Cody Ko Explained

Cody Ko
Birth Name:Cody Michael Kolodziejzyk
Birth Date:22 November 1990
Birth Place:Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Alma Mater:Duke University (BA)
Children:1
Relatives:Greg Kolodziejzyk (father)
Module:
Embed:yes
Years Active:2017–present
Genre:Hip hop
Label:Arista
Past Member Of:Tiny Meat Gang
Module2:
Embed:yes
Years Active:2014–present
Channel Direct Url:CodyKo
Channel Display Name:Cody Ko
Subscribers:6.05 million
Views:1.62 billion
Silver Button:yes
Silver Year:2016
Gold Button:yes
Gold Year:2018
Diamond Button:no
Stats Update:20 July 2024

Cody Michael Kolodziejzyk (born 22 November 1990;,[1] Polish:), better known as Cody Ko, is a Canadian YouTuber, podcaster, comedian, and rapper. His style of content is often crudely comedic and profane., his five YouTube channels have collectively earned over million subscribers and billion views.

After majoring in computer science at Duke University, Ko worked as a mobile developer and began making Vines, garnering almost 2 million followers on Vine before the social media platform closed in 2017. He shifted to uploading commentary and reaction videos to YouTube, where he and fellow YouTuber Noel Miller became popular with their reaction series That's Cringe and the Tiny Meat Gang Podcast. They also began a comedy hip hop group called Tiny Meat Gang. In 2019, influencer Jake Paul was criticized for accusing Ko of cyberbullying in his commentary videos, inadvertently causing Ko to gain 140,000 subscribers. In 2021, Ko and Miller expanded their podcast into Tiny Meat Gang Studios, a comedy podcast network. Ko stepped down from day-to-day operations in 2024 after YouTuber Tana Mongeau accused him of statutory rape. Ko, who has lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers after the allegations, has not uploaded since.

Early life

Ko was born Cody Michael Kolodziejzyk in Calgary on 22 November 1990, the son of professional cyclist Greg Kolodziejzyk and his wife Helen. He enrolled at Duke University in North Carolina after being recruited on their swimming and diving team.[2] At Duke, he joined a fraternity and became captain of the varsity team, but later regretted some of his fraternity experiences.[3] [4] Ko graduated from Duke University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. The same year, he moved to Silicon Valley.[5]

Career

2012–2016: I'd Cap That, computer engineering, and Vine

Ko shortened his professional surname from Kolodziejzyk early in his career,[6] as his Polish surname was too difficult to spell and pronounce. In March 2012, he began to develop the photo-sharing mobile app I'd Cap That, which automatically added meme-like captions to images. It went viral and was the App Store's Free iOS App Of The Week in May, amassing over four million users in four months. Ko wanted to join a startup and continue developing apps.[7] I'd Cap That was acquired several months later by a startup called Iddiction, and Ko worked there on the app for two years before quitting in 2014.[8] [9] He moved to San Francisco to work for the company.[10]

Ko first began uploading to Vine, a six-second video platform, in 2013. He partnered with the now-defunct multi-channel network Fullscreen, with Mahzad Babayan becoming his full-time talent manager. He credited the network and his background in computer engineering for his early success.[11] In May 2014, Ko and his friend Devon Townsend left on an eight-month backpacking trip in southeast Asia. Throughout the trip, the pair created Vines and started several side projects for ad revenue and experience creating apps with other technologies such as Node.js. The videos were unexpectedly viral and Ko became a popular figure on Vine.[12] He had amassed over 290,000 followers by July.[13]

In January 2015, the two returned to the United States. Moving to Los Angeles, they looked for software jobs and continued to make Vines. Ko collaborated with comedian Hannibal Buress to promote Buress' Comedy Central show Why? with Hannibal Buress (2015). By November 2015, he had almost two million followers on the platform.[14]

Ko worked for the company Victorious for eight months and had less time to create content. He also frequently had to leave midday for auditions. His manager gave him a job as a senior iOS developer at her employer Fullscreen, where they would be more relaxed about him leaving midday for content creation as a social media company. Ko contributed to the code for Fullscreen's subscription service. At Fullscreen, Ko also met Noel Miller, a web designer from marketing and fellow Viner, by chance after they had previously talked online. The pair became close and often created internet content on their lunch breaks.[15] He quit his job at Fullscreen in July 2016, deciding that he could support himself on sponsorships alone.

2016–2019: YouTube commentary, music, and podcasts

Ko joined YouTube on 30 May 2014.[16] After Vine was discontinued, he shifted to YouTube content. He and Miller became popular on YouTube with their series That's Cringe, hosted on Ko's channel, where the two react to content they consider dumb. That's Cringe has over 153 million combined views and makes up most of his channel's most popular videos.[17] An episode on controversial YouTuber Jake Paul in October 2017 amassed over seventeen million views.[18] Another episode on the Christian lifestyle channel Girl Defined spurred viral TikTok memes mocking Girl Defined and their videos' themes of extended chastity.[19]

Ko's other content focuses on internet culture, such as criticism of internet personalities, NFTs or ASMR videos involving dangerous acts. He and other commentary YouTubers have been described as "media critics" for an online millennial audience.[20] Vulture said that his videos helped bring attention to YouTube commentary and help it grow from a subsection of reaction videos. Ko is also part of the cast of Jimmy Tatro's web series The Real Bros of Simi Valley, which airs on Facebook Watch. He used to edit his videos himself, but began to hire outside editors and a production team.

Ko and Miller have made satirical rap songs together as Tiny Meat Gang (TMG) since 2017. Miller dubbed the pair "Tiny Meat Gang" after joking about "the weird idea of an 'unborn child as an ' posing in a sonogram".[21] However, the two began considering music earnestly after they were contacted by producer Diamond Pistols[22] and released their first extended play Bangers & Ass the same year.[23] After struggling with repeated demonetization, Ko and Miller began the Tiny Meat Gang Podcast in October 2017 to make up for losses. Each hour-long episode discusses various topics related to pop and internet culture.[24] [25]

In 2018, Ko and Miller went on tour and reached 1 million subscribers on his main channel in June. In an interview with Tubefilter, Ko attributed his success to "ripping on the Paul brothers."[26] The same year, Post Malone was featured in an episode of their podcast and Tiny Meat Gang released their second EP, Locals Only.

2019–2021: Tiny Meat Gang and continued growth

In early 2019, Tiny Meat Gang won Best Podcast at the 11th Shorty Awards.[27] Ko and Miller also appeared in a live comedy tour across the United States as Tiny Meat Gang. After Jake Paul released a vlog confronting Ko, who he called a 'cyberbully', in person on Jeff Wittek's podcast, Paul was widely criticized online and the video received over 800,000 dislikes.[28] The Washington Post described it as an example of celebrities dismissing genuine criticism as hate;[29] however, Ko gained around 140,000 subscribers directly after the incident and surpassed four million by late 2019.[30] [31]

Tiny Meat Gang collaborated with Blackbear for the single "Short Kings Anthem". In October, they signed with Arista Records and announced a new EP. In October 2020, Ko hosted an eight-episode podcast on iHeartRadio titled The Pleasure is Ours, with guest stars such as Drew Gooden and Emma Chamberlain, in which they discuss truisms and popular sayings.

Adlan Jackson of The New York Times Magazine noted that as Ko and Miller rose in popularity, many of the figures they have mocked appeared in their videos. After criticizing Dhar Mann for his formulaic videos, Ko produced one of his videos and shifted his opinion, saying they were made that way so that his audience, mainly foreigners and children, could understand.[32] Controversial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk also appeared in a 2021 episode of Tiny Meat Gang. Due to this, some fans began to worry about a potential conflict of interest and that the two "would [be incentivized] to pull their punches."

2021–present: Tiny Meat Gang Studios

In October 2021, Ko and Miller co-founded Tiny Meat Gang Studios, a comedy podcast network. They are represented by United Talent Agency, who have assisted in the network's expansion. The flagship Tiny Meat Gang Podcast became divided into one free and one subscriber-only hour-long segment. It had over 200 million downloads in 2022. An October 2022 episode featuring the YouTuber MrBeast became one of the most-viewed episodes of the podcast.[33] [34] In 2024, TMG brought several more podcasts under their umbrella, including Emergency Intercom.[35]

Ko got into marathon running during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he "got into a weird rut" and signed up for his first ultramarathon. Documenting his running training on a separate channel, Cody Trains, Ko ran three more marathons and an Ironman Triathlon by late 2023.[36] In the 2020s, Ko started making popular reaction videos to dating web shows, especially those produced by Jubilee Media and The Cut. He voiced the eponymous button on one such show, The Button. Ko has steadily released singles, such as "Not Going Home" and The Buttoninspired "Nightmare" and is a resident DJ at Wynn Las Vegas.

In May 2024, YouTuber Tana Mongeau stated on her podcast Cancelled that she and Ko had had sex in Florida when she was 17 and he was 25. Florida law forbids sex where one partner is under 18 and the other over 24. While the allegation was reported on by Rolling Stone the following month, it did not receive widespread attention from other YouTubers and the larger media until YouTuber D'Angelo Wallace uploaded a video covering the subject in July. Ko did not immediately responded to the allegation,[37] [38] but stepped down from day-to-day operations at TMG Studios on July 26. Emergency Intercom's creators also left the network, bringing the studio's number of podcasts to six. According to Social Blade, his YouTube channel lost around 250,000 subscribers in the 30 days.[39]

Personal life

Ko met American teacher Kelsey Kreppel at a friend's party in June 2017, and they began dating three months later. In 2018, they moved into an apartment in Marina del Rey, California, and Kreppel started appearing in his videos. In 2020, they purchased their first home in the Venice area of Los Angeles, which they sold when they purchased a new home in Malibu, California. They became engaged on 18 December 2021, and were married on 4 February 2023 in Indian Wells, California. In 2023, they sold their Malibu home and purchased Reese Witherspoon's former holiday home in a different area of Malibu.[40] They announced the birth of their first child, Otis, in January 2024.[41]

Discography and additional works

Singles, features, & alternate versions!Title!Type!Additional artists!Release date!Year!Ref.
"Cuddle Bug"SingleMarch 202019[42]
"Fuck Halloween"October 14
"One for the Billionaires"March 12022
"Fiat"Matt MiggzSeptember 16
"Knock it Off - Space Rangers Remix"Space RangersOctober 14
"Moderation"December 9
"Til I Die - Cody Ko Remix"RemixSpace Rangers, Disco LinesJuly 142023
"Bop It"SingleSpace RangersSeptember 22
"Not Going Home"Sunday ScariesNovember 10
"Nightmare"Young NutApril 52024
"Should I Stay or Should I Go"MoonlghtMay 28
Appears on & additional works!Title!Additional contributors!Year(s) active!Type of work!Ref.
Tiny Meat Gang (TMGNoel Miller2017–presentComedy, music production
The Tiny Meat Gang PodcastPodcast, comedy

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016Camp UnplugHimselfVine series[43]
2017GOAT Rodeo with Cody KoWeekly Fullscreen series[44]
2017–2020The Real Bros of Simi ValleyWade SandersMain role[45]
2017The BooniesTeddy[46]
2024Wade Sanders[47]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)Result
201810th Shorty AwardsYouTuber of the YearCody Ko
201911th Shorty AwardsBest PodcastThe Tiny Meat Gang Podcast
9th Streamy AwardsShow of the Year[48]
Podcast

External links

Notes and References

  1. Chatting with Cody Ko . June 15, 2017 . Interview . LAHWF . 0:16–0:37. Pronunciation begins at 0:19 . October 9, 2022 . . . Hales, Andrew Gerald
    Kolodziejzyk, Cody Michael
    .
  2. 1197943172799725569. codyko. I invented birthdays. Kolodziejzyk, Cody Michael. November 22, 2019. March 17, 2023.
  3. Web site: Cody Kolodziejzyk . October 11, 2022 . . en.
  4. Web site: Belavadi . Navya . March 25, 2021 . From studying computer science to regretting parts of the fraternity experience, Cody Ko reflects on time at Duke . October 4, 2022 . Duke Chronicle . Duke University.
  5. Web site: McNicholas . Kym . June 25, 2012 . Need An iOS Developer? 21-Year-Old's App Tops AppStore, and Now He's Looking to Join a Startup . https://web.archive.org/web/20120627224513/http://pandodaily.com/2012/06/25/need-an-ios-developer-21-year-olds-app-tops-appstore-and-now-hes-looking-to-join-a-startup/ . June 27, 2012 . October 8, 2022 . PandoDaily.
  6. News: La Gorce . Tammy . February 10, 2023 . Private Moments for a Very Public Couple . . limited . February 12, 2023.
  7. Web site: Kingkade . Tyler . July 7, 2012 . Cody Kolodziejzyk, Duke Grad, Would Rather Join Company Than Pursue His Popular iPhone App (VIDEO) . October 8, 2022 . .
  8. Web site: Robison . Kylie . May 6, 2021 . Cody Ko explains how his 5 years as an app developer helped prepare him for a career as a YouTube superstar with 5.5 million subscribers . subscription . October 4, 2021 . Insider.
  9. Web site: July 4, 2012 . Calgary's I'd Cap That Acquired by Silicon Valley's Iddiction . January 26, 2022 . .
  10. Web site: Guzman . Ivan . May 13, 2024 . Cody Ko's Comfort Core . July 2, 2024 . Paper.
  11. Web site: Weiss . Geoff . July 18, 2018 . Fullscreen Has Quietly Offered 360-Degree Talent Management For 2 Years — And Its Client Roster Is Growing Fast . October 8, 2022 . Tubefilter.
  12. Web site: Brown . Abram . October 26, 2020 . The Many, Many Lives Of Cody Ko, One Of The Internet's Original Stars . limited . October 4, 2022 . Forbes.
  13. Web site: Votta . Rae . July 11, 2014 . 6-second auditions on Vine are comedy gold . October 15, 2022 . The Daily Dot.
  14. Web site: Emmanuele . Julia . November 12, 2015 . Vine Star Cody Ko Reveals the Apps He's Addicted to and the Secret to Making Great Vines: 'Don't Try Too Hard' . October 7, 2022 . People.
  15. Web site: Konstantinovic . Danny . June 30, 2021 . Exclusive Interview: How Cody Ko went from software engineer to YouTube comedy millionaire . October 23, 2022 . The Business of Business . Transcript.
  16. Web site: About Cody Ko . October 10, 2022 . YouTube.
  17. Web site: Jackson . Adlan . June 29, 2022 . Illustrated by Karl Russell Vickers . The Accidental Media Critics of YouTube . limited . October 7, 2019 . . 2269-9740.
  18. Web site: Haylock . Zoe . March 2, 2021 . Welcome to the Circus . October 23, 2022 . . New York.
  19. Web site: McNeal . Stephanie . November 6, 2019 . How These Small-Time Christian Influencers Became A Viral TikTok Meme About Purity Culture . October 10, 2022 . BuzzFeed News.
  20. Web site: O'Sullivan . Eilish . May 20, 2021 . ASMR YouTubers are eating deodorant, glass, and rocks . October 23, 2022 . The Daily Dot.
  21. Web site: Spangler . Todd . December 7, 2022 . How Comedy Duo Cody Ko and Noel Miller Built a Growing Podcast Network With Tiny Meat Gang Studios . December 8, 2022 . Variety.
  22. Web site: Taylor . Charlie . January 29, 2021 . Cody Ko talks tech, entertainment and taking risks . October 26, 2022 . . . Ko and Noel Miller started releasing music under the name Tiny Meat Gang in 2017, but according to Ko, the duo hadn't considered doing music seriously until producer Diamond Pistols reached out to them about recording an EP..
  23. Glicksman . Josh . October 24, 2019 . Tiny Meat Gang Signs to Arista Records: Exclusive . subscription . October 4, 2022 . Billboard.
  24. Web site: 2019 . TINY MEAT GANG . October 7, 2022 . Shorty Awards.
  25. De Freitas . Ryan . January 24, 2020 . Tiny Meat, Huge Dreams: TMG's Cody Ko and Noel Miller on their Wild Ride from Vine to a Major Label Deal . October 7, 2022 . Billboard.
  26. Web site: Gutelle . Sam . June 7, 2018 . YouTube Millionaires: Cody Ko Celebrates "Awesome And Rewarding" Response To His Videos . October 4, 2022 . Tubefilter.
  27. Web site: May 7, 2019 . 'Tiny Meat Gang' wins 2019 Best Podcast Shorty, 'Bag Man' Best Branded Podcast . October 7, 2022 . .
  28. Web site: Sung . Morgan . May 20, 2019 . Jake Paul's attempt at calling out 'cyberbully' Cody Ko backfired beautifully . live . October 23, 2022 . . October 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221023044240/https://mashable.com/article/jake-paul-cody-ko-cyberbully .
  29. News: Ohlheiser . Abby . May 20, 2019 . The new hot thing on YouTube is destroying someone else . subscription . October 7, 2022 . The Washington Post.
  30. Web site: Hill . Harry . May 22, 2019 . Cody Ko addresses Jake Paul's failed attempt at canceling him . October 7, 2022 . Mashable.
  31. Web site: Weiss . Geoff . November 25, 2019 . Cody Ko Launches Standalone Collection With Killer Merch . October 15, 2022 . Tubefilter.
  32. Web site: Iovine . Anna . December 17, 2021 . How Dhar Mann turned cheesy life lessons into a YouTube empire . October 16, 2022 . Mashable.
  33. Web site: Gutelle . Sam . December 7, 2022 . The Tiny Meat Gang podcast has received 200 million downloads. Its hosts are expanding in a big way. . December 8, 2022 . Tubefilter.
  34. Web site: Robinson . Breanna . October 7, 2022 . Logan Paul and MrBeast considering run for president and people are worried . October 9, 2022 . Indy100 . The Independent.
  35. Web site: 'Emergency Intercom' Podcast Nears 3rd Anniversary — and Its Hosts 'Still Knock on Wood Every Day' (Exclusive) . 2024-06-02 . Peoplemag . en.
  36. Web site: Goldberg . Izzy . October 31, 2023 . The Real-Life Diet of Cody Ko, Whose Favorite Meal Is Chicken and Waffles . July 2, 2024 . GQ.
  37. Web site: Breaking Down the Controversy Surrounding YouTuber Cody Ko. Time. Moises II. Mendez. July 19, 2024. July 21, 2024.
  38. News: Goffe . Nadira . 2024-07-17 . The Cody Ko Controversy, Explained . 2024-07-20 . Slate . en-US . 1091-2339.
  39. Web site: Tolentino . Daysia . July 27, 2024 . Popular YouTuber Cody Ko steps down from his podcast network following allegations that he had sex with an underaged influencer . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727064026/https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/youtuber-cody-ko-steps-podcast-network-sex-underaged-influencer-rcna163906 . July 27, 2024 . July 27, 2024 . NBC News.
  40. Web site: Tallal . Jimy . 2023-05-27 . The latest celebrity and high-dollar real estate news in Malibu • The Malibu Times . 2023-10-19 . en-US.
  41. Web site: Kaur . Brahmjot . January 22, 2024 . YouTubers Cody Ko and Kelsey Kreppel Welcome First Baby . January 30, 2024 . E!.
  42. Web site: Spotify – Cody Ko - Discography . October 28, 2022 . . en.
  43. Web site: Weiss . Geoff . June 27, 2016 . Vine Premieres Its First Long-Form Original Series, 'Camp Unplug', Starring Lauren Giraldo, Cody Ko . October 7, 2022 . Tubefilter.
  44. Web site: Spangler . Todd . March 9, 2017 . Fullscreen Adds Rae Sremmurd's Spring Break Special, 'Undateable' and KSI's 'Laid in America' to SVOD Lineup . December 11, 2022 . Variety.
  45. Web site: 2018 . CODY KO . November 6, 2022 . Shorty Awards.
  46. Web site: Pedersen . Erik . July 21, 2017 . Complex Networks Sets Q3 Slate: Skateboarders, Haunted Treasure Hunt & More Set For Go90 . October 21, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  47. Web site: White . Peter . March 28, 2024 . 'The Real Bros of Simi Valley' Returns As A Movie For Roku . July 11, 2024 . Deadline.
  48. Web site: 2019 . 9TH ANNUAL WINNERS . November 6, 2022 . Streamy Awards.