@gamingonlinux I think I get it why true emotional reactions to something on display might feel relatable, but faking it because that is popular just makes it worse, and as you said a bit cringe.

@gamingonlinux@mastodon.social you are gonna like darkviper au and new jacksfilms show

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAnJ4ZuTYaeGv4WIexP9C5LAuMEnMkG-Q&si=u-QIXXU2icdc8hnI

https://youtu.be/oMjWaPsGY80?si=cDOS12gsd-OTH0NR

@gamingonlinux

Or even worse, people just read the tweets of other users and then think we value their stupid laugh or opinion.

@gamingonlinux

You should do a reaction video to some reaction videos!

"URGH! OMG! Watching this is so cringey! Why do they overreact to EVERYTHING? WHY DO PEOPLE EVEN WATCH THIS STUFF?!?!?!"

@gamingonlinux It's good when it's, say, "Classical Musician Reacts to Ocarina of Time's Soundtrack", because they tend to be quite insightful. When it's "Gen Z reacts to 90s Computers", suddenly it's a lot less inspiring.

@gamingonlinux For me, it depends on who reacts to the videos. I always thought they were cringey too, but watching a person you like react to a topic they are quite familiar with is interesting. It's kind of more fun to watch a video „together," and I value their opinion on the contents of the video.

@gamingonlinux I once considered doing reaction videos to reaction videos where I just look bored and play with my phone, then I realised if just be adding to all the pointless shite on YouTube.

The desperate levels people stoop to for YouTube money makes me sad for humanity. Do YouTube as a hobby and get a proper job. Professional YouTubers all go a bit Gollum eventually anyway. It's not a healthy lifestyle.

@gamingonlinux The non verbal reactions are by far the cringiest. Like putting a laugh track on a show that never had one.

@gamingonlinux I swear the main appeal of those YouTubers is the curation aspect. Most of them don't add anything, so I can't see the reactor being the draw.

@gamingonlinux The thing about most react videos, is that non of them seem genuine. They're just there for the sake of just having a content and not actually dropping any valuable remarks to the video, which is the sole reason why we watch reaction videos (We want to see their opinion and remarks of the particular content and gain their perspective which we don't get).

@gamingonlinux there are two groups of reaction videos I would say.
Those you describe here and those where actual value is added.
A historian giving in depth facts about the events that describe a song. A musician explaining what choices the artist might have made and why.

The latter got popular after which everyone started doing them resulting in the first group.

@gamingonlinux it satisfies that need everyone has to show their friends cool stuff and see their reactions. Add parasocial relationships to that equation and bobs your uncle welcome to influencer reactions and gogglebox.

@gamingonlinux I like watching some movie reaction channels because it's nice to see a movie I know well through someone's else's eyes. Especially someone with specialist knowledge like a Doctor for medical accuracy or VFX artists for movie craft.

@gamingonlinux parasocial
relationships

@gamingonlinux

As Terminalmontage says...

@gamingonlinux It rarely works granted but I think once you get to know personalities online it's funny seeing the react to things. If it is genuine and for show. But yeah I do agree. If I remember correctly it became main stream on YT when the Star Wars trailer came out some 8 years ago. Oh Star Wars, you don't need the Nass anymore.

@gamingonlinux It's just a way to collect clips that are already popular into compilations and "launder" them into an original video

@gamingonlinux It is more like: "OH! I want to know my favorite person's oppinion and reaction to this with every detail so that I know I am not acting inappropriately compared to others."

@gamingonlinux wait a second. How am I supposed to know what a classically trained tuba player thinks about when listening to Slayer for the very first time?!? 😭💀

@gamingonlinux I don't think all of them are bad. Wired, Insider does some experts react to/technique critique stuff which falls under edutainment.

@gamingonlinux

I like reactions by experts e.g. those ones with the professional voice coach reacting to actors playing characters with accents or professional composers reacting to a musical score. But "some guy making faces at thing" has no value at all.

@gamingonlinux I don't disagree about reaction videos but I'll be honest that I watch a good number of them. Why? Because I don't follow every creator everywhere and sometimes getting exposed to smaller creators through reaction videos has brought me to those smaller creators I'd of otherwise never found. Basically some more popular creators are just good curators of content via reaction videos. Like him or hate him, but I have hit on a bunch of creators due to Asmongold's reaction vids.

@gamingonlinux It's not that.
Sometimes you watch shows none of your friends do
So reactions can fill in that gap

@gamingonlinux I think the base pull is the fact that people are reacting to things in a manner the viewers find relatable, or they appreciate the passion the reactor has for the topic. That's what I'd say is the original pull.

People got addicted, looked for more extreme reactions, which fuelled a demand for that type of content.

Since reaction-based content is trying to be extreme as possible and give you a dopamine hit, people fake their reaction or strongly exaggerate it to get more views.

@gamingonlinux I've seen plenty of reaction videos that do not fit this description or the descriptions other people have posted. Some reaction videos/channels are legitimately good natured and wholesome.

@gamingonlinux they only work for me when it’s an expert in a field not only reacting, but giving context I would miss. My favorites include drummer Larnell Lewis hearing Metallica’s Enter Sandman once, then doing a very faithful recreation after. Some of the GOOD reacts had people giving context for why what he did was so special. Of course 90 percent of the ones that filled up YouTube after involved some goober making faces and not saying much. Somehow those have 100x the views.

@gamingonlinux here’s that vid by the way. It’s a fun watch. https://youtu.be/Zd_UcjMusUA sadly I can’t even find the good reacts. It’s all ‘goober making faces’ in the suggested. :(

@gamingonlinux people are very liberal with the term “content creator” these days

@gamingonlinux Depends... anything done for/with evil is gonna have it in there. Just like anything done with good lol 😆

@gamingonlinux there are other kinds. To be fair she does make some faces.

https://youtu.be/iFO_oydYSa4

We're you referring to things like Australians try American candy or watch people eat insanely hot things?

@gamingonlinux This one is funny, because Weird Al https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwz8xzvA1Bw

@gamingonlinux No! Look at ME!

@gamingonlinux I dont't get them as much as I don't get most of the "name of the movie/chapter here> ending explained". Especially when the ending itself is self-explanatory 🤣​

@gamingonlinux I think the appeal is that people can get the parasocial feeling of “watching something with friends” when they aren’t actually hanging out with friends. Casual podcasts often provide a similar feeling.

The reality is that there are millions of people that don’t just hang out and talk to friends very often, leading to increasing demand for a substitute.

@gamingonlinux same most of them dont add any value or the "creator" just dips for half of the video some do such as a swat officer reacting to footage and breaking it down for example but most dont. must be easy ad revenue though :/ think youtube used to try and hide a bunch of it but dont/cant keep up anymore it seems a lot of this clutter hides smaller creators as well sadly :c

@gamingonlinux same for me, it’s the reason I don’t care for twitch either. I get that it’s not exactly the same but watching someone else play just isn’t entertaining to me