Channel Awesome Was Not So Awesome

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I had a feeling Film Brain was going to leave. Not that soon, granted, but I did have a feeling. When Linkara left and I heard Film Brain and AJ were pretty much the only big-name reviewers left, not including those more popular on other sites like TFS or Larry Bundy Jr, I just had a feeling Film Brain would be the next to leave. I can see Angry Joe most certainly leaving next, since I believe he's more popular on his own YT channel and he has his own website for his own videos too.

So at this point, the only original big-names left is Doug, and Brad. And seeing as Brad has his own website for his videos, I can potentially see him jumping ship too. Channel Awesome is fucked.

[shdowhunt60]

I honestly have no idea on how to comment on this. It just seems like a classic case of mismanagement from a bunch of hobbyists who maybe took their hobby too far. I'm not going to attribute malice to anyone on this, It's just that everyone got in way over their heads.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

4 minutes ago, shdowhunt60 said:

I honestly have no idea on how to comment on this. It just seems like a classic case of mismanagement from a bunch of hobbyists who maybe took their hobby too far. I'm not going to attribute malice to anyone on this, It's just that everyone got in way over their heads.

I can get that for maybe Doug and Rob, but the actions of the higher ups such as Michael and others go far beyond "getting in over their heads". One was literally sexually harassing female producers of the board and wasn't fired for a year even though said members came forth about it. Another apparently blackballed one of the producers for no reason so none of his fellow content makers would speak a word to him and tortured him emotionally for years, demeaning his content and making him go into a fucking depression.  

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Well, seems like a decent time to update. Something else interesting has sprung up. I think (?) one of the former producers spoke up and it does seem like the sheer majority of issues is certainly Michaund. 

I'm not sure which producer this actually is, but according to her, she attended the premiere of the Suicide Squad review, even getting to be apart of the tables with Malcolm. Someone she knew also asked if she'd like to see the CA building but she only got to see it from the outside. According to what she says, Doug, Rob, and even the likes of Doug's uncle was extremely nice to her and treated her as a guest. It was Michaud who acted like a dick, only shaking her hand and largely brushing her off.

And on top of that, if you didn't think things might not be affected much by ChangeTheChannel, a tweet advertising NC's Woody Woodpecker review is getting slammed with replies.

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Another update - The "apology" is no longer pinned on Channel Awesome's Twitter. It still remains up, but it's not longer pinned at the very top. 

[DarkRula]

I can't remember when I stumbled onto the Youtube channel of Awesome, but I do know it was probably through watching an Everything Wrong With... and seeing the same thing I'd just watched from a different reviewer. That had happened many times before I finally subscribed, but I only ever watched those videos I had actual interest in - being those about films I'd already seen myself. Only in the last year or so have I started venturing out to those I haven't, but even then I wouldn't say I actively was on the lookout for the content. Seeing all of what's happened has pretty much made me think about going back to that previous state.

Completely terrible, and I can understand the feelings of those who were more invested in this place than me.

[Tara]

3 hours ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Another update - The "apology" is no longer pinned on Channel Awesome's Twitter. It still remains up, but it's not longer pinned at the very top. 

Optimistic explanation: They've realized that an insincere non-apology wasn't going to cover it, so they're removing it and prepping for something more sincere or at the very least something to help contain the flames.

More likely explanation: They've realized that an insincere non-apology was only giving them more bad publicity, so they're trying to sweep it under the rug hoping that people forget about it.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Malcolm has released a statement - 

 

 

[Tara]

While I appreciate and respect Malcolm's testimony, it's worth a note that he's working directly with Doug and is part of the Nostalgia Critic series, the flagship series of Channel Awesome.  The contributors that left and are documenting mistreatment are people that were third-party contributors that aside from the occasional crossover and shared web presence were not attached to a series starring and written by Doug.  So of course he's going to be treated differently and have different experiences as a result.

That's not to discount the possibility that Channel Awesome as an entity has learned from some of their past mistakes, but neither does it excuse them when their approach to criticism is to attempt to sweep it under the rug.  Plus, quite a few of the complaints that were levied (particularly by Linkara) took place after the acquisition of the studio and by extension after Malcolm's hiring as well.  I'm glad to hear that Malcolm hasn't been subjected to any of the problems outlined before, and I applaud him for making a more sincere-sounding note that details his own experiences without discounting the anecdotes of others.  I'm not trying to say he's wrong, so much as I am pointing out that he is in a very different position than any of the former-producers who have defected as a result of the claims compiled in the document and elsewhere.

[Balding Spider]

Well this bullshit happened

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

1 minute ago, Balding Spider said:

Well this bullshit happened

 

Did Channel Awesome do this?

[MightyRay]

9 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

Did Channel Awesome do this?

I think Suede said in the comments that ShoPro did this manually?

Anyway more folks are bailing on CA.

And another person has popped up unimpressed with how CA handled things in the past.

 

[Balding Spider]

Oh so none of that was about channel awesome then? Sorry that's my bad, with the timing I just assumed.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Chris Stuckman used to be on Channel Awesome? Geez,  they're hemorrhaging talent like no one's business!

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Just now, Jovahexeon Omega-Sapphire said:

Chris Stuckman used to be on Channel Awesome? Geez,  they're hemorrhaging talent like no one's business!

Team Four Star and MasenkoX is on there too. Probably a matter of time before they jump ship too.

[MightyRay]

More people have decided to leave.

https://twitter.com/tonygoldmark/status/982686726576422912

https://twitter.com/InGeekWeTrust/status/982696385005936640

https://twitter.com/Dominic__Smith/status/982691037473751045

https://twitter.com/RockedNet/status/982690827787997184

https://twitter.com/Nash076/status/982690607574503425

I'm posting these as links cause my computer is having a bit of trouble with the site at the moment.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Are you fucking kidding me Doug?

 

[Tara]

"Love the way my boss belittles and gaslights my coworkers!" -Doug Walker, 2018

Assuming this tweet is true.

[Teoskaven]

2 hours ago, MightyRay said:

More people have decided to leave.

https://twitter.com/tonygoldmark/status/982686726576422912

https://twitter.com/InGeekWeTrust/status/982696385005936640

https://twitter.com/Dominic__Smith/status/982691037473751045

https://twitter.com/RockedNet/status/982690827787997184

https://twitter.com/Nash076/status/982690607574503425

I'm posting these as links cause my computer is having a bit of trouble with the site at the moment.

Of these, TLAG and Nash are the ones that strike the most to me, considering how veteran their status was.
Also, as expected, they cancelled the 10th year anniversary special, as predicted. No use in making one when the ship is almost completely sunk and practically all the crew has left.

[Stasis]

Finally caught up with everything and the first thing to jump out at me in the document was "I never received a To Boldly Flee DVD. Neither did many fans who bought them, because they messed up the orders and it was never fixed."

Yep. I pre ordered the set with Kickassia, Suburban Knights and To Boldly Flee for $44.99 and they never came. I got in contact with support and got a blunt reply saying they had been sent and that they would send them again. Still waiting...

[Chaos Incarnate]

It's sad to see how far this site has fallen, and how much a piece of filth Mike Michaud is. Everyone that drew me to that site (Phelous, Linkara, and Spoony) are no longer affiliated, and I stopped watching Nostalgia Critic on a regular basis years ago. The over-long skits are very cringy and unfunny, and they turned me off from his content altogether. It amazes me how naive Doug was in how his coworkers were mistreated.

Michaud needs to go, plain and simple. 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Lindsay went more in-depth with her time there.

(It's a Twitter thread btw) 

TL;DR Points:

• She was always uncomfortable at CA - Mainly because her role was always "a counterpart to someone else". 
• Considering her youth and the condition of the economy at the time, she didn't think she'd last as long as she did when she joined.
• Due to losing her job and the economy, she joined the Nostalgia Chick contest and won, being promised money. She did eventually get it, but others who were runners up like Marzgurl did not.
• She phoned in a lot back then due to student loans and being accepted into film school.
• She was unreliable and doing bare-minimum back then, which is why she views her earlier work as cringe. 
• She was always uncomfortable being forced to basically ape Doug's review style and being the "girl version of NC" and she didn't really want to be there. She didn't leave due to needing the money and didn't start accepting it til she began doing essay videos.
• There was some resistance to the transition but it died down eventually. 
• Outside of her own crew - the good times were few and far between.

Moving onto Kickassia and Anniversary Movie stuff and filming stuff: 

• The first time she felt genuinely disrespected was Kickassia due to realizing they didn't want collaboration, even if it was someone who clearly knew more about them in film-making.
• The sets were maddening to her (ALL of them).  Especially because of the thought it was "fun amateur hour!" when you can't do that, especially given this was for-profit work   
• She makes it clear that you need production insurance, stunt people (if needed, which they were). They need producers to secure permits (Which didn't happen) and crew must be paid (they weren't).
• While she met people on the shoots who would become good friends, the actual filming process was absolutely miserable. She also says considering the wave of complaints, the Walkers likely didn't consider them friends and there was always a divide there.
• Best era for her personally was 2011-2012
• She says the "amateur" style might be charming to some, and that is what they might've went for, but she was absolutely embarrassed to be apart of them, especially To Boldly Flee
• An example not shown in the document - Doug and Brent made money for the Moulin Rouge review while Lindsay made absolutely nothing from it. Doug crashed at her place during the filming of it, he wrote the script, and people are still coming to her over Doug's opinions, assuming they are hers when she doesn't hold them whatsoever.
• Why did she agree to it? She needed to maintain her part in the site back then, due to relying on ad revenue. A lot of people went along with this nonsense and few shared her reservations. 
• In the end, there wasn't many good times for her over the course of her time at CA. She was relived to leave them and wish she had done so earlier.

[Balding Spider]

Allison talks about her ordeal with Channel Awesome

And that time Phelous almost died on his feet

18 goddamn hours of that shit.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

On 4/7/2018 at 8:05 PM, Teoskaven said:

Of these, TLAG and Nash are the ones that strike the most to me, considering how veteran their status was.
Also, as expected, they cancelled the 10th year anniversary special, as predicted. No use in making one when the ship is almost completely sunk and practically all the crew has left.

 Channel Awesome had a 10th Anniversary special planned? It's been ages since the last one. :U Not that it matters now. 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

3 minutes ago, Jovahexeon Omega-Sapphire said:

 Channel Awesome had a 10th Anniversary special planned? It's been ages since the last one. :U Not that it matters now. 

They did, but had to cancel it given the controversy.

Not that it would've been any good, that said.