Without even realizing it, I had been devouring books and articles on human behavior for years. Books with titles like *Nudge*, *Predictably Irrational*, and *Why Women Have Sex* fascinated me and found their way onto my bookshelves. Then, around 2010, when gamification—the art of using game elements in a non-gaming environment to motivate people to behave in certain ways—came onto the scene, all of that came back to me. And this was two decades after I’d first been confronted with behavior that seemed irrational in corporate policy. But that’s another story.
That’s where my fascination with the way people interact with one another and make life difficult for each other comes from. In the age of artificial intelligence, where existing or newly generated content can be converted into other formats with little effort, stories featuring strange behavior spread much more quickly.
That’s how I stumbled upon a whole niche on YouTube of such AI-narrated videos, in which stories—mostly from Reddit forums—about workplace, family, or relationship dramas are retold. It’s always the same four or five voices provided by voice AI services that—surprisingly well, though not without some errors—tell a story in 15- to 60-minute videos about someone who was wronged but eventually got their revenge.
The stories are similar in structure. Each story always opens with the moment when a statement is made that compels the protagonist—who narrates from their own perspective—to act. The story is then told from the beginning, introducing the characters, up to the point where the situation escalates. This is followed by revenge, which often unfolds less as revenge per se and more as an automatic sequence of actions—orchestrated with the narrator’s wise foresight—that has dramatic consequences for the perpetrator(s) who unsuccessfully attempt to prevent it, and leads to the narrator’s unstoppable social and professional rise.
Workplace Dramas
In these workplace dramas, the story is told from the perspective of a company employee who, for years, has been working behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly, quietly putting in overtime at all hours of the day and night, maintaining good relationships with customers and suppliers, and thereby earning their trust. The superiors are either owners who, after years of putting off promises of promotions or pay raises, suddenly appoint a nephew, niece, son, daughter, or other relative to the position—or managers who bring in their own friends. The latter tend to bleed the company dry through criminal means, pass off the protagonist’s work as their own, or implement cost-cutting measures to increase their own bonuses.
What is often overlooked—or not understood at all—is how the protagonist single-handedly keeps the company together. The software, the processes, the patents and licenses, and the personal relationships with customers built up over the years—which account for a large portion of the company’s revenue—are all the result of the protagonist’s tireless work over many years.
Denying a promotion or a pay raise—or even firing the employee—dramatically illustrates just how dependent the company is on the hero of the story. Customers follow the hero; the software begins to fail because authorization keys tied to the hero no longer work; the rights to the software developed in the hero’s spare time are inextricably linked to the protagonist, and to obtain them, the company must either pay a hefty sum or the protagonist sells them to the competition. These and similar “poison pills” then lead to the villain’s downfall, as increasingly desperate calls, text messages, and pleas for help are directed at the protagonist—who has only just been humiliatingly fired or passed over.
However, this person has already received or accepted an offer from the competition, because in these circles, people always keep track of such stars, and since word of any changes spreads quickly, there’s always someone right there to make a better offer—one that comes with no strings attached and more resources.
In the end, we learn how the villains in the industry have suffered irreparable damage to their professional reputations, how the company is no longer the same—or has even gone under—and how our hero is going from success to success in his new role and position.
Family Dramas
The situation is similar in family dramas, where the protagonist’s family takes them for granted. The brother or sister is the parents’ “golden child”—they put this child at the center of their attention and excuse their behavior, but they see the protagonist as a cash cow and a pillar of support—someone to take advantage of but otherwise ignore. Until a situation arises where the protagonist realizes how he or she is being treated and takes action.
Triggers include, for example, weddings, family vacations, or the purchase of property such as cars or houses for the “golden child,” where the hero is asked for money and gladly provides it—after all, it’s family, and family sticks together. But then the mother or father says something that changes everything. The hero is disinvited from the wedding or family vacation, or the parents assign the hero’s property to the younger sibling, who is often considered a failure. Or the family business is bequeathed to the glamorous, college-educated child, but withheld from the hero—who has worked there for free, investing a great deal of time—because, for example, he isn’t presentable or doesn’t know how to conduct himself in front of customers.
As a result, our hero cuts off financial support to his parents and siblings, leading to the breakdown of family ties and damage to his parents’ reputation in the social circles they have often worked so hard to cultivate.
Relationship Dramas
While the protagonists of the workplace and family dramas were both female and male, YouTube shows me only relationship dramas told from the perspective of a heterosexual man. These videos feature a man in his 30s who has been living with a woman—his girlfriend, fiancée, or wife—for several years. He believes they are building a life together, working toward marriage, children, and a home. He has an honest job, saves his money diligently, and generously supports his partner.
She often works in marketing or as an influencer with little to no income, yet she maintains a lifestyle that far exceeds her financial means—a lifestyle made possible by our hero. She lives in a house he bought for her or in an apartment he pays for; the loan on her luxury car, which is in his name, is paid by him because she has neither the creditworthiness nor the financial means, and other expenses such as the nail salon, the hair salon, and drinks at popular bars and restaurants are also paid for by her using his credit card.
Our hero is also thinking about marriage—when he plans to ask for her hand—and, thanks to her more or less subtle hints, already has his eye on a ring or piece of jewelry she’s been hoping for; or, if she’s already his fiancée, he’s in the midst of preparing for the wedding and fulfilling her extravagant wishes regarding the wedding venue, the floral arrangements, the food, the photographer, or the dress.
Until she makes an insulting remark or exhibits demeaning behavior that forces a breakup. The woman who values her image on social media or her reputation among her friends more than the man by her side begins to criticize him, distance herself from him, or compare him to her ex—or exhibits behavior that gradually begins to seem suspicious to him.
The protagonist, taken aback by this turn of events, begins to cut her off financially, kicks her out onto the street, or moves out of their shared apartment. Since his name is always on the lease, he also terminates it, sells her car—which is registered in his name—cancels all credit cards and wedding plans, and spends the first few days at his best friend’s or brother’s place, who are very understanding, immediately offering him their couch or the guest room—along with a beer—and never asking any questions. Just guys hanging out.
Meanwhile, she realizes what’s going on and starts bombarding him with texts and calls that go through several stages of anger, pleading, and panic. This is often followed by calls from her friends, parents, and siblings, who call him immature. Since none of this helps, social media campaigns are launched portraying the woman as a victim of toxic masculinity and an immature, empathy-deficient man. These campaigns quickly fall apart when friends point out contradictions or post videos of her own behavior. This is followed by reports to the police, employers, and landlords, in which she tries to portray him as a stalker and mentally unstable. Occasionally, a lawyer gets involved, with whose help the woman demands financial compensation for the mental stress and the effort she put into the relationship over many years. The man always has a good friend who is a lawyer himself and knows better than the clown of a lawyer the woman has.
At the end of these stories, the man always comes out on top—with a better job, more peace of mind, and even new dates with a woman who is the exact opposite. The original woman loses her job and has to move back in with her parents because she can no longer afford her lifestyle and apartment on her salary alone.
I’m sure that female internet users are being suggested similar stories, only with the roles reversed from the perspective of a woman who’s in a relationship with a useless boyfriend, fiancé, or husband. Post them in the comments if you know of any. I’d really be interested to hear them.
Spezial Ops Dad
Another category is that of the “Special Ops Dad.” A man who, as a Navy SEAL or Delta Force member, provides or has provided personal protection around the world, carries out or has carried out covert operations and military training, is currently on a mission in a faraway country, or is now leading a quiet life in a peaceful neighborhood after retiring from service. This kind of work has estranged him from his wife and children, and he is usually divorced, even though he always tries to be there for his children—which isn’t easy with a job and family situation like that. Often, the hero’s friends and family don’t know what he really did for a living, because his work was frequently classified as secret. They only know that he somehow worked with computers in the military, or was simply some kind of soldier.
Then he receives some disturbing news. His son or daughter has been brutally beaten, tortured, or even killed. The perpetrators were either members of a drug gang, the spoiled sons of high-ranking figures in his town, or the cruel family of his ex-wife or her new lover.
Our hero can’t let this go, and his years of training kick into high gear. He contacts comrades with whom he fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere—and whose lives he saved—and asks them for support. They come without asking questions or hesitating. Even after leaving active duty, each of them still has access to specialized equipment—such as weapons, walkie-talkies, ammunition, computers, and classified military databases. Or, if they’re still on active duty, their commander puts their unit and support at their disposal, ready to exact revenge.
Over the next few hours, the perpetrators’ entire background—which is often criminal in nature and shielded by the town’s highest authorities, who have the judges, the sheriff, millionaire business tycoons, and drug lords all in their pocket—is thoroughly investigated. At the same time, their properties are surveilled to identify vulnerabilities and determine their daily routines. Alternatively, one’s own home is rigged with traps and fortified into a stronghold.
The situation escalates due to the threats and taunts of the villains, which torment the hero inwardly, though he doesn’t let it show on the outside. As soon as his team’s preparations are complete, the revenge begins. By the dozen, the guards, family members, corrupt law enforcement officers, and judges are eliminated, until the main villain is forced to realize that the victim’s father is not the simple soldier, school custodian, or craftsman he had taken him to be.
After the battle, the villains are either nowhere to be found or have been arrested, and their power has been irrevocably broken. Our hero, on the other hand, is now held in immense esteem by his community, even as he steps back out of the public spotlight to devote himself to his child and his job.
Die Anziehungskraft solcher Geschichten
What is it about these stories that draws me in? These stories—which, to my shame, I have to admit I’m completely hooked on—that I listen to mostly on long car rides lasting up to nine hours, of which I’ve had quite a few in recent weeks.
There’s certainly the element that everyone can relate to these kinds of life situations. Who hasn’t had a boss, a partner, or a family member who has (supposedly) wronged them or denied them recognition? Whether you’ve been fired or missed out on an expected promotion, ended a relationship, or are in conflict with a family member, it takes a toll on you. Even years later, these experiences still gnaw at you, and you keep going over in your head exactly what happened or why you didn’t recognize the signs sooner and put up with it for so long.
These stories strike at this vulnerability, with the added benefit that they have a satisfying ending. The villains are punished and end up in a much worse position, desperately wanting to go back or coming to terms with and regretting their behavior, while our heroes end up better off, more successful, and more fulfilled. It’s a structure that makes any movie or book a success. The good guys win; the bad guys are punished.
By the way, you can tell this AI is off because small errors creep in. For example, numbers are often mispronounced—so if it says $2.7m (two point seven million dollars), the system actually reads “dollar two <pause> seven m,” or “Me, m, 27 years” (“Me, male, 27 years”) is pronounced as “Me, m, 27 years.” The countless YouTube channels where these videos are posted are often very new, have a few hundred or thousand subscribers, and seem to be popping up like mushrooms. Aside from that, the voices are always the same—no more than half a dozen to a dozen different ones.
What other AI nonsense have you fallen for? Are there any other categories I haven’t mentioned? Let me know in the comments.