109. Smosh is so back
109. Smosh is so back
Lessons from the enduring legacy of two YouTube pioneers
So among all the crazy things happening in the world right now, from imploding subs to Russian coups, we all agree that the craziest is the fact that Smosh reunited, right?
Exposition
For those not in the know, Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox are the pioneers behind Smosh, a YouTube channel that created one of the first viral hits on YouTube in 2005 by lip-syncing to the Pokemon theme song.
They began making short sketch videos from there, and six years later, their success led to an acquisition offer from a company known as Defy Media.However, the increasing demands of the business took their toll on Padilla. In 2017, he quit Smosh to embark on a solo career, which left Hecox to run a growing team. In 2018, Defy Media suddenly went bankrupt, leaving Hecox to scramble to figure out the future of Smosh. Thankfully, another OG YouTube group, Mythical Entertainment, took over as owners of Smosh… up until this past month, when Padilla and Hecox revealed that they had reunited and had bought back the rights to their precious baby!
Why it hit me so hard
Early Smosh means a lot to me. I started to make films in junior high because of Smosh and other early YouTubers like KevJumba and Nigahiga. Their videos made me realize, “Hey! I have the skills to do this too!”
This hobby led to me making campaign videos for classmates running for student government, which led to me to helping found our high school’s TV broadcast station, which led to me filming documentaries for local organizations, and the next thing you know, I was contemplating an offer letter from USC’s film school. Beyond film, my curiosity in learning how to create things led me to take computer science courses in college, which ultimately led to my career in tech.
All because I made some dumb films with my friends as a kid. Smosh was the first domino.
The changing media landscape
On a wider scale, the Smosh reunion made me realize just how much they had paved the way for the modern era of creators and how much has changed. Back then, it wasn’t clear if there was a way to make money via YouTube. At best, YouTube was a shaky stepping stone to “real” media like TV shows or movies. In their reunion interview, Padilla and Hecox reminisced on their spaghetti-to-the-wall approach to figure out revenue streams in the early days, experimenting with everything from mobile games to magazines.
Obviously, things have changed since then. Successful online creators have a larger reach than many TV or movie stars can even hope to attain. Mr. Beast is aiming to become the first YouTube billionaire. A recent survey found that kids are three times more interested in becoming a YouTuber than an astronaut.
Creating online is definitively a viable career now.Takeaways
Here’s how I’m thinking about this momentous occasion:
Let your friends grow
Hecox and Padilla have been friends since elementary school. In 2005, the pair suddenly found themselves on an unorthodox rocket ship that they stuck with as best they could. But gradually, tension built up as their friendship became intertwined with business. Not only were they figuring it out as they went, they were shaping the budding industry with every decision they made. In the reunion interview, they admitted that they compartmentalized their feelings for years for the sake of keeping Smosh running smoothly.
Additionally, Smosh was all either of them knew. When Padilla left in 2017, he had to figure out what his identity was outside of the one thing he had ever done. On the flip side, Hecox had to figure out how to lead a company on his own, figuring out what a comedy duo is without its duo and steering his team through the chaos of their parent company abruptly going out of business. And throughout it all, both of them had to deal with fans criticizing them that neither was as good without the other.
Padilla parted on friendly terms with Hecox, but they both accepted that they might never hang out again. Their chemistry is obvious in the reunion interview, and seeing them reunited – two childhood friends who thought they might never be friends again – had me grinning ear-to-ear.
It also got me wondering: Who should I be reconnecting with these days?
Find your infinite game
Smosh has been around for 18 years. But even two decades into the game, you can tell that they’re both so excited to get back to working together.
The YouTube algorithm has drastically changed over the years, based on the growing demands of advertisers for a maturing platform. Smosh has adapted over the years in order to survive, but it’s obvious that silly sketch comedy is Hecox and Padilla’s true love. They admit that they will likely lose money on their sketches, but they’re excited to figure out how to make it work.
I can understand why. Their enthusiasm took me back to what I loved most about my early days of making films. Back before there was any financial incentive, we were all just kids running around trying to make each other laugh.
Just like Smosh, I’m trying to find that feeling again.
They noted that lip-syncing has come around full circle with the advent of Musically and TikTok!