I watch a lot of YouTube. Like, a lot. Since I started to self-quarantine three weeks ago, I’ve been watching more than usual.
Here’s a list of my favorite YouTube channels and why I think you should check them out. (Let’s face it, you’ve got the time!)
Commentary YouTubers: Danny Gonzalez, Drew Gooden, Kurtis Conner
Danny is a popular commentary YouTuber known for reacting to cringey movies, celebrities, and advertisements. You might recognize him from Vine. He’s hilarious and has impeccable comedic timing. One of my favorite things about Danny is that he also makes music. (Give his EP “Bump This” a listen if you haven’t already!)
Drew and Kurtis were also Vine stars who transitioned to YouTube when Vine ended (R.I.P. Vine). They also react to bad movies, shows, TikTok trends, etc. Drew is also known for roasting Life Hacks, and Kurtis has a knack for tearing into weird Canadian children’s TV and cringey imagines.
I never fail to laugh out loud when I watch Kurtis, Drew, and Danny’s videos. What’s better is that the three of them have filmed fun crossover videos before. Be sure to give them a watch!
Rachel’s Suggested Videos:
Danny Gonzalez
“The Ratatouille Knockoff From Your Nightmares”
“The Worst “Viral Videos” with Drew Gooden”
Drew Gooden
“Efficiency in Comedy: The Office vs. Friends”
“Trying Relationship Life Hacks”
Kurtis Conner
“This Canadian Reality TV Show Is Terrifying”
“Insane Relationship TikToks (w/ Danny Gonzalez & Drew Gooden)”
Movie-and-TV Only Commentary YouTubers: Trin Lovell, Pretty Much It, and Alex Meyers
While Danny, Drew, and Kurtis react to lots of things, some Youtube channels focus on movies and TV. Chances are, Trin, Alex, and the PMI boys Eric and Jacob have seen it all—every blockbuster, every Hallmark cringefest, every Disney Channel Original, every teen dystopian flick, and every weird, low-budget movie that only ⅕ of the population has heard of. Sometimes, watching their commentaries is more fun than seeing the movie itself.
Rachel’s Suggested Videos:
Trin Lovell
“*LET IT SNOW* is mediocrity at its finest!!”
“The Percy Jackson Film Franchise is A MONSTROSITY **yes i watched both of the movies**”
Pretty Much It
“*STONADOS* IS THE BEST BOSTON MOVIE EVER MADE”
“FIRST TIME WATCHING *SPIDER-MAN* TRILOGY SINCE WE WERE KIDS (REACTIONS)”
Alex Meyers
“why are we still watching Riverdale…”
Musical Theatre Fun: StarKid
Since you can’t go see a Broadway show, what if the world of musical theatre could come to your living room? Team StarKid are the geniuses behind the viral “A Very Potter Musical” from 2009. They produce and film full-length musicals, which they then post on YouTube for free! You hear that? For FREE. Tickets to musicals are expensive AF, so Team StarKid is really out here doing the most.
Disclaimer: Since they got their start with a raunchy parody musical, their shows aren’t necessarily kid-friendly. You’ve been warned!
Rachel’s Suggested Videos from StarKid:
“Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier”
“The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” (must watch before Black Friday)
Music Mash-Ups: Inanimate Mashups
This isn’t a channel you’ll watch, but listen to. Inanimate Mashups does exactly what you’d expect—mashup songs across genres and make some new, awesome beats. Their “The Less I Know The Better/Circles” mashups are some of my favorites, but they’re honestly all bangers!
Rachel’s Suggested Videos from Inanimate Mashups:
“The Less Circles The Better – Post Malone vs Tame Impala (Mashup)”
“The Less Circles The Better 2.0 – Post Malone vs Tame Impala (Mashup)”
“Goodbye, Legos – Post Malone vs AJR (Mashup)”
Miscellaneous Fun: Try Guys and Watcher
The Try Guys (Zach Kornfeld, Eugene Lee Yang, Keith Habersberger, and Ned Fulmer) got their start at Buzzfeed before breaking out into their own company in 2018. They’re four, funny best friends who love to try new things (hence the name). They post videos two-to-three times a week on a variety of subjects. I love watching them interact with each other and the world around them. Recently, they’ve been uploading lots of quarantine blogs alongside some pre-filmed content.
Watcher is a channel created by more Buzzfeed alums (Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej, and Steven Lim). They host a weekly talk show and have a myriad of other shows on multiple subjects—from home cooking to history to the weirdness of the world and more. During quarantine, they’ve started a new show: SD&D&D, which stands for Social Distancing and Dungeons and Dragons. The Try Guys and Watcher will definitely make you laugh, and because they film a few weeks ahead of time, they’ve got non-pandemic-related videos stored up for us to enjoy.
Rachel’s Suggested Videos:
Try Guys
The Try Guys Make Ice Cream Without a Recipe
Keith Transforms Into Eugene’s Worst Nightmare (A Chair)
Watcher
Los Angeles: Tourist Attractions vs. Hidden Gems – Tourist Trapped