Don't Worry, I'm Pretty Sure the Messiah Did Say That: The Uncanny Valley - The Reviewers

Oh cats, why is it videos of you doing something mundane can be so hilarious?

But anyways, The Reviewers. It’s about two guys who want to become internet reviewers, and a commentary on what it means to be one. This one resonated with me on a personal level in a way the previous ones didn’t. I don’t have any aspirations to be an internet reviewer, but the stuff I want to be paying the bills one day is also the kind creative arts work you can’t find by applying on a job board, so I can understand where Thomas and Steve are coming from. Sometimes you’re like Jeff, recognizing that success and recognition take time, willing to work a not-so-great job so you can make money, and accepting that not everyone will like your stuff, nor should they. Other times you feel like Andy, frustrated with your circumstances, fretting over your lack of hits, and discouraged by that side of the internet that seems dedicated to being negative. Because on the one hand, it’s easy to see that Rickhead’s ‘critiques’ are just ad hominem attacks, homophobia, the ‘you’re either with me or against me’ fallacy, and just plain negativity for the sake of being negative. After all, criticizing Count Thomas Howell for not reviewing vampire movies has no meaning when it’s obvious that if he did, Rick would be ripping on him for being yet another vampire who reviews vampire movies – that’s precisely why he isn’t. But on the other hand, if him making a video about Andy and Jeff gives them traffic, it means he has an audience, and it’s kind of depressing that enough people actually enjoy things like that. Stuff like that is even worse when it claims to be legitimate criticism, like Rick insists, while being nothing of the sort. Honestly, yeah, Steve and Thomas’s videos are bad, but look at the early work of any internet reviewer – it’s probably bad too. You have to start somewhere, and it takes time to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Saying ‘your stuff is bad and you should feel bad’ isn’t helping anyone. And while Jeff has a point that since they’re making fun of stuff, people should be allowed to make fun of their stuff, but, presumably, they’re focusing on the actual movie they’re reviewing, not making stuff up so they can put someone down. When you bring in the actual people behind these movies/videos/whatever, you need to be able to back up what you’re saying about them.

But while Rickhead may represent the side of the internet that just likes to bash stuff, it’s also a great platform for people to be creative and share what they love with a wider audience than ever. Like anything else, doing it in a way that makes you successful will take time and hard work, but it also reminds us that you can’t do something like this just to become famous; you need to do it because you truly love what you’re doing. But if you really do, you’ll persevere. It’s a great message, and definitely one I can get behind.