We're Out of Time - Sharukh Pithawalla on the Dark Side of Viral Fame

Episode Date: April 23, 2026

In this episode of We’re Out Of Time, host Richard Taite sits down with creator and DJ Shahrukh Pithawalla to pull back the curtain on the modern creator economy. They dive deep into why chasing viral fame is often a trap and how building a slow, authentic community is the only way to survive online.

I feel like they want to go viral quickly. And that never kind of works out because you don't build a community by going viral quickly. You got to gain fans slowly by engaging with them and talking to them and, you know, just freaking just talk, just connecting with your audience. If someone has a problem with substance use disorder, please call one call placement. That's 8888-8-3-1-1581. And if we can't help you, we'll make a referral to. to someone who can. One call placement is affiliated with Carrera Treatment, Wellness, and Spa, and One Method Treatment Centers. All right. Shrewk. Great to meet you, man. It's been an honor.

Yeah. No, no, man, the pleasure's mine. Believe me, if it wasn't, I would have told you. I watched some of your videos. Why? Got laughter. Like, it was hysterical. What was the one that we watched, Dylan, that I lost my mind over? The milk. The milk. milk milk's going everywhere like right and then he jumps off the thing he slides a little bit when he gets on right yeah and then uh he proposes to the wife to his girlfriend and then uh he gets arrested nah they really got bro It's so funny.

It's ridiculous. Man, tell me about that. I've been laughing while I was editing myself. The one that you did with that other guy that jumped on the counter, stole the money out of Chipotle and just walked out. He quit, too. Hey, shit, this, fuck you. Hey, shit, this is good child support money.

You, J-Lay and I quit the job. Number one, what's your emergency? Hello, I'm calling to turn myself in. How do you do these things, man? Do you give these guys cash to do this stuff? Uh. Or are we not allowed to talk about that? No, we could talk about it for show.

Okay. It's like cash, but it's like, it's like, it's like prop money. Oh, right, right. So it's like when they, so Dylan, he's talking about when that kid was here and he did that money fan all over and I'm like, looking at this. I'm like, this is not even real. That's what it is? Yeah. Okay.

So they're just buddies of yours. Or people that want to be in the skit. Not really buddies of mine. They just fans of yours. Yeah, that want to be in videos of mine and stuff like that. So I get a lot of requests for people wanting to be in my videos. So if you are going to do a, just off the top of your head, if you were going to do a skit with me, what would it be? You've known me for five minutes.

Well, it depends what it is. It will have to fit for the both of us. I feel like, how about something like I'm looking for a wife on Figueroa? You know, where all the prostitutes are? Yeah. And then, but I'm looking for a wife. And I'm just getting just slapped and shot down by all the prostitutes. Would that be funny or no?

That would be funny, for sure. I was told that you were DJing parties and clubs. Yeah. Let me ask you a question. You're out there at the parties all the time. Okay. And you're young. You're, you know a lot of people. Do you know anybody who's died of fentany? Fentano? Fentno. Oh, I know like a, maybe like a couple. But I can't remember off the top of my head. Who it was? Who it was. It was this, this guy, if I hold on Instagram, we, we met at a party, actually, like five years back. And like the next year, like, 2021, he just,

someone was posing that he died of Fendno and I went to his page and I realized oh I follow this guy because I didn't really I don't really talk to him that wasn't really close to him I mean condolences to him his family and stuff but it's the worst dude you don't have kids do you yeah your parents proud of you though they love you to death right yeah can you imagine what would happen to them I mean if they lost their baby boy they'd be destroyed no they'd be destroyed more normal yeah especially mom too she'd be one and saying And that's why I do this, man, because, you know, we all have a good time. And I try to, you know, talk about other things than this heavy because it's heavy.

And it's all the time. And this is like my life. So when I do this, I try not. I mean, you're really going to listen to the sad story if it was all day, every day, all the time? I mean, it's just, you know, you want to let yourself on fire. It's just too sad. You know? All right, let's ask some questions right now.

Dylan created some really cool questions. You ever see someone die chasing this content shit, like actually dead, not metaphorically? I actually just seen one recently where he got shot doing a prank. You're kidding. No, I'm not kidding. Do you know what the prank was? Well, he was, he was like blatantly harassing him. That's a different story.

Right. like you can do pranks but like you got to make sure like you know you know where your boundary is with that because people can just go overboard to just to get clicks and stuff and stuff and I feel like it's just I don't know I me personally I don't believe in like root this pranks I don't believe in the freaking I watch this prank it's somebody got a haircut at an NBA game like that's a prank that that's harmless they got a haircut what they got a haircut at an NBA game court side. Uh-huh.

Yeah. Shut up. Swear to God. And that was, that was a prank. It was a prank. But that's the, that's like, that people enjoy watching. Not like, the prank that he got shot at was he, he was putting a phone up to somebody's face, like, just recklessly. And then he just, he said stop like three times.

And he kept doing it. And once he kept doing it, he just shot him right here. I pulled out a gun and boom. And he just fell off late. I mean, he's still alive. That was a gangster, though. Like, you got to set your boundary, you feel me? Yeah.

When pranking people. Yeah, you're not mean-spirited about it. You're looking to have a good time. You're not looking to make anybody look like a fool. Right? Yeah. That's beautiful. That's beautiful.

I love that. Hey, man, how do you feel about this? I mean, I love that we have a new economy, right? For the young kids that grow up, you don't have to go to a job if you don't want. want to. This is an entrepreneurial spirit. I'm glad. Holy shit. Yeah. And who was, yeah. I mean, I enjoyed school, but it's like, I just, bro, like, we're,

we're ran by this, this repeatable system that everybody falls with school that, you need a degree to be successful. And it's just, it's just not the case. No, it isn't the case anymore, especially with AI and YouTube. My, my kid sits there all day long and just learns all day long on YouTube and with his A-O. That's where you learn the most, actually. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Like, I don't use math for any single one of my real-world life duties.

The only thing I really use as useful is English. Right. And maybe like a little bit of history, but that's it. You know how to use a calculator? I don't use a calculator, but I can't. That's all you need. That's all I need. That's all you need.

That's all you need. That's correct. Like, I don't think I need to solve X the third with parentheses with two multiplication signs of one plus time and just, you know. Dude, he's a genius. I couldn't have done that. I mean, I know what he's talking about, but I couldn't know if that was like. It's just like, I'm not a mathematician.

I don't need to learn this stuff. Unless I'm a mathematician, then I don't need to learn. That's correct. That's correct. Feel me like you're a thousand. Dude. I don't, first of all,

I don't know math at all. Okay? Unless there's a lot of zeros. Then I can concentrate. Yeah. Okay. Other than that, I use a calculator.

Yeah. You know? Do you ever watch someone go viral just to completely lose their mind a few months later? Bro, that's so, it's so funny that you bring these stuff

because they'd be happening recently. Literally last night, this girl was showing me this critter that only goes viral for drinking. in alcohol and he posted on his reels and he just drinks alcohol by himself and then uh he just went psychotic and his parents took into rehab so he stopped posting content but he was more unvorrow for like doing that it's just finding weird because like i don't know people do

weird shit for the internet and it's just like like there's there's a million other ways to to go viral and get in a community you know it's just like go i feel like they want to go borrow quickly. Right. And that never kind of works out because you don't build a community by going and grow up quickly. You got to, you got to gain fans slowly by engaging with them and talking to them and, you know, just, just freaking just talk, just connecting with their audience, not just going viral. You know what's funny is like I don't understand any of that. Because I'm not from that world. But I do know that being kind. and caring about what other people think and how they feel and, you know, just being a good person, that never goes out of style.

And if that is the kind of thing that you do, if that's the way you operate in the world online, okay, then I think people will appreciate it and people gravitate to that. And my mom? No. Good. Well, let's hope so. Because that's all I got. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

A guy just sits there and drinks himself. Like, if not, he's just, he posts the same videos of him drinking day one, day two, three, three. It's, it's just like. But why would people watch a guy who just sitting there, like, is somebody going to watch me drinking this coffee? Mm-mm. I think the fact that it's alcohol makes it stand out. Wow. Because nobody can relate.

That's bizarre. Yeah. They can't relate to a guy sitting there. Just drinking himself. Yeah, so they just watch it and be like, what the fuck is he doing? You know what? There is a lot of truth to that because an alcoholic would never watch that. Not too busy drinking.

All right. Do you think people would rather be miserable and famous than peaceful and unknown? I know what my answer would be. Miserable but famous. I think this is a tough question. I feel like, honestly miserable and famous for sure. Because I feel like, I don't know, a lot of people like, they don't act like themselves on camera. So, like, they have to portray a certain image to go viral.

And deep down the side is like, I'm not this person. And they know, I feel like they feel like they know that if they act like themselves, they won't go viral. The reality is, it's like, you can be yourself and go viral at the same time. There's so many people that have been doing that. I think you made that choice because in your head, you were saying, no, I'm going to be famous and I'm not going to be miserable. Right? I think that was part of it, no?

Was that going on in your head? No, I was, yeah. Yeah. What if I just asked myself? My own question is on there. Give them the thing. Let me see that real quick. Yeah.

All right. All right. So look. All right. So if TikTok shut down today, how many of these influences would actually have talent? We'll go with you and they'll all go out. Would actually have talent? Would actually have talent?

Yeah. There'd probably be 20,000 people jumping out of windows. Because basically he's saying there's a lot of people on TikTok that dance do POVs and then they don't consider that real talent. So like if TikTok was shut down, how many of these influences were actually have like talent? Zero. Okay. My answer is 10%. 10%, my ideal answer. Yeah. Because like TikTok, like a lot of people are just like pretty boys, pretty girls that just like to dance and just freaking just like going, just play with their whatever. Anyways. And some of them aren't even great dancers too. So I don't know why they're trying to dance to a little while. And they're asking themselves, why aren't, why am I not going viral?

Bitch, you can't dance. Like, if you want to go viral with dancing, you have to be a really great dancer. Or a shitty dancer. Or a really shitty dancer. Yeah. But that's when people start clotting you and you go borrow that way, if that makes sense. Oh, they clown you. If you're a really shitty dancer.

And that's not so good? It's, I mean, whatever they want to think is good is up to them. But I'm just saying, like, if you're a really shitty dancer, they're going to cloud for being a shit dancer. Then if you're the best answer, then they're going to be like, oh, I'm gee. Dude, I've got a guy on here

that was on here for his eyes popping out of his head. I don't really think people care about why they... I think I know who you're talking about. Yeah. Chef? Yeah. Chef Boy Blanc's.

Yeah. He's the best. He's insane. Do you know how many great people I've had here that I'd met? Like, you guys are really... Like, at first, I was like, oh, God, we're in so much trouble.

These kids are so fucking stupid. It's painful. And then you guys get here and I'm like, no, no, I was actually the stupid one. These kids are wonderful in a lot of ways. Okay. Like, in a lot of ways. You guys are much more advanced than we were. You know.

Yeah. When it was the last time a girl, a beautiful girl, okay, that you wanted to be with. Okay. Said she was like everything was viving, right? But she wanted to do drugs first and she wanted you to partake in the drugs first, whether it's ecstasy or cocaine or pills or whatever. When was the last time that happened to you? So last year, I was DJ in a festival. This girl that I happened to know was there.

And then so I was DJing and stuff like that. And then she was just behind the whole time surviving and stuff like that. And then after that, I was like, like, is this the, are you? are you trying to start over or what? Because we, you act like we didn't have something like, she's like, hey, can you come to the bathroom me? I'm like, why? And then she was like, I thought it was like, you know,

what all guys think it is, but she wanted me to try coke with her. I'm like, nah, I can't do that. I never done coke. So, did she do it? She did it with another guy because I wouldn't do it with her. I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not if I don't if I don't get this girl

but I know it's not it's not an issue all right I dealt with the I dealt with a lot of other girls it's not and this girl's nothing special she's just another beautiful girl I just can't lay my eyes on so she was like come on do cook with me like we shouldn't waste a perfect night like this I'm just like bro there's so many ways to have fun without doing coke but you got it she was like okay and then she kind of like we kind of didn't talk after the rest of the night. Who's your cheap pass? That I could just always go back to.

You're with a girl. Yeah. Or if you're with a girl. Oh, if I'm with a girl. If you're with a girl. And I had to choose someone to cheat with. You get and you work it out with her. You don't know.

Tell them about the cheap pass. Is this just a me thing? I kind of understand it. Like an exception. You're with a girl. Yeah. And you go, who's your favorite actress? Jennifer Lawrence

That's an excellent choice She's so cool Yeah Okay I mean I used to be But I still She still think she's bad She is

She's the greatest I mean That would make me A pedophile But she's great Now This girl Is your cheap ass

Right And you tell your girlfriend up front Hey If I ever run in To Jennifer Lawrence You can't hold That shit against me

Megan Fox Megan Fox bro she was bad she still is that's a beautiful woman that's a beautiful one who's your cheat pass? Was my cheap pass?

Yeah I'm not with anybody right now but if I was who would my cheap pass be oh without question without question Drew Barrymore

would be my treat pass Drew Barrymore yeah is that right yeah or is that Um, she's the coolest. He's funny.

She's kind. She's beautiful. She's interesting. And she was in the best movie of all time. Uh-huh. You know there's a song made of her? What? Called Drew Barrymore.

Stop it. It's by, um, what's his face? Let me see. That's by Bryce Vine. I listened to this recently. But I'll send it to you because I don't want copyright issues. Yeah, oh, good, good. Yeah, send it to me.

I'll send it to deal. Yeah, she's just a cool girl. You love that girl. Everybody loves that girl. She's, like, lovely. She's bad. The best movie of all time. You know what it was?

What was there? 50 first dates. 50 first dates? Wait, let me. First dates. Let me see if I. Oh, my God, it's such a good movie. So that's the girl you will break the barrier with with your other girl.

That's the, that's the cheap app. Yeah, it's cheap ass, for sure. Where can people find you, Shrook? So you can find me on Instagram at Shirook. The rest of my socials, you'll see on my Instagram. So, and besides, Dune is going to link that anyway. So y'all can find me on the description of the video. And yeah, thank you.

Hey, Richard, my dog. Dude, that was the best time. This was a legendary podcast that we're done today. No, man, it was fantastic. Talk show. See you next Tuesday. We're out of time. Please subscribe on YouTube, click the thumbs up, and leave a comment.

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