Reaction channels on YouTube...

[Klonk]

...seems to be becoming a pretty popular thing now. I must say there are a handful that I really enjoy. (and a lot I can't stand ) Seeing young folks hear tunes I love or used to love for the first time and being blown away by them I find rewarding. Progressive rock seems to be high demand to react to.

These 2 kids I get a kick out of and they seem to be pretty knowledgable about music. No fancy editing or interrupting the tune. Just two college kid music nerds. Works for me...



What say you folks? Any love? Hate? Don't care?

[Gravedigger]

"It was literally...like...so good"
I envy those discovering music for the first time without any preconceptions.
Love their smiles and enthusiasm.

[chalkpie]

Mikael reacting to covers of his own stuff. This cat is just naturally funny - always honest and has such a great outlook on life.

[Zeuhlmate]

[mnprogger]

yeah I subscribe to Andy & Alex among at least a dozen Reaction Channels.

I do enjoy many of them, some more than others.

However nearly all of them have setup a Patreon for their channel, which is where I draw the line.

Sorry, but I am not paying for you to make videos on YouTube. But others do, which I guess it's their right, but I don't get it.

The best example where this is an issue may be with LOST IN VEGAS, which I would consider the best Reaction Channel on YouTube.

Except over the last year, they started their Patreon, and their actual activity on YouTube has dwindled.

I would imagine like 75% or more of the videos they make end up 1st on Patreon, and it seems it will be MONTHS LATER if at all (like the ones they'll get copyright strikes on like Zeppelin or Pink Floyd).

I just question why they wait so long on some of those *new* videos? They uploaded a Fleetwood Mac video a couple of weeks ago, and yet the original, Patreon-only comments below were dated in July, lol.

But I guess to list some of the ones I like

Lost in Vegas
Pink Metalhead
Kel-N-Rich
Enoma
Drop Z: Spilling the Tea
Jim Newstead
Rebecca Vocal Athlete
Beth Roars

Unsubbed
Modern Renaissance Man
Weaboo Reacts

[Poisoned Youth]

I'm usually pretty "pro" in terms of internet trends, but put me on the list of somewhere between "what's the point?" and "give me a break!" with these reaction videos. And those who do it "for a living" really cannot be trusted. It becomes re"acting" at this point. I don't buy it.

When it comes to reaction videos, I prefer some of the more "cute" ones I have seen where we aren't dependent on the same person. Take this reaction to Queen music by a bunch of kids:





Which reminds me of another internet video trend - fake pranks. These get millions of views. Entertaining for someone I guess.




If someone can find a way to make money off it, there will be 1,000 copycats that follow - which feels like where we are now.

[jake]

I enjoy these but there are too many now - its getting to be like the "<insert racial group> people react to <insert different racial group> food" genre. I must admit though - I now spend more time watching YouTube channels than I do watching broadcast TV.

[Zeuhlmate]

[chalkpie]

^The Tull video sucked me in. Anybody that doesn't think Ian was a god back then is a party pooper.

[3LockBox]

Sorry, but I am not paying for you to make videos on YouTube. But others do, which I guess it's their right, but I don't get it

Me neither. I'm not so enamored with any channel that I'll give up my hard earned money. Especially since I usually question the sincerity or genuineness of much of YouTube's channel content. Especially the cutesy couple prank channels - pro wraslin is more real. These trust fund brats get to be minor celebrities, have sycophants and the works for doing not much more than your average teenager.

[Buddhabreath]

It's nice to see young people reacting to hearing old classics for the first time. It it helps keep the music alive then great I say.

In fact, I'm thinking of starting a channel that shows people reacting to reactions of people reacting to listening to hearing prog classics for the first time but I'm afraid some mad bugger would start a channel of people reacting to people reacting to reactions of people reacting to listening to hearing prog classics for the first time...

[rcarlberg]

I'm usually pretty "pro" in terms of internet trends, but put me on the list of somewhere between "what's the point?" and "give me a break!"

I'm more along the scale of "holy crap get a life." This is dumber than selfies.

[3LockBox]

I'm more along the scale of "holy crap get a life." This is dumber than selfies.

I don't mind people posting amateur vids of themselves or events or genuine videos of darwinistic failures but those who are just trying to shill... good luck. They ain't getting a dime from me. If they can sucker others out of their money, well, that's what suckers are for.

[GuitarGeek]

Back in the late 90's, VH-1 had this show where they'd show current videos to various groups of people, usually showing them to young people, and then to older people, getting the varying opinions. I remember one show I saw, they showed a bunch of videos to classical music students, and also to classical music professional who were a bit older. I remember one clip was a Cline Dion clip, and the guy moderating the deal asks if they think she'd make a good conductor, due to the way she waves her hands around when she sings, and the classical professionals all sort of laughed and were like "Uh, no!".

I remember they had a promo for that show where they show this older guy saying that "I'd have to be severely intoxicated to enjoy this".

[Klonk]

It's nice to see young people reacting to hearing old classics for the first time. It it helps keep the music alive then great I say

This is where I'm at exactly

[rcarlberg]

If someone can find a way to make money off it, there will be 1,000 copycats that follow - which feels like where we are now.

Because videogames are "too real."

[moecurlythanu]

I would like to see what these reactors listen to regularly and think is great, good, etc. I suspect it would render their opinions on Prog-Rock meaningless to me. That makes these vids nothing more than a curio, or at worst, craning your neck to see the car wreck at the side of the road.

However, on the plus side, it is exposure to an insular generation, and thus adds to their awareness, which is a good thing. (By that I mean the kids who view the videos, not the people in the videos.)

[Klonk]

You don't have to pay and you don't have to watch. I'm certainly not going to pay. (I think it's $1 per month if you become a patreon) If they can make money, why not? why is that such an outrage? Here's one that you folks might like...

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

My favorite (in fact the only ones I watch at this point) are the "Lost in Vegas" guys. Two dudes who grew up on hiphop, that made a deliberate decision to expand their horizons, and are genuinely enthusiastic about the music they listen to.

[arabicadabra]

There are also a few good reaction to comedian ones

[3LockBox]

You don't have to pay and you don't have to watch. I'm certainly not going to pay. (I think it's $1 per month if you become a patreon) If they can make money, why not? why is that such an outrage?

No outrage that I see. Just some shoulder shrugging and head shaking over who's paying for what and why. I guess it's better than panhandling. I'd rather give money to a busker.

[UnderAGlassMoon]

You don't have to pay and you don't have to watch. I'm certainly not going to pay. (I think it's $1 per month if you become a patreon) If they can make money, why not? why is that such an outrage? Here's one that you folks might like...

I like this and a lot of the other ones these guys do. For some reason they are pretty damn funny.

[jake]

Just found this one YouTube - first time seeing her- a wee Scottish lass who is a vocal coach and she doesn't just react - she has the background knowledge to critique Thijs Van Leer and Geddy Lee and is very impressed by both. Wasn't sure how this was gonna turn out, but it wasn't too bad at all

[BravadoNJ]

people are doing anything to make money on the internet these days.
these people use classic rock band fans to up their view on YouTube so they make money.
they usually pretend they never heard the song before but that's BS-
because they seems to know what comes next and are ready with comments.

[nycsteve]

The guy listening to Gates Of Delerium has been around a long time. He might have been one of the first doing this. I have tolerance for this trick once , and he's it.