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Viral short 'When A Billionaire Villain Flinched At Gas Prices' posted by Swagger Exposed Shorts

The short from Swagger Exposed Shorts sits at number one on YouTube's U.S. comedy trending chart and recalls a Despicable Me 4 gag; relatable, if you buy gas.

On air: Kenji Moonfield and Gloria Vance on BBN After Hours
Published
Photo: Aaron Lawrence at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield and Gloria Vance on this story, from BBN After Hours at 4:24 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are YouTube (Swagger Exposed Shorts)'s, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Gasoline pump
Photo: Aaron Lawrence at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

At a glance

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

What BBN said about it

  1. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA cartoon billionaire flinched at a gas pump, and twenty-four million seven hundred ninety-nine thousand five hundred six people watched it on YouTube.

  2. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe short comes from Swagger Exposed Shorts, posted October twenty-second.

  3. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorIts description points to a gag in Despicable Me four, where a wealthy character recoils at the cost of filling a tank.

  4. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, watch the shoulders. The flinch starts at the number, not the nozzle. That's a pro read.

  5. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorA villain flinching at fuel prices is not a performance. It's a leak. Someone told him the number.

  6. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe turning point is the second wince. The first one is acting. The second one is a man who saw the total.

  7. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorScored as a diplomatic event, I'd say a nine. Kenji, he's a cartoon.

  8. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTwenty-four million people don't clip a cartoon for the minions. They clipped it for the pump.

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The story so far

  1. Swagger Exposed Shorts video joking about a villain reacting to gas… · YouTube (Swagger Exposed Shorts)
  2. Billionaire villain flinches at gas prices in YouTube short · YouTube (Swagger Exposed Shorts)
  3. Viral short 'When A Billionaire Villain Flinched At Gas Prices'… (this story)

From the archive: everything BBN aired on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months

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Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
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