Two Cleveland comedians built an online following by taking each other to activities tied to racial stereotypes, and the resulting series has pulled in more than 4.5 million viewers. Timothy Sweeney, known online as T-Bone, and David Bost, who goes by Solo, are the duo behind Culture Swap, and on Nov. 20 they're bringing the bit off the screen and onto the stage at Hilarities 4th Street Theatre, according to Signal Cleveland.
Bost, who is Black, grew up in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, while Sweeney, who is white, is from Cleveland Heights, according to Signal Cleveland. The premise is simple but has proven wildly watchable: Sweeney has taken Bost birdwatching, horseback riding and to Trader Joe's, while Bost has taken Sweeney to a cookout, a church service and to shoot dice, the outlet reports.
The two met at a Druski comedy talent show in 2024 and crossed paths again later at the Grog Shop, per the same account. Sweeney said he had been mulling the idea of taking his Black friends to do things associated with white people for months before he finally approached Bost about working together.
From Viral Clips to a Growing Business
The payoff came fast. Sweeney recalled that their first five videos each pulled in more than 2 million views, as reported by Signal Cleveland, and Bost said the series began to grow rapidly to the point where the pair felt they were dominating the internet, the station's report notes. Culture Swap has since turned into real income through social media monetization, letting Bost travel and spend more time with his family while Sweeney treated a childhood friend and NASCAR fan to a race at Talladega, expense-free.
Cleveland Magazine, in a separate account, reported that one Culture Swap video filmed at a deli near East 84th Street and Superior Avenue drew more than 52 million views and sent a wave of curious new customers to the neighborhood business. In the same piece, Cleveland Magazine reported that filming with Bost helped break down misconceptions Sweeney had carried about Cleveland after growing up in the suburbs.
An Audience Older Than You'd Think
Sweeney said their audience skews older than people might expect, with about two-thirds of their social media following falling between ages 25 and 40, according to the dossier of claims attributed to the same report. He also said the comedy reminds some viewers of a less restrictive time, which he described as feeling refreshing. Among their followers are members of the military, and Sweeney believes they relate to the multiracial friendship and teasing at the center of the series.
Bost said the goal behind the videos goes beyond laughs. He wants viewers to see the pair enjoying each other's cultures as a way of bringing people together and encouraging cultural learning, and he pointed to their skydiving video as an example, saying it made more people want to try skydiving themselves. He told Cleveland Magazine, “I want people to see each other working together and getting along.”
Taking the Act to Hilarities
The duo's ambitions stretch beyond viral clips. Bost said he wants the act to go nationwide and worldwide, telling Signal Cleveland, “We want to be like, nationwide, worldwide. You can turn on your TV and watch us on Netflix.” For now, the next step is a live show: Culture Swap Live hits Hilarities 4th Street Theatre on Friday, Nov. 20, with tickets starting at $30.
Fans at Hilarities can expect audience-participation games and previously unseen footage from their shoots, though Sweeney warned the live show runs more unrestrained than the videos themselves. The pair also said they plan to announce a wider tour soon, though no dates or cities have been confirmed. Still unresolved, by Sweeney's own account, is how long Culture Swap will last or whether the working relationship between him and Bost will continue. Sweeney, for his part, says the work has already let them meet people, have fun and experience things neither would have otherwise.
