Alright, I’m going throw my two cents worth in. I’ll try to be as honest as possible without being inflammatory...

Alright, I’m going throw my two cents worth in. I’ll try to be as honest as possible without being inflammatory. The purpose of this is not to offend, but to offer my individual viewpoint.

I feel like these automotive vloggers are indicative of the trajectory of modern society. In many ways, I believe they espouse – and champion - the mainstream value system of millennials and Generation Z. As I’m in my mid-to-late twenties, I’m engulfed by the incessant nonsense of juvenile tosspottery. We live in a world where we broadcast our lives for the world to see on a host of social media platforms. A critical analysis of personal validation would suggest that our view of self has transitioned from an introspective critique based on how we feel about ourselves on a more individual level, to personal validation on the basis of nonsensical variables, such as how many followers we have, or how many likes our latest Instagram post received.

Consistent with the Instagram Generation’s willingness to microscopically broadcast every iota of their lives to the entire world, the fascination with bragging about owning certain consumer goods as a method of one-upmanship has become par for the course for many aspiring social media personalities – and especially for some of these automotive vloggers. Mass consumerism has been prevalent for decades, but I feel as though it’s becoming increasingly problematic. When we start to self-identify with a brand or a certain consumer good, I think we’ve started to lose the fundamentals of what it means to be human. I’m not anti-consumption by any stretch, but I am critical about how people consume. As an example, Seen Through Glass went with a friend to collect what is widely considered one of the greatest driver’s cars ever built (the BMW M3 CSL), and he trashed it non-stop because it was an “old BMW”. What this tells me is that STG is focussed more on the brand of a car than how it drives. What absolute wkery from a self-professed car vlogger. Let’s look at some of his subscribers. In one video he wore one of those jackets reminiscent of a large sleeping bag. Throughout the comments, people were commenting “Oh my God! That’s a Moncler”, as if it’s at all relevant to automotive content. Another example of this was Mr JWW attracting positive comments from swathes of viewers for his choice of watch in a particular video. To the younger generations of today, an Audemars Piquet Royal Oak is one of the automatic signifiers of success. You can’t blame JWW for that - it’s his audience who are preoccupied with an over-hashtagged brand of watch, when in reality I doubt they’d care enough about horology to watch a two hour documentary about it on the History Channel. Don’t you just love the sheer lack of substance?

Now onto the thing which really irks me. There are so many kids out there who believe that if they grab a camera and head down to London, they can become a millionaire. Here’s the thing – what these guys have which most young people don’t, is charisma. They’re not playing video games and fiddling with their todger 24/7. They’re not spending their lives on YouTube, starting comment wars with other people, and being so preoccupied with getting rich that they fail to show any sort of understanding about how to get there – and no, enrolling in a non-regulated online course promoted by some dodgy guy with a fake Rolex to teach moronic pissants the ‘fundamentals’ of financial trading or property development will not guarantee you financial freedom. It’s clear therefore, that these guys have – at the very least – a modicum of social aptitude.

Of course, subscriber shortcomings aren’t the fault of these vloggers. But they are the embodiment of what these kids – and adults, sadly enough - want to be. Their entire business is about broadcasting excess. JWW gets invited to AP, Archie and Seb hang with Tag Heuer, TGE flaunts a new luxury purchase, and Supercars of London does things which attract a certain demographic (he’d get Dub Customs to wrap his scrotum satin chrome purple if it was dermatologically safe). We live in a world of consumption, and these guys broadcast it excessively while legions of young fans lap it up, dreaming of quitting school so they can have a career in social media. Something seems out of whack, doesn’t it?

The title of the thread asks whether or not these vloggers are a scam. To be honest, I don’t think they are. Okay, Shmee might be little bit Lemonade Stand-y with his story of personal accumulation and STG might make a few pointless videos here and there in-between projects - but they’re just playing their part – and happily profiting - in a society which demands that a life of excess be broadcast for the world to see. These guys – sans Shmee - don’t even call their media production “automotive content” anymore – its “lifestyle content”. They’re not Tai Lopez or any other nonce with the words “Entrepreneur – Developer – Creator” narcissistically whacked in their Instagram bio, but they pander to the masses by creating content primarily on the basis of ostentatious frivolity.

lmao this nigga actually wrote a book

One of my favourite videos was a video uploaded by the usually insufferable Archie Hamilton, where he thrashed a Porsche 911 GT3 around a race track. It wasn’t about what brand of watch he was wearing; it was about cars. The reason I watch these guys is because on occasion they can pump out a quality video befitting the title of “automotive content creator”. But what I find so disingenuous is the fact that they often proudly paint themselves with that brush, when in reality they deviate away from their professed profession so they can also lay claim to having diversified content. It’s nothing but pishy smoke and mirrors.

I will admit that a finite amount of their content is incredible and they’ve contributed in no small part to the cultural zeitgeist of professional-quality YouTube content. I also believe a few of these lads have good chemistry, especially considering they are all so different. But my primary contention is that they take advantage of a society obsessed with the narcissistic pursuit of conspicuous consumption. They’re leading the charge of the social media-obsessed idiots characteristic of today’s youth. Corporate buzzwords more in keeping with a B-grade Hollywood production of Corporate America are bandied around like they actually mean something. And there is very little they intend to do to change it – in fact, they’re tending more towards the lifestyle aspect of vlogging as opposed to the automotive content – because hey! That’s what gets views and subscribers.

I do apologise for prattling on for what must seem like an eternity. But I have watched content creators I used to really enjoy, clickbait and bullst their way to the top by appealing to the lowest common denominator, and it’s bloody disappointing. No, they aren’t a scam, but they are your everyday sell-outs who constantly make a choice to pander to a demographic which has very little substance. I sincerely hope that in the future they decide to forgo the formulaic “Buying My Car > Putting An Exhaust On My Car > Wrapping My Car > Six Things I Love/Hate About My Car > Should I Sell My Car? > Why I Sold My Car > Searching For A New Car > New Car Collection Day” routine interlaced with other boring and repetitive content, and get back to driving their cars the way they’re meant to be driven.

Oh wait, they can’t do that. They want to be able to flip their cars three weeks later, and brag about how over the past eight months, they’ve owned 11 supercars. Do keep an eye out for the luxury items on their social media accounts though. I’m told that if you post a photo of a nice watch or a luxury hotel, your social media cred goes right up! After all, that’s all that matters in 2017.

Im just spitting real nigga shit

nigga i want some of what you having, my main dealer left the country for life and im out of that devil lettuce.

I don't remember subscribing to your blog user

read it and stay WOKE

seems like more of a manifesto against the social media society in which we live and instant gratification.
Youtubers sell out because thats what gets views, and they all succumb to quantity over quality, because you cant gauge the quality of subscribers, only the quantity.
plus it gets them more money.
also nice blogpost, like said

How the fuck does anyone stand vlogging at all? I never understood the concept. It's awkward staring at some guys face as he talks into the camera, clearly trying to drag things out. I just want to see the damn car.

this

>they all succumb to quantity over quality

Well...yeah. I mean, who wants to watch an hour long video of a guy sitting in a Lambo and saying "this button rolls down this window. Watch the window go down. Now watch the window go up. It also has an auto-down feature, which I will show you next." and similar things of that nature?

I mean, going into detail about the odd features of a car is great and all, but at the end of the day, it's still a car. It has four wheels and goes "vroom" to varying degrees compared to other cars. You can only drag that story line out for so long before it becomes unbearable.

i was talking about the number of videos, not the length.
>me selling my car
>me buying my car
>10 things i hate about my new car
repeat
>10 things i love about my new car
theyre easy video ideas that take very little effort and arent really too enjoyable.
doing a proper review of ones car with proper care and time put into planning and videography can make a video absolutely lovely, as well as very informative.
source: top gear

you didnt even read the posts above

tldnr summarize it more me

>i was talking about the number of videos, not the length.

Yuh, same thing. There are only so many things to talk about with a car, so they keep switching cars. Do you really want to see 30 consecutive videos of "5 new things I found to love about my car"?

Short, boring videos work great for a lot of people. I don't really want to know about the proud manufacturing heritage of Toyota, or how hundreds of engineers spent thousands of hours over the course of decades to wind up with the modern Corolla. I want to know if the bluetooth is a pain in the ass or not, and if Pandora will work on road trips.

Honestly, short, boring videos that bring to my attention either drawbacks or features I wasn't aware of before are about the most useful thing in the world when shopping for a new car, which is why they work.

As to the people posting videos about brand new exotics, they're about as useful as a box of rocks.

>source: top gear

You mean the show that features a different car every episode and primarily consists of "look at this car. It's a fast car! Watch it go around a track. What a car! So car-like!!!!"

>you didnt even read the posts above

Why would I? I already know everything of importance.

Jews did 9/11

>It's awkward staring at some guys face as he talks into the camera, clearly trying to drag things out.

Good lord this

Wtf are you trying to say user?

Honestly i envy the fkers..

Guy opposite me has over a mill worth of cars.

I work 80+ hours a week and people still want to take my life away.

If i rub my dick some fker turns up with a fake note.

...somebody please tell me how to make a nice car and some free time.

>..somebody please tell me how to make a nice car and some free time.

learn how to speak english first

I knew it

good post, I agree

but holy fucking shit, can you like reread your shit and go "wow, I could probably summarize this better for Veeky Forums" like god fucking damn you double nigger

this is next level shitposting, doug

demuro

I kind of want to start doing Regular Regular Car Reviews. I've seen a bunch of his stuff and I liked it but then he just rambles about philosophy. The only times it applied to anything was the explanation of how the Dodge Ram got all beefy and macho.

I want to just go by my local used car lots, slip the salesman $20, and drive around in a car from the 90s to 2000s and explain what was nice about it and what sucked.

Holy fuck, tl;dr version plz.

lets be honest man you haven't read a book since you graduated your junior year in HS. read it you fucking faggot you might just learn something

>read this massive wall of text on an image board
Nah fuck you nigger.

>being illiterate

I think it is you who is the nigger here my friend

>Honestly, short, boring videos that bring to my attention either drawbacks or features I wasn't aware of before are about the most useful thing in the world when shopping for a new car, which is why they work.
I think it's unorganized bullshit. I don't want to sift through 57min of different videos, hearing the same bullshit come out of different people's mouths, looking for a total of 2min of information, and maybe an extra 3min of other stuff I'm interested in.

What I want is one long, comprehensive video that's short, sweet, and to the point.

...

I aint reading all the shit

do_you_really_expect_me_to_read_all_that_shit_by_you.jpg
???

I'm happy that I deliberately missed all this...and it's not that I was too young...
I kinda saw what was going on when socials all started, I was still watching tv then...and sheckleberg was still doing interviews...he was talking about data mining back then, only he called it information retention...
And I don't give a fuck about anybody else really...my life is all about me, and I don't care about anybody else...I started to sign up to bookface, but stopped about halfway through...
Just a regular guy, was on the interwebs long before most of you were born...cause I'm getting old...I started with the 1200 baud home phone modems to access bbs's...
I drive what I drive cause I can afford to...and it isn't a sports car, or car period...
Driver door on my other truck is a different colour...idgaf...nor do I care what anybody else thinks...
I am a master cabinetmaker, as I have worked at this professionally for 26 years now...
I play drums in a band, and I'm in the top three drummers gigging in East Ontario...
I'm 52, and I've been on 4chin for an Aweful pile of years...
I say this with no trip on an Anonimouse platform, cause I just don't give a fuck...
Unless your in the music circle in E Ont/W Que...then you know me...however, unlikely any of those degenerates own a car, let alone a truck...
Hope this helps OP...

...

Did you expect me to read that great wall of text

yeah you fucking furry

Shmee videos are actually decent and he isn't some smug faggot who showoffs himself.

FOR FUCK SAKES

TLDR

I did read all that shit by you. I agree on a lot of your points and I think it's amazing that a guy with a camera can work and try hard to become a respected "journalist" of sorts, and it's more raw because the content is on the front lines instead of corporate-sponsored track days. However I think a lot of these vloggers started out with family money or were at least pretty well off cuz the time, equipment and social costs involved are high.

But fuck Salomondrin.

That guy fucking sucks.

I skimmed it

The overall mindlessness and lack of effort is what has killed the majority of online communities. It's this desire instant gratification, where everything has to be bundled into an infographic or made into a "meme", that makes a community such as this devolve into the same content being repeated over and over. Where did it all go wrong? Probably 1993, but at least people still put effort into their posting 5-10 years ago.

Buddy the piece is just too long. This is long enough to be a NY Times article for god's sake, much less a blog post, much less posted on Veeky Forums.

It would be more appropriate to post on a blog and then link it here.

Nigger it took me barely over a minute to read it.
>2 pages
I must've been reading slowly. Did you not learn to read efficiently in school?

It's called a hook...
a topic sentence.

something...

I stopped reading at Tosspottery

Please do NOT respond to me until you have removed your tripcode. I repeat, please do not respond.

Op use big words

Op smart

sounds like you are scared of big words

This. There's very little actual review in the channel anymore, it's all self-referential humor and general car gags.

Enjoying the bus faggot?

suck my uncircumcised dick from the back

>user writes a well thought out post about todays social customs
>DUDE WEED LMAO THAT'S SO MANY WORDS
Fittingly ironic.

fuck off grandpa.

i thought Veeky Forums was all about communicating via memes.

>what i want is one long video that is short

Bumping in hopes that alphonse or soviet sees this thread.

I don't like the automotive vloggers that always make videos of their "friend's" supercar collection. I can't relate therefore I don't care.

haha sounds like that fat asian Effspot

Commodity replaces genuine culture, this has been seen since the turn of the 20th century and before even. Read Adorno, I know it's a meme about Cultural Marxism and all but he's correct in saying that society will slowly convert a genuine desire and interest in a subject into purely an interest in the worth of an item on the marketplace. Millenials aren't the first to have this happen, it's just more obvious with them because we're seeing the conversion in real time whereas boomers buying old american cars to put in showrooms in order to relive their childhoods is seen as just a funny midlife crisis thing rather than their genuine love for cars being changed over time.

Bump for the ignorant masses on Veeky Forums

>posting a 1300-word essay on an imageboard
>Taking up 6 posts
>Not on a blog which would be easier to read anyways

I appreciate that you bothered to write this out. The positive side of clickbait vlogger garbage is that it usually causes plebs to cluster around a handful of atttention whores instead of shitting up an entire culture. The big problems arise when everybody moves towards creating the same content over and over again because it results in the most exposure for the least amount of effort.