Cleveland’s prominence on social media is getting a major boost from the antics of two local comedy stars whose videos spotlighting and breaking down racial stereotypes have gone viral.
Over 4.5 million viewers have watched the online series “Culture Swap” featuring Timothy Sweeney, or “T-Bone,” and David Bost, or “Solo.”
Bost, who is Black, is from Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. Sweeney, who is white, is from Cleveland Heights. In the series, the two take turns taking each other on outings tied to racial stereotypes. Sweeney has taken Bost birdwatching, horseback riding and to Trader Joe’s. Bost has taken Sweeney to a cookout, a church and to shoot dice. The videos follow the guys through their adventures, documenting their reactions with fast-paced banter and plenty of spicy one-liners.
Their online success has led to a slew of promotional public appearances and upcoming live tours and TV shows. “We want to be like, nationwide, worldwide,” said Bost. “You can turn on your TV and watch us on Netflix.”
A partnership is born
Sweeney and Bost first met at a Druski comedy talent show in 2024, then again at the Grog Shop.
Sweeney approached Bost with the idea of working together. “I had already had the idea of taking my Black friends to do white people stuff for months beforehand and never executed it and completely forgot about it. And when we opened up my notebook that day, I said, ‘Hey, let’s try this one.’”
The videos exploded on social media, and the pair became internet stars almost overnight. “It was the first time that me and him both started getting paid off of monetization,” said Sweeney. “Also, it was the consistency of the million view videos. Our first five videos I think all did over 2 million views.”
“It was shocking,” said Bost. “It was like, ‘Oh, snap! … This thing that we came up with just started blowing up, and it was like, dude, we killing the internet right now!”
Sweeney said it was both exciting and scary. “We didn’t know how long [“Culture Swap”] was going to last. We didn’t know whether we would get along the way that we do. We didn’t know anything. We weren’t even friends at this point, we were just like business partners, kind of.”
Both have seen their lives change as a result of their new fame – and income. Bost has been able to travel and spend more time with his family. Sweeney was able to take a childhood friend and NASCAR fan to a race at Talladega expense-free. “We’re able to meet new people and have fun, and we get these crazy experiences that we would not have if it was not for what we do,” he said.
All in the name of fun
Though Bost and Sweeney don’t take themselves seriously, they understand the real-life impact of their work and how it resonates with millions of people.
“When they see us together like that and just enjoying each other’s cultures and differences … we are seeing what big impact we got doing stuff like that,” Bost said. “It’s awesome to see people come together and want to learn each other’s culture…We do a video about skydiving. More people want to try skydiving now.”
Sweeney said about two-thirds of their social media audience is ages 25 to 40 – what he called an older fan base “than a lot of people would think.”
“People are getting more uptight about what you can say and what you can’t say,” Sweeney said. “I think when people find me and Solo, it kind of reminds them of how it used to be. I think a lot of people find it refreshing in a way.”
Sweeney said “Culture Swap” also has followers who are members of the military. He thinks it is because soldiers find the multi-racial friendship between T-Bone and Solo similar to the friendships they have while in the service. “Like in the army, they chirp at each other, you know, they mess with each other and that kind of thing, and I think people just – they find it familiar and it’s like a breath of fresh air.”
“I think it kind of reminds people that everything’s not so serious.”
Credit: @southstreetsam
Live and in-person show this month
The pair are bringing their online schtick to a live audience in Cleveland this month and have plans to announce a wider tour soon. Fans in attendance at their comedy shows can expect audience-participation games and never-before-seen footage from “Culture Swap” video shoots.
“If you think our videos are unhinged,” warned Sweeney, “just wait for the live show.”
T-Bone and Solo bring “Culture Swap Live” to Hilarities 4th Street Theatre on Friday, Nov. 20. Tickets start at $30. For more information, visit their website.
