Podcast Summary

Podcast: Too Many Tabs with Pearlmania500
Episode: RUINED: The UGLY side of E.L.F. Cosmetics | TMT 145
Date: September 14, 2025
Hosts: Pearlmania500 (Alex, Mr. Pearl Mania) & Mrs. Pearl Mania

Overview:

This episode dives deep into the recent controversy surrounding e.l.f. Cosmetics and their rage-bait marketing campaign starring comedian Matt Rife. Mrs. Pearl Mania, driven by concern for their own shareholder status (yes, they own e.l.f. stock), meticulously investigates how this marketing misfire ties into broader trends in beauty, influencer culture, corporate decision-making, and the sometimes bizarre history of the e.l.f. company itself. Along the way, the hosts maintain their trademark banter, wry pop culture references, and playful tone—even as they tackle the ugly side of beauty marketing.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Matt Rife x e.l.f. Controversy

• The Ad:

  • On August 11, e.l.f. Cosmetics released an Instagram ad featuring comedian Matt Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet, cast as “affordable beauty attorneys” in a spoof commercial. Matt Rife’s punchline: “I know a thing or two about red flags and pricey makeup. You deserve better than that.”
  • Quote (07:13 | Mrs. Pearl Mania):

    “Matt Rife says, ‘I know a thing or two about red flags and pricey makeup. You deserve better than that.’”

  • The campaign’s premise was a tongue-in-cheek legal skit, patterned after e.l.f.'s previous “Judge Beauty” Super Bowl campaign.

• Why the Uproar?

  • Matt Rife’s Netflix special recently opened with a domestic violence joke, alienating his primarily female fanbase (which had propelled his rise via TikTok crowd work).
  • The hosts dissect how his turn from “the girls’ comic” to “trying to impress the Rogan boys” felt like burning bridges for clout.
  • Quotes Matt Rife’s special (26:23 | Mr. Pearl Mania):

    “I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”

    • Mrs. Pearl Mania’s reaction:

      “That’s the joke he opened with. Immediately the Internet, specifically on TikTok, starts—people are live-TikToking from their couches: ‘What the fuck, Matt Rife?’”

  • Mrs. Pearl Mania contextualizes the insult, noting the statistically greater risk of domestic violence for women (the core beauty market):

    “To me, it seemed like he just wanted to burn down the audience he had to build a bridge to the Rogan-verse.” (25:36)

2. Who Is e.l.f.'s Audience? Marketer Blindness

• e.l.f.’s Audience:

  • Their demographic is predominantly women and "gal-adjacent" people, as Mrs. P names them (20:07).
  • The episode underscores women being the most lucrative, engaged, and communal spenders in events—contrasting with “boys brunch” as a rarity.

• How Did This Happen?

  • The podcast uncovers that e.l.f.'s CMO, Corey Marchisotto, chose Rife based solely on analytics: young TikTok-skewed, female-heavy audience—without considering his reputation fallout.
  • Quote (43:15 | Mrs. P):

    “They asked specifically for audience demographics. They did not…scroll to page three. If you Google ‘Matt Rife controversy,’ it comes up front page.”

  • Marchisotto’s non-apology statement:

    “While Elfino and Smarnas closes today, we will continue to make the case against overpriced beauty.” (32:04)

    • Mrs. P: “No apology in there. That’s so ‘I’m sorry you were offended’ energy.”

3. The Outrage: Weak Response & Social Media Fallout

• Aftermath:

  • e.l.f.'s apology was a vague Instagram post, refusing to remove the ad and making no amends.
  • Community demanded action: donations to domestic violence charities, a real statement, or pulling the campaign.
  • Still, the ad remained, fueling anger and undermining e.l.f.'s “inclusive, DEI-friendly” branding.

• Comparison:

  • The conversation recalls the Bud Light / Dylan Mulvaney controversy:

    “I didn’t see anywhere trending a woman putting a palette of e.l.f. cosmetics up and then shooting it with an AR-15 like Kid Rock.” (31:15 | Mr. Pearl Mania)

    • Mrs. P.: “I’m pissed, but I have all this stuff. I’m not going to throw it away, I’m going to use it. Apparently, I’m using it.”

4. e.l.f. Brand: Values vs. Actions

• History of Inclusivity Marketing:

  • e.l.f. previously spotlighted diversity with campaigns like “So Many Dicks” (highlighting lack of women/diversity on corporate boards), trained women for board roles, and partnered with DEI organizations.
  • Also branded as the go-to “dupe” company, making quality, low-cost alternatives to high-end makeup—accessible to all.

• The Hypocrisy:

  • This misstep particularly rankled because e.l.f. relentlessly markets itself as the affordable, empowering, “for everyone” beauty brand.

5. e.l.f. Company Origin Story (60:32–70:00)

• Founding:

  • Started in 2004 by Scott Vincent Borba (ex-Hard Candy founder; beauty industry vet) and Joseph Shamah (23-year-old NYU biz student whose dad funded the project).
  • The “aha” moment? Borba noticed women with luxury bags bulk-buying dollar makeup, realizing an untapped market.

• Growth & Disruptor Model:

  • e.l.f. launched with $1 products online—the first digital-first beauty brand—deliberately undercutting traditional drugstore price points to hook buyers.

6. Profits, Price Hikes, and Road Acquisition

• The Pivot:
  • e.l.f. leveraged viral, low-cost products and social media, but recently raised prices (citing inflation), then dropped $1 BILLION to acquire Hailey Bieber’s “Rhode” beauty brand just days later.
  • Quote:

    “Guys, look at this sad little lip gloss with googly eyes, we’re so sad…But we do have exactly $1 billion to buy Hailey Bieber’s cosmetic brand.” (76:16)

7. Shareholders, Power, and the Capitalist Machine

• Ownership:
  • e.l.f. is now publicly traded, with major stakes held by financial titans BlackRock, Vanguard, and JP Morgan Chase.
  • Mrs. P (jokingly): “I own $50 in e.l.f. stock, so now I have enormous opinions.”

8. Wild Founder Lore: Borba’s Christmas Carol

• What Happened to Borba?
  • After e.l.f. made him wealthy, Borba experienced a “spiritual exorcism” at a party, was “shown visions of hell” by St. Michael, and left the company to become a priest, donating his fortune.
  • Quote (84:36 | Mrs. P):

    “He says that St. Michael came to him and performed an exorcism…and showed him portals Borba had opened to allow the demons into his life.”

  • Mr. P: “Now Matt Rife might have just cost me our retirement.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Matt Rife’s Netflix Opener (from transcript) (26:23):

  Mr. P: “What Matt Rife said was abhorrent and Terrible. But I have to also point out…hack. That’s a hack joke…A famously misogynistic joke that’s existed for a very long time.”

• On Women-Centered Audiences (20:07):

  Mrs. P: “Having an audience that’s predominantly women is the best possible audience…We buy the merch, we buy the t-shirt…the gal audience is the best audience.”

• On Marketing Hypocrisy (54:57):

  Mr. P: “So for them to miss the mark and sin like this…by getting a guy who opened his biggest special ever with a DV joke is really, like—it’s beyond the pale.”

• On the e.l.f. Name Origin (68:18):

  Mrs. P: “E.L.F. actually stands for Eyes, Lip, Face.”

• Beauty Hurts (81:44):

  Mrs. P: “Beauty hurts is the thing your mom tells you when you’re little.” Mr. P: “Please tell me that Mrs. P just lied. For the love of God, I need that to not be true.”

• On Corporate Ownership (80:49):

  Mr. P: “Blackrock?…Vanguard?…Those are the big three evils…You forgot JP Morgan.”

• On Early e.l.f. Pricing Model (70:54):

  Mrs. P: “Each product cost exactly $1. This wasn’t just competitive pricing—this was a direct challenge to the industry.”

• On the Absurd Founder Arc (84:36):

  Mrs. P: “He says St. Michael came to him and performed an exorcism…showed him the portals he’d opened…then showed him his soul was going to hell.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 03:39 | Overview of the e.l.f. & Matt Rife ad campaign | | 06:42 | How the ad went wrong: Red flags, quotes, context | | 13:46 | Matt Rife, crowd work comedy, and audience dynamics | | 24:55 | The Netflix special’s opening joke, fallout, TikTok rage | | 32:04 | e.l.f. non-apology and community reactions | | 40:01 | e.l.f. refuses to delete campaign; fixing things? | | 43:15 | The CMO’s blindspots, analytic-driven misfire | | 54:57 | Hypocrisy vs. e.l.f.'s past “woke” campaigns | | 60:32 | Company origin story—party, founder oddities | | 73:46 | Announcement of price hikes, road acquisition | | 76:40 | Exposing the cutthroat profit machine vs. DEI narrative | | 82:28 | Founder leaves to become priest; Christmas Carol vision |

Tone & Flavor

The hosts maintain a playful, irreverent energy while packing in sharp social commentary—mixing makeup tutorials, fast-talking rants, internet lore, and historical asides. There’s open mockery of marketing fluff, an emphasis on the intersection of “girl world” and money, and a consistent highlighting of the dissonance between e.l.f.'s branding and actions.

TL;DR Takeaways

• e.l.f. Cosmetics’ latest ad campaign flopped because they failed to reckon with Matt Rife’s problematic image, alienating their predominantly female consumers.
• The fallout highlights corporate tunnel vision on follower demographics over true reputation or alignment with values.
• This saga is particularly stark because e.l.f. has built its brand on affordability, “dupe” culture, inclusivity, and girl power—and yet failed to apologize, act, or even pull the ad.
• The company’s founder, for extra podcast lore, literally left to become a priest after a “Christmas Carol”-style supernatural come-to-Jesus moment.
• All of this makes Mrs. Pearl Mania want to defend her “$50 empire” and call out corporate bad actors on behalf of fellow makeup lovers everywhere.

For further rants, makeup experiments, and niche internet research, check out the full episode or head over to their Patreon.