Photograph Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Each day Beast/YouTube/Pixabay
In the streaming age, each piece of cultural ephemera, from Barney to LuLaRoe, will inevitably be reappraised in a documentary or podcast. The once-ubiquitous recreation app HQ Trivia has gotten each over the previous few years, first with a podcast collection on The Ringer community in 2020 and, now, in a brand new documentary movie from CNN and HBOMax.
The latter, titled Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia, has already precipitated a stir on-line forward of its premiere on CNN this Sunday evening. In February, one of many authentic hosts of the web recreation present, Sarah Pribis, posted a TikTok criticizing her exclusion from the mission and has since made a “Tik-Tokumentary” recounting her expertise on the “poisonous” firm. In a current article for Rolling Stone, Glitch’s director, Salima Koroma, stated that Pribis was introduced in for a “pre-interview” however felt like she “had what [she] wanted” relating to sources.
Current all through Glitch, although, is comic Scott Rogowsky, who turned the face of HQ Trivia when he took over as the sport’s main host in 2017. All through the movie, he spills on the mayhem that occurred behind the scenes at HQ through the app’s transient glory years, together with his contentious relationship with one of many founders, Russ Yusupov.
Rogowsky’s participation brings to thoughts yet one more criticism surrounding CNN’s tackle the dissolution of the app. The Ringer’s Alyssa Beerznek, host of the eight-part podcast collectionBust/Increase: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia, referred to as out the similarities between the documentary and her personal reporting—together with the doc’s title–on Twitter final month regardless of by no means being interviewed.
Within the final episode of Increase/Bust, she offers an fascinating anecdote about Rogowsky, who’s featured within the podcast, and his preliminary reluctance to talk to her. She additionally claims that she heard from a number of those that he had inspired different HQ staffers concerned to demand pay and even spoke to The Ringer’s founder Invoice Simmons about what she thought-about a “coup” of the podcast.
“I don’t assume it’s insane to inquire about compensation for a mission,” Rogowsky informed The Each day Beast. “Invoice Simmons had a giant take care of Spotify. You need hours of my time. You need hours of time from all of the folks concerned. All of them simply obtained laid off.”
Rogowksy wasn’t paid to take part in Glitch both, in response to a consultant for CNN. Nevertheless, he credit his rapid willingness to talk within the doc versus the podcast with what he considers “increased requirements” in journalism. He particularly refers to parts of the podcast the place Bereznak would casually converse along with her editor as “some sort of gossip fest.”
“It simply appears like they’re having a gabfest,” Rogowsky stated about Bust/Increase. “It form of went off the rails.”
Bereznak declined to remark for this story.
Nonetheless, regardless of Rogowsky’s presence within the CNN doc, he wasn’t chomping on the bit to rehash his experiences in yet one more mission about HQ.
“My first thought was, ‘I believe the story has been informed,’” the 38-year-old stated. “I do not know what extra there's to say. However as soon as they made it clear that they are gonna be doing this with or with out me, I believed, ‘OK. Let me a minimum of have my narrative in there.’ And hopefully, this will probably be as soon as and for all, and we will put this to mattress.”
For probably the most half, the 90-minute movie is your beat-for-beat deep-dive right into a failed capitalist enterprise run by a pair of robotic Silicon Valley bros. Whereas it options some alarming revelations, the documentary just isn't your meme-ably outrageous scammer story à la Netflix’s Tiger King or Fyre Pageant documentary. Quite, it’s a extra grounded story about male egos jockeying for energy whereas in poor health outfitted to deal with the demand of their product.
Glitch additionally offers a captivating have a look at the position of recreation reveals as one the few surviving bits of monoculture. HQ Trivia, particularly, was one of many uncommon recreation reveals embraced by largely younger folks, primarily as a result of it came about on customers’ smartphones and provided shared money prizes. The youth’s obsession with the app additionally had lots to do with Rogowsky's magnetism as a number.
When Rogowsky auditioned for HQ, he was working as a stand-up and web comic in New York, most famously identified for his viral “Pretend Guide” Covers collection on YouTube. The chance at HQ got here through his outdated roommate and pal Russell Wyner, who designed visuals for the app. Rogowsky quickly proved to be the suitable match, changing into the primary host in August 2017. Within the span of some months, the 38-year-old grew right into a beloved cult determine identified for his humorous A.Okay.A.s—not not like former comedian duo Desus and Mero’s—his good-looking seems to be and gaudy fits. By 2018, he was well known because the “Quiz Daddy.”
Behind the scenes although, Rogowsky was handled much less like a star and extra like a disposable freelancer, working off six-week contracts with out advantages whereas the present was garnering a million-plus contestants. By the point Yuspov and his now-deceased co-founder Colin Kroll wished to lock him in with a multi-year deal, Rogowsky was nonetheless being lowballed.
“Russ’ first supply to me was a prorated model of the very same quantity that I used to be making,” the comic stated. “I used to be like, ‘Severely, man? There’s no pay elevate in any case of this?’”
Finally, Rogowsky says that Yusupov recruited Scooter Braun, who manages Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, to assist decide an quantity that was honest. This wasn’t the tip of Rogowsky’s points with Yusupov although. Within the movie, Rogowsky claims that the previous Vine founder grew more and more hostile in direction of him, presumably out of jealousy that he was not the face of the app.
Rogowsky stated that his former boss would remind him that his place was solely momentary till they discovered a reliable celeb to host the present. He additionally interfered along with his press alternatives, together with a profile in The Each day Beast that devolved into chaos as soon as Yusupov threatened to fireplace Rogowsky for giving the interview. This public debacle solely introduced extra publicity to the app.
Among the speaking heads in Glitch speculate that the entire fiasco—which led to Yusupov tersely apologizing on social media—was some form of PR stunt. Rogowsky firmly disagrees.
“Everybody likes to throw that card on the market,” the comic stated. “This man is only a lunatic. I don’t know what else to say. It’s vanity. It’s incompetence. It’s an incapability to handle staff, work with expertise, work with folks, only a full lack of know-how.”
Regardless of their aggressive relationship, Yusupov unusually provided Rogowsky the position of CEO in a dire second when the app was quickly dropping customers. He wished Rogowsky to take over as a short lived figurehead in a bid to regain the general public’s consideration, form of like when Nick Cannon was the chairman of TeenNick. The founder additionally wished so as to add a Truman Present-like twist, broadcasting Rogowsky time as a CEO stay.
“I’ll at all times marvel about that one,” Rogowsky stated. “I'd have definitely been pushing for releasing extra reveals and build up the community of reveals. I did have numerous concepts. It’s a disgrace to not see that imaginative and prescient executed.”
On the peak of HQ’s recognition, it drew celebrities like Kevin Hart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Mayer, Awkwafina and even display legend Robert De Niro, who all visited the headquarters to guest-host alongside Rogowsky. President Joe Biden even informed the comic that he was extra well-known than him again when he was a former vice chairman. Even with all of that star attraction, Rogowsky says the interplay that basically crystallized his fame concerned hundreds of Jewish youngsters.
“You couldn’t be extra zeroed in on my sort of viewers,” stated Rogosky, who’s Jewish. “They employed me to do a keynote speech. I went to the convention and did a 10-minute pep speak to this crowd. However there have been hundreds of those excessive schoolers there. I obtained mobbed each time I stepped out of the foyer and elevator for selfies. However doing the speech itself, I will always remember the sensation of those children screaming and the pressure of the sound waves popping out of their mouths.”
A meteoric rise (and swift fall) akin to Rogowsky’s can depart somebody craving a sure degree of consideration for the remainder of their life. Nevertheless, Rogowsky, who at the moment owns a classic retailer in Santa Monica, isn’t wistful about his days as one of the well-known folks on the web. Trying again, the previous host is “grateful” that HQ granted him the “excellent quantity” of fame.
“I don’t assume anybody actually needs to have it for too lengthy as a result of it may be debilitating at occasions,” Rogowsky stated. “It was intense and comparatively brief. There are particular individuals who nonetheless acknowledge me and need to discuss these items. I can clearly have a traditional life and go to thrift shops and store for classic garments like I do.”
Impressed by his love for antiques and classic gadgets, Rogowsky runs Quiz Daddy’s Closet, a classic retailer in Santa Monica, the place you'll be able to see him in-person working behind the counter. The previous host says numerous his clients are former HQ gamers treating his store as some form of landmark or particular vacationer expertise. He’s additionally anticipating a “potential subsequent chapter” internet hosting one other present on Gamestar+ that’s nonetheless in improvement.
“They’re actually making the most of the leading edge know-how,” Rogowsky stated in regards to the gaming startup. “Their complete factor is, ‘Look, Scott, you’re a pioneer on this stay streaming cellular, interactive area. We wish you to be the pioneer within the subsequent model.’”
With extra leisure avenues than ever earlier than for Rogowsky to faucet into and a brand new documentary out, we might very nicely be headed in direction of a Quiz Daddy renaissance. If not, he appears fairly happy accumulating and promoting outdated T-shirts on Fundamental Avenue.