Smosh

Smosh

Hecox (left) and Padilla (right) in 2014
Personal information
Born Ian Andrew Hecox
(1987-11-30) November 30, 1987
Anthony Padilla
(1987-09-16) September 16, 1987
Origin Carmichael, California, United States[1]
Nationality American
Occupation Actors, Comedians
Website www.smosh.com
YouTube information
Channel name Smosh
Years active 2003–2005 (Newgrounds)
2005–present (YouTube)
Genre Comedy
Subscribers 21 million
Total views 5.2 billion
Network Defy Media
Subscriber and view counts updated as of February 1, 2016.

Smosh is an American web-based sketch comedy duo consisting of Ian Andrew Hecox (born November 30, 1987) and Anthony Padilla (born September 16, 1987).[2][3]

Padilla began posting flash animations on Newgrounds in 2003, under the name Smosh. He was later joined by his friend Ian Hecox. Soon afterward, they began to post videos on YouTube in the autumn of 2005 and became one of the most popular channels on that site. As of February 2016, the Smosh channel has more than 21 million subscribers and 5.2 billion video views.[4] The Smosh team has expanded to include others to handle animated, other language, and video gaming content videos, and the sketches have included more actors.

The Smosh channel has experienced three different spans as the most subscribed YouTube channel. The first period spanned from May to June 2006, the second spanned from April 2007 to September 2008, and the third span lasted from January to August 2013.[5][6][7]

History

Formation and Pokémon Theme Music Video: 2002–2006

The franchise began when Anthony Padilla built a website in 2002, smosh.com,[8] and made several different Flash animations. He has stated that the name Smosh came from an incident where he mistook a friend explaining a mosh pit, as a "smosh pit".[9] Later, his friend, Ian Hecox, joined the venture. Padilla and Hecox first met in their sixth grade science class. They became friends, and quickly discovered their knack for comedy. In 2005, they joined YouTube and made several videos together, lip syncing the theme songs to Mortal Kombat, Power Rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. At first, these videos were not intended to be posted online, but after they sent them to their friends, they started a YouTube channel.[9]

One of Smosh's earliest videos, "Pokémon Theme Music Video," was released in November 2005. It followed the same style as their other earlier videos, featuring the duo lip-synching the original English theme song for the Pokémon anime. However, the video instantly became much more popular than any of their other videos; over the course of its lifetime, it gained 24.7 million views, becoming the most-viewed video on all of YouTube at that time.[10][11][12] It held that title for about six months until it was removed.[12]

The success of their Pokémon video and other videos led Smosh to be featured in the "Person of the Year: You" issue of Time Magazine, published December 13, 2006 and on Time.com.[13] In March 2007, a user named Andii2000 re-uploaded the original Pokémon video; it has over 15.8 million views as of February 2016.[14] Due to the channel's continued success, and Smosh's partnership with YouTube, the two recreated the video in November 2010, this time changing the words to be critical of The Pokémon Company taking down the Pokémon theme video.[15]

YouTube success: 2006–2012

Over the course of the next few years, Smosh began to diversify. They started making short YouTube skits, such as their annual video series Food Battle[16] and That Damn Neighbor. Smosh continued to grow in popularity and became one of the most subscribed channels on YouTube.[17] In 2009, Smosh prepared a massive redesign of Smosh.com, added a games section, and put extras in the video section. In January 2010, Smosh launched the "Smosh Pit" feature, a blog that consists of various pieces of pop-culture trivia, and written comedy. In addition, 2010 saw the channel launch 3 different Smosh-based web series: Ian Is Bored, which started as a collection of comedic videos by Hecox, but then turned into both Hecox and Padilla making vlog like videos, and renamed Smosh Is Bored; Ask Charlie, where people ask Charlie, from their January 2010 Charlie the Drunk Guinea Pig video, random questions; and Lunchtime with Smosh, a comedy series featuring Smosh getting and eating food from various places, and answering Twitter questions from their fans on Twitter. Some of Smosh's most popular video series include Pokémon in Real Life and If ____ Was Real.[18] Also in early 2010, Smosh created the "iShut Up App" for Android phones as part of a Google sponsorship; it eventually made its way to the iTunes app store. In 2011, Smosh was acquired by Alloy Digital.[12]

Expansion: 2012–present

In 2012, the duo started three new YouTube channels, ElSmosh, with Smosh videos dubbed in Spanish, Shut Up! Cartoons, with various animated videos, and Smosh Games, with gaming related content hosted alongside Mari Takahashi, David "Lasercorn" Moss, Matthew Sohinki, and Joshua "Jovenshire" Ovenshire.[12][19][20][21][22] Some of Smosh's most popular videos are video-game themed music videos.[23][24] These songs (along with other original songs) have been released in 4 albums to date – Sexy Album (2010), If Music Were Real (2011), Smoshtastic (2012), and The Sweet Sound of Smosh (2013). In January 2013, the Smosh channel surpassed Ray William Johnson in subscribers.[25] Smosh released Super Head Esploder X, a video game for iPads, iPhones, and iPods, in February 2013,[26][27] and in July 2013 started an Indiegogo campaign for an iOS and PC game, Food Battle: The Game.[28][29] Hecox and Padilla raised $258,777 to hire video game producers to create a game based on their characters and the foods used in their annual Food Battle series. Smosh donated 10% of the funds to three charities[30][31] in November 2014, as well as releasing the game.

In February 2014, Smosh released a mobile app to access Smosh videos and other content from their website,[32] and in late 2014 an Xbox One app.[33] Also in late 2014, fan run channel Smosh France became an official Smosh channel.[34] In March 2015, Smosh re-launched the Smosh Games Alliance, a multi-channel network where fans join to enjoy network benefits in exchange for a percentage of the ad revenue.[35] In 2015 the duo announced Noah Grossman, Keith Leak II, Olivia Sui,[36] Courtney Miller, and Shayne Topp,[37] as new regular cast members for Smosh videos.

Film

On September 18, 2014, Lionsgate announced that a feature-length movie was in development,[38] Smosh: The Movie was released on July 23, 2015.[39] It is directed by Alex Winter, written by Eric Falconer, and aside from Hecox and Padilla, stars Jenna Marbles, Grace Helbig, Harley Morenstein, Michael Ian Black, Mark Fischbach (Markiplier), and Steve Austin.[40][41] Smosh is also giving their voices to the animated feature film The Angry Birds Movie, scheduled to premiere in 2016.[42]

Channels

Ten Smosh-related channels exist on YouTube, though only seven have scheduled content.

Smosh (youtube.com/smosh)

The base "Smosh" channel, where the team post skits and other videos starring Noah Grossman, Ian Hecox, Keith Leak II, Courtney Miller, Anthony Padilla, Olivia Sui, and Shayne Topp. Videos are uploaded every Friday and every other Tuesday, and behind the scenes (BTS) are released in the following days. It has over 21 million subscribers and over 5.2 billion views.[4] Grossman,[43] Miller,[44] Sui,[45] and Topp[46] also have their own channels, which are not considered part of the Smosh roster.

Smosh Games (youtube.com/SmoshGames)

"Smosh Games" uploads numerous videos a week, consisting of Let's Plays and video game commentary shows. Padilla and Hecox appear less regularly on this channel, with fellow Smosh Games members Mari Takahashi, David "Lasercorn" Moss, Matthew Sohinki, Joshua "Jovenshire" Ovenshire, Amra "Flitz" Ricketts,[47] and Wesley "Wes The Editor" Johnson[48] handling most hosting duties. It has over 6.6 million subscribers, and over 1.8 billion video views as of February 2016.[49] Takahashi,[50] Moss,[51] Sohinki,[52] Ovenshire,[53] Ricketts,[54] and Johnson[55] also have their own channels, which are not considered part of the Smosh roster.

Smosh 2nd Channel (youtube.com/IanH)

From "Smosh 2nd Channel" (originally named "IanH", and was used at first for vlogs and other non-scripted videos), Hecox and Padilla upload their side series Smosh is Bored and Lunchtime with Smosh on Mondays, while the rest of the team uploads vlogs on Thursdays, and Put It In My Mouth and Smosh's Seriously Super Stupid Sleepover on Saturdays. It has over 5.1 million subscribers and over 1.1 billion views.[56] Smosh Pit Weekly was a series on the channel hosted by Mari Takahashi from April 2011 to August 2015, posted on Saturdays.[57]

ElSmosh (youtube.com/ElSmosh)

On "ElSmosh", the team uploads ElSmosh Pit de la Semana (Smosh Pit Weekly), Honest Game Trailers, a series from Smosh Games narrated in Spanish, and new Smosh episodes that have been dubbed over in Spanish. It has over 2.3 million subscribers.[58]

Shut Up! Cartoons (youtube.com/ShutUpCartoons)

"Shut Up! Cartoons" uploads a number of ten episode animated series, created by different animators. It has over 1.9 million subscribers.[59]

Kalel (youtube.com/WatchUsLiveAndStuff)

Active as a Smosh channel from June 2013 to October 2014, and titled "WatchUsLiveAndStuff", it hosted vlogs uploaded by Padilla and his then fiancée Kalel. Kalel continues to upload videos and it has over 1.8 million subscribers.[60]

AnthonyPadilla (youtube.com/AnthonyPadilla)

"AnthonyPadilla" hosts vlog-like videos uploaded by Padilla.

New AskCharlie EVERY WEDNESDAY (youtube.com/askcharlie)

"AskCharlie", active from May 2010 to December 2011, hosts videos from the Ask Charlie series, where an anthropomorphic guinea pig, named Charlie the Drunk Guinea Pig, answers viewer submitted questions.

Smosh Games Alliance (youtube.com/SmoshGamesAlliance)

The Smosh Games Alliance (SGA) is a channel which utilises fan-submitted gaming content and spotlights it on the channel. The channel also includes "Smosh University" which offers tutorials to viewers, live gaming between SGA members and the Smosh Games crew, and vlogs with the Smosh Games crew. It has over 130 thousand subscribers.[61]

Smosh France (youtube.com/TheFrenchSmosh)

"Smosh France" is a fan-run channel which re-uploads videos from the Smosh channel with French subtitles. It has over 120 thousand subscribers.[62]

Schedule

Channel Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
"Smosh" Part Timers Behind the Scenes with Part Timers Every (Blank) Ever
(alternating weeks)		 Behind the Scenes with Every (Blank) Ever
(alternating weeks)		 Smosh video Behind the Scenes with Smosh
"Smosh Games" MariCraft Honest Game Trailers Gametime With Smosh Games Grand Theft Smosh Smosh Game Bang Cell Outs Bonus video
"Smosh 2nd Channel"
  • Smosh is Bored
  • Lunchtime with Smosh

(one of, at varying frequencies)

 Squad Vlogs
(varying frequency)
  • Put It In My Mouth
  • Smosh's Seriously Super Stupid Sleepover

(alternating weeks)
"ElSmosh" ElSmosh Pit de la Semana Honest Game Trailer en Español Cada (Espacio) de Siempre Smosh episode
"Shut Up! Cartoons" Animated video Animated video
"Smosh Games Alliance" Schedule varies
"Smosh France" Schedule varies

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
Comedy
[63]		 US
Heat.
[63]
Sexy Album 11 —
If Music Were Real
  • Released: November 11, 2011
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 5 26
Smoshtastic
  • Released: December 3, 2012
  • Formats: digital download
 3 27
The Sweet Sound of Smosh
  • Released: November 30, 2013
  • Formats: digital download
 4 33
Shut Up! And Listen
  • Released: December 10, 2015
  • Formats: digital download
 4 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for Smosh
Year Award Category Recipient Result
2006 2006 YouTube Awards Comedy[64][65] "Smosh Short 2: Stranded" Won
2009 2009 Webby Awards Experimental & Weird[66] "Sex Ed Rocks" Nominated
2010 2010 Webby Awards Viral[67] "If Movies Were Real" Nominated
2013 3rd Streamy Awards Best Comedy Series[68] Smosh Nominated
Audience Choice for Personality of the Year[68] Smosh Nominated
Best Animated Series[68] Oishi High School Battle Nominated
2013 Webby Awards Branded Entertainment Short Form[69] "Ultimate Assassin's Creed 3 Song" Nominated
2013 Social Star Awards Most Popular Social Show[70][71] Smosh Nominated
United States Social Media Star[72] Smosh Won
2014 4th Streamy Awards Best Comedy Channel, Show, or Series[73] Smosh Nominated
Best Gaming Channel, Show, or Series[73] Smosh Games Won
2015 Seventh Annual Shorty Awards YouTube Star of the Year presented by A&E[74] Smosh Won
5th Streamy Awards Show of the Year[75] Smosh Nominated
Best Gaming Channel, Show, or Series[75] Smosh Games Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Spangler, Todd (August 21, 2013). "YouTube Stars: Our Way or the Highway". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ "About Us". Smosh. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  3. ↑ "BB Suggests: The Best of Web TV". Batch Buzz. November 13, 2009. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Smosh". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Most Subscribed Members – May 17, 2006". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2006-05-17.
  6. ↑ Heffernan, Virginia (April 26, 2007). "A Big Deal: The Run-Off on YouTube!!". The Medium. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Cohen, Joshua (January 12, 2013). "Smosh Passes Ray William Johnson as #1 Most Subscribed YouTube Channel". Tubefilter. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ Padilla, Anthony. "Smosh.com, 2002". Smosh. Archived from the original on November 24, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Partners Project (March 10, 2011). "Smosh Exclusive Interview: The Partners Project Episode 13". YouTube. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  10. ↑ Virginia Heffernan (April 4, 2006). "Comic shorts, home on the Web". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2009.
  11. ↑ "The first superstars of web TV". BBC. November 27, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Troy Dreier. "Smosh: YouTube Gods and Unlikely Online Video Superstars". Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  13. ↑ Lev Grossman (December 16, 2006). "Smosh". Time. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ Andii2000 (March 17, 2007). "SMOSH – POKEMON THEME SONG". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ Smosh (November 26, 2010). "Pokemon Theme Song REVENGE!". YouTube. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  16. ↑ Sam Gutelle (October 19, 2012). "After Three Week Long Bracket, Smosh Guys Have 'Food Battle 2012′". Tubefilter. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  17. ↑ "SMOSH turns sketch comedy into cash". News10. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ Tina Amini (April 17, 2012). "It's Silly When Video Games Try To Be Real". Kotaku. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  19. ↑ Matthew Manarino (April 27, 2012). "SMOSH TALKS WITH US ABOUT SHUT UP! CARTOONS". NewMediaRockStars. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  20. ↑ Mike Shields (June 11, 2012). "Zombie Apocalypse Spreads to YouTube Alloy Digital's new channel Shut Up Cartoons generates 20 million views in 5 weeks". Adweek. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  21. ↑ Todd Kushigemachi (April 13, 2012). "YouTube toon channel loads up on series". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  22. ↑ Smosh (September 26, 2012). "OMG! Smosh Games!". YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  23. ↑ Mike Kayatta (October 26, 2012). "Assassin's Creed III Rap Gives the British a Beat (Down)". Escapist Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  24. ↑ RawmeatCowboy (November 19, 2011). "We talk to SMOSH about their epic Legend of Zelda rap". Go Nintendo. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Smosh Passes Ray William Johnson as No. 1 Most Subscribed YouTube Channel". Ewallstreeter. January 12, 2013. Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Smosh Super Head Esploder X". iTunes Preview. Apple Inc. May 23, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  27. ↑ Smosh (February 15, 2013). "Most Violent Game Ever!?". YouTube. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  28. ↑ "SMOSH Food Battle: THE GAME". Smosh. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  29. ↑ Cohen, Joshua (July 22, 2013). "Smosh Looks To Raise $250,000 on Indiegogo For 'Food Battle' Video Game". Tubefilter. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  30. ↑ Smosh (July 29, 2013). "Food Battle: THE GAME [Update #1]". Smosh. YouTube. Retrieved August 8, 2013. And 10% of all the money raised during the campaign is gonna go to a charity of your guys' choice.
  31. ↑ "Developer Diary: Charity Update". Smosh. November 17, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Sweet Mobile Online Smosh Hub". YouTube. February 26, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Smosh app". Xbox. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Best of 2014 Remix". YouTube. January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Huge New Announcement!!". YouTube. March 8, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Apple Watch Sucks". YouTube. March 13, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Hand Bomb". YouTube. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  38. ↑ Acuna, Kristen. "Lionsgate Is Making A Movie With Two of YouTube's Biggest Stars". Business Insider. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  39. ↑ Spangler, Todd (April 15, 2015). "'Smosh: The Movie' Starring YouTube Comedy Duo Set to Premiere in July". Variety. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  40. ↑ Brouwer, Bree (September 18, 2014). "Smosh Gets A Movie Deal Through Lionsgate, DEFY Media, AwesomenessTV". Tubefilter. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  41. ↑ Spangler, Todd. "Lionsgate Acquires Rights to ‘The Smosh Movie,’ Starring YouTube Comedy Duo". Variety. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  42. ↑ "The Cast and First Image from the Angry Birds Movie Revealed!". comingsoon.net. October 1, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  43. ↑ Smosh Noah channel on YouTube
  44. ↑ Courtney Miller channel on YouTube
  45. ↑ Smosh Olivia channel on YouTube
  46. ↑ SmoshShayne channel on YouTube
  47. ↑ Flitz (August 12, 2013). 50 Facts About FLitz!. YouTube. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Wesley Johnson (WesTheEditor) on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Smosh Games". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  50. ↑ AtomicMari's channel on YouTube
  51. ↑ Lasercorn's channel on YouTube
  52. ↑ Sohinki's channel on YouTube
  53. ↑ The Jovenshire's channel on YouTube
  54. ↑ Nerdsworth's channel on YouTube
  55. ↑ WesTheEditor's channel on YouTube
  56. ↑ "Smosh 2nd Channel". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  57. ↑ "HAPPY ENDINGS! (Farewell Episode)". YouTube. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  58. ↑ "ElSmosh". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  59. ↑ "Shut Up! Cartoons". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  60. ↑ "Kalel". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  61. ↑ "Smosh Games Alliance". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  62. ↑ "Smosh France". YouTube. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  63. 1 2 "Smosh > Charts & Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  64. ↑ YouTube Video Awards. "Best Comedy Video". YouTube. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  65. ↑ Coyle, Jake. "YouTube Awards announces winners". NBC News. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  66. ↑ "The Webby Awards Gallery + Archive". Webby Awards. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  67. ↑ "The Webby Awards Gallery + Archive". Webby Awards. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  68. 1 2 3 "3rd Annual Nominees & Winners". Streamy Awards. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  69. ↑ "The Webby Awards Gallery + Archive". Webby Awards. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  70. ↑ "Superstars and Superfans are Connected through The Social Stars Awards 2013". shinesquad. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  71. ↑ "Social Star Awards 2013 Shortlist Chart". starcount. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  72. ↑ "Social Star Awards 2013: List of winners". The Straits Times Communities. May 23, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  73. 1 2 "4th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  74. ↑ "And the winners of the 7th Annual Shorty Awards are…". The Official Shorty Awards Blog. April 20, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  75. 1 2 "5th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved October 5, 2015.

External links

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