27:15)

On Fan Tattoos:

• “I felt jealousy... why don’t I [have ‘Life Wide Open’ tattooed]?” – E (31:19)

On Extreme Tattoos:

• “Blacking... they’ll do your whole body in this cave.” – C (34:07)
• “Face tattoos? It’s never a good idea. I’m just gonna say it.” – C (37:12)

On Vegas Gambling and Self-Control:

• “You only gamble with the amount that you’re willing to lose, or the amount you’re able to get from your rich best friend.” – A (25:24)
• “The nice part about going to Vegas with Ken is you don’t have to bring money, because Ken’s going to make money.” – A (22:24)
• “I do owe you some money though, Ken. I have it in my truck.” – A (24:18)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–03:00 – Weather talk and sauna bits
• 03:01–06:48 – Racing sim & Stradman house stories
• 06:49–08:57 – Meeting YouTubers, Ev's birthday call
• 10:23–18:24 – Jeepbini build, Vegas, and road tripping
• 18:25–27:12 – Friend-group dynamics, gambling, Ben’s infamous pranks
• 27:13–40:01 – Fan tattoos, extreme body mods, group prank culture
• 40:02–1:10:21 – Contact Roulette: prank calls and the story of Ben’s accidental romantic connection

Tone & Style

Consistently irreverent and genuine, the Cboys deliver their stories with a mix of deadpan humor, self-deprecating honesty, and the same chaotic camaraderie that fans love from their videos. The group isn’t afraid to make fun of themselves or each other, serving up both wholesome nostalgia and outrageous modern YouTube stunts.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode exemplifies what makes the CboysTV podcast a fan favorite: wild road trip adventures, creative and risky YouTube projects, a peek behind the curtain into the friendship and antics that power their channel, and, of course, the kind of pranks that can lead to lifelong love stories. If you love stories about "the one that got away" (and came back via random Snapchat), epic builds, meeting heroes, or just want a laugh from dudes expertly winging it, this is an episode for you.

Listen If You Like

• Guy group adventures and inside jokes
• Car builds and YouTube behind-the-scenes
• Prank calls, high jinks, and organic dating stories
• Real talk on tattoos and internet fame

Follow @lifewideopenpodcast for more untold CboysTV stories!