Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as Beer Biceps, is a popular YouTuber and podcast host who always has something to say. He has a platform with an enormous reach, so anything he shares, says or promotes has an impact. But too many times, it seems as if he doesn’t register the fact, because he misses out on basic logic and even sensitivity.
Sadly, there have been moments where the podcast host said and promoted things that were plain wrong. He reminds me of that one kid who just boasts to look cool and smart. It also shows that when you look confident, people will end up trusting you.
These moments are proof:
1. When he said computers could soon create atoms and molecules.
Recently, Ranveer Allahbadia talked about quantum computing in his podcast. Like always, it sounded like he knew what he was talking about – but it was mostly misinformation which he was just confidently blurting out. He also said that computers are going to be able to create atoms and molecules, and Twitter has been discussing how this is not what quantum computing boils down to.
2. When he said, “Hitler was bad, but who isn’t?”
In another one of his podcasts, Beer Biceps discussed about Hitler and the impact that his politics created. He went on to say that he was an evil man, but added that there are other evil people. The guest on his podcast also mentioned that there have been other leaders who killed people – almost comparing atrocities. So it was not only insensitive, but also showed how the lack of empathy plays out and looks like.
3. When he called himself a vibrator. A vibrator… for soul.
The YouTuber also puts elaborate captions on his posts, which is a personal choice. But when you’re an influencer, everything you do and say, is taken seriously. So his caption, where he called himself a vibrator for the soul, met with a similar response. It was weird, and people couldn’t find a suitable explanation for this term.
4. When he told women how to dress up.
In a “harmless” tweet, Ranveer Allahbadia shared a life hack with women. He wrote that wearing a long kurti with big earrings makes any girl attractive – and it’s a hack to bring any guy on his knees. Of course, it sounded sweet to some people, but actually, it was just another sexist comment. This was one of the many examples of casual locker-room remarks which go unnoticed. He also shared a picture of a woman to explain.
5. When he discussed how sex ‘impacts’ women.
During an episode, Ambika Devi, a guest on his podcast mentioned that women who have more sex, look older. He also had an opinion on it, where he talked about brahmacharya, and how his meditation breaks when he has sex. The thing is, it’s ignorant and problematic to just share information that is factually wrong. Specifically, when it is about a topic that is already a taboo for our society.
6. When he let go of a racist comment on his show.
The reaction to Vir Das’ special, I Come From Two Indias isn’t unknown to us – the trolling was brutal. And then, Abhijit Chavda, a guest on Ranveer Allahbadia’s show, passed comments that were insensitive and racist. He used the term “brown coolie” to describe the artist. The issue is that not only did Allahbadia bring up the topic, but he also let such comments pass. This is irresponsible, when there’s already sensitivity attached to a discussion.
7. When he lost the check on privilege and toxic positivity.
We cannot deny the fact that Ranveer Allahabadia is the flag bearer of hustle culture. He often comes up with reels and videos where he imparts apparent knowledge on success and working hard for it. But he often forgets that people do not have the same resources or lives. Like this one video where he asks people to deal with stress by not being stressful.
8. When he was obsessed with aliens.
A number of people on Twitter pointed out that Beer Biceps talks about aliens more than any podcast host, or any person, for that matter. This is just random discussion where he asks people about their opinions on the existence of aliens. But many others pointed that such topics boil down to getting more viewers, and using the algorithm for numbers, while sharing information that is not verified.
For some reason, his content works – doesn’t mean he cannot put some effort on research or sensitivity training.