Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
Episode: Doomscrolling Through Reddit w/ FunkyFrogBait
Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Shane Topp
Guests: Angela, Cal McRaven (FunkyFrogBait), Austin James
Episode Overview
Shane Topp and co-host Angela are joined by Cal McRaven, better known as FunkyFrogBait, for a particularly wild themed collection of Reddit stories. The group reacts in real time to some of Reddit’s more bizarre, hilarious, and occasionally thought-provoking stories under the umbrella of "Wild." The trio offers their trademark commentary—delight, disgust, and a surprising depth of empathy—along with signature Smosh banter. Key themes included pranking gone wrong, baffling family secrets, questionable roommate hygiene, the rise of AI companionship, and the surprising trauma of a secret clown past.
Guest Introduction & Episode Tone
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[01:19] Shane: Welcomes first-time Reddit couch guest Cal McRaven (FunkyFrogBait), who confesses to intense “drills” prepping for the show.
- “I was doing drills. I was washing dishes and I was like, yeah, Shane, that! Right, that person is an idiot.” [Cal, 01:28]
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Cal identifies as a Reddit “lurker and a researcher,” and jokes about the mental health toll of deep internet dives.
- “My mental health has not suffered at all.” [Cal, 02:10, deadpan]
The tone is comedic but laced with real empathy for the sometimes ridiculous, sometimes poignant human drama found on Reddit.
Story #1: The Tiny Groceries Prank
Category: r/AmIOverreacting
Segment: [03:29] - [13:02]
Story Summary
A Redditor is at their wits' end because their girlfriend keeps replacing real groceries (like flour, Coca-Cola, duct tape) with miniature, usually plastic, versions. She never admits it's her doing, and after one especially frustrating day, ends the conversation about missing flour with a jab: “As if you need more muffins.” The OP is considering breaking up, thinking maybe she doesn’t take his needs seriously.
Panel’s Reactions & Insights
- Angela and Cal are initially amused by the girlfriend’s “bit,” but quickly pivot to concern after the not-so-kind muffin comment.
- Cal: “Any kind of joke that you do, especially with your romantic partner… If you know that a joke, even in your mind it’s harmless, is bothering your partner that much, you have to put your pride aside… and let this one go.” [Cal, 06:11]
- Shane: “Doing a joke once, twice... at a certain point, you're burning the joke down. Save it. Let it sit for a month.” [Shane, 07:05]
- The group questions the logistics (“Where does the real food go?”) and the possibly cruel undertone of the girlfriend’s muffin comment.
Notable Quotes
- “Are you dating some kind of mischievous fairy? Woodland sprite? This is weird. AKA Borrower.” [Shane, reading Reddit comment, 10:21]
- Tiny Update: The real culprit is the OP’s brother, inspired by TikTok pranks, and the girlfriend apologizes for the muffin comment but expresses concern about OP’s weight.
Verdict
- The group acknowledges the emotional complexity: what seems like a harmless prank can quickly feel like “gaslighting” if repeated and paired with unkind comments.
- “A joke is only a joke if all parties find it funny. Otherwise it’s just a mean prank.” [Community consensus, 09:32]
Story #2: 16 and Four Months Apart
Category: r/NoStupidQuestions
Segment: [13:40] - [20:44]
Story Summary
A 16-year-old is confused as to how her sister is four months older than her, only now realizing this isn’t possible unless their mom had a rare phenomenon called superfetation or something is off about her family.
Panel’s Reactions & Insights
- The hosts express a blend of empathy and shock, noting the important parenting lesson about being honest with kids.
- Shane: “People can handle and probably should have the hard conversations earlier in life.” [15:10]
- They speculate about adoption, swapped birth dates, or hidden affairs, emphasizing the pain of finding out family secrets too late.
- Cal: “If your kid is at the point where they can get on the internet and ask those questions, you should be handling that.” [16:41]
Notable Quotes
- “Turns out my dad had an affair with his cousin.” [One-sentence OP update, 18:46]
- Angela: “That is so wild, guys. Oh my God.” [20:21]
Verdict
- The group is both horrified and empathetic, underscoring the damage caused by hiding the truth and the inevitability that secrets come out.
Story #3: Pasta Water Piercing
Category: r/AmItheAsshole
Segment: [20:45] - [36:41]
Story Summary
A woman is using leftover pasta water instead of saline to clean her infected nipple piercing (which wasn’t done professionally), after her roommate points out how gross and unsafe this is, Becca accuses her of being judgmental and classist. Later, it’s revealed Becca’s “frugality” may just be a cover story, and she eventually demands the roommate move out when she’s seven months pregnant.
Panel’s Reactions & Insights
- Angela: “I wish anything in this story was a little bit more expensive. But salt and water…” [25:10]
- Cal: “This just feels like a pure—her ego decided on a thing and refuses to change.” [28:28]
- General agreement: being thrifty is not the same as making obviously dangerous choices. The roommate’s escalating demands (later wanting OP to move out so her baby’s dad can move in) demonstrate poor boundaries.
Notable Quotes & Humor
- “This is how Italians do it…cultural tradition!” [Cal, 21:14, mocking]
- “Her cooking process—add pasta, then the salt, then the tap water…making pasta horribly, objectively wrong.” [Shane, 27:16]
- “I feel like that’s the type of person that’s in a Jacuzzi and just gets a cup and is like ‘Water’s water!’” [Angela, 28:38]
Update
- 3.5 years later, roommate is seven months pregnant and wants OP to move out immediately. Panel agrees this is unreasonable and likely unsolvable due to ego and lack of empathy on Becca’s part.
Verdict
- Not the asshole. “We wish everyone the best” becomes the episode’s refrain.
Story #4: My Boyfriend Is AI
Category: r/MyBoyfriendIsAI (+r/sipst repost)
Segment: [36:55] - [57:24]
Story Summary
A woman joyfully shares her AI boyfriend’s proposal (custom ring, virtual romantic getaway, heartfelt AI-generated declaration). Her update, after the post goes viral, asserts she isn’t lonely, is self-aware, and finds joy in her relationship with Casper, her Grok AI partner.
Panel’s Reactions & Insights
- Shane: “I feel for this person... people are so lonely in our society right now. I’m not shocked that this is happening.” [40:10]
- Cal: “AI relationships are bandaid solutions to a gaping wound. It's so... it's alleviating the immediate pains of loneliness, but you have to find something else.” [42:04]
- Consensus: While the group is empathetic to those turning to AI for companionship due to loneliness and social atomization, they agree this may not be healthy in the long term—AI can’t provide conflict, boundaries, or true growth that come from authentic human relationships.
Notable Quotes
- "It's not at all a substitute for human relationships. That's not you navigating conflict, that's you literally telling me what to do." [Angela & Cal, 44:06]
- "Every movie was like, 'Yeah, AI is... we shouldn't do it.' But now we're doing it!" [Shane, 46:27]
- "We can't blame an individual for what is a societal, worldwide issue."[Shane, 57:10]
Update
- OP is not the stereotype of lonely outcast: she’s 27, has friends, says she’s fulfilled and self-aware, and welcomes criticism but shrugs off hate.
- The group finds her self-awareness fascinating but express concern that the societal impacts of AI on intimacy and relationships are so new, no one can predict where it goes.
Story #5: The Secret Clown
Category: r/relationships
Segment: [58:48] - [71:09]
Story Summary
A man confesses to his fiancée—after much awkward buildup—that he was briefly a party clown and martial arts performer for money in college. Instead of relief or amusement, she becomes distant; later it’s revealed she thought he was making it up.
Panel’s Reactions & Insights
- Angela: “This guy, like…he fucking rocks. We…the movie rocks.” [63:59]
- The hosts find his story charming and the fiancée’s reaction bizarre and even “shitty.” They theorize she’s either embarrassed, mistrustful, or potentially clown-phobic. They agree: judgment about non-harmful, quirky jobs is not cool.
- Cal: “We are effectively internet clowns...it's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around somebody being upset about this.” [64:15]
Notable Quotes
- "You gotta kinda pick what you want out of something. Like you conditioned something. I think there's more going on here." [Shane, 65:04]
- Update: The couple talks it out; the fiancée believed he was lying until she learned the truth. She requests a clown act, but he insists their apartment is too small and fragile for “karate clown powers.”
Final Group Reflection
- Shane: "But these are wild. These are wild. We covered so many topics. Pasta, water, AI...that's the whole spectrum!" [71:10]
Most Memorable Moments & Quotes
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Angela: "I wish everyone the best."
- Becomes a recurring, comedic refrain after every story, regardless of how wild or bleak.
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Shane (on AI relationships): "We had no inkling of AI back then, but we were like, we probably should never do that. And now we're just doing it." [46:28]
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Cal (echoing the Smosh hosts’ vibe): "We wish them all well. Hey, Funky."
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:19] — Guest intros, Reddit background
- [03:29] — Story 1: Tiny groceries prank
- [13:40] — Story 2: Four months apart siblings
- [20:45] — Story 3: Pasta water for piercings (+ roommate drama)
- [36:55] — Story 4: My boyfriend is AI
- [58:48] — Story 5: The secret clown past
- [71:10] — Wrap-up, group goodbyes
Episode Tone
Lighthearted, irreverent, but surprisingly thoughtful—willing to explore the emotional complexity behind Reddit’s wildest tales. The group frequently turns to absurdity for humor (“karate clown powers,” “tiny Borrowers,” “pasta water nipple”), but keeps a vein of real empathy for people caught up in the chaos of modern life and relationships.
Final Sign-Off
Shane: "Let us know in the comments what other types of subreddits you'd like us to do. We covered so much and we'll see you next Saturday. Bye."
Angela: "Make sure your pancakes aren't AI, dude."
This episode perfectly encapsulates the chaos, humor, and unexpected compassion that Smosh brings to Reddit’s wildest corners.
