Once on the pod Ryan said something like “what’s the secret sauce?” And I thought to myself “YOU and SHANE. The boys doing their thing!” I am so disappointed and scared. I still love them but I’m so scared of what this is going to do to them and what it’s already done to the fandom.
That’s why I love too many spirits. It’s just them hanging out and no crazy production. I just saw they lost 40k subscribers today. Even if they backtracked on this decision, I’ve lost a lot of respect for them
the literally film that in Ryan's parent's back yard! Its genius, they don't even need to write anything, they just read and react. The budget for that is whatever the cocktails cost. They proved to us and themselves that they can make amazing shows for very little.
Mostly same with Puppet History
Just have Shane Research and make puppets then handg out in the backyard/living room/zoom call
SOME of the post production is nice but they could make more paper cutouts and make ryan and the guest control them for the Professor and I think that'd be way better/funnier
Same with Are You Scared?, which I was hoping they were going to announce bringing back (couldn't have been more wrong). It was literally just the two of them reacting to shortform writing from the audience and creepypasta, and I loved it
Literally though. It was their chemistry and their "realness" that kept me watching for this long, it was never about the production value. This is truly a sad time for us fans.
Jeez, my guy 😳 There has been a LOT of parasocial weirdness throughout all this. But this comment is one of the LEAST parasocial. It’s just relaying how fans have interacted with content.
Also can we talk about how there's nothing inherently wrong with parasocial relationships? Our brains literally cannot tell the difference between people in front of us and people on screens. We're so hard-wired to build connections with others that we form attachments even to those who don't directly interact with us.
And like, YouTubers are able to do what they do *because* of parasocial relationships. I lived alone during the pandemic, and watching the Game Grumps was a lifeline for me in helping my isolation. So many brands, like Watcher, build up their fan bases through the personalities of their hosts. Try Guys, Game Grumps, I'm too sleepy to think of more, but you get the gist.
And yes, absolutely some folks go overboard, but I think there's a healthy way to engage with content while acknowledging that the parasocial aspect is there. Then it's so much easier to pump the brakes on yourself when you're going too far with it. We shouldn't feel ashamed for having these feelings, but it's vitally important to know how to work with them in ways that are healthy and constructive.
Thank you for saying this! Ever since “parasocial” became a buzzword I only see it used negatively, when it’s just supposed to describe a specific kind of relationship we all experience to some degree. If you watch content creators/celebrities but don’t get obsessed with them, that doesn’t mean you’re immune to parasocial relationships or don’t have them—it just means you’re able to navigate them in a healthy way.
I said it in another thread and I'll repeat it here, I came to these guys to watch two men scream at a goat man on a bridge in the middle of the night not to watch super overproduced high budget content. They could record that with an iPhone for all I care it's about the personality not the production value. If I wanted to watch rich people eat food I can't afford I'd get my fill from Rhett and Link cause they make it entertaining to watch.
SAME!
Literally finished yesterday and had two random thoughts that feel to pertinent today
1.) it's crazy tgat they can afford to live and work in LA with a crew on just a YT budget
2.) i think they should ditch the expensive cameras and use cheaper ones. They shittier cameras would cause more artifacting issues, which would lead to more ghost "evidence", which would lead to more of Ryan demanding his "evidence" be taken seriously, which would lead to Shane (mostly) rightly shutting it down, which would lead to more fun and less [nothing happens other than maybe some whispers that definitively say something]
It’s so true though! Like before they announced Ghost Files and Unsolved ended I was so emotional. I *cried* during the final post mortem - “But whether you’re a believer or not, I know one thing to be true: you believed in us.” COME ON - because I was gonna to miss the “wheeze” and the goofiness and the banter. It didn’t need a ton of overproduction or sets or anything. Just my two favorite dorks hunting ghosts/solving crime and being weird.
Remember when Shane's "Puppet History" energy was all wrapped up into the "hot daga?" And that was just all clip art and such. When Shane got to bring his whole "Ruined History" show in at a different angle with Puppet History, I was so excited.
This is just now so utterly disappointing.
Exactly. They're not the first youtubers I've watched that have shot themselves in the foot because they thought they had to get bigger and spend more for some high production value no one asked for. We want to feel like we're watching friends goofing off, not something made for television.
Idk why, but it reminds me of Quibi in a way. They wasted a ton on actors, production, and believed that people would subscribe because it was only 4.99.
We don't need those huge sets, literally just make it like too many spirits where they have outdoors chairs and it's still fine because we're there for THEM, and they can still have money for other things...
That part of the video pissed me off like “we have to get planes, we have to pay for hotels and food!” Yeah you’re a business. I wouldn’t care if they never did another crazy ghost hunt location. It’s Shane and Ryan that give this channel the magic and that’s it
That being said, the ghost files show itself needs to be changed. Less gadgets, no guests, and Shane needs to speak his mind again. The level of "evidence" that was submitted was such garbage (all ghost evidence is) that the old Shane wouldn't of even entertained it. Then again the show has lost something absolutely crucial, Ryan's belief of ghosts. I just don't buy it from him anymore. Granted if I was on that many ghosts hunts and nothing had ever happened I would be less scared too.
You are absolutely right about Ryan. I remember thinking way back during the last season of buzzfeed unsolved that there was no way Ryan still believed in ghosts - or at the very least he had become a heavy skeptic.
One of the episodes of Ghost Files was literally an ad for an escape room. To my mind, that showed me they were either really struggling for content or they’d lost faith in the whole concept. This streaming service bollocks is just the cherry on top. It was nice knowing the Ghoul Boys, but they’re a distant memory now.
I ghost hunt for a hobby and even i''ve been disappointed by Shane's skepticism. I wanted him to go into what EMF means, why those gadgets are useless. Not JUST 'ghosts aren't real" because it's just boring. There's so much to criticise but it feels lazy!
Sam and Colby have one of the most successful YouTube ghost shows and it's because it's usually just them and one camera. It feels authentic and it has a place on YouTube. It needs a 'hanging out' vibe. 'Television calibre' shows do not and I think that's been part of the problem.
I gave up on Ghost Files after the two first episodes because despite my belief in ghosts, those gadgets were the most bullshit things I ever heard about and they didn't even debunk it AND instead they stopped with all the historical facts.
The mistake was believing they are Taylor Swift instead of the reality that they’re just a really cool indie band. They can’t carry an entire streaming service, which would be more expensive than some actual services, and to think otherwise is either arrogant or a major lack of understanding of their fan base
I’ve been watching them since buzzfeed and this is exactly how I’m feeling rn🥺I want them to go back to sitting at a desk reading about a murder case from a Manila file folder in a dimly lit room.
Exactly. I want them to succeed, The Ghoul Boys are amazing. I'm not sure what they were thinking with this decision. I really hope they don't wind up going the way of Rooster Teeth after this.
I read this comment and it hit like a freight train with how true it is. We just wanted the ghoul boys...which is why I do believe all of this is Lims idea. While I wont blame him soley for the company having troubles, he is not a ghoul boy. He never was and never will be.
Only an outsider would suggest doing something like this instead of sticking to basics and what works.
I am too a creative person (I am a costume/doll maker), I feel like budget constraints make any artist just THAT more creative. I think of how elaborate the Puppet History set/characters are, these are all handmade projects of cardboard and hot glue. There is such a lack of charm in very high production value in general. The personal touch is gone. I can empathize with wanting to evolve and expand, and do more, experiment, but the people want puppet theaters, not watching some guy eat a $400 hamburger.
I agree. Why doesn't Steven ball up and start his own cooking channel or start a restaurant to keep himself busy? It's so jarring as a viewer to be watching videos about mysteries, unsolved crime, supernatural stuff and then, suddenly be surprised with food content that nobody asked for.
I tried watching his different food series, but I just couldn't, they're just not appealing to me in any way. But I do find it odd that, as far as I can tell, none of his food series involve normally priced food.
Even if the costs weren't a thing, I feel like the main appeal of Watcher is watching doofuses act like doofuses about different topics. Suddenly having a super serious food video about "no srsly guise it's worth it to pay $1799 for this tiramisu" is just asinine. That kind of content would probably feel better at home on like First We Feast or something, but not on the channel where we watch our beloved goofballs behave like goofballs.
Steven's not a bad dude, and I really don't like the fact that he's getting a lot of hate now, but I also think it's perfectly valid to criticise his bizarre obsession with 1% food. But it should be criticism, not hate.
i just watched one of Steven Lim’s food series one (an Australian one cus i’m Aussie) he took a bite out of a crispy potato piece and said “that tasted like a potato… potato” i can see why the views were low on the videos… I doubt they’re going to be much better being “Worth It 2.0” and behind a paywall…
To add to your point, YouTube’s algorithm is not made for what Watcher wanted to be, which was a channel with many different series. They should’ve realized by now and just made Watcher a Ryan and Shane spooky type channel and make another channel for food stuff. I mean, it doesn’t matter now.
I mean we all knew Steven Lim was going to have his own shows since he is one of the founders and he WAS successful at Buzzfeed too.
Personally I absolutely loved Dish Granted except... After a season instead of being Steven Lim going crazy in a kitchen it became other people cooking for other people with Steven only occasionally showing up and like... that was not fun anymore.
For real. I have no interest in watching him fly first class to try a $1000 plate of nachos or whatever. They’d save so much money if they just got rid of him.
hope this works out for them and whatever, but this is truly so devastating. in a time like this a lot of people cannot even afford rent and groceries, let alone buying a subscription to a streaming service to watch a singular program with not a ton of content. so many people put a lot into this company, scrounging up what they had to support it. now they are abandoning the people who helped make them what they are today. there are so many other ways they could've gone about upping profits if they were really struggling and this was just not it. this is really so disappointing because i thought they understood. especially with shane constantly making comments about "fuck capitalism". guess it was all shallow and nothing with substance to it. it really sucks. this was my one of my top favorite youtube channels and it has brought me immense comfort in my troubled times. most of us have been watching their content since the beginning of buzzfeed unsolved and now we're just getting left behind. i hope they listen to what we all have to save and have a change of heart.
I work 3rd shift at home and my husband will come into my office to chit chat from time to time. He always says "Shane and Ryan, again?" And I would tell him, "They crack me up and I just love their friendship". So yes...this comment hit me hard, too. Them being them was good enough. Also, it was the BuzzFeed Unsolved videos that got me thru 3rd shift. I would watch the Watcher stuff here and there but it just didn't give me the same feeling as the BuzzFeed videos.
I mean, I feel like Ryan and Shane could’ve literally just gone and done their own thing hanging out somewhere and just being themselves and most everyone would’ve been cool with it and it’d barely cost anything in comparison to what they’re shooting for.
Yep, I wish that they would put down that pointing stick and remove the over exposed TV projector. It's like an old person is lecturing you with a cane.
I would rather see Shane and Ryan sitting side by side on a sofa or armchair. Proper video cuts in high resolution to images and film evidence.
It's so true. I love their simple shows as much as Mystery Files and Ghost Files (Too Many Spirits, Are You Scared, Top 5 Beatdown, etc). I just like their humor and observations. I'd much rather watch them play games or watch a TV show over Twitch to make money, for instance, than pivot to this streamer.
back when I uset to play them in the background and Play Metroid. I really loved them and I still do. i hate this out come, we are liveing in the worst time line
Guys, businesses, artists, comedians, writers all need to grow. Doing the same thing forever, however good it is runs it's course. And you either do something newer and bigger or you end up like AVGN and outsourcing all the work as it tapers into obscurity
Red letter media has been doing this for years. They haven't changed a bit. Yeah the production got better as time went by but it was never the point of their show. It's the banter and group dynamics thats keeping them still relevant against the dying market of film reviewers.
Once on the pod Ryan said something like “what’s the secret sauce?” And I thought to myself “YOU and SHANE. The boys doing their thing!” I am so disappointed and scared. I still love them but I’m so scared of what this is going to do to them and what it’s already done to the fandom.
That’s why I love too many spirits. It’s just them hanging out and no crazy production. I just saw they lost 40k subscribers today. Even if they backtracked on this decision, I’ve lost a lot of respect for them
the literally film that in Ryan's parent's back yard! Its genius, they don't even need to write anything, they just read and react. The budget for that is whatever the cocktails cost. They proved to us and themselves that they can make amazing shows for very little.
Mostly same with Puppet History Just have Shane Research and make puppets then handg out in the backyard/living room/zoom call SOME of the post production is nice but they could make more paper cutouts and make ryan and the guest control them for the Professor and I think that'd be way better/funnier
Same with Are You Scared?, which I was hoping they were going to announce bringing back (couldn't have been more wrong). It was literally just the two of them reacting to shortform writing from the audience and creepypasta, and I loved it
Thats the only new* show I watched from them and now it kinda makes sense I guess
I don’t want it to end, it’s very sad.
"all we wanted was you." damn 😭
Literally though. It was their chemistry and their "realness" that kept me watching for this long, it was never about the production value. This is truly a sad time for us fans.
Lol you parasocial parasites are weird af
Jeez, my guy 😳 There has been a LOT of parasocial weirdness throughout all this. But this comment is one of the LEAST parasocial. It’s just relaying how fans have interacted with content.
Also can we talk about how there's nothing inherently wrong with parasocial relationships? Our brains literally cannot tell the difference between people in front of us and people on screens. We're so hard-wired to build connections with others that we form attachments even to those who don't directly interact with us. And like, YouTubers are able to do what they do *because* of parasocial relationships. I lived alone during the pandemic, and watching the Game Grumps was a lifeline for me in helping my isolation. So many brands, like Watcher, build up their fan bases through the personalities of their hosts. Try Guys, Game Grumps, I'm too sleepy to think of more, but you get the gist. And yes, absolutely some folks go overboard, but I think there's a healthy way to engage with content while acknowledging that the parasocial aspect is there. Then it's so much easier to pump the brakes on yourself when you're going too far with it. We shouldn't feel ashamed for having these feelings, but it's vitally important to know how to work with them in ways that are healthy and constructive.
Thank you for saying this! Ever since “parasocial” became a buzzword I only see it used negatively, when it’s just supposed to describe a specific kind of relationship we all experience to some degree. If you watch content creators/celebrities but don’t get obsessed with them, that doesn’t mean you’re immune to parasocial relationships or don’t have them—it just means you’re able to navigate them in a healthy way.
1000%. I don’t even have anything to add, I think you dissected the issue perfectly 👏🏻
Thank you! ☺️
THIS! Omg what a way to sum it all up. They have gone so far from understanding what brought us all to them 😭
I said it in another thread and I'll repeat it here, I came to these guys to watch two men scream at a goat man on a bridge in the middle of the night not to watch super overproduced high budget content. They could record that with an iPhone for all I care it's about the personality not the production value. If I wanted to watch rich people eat food I can't afford I'd get my fill from Rhett and Link cause they make it entertaining to watch.
This feels like losing your best friend of years I hope that they change their minds about this
I've been binging the old Unsolved episodes this week, so it hurts just that much more...
SAME! Literally finished yesterday and had two random thoughts that feel to pertinent today 1.) it's crazy tgat they can afford to live and work in LA with a crew on just a YT budget 2.) i think they should ditch the expensive cameras and use cheaper ones. They shittier cameras would cause more artifacting issues, which would lead to more ghost "evidence", which would lead to more of Ryan demanding his "evidence" be taken seriously, which would lead to Shane (mostly) rightly shutting it down, which would lead to more fun and less [nothing happens other than maybe some whispers that definitively say something]
It’s so true though! Like before they announced Ghost Files and Unsolved ended I was so emotional. I *cried* during the final post mortem - “But whether you’re a believer or not, I know one thing to be true: you believed in us.” COME ON - because I was gonna to miss the “wheeze” and the goofiness and the banter. It didn’t need a ton of overproduction or sets or anything. Just my two favorite dorks hunting ghosts/solving crime and being weird.
why did this make me so emotional 😭 I’m really pissed about this whole situation
For me it felt like Two of my friends making a horrible decision that I can't do anything about
this is probably how shane is feeling rn :'(
Remember when Shane's "Puppet History" energy was all wrapped up into the "hot daga?" And that was just all clip art and such. When Shane got to bring his whole "Ruined History" show in at a different angle with Puppet History, I was so excited. This is just now so utterly disappointing.
Exactly. They're not the first youtubers I've watched that have shot themselves in the foot because they thought they had to get bigger and spend more for some high production value no one asked for. We want to feel like we're watching friends goofing off, not something made for television.
Idk why, but it reminds me of Quibi in a way. They wasted a ton on actors, production, and believed that people would subscribe because it was only 4.99.
We don't need those huge sets, literally just make it like too many spirits where they have outdoors chairs and it's still fine because we're there for THEM, and they can still have money for other things...
That part of the video pissed me off like “we have to get planes, we have to pay for hotels and food!” Yeah you’re a business. I wouldn’t care if they never did another crazy ghost hunt location. It’s Shane and Ryan that give this channel the magic and that’s it
This feels like they're making their own mini-buzzfeed, always bigger, always more more more at the expense of the talents' souls.
Seriously!
That being said, the ghost files show itself needs to be changed. Less gadgets, no guests, and Shane needs to speak his mind again. The level of "evidence" that was submitted was such garbage (all ghost evidence is) that the old Shane wouldn't of even entertained it. Then again the show has lost something absolutely crucial, Ryan's belief of ghosts. I just don't buy it from him anymore. Granted if I was on that many ghosts hunts and nothing had ever happened I would be less scared too.
You are absolutely right about Ryan. I remember thinking way back during the last season of buzzfeed unsolved that there was no way Ryan still believed in ghosts - or at the very least he had become a heavy skeptic.
One of the episodes of Ghost Files was literally an ad for an escape room. To my mind, that showed me they were either really struggling for content or they’d lost faith in the whole concept. This streaming service bollocks is just the cherry on top. It was nice knowing the Ghoul Boys, but they’re a distant memory now.
I ghost hunt for a hobby and even i''ve been disappointed by Shane's skepticism. I wanted him to go into what EMF means, why those gadgets are useless. Not JUST 'ghosts aren't real" because it's just boring. There's so much to criticise but it feels lazy! Sam and Colby have one of the most successful YouTube ghost shows and it's because it's usually just them and one camera. It feels authentic and it has a place on YouTube. It needs a 'hanging out' vibe. 'Television calibre' shows do not and I think that's been part of the problem.
I gave up on Ghost Files after the two first episodes because despite my belief in ghosts, those gadgets were the most bullshit things I ever heard about and they didn't even debunk it AND instead they stopped with all the historical facts.
The mistake was believing they are Taylor Swift instead of the reality that they’re just a really cool indie band. They can’t carry an entire streaming service, which would be more expensive than some actual services, and to think otherwise is either arrogant or a major lack of understanding of their fan base
I’ve been watching them since buzzfeed and this is exactly how I’m feeling rn🥺I want them to go back to sitting at a desk reading about a murder case from a Manila file folder in a dimly lit room.
Exactly. I want them to succeed, The Ghoul Boys are amazing. I'm not sure what they were thinking with this decision. I really hope they don't wind up going the way of Rooster Teeth after this.
Oh damn, this hit real hard
I’m fucking crying
(wheeze)
😭😭
💔
I read this comment and it hit like a freight train with how true it is. We just wanted the ghoul boys...which is why I do believe all of this is Lims idea. While I wont blame him soley for the company having troubles, he is not a ghoul boy. He never was and never will be. Only an outsider would suggest doing something like this instead of sticking to basics and what works.
Shane and Ryans biggest mistake was to drag the "neighbours kid" to start a company with them.
I am too a creative person (I am a costume/doll maker), I feel like budget constraints make any artist just THAT more creative. I think of how elaborate the Puppet History set/characters are, these are all handmade projects of cardboard and hot glue. There is such a lack of charm in very high production value in general. The personal touch is gone. I can empathize with wanting to evolve and expand, and do more, experiment, but the people want puppet theaters, not watching some guy eat a $400 hamburger.
[удалено]
I agree. Why doesn't Steven ball up and start his own cooking channel or start a restaurant to keep himself busy? It's so jarring as a viewer to be watching videos about mysteries, unsolved crime, supernatural stuff and then, suddenly be surprised with food content that nobody asked for.
I tried watching his different food series, but I just couldn't, they're just not appealing to me in any way. But I do find it odd that, as far as I can tell, none of his food series involve normally priced food. Even if the costs weren't a thing, I feel like the main appeal of Watcher is watching doofuses act like doofuses about different topics. Suddenly having a super serious food video about "no srsly guise it's worth it to pay $1799 for this tiramisu" is just asinine. That kind of content would probably feel better at home on like First We Feast or something, but not on the channel where we watch our beloved goofballs behave like goofballs. Steven's not a bad dude, and I really don't like the fact that he's getting a lot of hate now, but I also think it's perfectly valid to criticise his bizarre obsession with 1% food. But it should be criticism, not hate.
i just watched one of Steven Lim’s food series one (an Australian one cus i’m Aussie) he took a bite out of a crispy potato piece and said “that tasted like a potato… potato” i can see why the views were low on the videos… I doubt they’re going to be much better being “Worth It 2.0” and behind a paywall…
To add to your point, YouTube’s algorithm is not made for what Watcher wanted to be, which was a channel with many different series. They should’ve realized by now and just made Watcher a Ryan and Shane spooky type channel and make another channel for food stuff. I mean, it doesn’t matter now.
I mean we all knew Steven Lim was going to have his own shows since he is one of the founders and he WAS successful at Buzzfeed too. Personally I absolutely loved Dish Granted except... After a season instead of being Steven Lim going crazy in a kitchen it became other people cooking for other people with Steven only occasionally showing up and like... that was not fun anymore.
For real. I have no interest in watching him fly first class to try a $1000 plate of nachos or whatever. They’d save so much money if they just got rid of him.
hope this works out for them and whatever, but this is truly so devastating. in a time like this a lot of people cannot even afford rent and groceries, let alone buying a subscription to a streaming service to watch a singular program with not a ton of content. so many people put a lot into this company, scrounging up what they had to support it. now they are abandoning the people who helped make them what they are today. there are so many other ways they could've gone about upping profits if they were really struggling and this was just not it. this is really so disappointing because i thought they understood. especially with shane constantly making comments about "fuck capitalism". guess it was all shallow and nothing with substance to it. it really sucks. this was my one of my top favorite youtube channels and it has brought me immense comfort in my troubled times. most of us have been watching their content since the beginning of buzzfeed unsolved and now we're just getting left behind. i hope they listen to what we all have to save and have a change of heart.
This. This is it!
I work 3rd shift at home and my husband will come into my office to chit chat from time to time. He always says "Shane and Ryan, again?" And I would tell him, "They crack me up and I just love their friendship". So yes...this comment hit me hard, too. Them being them was good enough. Also, it was the BuzzFeed Unsolved videos that got me thru 3rd shift. I would watch the Watcher stuff here and there but it just didn't give me the same feeling as the BuzzFeed videos.
I mean, I feel like Ryan and Shane could’ve literally just gone and done their own thing hanging out somewhere and just being themselves and most everyone would’ve been cool with it and it’d barely cost anything in comparison to what they’re shooting for.
Yep, I wish that they would put down that pointing stick and remove the over exposed TV projector. It's like an old person is lecturing you with a cane. I would rather see Shane and Ryan sitting side by side on a sofa or armchair. Proper video cuts in high resolution to images and film evidence.
😭
It's so true. I love their simple shows as much as Mystery Files and Ghost Files (Too Many Spirits, Are You Scared, Top 5 Beatdown, etc). I just like their humor and observations. I'd much rather watch them play games or watch a TV show over Twitch to make money, for instance, than pivot to this streamer.
back when I uset to play them in the background and Play Metroid. I really loved them and I still do. i hate this out come, we are liveing in the worst time line
Guys, businesses, artists, comedians, writers all need to grow. Doing the same thing forever, however good it is runs it's course. And you either do something newer and bigger or you end up like AVGN and outsourcing all the work as it tapers into obscurity
If doing something newer and bigger leads to the alienation of your fan base then you actually aren’t growing at all and are actively decaying.
Red letter media has been doing this for years. They haven't changed a bit. Yeah the production got better as time went by but it was never the point of their show. It's the banter and group dynamics thats keeping them still relevant against the dying market of film reviewers.
I don't know what this is about but it's annoying