It didn't run its course It was killed by defymedia. Look up Anthony's commentary on how they sold the channel for 0$ expecting defymedia to go public. It never did so their shares were worthless and the channel was in ruins
Honestly if a channel lasts more than 5 years on RUclips with consistent or at least reasonable growth and success, it doesn't matter how it crashes and burns. 5 years is insane.
Yes because getting saved by Rhett and Link from GMM wasn't considered the end of Smosh's success. Although they're still doing well, it doesn't mean they're successful, they're barely half the views of the original Smosh, the only reason it's still going is because the OG Smosh is still likely the backbone to it, etc the old videos likely still massing views. Current Smosh isn't successful, it's sustaining. So Sunny's video is accurate.
I worked as an assistant editor at SMOSH for a little over a year. They were the coolest bunch of people from Ian and Anthony to the crew and cast. I learned a lot from them and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I'm very happy they were so successful for so long.
They do seem like genuinely good guys which is probably why they got taken advantage. Seriously, they needed a lawyer and financial advisor to look over those documents. They should've known that the stock would be useless if they didnt go public and why the hell would youtubers getting 100million views consistently want a salary? They had a 5 year track record with stable views.
@@rayzala1393 I never knew anything about their financial stuff. I would show up early, get on the computer in a room in their house. Then we would all work all day. They would bring me memory cards from the camera crew and I would get the episodes edited up by the end of the day. Whenever I would leave those guys were still working. Writing more episodes. They were on top of their stuff, and extremely enjoyable to be around. Not just Ian and Anthony but every member of the crew at the time I was there was awesome.
@@Latencylounge Cool to hear your experience. I watched them way back in the day in 2008-2011 and loved their videos. Glad to hear they deserved the success they got.
honestly, smosh is still a success. their TNTL videos get so many views. sure, theyre not at their peak, but its not "dead". there are channels that are just as old that get less than 1000 views. *THOSE* are dead lol
It wasn't necessarily like he had anything to fall back on. Anthony took the plunge and shot out on his own because he had plenty of ideas for shows that he was never allowed to do. Despite how their characters are portrayed, Ian has always been the more grounded and level headed one, meaning he was aware that if he couldn't save smosh that was probably it for him.
This seems pretty thorough based on the videos you watched, but did you reach out to any past employees? This seems pretty surface level. I see lots of videos like this, but no one ever taps into the core of the problem. RUclips. Algorithm 's change amd content doesn't. Artists move on. And fans grow up. Friends went on for 10 years. When it ended, did it fail? No. Channels can't last forever either. Just a thought.
Not on topic so i apologize, but i still watch most of smosh videos but man.. sometimes i really miss you Joven, you were my favorite in smosh games cast (also i know about your channel so missing you is kinda stupid but i'm sorry for not following it, most of it's content just isn't my type of videos)
This is in a lot of ways like "the day the music died", but for the internet. This is when large corporate brands started really taking the Internet seriously and taking content as a way to advertise. It took the soul out of it.
Everything has become so PC and professional these days. Not to say we need "edgy" content, but I miss when people could make the content they want and make jokes without the fear of being cancelled and losing ad revenue.
@@knotty4700 I used to be a RUclips Partner around 10 years ago, you could pretty much get away with saying anything and nobody cared. It's hard to believe how things are now.
Anthony grew up, smosh did not ... there will always will always be newer generations of immature audience for smosh to feed on despite its content becoming stale, like how Spongebob still has an audience despite none of the later seasons being nowhere near the quality the first 4 seasons ... Its great how Anthony decided to make meaningful thoughtful contents rather than continue to chase after kid viewerships ..
Any channel whose primary audience is largely kids and teens will inevitably "fail" (die) or at the very least change considerably. That's how Anthony Padilla is still a great content creator, by changing his channel to something entirely different from Smosh, and how PewDiePie remained relevant by focusing on content that appeals to young adults as well as teens.
@@inmuyataz that has been debunked. My generation watched SpongeBob, the next generation does as well. The only difference is they pump out new liberal focused shows to change the minds of the next generation for the voting poll.
@@Anonymous38572 ah i see my comment deemed offensive so it gets Deleted. I'll write it short then No it's not, you can't say that to everyone. In my country most kids would rather watch streamer or tiktok than cartoon
If you look at their most popular videos, you will find that most of them are old videos. I think it all has to do with smosh becoming a corporation. Ian and Anthony has no control over it anymore. Even though Ian is still present, he's just a crew member. This is fricking sad!
Honestly I don't care about growing up, because even to this day if Smosh had just stayed as two friends making stupid videos to make people laugh, I'd still love them.
It also feels like they’ve replaced the cast with new “talent” when in the past everyone felt more like friends and less forced. It felt genuine but since those people have left everything just feels off like something is missing
i don't think the we grew up is a valid argument due that Anthony kepps the same and still is growing and stable, even with SussieYT interview, like dude, she is poison for channels
@@joesgamingstudio it would be nice or you cannot say anything at all a simple like me would help. Also, you don’t know some people like the new Smosh better than the old one probably only one person
I don’t think it “failed” I just think we “grew” up. I remember being really into Ian & Anthony’s videos like 10+ years ago when I was back in middle school. They had a good almost 10 year run. All good things come to a close, so enjoy everything as it happens & take nothing for granted.
Exactly! I hate when people make these types of videos with said titles. how can you say they failed when they were a massive hit for a good chunk of a lot of peoples childhood.. I agree with you, we just grew up. And that’s okay.
@@superultragiggachigga But when you think about it there was no reason why their content couldn't also change to fit the changing times and the age of their audience, if they made what they liked, I think they stuck too tightly to format and that has bit them in the ass massively, because they are still making content for versions of people who are several years older and changed by simply being alive and going to through life. They never really experimented with making new things anymore and it all was a formula.
@@ilo3456 when you say that I agree. I think with that said good things fizzle out, but great things know how to adapt like you said. Remembering now they definitely had a formula that just didn’t change when their audience did. I do agree they could have adapted. I guess being a fan back then I just can’t see them doing anything but that ya know. Partly I think that’s why they probably stuck to that formula. It’s what they knew would work and experimenting when your that big is a challenge for sure.
@@superultragiggachigga It is definitely a challenge but in any market where you are making things for people you need to change and adapt as people change and age, because nothing can stay the same forever. I grew up watching SMOSH but I grew out of it because they content no longer matched who I was and what I was interested in, it lacked the maturity I wanted, nowadays I generally watch a lot of video essays about anything really where someone spends multiple hours talking about something like why is a character good or why something failed. I've become more interested in more dry topics than when I was in my teens and that isn't bad but SMOSH never changed to have any content that was mature enough to be worth my time, and they never really managed to get the audience of new young people who could have sustained because their content was aimed at an older viewer base which was no longer as interested in the immature content they were making. Basically they made very niche content now, mainly popular with those who either never matured or who wanted a bit of nostalgia in their lives.
The evolution of Smosh pretty much coincides with the evolution of RUclips perfectly. From two friends just making random stuff and having a blast, to a soulless corporation that lost its way. Sad to see.
I feel that all everyone wanted to see was Anthony and Ian's creative home made content. Once they formed a corporation style and utilized industrial production methods, it no longer felt like two friends doing their best to make funny content or more like trying too hard to make polished films. With that it felt like it lost their connection to the audience. It was fun seeing them as just two friends messing around
@@darthestar8791 anthony and ian where the funny 1 the creative 1 now smosh is Iike a thousand other channeI that do the same what is trending and kid humor IeveI its sad i remember how funny there things where food battIe
That was pretty much where I left as well, I had a slight hope while Anthony was still there, but as soon a she left I knew it was over. At least we have the memories of what it used to be
While I wasn't super into smosh, I have watched them here and there. I feel that is exactly the issue with a lot of channels, especially older ones from early RUclips. It ultimately becomes a corporate job. It is no longer some friends making fun videos. It's a fulltime job to pay the bills and full production teams and merchandise. Good for everyone that it works out for, but it does lose its original charm.
I’m pretty sure there are two other things to address: 1. Their general audience back in “Old RUclips” grew up. It’s the same way for how some people “grew out” of things they did as kids. 2. The growth of RUclips as a whole. Other channels and the explosion of the creator sphere leads the diversifying and dividing the audience’s watch time of other content.
no way man, you don't grow out of smosh, I haven't, and the public opinion lines up with mine, smosh is timeless. We loved smosh and I'm proud to say that gmm owns smosh but as much as it hurts me, the "smosh" we have today is a fake, its a farse. We need the old smosh back.
Yeah, I agree. I watched Smosh a lot in 2010-2013-ish as a teen, but eventually mainly stuck around for Smosh Games as the sketches lost their novelty for me. I started watching other gaming youtubers around 2013 and only came back to Smosh when the Try Guys collaborated with them for a Try Not To Laugh video. I enjoyed that and am stuck ever since, but the sketches they still do I hardly care about. But damn, the shit they were doing when I quit the smosh main channel was just really childish and more of the same. I grew up while Smosh didn’t, basically.
Everything has to fade in popularity at some point, especially on RUclips. The fact that Smosh retained it's popularity as long as it did is very impressive, most really popular channels only ride that high for a couple of years.
@@gerechtsdeurwaarderpeter6311 @FishyFinThing There's more than 50million youtubers out there, with only 29k+ with a 1M+ subscriber count which is less than .1% of total youtubers, and only 2 'solo' youtubers taking the top 10: Pewdiepie and Justin Bieber, both with consistent 1M+ average viewers per video this month. Literally only 2 people in 50M have and is still are consistently retained popularity in over 5 years are left, not even calculating the channels that have come and gone including Smosh, so Pewds and Bieber's popularity is simply extremely impressive.
For me, it was a matter of growing up. I matured and so did Anthony and his content, for example. He started making educational content and most of his videos are about topics I know little about and am curious to hear more of. I feel like Smosh's content has remained largely the same for the past decade or so, and I just grew out of it over time.
@@reyy9220 There is SO much more competition now. The original fans grew up and the potential new fans have thousands of other options now. Nothing lasts forever, especially on RUclips.
@Keshuel it's still sketches, sketches do not favor the RUclips algorithm nowadays. Except there are better ones than smosh. Viva La Dirt League and Ryan George has WAAAAY better sketches than of Smosh now.
Now that Anthony is back and they have full ownership, there should be quite a massive spike in viewership. If they can produce that high quality content again.
Currently, most videos of Smosh after Anthony returned basically spiked in viewership, and some boomed into the millions already, so it's a pretty good sign that they can produce high quality content.
@@flashdawnxtheyre still doing ok. Prob just enough. Hate to say it but their style of “comedy skits” is kinda outdated and it seems like theyre relying too hard on nostalgia bait
I'm really glad Anthony left Smosh. I love what he's done with his own channel. It took a while for him to find his own niche, but his interviews are super interesting. I'm happy with the direction he's taken his channel
I honestly kinda wish Ian left too honestly. Even if him and Anthony didn't join forces I would've liked to see him go on his own. Him joining Anthony would've been even better
Except when the interviews are with someone i disagree with (time travellers, non-binaries, otherkin and.kleptomaniacs to name a few), because if it is, i'm gonna dislike the video and leave a hateful comment, then click another video that i agree with
Man I grew up with Smosh, the 2008-2013 era was my favorite, everything after felt too forced. It didn't feel like two best friends making funny skits but rather like a full out company and forced video ideas. Same with College Humor. It's hard to explain but I guess in the layman's terms, the simplicity of both those channels is what made them so entertaining. Smosh will forever be as one of my favorite channels on RUclips, but I'd be lying if I said that I like the new change.
Agreed. I started watching a bit later in 2010-2013, but me and my friends watched all their stuff too. We even did a group project based on the video where they get “stranded” on the island hahaha
After six years, classic Smosh returns with just Ian, Anthony and Ian's Mom ofcourse. I've been their loyal fan since 2013 (10 years) and never unsubscribed to them despite all the odds hoping it might return again and their return was quite a coincidence on my behalf.
I thought smosh was awesome when I was a teenager. I watched something from them recently and it was a cringefest. Maybe their viewers just grew up. Amazing video my man!
There was this creative spark, a magical thing they had in it’s golden years, I don’t know how to describe it... but remember the assassin’s creed song? I still even remember the lyrics, “Tomahawk Chop is My Deathblow, How many fools can I kill today, too many to count don’t get in my wayyy...” Just watch their earlier vids to the recent ones. I mean, it’s charming.. but it doesn’t have the same feel.
Watch their old stuff its cringefest by today's standard. You've outgrown it and their new content does not cater to your taste, doesn't mean it's bad.
That's exactly what happened. A lot of video game channels are going through this too. The crowd simply got old, not interested in that video game anymore, don't play, some people taste in comedy changes, a lot of things I liked as a kid simply isn't funny to me anymore. Sad what happens
Smosh was at its peak when it was just two guys making low budget videos with whatever props they had or could afford and with occasional guests like Ian’s mom, Peter, teleporting fat guy, etc.
Exactly this. Once it got a bigger budget and made half scale subways and gamestops for their videos it just didn’t click with me and the writing was just bland and safe.
yes they should have stayed two dudes making low budget videos forever. that's definitely not missing the entire point of the video, that the brand hasn't grown and has in fact stagnated.
Uy Well look at how well this “growth” turned out for their channel then. The crew isn’t the main problem, but the growth is ironically, a contributing factor to the downfall of the channel, with similar content creators having faced the same decline for this reason. Fact is that when the channel was a passion project started by two friends, for one thing a lot more passion was involved as the videos were borne (mostly) out of interest. However with an expanding crew and office, it ultimately shifts away from the nature of the channel and becomes more “corporate”. Stuff that never mattered becomes priority, such as paycheques, management, sponsorship, internal politics: These lead to ultimately requiring more brand sponsorships to sustain the former: Over reliance on brand sponsorship would then at the same time, affect the channel content as content would have to be somewhat catered to the branding image of sponsors and any purchase acquisitions of the smosh brand name
Three factors killed Smosh: Going corporate was the first, adding too many cast members was the second, and Anthony leaving was the nail in the coffin.
Anthony and Ian were a part of my childhood and seeing Smosh's downfall and Anthony leaving is very sad, but I am happy Anthony has made his own RUclips channel.
Same. And those interviews he does to shine a light on lesser known groups? I love it. Especially the ADHD one. There's too many misconceptions of ADHD, and that interview really shows the truth about it.
Ian and Anthony's videos were more interesting and funny than Defy Media's, but the Smosh Squad today is under the illusion that ALL of their videos are better then Defy's when... their videos today are simply inferior. What they need is Anthony to return, especially now that they have more freedom.
@@gorfous4549 Yea it's crazy they thought it was a good idea to sell for stocks in a company that may or may not go public. And even if it does go public, who knows what the price would be anyways. Maybe at least mix it for cash and stock? That way there's a guarantee you're gonna get something...
Smosh is literally how I became fluent in English. Of course I was taught structure and grammar in school, but Smosh’s videos were funny and simple enough in vocabulary and premise for an 11 year old to understand everything in the skit without knowing 100% of the words. Besides the over enunciated words for comedic effect made it really easy to figure out how to write them and look them up. It was perfect timing finding them at the age I did
I think the partial reason as to why Smosh's viewership stayed consistently high for so many years was due to the old videos with only Ian and Anthony which still generated millions of views and are the highest viewed videos on their channel.
@@IanoGaming Cast isn't really the problem. They made video about Ian being stuck on the 2009-12 mentality and everyone was excited to have the golden year charm back, but they realized that calling everyone bitch and gay isn't funny anymore. The video just straight up showed that they do not know themselves what made their style work. The new cast was in before Anthony left and did make a lot of good videos as well, but they have become formulaic and unoriginal now that they are free of management control. They just do not have it anymore, and it is sad but they should just stop and leave while things are great. Which is extra sad for Keith since he needs money more than anything now that he was diagnosed with cancer
@@anomalocaris2593 Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others. They are still doing great and are a lot happier now than they were before.
The fact that Smosh is still alive and chugging along after 16 years is an outstanding accomplishment, I'll always miss the old days of just Ian and Anthony but im glad that they've changed and grown with the years and hope they continue to do what they enjoy doing
@@rhaeasoul8531 At least Anthony is doing way better than Smosh. Smosh, beyond the name, is unrecognizable and I really don't like what it became. I really think it turning into a company was the biggest mistake and Anthony would probably still be on board if it didn't take a turn in that direction.
Wish you would have gone into a lot more detail about how Defy Media became the parent company of Smosh. That’s HUGE. I mean these two guys should have been millionaires, not salaried employees.
oh yeah, wasn't defy media the company that scammed pretty much all of its creators (by not paying them their revenue) and even got some huge companies to invest money that they just ran away with? Also, they never went public, so especially those who bought stocks were screwed over the most.
@@GiligamerMC Exactly. Ian and Anthony really weren’t business men, just funny dudes. They should have hired a lawyer or financial advisor instead of a media company. Defy ran off with millions.
I personally feel like Smosh represented a long cultural moment (early 2000s - mid 2010s) that had already passed even before Anthony left. They were extremely successful - but as soon as the channel genuinely became a company that was willing to adapt in any way necessary to stay relevant, it lost its appeal to me. Smosh used to release content that felt like a legitimate product of Ian and Anthony having fun and screwing around together. Their "voices" were so clear in each video, and that's what made it good. That's what made me love their channel. As soon as the content began to feel like it was being manufactured for the sole purpose of viewership and growth, I disconnected from it. This is just personal reflection and not actual analysis of their channel's statistics, but it was sad watching something that was so special during my childhood and early teenage years morph into an unrecognizable ghost of its former self. It could be totally different for people who started watching closer to 2018 or 2019, since they didn't have the old Smosh to be nostalgic about, but for me it just would never be the same. The only thing Smosh has kept with it to this day is the name.
I feel ya man also this isn't even unique to smosh as it's happened to pretty much all the big name youtubers from the 2000s smosh case just happens to be the most glaring example
@@robiocraft It always is pretty sad to see Ian in the current videos. He feels very out of place and he always seems really sad. He’s lost his enthusiasm and gives off the impression he’d rather be anywhere else. He used to be such a versatile performer who could play any role. Now he’s constantly being wasted in boring straight roles.
Pro Tip: If you’re a growing channel do not listen to any companies and do not sell your channel. Having a corporate in your shoulder means that they will always have the last laugh.
I agree! If I was a solo RUclipsr and a company offered me millions of dollars, I would decline immediately. I would never allow a corporate company to take control of me
I mean... you're missing the point in this video. Although Defy Media handled money horribly and weren't fun on set and were hated by EVERY RUclipsr, they were actually RIGHT. The "big bad" company actually did understand humor better than the people at Smosh today - That's why the views started going gown after Defy left. Have you noticed that in Smosh's videos today, there's more improvising? Clearly, the writers are running out of ideas for humor and are just looking back at Ian and Anthony's videos, thinking that will appease the viewers, but they don't understand that Ian and Anthony didn't rely on improvisation at all - their videos are actually thought out and were written to be funny in a specific way. The way the actors in Smosh improvise today usually makes the video boring and kind of awkward at times. The pro tip YOU should take away today is that.. don't always assume the worst in big companies. Sometimes.. Mother actually knows best. Defy knew humor better than present day Smosh. But yea also dont give away ur channel to a big company thats retarded
I think that the ultimate mistake Smosh made was its Faustian deal with Defy. I'm not saying that Defy was stupid or terrible or that Smosh was always right. But more so because it led Anthony to leave. As someone who grew up watching Smosh, Anthony and Ian are iconic not so much as individuals but a duo. This isn't to say that they are interchangeable but rather that they go together. It just feels...strange to see the two apart. The deal with Defy may have granted it financial security but at the end of the day this deal has been terrible for Smosh. If Anthony didn't split I think that it'd be still going strong today.
I feel the same way. It would be like Rhett and Link breaking up. They are great because of their chemistry as a duo. I think the smosh cast is talented, but original viewers were there for Anthony and Ian.
True. Ian and anthony were what made the smosh people knew and love. They did TOO well together that it went the other way after smosh changed course and anthony left
Anthony makes some very good, interesting content now tho. I don't know if he would be doing that if he were still in Smosh. I'm glad he separated from Smosh and made a name for himself.
I don't really think that if Anthony stayed there would be a difference. The last time they were the most subscribed channel was in 2013 and since then up until 2017 when Anthony left they kept going downhill so people stopped caring about them. Maybe now that they are under a better company they might had a chance with Anthony in it but I highly doubt it. Smosh just stopped doing it for a lot of people unfortunately
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 that’s true. I know sunny said that they gained traction when Anthony left, but that was short lived because I think the reason they got that attention was because Anthony left. They were more free when they weren’t owned by a company, and they could post what they wanted without having to run it through people.
I'm stunned they were doing as well in 2019 as they were. I had no idea they were keeping the channel alive for that many years. Even if it was a "team" effort, they were kicking any other 2008 era RUclipsr's ass by that stage of their career
@@solkvist8668 Defranco is pretty much the only channel I continued to watch throughout the years. His channel seems to have been able to keep almost constant viewership despite it being ancient as it is. Quite impressive actually.
Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others.
Remember Assasin creed 3 video? The “How many mofos can I shoot in the neck,dont get in my way” “I shoot a mofo in the throat with my bow tomahawk is my death blow”
Its important to recognize that most people who grew up with early youtube dont like the new “upload 30+ videos a day with lazy content like “react” “eat something gross” or “play a game” formats that alot of big youtubers use, not just Smosh. We miss the old skits that creators would write that made us laugh and were quotable, we miss waiting for a video to be released in anticipation, and the rewatch ability of the old skits. You can go back and rewatch dolls today and its still funny but new youtube content is so forgettable you dont even remember what you watched 5 minutes after watching it.
This comment brings me memories of “HolaSoyGerman”. For the users of RUclips that speak Spanish he was a BIG part of this platform years ago, and why? Comedy videos with high quality edition (for the time), engaging, and highly anticipated. He used to only post on Friday, so you can imagine the emotion of being with your friends at your home, constantly refreshing the channel and screaming when you saw the new video was uploaded. Now he’s only uploading the “react”/“playing a game for kids” basic type of content on his Juegagerman channel, and it hurts because I feel like I never truly appreciated the time I was living in…when RUclips favored quality over quantity.
so true! ive noticed that younger audiences (including myself) are way more inclined to watch content thats 30+ minutes long even if its uploaded once a week or a couple of times a month. I think this is really apparent in the rise of video essays and livestream uploads :)
On the react point, i think you're off base as react content still reigns supreme, even for me it's just a human quality that people love to see others react to things to see what they think, and that content is more popular than every i'd argue
That's because RUclips's system has them force themselves to make content to the point of almost burning out so they can keep earning revenue. Their golden years was when RUclips still had its Broadcast Yourself tagline.
Most of us loved Smosh at the very start, when it was just Ian and Anthony. It felt lower key, more relatable, and the content made sense at the time. Checking back in after being unsubbed for years, it just didn't feel familiar anymore. A whole crew of people I didn't know and have reason to be interested in, the channel being managed by a company.. I can see why Anthony would leave, it wasn't the Smosh we all knew anymore.
Well it has been awhile…things change…of course it’s not going to feel familiar anymore if you haven’t kept up with the channel. I would watch their older videos if your looking for that nostalgia feel.
I mostly agree, all things change of course, but the diference is that take pewdipie or markiplier for example, if you stopped watching for years and then went back to one of their newer videos it'd be like getting in touch with an old friend, sure some things are different but he still has that personality you always loved, with smosh every time I go back to its channel there are different people in the thumbnails, Its just dificult to go back into, as soon as I got used to some members of the cast they change them up, so all in all its just a channel that I consider hard to go back into
Yeah. Its quite difficult to just go back to Smosh after seeing all these new unfamiliar faces. To me, Smosh was Ian and Anthony. Atleast thats what i grew up with. I know things change and to alleviate pressure they had to hire a casting crew but thats when things started to die out for me. Wasnt the biggest fan of the new members either, felt like they tried too hard. And they also started to drift to this more repetitive and stale content. Just my opinion on the thing.
@@jacobparrekar8721 I get that. To be fair, I don’t really like their main channel, just the pit and games ones. I didn’t really like Smosh when I was younger because it wasn’t my type of humor, but I like the banter and chemistry between the cast now, and that’s what I’m used to when I think of smosh. I totally get how it would be hard to get back into as an old fan because it is extremely different now. Sometimes I wish they would just get rid of the name and change it to something new but I know that the smosh label is apart of their brand. I only got into smosh a couple years ago, so I don’t really get a lot of the comments that say that they miss the old stuff, because that hasn’t left, you can watch it at any time, and if they tried to do that stuff today there is just no way they would pull it off. But maybe they mean newer videos that still have that old smosh vibe….again I wouldn’t know but just brainstorming here😂
The channel is definitely in a new golden era. I mean, their reddit series was one of the top 10 podcasts of 2024. For a channel based on sketch I can consider them a huge success.
I haven’t watched Smosh in years, but I remember being subscribed to them when it was just Ian and Anthony. They were definitely entertaining. I can’t recall when exactly I stopped watching them, but over time it just stopped feeling the same
But that’s what happened here that led to smoshs failure according to this vid. It was when Smosh was allowed to do what they wanted that their viewership went down
I think the reason for the downfall was they already built an audience based on defymedias standards but when they went their own way, their core audience didn't enjoy the new content anymore
yeah, the problem is, their growth wasn't a natural one where they build it by their abilities, but one built by an enterprise trying to make money. Don't get me wrong, doing with lucrative objective is good but when the enterprise broke, the fans that grow with the enterprise content didn't like the new/old ways, it wasn't natural
Ian and Anthony's videos were more interesting and funny than Defy Media's, but the Smosh Squad today is under the illusion that ALL of their videos are better then Defy's when... their videos today are simply inferior. What they need is Anthony to return, especially now that they have more freedom.
@@declanhugors Hmm, Anthony probably doesn't want to return. Or the crew underneath Ian won't want it to happen. >.> Since creative differences do happen after you've been apart for so long.
@@ArmageddonEvil That's probably true, but since according to Anthony's video, he only left because Defy was diverging from what he, Ian, and the rest of his friends wanted to do, I think it would have been best for him to return as soon as Defy Media left, and Smosh would have been saved. Btw, to be honest, Smosh is so old and has gone through so much change that it's kind of... outdated to me now.. kinda sucks to think about it that way cuz I loved Smosh and wish I still could, but nothing gold can stay
hey, someone called K stole your comment edit: its another one of those verified dudes who bought their channel with the "who is (name)" stuff LMAO busted
It's their new found seriousness that killed it. Their old videos weren't as cringy as many here think. They were just 2 guys and maybe some of their friends just playing around in silly costumes, yelling and badly acting. You knew they had fun doing that, it was silly, but it was silly in a way like going out with some of your quirky friends. It was relatable. But since they went kida corporate-y this all had lost its charm, it's not the same thing. There are now way too many actors and writers, who clearly overtly don't like each other. It's like going from watching Pewdiepie just ducking around in his room to Jimmy Fallon laughing at everything his writers prepared for him that night. Just my 2 cents. I liked them very much, learned a bit of english and used to be excited for whatever they made every week. Today, they are just a distant memory.
To me it all just got repetitive, a lack of new content and ideas is not good for viewer retention, and definitely the political heavy handedness at times was just grating, because when someone acts like they are superior or like they have the right answer to everything it is condescending and annoying, because few things in life are so clear cut
Nah, if you watch the try not to laughs thats definitely unscripted. And they are very clearly having a good time, itd be *painful* to watch if they were faking that. And the cast has talked about their personal friendship to each other too and seem to legit know each other. Obviously I'm just an outsider but faking the try not to laugh seems way harder than just actually being funny and making each other laugh.
watch the try not to laughs, it is very much silly costumes and yelling. Some are okay, some are bangers, like "The Chosen." The one with gus johnson/sven johnson is great.
honestly i love his content. i grew out of smosh and when i gave his new channel (at that time) a try, it was amazing. i still watch some of his videos to this day
Darn watching these downfall videos doesn’t just suck, IT HURTS MY FEELINGS. I hate seeing creators that defined RUclips at its prime days/youtubers I grew up watching just fall to smithereens like this. This puts tears in my eye but I’m kinda used to it as ever since your popularmmos downfall video, I figured that the old RUclips that I grew up watching is pretty much over. Edit: please leave a reply on what you guys feel about this situation, that is all I ask of you guys
As much as these videos are entertaining to watch and I'm glad to see just how much work goes into these videos, it really is sad to see RUclipsrs end up in a dark place. Especially with the childhood channels like stampy.
@@RUclipsLover123 because if it wasn't about this stupid crap of this current year of rules where they already forget what made YT Unique. (Not just some backwater of tryhards.
I feel bad for the new cast because most people seem to blame Smosh's downfall on them, when a lot of them, especially Shayne Topp, are extremely talented comedians. I watched them since I was a kid, and I remember already in 2013-2014 people already started hating on Smosh, even before Anthony left, but now in retrospect those videos are liked only because of nostalgia and in retrospect everything is blamed on the new cast.
Shayne, Tommy and Spencer are legitimately funny people who consistently show up and deliver. The rest of the cast are just not objectively funny, which kinda hurts for a comedy channel. It's honestly like they cast people to meet diversity needs, rather than talent needs. Olivia's 'lol i'm sooo awkward and quirky' is just so boring and annoying.
@@michaelberberich207 I agree with the people you mentioned, add to that list Damien and Courtney (sometimes). But see that's the thing, we're talking about improv here. A lot of people here in the comments are calling the new cast unfunny. You have to remember Ian and Anthony weren't good improvisers, they were just great sketch creators. Meanwhile the new cast members, even the ones who aren't as good at improv, perform sketches just as well as Ian and Anthony. That was my point. A lot of the people in the cast are actually very funny, the actual problem is the very poor video ideas and writing on the main channel. That's why there are considerably more views on the secondary channel. If they just changed the direction of the channel to play to the casts' strenght, or form a new channel entirely to outright seperate themselves from the Smosh brand, they could find much more success.
For me, Smosh declined when hiring all the new people. I actually used to watch smosh games with Mari, Lazecorn, Joven and Sohinki, but I had a period where I didn't watch RUclips as much for a while after this, and when I came back all the new members were there, and I just couldn't get into it. They are probably good people! but to me Smosh is Ian and Anthony, and I feel like Smosh wasn't the same.
I used to watch Smosh Games when it was Mari, Lazercorn, Joven, Sohinki and Wesley but ever since I started college and work I didn't have time to watch them anymore. I tried coming back a few times but the new cast is just meh for me. I miss the old squad and the chemistry they had while playing things like GTA *4 or board games.
I thought the same, I then realised while I don't like their new Smosh videos (although rewatching old Smosh I also realised I just grew out it) I do enjoy their try not to laugh.
Aaaand here we are 2024 nearing 2025. Smosh is making comeback! Sure, it might not be as popular as it was in the day, but it's pretty impressive for an old OG channel. Honestly very happy for them! Not many OG Channels from 2010 - 2016 era get this much love years later.
I’ve never watched a Smosh video in my life but it’s crazy to me that you’d say that gaining creative freedom at the cost of high viewership is a failure. If they’re making the exact content that they want to make, and still have enough people watching to support themselves, then that’s a win. It’s like when an artist leaves a record label and goes independent. They might not sell the same number of albums without the backing of a big ass company that knows what it’s doing, but they will be happier knowing that the product they put out is 100% their own, even if less people buy it.
I think what's trying to be said here is that in some cases the management may have understood some aspects of the business better than the creatives and without that structure they don't do well or even collapse.. No offense intended to Steve Wozniak, but he is a good example. Combined with Steve Jobs they were a formidable force. But after they separated Steve Wozniak a brilliant engineer in his own right didn't really get the success that Jobs got. Mainly because in my view Jobs understood the marketing and business side better than Wozniak.. Some people are really good at the business aspects while others are good at the creative stuff, but to be successful as a company you need both to work.
@@jackkraken3888 Let's not pretend Jobs was an unquestioned success, either. He got kicked out of Apple and went to NeXT (which didn't really do anything except get bought by Apple).
@@FawfulDied You forgot to mention how Apple was in terrible shape after Jobs left and yes NeXt wasn't as successful as it should have been but the operating system developed at neXt which was later bought but Apple would go on to what would be OSX. Sure the Apple Lisa was kinda a failure but it's OS was then used in Apple and Jobs helped managed to turn Apple around by streamlining their product base. I don't even like Jobs's behaviour to be honest but he got shit done and it worked! Microsoft had just as much money and heck they made alliances to come up with tablet computers but ultimately their idea failed partly as the technology wasn't really there yet but also because they wanted to shove a desktop GUI into a mobile device and while it worked for a while I think it became clear a better path was needed.
The way Shayne and Ian interacted in "Ian Interviews his Ex's" summed it up perfectly. "Making giggles for 8 year olds", Ian averting his gaze, and the Defy CEO caricature that Shayne played all made you understand how Smosh felt, once you analyze it Defy was trying to push Smosh as a thing for young children, so it inevitably felt forced to the fans who grew up earlier. It also felt not fun for anybody working because they were forced to do shows or series or sketches that wasn't fun to them. I like the current smosh since they seem to have fun with it all, compared to when they *had* to act, back in say 2015-2017 for a skit to come across as funny. They may not have the views as they once did back in DEFY or the crude humor of Ian+Anthony days, but they seem to genuinely be having fun now.
Not to mention, on Smosh 2nd/Pit they were CONSTANTLY trying to push new shows like Put It In my Mouth, or Show w/ No Name, or The Damien & Shayne Show, or Squad Vlogs or Seriously Super Stupid Sleepover, among other shows. DEFY was forcing them to do this, and DEFY was doing it for marketing and appeal, while the cast had no choice but to comply And when it came to games, it was less as much as games just required something to be played, but even that had shows that were being forced, with the main one that came from the crew/cast itself, Matt, which was very successful. But to add on, the Games and Main channel casts were very much split apart, which showed how it was more personality based. Which isn't bad in itself, but it becomes clear when you step back and look at it. But now that DEFY is gone and the Origin's edgy humor is gone, the channel is met with either "You fell off" or "I miss the old smosh", despite the cast and crew seeming to have the most fun they've had since the beginning of Smosh. If you notice, the shows they're continuing are the ones where they can be themselves and have the most fun, such as Board AF, What Are Those, Bepardy, TNTL, etc.
@@EliasMorals I love the current smosh, the fun they have is infectious. It sucks that they get those "I miss Anthony" or "I miss the old Smosh" comments STILL, but it is what it is. They've changed, and as someone who also watched the old Smosh, I'm ok with it. I love the cast so I be chilling.
I happened to watch their interviews and that one podcast episode they had with MatPat and it pretty much sums up everything. I also heard Anthony's side of the story for leaving Smosh and there's only one thing to blame and it's that company. I dunno maybe people will have other opinions if they knew what happened behind the cameras. And the mental gymnastics all big ytubers have to face with every decisions ytube makes in general. And tbh, the current Smosh is still enjoyable. I dunno, maybe it's the bias that some people have during the earlier times of the channel (I only discovered them 2017, I guess?) I just appreciate how Ian tried to salvage so hard what he can during those times and it's a pretty good thing that Rhett and Link saved them, lest they survived. Got me thinking if that's the reason why Ian is such a downer now but it's part of his charm for me. Lol. To say they fail is a reach. They're thriving even today so it's nothing but a success story. And now, they're not part of a shitty company like DEFY.
The reason behind growth in views after Anthony left is probably because all the OG fans like myself started watching old videos over and over again for memories, it was addictive
Give 'em a break. They were there when RUclips started, and that was like 17 years ago. More than anything, Smosh is dying of old age. It has ran its course. Everything must end once, and Smosh decided go quietly into the night, instead of going out with a bang.
Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others.
They didn't kill their channel, it's just that the older fans just miss the simplicity of older RUclips and dislike the more modern version of Smosh. I also think that -98% comes from the fact that they used to be one of the few channels on RUclips back in the day, and since RUclips gained more users and channels people had more options.
Idk todays smosh feels more like buzzfeed now to me I mean some of the people are funny it just feels like a sellout to get in with the new age youtube watchers for money not for the actual love
Same. I grew with the older Smosh videos of the late 2000s and early 2010s. I stopped watching Smosh as the mid 2010s rolled around and became a college student. I've stopped keeping up with this videos and haven't watched them since.
No, they definitely killed it when they brought in other people that nobody wanted. I know Ian and Anthony, but I will never give af about the current cast, whose names I will literally never know. Ray William Johnson killed his channel the same way
What I miss from Smosh is that I know Smosh since I was in highschool (around 2011) as two best friends making content. Since they have too many cast, their friendships is buried behind the casts and topics that are not "Smosh" anymore. I started stop watching Smosh even before Anthony left because their friendship is not shown in their videos
Same here I got into their content in 2012 through their games channel during the slenderman craze and was hooked on seeing more of their content up until around early 2016 that was when I started losing interest
Same. I grew with the older Smosh videos of the late 2000s and early 2010s. I stopped watching Smosh as the mid 2010s rolled around and became a college student. I've stopped keeping up with this videos and haven't watched them since.
Agree. That is why I loved their content in their 2nd channel more because it is just then hanging out. Lunch and mail time with smosh was my jam back then.
I genuinely feel sorry for Anthony and cannot blame him for leaving. The fact they went corporate fucked over the lads, and hard at that. Defy Media *DESTROYED* Smosh and it's fucking devistating! Sure they were restrictive with reasons, but the fact that they choked them out and gave them the middle finger after being shut down is just cruel on their part The channel ran it's course and failed to adapt yes, but they got fucked during the end due to Defy Media.
@@mflb94 Well yeah sure it might've been dumb to sell the channel in stock, however they were expecting the company to go public, which like Anthony stated never did. Also they didn't really have a representative that could've helped them with this matter, at least from what I remember.
They were fools for selling. And even bigger fools for selling for worthless stock. They should have seen this coming. Don’t trust anything a company says unless it is written and signed with your legal team
Why it failed is typically what happens with all creatives, they have so much fun and success doing their craft on their own but they feel that its not enough, then they end up signing with a bigger company/label and things go fine at the start, and then you soon realize that this shit just aint hittin the same anymore . Thats why I'd rather just do this shit on my own. Whether I succeed or fail, it was on me. I didnt let anyone hold me back 💯
What killed smosh was more or less the fact that its one of the oldest groups on youtube, it was originally just 2 wholesome geeky boys having fun with a camera. Then the label came in and brought in a "Diverse" cast of nobodies/Faces and now that over 10 years has past those geeky boys who are no longer highschool kids have grown up and a lot of the comedy they made was just kind of cringe to watch now. when your young cringe content can be considered cute but when you get older its no longer considered as cute. It also didn't help that the entirety of youtube was rapidly changing from 2009-2020 the content people want changes a lot over time and they just were not what people really wanted anymore.
is that why you do reaction videos? and make bad music that doesnt even hit the ground so it never gains traction? how many reaction videos do you need that you recorded all in the same day, zero editing, zero character, just stare at the screen and wait, then add a few words and upload it. 290k subs 3k views a video, oof man. maybe you should sign with some big company to take over your channel, maybe it wont look like you bought subs then
let it be known. any time a big media company comes to “own” a creatives channel and planned to fire them-it always backfires in the long run. im glad anthony is doing much better without them.
Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others. They are still doing great and are a lot happier now than they were before.
Who else can see the look of sadness in Ian's eyes in all of the videos post-anthony? Honestly you're doing great as the leader of Smosh Ian, it's not easy but you're doing great you and everyone
agree. their try not to laugh and a small amount of other videos are still a watch for me. im just older an have other interests that take up more of my time
couple of years ago i was really into their board game series as well. they have talented comedians and actors on their team, they just have much more misses than hits when it comes to utilizing them.
@@brit2667 I agree. It feels as if the channel now should be called “Shayne, Courtney And Everyone Else”. Most of the cast is very poorly utilized. Ian just feels sort of there in the videos nowadays. Shayne and Courtney have taken over the channel it feels like.
As someone who really enjoys Smosh (mainly their second channel Smosh Pit) and have been subscribed to them nearly a decade on their 3 main channels (Smosh, Smosh Pit, and Smosh Games), I really don't think you can miss that the quality of content now is much higher than it was with Defy. However, I think many people in the comments have hit the mark that sometimes, the best videos are when the Smosh "Squad" (Ian, Shayne, Courtney, Olivia, Keith, Noah + other newer members) are doing dumb stuff together like the old days. Their "Try Not to Laugh" Series is great, and I'd say a majority of the audience has warmed up to all the new cast members. In terms of their decline, since they are such a large company, you can't ignore the huge impact COVID had on their video production/quality. Smosh Games pretty much went AWOL for a few months, Smosh Pit was held primarily over Zoom, and I didn't even watch the main channel. I consider Smosh to be one of RUclips's most successful channels, even today. Their ability to navigate these changes and all of RUclips's various algorithms, is simply impressive. While it might not be for everyone and it certainly is different without Anthony even to this day, it is great and enjoyable still to so many people. Thanks for the video!
EXACTLYYY their content is still great and some skits on their main channel are actually pretty funny, it's just most people grew out of Ian and Anthony's content and a new crowd enjoys the new content that's it
This is a great summation of what it actually is. Their content isn't for everyone for sure, and that means losing old viewers. But there's also potential to gain new viewers, and i think their content is actually evolving with the times and not just sitting on old crusty potentially hateful stuff from before.
I had forgotten about food war until you mentioned it, the new equivalent for me now is flashgitz and their console wars series, amazing stuff I look forward to just the same
I’ll be honest- Smosh will always just be Anthony and Ian to me. Smosh games will always be just Anthony, Ian, Lazercorn, Mari, Joven, Sokinki (I remember how spell it) and Flitz. The new cast seems so forced (except maybe two people) and it just not fun anymore. Anthony was my favorite and having him leave was respectable, but left me feeling sad. I knew it would never be the same again. I don’t know if it’s just me feeling nostalgic but it’s not reacting to Fnaf1, disturbing fanfiction reading, weird implications of are they gonna kiss or not, baby smosh, or food battles anymore. I’m happy for Anthony as he seems to have moved on to more better and greater opportunities. I’m happy for Ian to do what he loves regardless of what anyone else says. But the channel name may remain as “Smosh” but it will never be the “Shut Up” SMOSH that I grew up with. “Smosh” is the name for Anthony and Ian and that’s it.
Yes!! It’s sad cause I used to watch them a lot back in middle and high school but then it just wasn’t the same anymore, I haven’t watched them in years and never cared to watch the new ones
Smosh is what I first watched when I discovered youtube for the first time cause my friend showed me food battle. Smosh gave me a lot of comfort over the years with how much I can rely on it to be what makes me think of youtube. However, that being said. Current Smosh is something I actually really like as well. It has grown and evolved into smth more of a brand for a lot of aspiring actors in LA who dont seem to get the big break they thought of and settled for more of a chill channel to just dick around. And honestly thats also enjoyable. Maybe you think its forced cause a lot of the people they hire arent all gamers, or comedians, or actors and theyre forced into all 3 and they dont know how to act around it. But I honestly think it adds to the charm. Theyre all just normal people with different types of comedy just looking to make each other laugh. As much as the old Smosh gives me nostalgia. I wont miss the outdated sex jokes or just shock value humor they produced. Now theyre more self aware of what they were and just poking fun at themselevs and just making the Smosh main channel more for improv skits. I think this obsession over the juggernaut of the OG Smosh brand is just too big shoes to fill for the current Smosh. Theyre very self aware with the fact that they'll never get most of their OG audience back and just made peace with making new ones and they honestly do have a good and healthy cult following. Theyre kinda like what you think "ideal success" and "personal success" are. Ideal success is Smosh at its peak being a brand obsessed with living up to reaching a wide audience. Meanwhile personal success is the current Smosh aiming for a demographic of people who just like the chill stuff. Idk thats just my opinion as someone whos been a fan since 2011 and was 11 at the time. Now as a 22 year old, I can relate to current Smosh being more of a mellow version of the 11 year old who wanted to try to prove smth to everyone. Idk thats just me tho.
A lot of the og youtubers had lost popularity over the years, the only og youtuber i could think of that is still active with 10s of millions of views a video is ray william johnson
Truly sad what happened to them but I feel bad for the new cast, their just trying to blend in with the original “crew” and people are hating on them because they think it’s their fault on the channel death
Honestly they’re really likeable and funny. If they weren’t tied to the Smosh name I’m sure everyone would love them. But at the end of the day in everyone’s eyes they’re just the “people who ruined Smosh”
Smosh definitely isn't what it was, but it was also a totally different era. That said, I'm quite enjoying what they're making today since Rhett & Link acquired them, even if it's not really Smosh it's still a good channel.
No, it's shit. Sorry but I have to be brutally honest here. The original channel wasn't that great in retrospective but the shit they churn out now is total dogshit
@@clouds-rb9xt nobody watches smosh, the real fans watch smosh pit and smosh games. The current cast is pretty great, but people just don't give them a chance
@@WillHellmm true I'd argue that their humour now is more relaxed and funny compared to before. Seriously I can't really get their 2012 humour and people who won't give the new smosh a chance just hasn't gotten over their 2012 phase and are just talking from nostalgia
These dudes were one of many people that introduced me to RUclips. I still remember their Zelda rap, many of their what if video games/TV shows were irl, the Assassin Creed rap and the yearly food fight. Makes me sad that now to me everytime I see them I'm just like, "oh yeah they exist ig."
Honestly, I think Smosh had a mini golden period with the second channel. While the OG channel was stagnating under defy, the second channel had shows like Try not to laugh and show with no name that really allowed the news cast especially to show off that they’re actually funny as hell and develop their online personas. The viewership numbers reflected that too as these new shows started getting more views than the OG Smosh channel
i completely agree, i feel like the second channel allowed people to actually get to know and connect with their cast members, brought in more viewers, and created a more fun and free space to make those videos. the sketches obviously were what brought smosh up and are their brand but it's good to see both
Oh yea I remember the time I never watched a main channel video yet watched every Mailtime and Lunchtime with Smosh and other random videos on 2nd channel.
@@proverandom I was talking about after that era once the new (they’re not really new anymore) cast came around. Still, we should never forget about lunchtime with Smosh and Ian is board. Those shows were goated. But the era after that also had great content and was really got people to like the new Smosh crew. I think the channel grew a shit ton in that period too.
@@murphyc15 I agree. It’s hard to do sketch comedy. That’s why very few on RUclips do it anymore and even fewer do it well. It’s easier to just be yourself. Show everyone why they chose you to be in these pre written sketches
Finally now they bought the company and the cast is such amazing, with people like amanda, angela, chance, tommy, arasha it is pretty exciting amazing and they are so creative, the work place seems pretty healthy
@@ananasta5 i always knew of smosh but never really liked it that much, but i do like anthony's channel now so i think of him as an individual before i think of smosh. for me it's easy to forget that's where he's from so maybe op meant something like that too :)
I was never a fan or anything but I remember watching all their theme song videos back in the 2ks and seeing them always be at the top of youtube - and yet it seems these guys never cashed in on it like other creators did. I was surprised to learn they sold their channel for nothing? Like, why? Mr Beast makes the GDP of Europe every month, people I don't even recognize make millions and millions and millions, yet Smosh topped youtube for a decade and they never cashed in at all? Bizarre.
I went to school with the guys from Smosh and it blew my mind what they were able to accomplish especially when RUclips/social media was so new. Also, Anthony was super quiet in class and his hair was always beautiful back then too. Legends. Also, I should add- even at school not too many people were aware of what they were doing and the impact it would have. Truly legends.
"Not being as dominant as back in 2006 when there was a tenth the level of competition on RUclips" =/= "Killing the channel." Having 24 million subscribers and over 8 billion total views is the kind of "failure" most channels would kill for.
Didn't one of the main guys say he got totally fucked and got paid nothing for the company lmao Seems like the entire thing was a massive failure monetarily.
*Smosh went from being two guys having fun to another mediocre corporate channel, the ones that dominate RUclips today.* They became a business themselves.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I don't think it "failed" it's just a really old channel that's run it's course. If anything, it was a massive success
Every video he does there's like a thousand comments like this, he does it on purpose to get more comments and help the algorithm. Man's a genius
Hey
It didn't run its course
It was killed by defymedia.
Look up Anthony's commentary on how they sold the channel for 0$ expecting defymedia to go public.
It never did so their shares were worthless and the channel was in ruins
@@johnmillay6790 Glad he didnt buy his channel though
facts Mr. Bandy
Honestly if a channel lasts more than 5 years on RUclips with consistent or at least reasonable growth and success, it doesn't matter how it crashes and burns. 5 years is insane.
imagine yhe amount of money they had from ads and sponsorships..
DANTDM WOOHOO LESS GOO He's still relevant even to this day!
Hi vars love your content Especially VARS2
Yes because getting saved by Rhett and Link from GMM wasn't considered the end of Smosh's success.
Although they're still doing well, it doesn't mean they're successful, they're barely half the views of the original Smosh, the only reason it's still going is because the OG Smosh is still likely the backbone to it, etc the old videos likely still massing views.
Current Smosh isn't successful, it's sustaining.
So Sunny's video is accurate.
Arguably the 2nd most successful channel of all time
I worked as an assistant editor at SMOSH for a little over a year. They were the coolest bunch of people from Ian and Anthony to the crew and cast. I learned a lot from them and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I'm very happy they were so successful for so long.
I've only watched one Smosh video. They went trick or treating as red ranger. It's hilarious I'm gonna look it up.
They do seem like genuinely good guys which is probably why they got taken advantage. Seriously, they needed a lawyer and financial advisor to look over those documents. They should've known that the stock would be useless if they didnt go public and why the hell would youtubers getting 100million views consistently want a salary? They had a 5 year track record with stable views.
@@rayzala1393 I never knew anything about their financial stuff. I would show up early, get on the computer in a room in their house. Then we would all work all day. They would bring me memory cards from the camera crew and I would get the episodes edited up by the end of the day. Whenever I would leave those guys were still working. Writing more episodes. They were on top of their stuff, and extremely enjoyable to be around. Not just Ian and Anthony but every member of the crew at the time I was there was awesome.
@@Latencylounge Cool to hear your experience. I watched them way back in the day in 2008-2011 and loved their videos. Glad to hear they deserved the success they got.
honestly, smosh is still a success. their TNTL videos get so many views. sure, theyre not at their peak, but its not "dead". there are channels that are just as old that get less than 1000 views. *THOSE* are dead lol
... and here we are today! Congratulations to both of them for buying back the company! ❤
Both of them together are what made it, fingers crossed
Thanks to Rhett and Link too, for keeping the channel safe
I'm the 69th like
@@r4iden_ Nice 😎
Yeuuhhhhh, cheering them on and hoping for the best.
Ian is seriously not given enough credit with how he stayed on what appear to be at the time a sinking ship.
It wasn't necessarily like he had anything to fall back on. Anthony took the plunge and shot out on his own because he had plenty of ideas for shows that he was never allowed to do. Despite how their characters are portrayed, Ian has always been the more grounded and level headed one, meaning he was aware that if he couldn't save smosh that was probably it for him.
Its illegal for a captain to jump off his sinking ship
Ian really was the captain of Smosh, even in the early days
I’m honestly surprised he didn’t leave
@@pokeyball great comment
This seems pretty thorough based on the videos you watched, but did you reach out to any past employees? This seems pretty surface level. I see lots of videos like this, but no one ever taps into the core of the problem. RUclips. Algorithm 's change amd content doesn't. Artists move on. And fans grow up.
Friends went on for 10 years. When it ended, did it fail? No. Channels can't last forever either. Just a thought.
Oh hey
Not on topic so i apologize, but i still watch most of smosh videos but man.. sometimes i really miss you Joven, you were my favorite in smosh games cast (also i know about your channel so missing you is kinda stupid but i'm sorry for not following it, most of it's content just isn't my type of videos)
Wait so is it thorough or is it surface level?
A word from someone formerly at Smosh. I did grow up I suppose, but I always will love the older videos pre-Anthony leaving
I remember you from smosh games
This is in a lot of ways like "the day the music died", but for the internet.
This is when large corporate brands started really taking the Internet seriously and taking content as a way to advertise. It took the soul out of it.
Everything has become so PC and professional these days. Not to say we need "edgy" content, but I miss when people could make the content they want and make jokes without the fear of being cancelled and losing ad revenue.
@@knotty4700 I used to be a RUclips Partner around 10 years ago, you could pretty much get away with saying anything and nobody cared. It's hard to believe how things are now.
The 2016-17 adpocalpyse pretty much killed innovation
Same goes for AAA games
so true!
It’s interesting what Anthony has done since and made himself something completely seperate from Smosh and that was incredible
Having a cool gf and wearing a Jacket?
Yea before this video I didn't even know Anthony Padilla was part of Smosh but I knew who he was
@@OneOfTheLoveless no the interviewing stuff and promoting mental health it’s been an amazing thing for him and his fans
Anthony grew up, smosh did not ... there will always will always be newer generations of immature audience for smosh to feed on despite its content becoming stale, like how Spongebob still has an audience despite none of the later seasons being nowhere near the quality the first 4 seasons ...
Its great how Anthony decided to make meaningful thoughtful contents rather than continue to chase after kid viewerships ..
Incredibly gay.
Rhett and Link were absolute legends for buying Smosh even tho it wasn’t the best investment choice by a long shot
They have enough money where they didn't care I assume
but still that's like much of an investment just for keeping the name around :PP
When did they do that?
@@skull_killa_3606 did you even watch the vid? lol.
@@ctrlless9672 I literally just saw it saw it, I just saw this as the first comment
Any channel whose primary audience is largely kids and teens will inevitably "fail" (die) or at the very least change considerably. That's how Anthony Padilla is still a great content creator, by changing his channel to something entirely different from Smosh, and how PewDiePie remained relevant by focusing on content that appeals to young adults as well as teens.
They need to grow with their audience.
@@Anonymous38572 because next gen have different taste?
@@inmuyataz My guess is that next gen is more interested in short 5-10sec videos. You all know which platform i'm talking about
@@inmuyataz that has been debunked. My generation watched SpongeBob, the next generation does as well. The only difference is they pump out new liberal focused shows to change the minds of the next generation for the voting poll.
@@Anonymous38572 ah i see my comment deemed offensive so it gets Deleted. I'll write it short then
No it's not, you can't say that to everyone. In my country most kids would rather watch streamer or tiktok than cartoon
i feel we can break it down in 3 reasons.
1. We all grew up
2. They tried too hard
3. Nothing lasts forever
If you look at their most popular videos, you will find that most of them are old videos. I think it all has to do with smosh becoming a corporation. Ian and Anthony has no control over it anymore. Even though Ian is still present, he's just a crew member. This is fricking sad!
Honestly I don't care about growing up, because even to this day if Smosh had just stayed as two friends making stupid videos to make people laugh, I'd still love them.
Yep
It also feels like they’ve replaced the cast with new “talent” when in the past everyone felt more like friends and less forced. It felt genuine but since those people have left everything just feels off like something is missing
i don't think the we grew up is a valid argument due that Anthony kepps the same and still is growing and stable, even with SussieYT interview, like dude, she is poison for channels
Who’s here after Anthony and Ian are now owning Smosh back together
me
@@joesgamingstudio it would be nice or you cannot say anything at all a simple like me would help. Also, you don’t know some people like the new Smosh better than the old one probably only one person
Dreams come true
No more try not to laughs or every ___ ever, back to classic Ian and Anthony nonsense!
@@nervous_wreck8726no, we’ll still have try not to laugh. Anthony took part in his first one since leaving the channel
I don’t think it “failed” I just think we “grew” up. I remember being really into Ian & Anthony’s videos like 10+ years ago when I was back in middle school. They had a good almost 10 year run. All good things come to a close, so enjoy everything as it happens & take nothing for granted.
Exactly! I hate when people make these types of videos with said titles. how can you say they failed when they were a massive hit for a good chunk of a lot of peoples childhood.. I agree with you, we just grew up. And that’s okay.
@@superultragiggachigga But when you think about it there was no reason why their content couldn't also change to fit the changing times and the age of their audience, if they made what they liked, I think they stuck too tightly to format and that has bit them in the ass massively, because they are still making content for versions of people who are several years older and changed by simply being alive and going to through life.
They never really experimented with making new things anymore and it all was a formula.
@@ilo3456 when you say that I agree. I think with that said good things fizzle out, but great things know how to adapt like you said. Remembering now they definitely had a formula that just didn’t change when their audience did. I do agree they could have adapted. I guess being a fan back then I just can’t see them doing anything but that ya know. Partly I think that’s why they probably stuck to that formula. It’s what they knew would work and experimenting when your that big is a challenge for sure.
@@superultragiggachigga It is definitely a challenge but in any market where you are making things for people you need to change and adapt as people change and age, because nothing can stay the same forever.
I grew up watching SMOSH but I grew out of it because they content no longer matched who I was and what I was interested in, it lacked the maturity I wanted, nowadays I generally watch a lot of video essays about anything really where someone spends multiple hours talking about something like why is a character good or why something failed.
I've become more interested in more dry topics than when I was in my teens and that isn't bad but SMOSH never changed to have any content that was mature enough to be worth my time, and they never really managed to get the audience of new young people who could have sustained because their content was aimed at an older viewer base which was no longer as interested in the immature content they were making.
Basically they made very niche content now, mainly popular with those who either never matured or who wanted a bit of nostalgia in their lives.
Even if we grew up, as successful as they were they should have been able to replace their viewers with new younger viewers
The evolution of Smosh pretty much coincides with the evolution of RUclips perfectly. From two friends just making random stuff and having a blast, to a soulless corporation that lost its way. Sad to see.
Well said. As someone who has been using RUclips since 2006, it's honestly mind-boggling to see what it has become.
Could you say we're in an introspective crossroads?
Money changes everything. But at least some content creators haven’t fully changed.
Money, Advertisements, Algorithm… fucking hate YT now
Thats what happens when youtube literally replaced the tv in most households.
I feel that all everyone wanted to see was Anthony and Ian's creative home made content. Once they formed a corporation style and utilized industrial production methods, it no longer felt like two friends doing their best to make funny content or more like trying too hard to make polished films. With that it felt like it lost their connection to the audience. It was fun seeing them as just two friends messing around
Exactly. That's why I left Smosh the moment Anthony left.
@@darthestar8791 anthony and ian where the funny 1 the creative 1 now smosh is Iike a thousand other channeI that do the same what is trending and kid humor IeveI its sad i remember how funny there things where food battIe
That was pretty much where I left as well, I had a slight hope while Anthony was still there, but as soon a she left I knew it was over. At least we have the memories of what it used to be
exactly
While I wasn't super into smosh, I have watched them here and there. I feel that is exactly the issue with a lot of channels, especially older ones from early RUclips. It ultimately becomes a corporate job. It is no longer some friends making fun videos. It's a fulltime job to pay the bills and full production teams and merchandise. Good for everyone that it works out for, but it does lose its original charm.
look at them now... they've seriously come a longgg way! A new era of smosh has been born! Love it more than ever
I’m pretty sure there are two other things to address:
1. Their general audience back in “Old RUclips” grew up. It’s the same way for how some people “grew out” of things they did as kids.
2. The growth of RUclips as a whole. Other channels and the explosion of the creator sphere leads the diversifying and dividing the audience’s watch time of other content.
Idk man, if they make videos like their 2013ish videos, id still watch em.
corporations....
no way man, you don't grow out of smosh, I haven't, and the public opinion lines up with mine, smosh is timeless. We loved smosh and I'm proud to say that gmm owns smosh but as much as it hurts me, the "smosh" we have today is a fake, its a farse. We need the old smosh back.
Yeah, I agree. I watched Smosh a lot in 2010-2013-ish as a teen, but eventually mainly stuck around for Smosh Games as the sketches lost their novelty for me. I started watching other gaming youtubers around 2013 and only came back to Smosh when the Try Guys collaborated with them for a Try Not To Laugh video. I enjoyed that and am stuck ever since, but the sketches they still do I hardly care about. But damn, the shit they were doing when I quit the smosh main channel was just really childish and more of the same. I grew up while Smosh didn’t, basically.
I think Tomey said it best: "If you are good at one thing, they will make you do it over and over again until you are bad at it."
Everything has to fade in popularity at some point, especially on RUclips. The fact that Smosh retained it's popularity as long as it did is very impressive, most really popular channels only ride that high for a couple of years.
Unless you're Ray William Johnson, who is more popular than ever lol
@@Mrchasez He did die for some time tho but he found a thing that works again
@@Mrchasez @MrHappy What about Pewdiepie?
@@gerechtsdeurwaarderpeter6311 yeah, Pewdiepie seems consistent as always.
@@gerechtsdeurwaarderpeter6311
@FishyFinThing
There's more than 50million youtubers out there, with only 29k+ with a 1M+ subscriber count which is less than .1% of total youtubers, and only 2 'solo' youtubers taking the top 10: Pewdiepie and Justin Bieber, both with consistent 1M+ average viewers per video this month.
Literally only 2 people in 50M have and is still are consistently retained popularity in over 5 years are left, not even calculating the channels that have come and gone including Smosh, so Pewds and Bieber's popularity is simply extremely impressive.
For me, it was a matter of growing up. I matured and so did Anthony and his content, for example. He started making educational content and most of his videos are about topics I know little about and am curious to hear more of. I feel like Smosh's content has remained largely the same for the past decade or so, and I just grew out of it over time.
@@reyy9220 There is SO much more competition now. The original fans grew up and the potential new fans have thousands of other options now. Nothing lasts forever, especially on RUclips.
@@HEARTS-OF-SPACE true
Like his iconic "two bros chillin in the hot tub five feet apart cuz they're not gay"
@Wind Rose oh yeah ur right actually
@Keshuel it's still sketches, sketches do not favor the RUclips algorithm nowadays.
Except there are better ones than smosh. Viva La Dirt League and Ryan George has WAAAAY better sketches than of Smosh now.
Now that Anthony is back and they have full ownership, there should be quite a massive spike in viewership. If they can produce that high quality content again.
Currently, most videos of Smosh after Anthony returned basically spiked in viewership, and some boomed into the millions already, so it's a pretty good sign that they can produce high quality content.
@@gianrazon2639let's keep it going
Anthony's first video back literally opens with the spray-paint logo and "SHUT UP!", so that's already a sign it's high quality.
almost a month later and their videos are still hitting trending
@@flashdawnxtheyre still doing ok. Prob just enough. Hate to say it but their style of “comedy skits” is kinda outdated and it seems like theyre relying too hard on nostalgia bait
I'm really glad Anthony left Smosh. I love what he's done with his own channel. It took a while for him to find his own niche, but his interviews are super interesting. I'm happy with the direction he's taken his channel
I honestly kinda wish Ian left too honestly. Even if him and Anthony didn't join forces I would've liked to see him go on his own. Him joining Anthony would've been even better
@@onigiri2032 yes!
Except when the interviews are with someone i disagree with (time travellers, non-binaries, otherkin and.kleptomaniacs to name a few), because if it is, i'm gonna dislike the video and leave a hateful comment, then click another video that i agree with
@@Lrizu why do you disagree with kleptomaniacs?
@@蓬头垢面-n2c don't...
Steal?
Smosh isn’t a failure, it just died of old age.
Everything ends, eventually.
Except everything
Just like you? :0
But not doom, doom is eternal
Gay
@@yourcreepyuncle6260 I'm gay for you.
Man I grew up with Smosh, the 2008-2013 era was my favorite, everything after felt too forced. It didn't feel like two best friends making funny skits but rather like a full out company and forced video ideas. Same with College Humor. It's hard to explain but I guess in the layman's terms, the simplicity of both those channels is what made them so entertaining.
Smosh will forever be as one of my favorite channels on RUclips, but I'd be lying if I said that I like the new change.
Lets not leave out Epic Meal Time from this once holy trinity!
Agreed. I started watching a bit later in 2010-2013, but me and my friends watched all their stuff too. We even did a group project based on the video where they get “stranded” on the island hahaha
truth hurts 😢
Agree!! I remember watching them in primary school, it was so much fun back then.
Corporate descending from the original idea to a money sucking company like Disney.
After six years, classic Smosh returns with just Ian, Anthony and Ian's Mom ofcourse. I've been their loyal fan since 2013 (10 years) and never unsubscribed to them despite all the odds hoping it might return again and their return was quite a coincidence on my behalf.
Well your a lucky mf
Ian's mom its the true veteran of Smosh.
She appeared in classic Smosh and the present Smosh
Once you have 39 people helping you make YT videos, it's no longer a good hustle.
hello primm’s big fan
Primm your an All Star!
Yeah smosh really was a Sad hood RUclips channel huh?
What about mr beast?
🙌 Buzzfeed 🙌
Mark my words there will be a an Ian and Anthony surprise come back special. Where they post together. Nostalgia will get you all the time
Hope
I remember when nostalgia killed franchises...
Ghostbusters, star wars, star trek...
hi
first
@@wesss9353 Smosh is nothing like any of those lmao. Smosh is literally just a bunch of random skits.
@@paxlux5288 nostalgia... Look it up...
I thought smosh was awesome when I was a teenager. I watched something from them recently and it was a cringefest. Maybe their viewers just grew up. Amazing video my man!
There was this creative spark, a magical thing they had in it’s golden years, I don’t know how to describe it... but remember the assassin’s creed song? I still even remember the lyrics, “Tomahawk Chop is My Deathblow, How many fools can I kill today, too many to count don’t get in my wayyy...”
Just watch their earlier vids to the recent ones. I mean, it’s charming.. but it doesn’t have the same feel.
I think there were many factors.
The old videos were somewhat different from their current content.
I unsubscribed when things got political.
@@SergioLeonardoCornejo when did Smosh get political?
Watch their old stuff its cringefest by today's standard. You've outgrown it and their new content does not cater to your taste, doesn't mean it's bad.
That's exactly what happened. A lot of video game channels are going through this too. The crowd simply got old, not interested in that video game anymore, don't play, some people taste in comedy changes, a lot of things I liked as a kid simply isn't funny to me anymore. Sad what happens
And now we have the platinum era of smosh
Smosh was at its peak when it was just two guys making low budget videos with whatever props they had or could afford and with occasional guests like Ian’s mom, Peter, teleporting fat guy, etc.
true
yeaaa i feel like i stopped liking their videos when they started hiring more and more people and it felt really forced
Exactly this. Once it got a bigger budget and made half scale subways and gamestops for their videos it just didn’t click with me and the writing was just bland and safe.
yes they should have stayed two dudes making low budget videos forever. that's definitely not missing the entire point of the video, that the brand hasn't grown and has in fact stagnated.
And Robbie the magical tape worm.
My biggest problem is that Smosh was no longer 2 friends, it was a brand.
They had an office, a whole crew, etc.
2 bros not chilling in a hot tub, because both of them have now become adults :/ over 5 feet apart because they got to work
Yeah how dare they grow and get employees.
@@uy9572 well thats what made their downfall
I mean look at pewds,mark etc they still survive by themselves
Uy Well look at how well this “growth” turned out for their channel then. The crew isn’t the main problem, but the growth is ironically, a contributing factor to the downfall of the channel, with similar content creators having faced the same decline for this reason. Fact is that when the channel was a passion project started by two friends, for one thing a lot more passion was involved as the videos were borne (mostly) out of interest. However with an expanding crew and office, it ultimately shifts away from the nature of the channel and becomes more “corporate”. Stuff that never mattered becomes priority, such as paycheques, management, sponsorship, internal politics: These lead to ultimately requiring more brand sponsorships to sustain the former: Over reliance on brand sponsorship would then at the same time, affect the channel content as content would have to be somewhat catered to the branding image of sponsors and any purchase acquisitions of the smosh brand name
Three factors killed Smosh: Going corporate was the first, adding too many cast members was the second, and Anthony leaving was the nail in the coffin.
Yep when it stopped being ian and anthony i unsubbed asap. I just didnt care about the other people
agreed
Really? Because a lot of those other cast members are funny
@@jacksondaniels4292 Agreed. It pains me to say it but now Shayne and Damien are the ones that i tune in for.
@@jacksondaniels4292 no
Damn, Smosh even riffed in you in a video. They are a powerhouse.
Context?
@@josuegarro5437 in the MY DEAD FRIEND video they said that sunny searches for stuff that matches his biases and passes it off as journalism
Smosh never failed. RUclips grew and the content, unfortunately, lost its charm. The nostalgia really hits back to me.
Exactly
That’s what im saying people grew up
I man Smosh never failed anyway
Anthony and Ian were a part of my childhood and seeing Smosh's downfall and Anthony leaving is very sad, but I am happy Anthony has made his own RUclips channel.
I never wanted to accept the fact that Ian and Anthony were no longer making videos with each other
Same. And those interviews he does to shine a light on lesser known groups? I love it. Especially the ADHD one. There's too many misconceptions of ADHD, and that interview really shows the truth about it.
Ian and Anthony's videos were more interesting and funny than Defy Media's, but the Smosh Squad today is under the illusion that ALL of their videos are better then Defy's when... their videos today are simply inferior. What they need is Anthony to return, especially now that they have more freedom.
@@ilovexu how do you feel now
Here after the roast in smosh video lol
It’s crazy how people sign these deals with these parent companies that just completely screw them over.
For real! Like... Didn't they have their lawyers warn them? Or some financial advisors help them make the decision?
They literally had their brand sold and got nothing from it, they were promised stocks in a company that never went public.
@@gorfous4549 Yea it's crazy they thought it was a good idea to sell for stocks in a company that may or may not go public. And even if it does go public, who knows what the price would be anyways. Maybe at least mix it for cash and stock? That way there's a guarantee you're gonna get something...
@@gorfous4549 back then people didn't really know how to handle RUclips stuff, even lawyers. It was new territory
@@gorfous4549 Anthony said they didn’t have any representation
Smosh is literally how I became fluent in English.
Of course I was taught structure and grammar in school, but Smosh’s videos were funny and simple enough in vocabulary and premise for an 11 year old to understand everything in the skit without knowing 100% of the words. Besides the over enunciated words for comedic effect made it really easy to figure out how to write them and look them up. It was perfect timing finding them at the age I did
You need to tell him to delete your in this vid ruclips.net/video/w7o-lloyuOo/видео.html
Lol same i literally got the most highest score even tho I don’t even learn anything
same lmfao
Everyone in our english class watched them, can't thank them enough for being fluent nowadays
That’s awesome. It really is.
Based on your apparent last name, Silva, I assume you are from Brazil
I think the partial reason as to why Smosh's viewership stayed consistently high for so many years was due to the old videos with only Ian and Anthony which still generated millions of views and are the highest viewed videos on their channel.
yeah i still watch the old videos from time to time. imo the reason why smosh died was because they started hiring more casts
@@IanoGaming Cast isn't really the problem. They made video about Ian being stuck on the 2009-12 mentality and everyone was excited to have the golden year charm back, but they realized that calling everyone bitch and gay isn't funny anymore. The video just straight up showed that they do not know themselves what made their style work. The new cast was in before Anthony left and did make a lot of good videos as well, but they have become formulaic and unoriginal now that they are free of management control. They just do not have it anymore, and it is sad but they should just stop and leave while things are great. Which is extra sad for Keith since he needs money more than anything now that he was diagnosed with cancer
@@anomalocaris2593 Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others. They are still doing great and are a lot happier now than they were before.
This aged differently
Anthony came back, and what a camaraderie the channel has
The fact that Smosh is still alive and chugging along after 16 years is an outstanding accomplishment, I'll always miss the old days of just Ian and Anthony but im glad that they've changed and grown with the years and hope they continue to do what they enjoy doing
Yeah. They were just two guys that worked well off eachother; now just no. I just rewatched an old video versus the newest and it’s so bad now.
You need to tell him to delete your in this vid ruclips.net/video/w7o-lloyuOo/видео.html
@@rhaeasoul8531 Padilla is doing great though. But that's because Padilla changed his content completely.
@@thisisforvids yeah he’s still pretty good but it’s just sad thinking what could’ve been had they never broken up.
@@rhaeasoul8531 At least Anthony is doing way better than Smosh.
Smosh, beyond the name, is unrecognizable and I really don't like what it became. I really think it turning into a company was the biggest mistake and Anthony would probably still be on board if it didn't take a turn in that direction.
Wish you would have gone into a lot more detail about how Defy Media became the parent company of Smosh. That’s HUGE. I mean these two guys should have been millionaires, not salaried employees.
i wish that i could like but funny number
@@plutinum2825 me too
@@plutinum2825 it no funni number no more :((
oh yeah, wasn't defy media the company that scammed pretty much all of its creators (by not paying them their revenue) and even got some huge companies to invest money that they just ran away with?
Also, they never went public, so especially those who bought stocks were screwed over the most.
@@GiligamerMC Exactly. Ian and Anthony really weren’t business men, just funny dudes. They should have hired a lawyer or financial advisor instead of a media company. Defy ran off with millions.
I personally feel like Smosh represented a long cultural moment (early 2000s - mid 2010s) that had already passed even before Anthony left. They were extremely successful - but as soon as the channel genuinely became a company that was willing to adapt in any way necessary to stay relevant, it lost its appeal to me. Smosh used to release content that felt like a legitimate product of Ian and Anthony having fun and screwing around together. Their "voices" were so clear in each video, and that's what made it good. That's what made me love their channel. As soon as the content began to feel like it was being manufactured for the sole purpose of viewership and growth, I disconnected from it. This is just personal reflection and not actual analysis of their channel's statistics, but it was sad watching something that was so special during my childhood and early teenage years morph into an unrecognizable ghost of its former self. It could be totally different for people who started watching closer to 2018 or 2019, since they didn't have the old Smosh to be nostalgic about, but for me it just would never be the same. The only thing Smosh has kept with it to this day is the name.
I feel ya man also this isn't even unique to smosh as it's happened to pretty much all the big name youtubers from the 2000s smosh case just happens to be the most glaring example
..it’s name and also Ian, who seems to have grown tired of it all and above else lost his former enthusiasm and cheerful character
@@robiocraft It always is pretty sad to see Ian in the current videos. He feels very out of place and he always seems really sad. He’s lost his enthusiasm and gives off the impression he’d rather be anywhere else. He used to be such a versatile performer who could play any role. Now he’s constantly being wasted in boring straight roles.
Sorry waaaaayyy tldr
Basically defy media kicked Anthony in the balls with the stock shit
And now they're back! 🥳
Just saw on Twitter !! LETSS GOOO
Pro Tip: If you’re a growing channel do not listen to any companies and do not sell your channel. Having a corporate in your shoulder means that they will always have the last laugh.
I agree! If I was a solo RUclipsr and a company offered me millions of dollars, I would decline immediately. I would never allow a corporate company to take control of me
I mean... you're missing the point in this video. Although Defy Media handled money horribly and weren't fun on set and were hated by EVERY RUclipsr, they were actually RIGHT.
The "big bad" company actually did understand humor better than the people at Smosh today - That's why the views started going gown after Defy left. Have you noticed that in Smosh's videos today, there's more improvising? Clearly, the writers are running out of ideas for humor and are just looking back at Ian and Anthony's videos, thinking that will appease the viewers, but they don't understand that Ian and Anthony didn't rely on improvisation at all - their videos are actually thought out and were written to be funny in a specific way. The way the actors in Smosh improvise today usually makes the video boring and kind of awkward at times.
The pro tip YOU should take away today is that.. don't always assume the worst in big companies. Sometimes.. Mother actually knows best. Defy knew humor better than present day Smosh.
But yea also dont give away ur channel to a big company thats retarded
I think that the ultimate mistake Smosh made was its Faustian deal with Defy. I'm not saying that Defy was stupid or terrible or that Smosh was always right. But more so because it led Anthony to leave. As someone who grew up watching Smosh, Anthony and Ian are iconic not so much as individuals but a duo. This isn't to say that they are interchangeable but rather that they go together. It just feels...strange to see the two apart. The deal with Defy may have granted it financial security but at the end of the day this deal has been terrible for Smosh. If Anthony didn't split I think that it'd be still going strong today.
I feel the same way. It would be like Rhett and Link breaking up. They are great because of their chemistry as a duo. I think the smosh cast is talented, but original viewers were there for Anthony and Ian.
True. Ian and anthony were what made the smosh people knew and love. They did TOO well together that it went the other way after smosh changed course and anthony left
Anthony makes some very good, interesting content now tho. I don't know if he would be doing that if he were still in Smosh. I'm glad he separated from Smosh and made a name for himself.
They were scammed by defy, selling basically 0$ stock for 100% equity.
I don't really think that if Anthony stayed there would be a difference. The last time they were the most subscribed channel was in 2013 and since then up until 2017 when Anthony left they kept going downhill so people stopped caring about them. Maybe now that they are under a better company they might had a chance with Anthony in it but I highly doubt it. Smosh just stopped doing it for a lot of people unfortunately
Man, Smosh was so good. In my opinion, when Anothony left was the start of their downfall.
Honestly something felt off once they were bought by a company and had so many staff members
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 that’s true. I know sunny said that they gained traction when Anthony left, but that was short lived because I think the reason they got that attention was because Anthony left. They were more free when they weren’t owned by a company, and they could post what they wanted without having to run it through people.
I remember when me and my friends in middle school would be hyped asf on Fridays for a new video from them. Crazy how things change over time
That was the exact moment when I stopped watching the channel, It really didn't feel the same anymore like it used to
@@itzquick8745 Once it was obvious that they weren’t the ones planning the skits and brought in new people it failed
Mad respect for travelling back in time and taking screenshots of smosh's channel in the early day of youtube
I'm stunned they were doing as well in 2019 as they were. I had no idea they were keeping the channel alive for that many years. Even if it was a "team" effort, they were kicking any other 2008 era RUclipsr's ass by that stage of their career
Other than Rhett & Link I'd say, which is somewhat ironic considering they ended up buying Smosh with Mythical Entertainment
@@Mr_Jish also Philip deFranco who seems immune to true channel stagnation. Complete powerhouse content creator even if it isn’t for me.
Defranco is in the convo but ya not many people
@@solkvist8668 Defranco is pretty much the only channel I continued to watch throughout the years. His channel seems to have been able to keep almost constant viewership despite it being ancient as it is. Quite impressive actually.
Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others.
smosh’s content doesn’t hit the same anymore, I used to look forward to Anthony and Ian posting.
@Beast 😈 Nah, you have 1 video and no subs
Dang another channel that was bought and then subbotted
Hell bot
Bot
You fatherless child
damn what a shame, early 2010's smosh literally raised me and taught me soo much about internet culture and the world
Please stop giving me mean comments. My mother reads the comments I get and she cries a lot because of it. Please be nice, dear sx
@@AxxLAfriku shhhh
@@AxxLAfriku HAMBURGER
Remember Assasin creed 3 video? The “How many mofos can I shoot in the neck,dont get in my way”
“I shoot a mofo in the throat with my bow tomahawk is my death blow”
@@TheTrueAdonis Who doesn't remember it? It's still one of their most popular vids.
Its important to recognize that most people who grew up with early youtube dont like the new “upload 30+ videos a day with lazy content like “react” “eat something gross” or “play a game” formats that alot of big youtubers use, not just Smosh. We miss the old skits that creators would write that made us laugh and were quotable, we miss waiting for a video to be released in anticipation, and the rewatch ability of the old skits. You can go back and rewatch dolls today and its still funny but new youtube content is so forgettable you dont even remember what you watched 5 minutes after watching it.
This comment brings me memories of “HolaSoyGerman”. For the users of RUclips that speak Spanish he was a BIG part of this platform years ago, and why? Comedy videos with high quality edition (for the time), engaging, and highly anticipated.
He used to only post on Friday, so you can imagine the emotion of being with your friends at your home, constantly refreshing the channel and screaming when you saw the new video was uploaded.
Now he’s only uploading the “react”/“playing a game for kids” basic type of content on his Juegagerman channel, and it hurts because I feel like I never truly appreciated the time I was living in…when RUclips favored quality over quantity.
so true! ive noticed that younger audiences (including myself) are way more inclined to watch content thats 30+ minutes long even if its uploaded once a week or a couple of times a month. I think this is really apparent in the rise of video essays and livestream uploads :)
Yeah, I miss that time too. People used to spend a week, sometimes a month to make a video. I miss that so much.
On the react point, i think you're off base as react content still reigns supreme, even for me
it's just a human quality that people love to see others react to things to see what they think, and that content is more popular than every i'd argue
That's because RUclips's system has them force themselves to make content to the point of almost burning out so they can keep earning revenue.
Their golden years was when RUclips still had its Broadcast Yourself tagline.
like anything else in the arts, when the OG creator leaves... 💀
Everthings have already falldowns.
@Beast 😈 Nope ! You never will one day you gonna be history dying try channel ! >:-D HAheahheaha !
@Beast 😈 Nope.avi ! You never will one day you gonna be history dying try channel ! >:-D HAheahheaha !
Skyblock nerd
thirty? didn't think u would be here
Most of us loved Smosh at the very start, when it was just Ian and Anthony. It felt lower key, more relatable, and the content made sense at the time. Checking back in after being unsubbed for years, it just didn't feel familiar anymore. A whole crew of people I didn't know and have reason to be interested in, the channel being managed by a company.. I can see why Anthony would leave, it wasn't the Smosh we all knew anymore.
Well it has been awhile…things change…of course it’s not going to feel familiar anymore if you haven’t kept up with the channel. I would watch their older videos if your looking for that nostalgia feel.
I mostly agree, all things change of course, but the diference is that take pewdipie or markiplier for example, if you stopped watching for years and then went back to one of their newer videos it'd be like getting in touch with an old friend, sure some things are different but he still has that personality you always loved, with smosh every time I go back to its channel there are different people in the thumbnails, Its just dificult to go back into, as soon as I got used to some members of the cast they change them up, so all in all its just a channel that I consider hard to go back into
fr it felt so weird watching all these people I didn't know walking around on their channel
Yeah. Its quite difficult to just go back to Smosh after seeing all these new unfamiliar faces. To me, Smosh was Ian and Anthony. Atleast thats what i grew up with. I know things change and to alleviate pressure they had to hire a casting crew but thats when things started to die out for me. Wasnt the biggest fan of the new members either, felt like they tried too hard. And they also started to drift to this more repetitive and stale content. Just my opinion on the thing.
@@jacobparrekar8721 I get that. To be fair, I don’t really like their main channel, just the pit and games ones. I didn’t really like Smosh when I was younger because it wasn’t my type of humor, but I like the banter and chemistry between the cast now, and that’s what I’m used to when I think of smosh. I totally get how it would be hard to get back into as an old fan because it is extremely different now. Sometimes I wish they would just get rid of the name and change it to something new but I know that the smosh label is apart of their brand. I only got into smosh a couple years ago, so I don’t really get a lot of the comments that say that they miss the old stuff, because that hasn’t left, you can watch it at any time, and if they tried to do that stuff today there is just no way they would pull it off. But maybe they mean newer videos that still have that old smosh vibe….again I wouldn’t know but just brainstorming here😂
The channel is definitely in a new golden era. I mean, their reddit series was one of the top 10 podcasts of 2024. For a channel based on sketch I can consider them a huge success.
I haven’t watched Smosh in years, but I remember being subscribed to them when it was just Ian and Anthony. They were definitely entertaining. I can’t recall when exactly I stopped watching them, but over time it just stopped feeling the same
Facts I think everyone can relate
Remember everyone, move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new 😌
That makes me worry for people who feel awkward & uncomfortable when they're doing the same old same old. lol
But that’s what happened here that led to smoshs failure according to this vid. It was when Smosh was allowed to do what they wanted that their viewership went down
@@kassygo1375 Yep. Too many content creators forget the old adage of "If it aint broke, dont fix it.".
I think the reason for the downfall was they already built an audience based on defymedias standards but when they went their own way, their core audience didn't enjoy the new content anymore
yeah, the problem is, their growth wasn't a natural one where they build it by their abilities, but one built by an enterprise trying to make money. Don't get me wrong, doing with lucrative objective is good but when the enterprise broke, the fans that grow with the enterprise content didn't like the new/old ways, it wasn't natural
Ian and Anthony's videos were more interesting and funny than Defy Media's, but the Smosh Squad today is under the illusion that ALL of their videos are better then Defy's when... their videos today are simply inferior. What they need is Anthony to return, especially now that they have more freedom.
@@declanhugors Hmm, Anthony probably doesn't want to return. Or the crew underneath Ian won't want it to happen. >.>
Since creative differences do happen after you've been apart for so long.
@@ArmageddonEvil That's probably true, but since according to Anthony's video, he only left because Defy was diverging from what he, Ian, and the rest of his friends wanted to do, I think it would have been best for him to return as soon as Defy Media left, and Smosh would have been saved. Btw, to be honest, Smosh is so old and has gone through so much change that it's kind of... outdated to me now.. kinda sucks to think about it that way cuz I loved Smosh and wish I still could, but nothing gold can stay
@@declanhugors Ehh, I wasn't really interested in Smosh to begin with. Never really watched any of their videos.
Smosh's demise was greatly exaggerated. Ian roasted your ass with his impression lmao
Just seeing and reminiscing where they were a decade ago versus where they are now is actually sad and heartbreaking
hey, someone called K stole your comment
edit: its another one of those verified dudes who bought their channel with the "who is (name)" stuff LMAO busted
A decade is kind of a long time ago, at least when talking about RUclips personalities and careers
It's their new found seriousness that killed it. Their old videos weren't as cringy as many here think. They were just 2 guys and maybe some of their friends just playing around in silly costumes, yelling and badly acting. You knew they had fun doing that, it was silly, but it was silly in a way like going out with some of your quirky friends. It was relatable. But since they went kida corporate-y this all had lost its charm, it's not the same thing. There are now way too many actors and writers, who clearly overtly don't like each other. It's like going from watching Pewdiepie just ducking around in his room to Jimmy Fallon laughing at everything his writers prepared for him that night.
Just my 2 cents. I liked them very much, learned a bit of english and used to be excited for whatever they made every week. Today, they are just a distant memory.
To me it all just got repetitive, a lack of new content and ideas is not good for viewer retention, and definitely the political heavy handedness at times was just grating, because when someone acts like they are superior or like they have the right answer to everything it is condescending and annoying, because few things in life are so clear cut
@@ilo3456 Everyone in the cast looks like they have an emotional support animal
Nah, if you watch the try not to laughs thats definitely unscripted. And they are very clearly having a good time, itd be *painful* to watch if they were faking that. And the cast has talked about their personal friendship to each other too and seem to legit know each other. Obviously I'm just an outsider but faking the try not to laugh seems way harder than just actually being funny and making each other laugh.
watch the try not to laughs, it is very much silly costumes and yelling. Some are okay, some are bangers, like "The Chosen." The one with gus johnson/sven johnson is great.
The old smosh was smosh. After Anthony left smosh Is dead. ( going down)
When Anthony left I was very sad, but seeing how far hes come with his own channel and even in other channels today, it makes me very happy for him
honestly i love his content. i grew out of smosh and when i gave his new channel (at that time) a try, it was amazing. i still watch some of his videos to this day
@@julyetelmaowell they’re back together now
They’re back together
I went to high school with Ian and Anthony. It was crazy to see it rise and fall.
🧢
Both still rich tho
@@kyngjustin2694 Have you seen Ian's house tour, he's not that rich.
@@AviChetriArtwork He still makes enough doing what he loves, so I’d say that’s a win🤷🏽♂️
@@kyngjustin2694 I agree, I love the house tour episodes with Ian and Shayne.
Darn watching these downfall videos doesn’t just suck, IT HURTS MY FEELINGS. I hate seeing creators that defined RUclips at its prime days/youtubers I grew up watching just fall to smithereens like this. This puts tears in my eye but I’m kinda used to it as ever since your popularmmos downfall video, I figured that the old RUclips that I grew up watching is pretty much over.
Edit: please leave a reply on what you guys feel about this situation, that is all I ask of you guys
As much as these videos are entertaining to watch and I'm glad to see just how much work goes into these videos, it really is sad to see RUclipsrs end up in a dark place. Especially with the childhood channels like stampy.
@@RUclipsLover123 because if it wasn't about this stupid crap of this current year of rules where they already forget what made YT Unique. (Not just some backwater of tryhards.
I miss kitty0706
@@mournfulslasher940 We all do buddy, we all do.
Edit: reading these replies just…just makes😢😢…makes me😭😭😭
I feel bad for the new cast because most people seem to blame Smosh's downfall on them, when a lot of them, especially Shayne Topp, are extremely talented comedians. I watched them since I was a kid, and I remember already in 2013-2014 people already started hating on Smosh, even before Anthony left, but now in retrospect those videos are liked only because of nostalgia and in retrospect everything is blamed on the new cast.
They are so of the most cringe people honestly
Shayne, Tommy and Spencer are legitimately funny people who consistently show up and deliver. The rest of the cast are just not objectively funny, which kinda hurts for a comedy channel. It's honestly like they cast people to meet diversity needs, rather than talent needs. Olivia's 'lol i'm sooo awkward and quirky' is just so boring and annoying.
They’re really likeable and funny people too. If they weren’t tied to being “new Smosh” I’m sure everyone would love them
@@michaelberberich207 I agree with the people you mentioned, add to that list Damien and Courtney (sometimes).
But see that's the thing, we're talking about improv here. A lot of people here in the comments are calling the new cast unfunny. You have to remember Ian and Anthony weren't good improvisers, they were just great sketch creators. Meanwhile the new cast members, even the ones who aren't as good at improv, perform sketches just as well as Ian and Anthony.
That was my point. A lot of the people in the cast are actually very funny, the actual problem is the very poor video ideas and writing on the main channel. That's why there are considerably more views on the secondary channel. If they just changed the direction of the channel to play to the casts' strenght, or form a new channel entirely to outright seperate themselves from the Smosh brand, they could find much more success.
For me, Smosh declined when hiring all the new people. I actually used to watch smosh games with Mari, Lazecorn, Joven and Sohinki, but I had a period where I didn't watch RUclips as much for a while after this, and when I came back all the new members were there, and I just couldn't get into it. They are probably good people! but to me Smosh is Ian and Anthony, and I feel like Smosh wasn't the same.
@FemonicRBLX I am betterer than you
@@robdk19 no im better
I used to watch Smosh Games when it was Mari, Lazercorn, Joven, Sohinki and Wesley but ever since I started college and work I didn't have time to watch them anymore. I tried coming back a few times but the new cast is just meh for me. I miss the old squad and the chemistry they had while playing things like GTA *4 or board games.
I thought the same, I then realised while I don't like their new Smosh videos (although rewatching old Smosh I also realised I just grew out it) I do enjoy their try not to laugh.
saying lazecorn and sohinki unlocked great memories i forgot i had
Aaaand here we are 2024 nearing 2025. Smosh is making comeback! Sure, it might not be as popular as it was in the day, but it's pretty impressive for an old OG channel. Honestly very happy for them! Not many OG Channels from 2010 - 2016 era get this much love years later.
I’ve never watched a Smosh video in my life but it’s crazy to me that you’d say that gaining creative freedom at the cost of high viewership is a failure. If they’re making the exact content that they want to make, and still have enough people watching to support themselves, then that’s a win. It’s like when an artist leaves a record label and goes independent. They might not sell the same number of albums without the backing of a big ass company that knows what it’s doing, but they will be happier knowing that the product they put out is 100% their own, even if less people buy it.
I think what's trying to be said here is that in some cases the management may have understood some aspects of the business better than the creatives and without that structure they don't do well or even collapse..
No offense intended to Steve Wozniak, but he is a good example. Combined with Steve Jobs they were a formidable force. But after they separated Steve Wozniak a brilliant engineer in his own right didn't really get the success that Jobs got. Mainly because in my view Jobs understood the marketing and business side better than Wozniak.. Some people are really good at the business aspects while others are good at the creative stuff, but to be successful as a company you need both to work.
Smosh became less funnier i guess.
2 Other Smosh Casts that joined 2016-2017 is still holding the channel.
Guess who the 2 are.
@@jackkraken3888 Let's not pretend Jobs was an unquestioned success, either. He got kicked out of Apple and went to NeXT (which didn't really do anything except get bought by Apple).
@@FawfulDied You forgot to mention how Apple was in terrible shape after Jobs left and yes NeXt wasn't as successful as it should have been but the operating system developed at neXt which was later bought but Apple would go on to what would be OSX. Sure the Apple Lisa was kinda a failure but it's OS was then used in Apple and Jobs helped managed to turn Apple around by streamlining their product base. I don't even like Jobs's behaviour to be honest but he got shit done and it worked! Microsoft had just as much money and heck they made alliances to come up with tablet computers but ultimately their idea failed partly as the technology wasn't really there yet but also because they wanted to shove a desktop GUI into a mobile device and while it worked for a while I think it became clear a better path was needed.
@@jackkraken3888 Go watch the video on Notch tho. He makes some good points to this argument there.
The way Shayne and Ian interacted in "Ian Interviews his Ex's" summed it up perfectly. "Making giggles for 8 year olds", Ian averting his gaze, and the Defy CEO caricature that Shayne played all made you understand how Smosh felt, once you analyze it
Defy was trying to push Smosh as a thing for young children, so it inevitably felt forced to the fans who grew up earlier. It also felt not fun for anybody working because they were forced to do shows or series or sketches that wasn't fun to them.
I like the current smosh since they seem to have fun with it all, compared to when they *had* to act, back in say 2015-2017 for a skit to come across as funny.
They may not have the views as they once did back in DEFY or the crude humor of Ian+Anthony days, but they seem to genuinely be having fun now.
Not to mention, on Smosh 2nd/Pit they were CONSTANTLY trying to push new shows like Put It In my Mouth, or Show w/ No Name, or The Damien & Shayne Show, or Squad Vlogs or Seriously Super Stupid Sleepover, among other shows. DEFY was forcing them to do this, and DEFY was doing it for marketing and appeal, while the cast had no choice but to comply
And when it came to games, it was less as much as games just required something to be played, but even that had shows that were being forced, with the main one that came from the crew/cast itself, Matt, which was very successful. But to add on, the Games and Main channel casts were very much split apart, which showed how it was more personality based. Which isn't bad in itself, but it becomes clear when you step back and look at it.
But now that DEFY is gone and the Origin's edgy humor is gone, the channel is met with either "You fell off" or "I miss the old smosh", despite the cast and crew seeming to have the most fun they've had since the beginning of Smosh. If you notice, the shows they're continuing are the ones where they can be themselves and have the most fun, such as Board AF, What Are Those, Bepardy, TNTL, etc.
@@EliasMorals I love the current smosh, the fun they have is infectious. It sucks that they get those "I miss Anthony" or "I miss the old Smosh" comments STILL, but it is what it is.
They've changed, and as someone who also watched the old Smosh, I'm ok with it. I love the cast so I be chilling.
I happened to watch their interviews and that one podcast episode they had with MatPat and it pretty much sums up everything. I also heard Anthony's side of the story for leaving Smosh and there's only one thing to blame and it's that company. I dunno maybe people will have other opinions if they knew what happened behind the cameras. And the mental gymnastics all big ytubers have to face with every decisions ytube makes in general.
And tbh, the current Smosh is still enjoyable. I dunno, maybe it's the bias that some people have during the earlier times of the channel (I only discovered them 2017, I guess?) I just appreciate how Ian tried to salvage so hard what he can during those times and it's a pretty good thing that Rhett and Link saved them, lest they survived. Got me thinking if that's the reason why Ian is such a downer now but it's part of his charm for me. Lol. To say they fail is a reach. They're thriving even today so it's nothing but a success story. And now, they're not part of a shitty company like DEFY.
You need to tell him to delete your in this vid ruclips.net/video/w7o-lloyuOo/видео.html
@@cryforhelp7270 That's because after they hired new actors and actresses they ruined it. It's not even smosh anymore, just a shadow version
When it stopped being about Ian and Anthony together and more like a comedy troupe, that's when it died.
I loved their Lunchtime series. It was like ancient mukbang but with these two fun guys. I'd watch their videos while eating breakfast or snacking.
I liked their gang bang series when it was with their friends before adding a lot more people.
The reason behind growth in views after Anthony left is probably because all the OG fans like myself started watching old videos over and over again for memories, it was addictive
That is a really good point! I did the exact same thing 😊
absolute banger rip smosh
agreed
Hey corn man
What up checkmark
i agree we all see him as a check mark :D
I guess every you tuber watches sunny v2 these days
Give 'em a break. They were there when RUclips started, and that was like 17 years ago. More than anything, Smosh is dying of old age. It has ran its course.
Everything must end once, and Smosh decided go quietly into the night, instead of going out with a bang.
they didn't go out quietly or with a bang... they went out like crap
Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others.
They didn't kill their channel, it's just that the older fans just miss the simplicity of older RUclips and dislike the more modern version of Smosh. I also think that -98% comes from the fact that they used to be one of the few channels on RUclips back in the day, and since RUclips gained more users and channels people had more options.
Idk todays smosh feels more like buzzfeed now to me I mean some of the people are funny it just feels like a sellout to get in with the new age youtube watchers for money not for the actual love
Same. I grew with the older Smosh videos of the late 2000s and early 2010s. I stopped watching Smosh as the mid 2010s rolled around and became a college student. I've stopped keeping up with this videos and haven't watched them since.
No they def killed their channel.
Gonna have to agree with you. Old smosh videos were better, now if I see a smosh video, I just keep scrolling.
No, they definitely killed it when they brought in other people that nobody wanted. I know Ian and Anthony, but I will never give af about the current cast, whose names I will literally never know. Ray William Johnson killed his channel the same way
RUclipsr: experiences a relatively healthy decline
Sunny: wouldn’t that make you… a dead channel?
Sunny needs his videos to have the clickbait titles and thumbnails or else they won’t get views.
100 million views a view to barley getting a million on videos is nowhere nearly a healthy decline
What I miss from Smosh is that I know Smosh since I was in highschool (around 2011) as two best friends making content. Since they have too many cast, their friendships is buried behind the casts and topics that are not "Smosh" anymore. I started stop watching Smosh even before Anthony left because their friendship is not shown in their videos
Same here I got into their content in 2012 through their games channel during the slenderman craze and was hooked on seeing more of their content up until around early 2016 that was when I started losing interest
Same. I grew with the older Smosh videos of the late 2000s and early 2010s. I stopped watching Smosh as the mid 2010s rolled around and became a college student. I've stopped keeping up with this videos and haven't watched them since.
Agree. That is why I loved their content in their 2nd channel more because it is just then hanging out. Lunch and mail time with smosh was my jam back then.
I genuinely feel sorry for Anthony and cannot blame him for leaving. The fact they went corporate fucked over the lads, and hard at that.
Defy Media *DESTROYED* Smosh and it's fucking devistating! Sure they were restrictive with reasons, but the fact that they choked them out and gave them the middle finger after being shut down is just cruel on their part
The channel ran it's course and failed to adapt yes, but they got fucked during the end due to Defy Media.
braindead move to sell the channel to defy media for company stock lmao
@@mflb94 Well yeah sure it might've been dumb to sell the channel in stock, however they were expecting the company to go public, which like Anthony stated never did. Also they didn't really have a representative that could've helped them with this matter, at least from what I remember.
@@salamandra1983 Dont expect anything that isnt written down and signed by a lawyer.
Good thing tommy stole one of their laptops 💕💕
They were fools for selling. And even bigger fools for selling for worthless stock. They should have seen this coming. Don’t trust anything a company says unless it is written and signed with your legal team
Such great insight, these guys were my heroes back in the day. Incredible video Sunny 🔥
Indeed
ayp fin? ily baby
Hey papa fin
Yeah it’s always interesting
Love your vids fin, you taught me how to edit. You are the true fin
I can’t wait for SunnyV2 to make a video titled “How SunnyV2 killed their channel”
I bet they’re having a heart attack right now knowing they’re wrong about Smosh
Why it failed is typically what happens with all creatives, they have so much fun and success doing their craft on their own but they feel that its not enough, then they end up signing with a bigger company/label and things go fine at the start, and then you soon realize that this shit just aint hittin the same anymore . Thats why I'd rather just do this shit on my own. Whether I succeed or fail, it was on me. I didnt let anyone hold me back 💯
What killed smosh was more or less the fact that its one of the oldest groups on youtube, it was originally just 2 wholesome geeky boys having fun with a camera. Then the label came in and brought in a "Diverse" cast of nobodies/Faces and now that over 10 years has past those geeky boys who are no longer highschool kids have grown up and a lot of the comedy they made was just kind of cringe to watch now.
when your young cringe content can be considered cute but when you get older its no longer considered as cute.
It also didn't help that the entirety of youtube was rapidly changing from 2009-2020 the content people want changes a lot over time and they just were not what people really wanted anymore.
is that why you do reaction videos? and make bad music that doesnt even hit the ground so it never gains traction? how many reaction videos do you need that you recorded all in the same day, zero editing, zero character, just stare at the screen and wait, then add a few words and upload it. 290k subs 3k views a video, oof man. maybe you should sign with some big company to take over your channel, maybe it wont look like you bought subs then
@@cryptikreap795 looks like his channel used to do well so I doubt he bought subs but his channel just failed for some reason recently lol
@@cryptikreap795 sound butt hurt and mad asl go touch some grass fam😂
Well said man
let it be known. any time a big media company comes to “own” a creatives channel and planned to fire them-it always backfires in the long run. im glad anthony is doing much better without them.
Smosh has had one of the longest life spans of any RUclips channel, we can't overlook all they did and how big they were
Just because it doesn't appeal to everyone and everything anymore, doesn't mean it is not successful. It is just less popular with some people but even more so with others. They are still doing great and are a lot happier now than they were before.
@@bhsss2492 did you really copy and paste this comment like 4 times bruh
Who else can see the look of sadness in Ian's eyes in all of the videos post-anthony? Honestly you're doing great as the leader of Smosh Ian, it's not easy but you're doing great you and everyone
Really like the try not to laugh series. Shane is a great asset as is the rest of the team.
agree. their try not to laugh and a small amount of other videos are still a watch for me. im just older an have other interests that take up more of my time
spent a lot of time watching those clips. "Say what you will about pedophiles..."
couple of years ago i was really into their board game series as well. they have talented comedians and actors on their team, they just have much more misses than hits when it comes to utilizing them.
@@joehernandez9563 at least they drive through school zones slower
@@brit2667 I agree. It feels as if the channel now should be called “Shayne, Courtney And Everyone Else”. Most of the cast is very poorly utilized. Ian just feels sort of there in the videos nowadays. Shayne and Courtney have taken over the channel it feels like.
As someone who really enjoys Smosh (mainly their second channel Smosh Pit) and have been subscribed to them nearly a decade on their 3 main channels (Smosh, Smosh Pit, and Smosh Games), I really don't think you can miss that the quality of content now is much higher than it was with Defy. However, I think many people in the comments have hit the mark that sometimes, the best videos are when the Smosh "Squad" (Ian, Shayne, Courtney, Olivia, Keith, Noah + other newer members) are doing dumb stuff together like the old days. Their "Try Not to Laugh" Series is great, and I'd say a majority of the audience has warmed up to all the new cast members. In terms of their decline, since they are such a large company, you can't ignore the huge impact COVID had on their video production/quality. Smosh Games pretty much went AWOL for a few months, Smosh Pit was held primarily over Zoom, and I didn't even watch the main channel. I consider Smosh to be one of RUclips's most successful channels, even today. Their ability to navigate these changes and all of RUclips's various algorithms, is simply impressive. While it might not be for everyone and it certainly is different without Anthony even to this day, it is great and enjoyable still to so many people. Thanks for the video!
EXACTLYYY their content is still great and some skits on their main channel are actually pretty funny, it's just most people grew out of Ian and Anthony's content and a new crowd enjoys the new content that's it
Same i love their side content and watch it regularly. Not a fan of the main skits though its just not my cup of tea.
This is a great summation of what it actually is. Their content isn't for everyone for sure, and that means losing old viewers. But there's also potential to gain new viewers, and i think their content is actually evolving with the times and not just sitting on old crusty potentially hateful stuff from before.
Yes exactly!
Im not a fan of modern smosh whatsoever and completely left after anthony did, however this comment hits the mark so much more than this video
I grew up with Anthony and Ian and remember the feeling of waiting every year for the next food battle. Now it’s nothing but a distant memory
I had forgotten about food war until you mentioned it, the new equivalent for me now is flashgitz and their console wars series, amazing stuff I look forward to just the same
i remember when the final food battle came out. that killed me
I miss food battle, the good old days.
THEY’RE BACK BABY!!!!
I’ll be honest- Smosh will always just be Anthony and Ian to me. Smosh games will always be just Anthony, Ian, Lazercorn, Mari, Joven, Sokinki (I remember how spell it) and Flitz. The new cast seems so forced (except maybe two people) and it just not fun anymore. Anthony was my favorite and having him leave was respectable, but left me feeling sad. I knew it would never be the same again. I don’t know if it’s just me feeling nostalgic but it’s not reacting to Fnaf1, disturbing fanfiction reading, weird implications of are they gonna kiss or not, baby smosh, or food battles anymore. I’m happy for Anthony as he seems to have moved on to more better and greater opportunities. I’m happy for Ian to do what he loves regardless of what anyone else says. But the channel name may remain as “Smosh” but it will never be the “Shut Up” SMOSH that I grew up with. “Smosh” is the name for Anthony and Ian and that’s it.
Yes!! It’s sad cause I used to watch them a lot back in middle and high school but then it just wasn’t the same anymore, I haven’t watched them in years and never cared to watch the new ones
@@torimtz7558 I miss og smosh
Smosh is what I first watched when I discovered youtube for the first time cause my friend showed me food battle. Smosh gave me a lot of comfort over the years with how much I can rely on it to be what makes me think of youtube.
However, that being said. Current Smosh is something I actually really like as well. It has grown and evolved into smth more of a brand for a lot of aspiring actors in LA who dont seem to get the big break they thought of and settled for more of a chill channel to just dick around. And honestly thats also enjoyable. Maybe you think its forced cause a lot of the people they hire arent all gamers, or comedians, or actors and theyre forced into all 3 and they dont know how to act around it. But I honestly think it adds to the charm. Theyre all just normal people with different types of comedy just looking to make each other laugh.
As much as the old Smosh gives me nostalgia. I wont miss the outdated sex jokes or just shock value humor they produced. Now theyre more self aware of what they were and just poking fun at themselevs and just making the Smosh main channel more for improv skits.
I think this obsession over the juggernaut of the OG Smosh brand is just too big shoes to fill for the current Smosh. Theyre very self aware with the fact that they'll never get most of their OG audience back and just made peace with making new ones and they honestly do have a good and healthy cult following.
Theyre kinda like what you think "ideal success" and "personal success" are. Ideal success is Smosh at its peak being a brand obsessed with living up to reaching a wide audience. Meanwhile personal success is the current Smosh aiming for a demographic of people who just like the chill stuff.
Idk thats just my opinion as someone whos been a fan since 2011 and was 11 at the time. Now as a 22 year old, I can relate to current Smosh being more of a mellow version of the 11 year old who wanted to try to prove smth to everyone.
Idk thats just me tho.
The new cast is pretty fun
@@torimtz7558 I think it stoped being good after February 2014 :(
A lot of the og youtubers had lost popularity over the years, the only og youtuber i could think of that is still active with 10s of millions of views a video is ray william johnson
And the AVGN
Good Mythical Morning are doing alright too!
Ray William Johnson eh? Hit em with the throwback, doin your mom
Your pfp goes hard
DAMN NIGGA
Truly sad what happened to them but I feel bad for the new cast, their just trying to blend in with the original “crew” and people are hating on them because they think it’s their fault on the channel death
Honestly they’re really likeable and funny. If they weren’t tied to the Smosh name I’m sure everyone would love them. But at the end of the day in everyone’s eyes they’re just the “people who ruined Smosh”
@@getaloadofthisguy2927 they're really entertaining when you think about them as not Smosh and just their own entity separate from the OG
I haven't seen comments like that in years tho especially after defy became bankrupt
I mean they did shit on people who enjoy the older videos so I don't feel much sympathy for them
They need to let Smosh die. It ran it's course. Piggybacking on its name is counter productive
Who’s here after Anthony and Ian own Smosh again?
Smosh definitely isn't what it was, but it was also a totally different era. That said, I'm quite enjoying what they're making today since Rhett & Link acquired them, even if it's not really Smosh it's still a good channel.
Same
No, it's shit. Sorry but I have to be brutally honest here. The original channel wasn't that great in retrospective but the shit they churn out now is total dogshit
@@clouds-rb9xt the original smosh was perfect. i gotta agree tho i cant watch a minute of their new videos complete doodoo.
@@clouds-rb9xt nobody watches smosh, the real fans watch smosh pit and smosh games. The current cast is pretty great, but people just don't give them a chance
@@WillHellmm true I'd argue that their humour now is more relaxed and funny compared to before. Seriously I can't really get their 2012 humour and people who won't give the new smosh a chance just hasn't gotten over their 2012 phase and are just talking from nostalgia
These dudes were one of many people that introduced me to RUclips. I still remember their Zelda rap, many of their what if video games/TV shows were irl, the Assassin Creed rap and the yearly food fight. Makes me sad that now to me everytime I see them I'm just like, "oh yeah they exist ig."
Honestly, I think Smosh had a mini golden period with the second channel. While the OG channel was stagnating under defy, the second channel had shows like Try not to laugh and show with no name that really allowed the news cast especially to show off that they’re actually funny as hell and develop their online personas. The viewership numbers reflected that too as these new shows started getting more views than the OG Smosh channel
i completely agree, i feel like the second channel allowed people to actually get to know and connect with their cast members, brought in more viewers, and created a more fun and free space to make those videos. the sketches obviously were what brought smosh up and are their brand but it's good to see both
Oh yea I remember the time I never watched a main channel video yet watched every Mailtime and Lunchtime with Smosh and other random videos on 2nd channel.
Yeah Smosh Pit is much better than the base Smosh channel
@@proverandom I was talking about after that era once the new (they’re not really new anymore) cast came around. Still, we should never forget about lunchtime with Smosh and Ian is board. Those shows were goated. But the era after that also had great content and was really got people to like the new Smosh crew. I think the channel grew a shit ton in that period too.
@@murphyc15 I agree. It’s hard to do sketch comedy. That’s why very few on RUclips do it anymore and even fewer do it well. It’s easier to just be yourself. Show everyone why they chose you to be in these pre written sketches
Finally now they bought the company and the cast is such amazing, with people like amanda, angela, chance, tommy, arasha it is pretty exciting amazing and they are so creative, the work place seems pretty healthy
Whoa!! I didn't know this was Anthony. That dude just OWNS!! I think he went the natural progression and he's done super well for himself.
Yeah Anthony took a huge risk. Glad it worked out for him
I always think anthony is the leader after all this sh*t
Wait so you are saying you know Anthony from his channel and not smosh?
@@fernandoa589 lmaooooo this was my question when I saw his comment! I mean everyone knows smosh!
@@ananasta5 i always knew of smosh but never really liked it that much, but i do like anthony's channel now so i think of him as an individual before i think of smosh. for me it's easy to forget that's where he's from so maybe op meant something like that too :)
I’m so happy Anthony succeeded outside of Smosh. If you go to his personal channel, you will find fantastic interviews with a great host.
Yeah and he's great for it since he can actually relate to what other creators he interviews say
He is a chill dude, he doesn't look like host, he look like a friend, someone talking and laughing with his buddies. This make him a great host
I was never a fan or anything but I remember watching all their theme song videos back in the 2ks and seeing them always be at the top of youtube - and yet it seems these guys never cashed in on it like other creators did. I was surprised to learn they sold their channel for nothing? Like, why? Mr Beast makes the GDP of Europe every month, people I don't even recognize make millions and millions and millions, yet Smosh topped youtube for a decade and they never cashed in at all? Bizarre.
I went to school with the guys from Smosh and it blew my mind what they were able to accomplish especially when RUclips/social media was so new. Also, Anthony was super quiet in class and his hair was always beautiful back then too. Legends. Also, I should add- even at school not too many people were aware of what they were doing and the impact it would have. Truly legends.
You need to tell him to delete your in this vid ruclips.net/video/w7o-lloyuOo/видео.html
Sus
@@busystuff23yearsago15 hella
Your speech check failed
Not many people knew what he was doing? Anthony said in interviews suddenly the whole school was using his website 😂
Admit it. You’re hear because of the reunion, aren’t you?
Yep
yeah.
"Not being as dominant as back in 2006 when there was a tenth the level of competition on RUclips" =/= "Killing the channel." Having 24 million subscribers and over 8 billion total views is the kind of "failure" most channels would kill for.
Yeah
Yep very true
Didn't one of the main guys say he got totally fucked and got paid nothing for the company lmao
Seems like the entire thing was a massive failure monetarily.
rip bozo + you fell off
I bet there are many old subscribers around. I mean, I think I'm still subscribed to their channel and I haven't watched a video in years.
*Smosh went from being two guys having fun to another mediocre corporate channel, the ones that dominate RUclips today.* They became a business themselves.
Exactly.
Money.
@Safwaan me krabs: money money money money ahahahahahahhh