Smosh Reads Reddit Stories: “R/evenge” | Episode Summary

Podcast: Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
Host: Shane (Shayne Topp)
Guests: Tommy, Katami (Damian)
Date: September 6, 2025
Theme: Revenge

Overview

In this episode of "Smosh Reads Reddit Stories," host Shayne Topp and guests Tommy and Damian (as Katami) dive into the theme of revenge, reading and reacting to a curated selection of Reddit’s best revenge tales. With the classic Smosh blend of dry wit, playful banter, and the occasional deep dive into the bizarre, the trio dissects whether revenge stories are cathartic, over the top, or just plain ridiculous. The episode is packed with laughter, unique perspectives, and some genuinely odd anecdotes.

Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

1. Opening Banter: Plotting Revenge & Antics

[01:00–02:40]

• The episode kicks off with jokes about plotting revenge, but Tommy and Katami clarify that they're not actually vengeful by nature.
• The group muses on why people love revenge tales, even if they’d never execute such schemes themselves.
  • “I like listening to revenge. Cause it’s, like, cathartic...Instead of revenge, I go, ‘Oh, I’m just sad. And I’ll just eat that up in my belly.’” – Tommy [02:10]
  • Running joke: “Don’t look under your seat.”

2. Story 1: Petty Revenge – The Butane Heist

[03:07–09:04]

• Synopsis: Redditor witnesses a man rudely cut in front of seniors in a grocery checkout line and sneakily removes a crucial can of butane from his cart as indirect justice.
• Panel Thoughts:
  • The group debates if this was sufficient revenge (“I think they could have upped that revenge a little bit.” – Shane [04:36]).
  • Jokes about what would constitute “Disney movie” revenge.
  • Ethical questions about tampering with someone else’s cart and the legality/morality of the act.
  • Imaginary scenarios of escalating petty revenge (e.g., attracting bears to the wrongdoer’s tent).
  • “If I was a witch, I would turn him old.” – Tommy [09:04]
  • They emphasize the difference between inconveniencing someone versus actual harm.

3. Story 2: Music and Accidental Sex Dungeon Conductor

[13:14–21:25]

• Synopsis: A tenant uses guitar playing to drown out loud, amorous neighbors, inadvertently triggering a Pavlovian response—the neighbors can only finish if the music is playing. Eventually, the entire apartment gets into a vengeful sex/noise competition.
• Panel Thoughts:
  • “He revived our dead bedroom because we hate you so much. You’re a libido necromancer.” – Katami [16:48]
  • The situation snowballs into neighbors having “revenge sex,” but panelists question if anyone’s actually being avenged.
  • Lighthearted debate about what music would best (or worst) facilitate the situation (recommendations include “Weird Al” or “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”).
  • Tommy shares his own experiences with noisy neighbors.
  • “There is a wall...I’m six feet away from people having sex. Yep.” – Shane [15:55]
  • Comedic asides imagine creating “sex challenges” via music selection.

4. Story 3: Nuclear Revenge – The Fire Ant Catastrophe

[22:22–34:35]

• Synopsis: After an argument, a girlfriend deliberately sabotages her boyfriend’s elaborate fire ant colonies, unleashing hundreds of stinging insects into the apartment (mid-pandemic lockdown!).
• Panel Thoughts:
  • The group is shocked by the scale and consequences for everyone (other tenants, the ants, personal health).
  • “You made your living space unlivable. You made it ants.” – Shane [27:34]
  • Emphasis on how losing control and seeking revenge can have wide, unintended fallout.
  • Katami shares a parallel horror story involving “bird mites” and modern pest removal (“they cook the bugs out of your walls” [29:54]).
  • Shane draws the line: “There are certain reactions where it’s like, such a red flag. This is where it goes past the red flag. I’m like, it’s now the thing that the red flags warn you about.” [32:52]
  • The crew agrees this is an irredeemable relationship move.

5. Story 4: Wedding Photo Revenge – Erasing the Eraser

[37:37–44:57]

• Synopsis: OP’s sister-in-law purposefully leaves their side of the family out of wedding photos. OP, now getting married, plans elaborate “revenge” to similarly erase the sister-in-law from their own wedding footage and materials.
• Panel Thoughts:
  • “Not asking if it’s too mean. It’s not. It’s fucking awesome. If I win, I win. Go to hell. Comments disabled. Fuck you.” – Shane, parodying the story’s tone [37:46]
  • Lively discussion about the energy—and personal cost—of planning deep revenge. Is it really worth it?
  • The crew observes that holding funeral-level grudges and devising multi-step schemes is draining (“If someone I knew said they were doing something this extravagant, I’d be like, don’t ever tell me you don’t have time for things.” – Shane [45:05])
  • Alternatives proposed: Just don’t invite people, communicate honestly, or use mild mischief (like Photoshopping).
  • “Your wedding is in eight days, and you seem obsessed.” – Shane [39:45]
  • Broader conversation about families who hold onto petty grievances for decades.

6. Story 5: Soap Arms Race – Luxury Cleanliness Wars

[48:40–55:36]

• Synopsis: A couple spirals into a petty, competitive escalation over “for-guests-only” luxury soap. The husband rebels by buying his own equally fancy soap, each trying to outdo the other.
• Panel Thoughts:
  • “This is a Redditor. This is a funny Redditor right here.” – Shane [50:20]
  • The group laughs at the absurd class warfare over hand soap and points out the pointlessness of saving nice things for rare occasions.
  • “I just refused to be born into the lower class. She hasn’t spoken to me in two days. But I smell amazing.” – Reddit OP [51:01]
  • Jokes about what’s truly worth arguing over in a partnership.
  • A behind-the-scenes “lore drop”: The Reddit OP’s account is “entirely photos of his dick,” suggesting that this kind of pettiness fits the persona [56:14].
  • “Good writer and apparently a great dick.” – Tommy [57:41]

7. Story 6: Yellowjacket Toilet – Sting Operation Gone Wrong

[57:45–69:16]

• Synopsis: OP captures a yellowjacket under a glass, dumps glass and all in the toilet (unflushed), leading to a houseguest being stung on the genitals. It escalates to a slapstick episode of ball-massaging and frenzied bee-chasing.
• Panel Thoughts:
  • The crew immediately questions the story’s plausibility, obsessed with the logic gaps: “Are we allowed to say this, Bailey, that this obviously did not fucking happen?” – Katami [63:31]
  • Dissect the anatomy of a “bullshit” viral Reddit post.
  • “My question: Why do you have to be the one to massage the balls? I’m like, your buddy can massage his own balls.” – Shane [64:10]
  • Humorous speculation on the “Three Stooges” style slapstick (ending: “...where in all their antics, they end up sucking all each other’s dicks.” – Shane [68:34])

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• “You’re a libido necromancer.” – Katami [16:48]
• “It was a lot of negative energy on what is supposed to be the most joyous day...Is it not better to say, like, you’re not invited?” – Shane [40:00]
• “If someone I knew said they were doing something this extravagant, I’d be like, don’t ever tell me you don’t have time for things.” – Shane [45:05]
• “There are certain reactions where it’s like, such a red flag. This is where it goes past the red flag. I’m like, it’s now the thing that the red flags warn you about.” – Shane [32:52]
• “You made your living space unlivable. You made it ants.” – Shane [27:34]

Running Themes & Insights

• Petty vs. Meaningful Revenge: The panel repeatedly questions whether any revenge plot is truly satisfying or worthwhile (“I am too lazy to get revenge.” – Shane [45:53])
• Is There Ever ‘Enough’ Revenge? Escalation is a recurring motif—what begins as minor slights rapidly snowballs into elaborate side quests, family drama, or expensive destruction.
• The Collateral Damage of Payback: Stories often reveal broader unintended harm—to bystanders, communities, or one’s own quality of life.
• Communication as a Solution: A recurring suggestion is that directness and boundaries (rather than revenge) are the healthier path.
• Absurdity as Therapy: The group finds catharsis in the sheer ridiculousness of these stories, using humor to manage the “ick” factor and question mainstream impulses for payback.
• The Best Revenge May Be... Doing Nothing: Katami sums up: “I think people need to learn to be okay with, like, not winning a situation. Like, you’re safe, your friends are cool with you, your family’s cool with you. ...What a bummer. I don’t get to win that. I’m gonna go sleep.” [46:04]

Final Thoughts & Sign-Off

• Knowledge Drops:
  • Diatomaceous earth cameo, described with scientific accuracy and warnings [33:27].
  • The phrase “Revenge is best served cold” finally clarified: “It means, wait a minute. Take your time and plan it. Oh, the meal has to cool down. Serve it cold.” – Katami [69:30]
• Meta Reflection: They joke about the possibility of people having sex to their podcasts (“There are people who probably accidentally...I don’t think it’s intentional.” – Shane [21:12]).
• Closing: The hosts collectively wish listeners a revenge-free week: “Hope you’re not needing to get revenge on anyone. Hope that’s not necessary.” – Shane [70:32]

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [01:00] Introduction – Hosts and theme blurb
• [03:07] Story 1: Petty Butane Revenge (grocery line justice)
• [13:14] Story 2: Sex Noise–Guitar–Revenge Escalation
• [22:22] Story 3: Fire Ants Unleashed
• [37:37] Story 4: The Wedding Photo Erasure
• [48:40] Story 5: The Soap Wars
• [57:45] Story 6: Yellowjacket Toilet Disaster

For Smosh fans and those who love Reddit’s wildest revenge stories, this episode expertly blends cathartic cringe with comedic deconstruction of what it means to "get even." The hosts’ banter and genuine reflections provide both laughs and the occasional moment of accidental wisdom.