Reaction Videos

william_kent

Well-known member
I thought some of them were to get around youtube copyright claims? Pausing whatever they are watching every so often somehow makes it "fair use"
 

linebaugh

Well-known member
I thought some of them were to get around youtube copyright claims? Pausing whatever they are watching every so often somehow makes it "fair use"
Im sure thats part of it but they feel spiritually akin to lifestyle vlogs which came before them
 

william_kent

Well-known member
they probably started off as "fair use", but as you say, they have evolved into a freak show - I imagine that people noticed that the more "emotional" the response, the higher the views - there was a point where I was getting a lot of "hip hop dude watches Pink Floyd" - "The great gig in the sky" ones are especially cringe, lots of tears, "so emotional"
 

william_kent

Well-known member
although, at the moment I'm enjoying "Chicago dude watches UK crime TV" - no emotion on display, just ennui, although he sort of almost gets excited at the potential of violence, but then says "not that I condone this, just saying" when pointing out the mistakes that the criminals are making...
 

luka

Well-known member
as i keep saying im positive emotions no longer exist and peoples simulation of what they think emotion might be becomes more and more unnerving
 
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luka

Well-known member
it's also a very easy way to generate content for people who are locked in the content creation cycle.
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I think it's partly to do with the solitude and loneliness of living in our modern society, which (paradoxically) drives us to seek out company via technology.

Also, as a species, nothing fascinates us more than other people. That's why millions of people can be transfixed watching Big Brother, even if the contestants are relatively unintelligent/boring and having a conversation about crisps.

More specifically around music...

Most of the time I listen to music I'm alone, but it's obvious that music becomes more enjoyable when there's another person (or ideally a lot of people) enjoying the same thing as you at the same time.

There's an especially gratifying effect (whether or not it's simulated to garner views) when you watch somebody listen to something you love for the first time and they're really into it – it's as if you hear this song, which you've filed away on a dusty shelf as 'canonical', through their ears.

As Luka says, this can be a case of getting validation (the cool black guy likes this metal song i like, maybe it isn't so horribly uncool after all!)

But I actually think the great thing about music on youtube, besides there being so much more of the obscure stuff (and stuff that's been manipulated/looped/slowed down etc. by users) is that it puts music into a social context that other platforms e.g. Spotify don't. The comments under videos are one way it does that, and reaction videos are another.
 

sufi

lala
I think it's partly to do with the solitude and loneliness of living in our modern society, which (paradoxically) drives us to seek out company via technology.

Also, as a species, nothing fascinates us more than other people. That's why millions of people can be transfixed watching Big Brother, even if the contestants are relatively unintelligent/boring and having a conversation about crisps.

More specifically around music...

Most of the time I listen to music I'm alone, but it's obvious that music becomes more enjoyable when there's another person (or ideally a lot of people) enjoying the same thing as you at the same time.

There's an especially gratifying effect (whether or not it's simulated to garner views) when you watch somebody listen to something you love for the first time and they're really into it – it's as if you hear this song, which you've filed away on a dusty shelf as 'canonical', through their ears.

As Luka says, this can be a case of getting validation (the cool black guy likes this metal song i like, maybe it isn't so horribly uncool after all!)

But I actually think the great thing about music on youtube, besides there being so much more of the obscure stuff (and stuff that's been manipulated/looped/slowed down etc. by users) is that it puts music into a social context that other platforms e.g. Spotify don't. The comments under videos are one way it does that, and reaction videos are another.
(without the music) it seems like there are more and more confrontation videos where people film "Karens" freaking out in public, or racists getting just desserts thru the power of Ogun, or cyclists challenging bad drivers, or random nerds scolding people for not returning trolleys in the walmart parking lot.

as you say it's all about people watching, and it's fascinating to watch these clashes of entitlements, where one person is in the conventional bully role, and another person, bolstered by the power of video documentation of the incident, taunts them into a frenzy - compulsive viewing with added spiciness of public cancellation for the heel

Some of the Karen videos are beginning to seem a little contrived, like setups or at least people expanding the drama for the camera
 

WashYourHands

Cat Malogen
The worst is british guitarist reacts. Surely the accent says it all mate? Apparently not, so you have the cultural cue framework added, which is shorthand for “cunt”, oh he’s British home of the axe lord. I mean just look and listen (if you can) to the doss haired wall flower


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Why? More like how? Linguistic programming of the term react. Response lacks emotion/intention. Dial up the neurosis, put ego and performance and insecurity top of said lists. Enculturation etc

Another is guitar teacher reacts, what a gimp, although he has better taste the gib on this fool is something else, can’t believe the obvious point of looking like a bellend didn’t occur to him

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The term doofus seems appropriate, Jaws t, weird ie posh laminated instrument and I’m just glad he’s a teacher, a learned craftsman and not hoarding all these talents to himself

 

john eden

male pale and stale
i think i first noticed them when some americans realised they could get views in the UK by pretending to like rap from the UK
Yeah same, but with young american black dudes listen to Crass for the first time or similar - i.e. I am sure the alogrithim lobbed that at me for the usual reasons.

It's a way for people to insert themselves into an already existing narrative - to merge their cultural capital with an already existing brand. For clicks.
 

john eden

male pale and stale
It also compresses things, which is an ongoing process generally.

Like watching Gogglebox* as a way to keep up with current TV. (Or maybe looping the break from a record etc etc).

*I think the most successful mainstream "reaction" franchise?
 

yyaldrin

in je ogen waait de wind
there was this hype a few years ago of some terrible porn video that was too awful to watch so people would record themself watching it and you could see by the looks of their faces how horrible it was. i thought it was a great invention actually, to see something through the reaction of other people. but it was a weird little hype all together, i'm glad it stopped after a while.
 
It also compresses things, which is an ongoing process generally.

Like watching Gogglebox* as a way to keep up with current TV. (Or maybe looping the break from a record etc etc).

*I think the most successful mainstream "reaction" franchise?
yeah it’s a review condensed to the most emotive parts. For people who prefer to watch than read.
 
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