Channel Awesome is Two-Faced

I talk about my interpretation of the bad management going on at Channel Awesome.
The Full Story: docs.google.com/document/d/1W...
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Twitter: / pieguyrulz
Gaming Channel: / letsplaypkmn

[@thequestion4818]

I love how someone as analytical, critical and articulate as you still goes by the name PieGuyRulz. Never change

[@nerdythespian1212]

I think my heart would shatter if he ever changed the name of his channel.

[@411314]

Michael Beld Who's "The Question"?

[@BrandMath-ns5yc]

I've been watching him since I was 13 lol I'm 20 now, I love how he's stay true to himself feels like I've grown with him

[@fattony8615]

Maybe it's secretly called pieguyrulz and he hid the word pi in his name, and he has an iq of 420, watches Rick and morty, is an atheist, and ok, this joke has gone on long enough.

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

Brand. Math Way better than Josh Thomas...

[@phantomstrider]

8:30 brilliant point about online journalism regarding things like a lack of experience or ethical experience. A statement that applies to some KZbin channels in general. Very articulate and balanced look at the situation pieguy. Kudos.

[@bendytheinkdemon6910]

Preach it!

[@gracekim25]

Wait a second you know?

[@alexanderklepp]

I do agree with the fact that Doug has been hypocritical with his reviews especially with the Lorax, the chart guys, Tommy Wiseau, and with corporations like Disney and Nick. I also agree. I really hope that they change.

[@taralen1101]

I gave up on Doug/Nostalgia Critic years ago. He's a funny guy yes, but he's a terrible reviewer and I don't know if it's because he's not familiar with what he's reviewing on, or didn't watch or study it carefully, or he forgets he's talking about children and kids stuff and he makes a big deal out of unnecessary shit.The Inspector Gadget review I think was when I threw in the towel. When he made fun of the Segways the first time it was funny, but when he kept making a big deal out of something so petty, was when it became unfunny and annoying. The fact he did those handful of videos to where he talks about all the mistakes and errors he did on his reviews was also interesting.

[@carlbloke8797]

Alex Klepp me too

[@bendu8282]

Taralen I'm pretty sure that is the point. He is not your average reviewer. Doug's character the nestalgia critic is ment to make big deals out of petty stuff. He is a comedic reviewer. He has his serious and intelligent moments in alot of his reviews on why he thinks a movie is good, bad or inbetween but when he is acting angry,goofy, or crazy he is staying true to the nestalgia critic character which is an over the top comedic reviewer. Now if you did not fine those jokes funny in the inspector Gadget review I respect that but that is apart of his character. Now I don't fully agree with you on how he reviews films. I think he is a great reviewer in his own way but he still stays true to his role and he is hell of alot good at it.

[@kylecampbell565]

Doug: but the chart says....

[@whodatninja439]

Also he keeps stealing ideas from Rebeltaxi. Pan does a movie, and then a couple weeks later NC does the same lmao

[@McSuperfly101]

Mike Michaud looks like he should be selling weed to college kids, not allegedly running a company. After reading a lot of that document it seems apparent that they desperately wanted to come across as professional entrepreneurs, but unfortunately had no real idea of what that actually entailed... in Michaud's case it seemed like he'd watched Glengarry Glen Ross a few too many times and thought that all bosses were supposed to act like Alec Baldwin's character.

[@cybercrasherstv]

*very* underated comment

[@laughslapproductions4690]

Lmao well said. entrepreneurs? They’re entertainers. They’re not creating and running Fortune 500 companies. There’s a difference lol.

[@freakyfriesday]

*is that awkward person who’s subscribed to both pieguy and channel awesome * Edit: wow...I didn’t think it could be this bad. Very shocked and saddened.

[@nerdythespian1212]

I'm in the same boat. Subscribed to both Channel Awesome and Pieguy

[@amesstarline5482]

E C It's not awkward, it's nice to be with both ends.

[@refgarnet3022]

Same here

[@AlienFaun]

I know the feeling, though I'm really picky of what videos I wanna to watch.

[@vincentmarcellino7183]

It's unwise to take wisdom from one and blind yourself to the others. Wisdom of Kriea/Arren Kae/Darth Treya.

[@smokesterify]

What I've gotten out of all of this is to just remain independent as a creator.

[@Evanthemovieguy]

Honestly, I'm glad that Phelous left Channel Awesome, he's too good for it. I think that Cinema Snob (Brad Jones) should leave Channel Awesome as well.

[@Nakia11798]

EvantheMovieGuy Snob does well on his channel right now. He could definitely do well without Channel Awesome imo.

[@ExValeFor]

phelous was a crock of absolute dogshit, his voice makes me want to kill people

[@maximillianlylat1589]

Cinema snob is possibly the ca creator that could eveb start his own crew if he wanted

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

EvantheMovieGuy I love Phelous. I think he was better off without Channel Awesome...

[@bridgetjohnson6293]

i think brad is a little closer than the rest linkara as well i believe they are closer to doug than some of the other creators if anything it feels there still there out of loyalty and friendship as opposed to a content supporter

[@philly_sports1558]

I see a lot of parallels between Doug Walker and Walt Disney. Just hear me out on this. Both men essentially came up from nothing until they found their passion in the film industry. Both managed to make a name for themselves by being a leading innovator in a new medium. For Walt it was animated features and for Doug it was online videos. Before they knew it, they were thrust into a position of power and had a lot of people that came flocking to join them. Both men managed to make millions of people happy and inspired them to find their own passions, whether that be film or anything else. Both Doug Walker and Walt Disney have been described as nice people and having kind personalities, while having their own respective egos. However, both have had issues in the relations departments of running their companies. Doug became a puppet for an asshole CEO, while Walt was known to be pretty power-hungry with his employees. I think Doug is a good person deep down. He's constantly shown nothing but love and gratitude towards his fans, and his countless number of Q&As and convention appearances prove this. He also has maintained many friendships with people over the years and many people wish to collaborate with him. Brad Jones and Chris Stuckmann being examples. I just don't think the guy is good at managing things, and Michaud is the real evil here.

[@Tornado1994]

He is. Doug is not a bad guy, neither is Rob. Michaud is a PUNK, and a flat out CROOK.

[@DrGregoryHouseIT]

Tornado1994 You're being kind to Michaud.

[@411314]

Huh, that's an interesting comparison. I never thought of it that way before, but now that you've pointed out all the parallels I can totally see it.

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

rob seems to have the position of walt's brother roy. hell, rob is just one letter away from roy

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

maybe there's even some kind of reincarnation thing going on here...

[@Moxiegirlsophie]

I was shocked reading what happened. Dang

[@luniperstellones3364]

Moxiegirlsophie Me too

[@xbox360funches]

Sucks too. I really liked Nostalgia Critic

[@michaelvessel4604]

Same. I was a huge fan of the Nostalgia Critic and Channel Awesome for about five years and it is this that has finally broken the camels back for me and caused me to unsubscribe altogether from Channel Awesome.

[@tommycipriani2254]

What's going on exactly? I'm a fan of Nostalgia Critic so this is crazy.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

+Produce yeah

[@xJoJoYox]

A lot of people (including myself) saw this coming years ago. Except then, we were told that we were overreacting or jealous. Funny how things work.

[@fermintenava5911]

The Mage of Breath That's not strange at all - Channel Awesome has its own way of faking sincerity, so they have bred (unconsciously) their own little squad of vicious defenders.

[@Sammmmmmmm617]

The Mage of Breath such as? Tell me

[@namegoeshere5220]

Sam I assume they are talking about either the events of: Obscurous Lupa, JesuOtaku, Spooney, or Nostalgia Chick. There was drama with the first three and then the fourth when she left.

[@Rubberman202]

You know, after reading the list of grievances, I get the impression that Doug Walker, particularly whenever he's filming one of those anniversary movies, is more like his Nostalgia Critic "character" than he thinks: smug, egotistical, too sure of his own supposed genius, completely oblivious to the complaints of everyone around him. Like, it's almost eerie at just how much the line between character and creator is blurred, particularly with To Boldly Flee. Such smug satisfaction over something that didn't feel the need to actually try to be good because "PLOT HOLE LOL"! I'm seriously never watching another Nostalgia Critic again after reading that document, since even though Doug managed to avoid the majority of complaints, I find it hard to believe that Doug's been THIS oblivious to all the horrible stuff that's been happening for almost 10 years now.

[@missiontobeaman3111]

Genius? He talks about movies on KZbin, he doesn’t build rocket ships or cure cancer. Let’s be real lmao.

[@laughslapproductions4690]

Mission to be A Man good point man lol

[@CaptainJZH]

A lot of this confirms a lot of crap I suspected from the Walkers for a while, like Doug & Rob’s “anti-intellectualist streak,” as Lindsay Ellis puts it. They always came across as not really caring for any real knowledge about how film actually works. Also, as an aside, I really sympathized with Fool Fantastic’s story, since it reminded me of my own personal crap.

[@matthiasrauert8397]

Pains me to here that stuff. I still love NC and he helped me through many bad times. Its rly sad to here such things, especially since they are doing it for so long. But while its no excuse for all the scummy things hes done Doug had a positive impact on my and i believe many others lives. I just hope Channel Awesome takes all what happened to heart (even if that sounds naive) and change. I would be real sad to see such an icon go.

[@carlbloke8797]

Brandon Roberts that's true. It's possible Doug had to be under Michaud's thumb since he was basically a slave

[@JustJustin.]

Carl Bloke I agree, I don't think the Walkers are to blame here. It's kinda like if the government passes a new law and a certain state had to change their legal system, the State has no choice but to abide, but then THEY look like the bad guys when really they're just doing what their told.

[@matthiasrauert8397]

But still Doug is an adult fairly intelligent individual, so to say that its all the other guys fault is simply wrong. Like Pieguy said even if he had no ill intent and was just watching. That still puts blame on him for not doing anything. Don't get me wrong the last thing i want is to bash Doug, but i believe in order to change and improve you have to accept your mistakes, so there is no point in defending someone who obviously did something wrong. That being said i also don't think that blowing things out of proportion (like it tends to happen on the internet) is helpful either.

[@Lightning-gg5iu]

Matthias Rauert I don't really blame Dough. My guess is the CEO kept him quite

[@Tornado1994]

Michaud has ALWAYS been the problem.

[@BlueGuy98]

Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you say here. I like a lot of Channel Awesome’s creators (including the Nostalgia Critic) and I want the website to succeed, which is why I think they need to make some serious changes. For one thing, Doug needs to buy the rights to the Nostalgia Critic and fire Mike Michaud. He has done nothing but hurt the CA community, and they need to find someone who treats the producers well and helps the website grow. I also think Doug and Rob should focus more on their own show and not get caught up in other management areas. They don’t seem to be able to handle other CA series, so I think they need to find someone else to reach out to the creators and listen to them.

[@411314]

Andrew Kuder That's assuming Michaud would willingly sell the rights to the Nostalgia Critic. Also, one person in the linked document says Michaud is majority shareholder of Channel Awesome, which I think would make it rather hard to fire him as CEO.

[@matthewkuechler8342]

Firing Michuad would fix a lot of problems and I do think he would sell the character for enough money which I think and hope Doug would be willing to pay

[@411314]

Keke 66 But if Michaud owns a majority of the stock in Channel Awesome, doesn't that give him the authority to choose who the CEO is, meaning he can keep himself in that position as long as he wants? I mean generally in a company, the shareholders either elect a CEO who then stays till voted our by the shareholders or elect a board of directors who then stay till voted out, right? And in the latter case, the board elects a CEO who stays till voted out by the board, right? And in either case the more stock you have, the more votes you get so a majority shareholder could out-vote everyone else, right? I don't deny that firing Michaud would fix a lot of problems, but if he's majority shareholder and CA is structured the way most companies are, it'd be impossible to fire him unless he willingly gives up his stock in the company, wouldn't it?

[@emarythomp]

Wait Doug doesn’t have the rights to nostalgia critic?? The fuck? It’s literally him in a costume. This isn’t a cartoon. What if Mike denies Doug the rights? What is he gonna do? Dress up as nostalgia critic himself? Lmao the fuck

[@antifagoat6591]

Series Of Numbers Right. The only way for the Walkers to get away from Michaud is to leave CA and start a new website. The cost would be that Doug could never play NC again, since Michaud owns the rights to the character. Basically he'd have to take another risk by "killing" the character again with a new show, which he has failed at -TWICE.

[@Aperink]

I love the DK shirt!

[@TheLegoMaster261]

Wholeheartedly agree! I'm so happy you acknowledged it!

[@nerdyfan21]

Omg I was thinking that though-out the video. XD

[@BlueflagAlpha]

same

[@mr.meloetta1939]

I watched someone read out the entire PDF in a livestreamed. It's over five hours long.

[@RC--ji2ov]

Mr. Meloetta “someone” it was number 1 on trending for the livestream tab

[@mr.meloetta1939]

Yes. It was Down The Rabbit Hole. Still, ya gotta be amazed on how long that PDF was.

[@RC--ji2ov]

Mr. Meloetta granted, it was a collection of many many stories

[@nexusgiga]

Mr. Meloetta someone went. Down the rabbit hole

[@themudpit621]

It was 70 pages. I read it, didn't take five hours though. And Kou, I agree, it was a waste of time, but at least I know there's nothing much to it.

[@TheaterPup]

You're right. They could have said, "Look, guys, Nostalgia Critic is what's currently bringing in the money, we're not going to be able to support you the way we'd hoped. Good luck with everything." Instead it sounds like they took it to a very cliquish, underhanded place, for no good reason.

[@paulwebb2078]

You should rename this Content Cop: Channel Awesome

[@catgirlthyme]

me wantie a jakie paulie chomptchen chap

[@wittybanter96]

Too soon for that

[@Isaac-lp5fw]

When’s the diss track coming out then?

[@hunt3r_OW]

GuiltyUntillProvenSober No, everything idubbbz says seems generic and unoriginal. Due to the fact that everyone copies his opinions on people.

[@nerdyfan21]

Well he only done two CA videos...

[@MrJACKBaird]

Without even knowing of an apparent controversy, just watching the channel I could tell something was up. From my perspective, people would just appear in the Nostalgia Critic videos serving as background cameos and parts of the sketches without any real recognition and some I think would just come and go. I would never see any of them besides a small few do anything besides this.

[@liamdude5722]

I dont understand this. Tamara, Malcolm, and Jim are credited in the new theme song, and he recently had The Last Angry Geek collab, and he worked pretty close with him.

[@MrJACKBaird]

Thanks btw those are 2 examples I did not know but besides a few instances I do not see them being represented as well as they should

[@kylecampbell565]

Mr.JACKBaird given how many critical analysises that are factually wrong, how many jokes drag out for too long and how many times he “coincidentally” makes a review around the same as other reviews (like Norm of the North with Mr Enter and Woody Woodpecker with Pan Pizza). I personally believe doug is at least subconsciously trying to run Nostalgia Critic into the ground so he can revive Demo Real or make some new project he’s actually passionate about rather than just worried about paying the bills

[@liamdude5722]

Kyle Campbell I personally don't think he's done a joke that's dragged out too long since the days when Rachel was still around.

[@kylecampbell565]

liamdude5 what about the muppets gag in the commercials video? I just find all of his cutaway skits mildly amusing at best annoying at worst

[@fortblocks]

I expected nothing less from a channel that has basically turned into an SNL wannabe.

[@JustJustin.]

Damn, this all escalated quicky! I just found out about this today, and you already made a video about it! Honestly, I'm sure Doug will address this in the next editorial, and I will be 100% open to what he has to say. I've watched him for years now, and I doubt he had any intention of things getting this bad. I haven't read the whole document, but it sounds like a situation where Doug and Rob would be doing their own thing with the Nostalgia Critic(which is a huge project in and of itself), and OCCASIONALLY reach out to Mike to see how the site is doing. Mike would replay, "We good!" and Doug and Rob would remain ignorant to these issues. If they're not given the full story, they may look like they're are neglecting creators, when really, they aren't aware of the real issue. Thanks for reading, and to Pieguy, your professionalism and maturity never ceases to inspire!

[@blackoverblueskies6221]

Channel Awesome could've been bigger than KZbin (professionally speaking). It was very depressing reading the document. Channel Awesome only cared about Nostalgia Critic, Linkara, and Spoony. Everyone else was viewed as garbage. It's a shame and wasted potential.

[@Nelcomarproductions]

me personally I wont believe anything unless their is definitive proof. So many liars no a days that they could be telling this for attention.

[@blackoverblueskies6221]

Nelcomarproductions if it was a few people I'd agree, but almost 70 pages of lies that all add up (even from the "bigger" talent) seems plausible

[@Nelcomarproductions]

some ones word with no evidence or proof is not facts. Many people have said that they have bin abducted by ufo's and have similar stories, yet most people dont believe them because of lack of evidence. i believe this will be another mattress girl or bill Cosby incident. Where there are many allegations, with no proof.

[@blackoverblueskies6221]

Nelcomarproductions well, look at Harvey Weinstein. There isn't any proof against him, just a bunch of testimonies. Channel Awesome has made millions off their talent and it's gross to be treated the way their talent was treated. Plus Channel Awesome "apologized" they know what they did.

[@blackoverblueskies6221]

Nelcomarproductions I know there IS some proof against Harvey Weinstein, but the people he harassed that didn't record it aren't automatically lying.

[@Falxifer95]

I've been a fan of the majority of the Channel Awesome's crew for 5 years and learning all of this was heartbreaking and I'm beyond disappointed with the Walkers behavior, for turning a blind eye to the abuses of Michaud against the other producers and for being so apathetic and negligent.

[@samuelcarter4244]

I disagree with you on comparing this to Jontron. Jontron said one thing stupid. He admitted he was in the wrong. And admitted that it didn't come out as intended. This has been going on for years and makes the channel hard to look at the same way again. So I honestly think they won't recover from this. But only time will tell.

[@RainbowBagels]

Most of these issues have been out there in the public for literally years. It’s shocking how only now, people are starting to back away, leave and cause massive uproars. Mr Metokour’s series on That Guy With The Glasses is a great watch to go along with the PDF, as it hits not just on Doug, but every big creator involved with That Guy With The Glasses and Channel Awesome. Doug is incredibly incompetent and, for lack of a better term, a coward. His brother, is just as bad as Mike. It’s sad to see that issues that could have been ironed out earlier on, are still prevalent to this day. Just another MCN-like channel and website.

[@TommyDeonauthsArchives]

New media can be awful sometimes. It's why I unsubscribed from Josh Thomas... he has too much of an ego. It is really depressing to see Channel Awesome fall apart due to bad management, but I'll try my best to separate the art from the artist when it comes to Doug Walker.

[@owlstagawn1106]

You know, I was just going to watch the new Nostalgia Critic episode on YT today. I noticed how most of the comments were talking about something else. I decided to check up on twitter and after reading what happened, I unsubscribed and unfollowed them temporarily until this situation was resolved. I hope they can work things out since I really enjoy most Channel Awesome's content and creators.

[@frogglen6350]

owlstag awn There is no point in watching it anyway. I Hate Everything and Rebeltaxi already reviewed the Woodpecker movie. And I am sure their reviews are 4 times better.

[@TonyExists]

Anime is Trash Well it all depends on what type if review format you like rebeltaxi makes videos kinda like NC and IHE but with an adult twist IHE more or less makes essays but just with jokes and good editing added in

[@frogglen6350]

TonyTheHamMan NC is skits only

[@idfkam]

Sorry if you disagree, but I feel like you one person not watching wont change much and even if you dont like what they do to people who work on the shows doesnt mean you shouldn't watch the show if you like the show, thats like if Hitler was an amazing movie actor and he made really amazing work in movies but then hey he turned into Hitler the killer you wouldn't like him the person and you wouldnt support the murders, but you can still enjoy the work he made or would make thats just how it is. I feel like its the Jontron situation people didnt like what he said on that podcast thing and they stopped watching, why? You can hate the person but too take away a show from your self that you really enjoy when they release it, its unfair too yourself just watch what you like and fight the good fight.

[@super8bitable]

Anime is Trash Coming from someone with no profile picture and a middle-schooler username. Plus, IHE's channel is awful.

[@kizunadragon9]

Craft services is SOP at any production. So important is this, that several actors get it written into their contracts and several actors union make damn sure this basic need is taken care of.. An actors body is how they make a living so they make sure to take care of it. Shame on Channel Awesome for not providing this basic need to the actors.

[@CrazyBlonde13]

Good take on this Pieguyrulz. I used to religously watch thatguywiththeglasses. I am so disappointed with all that has been brought to light. They lost over 6000 subs past few days and their youtube channel. It brings me some joy.

[@TASprocudtions454]

This is why I lost all respect for Channel Awesome. They are just becoming so corporate and vile now. However, it’s not just that thy do these things. It’s also how they let that effect their content. Not only is it sterile and bland, but whenever they have a grievance, it effects their content. For example, their infamous Christmas with the Kranks review. I’m still subbed, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to know why.

[@iron1349]

I think Brad and Guru Larry are trying to outlast each other. Last man standing gets.....bragging rights?

[@quent.inhood]

All these channel awesome videos popping up and WHOOP HERES PIEGUYRULZ

[@nerdythespian1212]

I'm not sure what to do. I still like watching the Nostalia Critic Reviews, but I am shocked and saddened that this is happening. I don't know if i should unsubscribe, because I do still really like watching most of their videos.

[@angery9942]

Caroline Slater Do what you think is right.

[@nerdythespian1212]

Well you have to remember that the Nostalgia Critic is a character Doug plays

[@hazycat8466]

Wow PieGuy, I'm loving the multiple uploads lately! I'm glad you've had more time lately, and I'll watch every video that comes out as always! 😀

[@LadyBrightcynder]

Just got done reading the main doc and the related docs. Always been a huge fan of Doug and I'm really upset to see all this come out. After the first staff exodus, I naively believed everything was still okay and now I just don't know what to think... I desperately hope things change.

[@Tornado1994]

They will. First things first: Mike Michaud has GOT TO GO.

[@swishfish8858]

Tornado1994 - Wish it were that simple. But he apparently holds majority shares in the company and also owns the IP rights to the Nostalgia Critic character. He goes, NC is done. And I don't think CA is willing to give away their Mickey Mouse just to get rid of their Rick Berman.

[@masterprick1]

I kind of like Doug, so I hope he does the right thing a truly redeems himself.

[@munromister777]

I didn't really hear too much about all this until Linkara mentioned leaving in a recent video. I'd heard a few things from people like Phelous, but not that much. After Linkara's video, I went searching for more, and I've been utterly shocked and appalled by all I've heard and read. It's absolutely terrible the things that go on behind the scenes, and while Mike is definitely the main problem, Doug and Rob definitely should get blame too, especially since they helped write the movies and pushed the production along so terribly. They've lost some amazing talent from their actions and their shying away from dealing with the consequences. They need to fire Mike and actually address the problems that are happening. Hopefully they get their act together soon, but until then, they're going to keep losing content creators and fans left and right.

[@alexwaterfield2984]

Nostalga critic is two-faace? always thought he resembled riddler

[@TheUltimateZMAN]

The lordkat live ca supercuts are perfect in going into firsthand detail of how messed up ca is

[@colliesis]

The latest NC video had no Malcom, Tamara, Jim, or Rob... I wonder if something new happened behind the scenes.

[@JuliaDelbel]

I haven't watched since this came to light but lately it seems like they're switching between "classic" style NC reviews (no skits) and ones with extra actors and stuff.

[@troyshostakov1102]

I'm glad you listed ways this could have been avoided and things they could have done differently. Negativity, while warranted in this situation, is not how online video communities will avoid this in the future. Discussing how this got to this point is how video sites and communities will improve.

[@IttzAndrew]

I can’t even imagine what Justin Carmichael (JewWario) would have to say about all of this if he were still with us. He was always one of the most reasonable people on the channel it seemed.

[@IttzAndrew]

Zogeta Saiya I never heard anything about that.

[@IttzAndrew]

Wow... this comment did not age well...

[@blaa6]

I hope they make a video about all of this.

[@morssinistram5169]

yeah and if doug tries to make a video his boss mike michaud will probably fire him and cant use his own character because he was allegedly tricked into giving the IP over to mike michaud

[@BlueflagAlpha]

as of april 20 , still not yet

[@iluvyurbles]

This truly sad to hear, and I hope they can get this fixed up. They're a powerhouse in youtube, they should be better than this. But this is no time to be forming a witch hunt and attacking them as that will not solve the problem and may end up making it worse.

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

To be cynical... it's not like we didn't all know this shit happened. Even back in Kickassia days (and yes I did like all the anniversary movies- I just wish they were as fun offscreen as they were on) I still knew that there were a few things they weren't telling me. i think Doug doesn't know how to do this, even though he's doing this for awhile. Being suckered in to McCoud's bullshit is so easy even when you do know better. And even people who like his work know he can be a bit of an idiot. I'm not unsubbing, because I still like the NC's (non-clipless) content, and that's what matters to me most. But I really really hope he buys back his NC IP and sells it to someone who actually knows what he's doing. If Doug has the money, he should do the right thing.

[@tomknoll5546]

Really, he could just call himself "The Nostalgia Guy" and wear a different tie to go on with it. Michaud would never have a chance to continue the series without Doug, so just use a different name for a couple months until Michaud gives up and hands the IP back for a small price...?

[@ronnieblossom3956]

Omg been waiting for thissss

[@MegaToonzNetwork]

OMG, Ronnie Blossom is a PPG!

[@rojoe802]

This hurts my soul

[@amesstarline5482]

I remember finding Nostalgia Critic and Lindsey/The Nostalgia Chick through their Chipmunk Adventure review, and I followed Channel Awesome off and on for a while now, seeing many of the recent episodes. After watching your video here, Pieguy, I feel more aware of the situation that suddenly sparked up about Doug and the crew. Sometimes things you like aren't managed the best, and it's always good to learn from mistakes. I support you guys, and thank you, too.

[@dudebladeX]

From what I've gathered in the comments, and taking a quick look at the document myself, there's a case to be made here. Doug and Rob have a case of ego, while Mike is the real villain here. I might be wrong in this, but I'd say that none of them are innocent, but it's Mike that's guilty. If that makes sense. I took a closer look at what people had to say about it, and it seems that a lot of people were content to see their friends and co-workers get shafted. I like the channel, but they need to fix some stuff up. Like, an actual video apology will go a long way. It would help to make amends, and to make it clear that it's something that they don't want to repeat again. There are some things to hold out hope for. That channel is one of those things. But it's also one of those things where if they put it off for too long, then they aren't going to get any more subscribers. Or at the very least, the influx of new subscribers won't be able to outweigh the outflow of ones leaving.

[@princessbinas]

Damn... I missed a lot of things again. I have been busy programming in C++ for my Data Structures and Algorithms course. I will say, Channel Awesome lost quality when the stupid skits started to make up the reviews. I want pure reviews with facts, not 90% skits.

[@vineethonkan]

Watch good bad flicks or Oliver Harper's reviews...

[@watchforever1724]

Yeah

[@stevechavez83]

So glad I listened for longer than 10 seconds. Great job!

[@kimlechman5856]

This is the best video about this situation I have seen so far. Most other people have been just talking about in very negative and stupid ways, and I hate the fact that they keep doing live streams on CA’s subscriber account going down, which just does not help the situation any better than they think. I personally don’t think Doug and Rob are 100% the problem. Yes, I do agree that they’re not good business men and that they haven’t been taking this situation seriously, but really what all of this boils down to is Mike Michaud being abusive to the company, and only caring about the money and nothing else. Honestly, the only way I see CA getting better is if Mike Michaud gets fired, which sadly, doesn’t seem like it will happen anytime soon.

[@LazyPirate8]

First metokur's made video's exposing channel awesome. Now, some one came forward with documents upon documents of allegations. Strap in boy's, girls, or what ever the hell you identify. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

[@Malkmusianful]

I'd have an easier time trusting Metokur if he didn't make gay jokes about Linkara because he was dating Iron Liz at the time

[@JEEVES635]

Meteokur was just in it for the spectacle. These are content creators voicing their problems.

[@marvelfannumber1]

+Hal Emmerich ....And if he wasn't an open Alt-Right racist I would also have an easier time trusting the stuff he said.

[@vireo2543]

Back when Jontron had his controversy I did not unsub even though I didn't agree with his views, I don't watch Fine Bros so when that whole reaction copyright thing happened I didn't do anything since I honestly didn't even know those guys existed prior. With Channel Awesome I did unsub after seeing their poor excuse for an apology, I do not want CA to tank since there are a lot of people who joined up after the fact (Malcom and Tamara for example) who would suffer for a bit if CA shuts down but I can not agree with their victim blaming in their "Apology" ("I'm sorry you felt that way"). When they wholeheartedly apologize and make active strides to better themselves as a company then I wouldn't mind resubbing and watching their content again. Trying my best to be fair about it.

[@Wecato]

Never seen your videos before but I really enjoyed your perspective. Keep it up!!

[@DecsterDM]

Anyone else remember when Nostalgia Critic was on the “League of Super Critics!” channel?

[@bentheg9793]

That's where I found him

[@RedlineCBR]

Great video, and I do agree. The difference between content providers and their financial backers is quite similar to tech sales. You have the salespeople (who...well sell the product) and and the IT people who develop and are solely aimed at making the product better. Salespeople will never understand content creators and vice versa. They think differently. There will always be a want for The Nostalgia Critic. I remember the first episode I watched when I was stationed in Virginia in 2010, and it was Surf Ninjas. An instant click because those are the movies I grew up on. That being said, if Doug could re-brand himself, I'd still watch. His heart is in content...it just tends to get mixed up in corporate policy.

[@seanmyster6]

I had already cut my ties with Channel (not so) Awesome a few years ago. Even before the current controversy, I could see some of the hypocrisy of them doing the exact same things for which they criticize big companies and traditional media. In addition, their actual content was rapidly becoming less and less enjoyable, thanks in large part to forced political jabs and virtue-signalling. (and for Nostalgia Critic in particular, an abundance of generally unfunny skits that overstay their welcome) Needless to say, I'm no longer a fan; and while I respect what they've contributed to independent media in the past, and I certainly don't wish any harm upon them, I won't really be heartbroken if they end up going under in the wake of recent events.

[@tomknoll5546]

The end of blip and subsequent return to KZbin have shown just how "independent" they really are...

[@Spoonkid222]

I'm also sad that you didn't do KCA Voting this year. THE HIGHLANDER SE WILL LIVE ON. :(

[@kylecampbell565]

Eat Ass it’s because he’s no longer dating Erin. (He mentioned on Twitter he was busy with his new girlfriend during the holidays). Hopefully they parted on friendly terms

[@theanimationanalysis9934]

Oh my god An actual good ChangeTheChannel video from an outside source Holy sh*t

[@BasicStockMan]

We got a woody woodpecker fan over here! I think he is pissed off because he just realized his childhood is part of the dark universe

[@fadibarakat1043]

I respect your opinion. Before this video, I didn’t know the fact that channel awesome was going down until these videos popped up.

[@dariokillsaman2111]

was watching nc as you uploaded this

[@warron24]

I was actually kind of rooting for Channel Awesome when this controversy first broke. A lot of the accusations were bad, sure, but I honestly thought some people were kind of overreacting. A lot of people were really eager to see the site fold and to see Doug dragged through the mud.I was just hoping to see something from Doug and Rob that indicated they were aware of the problems and willing to change. Unfortunately everything they've released after the document came out has just raised my ire, and I think everyone else's as well. A simple apology would probably help so much but instead they released a set of "rebuttals" attacking the producers that created the document. I could go on about the problems with this but if nothing else it's just incompetent. There's a basic script for dealing with these things- apologize, accept responsibility, promise changes. Even if they're not sincere the only way forward is to show at least some humility. By not apologizing they come off as arrogant and stubborn. A CEO or CFO who can't properly deal with a controversy in this way is as useless as a chef who can't follow a recipe. It seems Doug, Rob, and Mike are more interested in punching back against perceived attackers then actually doing what's best for their company. As for the rebuttals themselves there's not much to say. Some of their arguments hold up, some don't but more importantly the points they choose to challenge seem completely random. They say they're answering the most egregious complaints but some of the complaints they answer are trivial and some of the most egregious complaints are ignored. They clearly just cherry-picked the complaints they had answers to and ignored the others. And all that when they could have just apologized! I know a lot of people would doubt their sincerity but there a ton of people who would have been eager to give Doug the benefit of the doubt. At least they would have before, now it's probably too late. Sheer incompetence.

[@nerdwriterfighter212]

It sounds like Channel Awesome needs to take a step back and do a lot of reflecting. The CEO should just step down and management needs to be fired. Doug and Rob should stay but they both needs to step down from management positions and just focus on the creative side of things.

[@cinephile9885]

I just found about this today.

[@AnimatedIdiotGuide]

I had to unsubscribe from the CA YT channel, and I outright refuse to visit the site for the time being. I won't give that site my traffic. If I want to see my favorite producers that are still on CA, I'll just find their YT channels. And I'll admit right now, I probably still will visit the CA YT channel mostly out of habit, but as far as being a hardcore follower, I can't anymore. Not in good conscience. Not until they get their act together, which right now I fear they won't. There's also the problem that even if the NC was "big enough" to support CA by himself, Doug's NC episodes recently have been...well, how should I say it? Stale as ****. He's gone back to the format of weekly reviews that he had prior to Demo Reel, and it reeeaaaalllly shows. (The worst was when he decided to review a "nostalgic" movie about a '40s cartoon character that literally came out only months ago. And it wasn't a clipless review either). Also very glad to see you still around and hoping things are going well for you :)

[@Season411]

Season 5 Squidward is two faced

[@TheREALwymario]

Watched this. Read the docs. Unsubbing from Channel Awesome. I'll probably still rewatch pre-TBF NC videos but I'm considering doing it in a way that gives them no ad revenue (reupload channels or downloading the videos). I suggest others do so if they like the NC but not Channel Awesome's business practices.

[@AskAir]

*Great video PieGuy! Thanks for the opinions and analysis.*

[@ThomasBob]

*You use bold to get attention* I like it.

[@AskAir]

Thomas Bob lol

[@EbonyPenmarks]

Just reading the google doc. The management in Channel Awesome is not corporate intimidation, but this persistent amateurism when there's enough funds.

[@train4292]

Well this was certainly Interesting, I never knew that all this was Going on in Channel Awesome! Thanks for opening my eyes pieguy!

[@stijnvandevyver7958]

Doug seems like a really nice guy. The kind of guy you can have a nice conversation with. He just find him really clumsy.

[@ashessakura7518]

I originally avoided videos like this (I admit that I didn't want CA's image that I had in my head ruined) but today I acknowledged the insane amount that was coming out, clicked on the link that this vid had and... holy hell! I actually feel sort of offended, I wondered for ages where JesuOtaku had gone and several others and just assumed they left for one reason or another, this document really opened my eyes!

[@MicrobeMagister]

As a subscriber of both of you, I had no idea

[@lilmrb1276]

I'm here and I don't even know this Channel Awesome...

[@dariokillsaman2111]

someone lives a sad life...

[@fortblocks]

You know Nostalgia Critic?

[@lilmrb1276]

A Troll Yes. So that's the channel he's on, right?

[@fortblocks]

Yep.

[@mattboy5296]

It's a channel/website with many content creators that do online reviews, skits and even films. A lot of people have come and gone from the company and got their start there, including the Nostalgia Critic, Linkara, the Cinema Snob, Spoony and even Angry Joe at one point.

[@tvtoni9040]

You know its funny that the hottest thumb nail on the side bar is Channel Awesome

[@jjslider3026]

Cool.I like how you handled this situation

[@mozardthebest]

Man, and I've been a Nostalgia Critic fan for so long. I remember the League of Super Critics and ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.

[@aubreywhite8008]

Dabs, aye back at it again with the videos

[@Lauren_210]

I recently heard about this news from my boyfriend today when he sent me a link from Twitter about this. I’ve been a fan of Doug and his crew for about 6-7 years and I’ve never thought of them doing horrible things or seemed like bad people. I really hope that there will be some resolvement around this and I’m just so tired having to hear the same news over and over again when it comes to sexual allegations and other related topics. It’s like we get these every week.

[@galaxionart9338]

I am speechless. Channel Awesome was a website I also followed for a while, at least until To Boldly Flee. I remember watching and loving so many creators. But when reading the document in the description and seeing how poorly they treated those people....it makes me sick.

[@alexbrooks3605]

Hahaha! What a story, PIEGUYRULZ!

[@sophiathekitteh]

Had no idea about this until ppl I follow tweeting #channelawful and #changethechannel .

[@fortblocks]

"#ChannelAwful" *Chuckle* Wish I had thought of that.

[@sophiathekitteh]

A Troll It's actually a trending hashtag on Twitter :)

[@austinhoward9052]

I've been watching Channel Awesome and the Nostalgia Critic on and off for a few years now, and this was still sad to see, even as a casual fan. The thing that got me most was the "apology" they put out on Twitter. I mean, "We regret you felt that way" is literally just Rick saying "Sorry you think you deserve an apology." That was what really cemented the ego, the pettiness, and the refusal to improve that was present in all of the accounts presented. It's what makes me really doubtful that CA will ever change, as much as all of us would like it to.

[@merpo2806]

I never heard of this until now, so I hope things get fixed.

[@familyguyblows]

Shit I was gonna rebuild my channel with new content and I was gonna seek them out to work them. Glad I’ve been keeping up with all this coverage.

[@H250V]

Currently going through the whole story, and I'm like baffled with some of these. Good grief...

[@KrazyStargazer]

Thanks for breaking things down for me...im kinda heartbroken. Nostalgia Critic was one of my inspirations so I'm conflicted... But the channel and even Doug need to do...something

[@dreammirrorbrony1240]

The long and short of it is: they wanted cheap, exploitable labor to make them revenue. The contributors finally got sick of it.

[@willeeuhm]

I'm honestly surprised it took this long for all this controversy to drop. I stopped following CA over a year ago after reading Obscurus Lupa and Lindsay Ellis's accounts of what happened.

[@john-gw9iq]

Rather disappointed in the Walker bros seems like a lot of other people are as well. That said I don't think this will hurt the KZbin Channel. It might hurt their website a lot because so many big names are leaving like Todd in Shadows, The Rap Critic and even some of the people that have been there forever like Film Brain and Linkara. But really as long as they have that main KZbin channel they will be fine which hey from what I understand the people working directly under Doug are treated just fine so I guess that's alright. Plus most of the other Channel Awesome people really don't need it anymore people like Chris Stuckmann and Cinema Snob are big enough to survive without the Channel Awesome label at this point.

[@Tornado1994]

Channel Awesome's site is going to be shut down by next month. The Walkers will restructure and launch a new site and hub.

[@SuperMonaLisaBros]

First Ultimaalmighty, now NC? My heart can't take this shock!

[@JounLord1]

Holy crud, reading through that was a real eye opener. I knew there were some problems with CA after the stuff with Allison being fired but I thought that was just general mismanagement, I didn't think the rot was so deep nor so sexist. And I'm not one to throw around the sexist label but its certainly seems like that in this case, Mike Michaud and co seemed to treat women even worse then the already low bar they set with producers. Seems like most of the problems can be laid at Michaud's feet. He sounds like a terrible person and a terrible CEO and talent manager. It seems like he is allowing his ownership of the flagship character and his controlling stake in CA to bully his way through the company atleast when he's just not doing anything at all. Doug and Rob aren't innocent either, at best they are complicit through inaction and more likely actively helped Michaud make CA hell for some producers. Also the article paints a picture of them as two pretty dense people who think they are experts on film making but know next to nothing about even the basics of professional or semi-professional film making. I like CA but honestly if Linkara and Cinema Snob left I'd never give it another watch. Already any other decent producer is gone, even more recent producers like Accursed Farms and SF Debris no longer seem connected.

[@JuliaDelbel]

Linkara did leave.

[@JounLord1]

Must of been very recent then, I thought he was still on last I checked towards the end of last month. Makes sense though, why he was able to contribute to the Google Doc.

[@Wooshey_Wooj]

"YES" *Chipmunk voice*

[@CriticalRoleHighlights]

Great video. However, normalize audio levels next time ^^

[@d-manthecaptain1382]

I'm sorry you feel this way

[@gracekim25]

I didn’t realise you knew and covered it. CA never giving a proper apology is awful…. I…hope the people who are part of change the channel realise that they should not be hypocritical….because Um I’m concerned about the fact that when reasonable advice is given, someone explodes in rage for no reason 😅 I also hope one day they get closure and the Um ‘movement’. And you know people don’t spread lies or bully someone to consider suicide😶😬 22.8.22

[@ColterHarris]

One thing, as a freelance videographer who has come across issues concerning bad management withholding pay: if you have workers and employees, and you promise to pay them for their services: YOU PAY THEM. And pay them AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. It's like that Goodfellas line: "fuck you, pay me." Oh, you have management issues? Fuck you, pay me. Oh, you're having money problems yourself? Fuck you, pay me. You don't make promises to people regarding pay and not follow through. If you don't have the money to pay people damn-well figured out, you don't promise pay, period. Your pay may be the difference between making the rent or not. It's totally unjustifiable. If you're an employee of any kind of employer: Always get it in writing. Always save your documents. ALWAYS negotiate a date or deadline to expect payment. If an employer promises to give you pay, say, "friday at the end of every business week," they HAVE TO pay you by the end of that day, no matter what. Memorize the info for your state or city's labor department and never be afraid to contact them about wage theft.

[@finnjr6365]

iDubbbz should go Content Cop on these guys.

[@ravenvinnie6062]

I feel like iDubbbz and CA are like, two different KZbin dimensions though

[@wittybanter96]

He would need to put more focus on Mike than anyone if he did

[@jtallen6406]

WittyBanter 96 It’d still be pretty fucking awesome!

[@lukewiseman9209]

Finnjr63 idubbz is still a thing?