# Is it just me, or are nearly all "Top 10 Whatevers" on YouTube bloody awful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687 "2018-05-23T17:31:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/1 "2018-05-23T17:31:18Z")
Top 10 Plot Holes in Major Movies!! Ten Best Comebacks to an Insult on Live TV!! Worst 15 Bloopers in Broadcast News!! The Twelve Most Critical Turning Points in American History!! etc etc etc… It’s good clickbait (for snagging my attention, at any rate) and I expect to be at least momentarily entertained. But I keep finding myself listening to bad narration, lots! of! emphasized! excitement! about godawful boring little nothings with awful background music and cheesy graphics, wtf? It’s gotten to the point that if the video title refers to a list of examples of whatever the topic is, I assume it’s going to be badly done and I skip it. I also notice that many of the same people (or channels) do a whole bunch of those lists. (You’d think if they did them that often they’d be better at it, no?) Is there a built-in reason that makes it somehow to their advantage to do them badly? I kind of get that they are indeed clickbait, but given that it takes effort to make them at all, why not do a decent job on the content? ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/2 "2018-05-23T17:35:42Z")
The title (and others) are becoming something to hide from, like vacation slideshows or third grade recitals. It is the new calling card of, can I tell you about Amway, lose weight now as me how… and by the way do you have a personal relationship with a diety that wants 10% off the top.🆒:eek::D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/3 "2018-05-23T18:09:51Z")
I agree with the OP completely. And going further, since the medium is video, I get extra frustrated at the ones that show a series of still images and discuss each one. If I click on a video titled “top 10 animal attacks on humans”, I expect to see 10 video clips of animals attacking humans. I do not want to see a picture of a tiger and someone narrating the story of a woman attacked by a tiger in 2007. :rolleyes: I don’t know if clicking the thumbs down actually does anything but I do it if your first item is not a video and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/4 "2018-05-23T19:11:41Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > It’s good clickbait That’s all it is and that’s all that matters, you click on it and they get a nickel. Well, less probably, but they just need you to click on it and get a certain amount of seconds/minutes into it. In a perfect world, they would put out good content so you’d subscribe to the channel. IME, a lot of those videos are better if you just start watching compilations from random content creators instead of a 15 minute long ‘top 10’. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/5 "2018-05-23T19:35:21Z")
The worst ones are the ones that instead of being narrated by a human, sound like they’re narrated by a synthesized voice _à la_ the late Stephen Hawking. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/6 "2018-05-23T19:44:54Z")
I was going to post a link to a YouTube video of the top 10 worst YouTube top 10 videos but I feared a recursive loop meltdown. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/7 "2018-05-23T19:58:21Z")
I like Simon Whistler’s TopTenz. He may be a little bit sanctimonious and you may not agree with some of his subjective lists but he does seem to do research. Plus sometimes his accent gets the better of him. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/8 "2018-05-23T20:04:49Z")
I support this OP! I’d be embarrassed if I were the one that put many of these out. And if three of the ten “top plot holes in Star Wars!” aren’t even plot holes, or if 7 of the ten “top tractors stuck in mud” contain no tractors nor mud, WTF are you even doing? Since I block ads, youtube is losing money if they are paying these “content providers” to display this shit. Money going down the crapper. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/9 "2018-05-23T21:54:09Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Is there a built-in reason that makes it somehow to their advantage to do them badly? I kind of get that they are indeed clickbait, but given that it takes effort to make them at all, why not do a decent job on the content? I think the simplest solution is the correct one: the people creating these simply aren’t very talented. I don’t click on these often, but the most egregious I’ve seen have been related to “top 10 funniest moments in \”. A half minute of lame, uncharismatic explaining of a joke followed by the actually witty moment in question really highlights why they got a TV show and you’re stuck narrating BS lists in your parent’s basement. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/10 "2018-05-23T23:06:46Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I agree with the OP completely. And going further, since the medium is video, I get extra frustrated at the ones that show a series of still images and discuss each one. And the thumbnail image for the video depicts something that isn’t in the video at all. And the animated title sequence seems to go on forever, with words spinning or zooming out or whatever. “Top Ten Titans … PRESENTS … TOP … TEN … MOST … EMBARRASSING …” Okay, by that time I’ve given up and clicked on something else. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/11 "2018-05-23T23:16:16Z")
I usually like the top-ten lists on YouTube from watchmojo. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/12 "2018-05-23T23:16:46Z")
I use the thumbs down on these things, in the hopes that the Youtube algorithm will stop suggesting them to me. It must be working since I see very few of them. Conversely I use the thumbs up on videos I want to see more of. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/13 "2018-05-23T23:18:36Z")
There’s a few interesting niche ones such as Loudwire, but yeah, it’s not just you. ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/14 "2018-05-23T23:33:20Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > And the thumbnail image for the video depicts something that isn’t in the video at all. The main styles are: 1. A huge cruise ship in a shark’s mouth, for an “Animal Attacks” video. 2. A semi-truck with 120 wheels, for a “Vehicles of the Future” video. 3. A sexually suggestive picture of a female, for every other video. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/15 "2018-05-24T01:00:30Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > And the thumbnail image for the video depicts something that isn’t in the video at all. Check the comments, often people will have posted the time where you can find the picture. It just takes a single frame. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/16 "2018-05-24T01:10:18Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > I usually like the top-ten lists on YouTube from watchmojo. Yeah, me too. When it comes to subjects I know enough about to have an educated opinion, I generally find watchmojo’s choices to be pretty good - even if I don’t agree with the specific order (greatest rock drummers, I’m looking at you!!). They also include interesting information about each selection and some honorable mentions to round things out. Most other top-# series are pretty worthless, though. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/17 "2018-05-24T08:01:45Z")
They’re not all bad, but it is a formula that gets clicks, and it’s easy to make one with little to no effort. If you’ve been on for a while, it’s generally pretty easy to see which ones are either people who don’t know what they’re doing or just big corporate entities that just throw shit together. (I block the latter.) Oh, and there is no requirement for a thumbnail to actually be in the video. Even legit producers usually include a thumbnail that has text and combined pictures that would never be in a single frame. I’ve also noticed it on just people with basically no views, so it’s not some special privilege. A girl will have a provocative pic of herself in the thumbnail, but then just be a talking head in the video. And only maybe 1000 subscribers, max. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/18 "2018-05-24T12:45:57Z")
If only there were some listing somewhere of the ten worst clickbait videos… ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/19 "2018-05-24T12:53:48Z")
I avoid the Top Ten \ videos and also the ones like Science Can’t Explain \ and Most Awesome \ Ever!!! ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687/20 "2018-05-24T14:03:15Z")
Any title that includes “You Won’t Believe!” or “Try Not To Laugh or Smile” gets automatically skipped by me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-are-nearly-all-top-10-whatevers-on-youtube-bloody-awful/814687.md?page=2)