Over the last decade, YouTube has become something of a phenomenon. Millions of people upload videos every day, of everything from personal vlogs (video blogs) to sketch comedy shows. Sometimes, navigating such a crowded website in search of a great video can be impossible. As an avid YouTube watcher myself, I have decided to create a list of some of the best things on YouTube.
1. "Whine About It" feat. Matt Bellassai (Buzzfeed)
"Whine About It," starring Matt Bellassai, is a series created by Buzzfeed. The show, which airs every Wednesday on the Buzzfeed YouTube channel, features Bellassai drinking a generous glass of wine at his desk before proceeding to complain about problems relatable to 20-somethings. Bellassai's brutally honest approach to subjects like online dating, partying and children will bring tears of laughter to your eyes.
2. "The Allen and Craig Show" (EvilIguanaProductions)
"The Allen and Craig Show" is a comedic YouTube series created by Allen Murphy and Craig Deering. The series ran for a total of 25 episodes, and although it has been over for a few years now, I still find myself re-watching every single episode. In the show, Allen and Craig play fictionalized versions of themselves- two best friends who get each other into hilarious adventures, all to make a web show in the hopes of becoming famous. The guys are so charismatic and the dialogue is so memorable that it's no surprise that the show became a huge YouTube success, earning the creators a chance at actual stardom.
3. "Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses" (BriTANicKdotcom)
Comedy sketch team Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher released a short film on their YouTube channel in 2011 titled, "Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses." The insanely funny video centers around the elaborate scheme of a young man trying to get rid of his girlfriend. It's simply a must-see.
4. "Black Box TV"
For all the horror fans out there, filmmaker and lover of scary movies Tony E. Venezuela created a YouTube channel called "Black Box TV." The channel consists of many short yet terrifying films along with scary prank videos and more. Venezuela's channel also features many famous YouTubers such as Justine Ezraik, Toby Turner and Steve Greene.
5. "Precious Plum" (College Humor)
Much like Buzzfeed, social media giant College Humor has a huge following. One series of theirs, however, sticks out more than the others. "Precious Plum" is a spoof on the infamous show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." The series features Mama, an irresponsible, redneck mother who drives her 6-year-old, Plum, around to pageants. Whether you've seen "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" or not, I guarantee that you'll be doubled over with laughter from this ridiculous comedy series.
6. "A Very Potter Musical" (StarKidPotter)
"A Very Potter Musical" and its sequels ("A Very Potter Sequel" and "A Very Potter Senior Year") are by far my favorite things on this list. Every "Harry Potter" fan needs to watch these "supermegafoxyawesomehot" musicals by StarKidPotter. Founded at the University of Michigan, the musical theater troop StarKidPotter was propelled to fame after their "Harry Potter"-themed musical was uploaded on YouTube. Darren Criss, one of the writers and the star (playing Harry Potter himself), has even become a huge success, landing a lead role on the popular television show "Glee" and now starring on Broadway. The musicals are jam-packed with pop culture references, humorous analyses of the "Harry Potter" plots and, surprisingly, really awesome music.
7. "NigaHiga"
Hawaiian native Ryan Higa is one of the most subscribed to YouTubers of all time, with over 15 million subscribers. His channel, NigaHiga, was an instant success thanks to his unique and witty sense of humor. Very few YouTube stars are consistently funny; however, despite being on the web for about 10 years now, Ryan's videos continue to be laugh-out-loud hilarious every time.
8. "The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network"
Formerly known as "hauntedsunshinegirl," YouTuber Paige McKenzie's channel gained notoriety due to her frequent "interactions" with the paranormal activity going on inside her house. The teenage girl supposedly captured her numerous encounters with the spirits who haunted her on camera, uploading her finds to YouTube. For a long time, there was a lot of debate about whether or not the videos were real or fake, with many people truly believing them to be evidence of ghosts. Later, it came out that the whole thing had been created by a filmmaker along with an array of actors. Despite the popular series coming out as simple fiction, its popularity has not dwindled. Paige McKenzie, the face of "Sunshine Girl" and the brains behind most of the plot for the series, teamed up with writer Alyssa Sheinmel to create a truly outstanding book based on the YouTube channel. I recommend reading the book and watching the YouTube series in preparation for the movie, which is now in production.
While television shows can be highly entertaining, YouTube offers unique and often hilarious social commentary. If you are a huge YouTube fan, I definitely recommend watching the series, videos and channels that make up my list. And if you've never really checked out YouTube other than videos of cats and people falling down, I strongly suggest looking into the more creative side of the website. Whatever you're after, you're sure to find it.