MrBiffo
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PLEASE, WHAT IS GOOD IN THE HOOD?
🕑 Added 2020-06-29 09:02:19 +0000 UTCHappy Monday, top-tier gang. Hope you're all good.
So at the end of last week, I temporarily disabled comments on the YouTube channel... then made it so they had to be approved before I'd post them. It was pretty clear that one rabid idiot, with multiple accounts, was spamming the comments with "bring back Gannon/Larry/Eli" and "this is shit content"-type posts - essentially paraphrasing me, because he obviously thought that was the best way to get under my skin.
It didn't. And it didn't bother Sanja either, thankfully. Or, rather, what they were saying didn't bother me - just made me more determined to continue in this vein, if anything - but it does rankle a bit when I know someone is deliberately trying to get a rise out of me just for the sake of it. It's just so tiresome. I mean, how old are you?!
But nonetheless, I'm not having our otherwise lovely YT comments section dominated by one or two twats. Who of course, then did the whole "LOL... I made you shut down comments, you coward... Not a good look" thing when realising I was deleting the comments. Even though I was screen-shotting them first before deleting them, and actually shared a few on Twitter.
It was probably a mistake to do that, of course; that sort of exposure just encourages the troll... but I've always been of the opinion that you shine a light on that sort of limp behaviour, not keep it in the shadows.
That said, mainly it was so I could go "See!!! I told you all I wasn't making it up!" about those who didn't like the channel's current, Lockdown-imposed, direction (again, it has become clear that we massively underestimated the number of people we inherited from Barshens, who seem to only want all Barshens people all the time... who thought Digitiser was an extension of Barshens... and didn't understand that Digi, and me, had a whole history that existed before Barshens).
But aaaaaanyway... I'll get rid of the comment approval thing in a couple of days. We're actually meant to be filming with Gannon this week, but I'm wary, because now it risks looking like I've only brought him back because some CS fans threw their toys out of the pram.
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH
Ultimately, since the rebrand, I've never felt more confident about what the channel is and isn't, and that we'll find our audience in time. And that I won't care if we don't, because I enjoy what we're doing, and plenty of you lot enjoy it, and that is enough. On the videos with Sanja, though they have been deliberately quite lo-fi and unplugged - chiefly because most of my energies have been going into Lost Footage in recent months - I love the warmth and realness of them, especially the Storytime episodes. They felt right for the time we're living in.
And of course... I've loved Lost Footage.
It has been good to get clear why I'm doing this - especially at my age, when I already have a career that's going just fine, thanks - and it's simply because I enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge, I enjoy messing about, I love making things... and the pace of proper TV production can be tortuously glacial. I love the community. I cease enjoying myself when I'm trying to tailor the content to people who want something different.
At the weekend, we were throwing around ideas for where we go from here; I kind of want to do something with a bit more production soon - just some set dressing, like we used to have with the desk, and a second camera. I know you probably don't care, but I appreciate it when it looks like we've put a bit of effort into the look of episodes. And Gannon episodes will likely remain at the desk, except for any we film outside.
Over the weekend, I actually went and privated a few of the older videos, because I don't want them to be representative of what I want the channel to be. It's usually when the sex jokes get a bit too near the line that I get a little twitchy.
Yes, I know I was the man responsible for The Real Turner the Worm, but over the years I've mostly just peddled in innuendo, silliness, and weirdness, and not outright filth. That's more Cheapshow's thing, and I'm never entirely comfortable when I'm associated with it. It probably says much about the current - ahem - "subscriber readjustment" that many of these videos were among our most-viewed. But, once again, if I'm to claim ownership of my channel, I need to do it, and stick to my guns.
What's next will likely be one more Storytime video. I like things having a run of six episodes - the classic British TV series length - and that'll probably be about Chernobyl (though I could just do them endlessly; I'm not short of stories).
Not sure yet what we're doing with Gannon, but it'll be more akin to the Digi Minis we were doing. Of course, we're still limited in terms of what we can do because of current restrictions; we can't do more Digitiser Deluxe (or whatever I rename it) just yet, but I'm hopefully that we're going to ramp up gradually to better production values, and more ambitious videos once again - and more special guests. While also balancing it out with more personal sort of content. And more Sanja.
Like I've said; think of it like a TV channel, with different sorts of things on it.
Oh! And we're sort of tentatively thinking of doing something special the weekend that was meant to be Digitiser Live. Not sure what yet, but if you've any bright ideas... please post them below!
Paul
Comments
Chris Smith
Loved the CFZ videos and am looking forward to more of those. Favourite quote was: "Give Deet your deets." I don't understand why I found that so funny, but I did.
Rich John
I'm really enjoying the latest set of videos. I'll be honest, I'm taking them slowly because they are quite long, so I don't always watch them when they first go up (even when they are exclusive for us patrons). Finished the gruesome car crash video yesterday. Haven't done the monster hunter ones yet, although I read a piece you wrote on digitiser2000 about your Chrenobyl trip, so will deffo be watching that. Also.... I woke up on Sunday morning with the guitar loop from Pie Vendors in the Night in my head. Along with "all types of pie". It gets in your head. One question - in the calculator industry video, is that a Kim Jong Un wig you're wearing, with a Geordi LaForge from Start Trek TNG style visor?
Treacle Truffle
I discovered Cheapshow via Digitiser (and Hayley Steven's Spooktator podcast) so to me it's like an immature sibling. One of the things I appreciate most about you is how accessible you are, on twitter, on here and on the YT comments, but the downside is it provides an easy route for arse holes to try and troll you. With regards to the Digi Live date how about a mass rewatch of last year's spectacular, or a curated selection from the Digi/Biffovision archives. As always much love to you and Sanja.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Thanks, Jordan. I know some people will find this weird... but I do have this sort of puritanical prudish side to me...! Not that I don't find a lot of that stuff funny - I do - but at the same time... I've got kids, and I write kids TV, and so sometimes the more extreme end of the humour sits awkwardly with me when I'm kind of giving my name to it. It's more about first impressions than anything; when I first listened to Cheapshow I thought it was just utter filth... then I stuck with it, I realised there was far more to it. But I admit, I nearly didn't stick with it.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
I dunno. Fair idea, but a disclaimer just draws attention to it. It's only a handful of videos. I'd just rather they weren't there at all.
I have always found it strange when people deliberately go out of their way to watch, and then comment on things if they KNOW they don't like them. Simply to troll, i guess. I personally have thoroughly enjoyed the lo-fi story time videos lately, as they have been unfiltered, and have allowed us to sort of see how naturally interesting and likeable both you and Sanja are. I always felt that you were only begrudgingly joining in when, for example, Gannon went a bit "oversexual". Cheapshow is great, Barshens was great, but we already have those, and I think it's wonderful that you are reclaiming this channel and doing your own thing. Here's to much more of it. \o/
Dave Graves
Heaven forbid your content not be more Cheapshow. I mean...isn't it possible for two things to exist at once. I'd keep the near the knuckle stuff up, but just insert a new few seconds intro crawl or disclaimer saying something about how you feel. If people then choose to judge you...well... they're idiots and you'll never please them. But most people are able to discern that others have different facets to their personality. Be well.
