The Nelk Boys: Unraveling the Steiny Hate
The raucous prank-based content creator group known as the Nelk Boys has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. But while personalities like Kyle Forgeard and SteveWillDoIt have built avid fanbases, one Nelk Boy in particular seems to inspire outright hatred amongst viewers – Steiny.
From his perceived lack of humor and talent to his over-the-top materialism on social media, Steiny has become the punching bag for Nelk detractors. Videos ridiculing him rack up millions of views, and comments attacking every aspect of his persona flood each new Nelk upload featuring the beleaguered personality.
Yet despite the overwhelming disdain, Steiny remains not just an integral part of the Nelk Boys but has ascended to become the main host of their massively popular Full Send podcast. This seeming contradiction begs the question – why does someone so widely hated continue to occupy such an important role?
The Reasons Behind the Near-Universal Steiny Hate
While the other main Nelk Boys like Kyle, Steve, and Jesse have clear talents and charisma that endear them to fans, Steiny is generally viewed as lacking in humor, authenticity, talent, and likability.
Steiny has built his personal brand around flaunting an extravagant, materialistic lifestyle, incessantly posting about luxury cars, designer clothing, and first-class travel on his social media accounts. Critics have accused him of artificially inflating this lifestyle, faking designer purchases he can‘t actually afford.
Making matters worse, Steiny carries himself with a cocksure swagger that comes off as both arrogant and unearned to many viewers. "I don‘t think anybody has gone further in entertainment with less talent," comedian Andrew Schultz infamously quipped during a tense Full Send appearance.
These perceptions mesh poorly with Nelk‘s brand image of irreverent pranksters just trying to have a laugh.
Controversies That Have Fueled the Steiny Hate Inferno
Beyond just his perceived inflated ego, a string of public controversies have caused Steiny‘s reputation to nose-dive even further:
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The Lamborghini Fiasco: Steiny constantly posed with a bright yellow Lamborghini on social media and Nelk videos, flaunting it as his personal vehicle. But users uncovered registry records showing the Lambo was actually rented, not owned by Steiny. Being exposed as artificially embellishing his wealth and lying about his possessions made Steiny a lightning rod for ridicule.
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The Botox Debacle: In mid-2022 Steiny began frequently sporting noticeably puffy features and frozen facial expressions in videos. When fans questioned whether he had gotten Botox injections, Steiny raged defensively and adamantly denied receiving any cosmetic procedures. But the swollen appearance persisted, and most viewers concluded he was clearly lying about having work done. This perceived vanity and dishonesty earned Steiny another wave of mockery.
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The Amery Controversy: When Nelk brought Steiny to lead their content house raid on the town of Amery, Wisconsin in 2021, his prominence in the videos led to significant local backlash accusing Nelk of showcasing someone "so stupid and rude.” The public relations nightmare demonstrated the danger posed by Steiny‘s unpopularity.
These repeated incidents have cemented Steiny‘s public persona as abrasive, narcissistic, dishonest, and lacking self-awareness. For many Nelk fans, Steiny has come to symbolize everything wrong with internet fame chasing and influence culture.
Steiny‘s Outsized Importance to the Nelk Boys‘ Success
Given this tidal wave of vitriol, one would expect Steiny‘s days with Nelk to be numbered. But the opposite has shockingly come to pass – Steiny has entrenched himself as the lead host of Nelk‘s crown jewel asset, the massively popular Full Send podcast.
The podcast has rapidly become Nelk‘s most lucrative asset and a key driver of their overall fame and viewership. Full Send reached #13 on the overall iTunes charts in 2021. When Steiny took over primary podcast hosting duties starting in late 2021, Nelk‘s channel received a significant boost in engagement:
While hated by many fans, behind the scenes Steiny has a close personal friendship with squad leader Kyle Forgeard. For Kyle, Steiny‘s ability to draw clicks and controversy makes him too valuable to let go, whatever the fan reception.
Veteran Nelk commentator James Getty offered his analysis: "There‘s no question Steiny attracts attention, both positive and negative. Kyle recognizes that in the social media game, any attention is good attention when it comes to building fame and getting clicks."
And in truth, Steiny does move the needle when it comes to viewership and engagement. His driveway Lamborghinis and first-class Emirates flights attract eyeballs; his poorly-received podcast interviews generate an irresistible car-crash spectacle effect. Like a reality show villain, Steiny-focused Nelk content succeeds precisely because of the hatred, not in spite of it.
What Does Steiny Actually Contribute Behind the Scenes?
But beyond just acting as a provocative lightning rod, what value does Steiny provide to Nelk behind the camera? Kyle Forgeard has stated that Steiny handles key business operations like merch manufacturing/fulfillment and sponsorship deal management.
However, former Nelk editor Lucas Warneke painted a less flattering picture: “Anyone who actually works with Nelk knows Steiny doesn’t do a tenth of what he takes credit for. He’s more of a hype man stirring up drama to get attention. Actual business operations he stays far away from.”
So while Steiny may contribute less actual functional value than his title would suggest, clearly Kyle values the attention and infamy he brings to the Nelk brand – for better or worse.
The Downsides of Being the Internet‘s Punching Bag
Nonetheless, Steiny‘s pariah status has also led to significant downsides for both him personally and the Nelk Boys as a whole. Steiny‘s desire to step out from Kyle‘s shadow and host Full Send caused a bitter rift with SteveWillDoIt, who felt betrayed after giving Steiny his first break.
During podcast appearances, Steiny is frequently the target of brutal ridicule from high-profile guests like Andrew Schultz, leading to awkward tensions instead of the intended carefree humor:
"Every word that comes out of Steiny‘s mouth is bullshit…I think he‘s just insecure and lying constantly to protect his insecurity.” – Andrew Schultz on Full Send Podcast
Continually facing this kind of disrespect seems to have impacted Steiny‘s own performance and behavior as well. Originally meek and mild-mannered, the constant attacks seem to have spurred Steiny to adopt an over-the-top persona overcompensating to prove the haters wrong.
But this change has only served to draw even more criticism. Recent Full Send episodes with Steiny as host have been panned as missing the comedic chemistry and timing that Kyle or Steve brought to the table.
Attempts to Rehab Steiny‘s Image Have Stalled
In late 2022 Nelk attempted a coordinated effort to rehabilitate Steiny‘s tarnished public image, putting him front and center in video pranks and podcast episodes intended to spotlight his humor and likeability.
But these golden opportunities yielded minimal results – recently released “Lie Detector Test” and “Steiny Hosts the Full Send Podcast” videos still maintain net negative like/dislike ratios, indicating that most viewers remain unswayed on their disdain for Steiny:
| Video Title | Dislikes | Likes | % Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steiny Hosts the Full Send Podcast | 31K | 16K | 66% |
| Steiny DOES A LIE DETECTOR Test | 43K | 33K | 57% |
Clearly the well of ill-will towards the beleaguered Nelk Boy remains deep, impervious even to his squad mates‘ efforts to reframe the narrative.
"They‘ve tried putting lipstick on a pig by featuring Steiny more positively, but old perceptions die hard," commented Nelk superfan Daniel Spencer. "Nothing short of a wholesale reboot of his personality would move the needle."
The Future Role of the Most Hated Nelk Boy
As Nelk continues to expand, the tension between Steiny‘s polarizing persona and his integral viewership-driving role will only heighten.
While Kyle clearly values the clicks and chaos Steiny stirs up, even the most attention-seeking viewers may eventually tire of his antics given enough time. Yet the access and opportunities Kyle has granted seem to preclude any possibility of Steiny voluntarily walking away.
Nelk spinoff brand Full Send in particular faces a dilemma – with Steiny entrenched as lead podcast personality despite lacking comedic chops, can the show continue hitting high viewership benchmarks long-term? Or will fan frustration, declining performance metrics, and further controversies force a changing of the guard?
"Nelk built an empire on understanding internet dynamics better than anyone," mused commentator Moe Sargi. "But the Steiny situation may prove their greatest test yet – trying to balance someone so polarizing yet so central to their business."
For the Nelk Boys and Steiny both, finding the right equilibrium will require some delicate recalibrating going forward. But as long as Kyle believes the infamy is worth the cost, his spot seems secure – no matter how much ridicule comes his way or relationships fray behind the scenes.
The Bottom Line: Love Him or Hate Him, Steiny Is Here to Stay
Clearly the bizarre dynamic around pervasive Steiny hatred shows no signs of abating. For every fan demanding his dismissal, another eagerly clicks on the latest Steiny trainwreck saga despite (or perhaps because of) their disdain.
As other groups like legendary prank pioneers Jackass have demonstrated, not all contributors to an entertainment brand need be equally beloved. As long as Kyle Forgeard continues viewing Steiny as an asset, all indications point to his ironclad tenure inside the Nelk inner circle persisting indefinitely, public perception be damned.
Steiny may remain the Nelk Boy fans love to hate, but that hatred is precisely what makes him indispensable in Kyle‘s eyes. Wherever Nelk goes next, for better or worse viewers can count on Steiny tagging along for the chaotic ride.
So despite the astronomical odds against him, the reign of the Internet‘s most resented prankster appears far from finished. The complex dynamic around the ubiquitous Steiny hate ensures he will remain a mainstay of the Nelk ecosystem for the foreseeable future.