Ben Mandelker of Watch What Crappens: Digital Content Success Relies on Ruthless Consistency and Embracing Imperfection

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ben Mandelker.

Ben Mandelker is a Los Angeles-based writer and podcaster. He co-hosts Watch What Crappens, a comedy podcast that boasts over 2 million listens a month and is currently on tour throughout North America. As a writer, Ben has collaborated with MGM Studios, Chernin Entertainment, Automatik Entertainment, and actor/director Zach Braff. Additionally, Ben writes, directs, and animates The Real Housewares of Kitchen Island, a YouTube parody of Bravo’s popular Real Housewives franchise. His pop culture observations and multimedia creations have been cited in Entertainment Weekly, US Magazine, The New York Times, Gawker, Jezebel, Details Magazine, MSNBC, The Associated Press, Spin Magazine, USA Today, and The Washington Post. He is obsessed with board games and Ina Garten.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Katonah, NY — about an hour north of New York City. At eighteen I left the nest and went off to Dartmouth College where I studied rigorously and learned the ways of beer pong too. After graduating, I headed to Los Angeles to start a job as a production assistant for a short-lived but wonderful show named “Andy Richter Controls the Universe.”

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I always wanted to be a writer for the screen, whether it be film or TV. For years I toiled away in Hollywood working on various scripts, and along the way, my then-roommate Joe came up with the idea of starting a newfangled thing called a blog. Joe was a techie who wanted to understand blog software, and I figured it would be a good way to write something that could get out to the public. Little did I realize this would send me down a path to having a career in the digital content space. The site, brashly named TVgasm.com, focused on mid-Aughts television — The Hills, The OC, 24. In 2004, it was one of the only places on the internet where people could read next-day recaps of their favorite series. And so it grew. And grew. And in 2006 we sold the site to Bunim-Murray Productions, making us one of the first blog acquisitions of the era. During this time I had minor wins on the screenwriting front, but nothing ever made it to the screen. My reputation as a comic voice on the internet, however, continued to open doors for me. I was soon hired to host a web series about Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise. It was a little gig, and my main responsibility was to book a guest each week for the show. A revolving door of people joined me on camera during that time, but my chemistry was best with two writers: Ronnie Karam and Matt Whitfield. After about a year, the web series and its platform shuttered, but Ronnie, Matt, and I were having so much fun yapping about TV that we decided to keep it going. Why not try our hands at podcasting? The grand experiment of the “Watch What Crappens” podcast began. After a year, Matt moved on to pursue other professional interests, but Ronnie and I kept with the podcast. In a city of No, it was the one Yes in our lives. And it has continued to be a series of Yes’s for ten years.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting story for me was the first time we recorded our podcast live in New York City. It was our first time ever performing outside of Los Angeles, and we thought fifty people would show up sixty max. We were shocked when the Gotham Comedy Club was up and sold 300 tickets in half a day. When we took the stage, the noise of the crowd was deafening. The club manager said it was the loudest audience he’d ever encountered at Gotham. It was a total rush, and it was the first time we realized we could be a touring act.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Our show is built on a technical error. We were so excited about the very first episode we ever recorded — it was funny, brisk, alive. We couldn’t wait for the world to hear it. Then we tried to play it back. The file was corrupted. And so the first episode of “Watch What Crappens” never made it to air. It really set the tone for the podcast: striving for glory but never above imperfections.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

These days my co-host Ronnie Karam and I are preparing to go out on our 10th Anniversary Hunky Dory Tour in 2022. We’ll be headed to 21 cities, starting with NYC where we’ll be both celebrating our 10th Podcast Birthday but also holding our annual award show: The Golden Crappies. It’s an event where we give out awards for the best and worst of Bravo TV. We always have special guests — last year Andy Cohen, Margaret Josephs, Kate Chastain, Captain Lee Rosbach and many more showed up (virtually, it was the height of the pandemic after all). I’m also writing new episodes of my animated web show, The Real Housewares of Kitchen Island.

You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

If you’re serious about building a podcast audience, come up with a schedule that you know you can maintain — whether it be once a week, twice a month, once a month, or simply an 8 episode “season.” Once you begin, you really can’t stop. People will build routines around your content. The moment listeners can’t rely on you is the moment you fall out of their priorities. Also, try to guest on other podcasts to get exposure. It takes a long time and the competition is building every day; so don’t waste time — get out there and start recording. Oh, and don’t be precious about your content. It will take several episodes to get your voice; so be okay with not having perfect episodes.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

There has never been a situation where diversity hasn’t helped us grow as a culture. Voices offer stories, and those stories lead to a greater understanding of how we exist. We can’t truly comprehend how we impact people — positively and negatively — without hearing from other voices.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. It’s okay to say no. When I was an aspiring writer in my twenties, I said yes to every gig that came my way, even if I was totally uninspired. As a result, I churned out crap, and I did myself a disservice by not showcasing my writing in its best light. It’s okay to say no — you will not get in trouble. People will respect it.
2. The timeline is subjective. Finding success is a unique path. In my first year in Los Angeles, my friend booked the lead of a popular television show and became a celebrity. I was an assistant. In my thirteenth year in LA, my other friend was writing on a top sitcom, eventually going on to executive produce his own show on ABC. I was driving Uber. Ultimately though, I found success with my podcast. It took longer than my friends, but who really cares? I probably would have given up had I obsessed over the timeline. Don’t do it.
3. Follow the inspiration. This advice is about as cliché as it comes — do what you love! — but it has never failed me. I’ve never found success when I’ve done what I thought I should do. Find that thing that thrills you — that keeps you up late at night thinking about it. If you’re not obsessing over it all day long, it might not be your passion.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Find an outlet. If you’re an extrovert like me, find people. If you’re an introvert, schedule your alone time. I use board games and cooking to unwind. It’s not easy, and some people don’t have the privilege of free time. If your schedule is jammed with work, family, etc, I recommend taking a proactive approach to self-care. Find rituals you can weave into your overstuffed life.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I actually would love to inspire people — self-included — to chill out in online interactions. There’s so much toxicity on social media sometimes, and it’s totally unnecessary. I think we could be so productive if we just stopped biting each other’s heads off online. Maybe someday.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I am deeply grateful to my parents who never pressured me away from podcasting. They always supported what I wanted to do — whether it be as a writer, a blogger, or a podcaster. At no point did they tell me I should “get a real job.” I think that tacit support allowed me to dive into these various pursuits with full focus. Had I flinched, I may have wound up going down a completely different path that may not have been as fulfilling.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I really don’t have a life lesson quote. I’ve never been a person who’s used quotes or vision boards to steer themselves. I just kind of… wake up and get through the day as best as I can.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Ina Garten. She’s my favorite person ever. I feel like we’ll be friends. I hope? Maybe?

How can our readers follow you online?

@benmandelker on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify Greenroom, and even Peloton!

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!