There may have been things I meant to comment on before, but I think today makes a prime candidate to update about.
So basically, Cory was determined to win his Gold's Gym Challenge, repeating often "I've got to win this" and "I'm going to win this" throughout his training. Then when he realizes he's not going to win, he starts giving that "It was never about winning" line, which I thought was a hair on the sore loser side to be honest with you. He improved his body, sure, and in that respect he certainly won. But let's face it, he was banking on winning this contest to fix his finances, and he counted his chickens before they hatched. Now he's back where he started, apparently depressed and in financial problems, and needs to find a way to make money again the old-fashion way.
The rational direction here would be to continue making DudeLikeHella videos, building up a secondary fan base and income, putting his wrestling aside so that he can work on SMP Films and Mean Kitty videos for bigger projects that will pull in the most views on his main channels.
But somehow I don't think rational thinking went into this, because he's decided to stop doing DudeLikeHella, citing a lack of views as the reason he's not going to focus his efforts on it.
Now first of all, no, I don't know how much money he makes. But I can tell you this: he has more subscribers than Kate did when I started watching her. Kate managed to move to another country on what she made, along with that from her side jobs. So something tells me that between SMP Films, Mean Kitty, and DudeLikeHella, he's making a decent paycheck. If you go and look, DudeLikeHella has been getting around 30k views on most of the vlogs. This is how much Kate's vlogs make lately, believe it or not. And this isn't good enough???
And yet, Cory's views were even much higher a few weeks ago, which, surprise surprise, we before he started this bodybuilding and wrestling stuff. I'm sorry, but that stuff is so boring to me, and apparently to a lot of other people as well. Yes I know it's part of his life, but that doesn't mean it has to be filmed. He's said before that he makes the vlogs for himself primarily, not us, so that's why he films that kind of stuff. But that's a silly excuse because there's nothing stopping him from filming private stuff of his workouts and whatever to save for later in life, and only sharing the rest of his day with fans to entertain them. The "they're for me" thing is a cop-out as far as I'm concerned. Work with your audience, don't expect your audience to work with you. If you're giving them a product they don't want, then, you know, there's a good chance they're going to stop buying it. And that's exactly what's happened to his view counts apparently.
But I digress, and come back to the thirty thousand views part. Most people never make that many on all of their videos combined, and he's making it on a potentially daily basis (if he went back to daily vlogs). And I reiterate that Kate is getting this many views as well, on a daily basis, and somehow she's managing to live just fine, even though she doesn't hardly ever make a Katers17 video anymore.
So whatever. I thumbed his video down today. I know that Cory acts on impulse a lot, and there's a good chance that he'll be posting another video in a week anyway, but the fact that he would scoff at this kind of success as not being good enough is just ridiculous. Give me a break.
EDIT: You know what I realized after writing this? The big problem Cory might have is taxes. A few days ago was tax day, and he was going to owe a lot after winning that $20k furniture contest.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
March Madness
So a few things have happened lately in the "vlogosphere" that bear mention.
First and foremost, Charles Trippy had a brain tumor. How 'bout that. I admit to resubscribing to CTFxC just to watch the events unfold. I don't know how much longer I'll stay subscribed now that the core issue is resolved, but I suppose that as long as I remain at least semi-entertained, I'll leave it. I just honestly had zero interest in watching Charles on tour with his band or any of that. But it's kind of fun to watch again lately when they were all together again.
Second, it was around that time that I realized Shay Carl has lost a ton of weight. I only stopped watching him less than a year ago, so that seems to be a bit fast based on what I've heard about safe weight loss. His face even looks a bit gaunt to me. Though he does seem to be in good physical shape. So good on him for losing it though, I suppose. But, I have to say, part of the charm is lost. Him being a big guy was part of what made him funny. It's kind of like with Wayne Knight; Dennis Nedry and Newman would not have been funny characters if he'd been his eventual thinner self. There's simply a comedic value to someone being overweight. So I'm sorry to say, but now Shay just seems like some kind of over-enthusiastic gym trainer or something.
Thirdly is Katers' little run-in with the law. There seems to be debate in the comments over whether Kate may have actually intended to steal the sunglasses. Either way, I think she exaggerated a little on what happened. She made it sound like she got taken downtown, arrested, fingerprinted, and the whole nine yards, and is "in the system" now for sure. But in reality, it sounds like she actually just got a summons to appear in court, and has a chance to contest the whole thing. That's a big difference.
Meanwhile, there's no video evidence to prove or disprove her story, so all of the rabid fanboys showing their loyalty by talking bad about the security guard and police, and claiming Kate "has proof" to sue, is all a bit unnecessary and unreasonable. Claiming you forgot you had the item in your hand is one of the most common excuses a shoplifter gives, so why should the security guard have thought Kate was any different? And no, she didn't legally have to submit to any search, but you better believe that security guards are going to let you think you have to if you don't know any better. As for the handcuffs, who knows. For all we know, maybe Kate was freaking out and arguing with them or something.
And, again, for all we know, maybe she was in fact trying to steal them. You just don't know. Kate comes from a low-income background, with no father figure present, and has shown that she was friends with a rougher crowd. It's not unreasonable to assume anything in this case. I mean, she said she joked with them about how she didn't even take sauce packets or whatever from restaurants, even though that's an obvious fib. Remember when she was visiting her dad, and scooped up every one of those little jelly jars that she could find? Yeah. And it's no secret that she's very very tight with money, to the point where she would freeze in her own house before turning the heat up a few degrees.
So yeah. I won't go as far as to say she intended to steal the things, cause it's certainly a plausible story she gave. But I will still stay open-minded enough to accept that maybe she did do it, too. We'll never know the truth either way. And I'm not boycotting Pennies over it like Cory is insisting everyone do, because if I boycotted every store where someone has had a negative experience with security, I might as well not even go out of the house. I've even had a couple of experiences myself, and while they weren't anything like Kate's, it was enough for me to stop visiting one particular store for years. But I wouldn't have gone around telling others not to shop there just because one douchebag employee ruined it for me.
I guess that's it for this vlogger blogger. I'm sure there's other topics I could talk about, but it seems Youtube ends up filling up posts plenty on its own!
First and foremost, Charles Trippy had a brain tumor. How 'bout that. I admit to resubscribing to CTFxC just to watch the events unfold. I don't know how much longer I'll stay subscribed now that the core issue is resolved, but I suppose that as long as I remain at least semi-entertained, I'll leave it. I just honestly had zero interest in watching Charles on tour with his band or any of that. But it's kind of fun to watch again lately when they were all together again.
Second, it was around that time that I realized Shay Carl has lost a ton of weight. I only stopped watching him less than a year ago, so that seems to be a bit fast based on what I've heard about safe weight loss. His face even looks a bit gaunt to me. Though he does seem to be in good physical shape. So good on him for losing it though, I suppose. But, I have to say, part of the charm is lost. Him being a big guy was part of what made him funny. It's kind of like with Wayne Knight; Dennis Nedry and Newman would not have been funny characters if he'd been his eventual thinner self. There's simply a comedic value to someone being overweight. So I'm sorry to say, but now Shay just seems like some kind of over-enthusiastic gym trainer or something.
Thirdly is Katers' little run-in with the law. There seems to be debate in the comments over whether Kate may have actually intended to steal the sunglasses. Either way, I think she exaggerated a little on what happened. She made it sound like she got taken downtown, arrested, fingerprinted, and the whole nine yards, and is "in the system" now for sure. But in reality, it sounds like she actually just got a summons to appear in court, and has a chance to contest the whole thing. That's a big difference.
Meanwhile, there's no video evidence to prove or disprove her story, so all of the rabid fanboys showing their loyalty by talking bad about the security guard and police, and claiming Kate "has proof" to sue, is all a bit unnecessary and unreasonable. Claiming you forgot you had the item in your hand is one of the most common excuses a shoplifter gives, so why should the security guard have thought Kate was any different? And no, she didn't legally have to submit to any search, but you better believe that security guards are going to let you think you have to if you don't know any better. As for the handcuffs, who knows. For all we know, maybe Kate was freaking out and arguing with them or something.
And, again, for all we know, maybe she was in fact trying to steal them. You just don't know. Kate comes from a low-income background, with no father figure present, and has shown that she was friends with a rougher crowd. It's not unreasonable to assume anything in this case. I mean, she said she joked with them about how she didn't even take sauce packets or whatever from restaurants, even though that's an obvious fib. Remember when she was visiting her dad, and scooped up every one of those little jelly jars that she could find? Yeah. And it's no secret that she's very very tight with money, to the point where she would freeze in her own house before turning the heat up a few degrees.
So yeah. I won't go as far as to say she intended to steal the things, cause it's certainly a plausible story she gave. But I will still stay open-minded enough to accept that maybe she did do it, too. We'll never know the truth either way. And I'm not boycotting Pennies over it like Cory is insisting everyone do, because if I boycotted every store where someone has had a negative experience with security, I might as well not even go out of the house. I've even had a couple of experiences myself, and while they weren't anything like Kate's, it was enough for me to stop visiting one particular store for years. But I wouldn't have gone around telling others not to shop there just because one douchebag employee ruined it for me.
I guess that's it for this vlogger blogger. I'm sure there's other topics I could talk about, but it seems Youtube ends up filling up posts plenty on its own!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Correcting My Stand
I'm going to have to stand corrected on the last post I made, I guess.
Initially the circumstances around Kate and Cory's New Years kiss were vague enough that you could assume Cory meant many things by his "I'm gonna do it" talk, such as "do it" being "reveal the relationship to the public" rather than actually kissing her for the first time. But as of the January 2nd vlog, they outright said enough things to one another that makes it either totally legit, or all a total lie. And since I really don't think it's the latter, I'm going to shrug away all of my initial skepticism.
At least Cory admitted he's liked her for a long time now, which means most of us were right all along in that regard. Don't get me wrong, though, I totally get his reasons for not admitting it openly, because I figured the same thing as why.
So yeah, don't mind my rambling in the last post. I just figured I'd leave it up though because I don't care to admit I'm mistaken. I take a cynical approach to such things because, let's face it, way too much entertainment is fake these days to take everything at face value right away. And while Katersoneseven is still a vlog as opposed to a TV show or viral video or something, I still believe that some aspects of the vlogs, once in a while, are more for entertainment rather than something that would happen normally. That being said, nothing has really gone too overboard into "view whore" territory or anything, so I'm cool with it, and am still pretty entertained by most of them!
Initially the circumstances around Kate and Cory's New Years kiss were vague enough that you could assume Cory meant many things by his "I'm gonna do it" talk, such as "do it" being "reveal the relationship to the public" rather than actually kissing her for the first time. But as of the January 2nd vlog, they outright said enough things to one another that makes it either totally legit, or all a total lie. And since I really don't think it's the latter, I'm going to shrug away all of my initial skepticism.
At least Cory admitted he's liked her for a long time now, which means most of us were right all along in that regard. Don't get me wrong, though, I totally get his reasons for not admitting it openly, because I figured the same thing as why.
So yeah, don't mind my rambling in the last post. I just figured I'd leave it up though because I don't care to admit I'm mistaken. I take a cynical approach to such things because, let's face it, way too much entertainment is fake these days to take everything at face value right away. And while Katersoneseven is still a vlog as opposed to a TV show or viral video or something, I still believe that some aspects of the vlogs, once in a while, are more for entertainment rather than something that would happen normally. That being said, nothing has really gone too overboard into "view whore" territory or anything, so I'm cool with it, and am still pretty entertained by most of them!
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Years Smooches
Well obviously I have to say something regarding the big New Years event involving Katersoneseven and Smpfilms.
I'm a bit conflicted about it. Not conflicted about it happening, but rather how/when it happened. The cynic in me sees hype on Facebook and Twitter to leave fans in suspense, leading up to a big year-opening vlog event to keep fans interested for what's to come, which is then further hyped by Cory on aforementioned social sites, which is then retweeted and linked by fans, many of which trying to get a trending topic going on Twitter. Whether that's all happy coincidence or clever marketing, who's to say. But I'm going to get into some of the reasons of why the thought crossed my mind!
There's been various reasons to believe that there was more between Cory and Kate for a while (Cory referring to her as "my girl" on a Facebook comment before New Years being one of the latest), but never anything substantial enough to assume they were definitely a couple. If nothing else, it was obvious that Cory was really into her, but you didn't necessarily see the same thing from Kate. Either way, it took a fairly gullible person to take Cory's word for it all this time that he just considered her a friend. That doesn't mean it went anything beyond him having feelings, but it doesn't discount it, either. But it does show that Cory went out of his way to try to hide his feelings to the audience, when he could have just ignored it.
Next, we know that Kate pretty much identifies as being an actress, and we also know that they've both wanted ways to branch out and make more money. Nothing wrong with that of course, but for those who take a more objective/cynical look at things, it's one more reason to question whether what we see in vlogs is always a natural progression of events, or catering for views. Not to be a jerk about it, but we're talking about someone who freezes in their own home because they don't want to pay for the heat. Either her budget is really tight, or she likes money a little too much, bringing into question how far an aspiring actress (and actor) might take something.
One smaller detail is that nobody seemed to really care that they were kissing. Sure, it's a party, and people are mingling with one another. But I just feel like somebody there would have noticed it and looked and/or pointed, and other people might have looked to see what they were looking at, etc. Everyone was oblivious to the situation.
But, there's a detail which throws a kink in that whole line of thinking. It was a reaction by Kate, or rather two reactions, when Cory kissed her. The first is how she initially smiled and tried to laugh, which gives the impression to me that she thought he was just being silly. She also looks up at his eyes when they continue kissing, probably to gauge his intention, but that's not quite enough to go on for anything. The second big thing is her reaction when he asks her the question, which everyone seems to think is "will you be my girlfriend" or something to that effect. It was something in the nod, and her eyes, even if you couldn't see them straight on. It was very similar to the one she's had before in actual emotional situations, like happy but trying to hold back tears kind of look, maybe with some bashful mixed in.
So yeah, it's possible that maybe Kate is just a really good actress, but you know, it just doesn't even matter. Even with my questioning attitude, I still loved it. I watched the end more than once (even if some of that was to look at reactions). I'm not ashamed to admit an emotional response to it. If the whole thing was staged, it wouldn't change the fact that finally they're apparently together, after all of this beating around the bush to what most people knew was inevitable.
I'm sure there will still be rumors from trolls of the entire thing being a sham, Kate's a lesbian, that they're just together for views, and so that people will stop questioning her sexuality from lack of dating, etc. And to that, I say.. who knows! I'm not really in any position to judge people coming up with their own theories when I've made plenty. But I also say who cares, because like I said, they totally sold me with the kiss. As long as it doesn't turn into a WB show's level of romantic drama, I'll watch.
p.s. For fuck's sake, why doesn't somebody stop inviting Madson to parties? I think he only shows up for free booze, and considers getting drunk as an obligation. I know his kind, and just from the snippits we've seen of him in the vlog, I can characterize him to a T (since usually there's not much character to begin with). Unfortunately, too many people think it's funny, cute, endearing, or whatever other bullshit to hang out with people who "speak their minds," when in reality it's just somebody with no social graces or respect for other people who will take advantage of anyone stupid enough to let them. You don't reward that kind of behavior with friendship and invitations. I would rather listen to Stephanie's high-pitched excited squee for the whole video than hear Madson blather on, usually as if he's the life of the party. But anyway, that's just a pet peeve, so I conclude my mini-rant.
I'm a bit conflicted about it. Not conflicted about it happening, but rather how/when it happened. The cynic in me sees hype on Facebook and Twitter to leave fans in suspense, leading up to a big year-opening vlog event to keep fans interested for what's to come, which is then further hyped by Cory on aforementioned social sites, which is then retweeted and linked by fans, many of which trying to get a trending topic going on Twitter. Whether that's all happy coincidence or clever marketing, who's to say. But I'm going to get into some of the reasons of why the thought crossed my mind!
There's been various reasons to believe that there was more between Cory and Kate for a while (Cory referring to her as "my girl" on a Facebook comment before New Years being one of the latest), but never anything substantial enough to assume they were definitely a couple. If nothing else, it was obvious that Cory was really into her, but you didn't necessarily see the same thing from Kate. Either way, it took a fairly gullible person to take Cory's word for it all this time that he just considered her a friend. That doesn't mean it went anything beyond him having feelings, but it doesn't discount it, either. But it does show that Cory went out of his way to try to hide his feelings to the audience, when he could have just ignored it.
Next, we know that Kate pretty much identifies as being an actress, and we also know that they've both wanted ways to branch out and make more money. Nothing wrong with that of course, but for those who take a more objective/cynical look at things, it's one more reason to question whether what we see in vlogs is always a natural progression of events, or catering for views. Not to be a jerk about it, but we're talking about someone who freezes in their own home because they don't want to pay for the heat. Either her budget is really tight, or she likes money a little too much, bringing into question how far an aspiring actress (and actor) might take something.
One smaller detail is that nobody seemed to really care that they were kissing. Sure, it's a party, and people are mingling with one another. But I just feel like somebody there would have noticed it and looked and/or pointed, and other people might have looked to see what they were looking at, etc. Everyone was oblivious to the situation.
But, there's a detail which throws a kink in that whole line of thinking. It was a reaction by Kate, or rather two reactions, when Cory kissed her. The first is how she initially smiled and tried to laugh, which gives the impression to me that she thought he was just being silly. She also looks up at his eyes when they continue kissing, probably to gauge his intention, but that's not quite enough to go on for anything. The second big thing is her reaction when he asks her the question, which everyone seems to think is "will you be my girlfriend" or something to that effect. It was something in the nod, and her eyes, even if you couldn't see them straight on. It was very similar to the one she's had before in actual emotional situations, like happy but trying to hold back tears kind of look, maybe with some bashful mixed in.
So yeah, it's possible that maybe Kate is just a really good actress, but you know, it just doesn't even matter. Even with my questioning attitude, I still loved it. I watched the end more than once (even if some of that was to look at reactions). I'm not ashamed to admit an emotional response to it. If the whole thing was staged, it wouldn't change the fact that finally they're apparently together, after all of this beating around the bush to what most people knew was inevitable.
I'm sure there will still be rumors from trolls of the entire thing being a sham, Kate's a lesbian, that they're just together for views, and so that people will stop questioning her sexuality from lack of dating, etc. And to that, I say.. who knows! I'm not really in any position to judge people coming up with their own theories when I've made plenty. But I also say who cares, because like I said, they totally sold me with the kiss. As long as it doesn't turn into a WB show's level of romantic drama, I'll watch.
p.s. For fuck's sake, why doesn't somebody stop inviting Madson to parties? I think he only shows up for free booze, and considers getting drunk as an obligation. I know his kind, and just from the snippits we've seen of him in the vlog, I can characterize him to a T (since usually there's not much character to begin with). Unfortunately, too many people think it's funny, cute, endearing, or whatever other bullshit to hang out with people who "speak their minds," when in reality it's just somebody with no social graces or respect for other people who will take advantage of anyone stupid enough to let them. You don't reward that kind of behavior with friendship and invitations. I would rather listen to Stephanie's high-pitched excited squee for the whole video than hear Madson blather on, usually as if he's the life of the party. But anyway, that's just a pet peeve, so I conclude my mini-rant.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Katers Christmas
So how about that Katersoneseven Christmas vlog, and how it didn't happen?
Yeah, I don't get it either. A person who vlogs 365 days a year, vlogs last Christmas, vlogs birthdays, vlogs family and friends (and their birthdays), vlogs good times and bad, yet suddenly decides Christmas this year is off limits. To make matters worse, the audience was built up to what was thought to be an awesome Christmas vlog, by showing the shopping, showing all the presents and the tree all the time, and actually saying how it was in fact going to be awesome, more than once. But apparently that didn't mean it was going to be awesome for the viewers, because at the last minute, on Christmas Eve, she broke the news that we didn't get to see any of it. Well, unless you count opening of the fan gifts, but that lasted for two minutes out of a six minute vlog. And to be blunt, nobody wanted to see any of the fan gifts a fraction as much as they wanted to see what Cory and Kate gifted one another.
The thing is, not only did we not get to see the opening of the presents, we didn't even get to see the presents themselves later on. What's the big secret? What's so special about this year compared to last? I mean sure, maybe she wanted a morning to relax with no makeup or anything. Fine, I can totally accept/respect that. But like I said, we didn't even get to know what the presents were, aside from what we might have seen strewn across the floor afterwards. How can presents exchanged between two friends be so special that nobody is allowed to see? Even if there were a few special gifts in there, that doesn't mean everything else couldn't have been opened on camera. They're not really helping the whole Kate/Cory relationship rumor by doing stuff like that.
Just to put alternate possibilities out there, maybe they bought each other expensive stuff (since I saw a Wii box on the floor) and thought trolls would remark in the comments about them being spoiled and having lots of money. I know that they make remarks about them spending money eating out and at Starbucks a lot. But again, the expensive gifts could have been edited out or skipped. So I just don't get it, especially for someone who makes money by making entertaining vlogs. By being a Christmas-tease, she really only managed to ruffle the feathers of her viewers.
On a side note, I heard that the Shaytards did like an hour long Christmas vlog, but to be fair, we all know by now that Shay is so eager for views/money that he would vlog pretty much anything at this point as long as it didn't take much effort. I have no desire to watch it, though, so I'll have to take peoples' word on how long it was. I do know that Vlerabrite opened gifts on camera, as well as some other lesser-known Youtubers I watch. Likely even other big vloggers like CTFxC did too. So as for Kate, again all I can say is "I don't get it." There's got to be more to the story.
But whatever, despite my multiple paragraphs of disappointment/conjecture on the subject, at the end of the day it really just doesn't matter. Just toss it into the "odd Katers activity" pile and wait to see if anything in the future sheds light on any of it. I just really wanted to see a Christmas vlog, is all.
Yeah, I don't get it either. A person who vlogs 365 days a year, vlogs last Christmas, vlogs birthdays, vlogs family and friends (and their birthdays), vlogs good times and bad, yet suddenly decides Christmas this year is off limits. To make matters worse, the audience was built up to what was thought to be an awesome Christmas vlog, by showing the shopping, showing all the presents and the tree all the time, and actually saying how it was in fact going to be awesome, more than once. But apparently that didn't mean it was going to be awesome for the viewers, because at the last minute, on Christmas Eve, she broke the news that we didn't get to see any of it. Well, unless you count opening of the fan gifts, but that lasted for two minutes out of a six minute vlog. And to be blunt, nobody wanted to see any of the fan gifts a fraction as much as they wanted to see what Cory and Kate gifted one another.
The thing is, not only did we not get to see the opening of the presents, we didn't even get to see the presents themselves later on. What's the big secret? What's so special about this year compared to last? I mean sure, maybe she wanted a morning to relax with no makeup or anything. Fine, I can totally accept/respect that. But like I said, we didn't even get to know what the presents were, aside from what we might have seen strewn across the floor afterwards. How can presents exchanged between two friends be so special that nobody is allowed to see? Even if there were a few special gifts in there, that doesn't mean everything else couldn't have been opened on camera. They're not really helping the whole Kate/Cory relationship rumor by doing stuff like that.
Just to put alternate possibilities out there, maybe they bought each other expensive stuff (since I saw a Wii box on the floor) and thought trolls would remark in the comments about them being spoiled and having lots of money. I know that they make remarks about them spending money eating out and at Starbucks a lot. But again, the expensive gifts could have been edited out or skipped. So I just don't get it, especially for someone who makes money by making entertaining vlogs. By being a Christmas-tease, she really only managed to ruffle the feathers of her viewers.
On a side note, I heard that the Shaytards did like an hour long Christmas vlog, but to be fair, we all know by now that Shay is so eager for views/money that he would vlog pretty much anything at this point as long as it didn't take much effort. I have no desire to watch it, though, so I'll have to take peoples' word on how long it was. I do know that Vlerabrite opened gifts on camera, as well as some other lesser-known Youtubers I watch. Likely even other big vloggers like CTFxC did too. So as for Kate, again all I can say is "I don't get it." There's got to be more to the story.
But whatever, despite my multiple paragraphs of disappointment/conjecture on the subject, at the end of the day it really just doesn't matter. Just toss it into the "odd Katers activity" pile and wait to see if anything in the future sheds light on any of it. I just really wanted to see a Christmas vlog, is all.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Branding
I just had a commenter angrily dispute (read: swearing like a five year old) over my use of the word "brand" when referring to a particular Youtube channel's more prominent attributes, and it made me wonder just how many people seriously don't think they're in this for the money.
It's their day job. Of course they are.
That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. And it doesn't automatically make someone a sell-out. They started out doing something which people liked, and as the user base grew, so did ad revenue, enough so to sustain them. But to say that various Youtubers don't have a "brand" is like saying they're all the same as Joe Vlogger. They all have things which distinguish them, and most of them actively use those things to promote themselves in all things internet-related, whether that's selling shirts or growing their fan base. Olga Kay for example has her juggling (which she doesn't really do anymore though), a whole series of recurring characters she plays on her main channel videos, and her "moosh army." Toby Turner has his "darkness then redness then whiteness" thing. Cory Williams has his "mean kitties." Shay is the "family man." Arturo Trejo has his exaggerations, his family, and the whole Spanish thing. Wheezy Waiter has a number of recurring in-jokes (new couch!), Explosion Wednesday (not that that's a thing), his band, etc. CTFxC has its very name, and the dogs. I could go on and on. And let's not forget that most of these people have theme songs now, as well. When people think of these Youtubers, they identify them with these things. It's part of the "brand" they've created to set themselves apart from the masses. And it's why they're all popular. It's in no way an implication that they've sold out.
When you become a sell-out is when the search for money and/or fame goes too far and impacts what you've established. When advertising is prevalent, when products are promoted too often, when out of the ordinary things are done on the channel purely for views, outright spamming, etc. Not cool. Most of these people already make a living off of their fans, so expecting more than that, particularly at the expense of normal content, is kind of selfish. Not that I blame them, of course, because everybody likes money. But fans notice, and in the end, they're only damaging their own image.
There are in fact certain Youtubers who I feel are nothing but sell-outs at this point. Some I've mentioned in detail, others I've never mentioned here at all. And not everyone who I've had a beef with here is on that list, either, before you go making assumptions. But there's no point in me naming names, because there's obviously thousands of people who would disagree with me in each case regardless of any evidence I might present. You know, much like the angry commenter who felt it necessary to swear angrily at the very implication that their favorite Youtuber promoted any kind of brand to begin with!
It's their day job. Of course they are.
That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. And it doesn't automatically make someone a sell-out. They started out doing something which people liked, and as the user base grew, so did ad revenue, enough so to sustain them. But to say that various Youtubers don't have a "brand" is like saying they're all the same as Joe Vlogger. They all have things which distinguish them, and most of them actively use those things to promote themselves in all things internet-related, whether that's selling shirts or growing their fan base. Olga Kay for example has her juggling (which she doesn't really do anymore though), a whole series of recurring characters she plays on her main channel videos, and her "moosh army." Toby Turner has his "darkness then redness then whiteness" thing. Cory Williams has his "mean kitties." Shay is the "family man." Arturo Trejo has his exaggerations, his family, and the whole Spanish thing. Wheezy Waiter has a number of recurring in-jokes (new couch!), Explosion Wednesday (not that that's a thing), his band, etc. CTFxC has its very name, and the dogs. I could go on and on. And let's not forget that most of these people have theme songs now, as well. When people think of these Youtubers, they identify them with these things. It's part of the "brand" they've created to set themselves apart from the masses. And it's why they're all popular. It's in no way an implication that they've sold out.
When you become a sell-out is when the search for money and/or fame goes too far and impacts what you've established. When advertising is prevalent, when products are promoted too often, when out of the ordinary things are done on the channel purely for views, outright spamming, etc. Not cool. Most of these people already make a living off of their fans, so expecting more than that, particularly at the expense of normal content, is kind of selfish. Not that I blame them, of course, because everybody likes money. But fans notice, and in the end, they're only damaging their own image.
There are in fact certain Youtubers who I feel are nothing but sell-outs at this point. Some I've mentioned in detail, others I've never mentioned here at all. And not everyone who I've had a beef with here is on that list, either, before you go making assumptions. But there's no point in me naming names, because there's obviously thousands of people who would disagree with me in each case regardless of any evidence I might present. You know, much like the angry commenter who felt it necessary to swear angrily at the very implication that their favorite Youtuber promoted any kind of brand to begin with!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
And Then There Were Fewer
So since my last update, I've unsubscribed from all CTFxC-related channels. Just got tired of it in general, along with things rubbing me the wrong way occasionally. No point in making myself watch something that I don't really enjoy most days. I think the last straw was Charles and Alli wearing out Siri on their new iPhones, since I completely predicted it beforehand. Siri isn't amusing or even anything new, but seems like every kid out there is amazed by the thing. Anyway, I might go back and watch the wedding whenever that happens, but even if I missed that, I honestly just wouldn't care at this point. I'm over the vloggity.
I've also all but stopped watching Olga Kay's videos. I haven't watched one now in weeks. Why am I even still subscribed to that, actually?
I saw that the Shaytard brood is branching out, into yet more video series and now podcasts. Even his sister has a professional-looking channel now. The junk got put into my recommendations. And again I just roll my eyes at the money obsession fueling those ventures. It's just ridiculous how Shaytards went from an every day family guy to this professional scripted internet television series. Why would anyone who didn't already know Shay from the beginning even want to start watching it? What's the appeal?
Actually, nevermind. This is the same country that loves Jersey Shore, the Kardashians, and Rebecca Black.
My favorite daily vlogger remains Katers17, along with Cory and recently Amy as well. I really enjoyed the videos with Amy around. She seems to be very comfortable in front of the camera, and has a good sense of humor. Some of the funniest moments in a while happened during those three weeks of her visit. I hope she continues her own vlogging channel once she's back in England.
As for Kate, no real complaints about the vlogs in recent weeks I guess. She's been pushing that APB game a bit, and I suspect she's getting paid in some respect for at least doing the commercial part of it, but who knows. But it's nothing too intrusive so it doesn't bother me. People get some kind of Katers character tattoo out of joining through her link, so more power to'em I guess.
Currently she's kind of pushing some mobile game called City Story. I tried it since it's "free," but I don't see me playing it. I mean, I understand that games like that make money by selling items, but they're whoring this garbage on you constantly in popups and stuff. It's very annoying. Sorry, I'm not giving you money to regularly play a slow generic version of Sim City. Not when I can buy the REAL Sim City app. It all makes me wonder if Kate is being sponsored by these people. The reason I find it hard to believe that she's actually paying to play this thing is that it's obvious that she's very thrifty and money-conscious. I know she plays lots of Tiny Chef, but I've never played that one so I have no idea how necessary it is to spend real money to play it. Either way, whatever, I just thought the whole thing seemed a bit odd. Even if they're paying her, I don't care as long as it doesn't start to sound like it's being hocked rather than just suggested. I'd rather know that someone is trying to advertise to me rather than trying to trick me.
Meanwhile, Cory is on this "don't worry, be happy" phase. He's done similar things a few times in the past, and it apparently never lasts very long. Usually when somebody tries so hard to convince other people they're happy, they're only fooling themselves. I mean, more power to him if it does make him feel good temporarily, but I'm just afraid that he'll suddenly come crashing back to reality and feel miserable again. I think you're better off with a bumpy emotional state by dealing with problems, rather than pretending stuff doesn't bother you during high highs, only to end up climbing the mountain again after you hit the low lows.
Also speaking of Cory, I found it kind of ironic that he was complaining about having no money, yet he was so easily swindled into buying that car cleaner from the guy hocking it at the gas station. I can tell you right now that there was nothing in that bottle he was selling that you couldn't find cheaper in a store. I bet he paid like thirty bucks for it, too. Besides, Cory usually goes through the car wash anyway, which says to me that he obviously doesn't have the time or the desire to hand wash or wax the thing to begin with. Oh well.
I guess that's about all I meant to mention, regarding Youtubers at least. I'm sure I could find other things to go on about, but I'll save that for another time!
EDIT: Oh yeah, I know what I meant to mention now. People saying Kate complains too much. It got to the point that Kate herself now often prefaces that she's not complaining before expressing discontent. Who the fuck cares? Seriously, the girl is very chipper and grateful of most things, is she not allowed to complain as well? What reality do people live in where life doesn't give you lemons? Yeah, she lives in California where the weather is beautiful most of the time, but if she wants to complain about occasional cold or rain, why does it matter? People complain about inconveniences. It's perfectly normal. The whole "she has it all, she doesn't have any right to be complaining" thing is kind of ridiculous to impose on anybody. And don't get me wrong, there are still some things that are unjustifiable to complain about on camera, and Shaycarl was a perfect example of that. But general complaints about life are excluded. Haters will hate, I guess.
I've also all but stopped watching Olga Kay's videos. I haven't watched one now in weeks. Why am I even still subscribed to that, actually?
I saw that the Shaytard brood is branching out, into yet more video series and now podcasts. Even his sister has a professional-looking channel now. The junk got put into my recommendations. And again I just roll my eyes at the money obsession fueling those ventures. It's just ridiculous how Shaytards went from an every day family guy to this professional scripted internet television series. Why would anyone who didn't already know Shay from the beginning even want to start watching it? What's the appeal?
Actually, nevermind. This is the same country that loves Jersey Shore, the Kardashians, and Rebecca Black.
My favorite daily vlogger remains Katers17, along with Cory and recently Amy as well. I really enjoyed the videos with Amy around. She seems to be very comfortable in front of the camera, and has a good sense of humor. Some of the funniest moments in a while happened during those three weeks of her visit. I hope she continues her own vlogging channel once she's back in England.
As for Kate, no real complaints about the vlogs in recent weeks I guess. She's been pushing that APB game a bit, and I suspect she's getting paid in some respect for at least doing the commercial part of it, but who knows. But it's nothing too intrusive so it doesn't bother me. People get some kind of Katers character tattoo out of joining through her link, so more power to'em I guess.
Currently she's kind of pushing some mobile game called City Story. I tried it since it's "free," but I don't see me playing it. I mean, I understand that games like that make money by selling items, but they're whoring this garbage on you constantly in popups and stuff. It's very annoying. Sorry, I'm not giving you money to regularly play a slow generic version of Sim City. Not when I can buy the REAL Sim City app. It all makes me wonder if Kate is being sponsored by these people. The reason I find it hard to believe that she's actually paying to play this thing is that it's obvious that she's very thrifty and money-conscious. I know she plays lots of Tiny Chef, but I've never played that one so I have no idea how necessary it is to spend real money to play it. Either way, whatever, I just thought the whole thing seemed a bit odd. Even if they're paying her, I don't care as long as it doesn't start to sound like it's being hocked rather than just suggested. I'd rather know that someone is trying to advertise to me rather than trying to trick me.
Meanwhile, Cory is on this "don't worry, be happy" phase. He's done similar things a few times in the past, and it apparently never lasts very long. Usually when somebody tries so hard to convince other people they're happy, they're only fooling themselves. I mean, more power to him if it does make him feel good temporarily, but I'm just afraid that he'll suddenly come crashing back to reality and feel miserable again. I think you're better off with a bumpy emotional state by dealing with problems, rather than pretending stuff doesn't bother you during high highs, only to end up climbing the mountain again after you hit the low lows.
Also speaking of Cory, I found it kind of ironic that he was complaining about having no money, yet he was so easily swindled into buying that car cleaner from the guy hocking it at the gas station. I can tell you right now that there was nothing in that bottle he was selling that you couldn't find cheaper in a store. I bet he paid like thirty bucks for it, too. Besides, Cory usually goes through the car wash anyway, which says to me that he obviously doesn't have the time or the desire to hand wash or wax the thing to begin with. Oh well.
I guess that's about all I meant to mention, regarding Youtubers at least. I'm sure I could find other things to go on about, but I'll save that for another time!
EDIT: Oh yeah, I know what I meant to mention now. People saying Kate complains too much. It got to the point that Kate herself now often prefaces that she's not complaining before expressing discontent. Who the fuck cares? Seriously, the girl is very chipper and grateful of most things, is she not allowed to complain as well? What reality do people live in where life doesn't give you lemons? Yeah, she lives in California where the weather is beautiful most of the time, but if she wants to complain about occasional cold or rain, why does it matter? People complain about inconveniences. It's perfectly normal. The whole "she has it all, she doesn't have any right to be complaining" thing is kind of ridiculous to impose on anybody. And don't get me wrong, there are still some things that are unjustifiable to complain about on camera, and Shaycarl was a perfect example of that. But general complaints about life are excluded. Haters will hate, I guess.
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