As I finally get used to the fact that there is a new job category that entails entertaining the world on YouTube, I thought it would be a fun post to share some of the vlog themes that get me scratching my head. The funny thing is that most of the things I mentioned have become so popular that everyone and their dog wants to make the same vlogs! I don’t intend to offend anyone with this post, but consider it my way of giving feedback… You know, being the target audience and all!
“What’s in my purse…”
Have you noticed that people are becoming more and more open about the most random things in life? You know, those vlogs about “what is in my bag” or “what’s in my bathroom cabinet”. I may be an old-school millennial, but the purpose of carrying a none transparent bag around with me is to keep my personal belongings to myself. I don’t need strangers to know that I have band-aids or sanitary pads with me. And they surely don’t need to know how much money I have in my wallet.
Okay, maybe it makes sense to the extremely nosey people, but I don’t see the point of any of it. I am more interested in what you think about in your free time than whether or not you have pepper spray in your bag.
Grocery haul vlogs
Oh. My. Goodness. Unless you are a fitness YouTuber or someone who is purposely trying to influence what others eat, why bother telling us what you got from Trader Joe’s? When I see vlogs of this nature, I either skip over them or fast forward. It is a completely differenct scenario when the video has been intended to share a specific recipe!
Also, being someone who has suffered from an eating disorder in the past, I know just how misleading it is to see someone buy certain foods and associate them with how they look. So your favourite vlogger is buying six packets of egg bites and a tub of ice cream. For all you know they were paid to buy those things and make sure that you do too! Call me Salty Jane if you must, but I don’t have the time for such nonsense!
In contrast, I wouldn’t mind having a random “look what I found in Trader Joe’s” where they highlight some product that was discontinued and suddenly returned to the shelves. Wait… there’s no Trader Joe’s in South Africa…
Related: 3 Ways that depression impacted my eating habits
Car Tours
My old-school brain just assumed that to have a tour, something needs to be sizeable enough. So when people give house tours, it makes sense. Do an apartment tour and I will also watch that… But to give a 30-minute tour of a vehicle? Don’t the manufacturers already have video demos of such on their websites? And truth be told, I would much rather watch a video made by the manufacturer because there would be more accuracy regarding the specs.
I get that it is very difficult to consistently come up with unique content, but there has to be a limit to how far left we go. Vloggers have resorted to running the clock to pop in some ads for the dumbest video content ever!
How much I spend in a week as an XX year-old
You know, as a young adult, I do find value in seeing how other people spend their money. It helps me gauge whether or not I am within the normal range for someone in my city, with similar responsibilities. Basically, seeing such puts quite a bit into perspective.
However, when YouTubers go online to film their most expensive weeks to show off just how much money they have to blow, it’s not cute at all. I personally don’t have any issues with being around people who make more than I do, but I absolutely hate it when they try to show off. By the same token, I wouldn’t show off what I have to someone else. So when I see “I spend $2500 a week as a 24-year-old”, the first thought that comes to mind is “do you have rejection issues? Do you maybe need the world to validate your importance? And instead of dreaming of reaching that point, I fight the urge not to send my therapist’s details.
The notion that money equals success is one that has never made any sense to me. If anything, young people with money are a scary bunch to be around! So please stop flexing your bank account. We really couldn’t care less if you have a glam team or bought boats for your friends.
Related: How overthinking has impacted our lives
What are some other strange vlogs that make you cringe? Have you ever produced something of this sort yourself?
Pssst! Let’s hang on social media!
Oh yes, hard agree. The grocery hauls are just utter useless. wondeful post!
Hahah thanks for reading, and agreeing. You’re on the cool side now!
It’s so funny that you don’t like grocery hauls, I LOVE THEM. Mainly because I like seeing what other countries supermarkets have to offer. I wouldn’t want a grocery haul from someone in the UK LOL 🤣
OMG we can’t be friends anymore! I can totally understand wanting to see what other countries have, but it’s all ultimately the same stuff in different packaging. Like, there should be a taste button at least, you know?
Nooooo not at all! Food from here and food you have there I am sure is different! If that was the case, there would be no international sections at supermarkets 🤣
I understand and get why. it seems there is an audience for most everything.
Hahaha right? I was watching cleaning videos last night and it was enchanting … I’m sure some people find them pointless
one of my grandies loves to watch people open little toys with surprises inside )
Haha I so agree !!! 🤣🤣
I also hate that “our 2 year old controls our day” type videos like the child who can’t control his “sphincter” yet is controlling life of grown adults, like what 🙄🤣🤣
I wouldn’t even get started on watching any of these, Shelly!
You make good points, Shelly, especially the car tour. Maybe I am just clueless about cars but I cannot imagine the content of such half hour long videos. Haha.
Gosh, you hit the nail on the head! Something about these types of vlogs rub me the wrong way (especially ppl flexing their income)! I get that it should inspire us that we can take nothing and make it into something but sometimes it feels less helpful and more vague than ever! It’s all about the clickbait. I’m also not a fan of the “getting ready with me” vlogs either. 🤷♀️
The “what’s in my bag” ones though 🤢🤦♀️ Seriously, well spotted! These are all very boring and I cannot watch such vlogs to the end. Not boring, but cringeworthy!
I’m not really a fan of vlogs. I just can’t be bothered watching them. I haven’t seen any of these but they definitely seem weird to me. I can’t imagine why anyone would watch them. It always surprises me what people will spend time watching. I follow a few bloggers who share their monthly spending, but it’s done from the perspective of how little they buy and how they are repurposing that money toward saving or paying down debt. That’s a much more positive message than “look at all the money I blew this month”.
That last one got me the worst. $2500 in a week? I don’t even spend that in a month.
I am definitely not your target audience, (I’m 62, a non-vlogger, and my son is pretty much mystified how I have managed to live in today’s techie society) but I still found much of your post entertaining. What ‘s In your purse? Absolutely wouldn’t want anyone to know—not that I own a purse. I’d be embarrassed if I did.🤣 Grocery haul vlogs? Yeah, couldn’t care loss. That reminds of something I’ve never understood about Facebook, (remember I’m 62—so I know Facebook-haha) why people take pictures of their meals is something that seems totally bizarre. Why not show us your garbage can? Car tours? Yeah, my generation would be all over this, but I don’t think it’s for me. As you said, if I want this I’d rather hear from the car maker. How much I spend in a week? Yeah, not happening. There have been TV shows in the United States that were the same concept. One old one was called Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. While it might be fun to see how the top 1% live, I don’t need reminders that I am truly in the middle class.
Now, this old geezer needs to go grocery shopping, and I’m not going to film it.🤣
Hahaha you make a valid point here Pete… the 1% indeed and it is completely unrepeatable. Showing off is not as impressive as people seem to think it is, but I suppose it’s what makes them happy… maybe a void gets filled?
As for the pictures of food, I have to disagree 😂😂😂 I lived in Tokyo for about 6 years and was always impressed with how beautifully they decorated the meals. Even lunchboxes that looked like cartoons, etc. so that kinda picture is great. If you’re a fitness channel then maybe share some recipes~ but a half eaten burger is a no-no😅
Here’s another one that’s bugs me which is similar to the hauls: “I bought every [blank] thing there was from [blank store]!” This could be candles, bath bombs, every item from a menu etc. As entertaining as these videos are, they are extremely wasteful. And often times the product isn’t cheap. I’m talking hundreds if not thousands of dollars spent on product just to make one video. The vloggers making the videos are usually wealthy and live in mansions #not-relatable
And don’t get me started on muckbangs 🙄
Hahahah wow yes and yes those are a bit annoying too. I’ve never actually finished any of those because I don’t have enough time in the day for that level of nonsense 😂
Sadly I’m guilty of watching a YouTube channel devoted mostly to nonsense. Luckily, that’s where I draw the line and haven’t allowed any new nonsense-creators to enter this sacred space 😂 This counts as self-control, right? LOL
I could not agree more. Especially with “what’s in my purse” and vlogs showing how much money people are spending a week. I, too, wonder about what’s going on inside of them and their need to feel validation through these videos. Views, likes, money, material possessions….so many young adults equate these things with self worth, and it’s sad. Along with this, I also wonder how many of them owe massive debt, sending the false message to impressionable viewers that money buys happiness with no strings attached. (???) Oh, YouTubers….smh
Those all seem pointless to me too. I don’t understand the interest in watching random videos like that. There are so many more enjoyable things to do with my time.
Hahaha or productive things! I’ve honestly tried and just can’t!
Hi Shelly.. I agree with you on this one, have nothing against it but I prefer not watching these kinds of vlogs some people do love to watch.
💛
Hahaha thank you for proving you’re friend-worthy. I would’ve divorced you if you said you loved them 😝
Lol!!!!
Oh dear😂😂You must hate me -I am one of those who binge watches “what’s in my bag” I love those videos, they are my absolute fave🙈😂
I agree with all the other pointers though -grocery shopping & car ones -kill me now😂
Whyyyy??? Lol what is só intriguing about them? 😖
Well Shelly be careful what you ask for. I could write 8 pages front and back explaining why I love those videos lol
I agree. They’re not the sort of things I’d watched. 😀
Beautifully written 😂. Thanku so much for visiting my blog means alot. Love it 🥰😍
I agree that most of those are pretty annoying. A/nd yet people watch. It’s because we get so invested in people’s lives that we want to know everything, even what they keep in their purse or what kinds of food they purchase. It’s not really the content but just pure curiosity lol
Hahaha yeah curiosity is the right word. But honestly it’s this curiosity that makes people rich from grocery shopping… then our kids aspire to be like that…
Yeah what is the world coming to?? lol
This whole list makes me cringe. Like, why?
However, the “What’s in My Bag” does come in handy for things like dance class or a new hobby. Otherwise, no thank you.
Hahaha what’s in my bag for dance class? Lol I’ve never seen any useful ones except the hospital bags for pregnant ladies~ but I suppose there’s value somewhere, somehow for someone 🥴
Now that I think about it, I’ve only looked at those lists in dance magazines. I’m sure there’s a Vlog out there for it now, though.
They help me feel not so crazy about everything that’s in my dance bag 😂
I hate the really crazy hauls where they spend thousands on makeup or clothes that they’re never going to wear use. I see some makeup YouTubers do makeup haul vlogs and then I never see those products in their videos ever again. I just find it so wasteful. Great post!
I also don’t understand people who do massive PR unboxing videos. I’ve seen this popular blogger do like 100 PR boxes unboxing in one video. It doesn’t promote the brands and it just makes us regular people feel jealous. :/
Grocery hauls and what’s in my bag – I just don’t get it – why would anyone want to see those? 🙈
Hahaha regular people… yes, that’s what we are, thanks for the reminder. I always forget that when I see such videos and wonder why I’m not receiving all that stuff. That’s probably why it makes no sense to me!
But I would’ve thought you’d like grocery hauls since you mentioned that you’re a foodie 😂😂😂