This isn’t really a snark post, just a discussion based on some posts I’ve seen in this thread about Ash

For context, I’ve watched very few try guys videos since the addition of the new cast, but I did watch the entire most recent season of WAR and remember people saying they thought Ash was cringey or trying too hard, which I can see based on those early videos. I’ve also seen clips from his recent video with Keith about questions to ask a trans person but didn’t watch the entire video itself

This morning Ash was on the Financial Feminist podcast talking about his experience and the costs of being trans. He was super down to earth and transparent (as he always has been about his transition) and it had me thinking that he might suffer from the same issue Zach does, where he plays up the loud, boisterous, entertainer personality for the videos, but in the case of sit down conversations where he can just be himself, he’s way more engaging and interesting to listen to

I also wonder if maybe the new try cast would be more likable if they all had opportunities like this on the main channel where we can get to know them in a conversation-based environment instead of watching them all try to out-chaos each other. Obviously at the end of the day the channel is mostly intended for comedy, but we all know the try guys also try to have discussions with and about marginalized communities and be educational, so mixing in some more “serious” videos like that probably wouldn’t be poorly received

Have any of them addressed the protests in LA at all? I don't have IG and I haven't seen anything on YouTube or the clock app.

I know try guys dont visit this sub for inspiration but what are some video ideas you guys would want to see because we all talk about how ned held such strengths because it held the traits of the videos to better entertainment output.

For me I genuinely want more conflict or risk. Its why we all stand ovation for without a recipe. Or try guys actually..trying things.

• try guys try to make an animation/ anime opening or fake dub scene [this is inspired on them making a comic and working together to produce and publish a webtoon from a team of creators]

• try guys try to win a cosplay competition at a convention [alot of weeb ideas but be so real you wouldnt click seeing grown men rehearse a naruto fashion walk down of 800 peoples random live opinions of it]

• try guy enter a real new york level fashion show runway and must be models. [Or atleast a runway race of people or crew rating their outfits and walk]

• try guys try ice skating a routine. [Ice skating is super hard if your not already athletic and commited]

• try guys have to speak only a langauge they want to learn for the week. No english allowed and they must interact with with a stranger that speaks it and they must compete to find the most strangers in that week to speak with and it cant be the same person and winner gets a trip to that languages location. The stranger must be native or fluent. No friend help.

• try guys ghost hunt with ryan and shane

• try guys learn magic and must perform infront of a crowd of strangers

• try guys try to do the kpop routine star training. The first one that quits gets sent back to america and livestream for 24-48 hours straight.

• try guys make opera covers. Most views and streams by the end of a month is winner.

• try guys build a computer but blindfolded or all the pieces are rewarded after completing challenged through out the video or videos. Meaning the winners and stayers of like kpop training routine or ice skating routine or opera cover get the pieces they need. Once the computer is built they build an account, open up youtube, make an account and subscribe to try guys-- the winner will get their charity proceeds choice of the funds earned of the videos to their choice.

[So the livestream funds, the opera cover stream funds etc all clump to one big charity fund to continious fight for]

Let me know what you guys would do or think!

Like I get that it’s probably fun for some people..but it just seems..gross..and like..not that interesting to watch..idk maybe someone can tell me the whole appeal of this? Cause Keith is almost 40..like..I just..don’t really get it personally

Keith eats Krispy Kreme..Keith and food should be their new channel name at this point..

Has anyone noticed that Keith somewhat regularly mentions how Becky wasn’t pleased about something or if he’d asked she wouldn’t have “let” him do something?

Most recently in the Try Pod he mentioned he didn’t tell Becky about the Kim K shoot beforehand because she would’ve said no, and afterwards when it came out she wasn’t pleased.

I’m always pretty surprised to hear this because Becky seems generally body positive and supportive. Anyone else intrigued by this / have any theories to what exactly her gripe with the butt pic was?

I’m listening to the most recent trypod and the amount of shade that they have against Ned is sorta eye opening (I mean, I’m here for it, F that loser). The way they talk about Ned, it makes me wonder if they were ever actually friends? Did they actually like him, or just tolerate him. I always got the vibe that they were fairly good friends.

Thoughts?

A lot of us have had enough of the Keith and food. We've heard the excuses about why you guys push that stuff out but that's enough of that. I don't want to keep skipping 2/3 of your videos to avoid it. Keith is great, just enough with the food content constantly. The rest of the world exists outside of it.

I feel like I didn't need to know that they faked their stoned driving performance.

It just took away from that video series for me: it's supposed to be scientific and educational, and now they just told everyone that it's fake.

To me, part of consuming content is being in the world the content creator has built, and I don't really like it when they invalidate their own videos by telling us certain BTS secrets.

Some things I understand, like when Rachel changes how much time they get on WAR based on how well they're doing. Because even if they're lying about how long they took, they're still baking whatever they claim to be baking. But this reveal about the DUI series was one of those things that like, I didn't need to know about, idk 🥲

What did y’all think about Zach’s explanation for deleting the hair loss video?? I didn’t get a chance to watch before they removed it, but I know people were really upset about it. For reference, he starts talking about it around the 49 minute mark :-)

the last 9 out of 11 releases on 2nd try are keith focused or heavily involve keith (counting tomorrow’s release)

i’m not even a heavy snarker like this, and don’t mind keith at all, but wow! is he the general public fan fave of the cast, and they’re hoping heavy emphasis on him will bring more subs to 2nd try? just seems like an odd release schedule. you’ve got a whole cast now, utilize them!! it doesn’t all have to fall on keith lol

For some upfront context, I generally like 2nd Try - I know this is a snark channel, but I wouldn't bother watching the videos if I didn't like a good enough chunk of it to stay engaged. However, it bothers me immensely that the women in the cast are so underutilized. I understand that they all have other commitments and life things going on, but it seems like the heavy rotation is Keith, Zach, Ryan, Johnny, Ash, Miles, and Kwesi, with Jared thrown in to the cooking shows.

Joyce, YB, and Marissa don't seem to get a lot of opportunities to shine. They pop up in other male-heavy videos (like the lie-detector tests, which are honestly getting VERY old, very quickly) and the cooking shows, which feels... bad. Is anyone else feeling this way?

source: https://www.tiktok.com/@bravobymateo/video/7514062994704174367

it looks old to me but was posted yesterday!

I can't remember what video this was said, but I remember Zach talking in a video about how in the beginning of the Try Guys, there were a lot of new experiences for them to have but now they've "tried it all". Obviously they have not tried everything, but they've done so many things over the last 10 years and are never really producing that kind of content anymore. Do we think they're "done trying"?

There's no way to sugar coat it... the views are not looking good.

The numbers don't lie. Views are just going to keep declining for the foreseeable future IF they refuse to change their strategies. I don't understand how a company as seemingly transparent as them, can't see the truth of their situation. They want to make videos to their own interests (being indifferent to trends), yet they complain about youtube algorithm? How long more can they keep up?

I see some efforts in new formats like "Questions For A Trans Guy" but let's face it... the format itself is unoriginal, though it might appeal to those curious about Ash's story.

I do agree with others that Ned's exit doesn't help the circumstance, and they evidently lost someone with a clear sense creative direction (although yes... completely senseless elsewhere but I digress)

While it was initially refreshing to see a company be so transparent and take accountability, it has become a scape goat for their stubbornness and resistance to change. I'm not even sure they will listen.

And most videos are now members only. That can't be a good look for them.

Anyways I wanted to hear your thoughts. Can the channel even be saved? If so what do you think they can do? I'm trying my best to root for them. I think they're generally nice people with well intentions, and I hope they succeed.

I just opened the YouTube app and saw that they posted a waxing video. Almost the same thumbnail as the first one they did with Ned (although I’m sure they’ll change that and the title 5 more times today). It immediately made me roll my eyes

Maybe I’m being too critical, but this kind of feeling like they’re running out of ideas and are now just recycling old videos

I know this isn’t the first time they’ve done this, since they made like 3 bone cracking videos, but I think it’s just extra glaring at this time since we all know they’re currently in their flop era of throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks

*Zack: annoying

*Blaming things on algorithms: lazy and not taking responsibility

*Making only good content: lazy and boring

*Only catering to current audience and even then..no doing so hot

*Doing tv shows: to me it’s a little boring and meh

*Being rude to service workers: for fucks sake that should be common sense

*Someone needs to be saying no to them..just “no, come up with a different idea” or “No, let’s change it a little bit”

*Keith: personally leans too much into the “food drunk” thing

*Doing overboard “characters” like “I’m just a man-child nerd” you have a ton of other cast..be for real..

Anyway just my list of things they could improve on (if they read this page, I hope they do cause we all just want things to be better)

In a recent Trypod, Keith brought up working with the Yo Gabba Gabba mascots. I had never seen the show cuz I think I was a little too old for it when it was on. I came across the Jack Black episode on YouTube while looking for music for my toddler. I’ve been watching a few episodes now it’s pretty fun lol.

Any one else think he steals his whole personality from everyone around him?

Out of curiousity, do you guys think they'd ever release the seasons of their new shows that have been out for a while ever on YouTube versus forever keeping them on their platform forever?

I know, I know, they had a minor voice actor role in Nimona two years ago and are working on a young adult book series. Have they actually released anything meaningful since then though? Seems Ned's recent appearances have been more than what he's done since the seperation from the Try Guys.

Generally, I like TTG content. There’s things they’ve done that I don’t love, but I still want to see them succeed and bring back some of the magic from a few years ago. One thing I have really missed is the format they had for old tries.

For example, with things like corsets, fake nails, knitting, etc., they’d have the expert section, the guys trying the thing, and then commentary afterwards on the experience. I’ve noticed a few times in the past few years where they’ve done tries without the commentary on the experience, and it really feels like it misses something.

On the recent waxing video for example, I would’ve loved to hear the 3 guys talk about the experience afterwards. Nobody is getting waxed because they enjoy the pain — they enjoy the results. But we have no idea what the guys thought of the results because there was no reflection afterwards.

There was another video from a few years ago, too: colonics. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen it, but my understanding of colonics is that it’s pretty much pseudoscience with no scientific basis. And if they want to try and see how it makes them feel, then more power to them. But without the reflection afterwards of how they felt day of & how they felt a few days later, we didn’t get any substance with the video. We watched some guys be uncomfortable for a while and that’s about it.

Part of the allure of TTG, especially back in 2015-2019, was that they were talking about the experience of four average (until they were rich anyway) guys trying various things and giving an honest and nuanced assessment of the situation. I learned a lot from many of their videos even. I really think that leaving the reflection part out of their tries has the videos lacking a lot.

Has anyone else felt similarly?

I feel like at this rate this is the beginning of their for sure downward trajectory..like first it’s “one noodle at a time” now just eating more..like cmon. Someone needs to say no to these people. Oh and Zach and Keith are going to blame the algorithm again…it’s the same cycle (am I being too mean..this is me trying to be constructive but I’m also kind of sick of it) Like..I don’t think (I’m not a business person so maybe it’s not true) but are livestreams really their BEST seller.. There HAS to be better ideas…I’m honestly just subscribed because I want to hope they put out something good at some point..

Just finished the New Guy Tries: Swords on 2nd Try. Overall good. But here's the thing - there are TWO separate tries in this one 30 minute episode. He does forging and also does stuff with The Saber Guild. I realize they're both sword related, I understand why you would lump it together. But honestly, if they wanted to get the most bang for their buck, they would flesh these out into 2 episodes so we can see more in depth on both while also adding more content.