i saw someone call the announcement video EMOTIONALLY MANIPULATIVE. hello everyone watcher entertainment the digital media production company is not responsible for your financial situation nor is it their responsibility to figure out your life for you and make sure you personally are comfy with every decision they make!! their priority is providing for their employees and keeping themselves afloat by making bigger and better shows outside of the restraints of youtube and advertisers. and you guys are acting like selfish entitled babies by insisting they continue to do their work for free when they've been clear from the beginning that watcher as it currently exists is Not Profitable. if we want them to grow we have to give them the space to do that.

CHAPPELL ROAN | COACHELLA Weekend 2 (2024)

It's not even that I think everyone should pay for WatcherTV. I haven't decided if I will or not, and I'm not going to be mad about people saving money if that's what they want to do. The lack of regional pricing sucks, the way they've launched was clumsy, and it's annoying to lose something that used to be free. Those things are all true. I just wish people could talk about that without being dicks.

I probably shouldn’t wade into this but: as much of a bummer as it is to have to pay for stuff that keeps you happy in dark world, the watcher folks are just…not slimy profit-seeking sellouts. they are being squeezed to death by this particularly grim stage of capitalism where everything is dictated by advertisers and corporations who only care about profit for shareholders. I’m pretty sure they just want to make art free from corporate influence and pay their workers a decent living wage. it totally sucks for their largely low-income audience. but I think they are trying to remain viable and very specifically trying NOT to sell out to clickbait-hungry, mediocrity-producing capitalism.

Honestly this has just revealed to me how bitter and unpleasant some of the people in this fandom are. I get being annoyed that we have to pay to access their stuff now, at the lack of regional pricing, and that they hyped it up as if it was something exciting. I'm annoyed about those things, too. But the sheer hatred coming out of some of y'all in unbearable.

Hi bb, ty for the prompt to write my thoughts!

So I can't get on tumblr at work anymore unless I go outside to get good signal on my phone so I have only been privy to what's going on here today from friends on discord. So maybe I'm missing some nuance or the what my mutuals think and I apologize in advance for that but I'm going to speak plainly.

This is the only way Watcher is going to survive.

The view counts have been steady through Mystery Files season 2 but they aren't, like, astronomical. A video with a million views nets a channel between $10,000 - $30,000. Guys. That's nothing for Watcher. They have to pay each of their 25+ employees a salary with insurance and benefits and for everything else their channel requires. Steven said in the video today that a season of Ghost Files costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don't think everyone is hearing that part and understanding how much money that is, especially compared to many other YouTubers they watch. I'm not an expert on other YouTubers but I look at the Sims people I watch. They are successful with views in the hundred k range because they are a company of one. Themselves and maybe paying a freelancer to help edit their videos. For one person, the stakes are lower and the potential for profit is higher! Especially for gamers that are filming in their homes. YouTubers like this, making niche content on the cheap, are who is going to make it in YouTube now.

Watcher is none of those things. They have, from day one, wanted to make high quality unscripted content. All of their shows are shows. They aren't just "Ryan and Shane do [thing]" or "Steven eats [whatever]". They are shows, like ones you see on cable TV or any streamer. And shows are not cheap. Unscripted is cheaper, sure, than scripted. But that doesn't mean cheap. Especially not with the sheer production value we've seen on all their shows, in particular Ghost Files (hundreds of thousands of dollars). That is how much something like Ghost Adventures costs, which is on Travel Channel, an actual TV network that puts up all those costs.

So. That's why Watcher has to pivot to survive.

I think it's a great idea, personally. And yes, I am in a position where I can financially afford it no problem, which I know is a privilege! I am very lucky in that regard. And I understand that many people are upset they won't see the boys as easily on YouTube anymore. That is valid! But they have openly said they are totally fine with password sharing and I think that's a great way to cut down on costs for some folks. Also right now there's a great deal on the yearly sub for early subscribers. $40 for a year is cheaper than any streaming service and it doesn't go to anyone other than Watcher.

I understand that people feel hurt and blindsided, but I think Watcher is also feeling this too. They have been so excited about this and being able to make whatever they want without having to worry about sponsors and now they're mostly seeing anger directed their way. Especially at Steven. Steven is not rich. You know who's rich? David Zaslav, a man who is single-handedly ruining Warner Brothers and making himself a billionaire while he's at it. THAT is the kind of person we should be directing our anger at streaming prices and quality of the media landscape at. Not one small business that is just trying to survive so they can continue paying their employees.

And one more thing. I've seen folks saying they'd rather watch more ads than pay and while I get that, that's not going to help Watcher make what they want. YouTube famously demonetizes videos with swears which is why I can't watch a video with DRAG QUEENS without every other line being bleeped and Watcher has been so good about not bleeping their content because they know we would hate it. And YouTube does this because of advertisers. Advertisers only want to appeal to the most broad of audiences so that means not supporting anything slightly left of center. Having to deal with ads sucks from the creator perspective and does not help them in the long run.

Anyway, this is all a bit rambling, but these are my thoughts on WatcherTV. I'm extremely excited to subscribe and make them make more Weird Wonderful World. I hope to see you all there.

Okay, so this is where I draw the fucking line.

Don't do this, please.

At this point "eat the rich" has become less about the inherent immorality of being a billionaire and has turned into "they have money and I don't like them".

Damn guys. I thought we were mad about worker exploitation and tax evasion, not guys who can now afford Teslas.

the rich =/= someone who has something I can't afford :(

the rich = the fucking rich

ah yes we need to flush out those rich elites like *checks notes* those people who made ghost hunting videos on YouTube

In Japanese, they don’t say “moon,” they say “tsuki,” which literally translates to “moon,” and I think that’s how language works.

samba schutte waking up every morning and scrolling through his collection of never before seen bts clips and going ‘hmmmm what chaos shall i unleash today’ before doing an evil laugh. you know

#7

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

No because I am simply that powerful. I don't give a shit about the canyon, I will continue to enjoy izzy the horrible little bastard man, as well as edizzy. I refuse to let them have him and I will hold onto him with all my might because he is not theirs, he is ours as much as anyone's. and if I don't have him then who can I put through psychological torture in my lab instead??

stuff unrelated to ofmd where the answer is "yes:" the last 10 minutes of "the man in the high castle" completely ruined it for me. wtf was that?? iykyk. there was also this amazon prime show taking place in the 70s about a bunch of holocaust survivor spies fighting against underground nazis and the big twist at the end of the season is that the grandfather to the main young man character is not in fact his grandfather but a NAZI FROM THE CONCENTRATION CAMP THAT KILLED HIS GRANDFATHER AND HE TOOK THIS MURDERED JEWISH MAN'S IDENTITY?!!?!? that was some of the most offensive shit I've ever seen.

I've seen people speculating on how much Watcher makes and using that as a way to prove that they're just greedy, but all it does is prove to me that some of y'all don't understand how businesses are run. Based on the numbers I could find, it would cost roughly $240,000 a year to pay everyone full time minimum wage. Now factor in office rent, editing software, recording equipment, everyone's healthcare, and travel expenses for their shows. Now consider that although YouTube is free with ads, lots of people use ad-blockers which cuts into their revenue. Now consider that maybe minimum wage isn't enough to be paying people. I don't think this is a move coming from greed. I think this is just what happens when you live in Los Angeles and want to run a media business.

i get people not being happy about the watcher move. i get people mourning that they can't afford to follow the guys rn. but actually wishing they would fail? hoping watcher employees are stressed and anxious? i don't think you actually like them, i think you just like having your whims catered to and you just see the guys as your funny little puppet friends.

i get that parasocial relationships are a...complex topic, particularly when a specific kind of content pretty much requires fostering that vibe. even when you know it's a real phenomenon, it's really easy to fall into the trap of, "these people are really cool/funny! i wish we were friends" (and tbf, i think a "friend crush" is still a *little* different bc i think most parasocial relationships make you think, "we ARE friends...or would be if we met.")

BUT. the flip side is forgetting that these guys are people, too. people who gotta make ends meet, particularly if they want to keep providing great content. people with families, bills, expenses, and yes even little treats. like, shit costs money and we can't accuse someone of greed or hope they fail and then pat ourselves on the back for being anti-capitalist or something. this move is a risk but also surely not an impulsive one, and the guys feel this is the right move both financially and creatively then you should hope they succeed!

and, ftr—i already signed up, and i've already sent out my login info to friends who aren't in a place rn to pay. support the guys if you can, but i think the bare minimum is not hoping they crash and burn.

Anyway, last post before I block the tag:

If they come out here with an apology, I'll listen. Who I'm not gonna be listening to are those who say they "became like buzzfeed" and "they're now the Eat The Rich"

They also didn't say anything about removing their content, fuckwads

Important

What’s the most amount of time you’re willing to spend in the shower? Note: “in the shower” refers to being in the water, not drying hair after shower or any other post water activities.

guy who talks about how much he hates furries and "SJWs" in 2024 like a soldier who got lost in a jungle and doesnt know his war already ended like a decade ago