Happy Pride! Our queer employees designed a special Watcher-themed Pride Collection that you can check out at http://society6.com/wearewatcher. 100% of all earnings will be donated to the OCRA - Mutual Aid for the Black Trans Community and The Palestine Children Relief Fund.

ranboo is in watcher’s new video!!

watch it here!

Today I’m thinking about three guys. Thinking about how they all had hands in creating concepts and videos that made the company they worked for famous. Thinking about how, despite that, they weren’t allowed to own what they created. Thinking about how their two biggest series were threatened to be taken away from them and given to more popular (whiter) hosts. Thinking about how they nearly burned out and faded away, but an idea lit a fire under them instead. Their own company, where they could have full creative control, where nothing could be taken away from them, where no one could tell them there wasn’t the editing budget for a show that was already written. Thinking about how they started it in secret, with no business knowledge. Thinking about how one of them took it upon himself to learn everything he could about running a business. How he knew it would mean putting his own creative pursuits on hold just to support his co-founders. How he did it anyway.

Thinking about how they announced their company to the world, with a shocking surprise. Thinking about how the world delivered its own shocking surprise back to them a few short months later in the form of a global pandemic. Thinking about how their company was almost strangled in its crib, how they thought it was DOA, how everything they worked so hard for was almost gone. Thinking of how, instead, it survived. Thinking of how they pivoted, how they threw everything they could at the wall, and while not everything stuck, the things that did kept them going. How they took every cent they made and put it back into the business by hiring fellow creatives and weirdos and investing in their future. Thinking of how they kept taking gambles, by taking the series that made two of them famous and making it their own. Thinking of how if that series had failed, it would have taken the company down with it and how they went for it anyway.

Thinking about how the CEO talked openly over the years about how he missed his old co-host, how hard it was to find that spark again. Thinking about how he focused on running the business instead of finding his own creative path. Thinking about how much thought he put into caring for their employees, how he put their well-being over churning out content, even if it meant less profit. How a work-life balance might not be in his wheelhouse, but how he wants it to be for the people that work for him.

Thinking about how the internet has changed in the decade since these three guys starting making videos for it. Thinking about how the algorithm values cheap drama over interesting stories. About how one wrong thumbnail or title can tank months’ worth of work. About how a misplaced swear can do the same, because the world is run by advertisers and not human beings. Thinking about how disheartening it must be to make a video to appease someone that would never watch it anyway. Thinking about how hard it would be to look at the numbers and realize the place that once was your space for success could now be home to your failure. Thinking about how much time they spent looking for a better alternative and how they ultimately realized there was only one.

Thinking about how delighted those three guys were once they had a plan. Thinking about the one of them who had finally reunited with his creative partners to start a new show, the one he’s been dreaming of for years, the one that’s been put on the backburner for the betterment of his company, finally able to exist. Thinking of the week of announcements, of the thousands of excited comments when this partnership was publicly declared. Thinking of how much joy was in the air, how much hard work was about to pay off. How their plans for months were about to come to fruition, how excited they were to take the fans on this next journey.

How they announced their new venture with a corkboard of fanart, showing it’s about them and us, together.

Thinking about how nearly everyone turned on them.

Thinking about how they walked back some of their plans to appease the loudest and the nastiest. Thinking about all the racist screeds their CEO had to read about himself. How he had to keep working despite it. How he and the rest of the company had to pivot immediately. How they had to know some of their contemporaries were also planning something similar and how none of them came to their defense. How they had to watch everything that they’ve worked so hard for become perilous. How a global pandemic was easier to weather than the cruelest words typed for everyone to see.

Thinking about how tomorrow, a new show will premiere. The one that’s been worked on in relative secret for so long and thought of even longer. The one that everyone was eagerly anticipating before they realized the people that make it need to eat, too. The one that everyone immediately mischaracterized to justify their own racism. The one that was supposed to be their big flagship series. The one that maybe still will be.

Tomorrow I’m hoping it will be the start of a new chapter. Hoping that the worst actors will get bored and move onto something else. Hoping that those who got the wrong impression will come back. Hoping that the show and its new home are a success and they get to make as much of it as they want, with no one to tell them how to do it.

I hope.

I think it's so classy of Watcher to dedicate the proceeds of their Pride collection to both a Black trans community and to the Palestinian Children Relief Fund. It's an understated show of conviction to their beliefs. I wanted to see them make a difference and to feel like they believed in what they were doing because sometimes activism is what you're able to give, not how loudly you're able to give.

oh this intro goes hard as hell omg

"if your friend jumped off a cliff, would you?"

ryan and shane:

i forgot to post this quick watcher thing I drew and i only realized now

I feel like millennials can attest to this, youtube was never thought to be a legitimate money source till the more recent years. Niga Higa, JennaMarbles, Tyler Oakley (etc etc) have always said ‘ive always been aware to the fact that i could wake up one morning and youtube would be gone and id have to figure out a new job’

I think the people who were raised with youtube (genZ+) are definitely confused why this company thats been around for so long isnt actually ‘for the content creators and viewers on it’ and its actually just another capitalist driven company.

I got to give it to DropOut, Watcher, and Try Guys for trying to take matters into their own hands. But the truth is, when early creators said ‘one day youtube could disappear’ it never meant one day the site would be randomly deleted, it meant over time the model of the company would change till it favored the advertisers and ceo’s rather than the people working for them.

Its interesting to see it actually happening. As millennials i think a lot of us are surprised facebook and youtube are still around and haven’t gone the way of many many other internet social networks and platforms.

watcher’s pride month collection including so many ace flag themed stuff means a lot to me actually. if you even care

I LOVE WATCHER SO MUCH GOOD GOD!!! 💛

Truly and honestly I didn't think I could be surprised by what Watcher can produce. My first video I ever watched of them was first episode of Ghost files and that felt like a lot of work put into it, the quality production was off the roof and when I watched it on youtube I was like "how is this a youtube video this should be an independent movie".

Now two years later watching the first episodes of Travel Season the feeling is similar. I am blown away by every detail every camera angle, every choice of wide shot of beautiful city that I've never been to, but it feels like I'm there walking with them and experiencing the food even though I'm only looking at it. You can feel love and dedication to the craft that Steven and Andrew have, and that they are genuinely having fun while doing this. This isn't even a food show, not really this is a high quality travel documentary and the moments saved in pictures only add to it. The 90's style sitcom intro, the photos taken by a real camera. The respect to the culture they have not only by bringing Brittney on their travels but also having people who live there who can explain the culture to us. Truly every detail is well thought out and that's what I love about Watcher. They really bring it their all to every show they make and because of the quality we can be awed by their skills of not only comedy, but also the cinematography and how natural it all feels. "Curiosity meets comedy" really rings true in this show. Travel season encapsulates everything I love about Watcher and I hope they will last forever and make a 100 seasons of this and other stuff they want to make.

I don't think they have it in them to make a better show than this but that's the same I thought when I first watched Ghost files. I hope to have this feeling of joy for every show they produce and I will be lucky enough to see.

Unironically, this really is the quality content I've come to expect from Watcher entertainment, but my expectations are exceeded. I hope to be awed everytime for years to come.

There are two episodes for the premiere of Travel Season and they are both excellent. They are beautiful and calm and comfortable and enjoyable. The editing and the cinematography is off the charts. The interactions between Andrew, Steven and Adam are phenomenal. The guests and the people from Team Watcher are delightful. The food looks amazing. You learn things about culture and history. There are pigeons. What more do you want.

Can't take this guy anywhere, huh.

One more sleep 'til Travel Season, babies.

How are we feeling?