Do you watch "reaction" videos on YouTube?

I too watch a number of music reaction vids, including Andy and Alex. They are both actual musicians, so they go much more in depth than most others.

A lot of them seem to be black people reacting to white people music, and honestly, a lot of those channels seem somewhat performative. Like, their subscribers are all white, and they're doing this black person such a huge favor by turning them on to Lynyrd Skynyrd or Deep Purple or whatever...and the black reactor obliges by gushing over how great the song is, without really going into much depth, other than "wow, that was great!!!".

There is one channel called Cafe Enoma, which is kind of bizarrely entertaining. It's a husband and wife from Mumbai. They really churn out a ton of videos, but they don't have much viewership. The wife is very sweet and cute. The husband is very average-looking and prone to go on long, angry, defensive rants about other channels, people who leave negative comments, and anything else that's pissing him off at the moment.

Spirit of The Radio is a fucking masterpiece. Have you heard Neil Pert's isolated drums in that song??

Peart. So sorry Neil. RIP buddy.

No but my IQ is over 80.

Jamal aka Jamel is probably the best of the reaction channels.

Also good are Lost in Vegas.

No. My nephews watch videos of other people playing video games on Youtube and I don't get it, but I also get that that type of thing is not geared towards me.

As they seem to be reacting to suggestions from their subscribers, do they ever react negatively?

I watch “Korean Grandma...” . Usually it’s a tasting video but there’s some reaction ones. She’s always so concerned if someone appears to be hurt in the videos she watches.

Sista reacting to classic sista

I enjoy Zachary Michael's reaction videos about assorted YouTube freaks.

I’ve seen a few but it’s all so exaggerated and over-acted.

I was watching this young hip hop guy react to the music video of Pour Some Sugar On Me.

A minute in he stopped the video. “Wait....it looks like the drummer has ONLY ONE ARM!!!!”

It was pretty funny. His mind was blown. He had more questions than answers.

The Las Vegas guys at R6 have pretty entertaining reactions to the video of “Closer” by NIN

Here's Jamal aka Jamel reacting to the most played song on American radio during the 20th century.

I don't know how we're supposed to believe that these people have never seen the videos or heard some of these songs.

And, let's just say that Meryl doesn't have to be looking over her shoulder based on some of those performances.

They know they're being filmed, and they're ridiculously over the top.

The reactions in porn are also always over the top and not believable, but that doesn't stop any of you from watching.

Lots of reactors react to the Righteous Brothers songs and they always seem to have huge view counts. I'm stunned that those songs are still so popular.

Is anybody following the current controversy regarding the FBE/React Channel/Try Not To channels?

It's a hugely popular channel (over 12.5 million subscribers) that has imploded in the last week or so, after an old 2009 video resurfaced of one of the channel's founders in blackface, and subsequently some of their black cast members and staff claiming mistreatment (I've read the accounts of the alleged mistreatment, and there's nothing particularly egregious there, it's just normal disgruntled-employee crap, and the usual office politics bullshit that comes with being a cog in a multi-million-dollar machine.)

A bunch of the channel's cast has quit over it, and they haven't uploaded any videos in about a week (there are usually several new videos a day, even during lockdown).

The channel goes out of its way to feature people from ALL walks of life, from kids to elders, every race and ethnicity, every religion, every body type, every sexuality and gender identity...you'd be hard pressed to find a channel that features a more diverse group of individuals.

The owners and the CEO apologized profusely, but it's apparently not enough.

(If I were them, I would just hire a bunch of new people. The people quitting seem to believe they're huge stars that the channel can't do without. In reality, there's nothing special about what they do. Wish them well, and replace their asses ASAP).

There's a young black guy who does reaction videos to old school hip hop and rap videos. It's actually pretty entertaining as he seems to know something about the history of rap music and watching him react to the songs I listened to at his age is fun.

He's also really cute, which doesn't hurt.

Andy & Alex's reaction to Fleetwood Mac's The Chain is entertaining.

I don’t get it.

The OP has fallen for a ruse by actors.

The reaction to songs videos is like watching a friend or acquaintance hear one of you favorite songs for the first time.

The best reactions are like watching a child excitedly open a present that you know they're really going to enjoy

This is classic!

OP -- how did you get the Youtube video to show as a link preview and play?

Twink vocal coach reacts to Marcelito Pomoy,

Audience reaction Thor.

I have the same problem. How do people watch the videos now? I'm willing to pay, but not for shitty service. I like Alex and Alex.

"As they seem to be reacting to suggestions from their subscribers, do they ever react negatively?"

Very rarely. The vast majority of the channels are basically just "oh wow, this is so great, I love it, blah blah blah". The subscribers/patrons suggest the songs expecting that the reactor will love them, and the reactor gladly obliges and collects his or her $.

With Andy and Alex, you can pretty much tell when they really don't like a song, but even they always try to put a positive spin on everything. They actually give the songs grades, and I don't think they've ever gone below a "B", and that's very rare. Two of the ones I saw that they seemed to not like were "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, and "Poison" by Alice Cooper.

The channel where they will be brutally honest is Cafe Enoma, the couple from Mumbai. It's funny, because the guy gets really belligerent sometimes when he doesn't like a song, and he apparently pisses off the audience with his honesty, they insult him in the comments, triggering a long, angry response rant in the next video. What's interesting, is that for the most part, they lack the cultural context of knowing much about the artist, or how they are perceived, or how the song is perceived in general, so they are reacting strictly to the merits of the song as they hear it. So, they will give some silly or cheesy song like "Billy Don't Be a Hero" or "Seasons in the Sun" the same consideration they give to something by serious legends like Stevie Wonder or Neil Young.

They had about a 3-song run of Paul McCartney songs that they hated, and that really soured them on him. At one point, at the end of a reaction for a Tevin Campbell song, the guy said "Paul McCartney should take lessons from Tevin Campbell on how to sing and how to make music"...the idea of which I find hilarious, and I'm sure it infuriated the Macca stans. He also has a really low opinion of Gordon Lightfoot, thanks to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", and also ELO (I don't remember why exactly, I think it had something to do with them having the word "Orchestra" in their name, but they didn't sound orchestral).

I agree with R24: the best videos seem to show people being surprised by performances. The last one I managed to watch was Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood and Stevie Nicks all performing a tribute to Linda Rondstadt. I can't even tell you what tricks I played to hear that, since I don't know myself. I don't know what Youtube is doing, other than making an extra buck.

Lost In Vegas didn't care for Hank Williams Sr.

If I Can Dream by Elvis has been popular lately.

I've seen some movie reaction videos, which I find really sweet. It's nice to see people really enjoying themselves, even if most of them are overacting.

And I had no idea Spidey was so popular.

What kind of bizarre alternate universe did I fall into? Today’s young folk make all of their money by either having sex online for money, by uploading reaction videos to music or children uploading videos opening and critiquing gifts, being influencers to the huddled masses, driving strangers around in their own cars for pennies, or delivering food.

Whatever happened to working in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory for 12 hours a day for 50 cents?

Looks like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's family hasn't heard that DL has decreed that reaction videos are fake, over-the-top scams out to steal their hard earned money

R32 That's an off-key performance by Hank Williams Sr of Cold Cold Heart, so I'm not surprised. It almost sounds line a bad parody. The song itself and the music are very rudimentary. They are more into jazz, blues, funk, rock.

17 year old twink watches Queen at Live Aid.

I enjoy the Irish People Try ... Im not sure why ...it started during lockdown ... I crush on a few of the guyss

And to clarify ... none of the Irish guys in the mochi one ...lol. I do love the two chicks Lolsy and Justine .. seem fun

I like the "so-and-so reacts to someone reacting to them" type sometimes.

The kids in this one are a hoot, especially the boy with the eyebrows.

Silly videos - but he’s a cutie.

Guys, watch me REACT to something! Look at my FACE and the EXPRESSIONS I’m making! Can you believe it?! At first I was all 😐 but then I was all 😧 and finally I was like 😆. HEY! Are you still paying attention to me????

I love Jamal aka Jamel! I got into his videos after watching this one:

I know that there's some controversy as to whether or not the reactions are spontaneous, but I've seen a number of reactors review Al Stewart's 'The Year of the Cat'; and the few people who looked it up apparently didn't understand the 'Casablanca' references in the song. I watch an assortment of people, and some seem very naive, but a few are really well-informed, and I can learn something from them (Fil at Wings of Pegasus is a very well-informed musician himself).

r38, the son is cute but that Texas Christian University sweatshirt is a deal breaker... and the dad seems like a weirdo and a total MAGA person... ew...

This is my all time favorite Spirit Of Radio reaction video.

R4 nailed it.

Is THIS how low Datalounge has sunken to?

R46 I agree that Fil from Wings of Pegasus is very well informed. He's also a guitar teacher and dissects the live video performances, including the vocals.

There's a teen who "reacts" to the Robert Palmer "Addicted to Love" video and is baffled as to why so many of her followers recommended it to her. What was attention-grabbing in 1986 is "ho hum" in 2020. That made me feel old.

Anyone who wonders why Donald Trump is president need only read this thread. Odd what people find entertaining these days.

There is a quantum leap between someone appreciating someone reacting to hearing a song for the first time and being a Trumpster.

dummies

This 16 year old kid's reaction to the operatic bridge from Bohemian Rhapsody is hilarious.

The reaction videos that seem to be the majority of them, I don't get personally. It's usually someone playing a music video, or concert performance while those watching just say, periodically: "Wow!" or "That's great!" I don't really understand why people would watch those, but whatever.

On the other hand, there are some really interesting ones, like actual vocal coaches watching performances and then critiquing the singing. I find that can be interesting, and teach you something too. Or historians watching historical movies and talking about the historical accuracy. So, if the channel is by an expert who is discussing stuff like that, I can see myself watching it. But just randoms watching a video, either underreacting or overreacting, does nothing for me.

The Twins and only the twins. They don't understand anything about music, but they understand everything about good music. I love them. Dolly Parton tweeted them out. I find them genuine. When they started listening to Gloria Gaynor's I will survive - they looked at each other and said, Oh, I know this song.

The one twin is more outgoing than the other but they're pleasure and politeness is really appealing to me. Plus I like 90% of what they react to. Other than these two, and only because of COVID fever, I would never watch this type of crap. I think "reaction videos" are inherently ridiculous. But come on - the boys went viral for their response to Phil Collins "In The Air Tonight" and I fell down their YouTube rabbit hole and under the spell. They're cute the way they dance too. Their momma raised them right. The one boy fell in love watching the blonde from ABBA sing The Winner Takes It All - but they're so respectful. He doesn't know she's like 70 years old now. They're adorable. Only one twin this time, because the song is such a mood. Who wouldn't love it? These boys are getting rich. Gonna buy their mom a new house probably. Stay sweet boys. TwinsisthenewTrend

I need to dig myself out of this dark reaction rabbit hole I’ve gone down on YouTube. There is a whole community where people react to morbidly obese women on “weight loss journeys”, but for years the women haven’t actually lost any weight, and instead they do grocery hauls and mukbangs at the same time protesting that they are on diets.

^Oh god, I fell into that hole last year, when someone I used to watch do funny comedy skits, turned around to doing reaction videos to a girl called Amberlynn Reid who was always on a diet and never losing weight. It's not at all my thing, but I couldn't stop watching for awhile, it was weird.

This fat queen vocal coach is highly amusing IMO plus I like that he reviews international singing stars.

Andy and Alex react to Rich Girl by Hall & Oates. Andy's package is something else. You just know he sits with his legs apart for a reason!

I love the Twins, too, R57! I stumbled across them (and started down the rabbit hole) several weeks before their "In The Air Tonight" reaction went viral. When they did "Jolene".......and then "9 to 5" & "Islands in the Stream".

Pure Covid boredom...and fatigue from the relentless shitstorm of bad news. They're so fun & genuine! Love Tim's reaction to discovering Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith (did many of those solo) as well as ABBA & Pavarotti......gives me hope.

^ Yes. And Sinatra. He loves Frank. The twins have made me cry just from their pleasure in listening. The Jolene Reaction is a joy and they are just inherently respectful and loving that clear moment and gorgeous vocal harmonics. When they reacted to California Dreaming and one wanted to refer to Mama Cass he said "the lady with the red hair!!" Not - the fat one. They're really good guys and they're having a blast. They loved Kelly Clarkson's Stronger too. A banger. You can tell they are a bit bored watching The Carpenters or Tom Jones and Bobby Vinton - but they're pure and genuine. It's joyful. Watch his reaction to Tracy Chapman's Fast Car. You can tell the song speaks to his real life. It's a gorgeous magical song of course. The boys are pushing merch and bought a muscle car with fast success - but one still works 12 hours a day and one wants to become a barber! Make that money boys. They have no talent - but they bring fresh joy to people through their appreciation of all kinds of music. For the very first time. It's sometimes very beautiful to witness and experience with them. They have charm and passion and heart. See their love for The Fudgies or The Who or Judy Garland. Good music is good music. Sound and feeling. A banger. Ha.

It's not exactly that genre but I've watched a couple of videos of vocal coaches listening to classic pop recordings and found them very interesting.

Let's play it up for the camera!

R11 I haven't been watching Zachary Michael as much since he stopped reacting to Chantal. But I follow a slew of accounts that react to the gorls!

Black-listeners' reaction to "white" music is so click-bait formulaic. And I'm happy for anyone who earns some clicks. But the other part of this "formula" is that white people get to feel so good about themselves for witnessing this reflection. Like they're feeding starving pygmies or something. A reaction that'd be just a little more authentic would be a drag queen lip synching Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah. This stunt is really only victimizing white folk. But why can't anyone see past this shit? However, knock off these "news reports" that these reaction videos somehow translates into iTunes sales. Report on the actual $$$ earned instead of this music rising in the charts.

Have any of you thought about volunteering your time to something important?

Why make YouTube a billion dollars a week?

You’re not any better off after watching stupid videos. But they are.

I've been watching this new kid react to movies he's watching for the first time. He does mainly horror and thrillers, but also some comedies, animation, and other stuff. He's seems genuine, and he really loves movies.

I almost watched the viral video of those black teenagers listening to "In the Air" for the first time, but I got distracted by shit I'm actually interested in.

I did for a while, and enjoyed it a lot. Didn't last more than a week, though. I don't much like youtubers.

Here's one we can all react to for a change. I love this kid and his enthusiasm for the Theatre! Apparently, he is only 15/16 years old. His Mother kills me.

Wow, R2. That's mindblowing. How does he play so fast? And how does he play so many different beats at the same time?

I hate this trend. One of my 55+ friends who just decided 3 years ago to become an actor has just started releasing reaction videos in a pathetic attempt at fame. I am not going to promote him here, lets just say he has no background the creative field or content creation or a grasp of current music. His deal is that he is "middle aged" reacting to modern music. Basically, who cares? He picks very popular songs in the hopes that he gets more click and likes riding the coat tails of that particular artist.

This queen is kind of funny.

Can't stand them, wanna be Elviras

Kelly had the twins on the Billboard Music Awards! She also showed them on her talk show. The boys have no musical talent and they post TOO many vids now, but they gave people some hope in hard times. They've succeeded where thousands of others fail. But mostly because they listen to everything and anything that millennials to eldergays loved. Beyond that. Their responses are visceral, musical and they are sincere. It's clearly the one twin who has made this his passion. And he works hard at it. He moves well and feels the beats and LYRICS of everything they listen to. I approve of their success. I think he works at fast food for 12 hours shifts - but he has his muscle car now!! Thanks to 700,000 twitter subscribers. These two poor guys without a daddy don't quite get what about their channel works, but it costs nothing to watch them and they get PAID. Good guys. I approve their success. Plus the songs remember when. They remind me of some good stuff and introduce me to shit I passed by, back when. Because the premise of their channel is to watch things they have never heard, they go way back and forth and forward. They even listen to "girls." Yeah he said he never did before. Ha.

Now watch them bliss out to Dolly Parton or freak out to Kelly Clarkson, Adele and Nina Simone. There's some weird pleasure in watching them.

Yeah. Covid lockdown has lowered my standards. But there are worse things I could do...

I like the reaction video where 2 boys are presented a rotary dial telephone and are challenged to make a phone call with it. No pencils were present ladies!

r61, those two take themselves a little too seriously... that's why I like the twins... zero pretense...

[quote]My nephews watch videos of other people playing video games on Youtube

When I was a kid in the 80s I'd watch others play video games at the arcade and I thought those video game videos would be the same, but they're not. You don't really learn any insight into how to play the games, people are just watching to hear some "big name" make some stupid comment while playing. It's bizarre.

The reactions that Tim does alone are better than the ones he does with Fred. He shows more insight into the music.

He even gets more personal. In one he showed the list of audience suggestions that he is working through.

I came across this highly flaming husband and boring wife doing reactions to metal songs. So I’m not so much watching for the reactions but more for the inevitable forthcoming “we are getting a divorce” video.

No because they’re all set-up, fake situations. And I don’t care what you think about hearing your first Jethro Tull song.

Charolette Dobre is quite funny

The only ones i watch are skincare specialists reacting to celebrities skin care routines.

I probably already know the answer, but are there reaction videos to watching reaction videos?

That’s the next generation of YouTube videos, R86.

OP, yes, I've fallen down that same rabbit hole. Most of the "reactors" -- like the very popular "twins" -- are so inarticulate it can get a bit uninspiring after a while. I prefer reactors like the aforementioned Jamal a bit more interesting. Those reactors who have SOME musical knowledge and do a little bit of research rather than going into every video blind. But, regardless, there's something undeniably charming about seeing people react to music you or I may have grown up with with fresh ears. And, it does seem like kids today grow up a lot more open-minded and genre-agnostic. When I was growing up kids who listened to hip hop were not also going to be listening to country or pop or indie rock. And, I've noticed young straight guys aren't afraid of saying they enjoy pop music that earlier generations would have said was "too gay."

R86 reactionception

Re:react

R80 that's how 90% or more are and it's annoying. I watch this one guy that does an amazing job -- he actually plays, going through how to, and showing new games, without the screaming/ screeching bs. He also calls out games for being a rip off. He's very critical, but fair.

I like the young kids react videos, whe they try foods of the world (and young kids seem more genuine in telling the truth), but in general, I'm not crazy about YouTube trends. Most of it is hype and commercialism. They are products and want to please the audience and sponsors. Might as well watch infomercials.

R11 My favorite Zachary Michael reacts are those involving Chantal "Foodie Beauty" Saurault. I CANNOT STAND her, so his reacts are great.

Bizarre kind of entertainment for all those involved. But at least some of the "unboxers" and "reactors" are making some coin, so the joke is on you for watching.

R86, here is an example:

I've watched a couple and decided they aren't for me. I find the concept lazy---if you have something to say about someone else's work, then prepare some remarks and use the other video to illustrate---and the execution boring.

I thought the concept for these was ridiculous - why would I waste time watching somebody react to something I'm already familiar with? I have been fortunate to avoid this trend for the most part. But when the twins Phil Collins reaction went viral I just watched it because someone recommended it.

I fell down the rabbit hole. The one kid who does a lot of the reactions solo is too adorable and a sweetheart. However, after watching a handful of those videos it led me to the Lost in Vegas guys that R6 mentioned. I FUCKING LOVE THEM. I think I am in love with George. He is gorgeous. And their reviews are like listening to big music nerds but they are super personable and engaging. I have probably watched their reaction to Black Sabbath's War Pigs and Jane's Addiction's Ocean Size a half a dozen times each. Their reaction is so infectious and I love both those songs so it was a joy to see someone flip over them the way I did the first time I listened to them. They spent 40 minutes listening and waxing to Tool's Pneuma. They are real music fans, and while they admit they are not musically educated, they go out of their way to really talk in music terms and their excitement is palpable when they hit on something they are wowed by. And as I said, George is gorgeous and just extremely charismatic.

Their reaction to Van Halen's Ain't Talkin Bout Love is also priceless.

I've only watched 3.5 in my entire life, and they were all lame.

I listen to a lot of podcasts from The Ringer and ended up watching hosts react to Top Gun 2, Uncut Gems, and No Time to Die. They had some funny quips here and there, but ultimately I didn't get the point.

I watched less than half of the two British teens reacting to Phil Collins' In the Air, but their accents were so annoying I couldn't handle it.

Actually a helpful look at camera movement and editing concepts.

Get high and listen to " Black Betty" for the first time.

HA! R99 -- that was fun. I'd forgotten all about that song. I think I first heard it in the early 2000s on the soundtrack to that Jonny Depp film 'Blow'. Now I have to see if they have any other good songs.

Audience reactions when they don't know they're being filmed can be entertaining - like when they do a huge reveal in a movie and the reaction is shown.

The youtubers are simply over-acting and silly.