"F*ck That's Delicious." "Gaycation." "Weediquette." These are all shows you wouldn't normally expect to see on any other channel but this isn't your average run of the mill TV channel. This is Viceland.
Viceland is a television channel that stems from Vice Magazine.
Providing viewers with ground-breaking, in-depth investigative journalism; Viceland has revolutionized the way millennials watch TV. But before we go any further, let's check out one perception of what a millennial is.
"Millennials consist, depending on whom you ask, of people born from 1980 to 2000. To put it more simply for them, since they grew up not having to do a lot of math in their heads, thanks to computers, the group is made up mostly of teens and 20-somethings."
- Time Magazine
Now that that's out of the way let's talk about what makes Viceland beloved, and at the same time hated, by so many.
Using the perspectives of young, professional journalists, Viceland attacks sensitive issues such as race, identity, sex and crime. Rather than simply cover a story, they become the story; fully indulging themselves into their subject whether that be women in the cannabis industry or the boxing culture off the coast of Ghana. No issue is too big to tackle.
But it isn't all hard news. Shows such as "Dead Set on Life", "Huang's World", and "F*ck That's Delicious" use food to explore the cultures of places that many would probably never be aware of or want to go. Viceland even reaches out to the music lovers out there with their "Noisey" series and to sports buffs with "Vice Sports." Needless to say, there's room for everyone at Viceland.
What makes the channel somewhat controversial happens to be the same thing that makes it popular; the millennial reporters.
While each topic of discussion is approached with all seriousness and the utmost respect, these reporters aren't your average 70-year-old white male reporter you'll see elsewhere. Viceland reporters include young people of all races and cultural backgrounds further ensuring its viewers of their unbiased approach. They use vernacular and approaching pieces in a way that may be unsettling to older generations.
By broadcasting disgruntled viewers' phone-in complaints and filmed portions of focus group studies, Viceland uses the same negative critiques to promote their shows in a somewhat ironic fashion.
With just one read of Time Magazine's definition, it's easy to grasp what the broad perception of the millennial generation is; which is fine. But these lazy 20-somethings are revolutionizing the way television is made and I'm enjoying every minute of it.