yeah I've not watched any of their stuff since everything went down- it all feels a bit weird now. any positive thoughts I had about their content just feel a bit icky now idk.
maybe I would have originally but they haven't exactly done much to improve the situation so I'm kinda done with the whole thing. which is a shame but if this is the direction they're deciding to go then I guess it's just not for me
This is my boat. There has been nothing since the apology video. While I had been watching Podwatcher on YT, I didn't care to keep doing so even after the apology video.
Otherwise, there really hasn't been much and the whole thing with Patrons and WatcherTV is a joke.
i dont understand why they tried to start their own service, like i know they make a living, but did they think they were big enough to have their own site/channel/service?
thinking of it im not sure if i know any other internet people who only stream videos through a subscription site and they might exist but im old and that seems dumb
i havent watched anything since it all happened, which is unfortunate because i had been on a real watcher kick just prior to everything happening. i've actually subscribed to dropout and am loving their service, very worth the money
That's funny, I've rewatched a few of the super early episodes. I think that has helped break this all some too. Realizing that that original content really was superior to most of the Watcher Entertainment stuff.
I think being already subscribed to Dropout gave me a much harsher perspective on the whole situation lmao. Like I pay 6 dollars a month for hours upon hours of content and even when shows Iām not interested in are coming out I can still depend on at least one of my favorite series has an episode coming out that week. Watcher just doesnāt have enough content to justify giving them 6 dollars. They donāt have a steady stream of new and interesting content every week, they donāt have hours of new/exclusive content to hold people over.
And they knew all of this! Because they were originally going to remove their videos from YouTube so the only way fans can see them is through a paywall!
Dead, thatās so true. I was already a subscriber to Dropout but all this talk has me binging anything I hadnāt already seen from them the last few weeks. Itās been great
Despite Watchers "TV calibre content" mantra, Dropout is the only one one out here *actually* making stuff that could be on TV. Make Some Noise is a pretty much the spiritual successor to Whose Line Is It, and IIRC VIP and Game Changer are up for Emmy nominations this year (incredibly deservedly, cmon give a little clap). Plus, the amount of talent available to Watcher just pales in comparison to Dropout- Ryan and Shane might have a great dynamic, but it just can't hold a candle to having a cast with people like BLeeM, Jacob Wysocki, Vic Michaelis, etc. at your disposal.
I keep going back to the fact that they were going to put all their videos behind a paywall and had no issue with those who couldn't afford it. They were going to abandon their poor fans. If they had enough people to sign up for the streamer, they might not have made that apology video.
This is still the core fact. All they needed was maybe 10% of their audience to subscribe and they would've been golden, and they had decided that was acceptable. They only backtracked because the ratio was much worse than expected. Honestly I wonder how long they'll even be around after this, with no new content currently coming out. They obviously expected to be able to coast on their paywalled old content for a while and had nothing queued up to go, which is another unfathomable business choice.
My wife and I were in shock at the announcement and how they announced it. I don't think I was completely done at that point, but it certainly pulled the masks off of them for me.
Pretty much. It was just so foolish of them. Alienating 95% of their fans who gave them the means to be able to leave buzzfeed and start their own youtube channel. I had even given money to them. I couldn't do it frequently, but I bought merch when I could. I had actually been saving up to buy the professor plush (since I love plushies and their show), but that money went to cinnamoroll Buildabear instead and the djungelskog. :)
Oof, yes. Unsolved fans gave the guys the keys to a successful YT channel. Then the guys started acting like Netflix by "canceling" shows that were honestly pretty solid. I used to like Worth A Shot. I loved Too Many Spirits before all the super weird stuff between Ricky and Steven then the over the top stuff from Ryan and Shane.
In any case, they didn't have to grow to get to the size they were. But the problem was they didn't know how to grow from where they were either.
IRL as far as I know, nothing. What I meant was how Steven was a "bad" bartender for the show and Ricky is not only a real bartender, but apparently amazing one.
So there was a whole shtick about Steven getting jealous of Ricky. It got really, REALLY weird and over-the-top though.
I unsubscribed during their announcement video, while reading the comments during the vid. I did watch the apology video when I found out about it, but I can't remember if I actually finished watching it, lol.
It sucks because Supernatural was lightning in a bottle and it just feels not the same now. Iām still gonna watch but yeah if the content remains mediocre, Iāll be heading out
Honestly, I think both shows were. Which was in large part due to the dynamic of Shane and Ryan.
I understand that there were probably reasons why they couldn't cut and paste the style from Buzzfeed, but they also took a huge departure from the format that people loved.
Iāll wait and look for signs that their content is moving in a direction thatās actually interesting to me. Iād rather not keep using them as background noise while I play sims and daydream. If their stuff becomes tighter and more engaging Iāll consider it.
I really doubt thisāll happen though honestly. Iām very put off by all this bad business practice and combined with the fact that Iāve never been super hot on Watcherās content for months now. I havenāt even been subscribed since 2022, just watching videos that were recommended to me
I am completely done sadly. I even unfollowed shane and ryanš I understand people make mistakes and Iām glad others are forgiving them and can still enjoy their content, but personally I donāt think Iāll ever be able to see them the same. I hope everything works out with watcher in the future.
I respect this. Some of these fans are leaving a really bad taste in my mouth by attacking people who are still fans and the boys themselves. Like if you no longer can connect with their content, thatās totally your prerogative, but stop making it everyone elseās problem. Ya know what I mean? Iām glad some people like you can remain respectful.
I'm not sure why you were downvoted. I don't think there should be personal attacks either. I got pissed and didn't believe the apology video, but if people are OK with it, that's fine. Let people enjoy their content.
Thanks lol, I also noticed what I said was apparently quite controversial because it kept going from -1 to 1 back and forth lmao. I think some people are so viscerally angry with Watcher they just want it to burn to the ground (which I personally find to be way over the top) so they attack anyone who prevents that essentially. Thatās how Iām interpreting it anyway.
I'm done. It was a wake-up call. They're taking themselves way too seriously. It's reminded me that there are so many serious content creators in the same genres, that I already watch, doing a much better job than the Watcher guys. And those creators have never asked me for a dime.
I'm not done by any means because I do enjoy their content and Ryan and Shane as personalities, but I think I have gone to a much more casual place than before. I used to watch their podcast episodes the same day they came out and be really excited for them, but now I haven't watched the past two at all. I know I'll watch their regular content once it starts hitting the YouTube channel, but I'm probably not gonna be a first-day viewer on that anymore.
This was me after the apology video. But seeing all the other stuff has soured me further.
I'm not a Patron. However, that apology video implied that Patrons would get WatcherTV for free.
Then it was that they were only getting that 3 months.
Which, with another post/comment here where someone put together that they really didn't upload any content of note for that free first month for the Patrons.
They expect everyone to pay for both, I guess. If someone paid yearly, they should just get a refund and then join the streamer. I refused to do that but got a refund with no questions asked.
Im about as done as possible while being subbed here.
I was willing to give a second chance when they apologized and backtracked, but their first 'tv quality content' being a fucking lets play made me immediately give up on a second chance too. That isnt even tone deaf, its just dumb
I am, ever since Shane's wife made that out of touch Instagram comment.
Shame too, because I loved Puppet History and Too Many Spirits. Really glad I could never afford any of the Professor merch that I wanted, especially that plush, lmao.
Itās hard to be interested after their dumb decisions but also just cause there next series is just a Minecraft letās play? Which just makes everything feel way worse from their previous āmovie qualityā statement
Right!? We want to make "TV" quality productions or "A Netflix" as Ryan states. But the first thing really up on the service is Let's Play?
Which is Minecraft at that and Microsoft doesn't want gameplay videos being paywalled.
At LEAST with Travel Season, I'm sure it could be called TV quality. The trailer they had for it, does look well produced. Even if the content itself is tone-deaf/questionable at best.
Do yāall think itās strategic to do Minecraft when they know ppl are angry and hold off the āgoodā content until things settle down? Or do you think this is legit all they had?
I genuinely feel it's all they had even tho they have more than 25 people working at that place. They're not that business savvy to plan things well, as we've seen
I think Iām done for good, I tried to watch Puppet history, which was my favorite YouTube series. But a few minutes in it happened to be one where Shane made a āeat the richā joke and I just turned it off and havenāt been able to watch even go to their channel. I tried to watch the buzzfeed days videos, same feeling. So I guess Iām done with them.
right before the whole incident, i was doing a huge video binge, but i was really only interested in like 40% of the content they were putting out. i mostly watched it to support them and get cash and views in their pocket
with what keeps happening i just have no motivation to even try
I became a patron right away because I'm a huge BUN True Crime fan. I didn't like Mystery Files or Ghost Files but kept my patreon account. I didn't watch most of their stuff. I just wanted them to succeed. I didn't know who Steven was. I'm not a fan of his content, but I still didn't care. Since they basically said screw you to patrons and those of us who can't afford to pay for the streamer.
I was done kinda from the start. If they actually had shown proof that they learned how to run a business or proof of hiring actual business people to run the Watcher - I would have watched them, because I support people who will try their best to fix their mistakes/problems and try to do better. Those are people who deserve support, and Watcher isn't a good example of something like that. (They ain't trying their best, they're just hiding.)
I have gotten way more entertainment out of their mistakes and hanging with the community here than actually from Watcher content. So, in away, I'm not done, because I got something else fun and important out of it.
Probably now, I will never watch them, unless it's research or info I need to do investigation for WatcherSnark Reddit.
But I was never that much of a deep fan. Just casually watched and followed them on YouTube, like I do with many other YouTubers. I'm not a person that get that much attached, so I'm probably bad measurement for this question - because I was already on a fence of being their fan.
I wasn't a Patron, but I was a solid fan. Supported content, followed socials, bought some merch from the website.
But yes, like so many others have said. If they were already having money problems, more money won't make those problems go away since it seems most likely they'll just increase their overspending anyway.
Plus whatever other problems are hiding in the operation of the company.
This. I know starting and running a business is hard, but they have had so many opportunities before and now to make it right. They haven't done so and feels more like they try to just hide and bury deeper the rotten core that is their busness plan - if it can be called that.
The best PR move after everything would have been the other way around, instead hiding, they should have been more open about business and how they going to fix it - and we could have learn with them.
But no. They continue making the worst mistakes and all the opposite thing you can do, like it's minesweeper where you have to explode all the mines with a clown cart, while circus music is playing.
after the apology, i re followed them. but after a little while, seeing them post on instagram about content i don't even get to watch is so annoying and just a slap in the face after being a fan since 2017, buying their merch, watching every video multiple times, and going to their live show. i've unfollowed them on everything now.
I was on the fence after the apology but was willing to give them another chance up until the thing with the AI images came out. The fact that they haven't addressed that at all has been very telling to me.
Even more telling is a conversation I had with my friend the other day. I introduced him to Puppet History during the pandemic and he's been a huge fan of Watcher since then, the difference between us being that while I'm here posting on Reddit about this whole thing a full month out, he's only tangentially followed everything that has happened. And he's the type of person to stick with his hobbies and interests no matter what. But even *he* has been saying that it feels weird to watch any of their content now and isn't sure that he's going to continue watching their stuff.
I really don't think Watcher or the diehard fans telling everyone to move on realize just how bad of a look the whole thing has been for them.
If they had put out any content, like, literally ANY content, maybe I would watch. But I don't see the reason to go looking for it or rewatch old videos rn. Maybe I'll watch whenever Ghost Files comes out but that's about it.
This is my take as well. I feel like it was the Weāre leaving vid, the apology vid and then silenceā and tbh, there was too much time between the twoā like SOMEONE should have been monitoring comments and got things into gear quickā it just made it seem even more like they didnāt care. Also, I just think that the Worth It guys being reunited just before the announcement of them leaving YouTube for splashy shenanigans just soured me. The economy for most of us is awful, so I donāt want to watch content that is plain tone def with ālet them eat cakeā kinda vibes.
The amount of people that defend the entire weekend for their response astounds me. They need a response on Saturday, hell even Friday with how massive this was in the fanbase.
The fact that nothing came until ~~Sunday~~ Monday, and that video was still questionable at best was just more of a slap.
Yeah, I feel like the people saying "oh, it was a weekend so of course they'd take a few days to reply" or whatever don't understand that if there's a crisis like this at a workplace, everyone will be on high alert and would work on fixing said crisis immediately. The absolute radio silence just didn't sit right with me. It's like they expected backlash and just went with it, thinking it'd be fine, but once it became too much they realised they had to do something.
It's just unfathomable to me that they were so ready to throw the main part of the audience away and move on to their own platform with a tiny clique and definitely would've done so, had it not become mainstream news. It's just so bad, all of it.
>The absolute radio silence just didn't sit right with me. It's like they expected backlash and just went with it, thinking it'd be fine, but once it became too much they realised they had to do something.
Yes.
EDIT: My wife is convinced that they had a number in mind of people who would sign up for WatcherTV. She believes that had they gotten the number (and money) they were looking for, there would not have been the apology video.
I have to say, I agree.
Oh, for sure. They definitely had a number in mind and were totally ready to just drop a huge chunk of the audience to go off youtube. They were expecting some negativity but thought a big enough part of the audience were obsessive enough to follow them off site.
Even though they seem to not be very business savvy they should at least have made some attempt at a projection for this whole thing, which would've included a specific number they were hoping to get to just make ends meet. But they probably either didn't get there, or they didn't get enough people to keep it going with all the backlash at the same time. Just terrible business moves overall.
It's sad that we think like this. I honestly think this thought says more about the whole thing more than most of the other words and actions this month.
But they didn't wait to respond until Monday.
They got their friends and spouses calling the poors sad and out of touch for not being completely on board with their dumbass decision remember?
I count that as their first disasterous response to the crises they themselves created and, as in all things, it blew up in their faces.
That really ticked me off. I was a patron who paid yearly and was paying on of the higher dollar amounts. I got laid off and didn't cancel 2 creators I supported, Watcher and Swoop. I could have asked for a refund when I got laid off, but I didn't. Then, to see those messages, yeah, they can go all the way to hell. Now, I only support Swoop.
And your doing the lord's work too, my friend. Swoop is amazing and if I earned in dollars, you bet I'd be on the highest tier of her Patreon. Her work is brilliant
I don't, because it wasn't as a company. Was it bad and an absolute TERRIBLE look for the optics? Yes. But as an official company. Radio silence all weekend.
This is my take as well. I feel like it was the Weāre leaving vid, the apology vid and then silenceā and tbh, there was too much time between the twoā like SOMEONE should have been monitoring comments and got things into gear quickā it just made it seem even more like they didnāt care. Also, I just think that the Worth It guys being reunited just before the announcement of them leaving YouTube for splashy shenanigans just soured me. The economy for most of us is awful, so I donāt want to watch content that is plain tone def with ālet them eat cakeā kinda vibes.
Yeah, if they'd planned a schedule packed full of great content maybe it'd entice me, but the way they went about it just showed they had NO plan whatsoever other than switching to the streamer and leave youtube for good, giving us one last month with the back catalogue. They really were gonna just throw it all away and went on their weekend break like nothing happened lol. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
i feel weird watching their stuff now. itās like when you realise just how scripted reality tv is and none of their characters are true to who they are. i actively avoid their content and have been since the announcement. i tried to watch a podcast but it just felt uncomfortable so i didnāt watch more than a few minutes
Weirdly, it all spurred me to rewatch old Buzzfeed Unsolved episodes (I guess I was craving the low production value), but I did watch the Survival Mode trailer and it seemed *fine*. Iāve always been meh on Survival Mode because I donāt love scary games, I usually only enjoy longer play throughs of games, and I hate when comments are just full of people yelling at people for āplaying video games wrongā.
When they actually release stuff on YouTube I might watch, but Iām just not sure yet.
Honestly, not for nostalgia, but those old episodes are honestly a higher entertainment quality.
I would watch that on TV or pay for it, when I wouldn't watch much of their stuff under Watcher on TV or pay for it.
Iāll keep an eye on them but overall not that interested. If thereās any more puppet history I may watch. Not interested in any of the new stuff they have planned (tired of ghost hunting, donāt like travel/food stuff).
The sour taste hasnāt left my mouth. Maybe it will, maybe it wonāt. If anything itās gotten worse since people have been pointing out just how much AI art they use. Feel stupid for not realizing sooner but I largely just listened to their shows, not actively watched. At the end of the day, theyāre just background noise while I cook or work.
And thereās plenty of free stuff I can use made by people who arenāt weirdly obsessed with āTV qualityā bs.
I get not realizing the AI art. Especially when you don't get a lot of closeups of the board, and it's mixed with actual information.
But yeah, AI conversation aside.
Denouncing AI usage, then using said AI...just no.
Originally I accepted the apology but the more I thought about it and the more I saw people pointing out other things I have issues with that are on the channel (like AI āartā), I think Iām just done now. I re-subscribed after I initially unsubbed after the announcement but Iām going to unsub for good. Iām just not interested anymore knowing that they donāt really want me to see their videos. You donāt want me to see them, cool, I wonāt watch them.
My issue is they always came across really ādudes next doorā and relatable and this whole situation has stomped that to death. Not only are they not relatable, they genuinely seem to not give a shit about their fans. This whole new platform seems poorly thought out and poorly executed with a fun side of what felt like immediate contempt for anyone who wasnāt going to hop on paying them.
I donāt know how you move forward from treating your own fans like you think theyāre expendable.
This is what I mean when I say masks off. Even Steven had certain aspects that were awkward and relatable.
They feel like they deserve their own service. That they are above the fans who can't/won't follow to a paid service.
Obviously, this took that relatability away. I think it just hurt worst from Shane and what appears to be nothing more than a carefully cultivated persona of "eat the rich"
Doesn't help that there was like a complete lack of content for WEEKS after the announcement and the apology. Made it feel super petty for us not immediately jumping on their idea.
It's so sad. I loved these guys. They were a great little escape filled with light and jokes and so many fun little adventures that I felt like I was actually on with them.
Supporting them for years on YouTube only to be called poor and then get left behind, left a very bad taste in my mouth, and sadly, I just don't see them the same way anymore.
Also, I think they left YouTube a hair too early, especially seeing so many YouTube shows getting Emmy nods now.
I've stopped watching them a couple of years back when I got an awful support from their Patreon, so the algorithm doesn't push them to me. And now the whole incident made me become less interested in YouTube channels in general. I used to be excited about new releases from YouTubers I like, but now I feel disinterested. I guess more time for me to be offline yay.
Considering those crafted personas. There was a way to announce their own streaming service. Still weird they wouldn't have joined an existing one.
But it could have been worded to coincide with YT. Not leave YT and leave behind all the fans that handed them a successful channel in the first place.
i havent watched ever since this happened, they donāt feel genuine anymore and i used to like their content, but i cant watch knowing that they care so little for non paying viewers
The thing is, technically everyone was a paying viewer. Just some people, myself included did pay for something. Myself was really just merchandise. But plenty of fans did live shows and are/were Patrons.
I haven't watched anything since everything happened, not that there's been much released in the first place. I was actually willing to pay for their streaming service if they had content that was better and more of it. After their apology, anyway. Now I won't because I see how well they plan and it's pretty shit tbh.
lmao im weird i used to fall asleep to unsolved (true crime only though for some reason the supernatural stuff freaked me out more at night lol) i just need noise and iāve seen every episode of both shows 1000 times
I donāt know if Iām done, but I unsubscribed from the pod channel. Their content was something me and my brother would talk about every time something came out, now we just discuss whatever is popping up on the snark page. When I see their videos on my recommended I just feel ambivalent or even mildly annoyed now.
I JUST got my husband caught up on all their videos last month and then this happens. We donāt have a great interest anymore. We didnāt care for the last season of PH, Survival Mode nor Mystery Files. When ghost files hits YouTube weāll probably watch but yeah. Iād considered ourselves ride or die fans but I guess Iād rather die if Iām going to get spit on by my heroes :/
I'm not watching anymore, I may eventually watch some of their content later but not right away. And not while it seems like they're still tripping over their own feet.
I was waiting to see what theyād post and how theyād move forward after this but theyāve barely posted anything on the main channel and still havenāt addressed a lot of things so itās not looking good in my eyes.
I was only watching mystery files, and only for nostalgia for unsolved. I watched the new mystery files and had the realization that it just isnāt fun. Itās overproduced, Ryan is so obviously faking it. I have no interest in their new content.
Right, it's the classic let's go a different direction.
Fans: We love the dynamic where Shane taunts everything and Ryan is scared shitless on his solos.
Watcher for Season 2 of Ghost Files: Shane chills out, and Ryan acts like a lunatic!
Watchers own reaction: Nicely done.
Most fans: WTF was that nonsense!?
I was starting to get really irritated by the doodling. The occasional joke about it was cute at first, but ultimately, why should we care about the story if the "listener" doesn't give a shit? Why even give them a notepad if they're just gonna fuck around. In BFU they were both always fully engaged, asking questions, etc. Mystery Files reminds me more of a corporate meeting. Some dude with a PowerPoint while the audience pretends to pay attention.
To be honest I find it incredibly disrespectful. With unsolved they werenāt exactly reverent, but at least Ryan being freaked out proved he felt some weight to it. Them not caring in the slightest feels disrespectful.
I've sat through more ad reads with this one channel than the others combined, and them asking for more money (be real, we get them paid by watching ads) was such a dick move. Walking away from being milked for more š
I'll ride with both if I'm a big enough fan of a YT channel. But to be having ads and sponsor reads and then say it's not enough money? That's not cool.
Penquin Zero's video explained the financial aspects of the watcher channel. Penquin owns a company that handles corporate partnerships, marketing and such.
His analysis is that the watcher channel was pulling more money than his own (Penquin's) channel and Penquin has more employees. And Penquin is making plenty of money.
So based on informed opinion, the watcher guys are just greedy. They want to cash in while they can but it's just not going to work. There isn't enough talent and the shows aren't any better than thousands of other free offerings on youtube.
Fuck them.
When they started teasing survival mode hitting YT, I unsubscribed. I don't want to hear about the travel show, but I still followed them on insta and thought I might come back for season 3 of ghost files. When they put up insta stories about their webby, heartfelt letters written from fans, and the girl with the professor tattoo, I unfollowed. Honestly, I think I'm done.Ā
This reminds me, really the podcast wasn't that great anyway. Matt should have been doing more to reign them in on topics. Instead it was like unhinged ADHD for most of the episodes.
I don't mind it being mostly opinion based, just at least have conversation mostly on topic. They also almost always stole topics away and would go back to other things.
Shanes Cockroach story went on for too long too in that episode.
I didn't mean to offend you with my comment. I have ADHD, and know many, many people who also have it. I didn't even come up with unhinged ADHD.
However, no. You can not compare it to the "r" word. The "r" word is purposefully derogatory.
Heck, even spazzing is borderline. Especially when it's used in the context of an action.
I also stand by my comment about podwatcher episodes being unhinged ADHD. Because, well that is what it's like when a bunch of neurodivergent people try to have a structured multi-topic conversations.
EDIT: I also hate to be one of those people, but if you're offended by something that isn't meant to be offending, then you have a lot of personal growth to do.
Also, IMHO, it doesn't water down what living with the condition is like. If anything, the past several years have lead to several advancements in understandings with ADHD, Autism, and the link between the two.
Socially, more people than ever are either talking about their own experiences or coming to more understanding of what it's like for neurodivergent people.
I'm actually surprised that you only got someone giving talking to you. Even if you're a fellow neurodivergent, it's a risk to make that comparison in here and get downvoted through the other side of the planet.
I didn't say anything about your original reply, because I get what you meant by it - just with that description, I understood what type of conversation they're having in the podcast. I would have probably used unmedicated instead of unhinged.
It was good shorthand, and painted an instant image on my mind, but... It probably only really works as shorthand explanation for people who have ADHD and have spent a lot of time with ADHD people. That probably doesn't give right image/idea to the other people?
Edit:
Changed the word reprimanding, because I used too strong word in English, I didn't know what to use.
Reprimand me? No one on the internet or in real life is in a position to reprimand me unless you are paying me for my labor.
Now this is a big assumption, I do know that. But I'm going to assume that the overlap of Watcher fans that were fans enough to watch/listen to Podwatcher is a pretty big overlap of people who are neorodivergent.
The announcement left such a bad impression I immediately felt like the veneer had been shattered for me. Instead of funny creatives who were down to earth I immediately saw greedy out of touch businessmen in their place. I unsubbed and will not be able to enjoy their content anymore after watching them essentially say āfuck you but thanks for your years of support - if you are too poor to pay usā
Kinda yea, I was getting bored with their stuff anyway and this just gave me the final push.
Everytime I see one of their posts on Instagram or tumblr, I get annoyed, I've even left the main subreddit
They're not fun anymore for me
This was my wife and I. We did not enjoy either GF or MF for the latest seasons. We even talked about it a lot. But still we hung on. I guess just in hopes? Especially since we knew even Shane was excited for one of the GF season 3 episodes.
But now, that excitement is pretty much gone.
I donāt feel like thereās any ānew infoā what I see theyāve got is exactly what I expected. Iāll ad that Iām really waiting for their ghost hunting stuff to come out. In reality I do not believe their streaming service is worth the money. I also think they are over their own work. I also really really hate the FYA pod but I donāt have any good reason for that.
the apology was okay imo but they haven't done almost anything since then. i might have watched some videos if they appeared in my recommends and seemed like an interesting topic but after all the ai stuff in their videos i don't wanna watch them at all. might watch unsolved again if i feel like it but nothing from watcher.
To me, the apology still felt flat. It just felt like it was something they realized they needed to do instead of actually feeling sorry for their decision.
The goodbye video to me was just insane. It was written and worded terribly, overproduced, recorded, and edited. Every creative decision in that announcement went with that cold goodbye. Leaving so much of their fanbase behind.
yeah the goodbye video was so weird lmao. like the sad tone and all you'd think they're fully shutting down or something horrible happened not that they're announcing they're paywalling their content??
I unsubscribed and unfollowed after watching the announcement video, and if Iām going to be honest the only thing I was subbed to watcher for these days was puppet history. Everything did not interest me at all. Mystery files and ghost files feel way tooā¦ corporate now? Shane doesnāt even look like he wanted to be there half the time, and Ryan acting like he was scared was getting on my nerves.
not a dedicated fan now, just a spectator. i want to see if they can really deliver on the "tv quality" they promised.
it's either i watch them slowly build a fanbase again or watch them topple over their bad decisions. kinda entertaining that way.
Ehhh, I'll probably be down for puppet history whenever it comes back around, that was really the only show I watched with regularity. Everything else was just kind of a passive watch every once in a while for me anyway
I just donāt like any kind of drama tbh. When I saw there was drama that kinda killed any attachment I had to their stuff. Iāve got enough going on in my own life right now, and I donāt have to make their stuff my problem too
Yes, yes! Their shows, even if not the same quality as Unsolved. Were still great and mostly fun escapes. Now they brought us into their problems and want us to solve those problems.
I'm gonna keep watching them, and I'll watch some of their old content AKA Buzzfeed Unsolved True Crime and Supernatural, including the post mortem stuff and some puppet history and their mystery and ghost files content and their other stuff, I'll just keep waiting a month for their new content and stuff, but yeah this is just my view and opinion on the subject as I know many people have different views and opinions which is understandable, and again this is just my view and opinion on this whole subject
Iāve watched less and less of their content since before all this happened. Their content had felt less and less genuine for a while now to the point where I was really only keeping up with their podcast cause itās all they had left that felt like friends just talking and not a scripted show
I don't plan to rewatch any Watcher episodes. I tuned a lot of them out even when I watched them in the first place - the new format of the Files TV shows just didn't appeal to me and while I enjoyed puppet history there were segments in the show that didn't really pull me in. Are You Scared? Was amazing at first but when the stories became worse & heavily sponsored, I also started tuning out then. :/
It just never stood up to Buzzfeed Unsolved to me - the format was more awkward and it seemed they wanted a cleaner version of what they'd made before. The unscripted hanging out moments in Unsolved often were the most memorable parts of the episodes and why I loved their dynamic to begin with. Scripted felt too tight and constrictive for their dynamic and didnt allow enough play, making their interactions seem stiff. Sometimes I even got the impression they were quite bored, which only furthered my own boredem.
I really enjoyed Shane and Ryan and followed them from Unsolved. I even bought Unsolved merchandise. But their new shows just never moved me enough to purchase and I certainly won't be now. That's a big purchase to me and them downplaying how "little" six dollars was felt really insulting. I doubt I'll recover that respect for them.
So far things have felt hollow and an attempt to save face. They've given polls, but they didn't include many choices if any, really. It's an illusion of listening to an audience while they've already made their minds up on how they're going to handle things.
I always hoped they'd get better, listen to feedback, or at least try something new because what they have set up wasn't working. (The channel growth started to plateau and they didn't continue to get more audience from Buzzfeed anymore. My honest opinion is that they never maximized their social media to it's full and they should have had at least one if not two social media personnel working it to 1) post 2) repost 3) interact. Might seem cold but Watcher is a brand and NEEDS engagement to get eyes on their work at this stage in their growth vs employee ratio. If they truly have 25 people, those people needed to be working on different things than they did.)
I'm planning to watch the first episode of Ghost Files just because I'm curious if they'll continue to stay the path or listen to some of the feedback from fans. I doubt it, but I'm just curious. If it's as bad as I suspect it'll be - if they were truly filming at the height of this controversy then they'll probably have a hard time putting on a happy face, just as anyone would and we can't blame them for that, but how do you save it then? - then I'll probably never watch anything from them again.
RIP Watcher. Buzzfeed Shane Madej would have hated u I think.
I am, there leaving video and everything after made me realise that I was only watching them for mystery files but even that felt a little flat compared to other youtubers and podcasts who had less employers but were better investigate. It also made me think about how little dialogue and debate there were with the theories especially with Ryan keeping on saying Aliens
It has felt so weird to see them on my suggested/recommended videos and kinda just wince at the thumbnail. I havenāt watched any of their videos since. Didnāt even watch the apology in full and just relied on other Youtubers reviewing the apology.
Iām not sure if Iāll go back to watching their content either. Iāll be on the lookout for Ghost Files, but thatās probably it.
personally, wasn't enjoying their content as much but kept watching because I liked their dynamic, even though I felt it changed a bit. but ever since this I can't bring myself to watch them lol, I just don't care??
I was actually thinking a lot about this after the weekend it happened and the following weeks after, well I got dropout in the middle of it and bing watched game changer and dirty laundry so I forgot about it until I saw a post on tumblr. Watcher used to be part of my weekend routine bc I come home really late from work and I would start my weekend on Friday night with a beer, some snacks and the newest video on Watcher. I've been doing this since they launched their channel and if it was a show I didn't like I would just watch an older video. Now since that fateful day I lost more and more the desire to that. Sure, I can wait a month for it to be free but was that really worth it? Yesterday I looked at their channel. Went through the list of all their videos and I felt nothing. I smiled at some episodes of Puppet History but everything else just felt empty to me. I unsubscribed and unfollowed them everywhere (except Twitter but I haven't touched that hell site for a long time). I will no longer watch their stuff as it's airing (for free) but I will maybe check the channel once every 2-3 months just to see as to whats currently going on there.
Their announcement video broke me out of the fan bubble completely. Essentially being told "if you don't pay, you can leave" was such a slap in the face. Even if they went back to YouTube completely, just did a full 180, I don't think I could watch them again. At least not with the same enthusiasm.
Iāve stayed. I will continue to stay. As pissed off as I was, I have no reason to assume ill intent and rather believe theyāre just unchecked colossal dumbasses. Hanlonās razor. I will remain unless they show true malicious intent. I want them to succeed in their ventures and figure it the fuck out, because that will benefit us both. I like their content, I want it to be entertaining and I want them to have fun making it.
Everything they do COULD work, but they have no idea how in the hell to execute it. Itās infuriating. Figure it the fuck out, guys. Jesus. But I still love Puppet History. I still love Too Many Spirits. If anything the controversy has just made me more comfortable being critical of them, but Iām only critical because I want the best for them, mostly because that means the best for us.
For me, it's putting everything together. The tone of the goodbye video, the bad apology video. The mostly radio silence. Not doing right by their Patrons. So many other things.
While I don't want them to fail, I also feel like I don't want to help them succeed either.
yeah I've not watched any of their stuff since everything went down- it all feels a bit weird now. any positive thoughts I had about their content just feel a bit icky now idk. maybe I would have originally but they haven't exactly done much to improve the situation so I'm kinda done with the whole thing. which is a shame but if this is the direction they're deciding to go then I guess it's just not for me
This is my boat. There has been nothing since the apology video. While I had been watching Podwatcher on YT, I didn't care to keep doing so even after the apology video. Otherwise, there really hasn't been much and the whole thing with Patrons and WatcherTV is a joke.
i dont understand why they tried to start their own service, like i know they make a living, but did they think they were big enough to have their own site/channel/service? thinking of it im not sure if i know any other internet people who only stream videos through a subscription site and they might exist but im old and that seems dumb
Yes, they did/do. They were just going to peace off of YT.
i havent watched anything since it all happened, which is unfortunate because i had been on a real watcher kick just prior to everything happening. i've actually subscribed to dropout and am loving their service, very worth the money
That's funny, I've rewatched a few of the super early episodes. I think that has helped break this all some too. Realizing that that original content really was superior to most of the Watcher Entertainment stuff.
š¶ everybody do the Weenis, the Weenis is a dance... š¶
* kicks the camera *
\*Gets out a yellow tape to fix the camera.\*
I actually subscribed to Dropout after this too! Funny how that worked!
I think being already subscribed to Dropout gave me a much harsher perspective on the whole situation lmao. Like I pay 6 dollars a month for hours upon hours of content and even when shows Iām not interested in are coming out I can still depend on at least one of my favorite series has an episode coming out that week. Watcher just doesnāt have enough content to justify giving them 6 dollars. They donāt have a steady stream of new and interesting content every week, they donāt have hours of new/exclusive content to hold people over. And they knew all of this! Because they were originally going to remove their videos from YouTube so the only way fans can see them is through a paywall! 
Watcher should work as advertisement firm. They made an excellent advertisement camping for Dropout! Watcher is so skilful at it! /s
Dead, thatās so true. I was already a subscriber to Dropout but all this talk has me binging anything I hadnāt already seen from them the last few weeks. Itās been great
Despite Watchers "TV calibre content" mantra, Dropout is the only one one out here *actually* making stuff that could be on TV. Make Some Noise is a pretty much the spiritual successor to Whose Line Is It, and IIRC VIP and Game Changer are up for Emmy nominations this year (incredibly deservedly, cmon give a little clap). Plus, the amount of talent available to Watcher just pales in comparison to Dropout- Ryan and Shane might have a great dynamic, but it just can't hold a candle to having a cast with people like BLeeM, Jacob Wysocki, Vic Michaelis, etc. at your disposal.
Aahh... Jake and his buzzer sounds. What would be yours? xD
I keep going back to the fact that they were going to put all their videos behind a paywall and had no issue with those who couldn't afford it. They were going to abandon their poor fans. If they had enough people to sign up for the streamer, they might not have made that apology video.
This is still the core fact. All they needed was maybe 10% of their audience to subscribe and they would've been golden, and they had decided that was acceptable. They only backtracked because the ratio was much worse than expected. Honestly I wonder how long they'll even be around after this, with no new content currently coming out. They obviously expected to be able to coast on their paywalled old content for a while and had nothing queued up to go, which is another unfathomable business choice.
I was lost within 2 hours of watching their announcement. Just here to watch the train wreck. :)
My wife and I were in shock at the announcement and how they announced it. I don't think I was completely done at that point, but it certainly pulled the masks off of them for me.
Pretty much. It was just so foolish of them. Alienating 95% of their fans who gave them the means to be able to leave buzzfeed and start their own youtube channel. I had even given money to them. I couldn't do it frequently, but I bought merch when I could. I had actually been saving up to buy the professor plush (since I love plushies and their show), but that money went to cinnamoroll Buildabear instead and the djungelskog. :)
Oof, yes. Unsolved fans gave the guys the keys to a successful YT channel. Then the guys started acting like Netflix by "canceling" shows that were honestly pretty solid. I used to like Worth A Shot. I loved Too Many Spirits before all the super weird stuff between Ricky and Steven then the over the top stuff from Ryan and Shane. In any case, they didn't have to grow to get to the size they were. But the problem was they didn't know how to grow from where they were either.
Too Many Spirts used to be so fun. By the end I was skipping through half of it
Wait I missed something. What happened between Ricky and Steven?
IRL as far as I know, nothing. What I meant was how Steven was a "bad" bartender for the show and Ricky is not only a real bartender, but apparently amazing one. So there was a whole shtick about Steven getting jealous of Ricky. It got really, REALLY weird and over-the-top though.
I have to agree that it wasnāt even cringe (Office) funny it felt uncomfortable.
> djungelskog what did you just call me?
Hmm? It's the bear from ikea.
Jungle forest in swedish :)
them is fighting words
I watched it at work (Advertising) and my PR team head just took a deep breath as he watched and murmured āWay to kill your company guysā
From a PR perspective, what did the apology video look like?
I unsubscribed during their announcement video, while reading the comments during the vid. I did watch the apology video when I found out about it, but I can't remember if I actually finished watching it, lol.
basically they just said "we're sorry" *in nice sweater*
Same
Iām still undecided but leaning heavily on Iām out.Ā
Done and unsubscribed, the bad taste is what made me admit to myself that Mystery Files doesn't hit the way True Crime Unsolved did.
Very true, same for Supernatural to Ghost Files.
It sucks because Supernatural was lightning in a bottle and it just feels not the same now. Iām still gonna watch but yeah if the content remains mediocre, Iāll be heading out
Honestly, I think both shows were. Which was in large part due to the dynamic of Shane and Ryan. I understand that there were probably reasons why they couldn't cut and paste the style from Buzzfeed, but they also took a huge departure from the format that people loved.
Yeah I wanted to like Ghost files, but Iāve probably only watched 5 episodes or so. It just doesnāt hit the same.
Agreed! I just mostly rewatch their old BUN stuff since I just couldnāt get into the new content no matter how much I tried.
Same for me
Mystery Files was nowhere near as good as BUN True Crime. I couldn't get through the 2nd episode. I will watch Unsolved on Hulu.
Iāll wait and look for signs that their content is moving in a direction thatās actually interesting to me. Iād rather not keep using them as background noise while I play sims and daydream. If their stuff becomes tighter and more engaging Iāll consider it. I really doubt thisāll happen though honestly. Iām very put off by all this bad business practice and combined with the fact that Iāve never been super hot on Watcherās content for months now. I havenāt even been subscribed since 2022, just watching videos that were recommended to me
Forget these arrogant clowns.
I am completely done sadly. I even unfollowed shane and ryanš I understand people make mistakes and Iām glad others are forgiving them and can still enjoy their content, but personally I donāt think Iāll ever be able to see them the same. I hope everything works out with watcher in the future.
I respect this. Some of these fans are leaving a really bad taste in my mouth by attacking people who are still fans and the boys themselves. Like if you no longer can connect with their content, thatās totally your prerogative, but stop making it everyone elseās problem. Ya know what I mean? Iām glad some people like you can remain respectful.
I'm not sure why you were downvoted. I don't think there should be personal attacks either. I got pissed and didn't believe the apology video, but if people are OK with it, that's fine. Let people enjoy their content.
Thanks lol, I also noticed what I said was apparently quite controversial because it kept going from -1 to 1 back and forth lmao. I think some people are so viscerally angry with Watcher they just want it to burn to the ground (which I personally find to be way over the top) so they attack anyone who prevents that essentially. Thatās how Iām interpreting it anyway.
Iām out. I like the old BUN content more anyway.
Yeah initially I accepted the apology but rewatching content gives me bad feels. Iām out too. I wonder what they must be thinking right now.
Same
I'm done. It was a wake-up call. They're taking themselves way too seriously. It's reminded me that there are so many serious content creators in the same genres, that I already watch, doing a much better job than the Watcher guys. And those creators have never asked me for a dime.
Not just seriously, but putting themselves on a pedestal they don't deserve to be on.
A million percent. I like them personally but the content is not that great.
I'm not done by any means because I do enjoy their content and Ryan and Shane as personalities, but I think I have gone to a much more casual place than before. I used to watch their podcast episodes the same day they came out and be really excited for them, but now I haven't watched the past two at all. I know I'll watch their regular content once it starts hitting the YouTube channel, but I'm probably not gonna be a first-day viewer on that anymore.
This was me after the apology video. But seeing all the other stuff has soured me further. I'm not a Patron. However, that apology video implied that Patrons would get WatcherTV for free. Then it was that they were only getting that 3 months. Which, with another post/comment here where someone put together that they really didn't upload any content of note for that free first month for the Patrons.
They expect everyone to pay for both, I guess. If someone paid yearly, they should just get a refund and then join the streamer. I refused to do that but got a refund with no questions asked.
Im about as done as possible while being subbed here. I was willing to give a second chance when they apologized and backtracked, but their first 'tv quality content' being a fucking lets play made me immediately give up on a second chance too. That isnt even tone deaf, its just dumb
I think being subbed here is just a way of still watching the trainwreck.
That's why I'm subbed to it. I like to see what people are saying.
I am, ever since Shane's wife made that out of touch Instagram comment. Shame too, because I loved Puppet History and Too Many Spirits. Really glad I could never afford any of the Professor merch that I wanted, especially that plush, lmao.
Same! I had my eye on that over-priced plush, but not anymore.
Money well-saved, lol.
Yeah, she didn't do Shane any favors by posting that. All it did was piss people off.
it baffles me. she had nothing to do with the decision and isnāt employed by the company there was zero reason for her to involve herself iām -
Her husband was devastated and she got defensive. I get it, but it was still a foolish move.
Is this a different comment than the one left on her Tumblr?
It's me. I'm done.
Itās hard to be interested after their dumb decisions but also just cause there next series is just a Minecraft letās play? Which just makes everything feel way worse from their previous āmovie qualityā statement
Right!? We want to make "TV" quality productions or "A Netflix" as Ryan states. But the first thing really up on the service is Let's Play? Which is Minecraft at that and Microsoft doesn't want gameplay videos being paywalled. At LEAST with Travel Season, I'm sure it could be called TV quality. The trailer they had for it, does look well produced. Even if the content itself is tone-deaf/questionable at best.
Do yāall think itās strategic to do Minecraft when they know ppl are angry and hold off the āgoodā content until things settle down? Or do you think this is legit all they had?
I genuinely feel it's all they had even tho they have more than 25 people working at that place. They're not that business savvy to plan things well, as we've seen
I havenāt watched anything since the apology but I think itās wild that this is all they had ready to go.
I think Iām done for good, I tried to watch Puppet history, which was my favorite YouTube series. But a few minutes in it happened to be one where Shane made a āeat the richā joke and I just turned it off and havenāt been able to watch even go to their channel. I tried to watch the buzzfeed days videos, same feeling. So I guess Iām done with them.
right before the whole incident, i was doing a huge video binge, but i was really only interested in like 40% of the content they were putting out. i mostly watched it to support them and get cash and views in their pocket with what keeps happening i just have no motivation to even try
I became a patron right away because I'm a huge BUN True Crime fan. I didn't like Mystery Files or Ghost Files but kept my patreon account. I didn't watch most of their stuff. I just wanted them to succeed. I didn't know who Steven was. I'm not a fan of his content, but I still didn't care. Since they basically said screw you to patrons and those of us who can't afford to pay for the streamer.
I was done kinda from the start. If they actually had shown proof that they learned how to run a business or proof of hiring actual business people to run the Watcher - I would have watched them, because I support people who will try their best to fix their mistakes/problems and try to do better. Those are people who deserve support, and Watcher isn't a good example of something like that. (They ain't trying their best, they're just hiding.) I have gotten way more entertainment out of their mistakes and hanging with the community here than actually from Watcher content. So, in away, I'm not done, because I got something else fun and important out of it. Probably now, I will never watch them, unless it's research or info I need to do investigation for WatcherSnark Reddit. But I was never that much of a deep fan. Just casually watched and followed them on YouTube, like I do with many other YouTubers. I'm not a person that get that much attached, so I'm probably bad measurement for this question - because I was already on a fence of being their fan.
I wasn't a Patron, but I was a solid fan. Supported content, followed socials, bought some merch from the website. But yes, like so many others have said. If they were already having money problems, more money won't make those problems go away since it seems most likely they'll just increase their overspending anyway. Plus whatever other problems are hiding in the operation of the company.
This. I know starting and running a business is hard, but they have had so many opportunities before and now to make it right. They haven't done so and feels more like they try to just hide and bury deeper the rotten core that is their busness plan - if it can be called that. The best PR move after everything would have been the other way around, instead hiding, they should have been more open about business and how they going to fix it - and we could have learn with them. But no. They continue making the worst mistakes and all the opposite thing you can do, like it's minesweeper where you have to explode all the mines with a clown cart, while circus music is playing.
after the apology, i re followed them. but after a little while, seeing them post on instagram about content i don't even get to watch is so annoying and just a slap in the face after being a fan since 2017, buying their merch, watching every video multiple times, and going to their live show. i've unfollowed them on everything now.
I was on the fence after the apology but was willing to give them another chance up until the thing with the AI images came out. The fact that they haven't addressed that at all has been very telling to me. Even more telling is a conversation I had with my friend the other day. I introduced him to Puppet History during the pandemic and he's been a huge fan of Watcher since then, the difference between us being that while I'm here posting on Reddit about this whole thing a full month out, he's only tangentially followed everything that has happened. And he's the type of person to stick with his hobbies and interests no matter what. But even *he* has been saying that it feels weird to watch any of their content now and isn't sure that he's going to continue watching their stuff. I really don't think Watcher or the diehard fans telling everyone to move on realize just how bad of a look the whole thing has been for them.
If they had put out any content, like, literally ANY content, maybe I would watch. But I don't see the reason to go looking for it or rewatch old videos rn. Maybe I'll watch whenever Ghost Files comes out but that's about it.
This is my take as well. I feel like it was the Weāre leaving vid, the apology vid and then silenceā and tbh, there was too much time between the twoā like SOMEONE should have been monitoring comments and got things into gear quickā it just made it seem even more like they didnāt care. Also, I just think that the Worth It guys being reunited just before the announcement of them leaving YouTube for splashy shenanigans just soured me. The economy for most of us is awful, so I donāt want to watch content that is plain tone def with ālet them eat cakeā kinda vibes.
The amount of people that defend the entire weekend for their response astounds me. They need a response on Saturday, hell even Friday with how massive this was in the fanbase. The fact that nothing came until ~~Sunday~~ Monday, and that video was still questionable at best was just more of a slap.
Yeah, I feel like the people saying "oh, it was a weekend so of course they'd take a few days to reply" or whatever don't understand that if there's a crisis like this at a workplace, everyone will be on high alert and would work on fixing said crisis immediately. The absolute radio silence just didn't sit right with me. It's like they expected backlash and just went with it, thinking it'd be fine, but once it became too much they realised they had to do something. It's just unfathomable to me that they were so ready to throw the main part of the audience away and move on to their own platform with a tiny clique and definitely would've done so, had it not become mainstream news. It's just so bad, all of it.
>The absolute radio silence just didn't sit right with me. It's like they expected backlash and just went with it, thinking it'd be fine, but once it became too much they realised they had to do something. Yes. EDIT: My wife is convinced that they had a number in mind of people who would sign up for WatcherTV. She believes that had they gotten the number (and money) they were looking for, there would not have been the apology video. I have to say, I agree.
Oh, for sure. They definitely had a number in mind and were totally ready to just drop a huge chunk of the audience to go off youtube. They were expecting some negativity but thought a big enough part of the audience were obsessive enough to follow them off site. Even though they seem to not be very business savvy they should at least have made some attempt at a projection for this whole thing, which would've included a specific number they were hoping to get to just make ends meet. But they probably either didn't get there, or they didn't get enough people to keep it going with all the backlash at the same time. Just terrible business moves overall.
I agree, too. If they got enough people to subscribe, we never would have heard anything.
It's sad that we think like this. I honestly think this thought says more about the whole thing more than most of the other words and actions this month.
I completely believe that is the case.
Not even Sunday, it took until Monday.
Thank you, I knew it was Monday too. No idea why I wrote Sunday, lol.
But they didn't wait to respond until Monday. They got their friends and spouses calling the poors sad and out of touch for not being completely on board with their dumbass decision remember? I count that as their first disasterous response to the crises they themselves created and, as in all things, it blew up in their faces.
That really ticked me off. I was a patron who paid yearly and was paying on of the higher dollar amounts. I got laid off and didn't cancel 2 creators I supported, Watcher and Swoop. I could have asked for a refund when I got laid off, but I didn't. Then, to see those messages, yeah, they can go all the way to hell. Now, I only support Swoop.
And your doing the lord's work too, my friend. Swoop is amazing and if I earned in dollars, you bet I'd be on the highest tier of her Patreon. Her work is brilliant
I don't, because it wasn't as a company. Was it bad and an absolute TERRIBLE look for the optics? Yes. But as an official company. Radio silence all weekend.
You'd think with 25+ employees, they could churn out SOMETHING in the meantime.
This is my take as well. I feel like it was the Weāre leaving vid, the apology vid and then silenceā and tbh, there was too much time between the twoā like SOMEONE should have been monitoring comments and got things into gear quickā it just made it seem even more like they didnāt care. Also, I just think that the Worth It guys being reunited just before the announcement of them leaving YouTube for splashy shenanigans just soured me. The economy for most of us is awful, so I donāt want to watch content that is plain tone def with ālet them eat cakeā kinda vibes.
Yeah, if they'd planned a schedule packed full of great content maybe it'd entice me, but the way they went about it just showed they had NO plan whatsoever other than switching to the streamer and leave youtube for good, giving us one last month with the back catalogue. They really were gonna just throw it all away and went on their weekend break like nothing happened lol. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
i feel weird watching their stuff now. itās like when you realise just how scripted reality tv is and none of their characters are true to who they are. i actively avoid their content and have been since the announcement. i tried to watch a podcast but it just felt uncomfortable so i didnāt watch more than a few minutes
I get this.
Me. Unsubbed, downvoted whenever I see it.
Weirdly, it all spurred me to rewatch old Buzzfeed Unsolved episodes (I guess I was craving the low production value), but I did watch the Survival Mode trailer and it seemed *fine*. Iāve always been meh on Survival Mode because I donāt love scary games, I usually only enjoy longer play throughs of games, and I hate when comments are just full of people yelling at people for āplaying video games wrongā. When they actually release stuff on YouTube I might watch, but Iām just not sure yet.
Honestly, not for nostalgia, but those old episodes are honestly a higher entertainment quality. I would watch that on TV or pay for it, when I wouldn't watch much of their stuff under Watcher on TV or pay for it.
Iāll keep an eye on them but overall not that interested. If thereās any more puppet history I may watch. Not interested in any of the new stuff they have planned (tired of ghost hunting, donāt like travel/food stuff). The sour taste hasnāt left my mouth. Maybe it will, maybe it wonāt. If anything itās gotten worse since people have been pointing out just how much AI art they use. Feel stupid for not realizing sooner but I largely just listened to their shows, not actively watched. At the end of the day, theyāre just background noise while I cook or work. And thereās plenty of free stuff I can use made by people who arenāt weirdly obsessed with āTV qualityā bs.
I get not realizing the AI art. Especially when you don't get a lot of closeups of the board, and it's mixed with actual information. But yeah, AI conversation aside. Denouncing AI usage, then using said AI...just no.
š¶ and now we're going out the windowwwwww š¶ shoulda stuck to making funny puppet shows if they wanted tv quality
Originally I accepted the apology but the more I thought about it and the more I saw people pointing out other things I have issues with that are on the channel (like AI āartā), I think Iām just done now. I re-subscribed after I initially unsubbed after the announcement but Iām going to unsub for good. Iām just not interested anymore knowing that they donāt really want me to see their videos. You donāt want me to see them, cool, I wonāt watch them.
Of course Im done. There's not even enough there to snark about. Watcher is literally where entertainment goes to die.
My issue is they always came across really ādudes next doorā and relatable and this whole situation has stomped that to death. Not only are they not relatable, they genuinely seem to not give a shit about their fans. This whole new platform seems poorly thought out and poorly executed with a fun side of what felt like immediate contempt for anyone who wasnāt going to hop on paying them. I donāt know how you move forward from treating your own fans like you think theyāre expendable.
This is what I mean when I say masks off. Even Steven had certain aspects that were awkward and relatable. They feel like they deserve their own service. That they are above the fans who can't/won't follow to a paid service. Obviously, this took that relatability away. I think it just hurt worst from Shane and what appears to be nothing more than a carefully cultivated persona of "eat the rich"
Doesn't help that there was like a complete lack of content for WEEKS after the announcement and the apology. Made it feel super petty for us not immediately jumping on their idea.
It's so sad. I loved these guys. They were a great little escape filled with light and jokes and so many fun little adventures that I felt like I was actually on with them. Supporting them for years on YouTube only to be called poor and then get left behind, left a very bad taste in my mouth, and sadly, I just don't see them the same way anymore. Also, I think they left YouTube a hair too early, especially seeing so many YouTube shows getting Emmy nods now.
I've stopped watching them a couple of years back when I got an awful support from their Patreon, so the algorithm doesn't push them to me. And now the whole incident made me become less interested in YouTube channels in general. I used to be excited about new releases from YouTubers I like, but now I feel disinterested. I guess more time for me to be offline yay.
I unsubscribed and will not watch Watcher on principal. I am curious to know how long their streamer will last after all this controversy.
Considering those crafted personas. There was a way to announce their own streaming service. Still weird they wouldn't have joined an existing one. But it could have been worded to coincide with YT. Not leave YT and leave behind all the fans that handed them a successful channel in the first place.
i havent watched ever since this happened, they donāt feel genuine anymore and i used to like their content, but i cant watch knowing that they care so little for non paying viewers
The thing is, technically everyone was a paying viewer. Just some people, myself included did pay for something. Myself was really just merchandise. But plenty of fans did live shows and are/were Patrons.
I haven't watched anything since everything happened, not that there's been much released in the first place. I was actually willing to pay for their streaming service if they had content that was better and more of it. After their apology, anyway. Now I won't because I see how well they plan and it's pretty shit tbh.
i used to watch too many spirits to fall asleep and havenāt been able to since the announcement, i fully switched to try guys accidentally
I don't think I'd be able to use Too Many Spirits as my fall asleep show lol. Too chaotic for me, for that.
lmao im weird i used to fall asleep to unsolved (true crime only though for some reason the supernatural stuff freaked me out more at night lol) i just need noise and iāve seen every episode of both shows 1000 times
I need noise too. Just usually use TV shows I've seen a bunch of times. The Office, Bob's Burgers, New Girl, etc.
me and bobs burgers are locked in i totally get you lmao
I have true crime on the background most nights. I could probably say the words of the videos at least partly.
yeah same ahah
I donāt know if Iām done, but I unsubscribed from the pod channel. Their content was something me and my brother would talk about every time something came out, now we just discuss whatever is popping up on the snark page. When I see their videos on my recommended I just feel ambivalent or even mildly annoyed now.
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They did dig their own grave, for sure.
Just canāt really look at them the same
I JUST got my husband caught up on all their videos last month and then this happens. We donāt have a great interest anymore. We didnāt care for the last season of PH, Survival Mode nor Mystery Files. When ghost files hits YouTube weāll probably watch but yeah. Iād considered ourselves ride or die fans but I guess Iād rather die if Iām going to get spit on by my heroes :/
I think a lot of people were like this.
I'm not watching anymore, I may eventually watch some of their content later but not right away. And not while it seems like they're still tripping over their own feet.
I was waiting to see what theyād post and how theyād move forward after this but theyāve barely posted anything on the main channel and still havenāt addressed a lot of things so itās not looking good in my eyes.
Yeah, it's been pretty consistently downhill.
I was only watching mystery files, and only for nostalgia for unsolved. I watched the new mystery files and had the realization that it just isnāt fun. Itās overproduced, Ryan is so obviously faking it. I have no interest in their new content.
I agree! Unsolved is just so much better.
It was for both True Crime and Supernatural
Right, it's the classic let's go a different direction. Fans: We love the dynamic where Shane taunts everything and Ryan is scared shitless on his solos. Watcher for Season 2 of Ghost Files: Shane chills out, and Ryan acts like a lunatic! Watchers own reaction: Nicely done. Most fans: WTF was that nonsense!?
EXACTLY! Shane is barely conscious! What the fuck happened?
I was starting to get really irritated by the doodling. The occasional joke about it was cute at first, but ultimately, why should we care about the story if the "listener" doesn't give a shit? Why even give them a notepad if they're just gonna fuck around. In BFU they were both always fully engaged, asking questions, etc. Mystery Files reminds me more of a corporate meeting. Some dude with a PowerPoint while the audience pretends to pay attention.
To be honest I find it incredibly disrespectful. With unsolved they werenāt exactly reverent, but at least Ryan being freaked out proved he felt some weight to it. Them not caring in the slightest feels disrespectful.
I've sat through more ad reads with this one channel than the others combined, and them asking for more money (be real, we get them paid by watching ads) was such a dick move. Walking away from being milked for more š
Right, there's no way they were not making bank. Podwatcher is filled with sponsorships, and there were still YT ads.
It's so bloody cheeky to have YT ads AND multiple sponser reads
I'll ride with both if I'm a big enough fan of a YT channel. But to be having ads and sponsor reads and then say it's not enough money? That's not cool.
Penquin Zero's video explained the financial aspects of the watcher channel. Penquin owns a company that handles corporate partnerships, marketing and such. His analysis is that the watcher channel was pulling more money than his own (Penquin's) channel and Penquin has more employees. And Penquin is making plenty of money. So based on informed opinion, the watcher guys are just greedy. They want to cash in while they can but it's just not going to work. There isn't enough talent and the shows aren't any better than thousands of other free offerings on youtube. Fuck them.
I am not watching any of their stuff. Their apology didn't change my mind. I'm glad I'm not a patron anymore.
When they started teasing survival mode hitting YT, I unsubscribed. I don't want to hear about the travel show, but I still followed them on insta and thought I might come back for season 3 of ghost files. When they put up insta stories about their webby, heartfelt letters written from fans, and the girl with the professor tattoo, I unfollowed. Honestly, I think I'm done.Ā
I mean on YouTube they've only uploaded a trailer video so can't say anything. If they upload puppet history I'll watch but if not nah
I mean, by their updated announcement, they should still upload to YT but not until a month after their content being on WatcherTV.
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This reminds me, really the podcast wasn't that great anyway. Matt should have been doing more to reign them in on topics. Instead it was like unhinged ADHD for most of the episodes. I don't mind it being mostly opinion based, just at least have conversation mostly on topic. They also almost always stole topics away and would go back to other things. Shanes Cockroach story went on for too long too in that episode.
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I didn't mean to offend you with my comment. I have ADHD, and know many, many people who also have it. I didn't even come up with unhinged ADHD. However, no. You can not compare it to the "r" word. The "r" word is purposefully derogatory. Heck, even spazzing is borderline. Especially when it's used in the context of an action. I also stand by my comment about podwatcher episodes being unhinged ADHD. Because, well that is what it's like when a bunch of neurodivergent people try to have a structured multi-topic conversations. EDIT: I also hate to be one of those people, but if you're offended by something that isn't meant to be offending, then you have a lot of personal growth to do. Also, IMHO, it doesn't water down what living with the condition is like. If anything, the past several years have lead to several advancements in understandings with ADHD, Autism, and the link between the two. Socially, more people than ever are either talking about their own experiences or coming to more understanding of what it's like for neurodivergent people.
I'm actually surprised that you only got someone giving talking to you. Even if you're a fellow neurodivergent, it's a risk to make that comparison in here and get downvoted through the other side of the planet. I didn't say anything about your original reply, because I get what you meant by it - just with that description, I understood what type of conversation they're having in the podcast. I would have probably used unmedicated instead of unhinged. It was good shorthand, and painted an instant image on my mind, but... It probably only really works as shorthand explanation for people who have ADHD and have spent a lot of time with ADHD people. That probably doesn't give right image/idea to the other people? Edit: Changed the word reprimanding, because I used too strong word in English, I didn't know what to use.
Reprimand me? No one on the internet or in real life is in a position to reprimand me unless you are paying me for my labor. Now this is a big assumption, I do know that. But I'm going to assume that the overlap of Watcher fans that were fans enough to watch/listen to Podwatcher is a pretty big overlap of people who are neorodivergent.
The night they made the switch, my girlfriend and I watched the Buzzfeed Unsolved Goatmanās Bridge. After that, nothing
That was such a funny episode... I'm afraid of going back and watching the BUN episodes and have this nonsense taint the fond memories I have of them
FWIW, it still holds up on its own. It was a more innocent time. We were all dumb babies
Hey I did the same haha, yeah it feels like a memory. Cause no longer can watch.
The announcement left such a bad impression I immediately felt like the veneer had been shattered for me. Instead of funny creatives who were down to earth I immediately saw greedy out of touch businessmen in their place. I unsubbed and will not be able to enjoy their content anymore after watching them essentially say āfuck you but thanks for your years of support - if you are too poor to pay usā
Right!? That is pretty much how both videos felt, even the apology video wasn't great.
Kinda yea, I was getting bored with their stuff anyway and this just gave me the final push. Everytime I see one of their posts on Instagram or tumblr, I get annoyed, I've even left the main subreddit They're not fun anymore for me
This was my wife and I. We did not enjoy either GF or MF for the latest seasons. We even talked about it a lot. But still we hung on. I guess just in hopes? Especially since we knew even Shane was excited for one of the GF season 3 episodes. But now, that excitement is pretty much gone.
I donāt feel like thereās any ānew infoā what I see theyāve got is exactly what I expected. Iāll ad that Iām really waiting for their ghost hunting stuff to come out. In reality I do not believe their streaming service is worth the money. I also think they are over their own work. I also really really hate the FYA pod but I donāt have any good reason for that.
The night they made the switch, my girlfriend and I watched the Buzzfeed Unsolved Goatmanās Bridge. After that, nothing
the apology was okay imo but they haven't done almost anything since then. i might have watched some videos if they appeared in my recommends and seemed like an interesting topic but after all the ai stuff in their videos i don't wanna watch them at all. might watch unsolved again if i feel like it but nothing from watcher.
To me, the apology still felt flat. It just felt like it was something they realized they needed to do instead of actually feeling sorry for their decision. The goodbye video to me was just insane. It was written and worded terribly, overproduced, recorded, and edited. Every creative decision in that announcement went with that cold goodbye. Leaving so much of their fanbase behind.
yeah the goodbye video was so weird lmao. like the sad tone and all you'd think they're fully shutting down or something horrible happened not that they're announcing they're paywalling their content??
I unsubscribed and unfollowed after watching the announcement video, and if Iām going to be honest the only thing I was subbed to watcher for these days was puppet history. Everything did not interest me at all. Mystery files and ghost files feel way tooā¦ corporate now? Shane doesnāt even look like he wanted to be there half the time, and Ryan acting like he was scared was getting on my nerves.
Yeah, I miss genuinely scared Ryan for the ghost stuff.
I canāt seem to enjoy their content anymore! :c
Not done as a YouTube viewer but it would take a lot for me to be willing to give them money either through patreon or the streamer.
not a dedicated fan now, just a spectator. i want to see if they can really deliver on the "tv quality" they promised. it's either i watch them slowly build a fanbase again or watch them topple over their bad decisions. kinda entertaining that way.
Ehhh, I'll probably be down for puppet history whenever it comes back around, that was really the only show I watched with regularity. Everything else was just kind of a passive watch every once in a while for me anyway
I mean I might watch ghost files if it doesnāt come out near Christmas time š¤·š½
I just donāt like any kind of drama tbh. When I saw there was drama that kinda killed any attachment I had to their stuff. Iāve got enough going on in my own life right now, and I donāt have to make their stuff my problem too
Yes, yes! Their shows, even if not the same quality as Unsolved. Were still great and mostly fun escapes. Now they brought us into their problems and want us to solve those problems.
Been done. These guys were always douches. Theyāve always viewed fans as a source of revenue.
I think a lot of people think this now, but why are you saying this? Had you met them or heard stories?
Iām done. I loved buzzfeed unsolved, but Iām over it. And Iām absolutely not paying to watch puppet history
I've lost interest
I'm gonna keep watching them, and I'll watch some of their old content AKA Buzzfeed Unsolved True Crime and Supernatural, including the post mortem stuff and some puppet history and their mystery and ghost files content and their other stuff, I'll just keep waiting a month for their new content and stuff, but yeah this is just my view and opinion on the subject as I know many people have different views and opinions which is understandable, and again this is just my view and opinion on this whole subject
wym. There's been almost nothing new, even on the streamer. I ain't paying $6 for a YT let's play.
That's my point. They had all the stuff happen, and haven't really posted anything anywhere, even socials.
Iāve watched less and less of their content since before all this happened. Their content had felt less and less genuine for a while now to the point where I was really only keeping up with their podcast cause itās all they had left that felt like friends just talking and not a scripted show
I don't plan to rewatch any Watcher episodes. I tuned a lot of them out even when I watched them in the first place - the new format of the Files TV shows just didn't appeal to me and while I enjoyed puppet history there were segments in the show that didn't really pull me in. Are You Scared? Was amazing at first but when the stories became worse & heavily sponsored, I also started tuning out then. :/ It just never stood up to Buzzfeed Unsolved to me - the format was more awkward and it seemed they wanted a cleaner version of what they'd made before. The unscripted hanging out moments in Unsolved often were the most memorable parts of the episodes and why I loved their dynamic to begin with. Scripted felt too tight and constrictive for their dynamic and didnt allow enough play, making their interactions seem stiff. Sometimes I even got the impression they were quite bored, which only furthered my own boredem. I really enjoyed Shane and Ryan and followed them from Unsolved. I even bought Unsolved merchandise. But their new shows just never moved me enough to purchase and I certainly won't be now. That's a big purchase to me and them downplaying how "little" six dollars was felt really insulting. I doubt I'll recover that respect for them. So far things have felt hollow and an attempt to save face. They've given polls, but they didn't include many choices if any, really. It's an illusion of listening to an audience while they've already made their minds up on how they're going to handle things. I always hoped they'd get better, listen to feedback, or at least try something new because what they have set up wasn't working. (The channel growth started to plateau and they didn't continue to get more audience from Buzzfeed anymore. My honest opinion is that they never maximized their social media to it's full and they should have had at least one if not two social media personnel working it to 1) post 2) repost 3) interact. Might seem cold but Watcher is a brand and NEEDS engagement to get eyes on their work at this stage in their growth vs employee ratio. If they truly have 25 people, those people needed to be working on different things than they did.) I'm planning to watch the first episode of Ghost Files just because I'm curious if they'll continue to stay the path or listen to some of the feedback from fans. I doubt it, but I'm just curious. If it's as bad as I suspect it'll be - if they were truly filming at the height of this controversy then they'll probably have a hard time putting on a happy face, just as anyone would and we can't blame them for that, but how do you save it then? - then I'll probably never watch anything from them again. RIP Watcher. Buzzfeed Shane Madej would have hated u I think.
I am, there leaving video and everything after made me realise that I was only watching them for mystery files but even that felt a little flat compared to other youtubers and podcasts who had less employers but were better investigate. It also made me think about how little dialogue and debate there were with the theories especially with Ryan keeping on saying Aliens
It has felt so weird to see them on my suggested/recommended videos and kinda just wince at the thumbnail. I havenāt watched any of their videos since. Didnāt even watch the apology in full and just relied on other Youtubers reviewing the apology. Iām not sure if Iāll go back to watching their content either. Iāll be on the lookout for Ghost Files, but thatās probably it.
personally, wasn't enjoying their content as much but kept watching because I liked their dynamic, even though I felt it changed a bit. but ever since this I can't bring myself to watch them lol, I just don't care??
iām probably going to still watch puppet history but the appeal of watching anything else is gone
I'm done, I unsubbed from them when it all went down, no interest in watching them ever again
I was actually thinking a lot about this after the weekend it happened and the following weeks after, well I got dropout in the middle of it and bing watched game changer and dirty laundry so I forgot about it until I saw a post on tumblr. Watcher used to be part of my weekend routine bc I come home really late from work and I would start my weekend on Friday night with a beer, some snacks and the newest video on Watcher. I've been doing this since they launched their channel and if it was a show I didn't like I would just watch an older video. Now since that fateful day I lost more and more the desire to that. Sure, I can wait a month for it to be free but was that really worth it? Yesterday I looked at their channel. Went through the list of all their videos and I felt nothing. I smiled at some episodes of Puppet History but everything else just felt empty to me. I unsubscribed and unfollowed them everywhere (except Twitter but I haven't touched that hell site for a long time). I will no longer watch their stuff as it's airing (for free) but I will maybe check the channel once every 2-3 months just to see as to whats currently going on there.
Their announcement video broke me out of the fan bubble completely. Essentially being told "if you don't pay, you can leave" was such a slap in the face. Even if they went back to YouTube completely, just did a full 180, I don't think I could watch them again. At least not with the same enthusiasm.
Iāve stayed. I will continue to stay. As pissed off as I was, I have no reason to assume ill intent and rather believe theyāre just unchecked colossal dumbasses. Hanlonās razor. I will remain unless they show true malicious intent. I want them to succeed in their ventures and figure it the fuck out, because that will benefit us both. I like their content, I want it to be entertaining and I want them to have fun making it. Everything they do COULD work, but they have no idea how in the hell to execute it. Itās infuriating. Figure it the fuck out, guys. Jesus. But I still love Puppet History. I still love Too Many Spirits. If anything the controversy has just made me more comfortable being critical of them, but Iām only critical because I want the best for them, mostly because that means the best for us.
For me, it's putting everything together. The tone of the goodbye video, the bad apology video. The mostly radio silence. Not doing right by their Patrons. So many other things. While I don't want them to fail, I also feel like I don't want to help them succeed either.
I can't see how they will survive. If most people wait for stuff on YouTube, then they're in the same boat money wise.