(Youtube) Channels To Check Out!

Cold Ones is one of the most recent channels that I have watched consistently, as I discovered them just a little less than a year ago. To establish context, Chad, a friend of one of my favorite content creators, Maxmoefoe, got banned on Twitch and had to find another source of income. Chad, the friend, decided to capitalize on the growing popularity of talk shows and podcasts, and created his own, Cold Ones, but with an additional twist. Everyone featured on the show had to continuously drink throughout the interview, which made it more discombobulating and hilarious to watch the longer a viewer watched.

After having Max on for the second show, Chad decided to keep him on as a co host, and the two make a great pair, sober or inebriated. Having been friends ever since the golden age of YouTube, read more about that here, the two producing content together again was a fantastic nostalgia trip for me. After a three-year lapse of posting on his main channel, seeing Max going back to creating boundary pushing content was enough to support both of their careers with this talk show.

The structuring of the show is one of its best features. The interview starts off relatively stable and conventional as the guests and hosts have a beer or two. Chad and Max ask guests standard questions akin to the ones other talk show hosts use. Additionally, for most of the guests the co-hosts also show them around Australia and hang out before filming the show, a topic they might reference as well during the beginning.

As the drinks hit, the hosts are able to ask more and more risqué and inappropriate questions that other shows do not give the light of day due to monetization concerns, which drastically differentiates Cold Ones from other mainstream podcasts. In a sense, the structuring sort of reminds me of a tamer Eric Andre show but with a touch of alcoholism. The nostalgic 90’s set provided by CoolShirtz that they utilize which showcases an N64 game being played in the background alongside neon lighting and directing towards the channel logo also sets apart the brand of the show.

On a more personal side, both of the hosts and their friends five years ago had to deal with YouTube’s altered demonetization features, and as a consequence, many had to either stop uploading consistently, or leave the platform entirely. It’s nice to see a few of them back alive and kicking it no matter how hard the algorithm tries to bury their content. The two are back at it again and continually test and push the boundaries of content creation on the video streaming site, and now have stable incomes through Patron and sponsorships so that they do not have to solely rely on Ad Sense monetization.

Help enable their alcoholism: (WARNING! The two are very comfortable with the concept of free speech, so they may say things that might offend some viewers. If you are cool with that, watch these men grog, clog, egg, leg, and jeff)

 

When I was growing up, I only saw a few notable Asian people being cast in movies, and if I did, the character was usually playing a trope. Nonetheless, I continued to seek media representation of my inherent cultural identity, which ultimately resulted in my watching a bunch of comedic action-oriented films such as Kung Fu Hustle, Karate Kid, and Shaolin Soccer. The movies were always enjoyable, but I began to question the overarching lack of lead roles Asians held within the American Film industry.

But when talking about diversity marginalization within Hollywood, I feel as like our generation is taking a relatively revolutionary approach in terms of representation. I think the most notable recent event that shook the film industry was the production of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, which featured an all inclusive cast across the full spectrum of Asian individuals from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China.

 

 

For most of my youth, however, I spent a lot of time watching Asian content creators on YouTube. At first, they were also rare, but eventually I discovered a channel titled JustKiddingFilms, a skit-based channel run by Joe Jitsukawa and Bart Kwan. And their content was hilarious. And what started with following the antics of these two led to growing up alongside their own lives. They found partners, built a company over the course of five years, and invested in a variety of businesses. They are still crushing today through maintaining a multitude of secondary channels and uploading daily vlogs on their own personal ones. Additionally, through watching JustKiddingFilms that I was also introduced to David So, a content creator who I still consistently watch today.

I was particularly captivated by David’s videos, mainly because within it, he portrays a persona that is probably the direct antithesis of every Asian stereotype. He is extremely blunt and direct when talking about a topic, and he has pursued so many different career paths that a majority would never approach, such as music, standup, content creation, and cooking. In summation, he is just a passionate and vivacious individual.

Additionally, instead of sticking to a normal schedule, other than his weekly podcast series that is now a staple of his channel, he occasionally just uploads whatever interests him in the moment. One week it can be a comedic commentary video, the next week it can be a cooking one. And very rarely, he will release a single under his music pseudonym D.SO. The mutability of whatever he wants to share with us is as flexible as whatever he is comfortable uploading, which establishes a very unique relationship between the viewers and creator. I hope to emulate in his free-spirited attitude and entertaining demeanor, since as soon as he begins speaking, he exudes an aura of likeability and trust.

Check out his channel down below:

 

I always had an ambivalent attitude towards the standardization of having to read “classics” throughout most primary education English courses. While on one level, the novels preserve and represent historical and contextual time periods, and account for much of literary culture, the immediate effects that these enforced readings normally result in turning of more students from reading. Yes, we have transitioned alongside the standardization of technology, so it would make sense for more people to switch to viewing other forms of text through digital screens, but the wealth of knowledge contained within physical representations of authors is not yet fully accessible online.

I feel like much of the of the negative stigma students place upon language arts stems from the attitude these methods of learning instill. Instead of reading for enjoyment, we are doing it to fulfill a task, whether it is for a comprehension quiz, formal essay, presentation, or any other assignment.

When I was in high school, I was one of the students who embodied these sentiments about the English department, which is why I had to remind myself that I comprehend information in order to learn, grow, and most importantly, seek enjoyment.

And that was when I discovered the Overly Sarcastic Productions (OSP) YouTube channel. I was in the middle of reviewing for a review quiz on the first part of Beowulf, and I just happened upon a recommended video that summarized the classic. I was met with hand drawn animations of the channel’s persona, Red, which provided a visual contrast that enhanced the excellent and succinct review of epic poem.

Yet after additional exploration, the channel also espoused videos about varied ancient mythos, discussions concerning apparent literary tropes, and globe spanning world history run by Blue, a co-creator who also uploads incredibly informative content. All videos are accompanied by seamless transitions, imbued passion and personality, and fluid animations of both channel artists. More importantly, however, upon discovering this channel, I greatly reevaluated and improved my attitude towards history and language arts, two of the subjects I struggled with in school due a combination of a personal lack of interest and limited attention span.

From then on, I was able to excel in those subjects with a newfound individual passion for both literary and historical analysis. Instead of viewing classes as a burden, I sought to uncover the thoughts and truths of the past and evaluate them on my own volition. Since then, I have continued to approach new topics for learning with an open minded attitude, as I truly believe that inquiry and continual innovation are essential to mature as an individual, and one of the major contributing events to this development was the discovery of two content creators who sought to pursue their passions to help views appreciate the classics.

Check out the channel!

 

Now that we have sequestered ourselves in the confines of our home, and our tuition is going towards the finest of online coursework through zoom live streams and prerecorded lectures, now is a perfect time to introduce another avenue of learning through the YouTube Channel Sam O’ Nella Academy.

As the name suggests, the collection of archived videos is meant to inform and educate the online masses on some of the most intriguing topics of inquiry. I remember stumbling upon his page when one of his videos titled, History’s Worst Non-Water Floods, was featured my recommended list on the personalized homepage. Even thought the topic was oddly niche, the recantations of some of the weirder instances of history, such as the time a 2.3 million ton container filled with molasses flooded the town of Boston in the early 20^th century, were surprisingly entertaining, and Sam’s deadpan delivery of the entire scenario only added to the educational humor of his content.

Additionally, he employs the same tactics as another YouTuber who I have already featured, Casually Explained, as his artistic vision and grandeur of expression are guided through the means of Microsoft Paint. The simplicity of his editing can also be attributed to the fact that his transitions appear as a direct slide sequence in PowerPoint, a technique that any student knows far too well.

When I was in High School, I would be the student who would likely be asleep during history class. I found most of the covered topics boring and far too conventional, which ultimately led to faculty sticking to a boring script in terms of teaching style. History is so expansive and convoluted in nature, so why should everyone come out learning the same recyclable facts and instances? While the subject should be standardized to a degree, it doesn’t need to be taught to a tee with no diversification of content and style. My sentiments concerning the entire education of history are probably what drew me toward continually watching Sam O’ Nella Academy content after my initial encounter with the molasses flood video.

Through the evolution of the internet, we are now able to bask the full breadth of opportunities available from such a fantastic, widely available resource. Not only is personal education expanded and facilitated through a variety of outlets including digital databases, easy to access news reports, and seek informational videos and tool guides for conventional subjects and useful software, but also, and more importantly, we are able to be taught by individuals with a variety of passions and teaching styles, most of the times for free! So, what are you waiting for? For the minuscule price of zero dollars you can register online for Sam O’ Nella Academy in order to expand your taste for useless, but intriguing, historical trivia.

A few of my favorite videos of his are listed below if you want to check them out!

 

This week I’m going to take a shift away from featuring my favorite comedic youtubers to delve into a more mainstream genre of content creation, technology reviews and impressions. I am confident that I have seen his videos appearing in my recommended feed for the past year, but I only recently began to watch MKBHD’s uploads on a consistent basis.

My first reaction upon viewing was the amazing production quality, seamlessly clear transitions, and the contrasting sentiments of simplicity and eloquence that Marques established in every video. With every facet of commentary, there is always a balance between establishing direct engagement and incorporating individual style. From what I have seen in many online creators who publish content about happenings in the tech industry, there is an imbalance of being too direct and straightforward, which leads to a surplus of average videos covering the latest developments in the industry. And the troubling thing about this evolving scenario is that the creators are rewarded with millions of views for following this archetype due to the popular demand.

This is my reasoning for why I hold Marques in such high esteem even though he is in one of the most over saturated genres of online content. While he still creates videos on the latest developments in tech, as demonstrated by his recent review on the Samsung Galaxy S20, you must find some way to pay the bills. But, he doesn’t sacrifice the personality of his channel and center his consistent upload schedule solely on new phones or PCs or other appliances. He covers unique models of technological devices that stem from XiaoMi, Oppo, Huawei, and Motorola. If you were to look through the 10 most recent videos on his channel, your takeaway wouldn’t be that Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft are the only companies that have review worthy devices.

Another commendable aspect of Marques’s reviews is that he expresses what he dislikes about a product without overshadowing its other positive features. He straight up tells you the one aspect that he disagrees with, whether it is a stylistic, comfortability, or technical issue, and furthermore clarifies suggestions that would also make whatever he is reviewing more attractive to consumers. Vice versa for when he discusses the affordances and benefits of devices. His content is proof that reviewers do not have to play up reactions in order to garner a consistent audience.

In truth, I wish that I had discovered MKBHD sooner. The commentary, visuals, and variety of content are all pristine, and I ultimately factored Marques’s opinions into my individual research of purchasing a new phone. Check out his channel if you are even remotely into unique technological developments!

Check out some of his videos below!

 

I like to think of YouTube history by splitting its lifetime into three distinct eras. For the duration between the creation of the video streaming site in 2005 until 2010, I refer to the period as the incumbent age. There were few consistent internet personalities, people uploaded whatever they wanted, and occasionally there was a viral internet video posted that circulated like wildfire. I deem the era from 2010 to 2015 as the golden age or “renaissance period” of YouTube.

Although the service was acquired by Google.inc in 2006, it was within this time length that notable creators began popping up due to better instituted AdSense and partnerships the individuals received from uploading. Careers could be created under any theme imaginable. Technology reviews, let’s plays, makeup tutorials, news, and my favorite genre at the time, absurdist and dark humor, thrived on the site as content creators and influencers gained followings for their own personality and effort of video production. Currently, we are in the “dark ages” or YouTube.

After immense pressure was placed on the company by select advertisers to avoid attaching their brands to controversial videos that were uploaded to the streaming service, YouTube has become further disconnected with its creators than ever before. With entire sects of content creation such as sketch comedy, animation, criticism, and anything not politically correct being disenfranchised from viewers.

I always reference the history and evolution of YouTube in my other posts, but today I just felt like providing a concise summary.

To pander and please advertisers, my favorite genre has been eradicated like the what the black plague did to Europe and Asia in the mid 1300’s. And the only creator that continues to prevail in this time of existential dread is Elon Musk. That is, if Elon Musk was a three-foot-tall Filipino man, and dumb.

Michael Reeves is a software engineer turned comedic programmer who makes exceedingly entertaining videos on YouTube. Some inventions of his include scream powered microwave, gas-powered fishing pole, an air soft rifle that automatically fires at him when he dies in a video game, a shaker cup that tazes you if you cannot chug the drink in a few seconds, and a “big metal piston spike” attached to an old 3-D printer that uses visual recognition code to pick tomatoes out of his salads. He is truly a prodigious visionary of the 21^st century.

Not only did these videos get me interested in considering the prospects of becoming a software engineer, but the comedy projected by Michael is also reflective of the “renaissance period” of YouTube some four or five years prior. If you are easily offended and cannot bear the thought of someone saying that deviates from the status quo, I do not think his channel is an adequate recommendation. However, if you want to witness a glimpse to the era of MaxmoeFoe, Idubbbz, and Filthy Frank, you will probably enjoy Michael’s content as well.

 

Through further lies and deception, Michael was able to infiltrate the premises of OfflineTV, a conglomerate channel of YouTubers and Twitch streamers. By doing so, he has garnered a large sample size of test subjects to try out his ridiculous inventions, and we viewers also benefit by seeing him featured on his friend’s VODs from time to time as he struggles to adhere to his goal of producing one video a month.

But after reviewing all the videos on Michael’s channel, his numerous collaborations, his stable sponsorships and Patreon funds, and future prospects in general, I can give the chaotic man a thumbs up while I dutifully await his next upload.

Watch these videos:

During childhood, I realized that I much prefer seeing others cook rather than doing the act myself. My sister and I grew up watching the golden age of Food Network, and those interests have aged alongside me, since my current YouTube watch-list includes producers such as Tasty and Bon Appetit. However, while the recipes and challenges were entertaining and reflected a new era of online content creation, I also enjoyed creators who were able to imbue the content with personality and humor.

You Suck At Cooking’s (YSAC) unique channel name was what initially caught my attention. “I know I suck at cooking; how did he also know that?” But what I interpreted as a provocation and insult turned out to be an agreeable an entertaining culinary philosophy.

The “refined use” of culinary technique portrayed within each video greatly contrasts with YSAC’s own diction. Whisking, mixing, and stirring all fall under the classification of a “wangjangle”. Just adding a few grinds of pepper is not stimulating enough, so he spices it up by annunciating and repeating the condiment’s name three times. (Pepper, pepper, pepper!) Preheating is referred to as “setting the undo on three fundo”. The unique nature of his cooking terminology distinguishes his methodology of teaching as creative, heavily scuffed, and just a bit absurd when it comes to creating unconventional dishes like cauliflower mac and cheese, chopped salami grilled cheese, green beer, modified ramen, and zucchini noodles.

You wouldn’t think that creating and sharing recipes online would involve a ton of editing, but YSAC employs adobe premiere to further differentiate himself within the industry. Incorporated within each recipe is some sort of small skit that ranges from YSAC finding elusive ingredients in the wild, showcasing impossible traditional chopping or prepping methods through edited superimposition, or performing a song alongside visuals of puppies to close out the episode. I believe that these components contribute to the widespread success of the channel, since all variations draw in a diverse audience, not solely those who come for general cooking advice.

 

 

 

 

 

Unconventional cooking techniques facilitated through editing (Provided by MakeaGIF and Giphy)

 

After watching a variety of mainstream television cooking shows, I realized that every chef personality portrayed for entertainment boils down into three types. You have the happy go lucky ones like Adam Richmand and Andrew Zimmern, the cheerful but serious-when-the-situation-calls-for-it hosts like Alton Brown and Anne Burell, and finally, the extremely passionate but easily irritable ones akin to your Gordon Ramsey. All draw in a good majority of viewers, because these three intrinsic emotions connect to a multitude of different individuals.

Personally, after maturing and realizing that cooking in real life is much more nonchalant, I realized that something as casual and muted as YSAC was ultimately more enjoyable to watch than much of what food television has to offer currently. With every video, you do not know what to expect until after the episode ends. It could be an extension of the loosely enforced lore of the “YSAC Pimblokto arc”, an elaborately constructed narrative on why cumin is the best spice, or, at the end of the day, just another recipe or general advice for how to not suck at cooking.

Learn how to not suck at cooking and check out YSAC’s book:

 

Imagine that part of your brain that contains all thoughts of individual skepticism, philosophical creativity, self-deprecation, English banter, an immutable attitude that everything is meaningless yet at the same time, the constants of physics are laid out so perfectly, the unexplored universe being is wrought with potential discovery. When you put all those qualities together, those sentiments culminate into mid-twenties British voice, who has a healthy inclination towards cats and science fiction, on the internet producing a hodgepodge of videos about human existence. In other words, you would have the channel of Exurb1a.

I discovered Exurb1a’s content during one of my notorious “midnight scroll sessions” in bed, an hour binge of random content before I inevitably pass out due to exhaustion. My sleep schedule has never been healthier nor more consistent. Excluding the fact that I had a calculus examination the morning after, I happened upon one of his and was not prepared for the cognitive adventure of content posted on the channel. And then I proceeded to score a C on a quiz the next day.

But it was a worthwhile exchange of time that I do not regret, since the sacrifice of not understanding advanced mathematics allowed me to explore topics of humanism, individualism, and science. Exurb1a found a way to transcend the confines of traditional learning, and instead taught in style through a webcam, using detailed and descriptive imagery, and most importantly, with a British accent. The simplest description of his videos is that they are stories. But that definition pales in comparison to the variety and range of what he covers, which extends to his recorded science fiction narratives, which he writes himself, music, philosophy, college, intrinsic human traits, and the list goes on.

Exurb1a takes the methodology to online video production that most do not choose to employ. From historical data on the YouTube algorithm, consistent uploads on the platform are rewarded with better Google AdSense and popular sponsorships. But Exurb1a chooses to take longer periods between uploads, normally a month in length, to ensure the quality of what he posts is up to his own standards. He utilizes this time to ponder ideas, research, storyboard, procrastinate, record voice overs, play with his cat, edit, and ultimately publish for millions of people to see his work come to fruition.

I have not seen a single sponsored video throughout his channel, and I cannot imagine that he makes an exorbitant amount of money from his Google ads due to “bouts of excessive no-no language”, which reflects badly upon his standing within the overall platform. So, I tend to contribute to his creative processes with whatever financial savings I muster. He has two individual novels that are already written, published, and available for purchase and titled The Fifth Science and The Prince of Milk. Additionally, he has a few eBooks, The Bridge to Lucy Dunne and Logic Beach: Part 1, which are kindle exclusives. If any of you are fans of science fiction, mythology, philosophy, and other genres analyzing the human condition, I highly recommend these short stories if you have the free time to do some light reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                           Exurb1a’s science fiction novels

(Provided by Exurb1a and Amazon)

 

Watch these when you want to contemplate about your place in the universe:

 

 

 

 

The culmination of events that led to my discovery of Chris Jereza happened rather sporadically during the “college acceptance and rejection” period of my senior year. At the time, I was still unsure of what I wanted to pursue as a career, so I applied to only three college programs of study: business, healthcare information systems, and software engineering.

While the prior two were areas of interest that I had considered for undergraduate education since junior year, my passion for software engineering, computer science, and coding actually stemmed from watching Chris’s videos, in which he discusses a variety of topical interests within the field. His insight and experience from internships at Google, Lyft, and Amazon, day in the life of a UC Berkley series,  and preparatory recommendations for coding interviews all informed me of invaluable college advice.

In an online ecosystem of content sharing where every other creator is consistently engaged with the growth of his reputation, Chris projects vibes of genuineness throughout each upload. As a software engineer student at UC Berkley, he shares his own experiences on topics centered around his own interests, which include coding, following up on stock market, implementing quality of life changes, and traveling, to target a supportive, niche demographic of viewers.

 

Examples of topics that Chris has discussed over the course of his channel (Provided by Chris Jereza Channel Thumbnails)

 

I have touched upon the topic of qualitative substance versus flashy, immaterial content in my previous blog post about Casually Explained, but I think Chris’s editing style, story boarding, and presentation are also worthy of merit and discussion. Particularly in his video logs (vlogs), Chris utilizes impactful framing, emphatic zoom ins, smooth transitions, and an aesthetic backdrop, accompanied by upbeat music, that is detailed across multiple locations and borders the realms of professional cinematography. However, Chris also remains exceptionally humble while creating content, and he is never afraid to include the occasional blooper. It’s this quintessential aspect of his personality and comedic humor that reminds me of the earlier ages of YouTube, when more creators were focused on character growth and talent maturation rather than for corporate contracts and sponsorships. His content evokes such nostalgic vibes.

It’s this presentation of an identity of “hey, this a person I could meet on campus and just talk and chill with” that couples with an “upperclassman mentor-ship attitude and approach” that really captivated my attention upon my discovery of Chris’s channel and retained my overall, ongoing appreciation for the different avenues he takes in his career that he is willing to share online with us. Now that I have also completed my first year at university, I can commend his showcased efforts and invested work ethic he adheres to while simultaneously staying true to his own interests, publishing content, and interacting with the community he has cultivated over the years.

Here are my personal favorite videos from Chris:

The creator behind the widely popular YouTube channel Casually Explained is in his early twenties and creates content by providing insightful commentary, witty story boarding and transitions, and entertaining deadpan humor through his uploads that revolve around a general topic that he chooses to explain in a casual demeanor: hence the channel name, Casually Explained.

Joining the video sharing platform in December 2015, James, the disembodied voice speaking to millions behind a camera is a professional artist and employs Microsoft Paint as his masterful canvas software. Additionally, he seeks out only the most pristine stock and creative common images to utilize as visuals throughout his uploads. The interesting appeal from a contextual standpoint is the variety of the topics he chooses to discuss on his channel. Videos range from covering broad interests such as personal travel, humor, fashion, and the stock market to discussing James’s own personal interests, reflected in his videos focusing on his brief “professional” StarCraft career, meme chronology and history, Elon Musk, and his multipart series likening evolution to update patches in video games.

 

Many of his videos are targeted to the age groups of high school and college students. Having been through both institutions recently, James articulates his conversational quips to appeal to this demographic by addressing subjects such as understanding the fear of missing out (FOMO), making new friends, moving out, dating, exercising, and completing group projects. And in doing so, James generates a virtual sense of relatability within his unique community of garnered viewers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot remember when I first stumbled upon one of his videos in my recommended feed, and I even questioned the algorithmic processes that led to YouTube listing a thumbnail drawn in Microsoft paint as something I would enjoy. But after viewing the channel’s “unique visual style”, depth of such arid comedic scripting, and the sporadic nature of video topics ranging from highly specific to encompassing general aspects of life, I was immediately intrigued and waited in anticipation for the next unknown upload that would be published in the upcoming month.

In an online ecosystem where one publishes content alongside more than two billion creators, exceedingly amounts of emphasis are placed on production quality and audience retention, James and his channel have continued to grow under such a simplistic concept that deviates from the norm. Casually Explained could even represent one of the first online media counter culture examples in returning to an era of individuality for online media influencers, during which talent stemmed from the authenticity of one’s ideas instead of over the top, engaging visuals and over hyped reactions to scenarios. We all know how to draw stick figures and we can easily do it in Microsoft Paint. Additionally, we can source images from Google, and we all have that stream of consciousness wrought with sarcasm, social awkwardness, and repressed emotions that can serve as the fundamental basis for deadpan, self-deprecating humor.

But only James was able to successfully create Casually Explained and begin a career of content creation by coupling these three intrinsic aspects into his descriptive, entertaining, and thoughtful monthly uploads.

Check out Casually Explained here and subscribe if you enjoy his content!

Here are my personal favorites by the creator (some of his videos do contain profanity, but he does not go out of his way to swear. It is more for comedic effect and depends on the situation):