On the site, artists and animators alike uploaded their drawings and games. And in 2006, Alan Becker would upload his video Animator vs. Animation, which would quickly go viral and be reposted onto YouTube.

The premise was simple: It showed us the perspective of a man using his computer as he used everything on his desktop to fight against a sentient stick figure bent on defeating him—or, more accurately, his cursor.

That video eventually became a series, and that series spawned a variety of colorful and mute stick figure characters. We met the orange stick man, originally called “The Second Coming” by Alan. And then there was the friendly quartet, The Fighting Stick Figures, made up of “Red,” “Blue,” “Green” and “Yellow.”

Sure, Alan may have started his series by fighting his creations. But these days, a lot of his animations mainly feature those aforementioned five as they enjoy many adventures (such as discovering the desktop shortcut to Minecraft, which spawns a video series of its own). They’ll also fight plenty of villains—all from the comfort of Alan’s desktop.

Note: Alan Becker was requested by a user of Plugged In. Do you have a YouTube channel you’d like us to review? Submit your request by sending it to letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram so we can check it out!

POSITIVE CONTENT

Were you to watch Alan’s whole Animator vs. Animation series, you’d be impressed by how far he’s come in his animating skill now. His most recent video, released 17 years after his first in the series, is far higher in animation quality—despite using the same general characters throughout as before. His skill may encourage viewers to stick with their own craft, showing that making progress takes time and often pays off.

And, speaking of that series, the storyline (though as of yet incomplete) includes a nice moral. His first couple of videos tell the tale of a cruel animator who likes to force his stick figures to fight to survive being deleted. Throughout the narrative, we see Alan come to befriend many of his creations. However, some of their actions end up causing more issues in future episodes, showing how bad choices, while forgiven, may still force us to deal with the consequences.

A trio of videos showcases the character Green as the videos he uploads onto YouTube bring him lots of fame and success. However, he becomes obsessed with social media followers and ends up hurting his friends. He eventually apologizes for neglecting them, and they forgive him. The short story may teach younger kids the value of not compromising for clicks or money.

A shorter series depicts Alan’s orange stick man discovering concepts in math, physics and geometry. The videos show the relationship between various mathematical ideas and, based on the response from a variety of mathematicians, they seem to be “mostly” accurate in their depictions of some very complex concepts.

And, to put a nice bow on things, these videos are quite entertaining to watch, too.

CONTENT CONCERNS

The animated stick figures inevitably get into many fights, some of which result in them “dying” (though dying often results in them spawning back into existence soon afterwards). Those violent moments don’t contain any blood or bruises, but characters do dissolve into their source code when stung by a virus, their red particles floating away on the virtual wind. A few virtual stick figures vanish from view via explosions. And action sequences typically include a lot of explosions and fistfights that send other stick figures slamming into the desktop walls.

Some character names reference religious ideas or figures: Alan names them things like “The Chosen One,” “The Dark Lord” and “The Second Coming.” When one stick figure defeats a powerful enemy, the other stick figures bow down to it. And in one video, Red gets possessed by the mythical Minecraft enemy Herobrine.

We don’t hear any language, since characters don’t speak. That said, we do see the word “crap” typed out as the name of a file in one video, and the acronyms “OMG” and “wtf” can be seen in a video, too. Additionally, we catch a glance at a fake Facebook status during one video, which reads “I give up on life. I’m not even gonna try any more.”

CHANNEL SUMMARY

It’s no secret how Alan Becker boasts thirty million subscribers, since his animations are both charming and entertaining. Who would have thought that Becker could craft a complex storyline with a handful of colorful stick figures—and invite millions of viewers to be so emotionally invested in the outcome?

There’s a lot to like about this channel. And at the end of the day, the videos are just plain fun. That said, we would note that a few of these battles can get pretty intense. And the main series branches into one stick figure man’s backstory, which includes the sudden loss of his stick figure wife. And those moments, while still relatively tame even by animated standards, may be troubling for the youngest of viewers.

All things considered, however, Alan Becker offers quite the unique and relatively content-free experience for viewers.

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Cocreated by brothers Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul (the former of whom also created the popular YouTube channel SMG4), GLITCH proudly presents all the animated efforts of GLITCH Productions. Right now, that includes four different stories, each of which comes with its own storyline and content concerns.

The most prominent story on the channel is The Amazing Digital Circus, an ongoing tale about a group of people who have been trapped inside digital bodies with no discernable way to escape. They’re stuck there under the unhinged guidance of AI ringmaster Caine. He hopes to run a good circus show, so he compels them to go on wacky adventures.

Most of the humans there have given up on ever escaping—save for Pomni, the newest person of the group, who still hopes to see the real world again. But still, she—and every other person—is on borrowed time, since they’ll eventually lose their sanity and “abstract,” which turns them into glitchy monsters that must be defeated.

On Aug. 23, 2024, the channel wrapped up its second-most-popular series, titled Murder Drones. In this story, humans are a space-faring race, and an interstellar parent company known as JC Jenson produces sentient worker drone robots to mine resources on a distant planet. However, the human overseers on that planet accidentally wipe themselves out when their experiments collapse the planet’s core, leaving the worker drones to do whatever their sentient minds want. That is, until a group of disassembly drones—murder drones—arrive from corporate and begin slaying all the rogue worker drones. Now, the worker drones hide in a colony behind impenetrable blast doors. But Uzi, self-described as an “edgy teen” robot, longs to fight back and reclaim their lives on the broken planet. So Uzi looks to take revenge on the humans who sent the murder drones there.

The first series on the channel was Meta Runners, which focuses on a futuristic human society that revolves around video games. The best gamers, called Meta Runners, replace their limbs with artificial ones to boost their performance. They become famous celebrities, while the worst gamers are forced to live in a society that doesn’t care for them. It’s also a society into which Tari wakes, suffering from amnesia. And it’s not long before she discovers that for whatever reason, she has a strange ability to enter into video games, letting her master them faster than anyone else. This catches the attention of an evil CEO named Lucks who wants to study her in order to profit off of her unique ability. And that ominous turn of events prompts Tari to escape and learn how she might fight back.

The final series on the channel is Sunset Paradise, which stars Meggy Spletzer. She hopes to relax at popular vacation spot Port Aurora, home to the famous Phoenix Festival. The event is sacred to the inhabitants of this tropical paradise and only occurs once a year. Fortunately for Meggy, it’s only one week away. Unfortunately for Meggy, the festival has also attracted the attention of a large number of criminals, and the local sheriff is a mere child hoping to keep his community safe. Meggy can’t just sit back and watch these criminals take over, so she and the sheriff team up to take this crime syndicate down.

POSITIVE CONTENT

The makers of GLITCH hope to provide an accessible platform and publicity for indie creators who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get their stories out there.

Indeed, the stories on the channel are impressive, and they come with many likeable characters. Some story arcs focus on helping others through difficult times, and characters put their lives on the line to protect others.

CONTENT CONCERNS

[Note: Content concerns described below are separated by each story.]

The Amazing Digital Circus was inspired by the short horror story I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, which depicts a sentient computer that tortures the remnants of humanity for eternity. The GLITCH version of this story contains creepy characters, the most notable being Caine himself. Violence is generally of the slapstick variety, though the characters seemingly do die if they abstract, as we see one person do in the first episode. The show’s third episode sends its subjects to a spooky mansion, inside which a terrifying creature is called “one of God’s angels,” and someone is possessed. We do hear other unsettling comments, such as a monster who asks, “Is it really murder if it’s delicious?” One character doesn’t remember her own gender, and some NPCs refer to Caine as “god.” Crude language is censored (apparently part of Caine attempting to program the circus as appropriate for children), and characters who try have black censor bars appear over their mouths. However, God’s name is still used in vain.

Murder Drones is arguably the most adult of the four short films. Though the main characters are robots, they’re still sentient, and we see a lot of them decapitated, shot or gutted. When they’re dispatched, the robots bleed black oil; the murder drones take pleasure in killing worker drones. We hear the unsettling screams of worker drones, paired with grim lines of dialogue such as, “Don’t feed me my entrails in front of my family.” We also see some human gore, too, as well as grotesque monsters made out of flesh. A church, pentagram and cross all come into play, too, as do eldritch creations. And the robots use words such as “a–” and “h—,” and misuse God’s name.

Meta Runners contains animated violence and explosions that can scratch up its subjects and cause them to bleed. Characters use magic while playing certain video games. The occasional sexual joke is cracked, and two lesbian characters share a kiss. Foul language includes “a–, “d–n,” “h—” and “p-ss.” God’s name is used in vain, including instances followed by “d–n.”

Sunset Paradise is more child-friendly than its counterparts. The threat of violence and death are still present, but the story’s slapstick style makes it less threatening—especially when some of its villains are sentient potatoes. Still, one potato is choked; there’s also some gunfire and explosions. Another potato gets kicked in the crotch, making another enemy utter a comment about potatoes not having critical bits.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

GLITCH just may be the newest way that indie animators can put their stories in front of millions of people. Based on the sizable fanbase behind The Amazing Digital Circus, there may be merit to that idea.

But don’t be fooled by the child-like look of that story. While wacky, it likewise contains plot points and humor better suited for adults. The other releases on the channel, to varying degrees, have similar content problems.  

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That last thing is what the YouTube channel MIKAN is all about.

In some videos, the channel’s animated, multi-colored marbles race. In others, they try to survive rapidly approaching lava or crushers. In still other videos, they roll to an unseen finish line to avoid being squashed by a giant mikan, the Japanese word for a type of orange.

The channel isn’t limited to just animated marbles, either: In other videos, we watch stick-figure cyclists do a lot of the same challenges. We also see giant, factory-like mechanisms shoot random weapons at one another, hoping to destroy the other’s core first. Even gargantuan trees sling explosive fruit at one another for dominion.

Here’s what’s certain when you click on a MIKAN YouTube video: You’re sure to see a unique challenge every time—and you can likewise be certain that not every color will survive to the end of the video.

POSITIVE CONTENT

MIKAN’s content is very clever, extending far beyond simple marble races. Most of this channel’s videos contain twists that expand upon the many broadly similar games that have played, making each video feel fresh compared to previous ones. It can be fun to try to guess which color will win a challenge or survive an obstacle.

CONTENT CONCERNS

That being said, there’s really no educational value on the channel, since it just boils down to the viewer hoping their favorite color wins a challenge.

Additionally, at least one video, titled “The Nightmare – Survival Bicycle Race,” contains some creepy elements. These include  competing cyclists who get infected by flying oranges, eaten by a giant creature and pursued by an acid-spitting head. The music in the background contains lyrics such as, “Are you scared?” and, “These mortals have awakened the gods of old.”

Some challenges substitute marbles for stick figures pedaling on bikes. While these cyclists don’t bleed and aren’t very realistic, watching them get crushed or burned by lava might frighten the youngest of tots.

One lyric within a song featured in the background of many videos sounds like it includes an s-word.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

MIKAN throws a lot of dangers at his animated contestants, and many endure close calls throughout the video. And if we take MIKAN at its most basic—it’s marble racing—then there’s not much more to be said about it.

Indeed, MIKAN doesn’t offer anything other than a bit of mindless fun as viewers watch the animation play out. I’ll admit, there’s something oddly satisfying about seeing the color you chose survive a MIKAN course. While that means the channel is a bit of a waste of time, it’s also far better than most on the site.

Still, we can’t end this review without pointing out the few content issues that do merit consideration: namely, a somewhat scary survival race and some issues with the channel’s choice of background lyrics. I’m not sure those warrant a parent losing his or her marbles over them, but they do put a few bumps in this marble race.

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But don’t worry. Josiah Brooks, the artistic YouTuber behind Jazza, will bring you justice.

Brooks is an artist, animator and sculptor, and on Jazza, he challenges himself with a variety of tasks, such as drawing classic heroes as villains and vice versa; remaking characters as they’re actually described in the book; and swapping the art styles of two different TV shows.

And as you watch, you may learn a thing or two along the way.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Brooks challenges himself to complete many creative ideas. And a lot of Brooks’ videos may inspire viewers to flex their own creative muscles in new ways. For instance, artists can attempt many of the challenges on the channel themselves.

Jazza not only shows the process of how he creates his artwork; he also explains what he’s doing, and why it helps his depiction. Some videos are dedicated solely to providing art tutorials.

Brooks complains in a couple videos about how YouTube’s algorithm encourages creators to create videos based on sensationalism rather than authentic talent.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Some older videos provide detail on how to draw male and female bodies, and a couple videos intentionally focus on drawing or animating clothed breasts. Likewise, some designs Brooks makes aren’t appropriate for younger audiences, such as videos on drawing a succubus, a seductress and a “BDSM elf.”

Other challenges contain other potential problems. For instance, in a challenge in which Brooks switches the art styles of two different TV shows, we see Spongebob and friends depicted as meth dealers from Breaking Bad.

Though infrequent, we did hear words like “h–” and “a–,” and there was one instance of a censored f-word and s-word. God’s name is occasionally used in vain.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Jazza entertains with unique and creative ideas that may inspire an artist to take up their pencil and draw, too. But for parents with younger children, some of the themes (and a bit of the language, too) depicted in Brooks’ drawings may be too mature for their viewing.

The post Jazza appeared first on Plugged In.

How about the famous red-capped plumber, Mario, and the speedy blue hedgehog, Sonic?

Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter?

Well, that’s what the folks who run the YouTube channel DEATH BATTLE! hope to solve once and for all.

The videos typically last 20 minutes, as the animated “Wiz” and “Boomstick” (voiced by Ben Singer and Chad James, respectively) seek to cover every major power in a character’s arsenal. And after explaining just what each character can do, the animated battle begins, showcasing which character wins …

… and which character ends up as a pile of goop.

POSITIVE CONTENT

The DEATH BATTLE! team does its research. They scour the comics, TV shows, movies, video games and any other canon source of information they can find regarding a given character in order to give them a fair fighting chance. At minimum, no one can say these videos aren’t wellsprings of information. At maximum, they show viewers how to both respect a character’s power (and, by extension, a franchise’s creative choices) and broadly illustrate how to research and present factual findings in an easily digestible format.

The channel allows its audience to submit their own potential combatants, letting viewers have a chance at seeing their own ideas on the DEATH BATTLE! screen.

CONTENT CONCERNS

As required by the nature of these fights to the death, DEATH BATTLE!’s animated characters shoot, stab and punch each other into bloody pulp. While some pixelated battles may seem less graphic simply due to the animation style the channel’s creators chose to do for the fight, others are more realistic. One character’s jaw gets ripped off, for instance, as he is fed his own heart. Others are decapitated or split into pieces. Some simply evaporate into a fine red mist. But regardless of animation style and death, viewers can be confident that someone will meet his or her bloody end.

As Wiz and Boomstick provide audiences with the skillset of the two fighters, they’ll analyze everything (or, at least, everything relevant) from the character’s background. This includes any unsavory violent, spiritual or sexual issues that appear in the source material. Viewers can also be sure that Boomstick will make a sexual quip, especially if one of the fighters is a woman.

Swearing occurs on most episodes, with language getting as intense as the f-, s- and p-words. God’s name (including in the form of “g-dd–n”) is used in vain. And other crude words like “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n” and “h—” are frequent, too.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Anyone who has a favorite character from any series has probably debated with a friend on that character’s fighting merits—and DEATH BATTLE! turns those friendly arguments into researched animated reality.

But just as you might expect, these battles, when put to screen, are a lot more graphic than those debates—in more ways than one. So, with the crude language, violence and occasional sexual content, parents may want to leave those debates as plain conversation.

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Just as mountain snowfall creates the mighty Mississippi River, slang starts off small before gaining momentum as more and more people use it. But like a river, slang can often be traced back to its source.

And for the cryptic use of “skibidi,” its source traces back to Alexey Gerasimov of the YouTube channel DaFuq!?Boom!

Gerasimov’s channel grew from 1 million to more than 37 million subscribers in 2023 alone. The reason for the channel’s exponential growth in viewership? It’s his ongoing web series known as “Skibidi Toilet.”

The series, animated using Valve’s Source Filmmaker (SFM) software, features a rather unusual premise: the world is under siege by a seemingly sentient alien race known as “skibidi toilets,” who appear as toilets with heads. These toilets infect humans, turning them into skibidi toilets, too.

However, these toilets aren’t taking over the world without a fight: an opposing faction, known as the Alliance—humanoids with televisions, speakers, CCTV cameras or other tech devices in place of their heads—wages war to protect the world (or what’s left of it) from the skibidi toilets.

How does that help you learn what “skibidi” actually means? Well, it doesn’t, since the nonsense word doesn’t have any true meaning. But that summary might help you learn a little of what your child might be watching.

POSITIVE CONTENT

For all the strangeness of Gerasimov’s channel, some of its videos do depict members of the Alliance risking their lives and sacrificing themselves to save other people.

CONTENT CONCERNS

The channel’s “Skibidi Toilet” series is sometimes used as an example for what some are calling “brainrot.” As The New York Times defines it, “The term refers primarily to low-value internet content and the effects caused by spending too much time consuming it.” And, based on that definition, I’d agree that this content fits that bill.

There’s an identifiable story being told through “Skibidi Toilet”’s nearly 100 episodes. Both sides of the struggle find wins, losses, equipment upgrades and more. And a mysterious figure just may be controlling more than he seems. But the content predominantly focuses on the first-person viewpoint of various silent camera-headed protagonists—typically just before they’re killed.

And true to a war, we see many soldiers from both sides perish. Various skibidi toilets are flushed down their own drains. Others are stabbed, smacked with spiked maces or shot through the head. A few are burned down to their skeletal structures. Likewise, many camerapeople are eaten, crushed, blown up or decapitated. While the deaths aren’t terribly gruesome (the models are predominantly taken from the popular video game series Half-Life), blood and bruises are often still visible.

Some characters models may be frightening for younger viewers. The faces of each skibidi toilet are often stretched in various inhuman ways. And when they attack people, their faces likewise contort and twist.

It should also be noted that the series isn’t DaFuq!?Boom!’s only content. Its oldest videos contain animated parodies and spoof videos. These can likewise contain violence, and many of them have foul language, including the f-word and s-word. And in the “Skibidi Toilet” series, characters display their middle fingers at enemy combatants.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

There’s a high chance that your grade-school child’s heard something related to “skibidi” at some point. While the word itself may be harmless nonsense, it may motivate them to search out the popular YouTube series for themselves. And DaFuq!?Boom!’s toilet-laded battleground likely won’t be the place you want your child visiting.

The post DaFuq!?Boom! (Skibidi Toilet) appeared first on Plugged In.

Animators need to do more than simply draw compelling characters. They need to tell engaging stories with their drawings, ones that’ll captivate their audience and make them laugh (or cry) throughout. And Jaiden Dittfach, content creator behind JaidenAnimations, is able to do both.

In her work, Dittfach primarily uses things she’s personally experienced throughout her life, from going to the dentist to traveling to Japan. And while not every topic she speaks on may sound initially worth a 10-minute video, her nearly 13 million subscribers will testify to her ability to be funny and engaging on almost any topic.

POSITIVE CONTENT

As mentioned before, Dittfach is a wonderful storyteller, capable of weaving fun stories together that typically last 10 to 20 minutes. Whether she’s describing a trip to Japan or her multiple ventures in Pokémon Nuzlocke (a challenge which makes a Pokémon game much more difficult), Dittfach keeps viewers hooked until the very end.

For the most part, JaidenAnimations strives to be quite friendly to younger audiences. In the instances in which she does touch on topics that are more adult (such as when she describes confusing tetanus for AIDS), she tries to not go into too much detail for the sake of any potential watching children.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Nevertheless, some of Dittfach’s stories contain elements that families may find inappropriate. In one video, Dittfach recounts trying out five psychics, and the video includes references to tarot cards, palm readings and chakras. Likewise, another video gets into Dittfach learning about her sexuality, which she describes as “aromantic and asexual.” (Rarely does Dittfach’s sexuality come into play in her other videos.)

Other videos contain some light swearing, including words like “d–n,” “h—,” “p-ssed” and “crap.” God’s name is occasionally used in vain. And there was one instance in which an s-word is cut off.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

With some exceptions (particularly the aforementioned two video topics and occasional swearing), JaidenAnimations is an enjoyable watch. Younger audiences will certainly be drawn in by Dittfach’s fun art style. However, because some videos contain content that may not be appropriate for said children, we’d caution parents to watch beforehand to determine if JaidenAnimations is right for them.

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In fact, finding movies and TV shows strange is pretty much Meyers’ theme for his channel. I mean, I personally like the movie Holes, but I’d have to admit that it does have some silly elements. And on his eponymous YouTube channel, Meyers jokes about those oddities.

Well, technically, Meyers’ animated character does it. The nameless animation is a white, bald, inoffensive-looking creature. But his appearance belies the (ahem) sometimes-colorful thoughts he has on the subjects and plotlines of all types of movies and shows, from old-school Disney channel dramas to explicit R-rated thrillers.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Meyers pokes fun at movies young and old, and he encourages us that it’s OK to poke fun at entertainment—even entertainment we might otherwise enjoy.

Meyers is quick to point out sections in movies or TV shows that didn’t age well. He also occasionally mentions “red-flag” behavior in films: characters with problematic attitudes, for instance, especially those that exhibit controlling demeanors or emotional attachment issues.  

CONTENT CONCERNS

Some movies Meyers reviews are not appropriate for younger audiences, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, Jennifer’s Body and No Hard Feelings. Meyers augments his reviews with film clips, and while the most intimate moments of those scenes are censored or not shown, references are made to what’s going on, with Meyers frequently using the phrase “devil’s tango” as a euphemism for sex. Likewise, Meyers occasionally makes his own sexual jokes, referencing porn and masturbation.

Light swears such as “a–,” “b–ch” and “h—” occasionally pop up in movie clips. Meyers has used words like “d–chebag” and “ho” in a couple videos. Heavier swears, like the f-word, are censored when they appear in movie clips.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Alex Meyers is, admittedly, quite funny. And few can deny the flaws in some movies when he points them out. But parents shouldn’t take Meyers’ animated character nor the many videos on kid’s movies as evidence that the channel is child friendly. With the occasional sexual joke and the discussion of movies across the entire MPA-rating spectrum, parents will want to exercise caution with Alex Meyers.

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Garcia started her channel in 2010, and she became one of the first prominent Minecraft YouTubers. Her Minecraft-centric videos span hundreds of episodes and have earned her channel millions of views.

But Minecraft isn’t the only game featured on the channel. From adventure to horror to obscure indie games, Garcia and, oftentimes, her husband, Mario, progress through many virtual worlds, all with their audience in tow.

So, let’s find out if this Cupquake is a tasty treat.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Garcia enjoys many games with her husband, Mario, and it’s evident that the two love spending time with one another. They’re often seen playing games together on the channel.

In a couple videos, Garcia noted both the joy and challenges that have come with her becoming a mother. She expresses that, while being a mom can be difficult sometimes, she ultimately loves it.

Because iHasCupquake has been on YouTube for a long time, the channel features a dedicated following of people expressing the positive impact Garcia has had on their lives as they grew up.

Garcia has used her channel to raise money for charity.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Though infrequent, we did hear mostly milder swear words like “a–,” “h—” and “crap.” But in one video, the f-word is used. God’s name was also taken in vain in a number of videos.

Some of the games Garcia plays contain elements that are inappropriate for younger children. For instance, Yandere Simulator contains sexual elements and murder. Mount Your Friends likewise contains sexual elements, and Garcia makes a couple suggestive jokes in an episode about it. Other videos for games like Fran Bow and Little Nightmares contain demonic and/or supernatural elements—and horror games are played on the channel, too. Other games contain blood, death and violence. And in Who’s Your Daddy?!, one gamer plays as a baby attempting to find ways around the house to kill himself while the parent player attempts to stop him.

In a couple videos, iHasCupquake shares some of her political beliefs.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

The thing about gaming YouTubers is that a large portion of their content issues will often be dependent on the games they choose to play. So if parents don’t want to outright ban a channel, they can choose individual videos that unpack more “kid-friendly” games, which wouldn’t have as much problematic content.

That’s not always the case: Some gaming YouTubers are foul no matter what game they play. But on iHasCupquake, the content is indeed throttled back. Yes, some games on this channel are dark and have bloody, disturbing elements. Others, like Minecraft, will likely generate no qualms. The more innocent a game is, the fewer problems Garcia’s video is likely to have.

But “fewer” doesn’t mean “none.” And with that in mind, parents should especially heed our advice to check out these videos beforehand if they’re considering allowing their child to watch.

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But if you have five minutes, Casually Explained, a channel managed by a guy named James, somewhat teaches/jokes about such out-of-the-way topics. From rock climbing to travel to red flags in dating, Casually Explained spends a few moments giving a brief synopsis of it filled with dry one-liners.

For a few years, the channel uploaded roughly one video each month before James suddenly stopped uploading more than a year ago. However, the channel has recently returned with a new video, and James alleges that more are on the way. Popular YouTubers who do this tend to pop up on YouTube’s recommendations as their return spreads around the site. So, for those who may think about clicking on the channel, what can you expect?

POSITIVE CONTENT

It’s apparent that James looks to entertain above all else. And many of his jokes are clever and well-constructed. But the channel also wants to teach you about his video’s respective topics, too. For instance, a video on being healthy teaches genuine facts about calorie consumption. Segments typically explain topics with a fair amount of accuracy—even if there’s a joke tacked on at the end.

CONTENT CONCERNS

While some of the channel’s jokes and topics are family friendly, many of them are not. Many of Casually Explained’s jokes are based on references to sexual things. We hear James joke about and make references to sex, male genitalia, masturbation and more. In one video, a naked girl is seen censored behind a black bar. In another, he says that one red flag in dating is when the person in question is a stripper. A video ends with a Viagra commercial. A video on lifting weights shows various men in tight clothing. One video looks generally positively upon one-night stands and hookup culture.

Language is also a concern. Viewers will hear the occasional f-word and s-word. We also heard an instance of the c-word, and in an audio clip played by the channel, someone says the n-word. God’s name is abused, including in the form of “g-dd–n.” And this is hardly an all-inclusive roundup.

Some videos discuss alcohol, and while James does tell viewers to drink responsibly, he also talks about becoming intoxicated in a number of videos. James also jokingly references doing cocaine.

Some videos discuss the theory of evolution, and another video mocks a Bible verse.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Casually Explained probably isn’t a channel you’ll want your kids watching. While James can be funny and teaches a bit on each topic, the many sexual references and swearing (among other concerns) will likely be too far for your family.

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