0:00 Honest question, why do you guys feel like every Asian YouTube legend quit but us? >> I think they just got so successful they don't have to do it anymore. >> The only ones in the game is just us, Tim, David. >> That's it. >> Consistently posting. >> Out of the generation you guys are from? >> Yeah. >> Wong Fu. >> They don't consistently post. >> Oh, they don't? >> like they're Yeah, not as Wong Fu. >> Yeah, not as Wong Fu. >> Yeah, right. >> They're not even like the main Wong Fu guys are not in their own videos anymore. >> So, Ted isn't part of Wong Fu anymore. It's mainly a Phil and Wes. Um, but then they have a whole new like new generation team that are on camera, too. >> Oh, okay. Are they consistently posting like content? >> I guess I guess not. >> Once a Once a week?
0:50 >> Yeah. >> No, I don't think so. >> But I think they're still like in the forefront because they do have Netflix shows and stuff. So, if you're looking at a chronological timeline, maybe not on YouTube, but they're always still like relevant because of projects. >> doing work and stuff. >> Okay. >> Who's Who's mainly in that era then like that that quit? >> Uh, it's YouTubers in general, >> right? Like >> Like Happy Slip, Peter Chao, David Choi. >> Chao, dude, he's a >> I've been seeing Happy Slip post again, but she does um Instagram. >> Anna Akana still around? >> Oh, duh. Anna Akana is still killing it. >> Still kicking it? >> She's dope, dude. >> What's that one make-up girl? >> Michelle Phan. >> Oh, she used to crush. >> one of the ones that was like She doesn't do anything ever again. >> She's a billionaire or something. >> Yeah. >> Came back like a couple years back or a few years ago she made like a podcast and like every episode like was a banger. She had like
1:41 She had Ryan Higa. Yeah, she had like >> That was good. >> It feels like she could just start anytime again and then just kill it. >> If I were to take a stab at your question though, I think it's because most people are either burnt out or and I feel this a little bit, they don't like the culture of what YouTube is today. >> Mhm. >> Cuz you know, before it's way more for the culture, for the art, the creativity. >> Yeah. >> such a algo-driven content machine. Like you can tell people out the gate, it's not them producing what their heart feels, but what is going to succeed, and they reverse-engineer their heart almost. And I think that was That's completely different from why people made content back then. So, I think they either don't like this new landscape, or they're just extremely burnt out, which I've heard personally from a lot of these guys. >> Different creators for different algo platform times. >> That makes sense, cuz you're now you're competing with the mainstream on the
2:32 same platform. Not like before, where if you wanted to be a news channel, you didn't have to compete with CBS primetime on YouTube. >> But they don't know the secret is to do Asian military topics. >> You know, um there used to be hella like Asian musicians. I don't see them anymore. >> Yeah, like seeing cover songs and stuff like that. >> That whole scene. Do you think it's a age thing, though? Also? >> A combination of what Bart said about like verse You're going against mainstream talent. >> Like when they came out, there weren't that many musicians on YouTube. >> I feel like that's just moved over to like IG, TikTok, though. >> Yeah, I mean people stopped doing that. >> that also got They also got ████ by the copyright laws. Remember back then you could monetize covers? So, everyone was doing covers.
3:23 And then now you can't, so now like I think that just killed a whole genre. >> Yeah, that's true. I also think the talent is like there's so much now, just with everything. Like the way even our content, like it's it's really difficult to produce the high-caliber content on a consistent basis, because of the budget and like just everything. And then you're competing with actual production teams that have that budget, you know? >> Yeah, and to your point, I don't even think that version of conversation existed at the beginning YouTube era, where people were thinking about competing about production budget and this is people were just making content. They were just going outside and gorilla >> It's just from the heart. You're just making fun stuff. >> But it turned into an arms race eventually. Like like so once people started getting red cameras and stuff, it all everybody started like escalating their content and then everyone's like, "Oh f███." I and like somebody's like, "I make s█████ videos but in 4K now."
4:16 >> Use red cameras, yeah. They're just bragging about I spent 20K on this and it's like, "It looks like s███." >> Or like it's still written like ████ but it looks good. >> Yeah. >> Do you Do you remember when like Deathtrix and Higa and Jidion and uh Chester they all got together and made that >> YTF? Yeah, of course. >> They were I remember back in the day they were talking about this thing they used to do back when they had a homepage on YouTube. Remember there was like a front page? And they used to game the system somehow by like cuz all of them had really big accounts and then whenever one person of their team would post something on YouTube, they would like flood that person's video with like comments and whatever the heck back then and it it would always land one of them on the front page. >> That's so cool. >> Yeah, it was like >> One of my favorites of all time. Shout out Lisa Nova. She used to like make sure her cleavage was at a certain point
5:07 in the video because they knew that that would be the thumbnail cuz you couldn't set thumbnails back then. And so she she like boom tits out at the right time and then that was the thumbnail and then she just exploded with that. Wow. >> And then guys exploded, too. >> Girls on thumbnails and that would always get hella clicks. >> Yeah, like that car wash video you had. Yeah. >> Dude, my buddy Filthy Frank he would he would it's just like some chick holding her tits and he's talking about like taxes. But like it doesn't matter cuz or he's talking about the news, right? But it doesn't matter like what's in the thumbnail cuz people clicked on it and then they got addicted to his content. >> We had some big tits to this thumbnail, just throwing that out there. >> Did Remember that? You couldn't do that anymore? Like it worked against you after a while. >> Can we just try for this thumbnail though? Just for data. >> No, I remember having like a girl in a bikini and putting her on a thumbnail and then like it got like >> Yeah, they like tanked. Yeah, like it
5:57 would tank. >> No, I couldn't even post it. It algorithm would be like that's not that's a violation or whatever. >> Yeah. >> People grew up and matured. People don't click on that stuff anymore. >> Like the clickbait hatred got so hot that it almost like hurt the platform, you know? Like people were so pissed. >> You have to be like ████ you. Who cares who gives a ████ You know what I mean? The people who like internalize that, like you're using clickbait. The people get sad about that and internalize it, they're never going to make it very long anyway. To get back to the topic, like that's that's how you burn out quick cuz you listen to your audience too hard and you let them sway you in every direction and then you stop making stuff. >> What if you actually suck and they're all saying you suck? >> That's just good feedback. >> Who are some other people from back in the day that you don't see anymore? >> Man, like from our circle? >> Yeah. Or maybe like people that weren't
6:47 like as big big but like were still really good. >> Well, we talked about Kev Jumba and Joe Jo. >> was tight. Remember Joseph Vincent? >> Oh, yeah. >> do something somewhere. He was tight back then. >> On the flip side, what's craziest to see the people that were I would say starting out and maybe in the YouTube hierarchy not as high cuz they haven't been in as long and now doing like crazy ████ So like like Ali Maki, you know, she was she was she was in like our videos a bunch and then now she's like mainstream Hollywood. Same thing as Arden, you know, like yeah, so it's cool to see people that were like they're they're probably embarrassed if anyone ever dug up their videos. Like oh, ████ I used to be in I used to be in a JK video but now I'm like a Hollywood megastar which is pretty cool to see that happen, too. >> That's what's funny about Randall Park cuz he used to come to JK and then now
7:37 he's like in Avengers movies and ████ >> Yeah, yeah. >> JK is the sickest stepping stone for Hollywood people ever. >> step on our face and then keep going. >> Well, the craziest one is uh I hope I pronounce it right, Steven Yeun. >> Yes. >> From Walking Dead. >> That's the craziest one cuz uh I went to a dinner and he was there. I was like, "Oh, ████ That's the Walking Dead guy." And I was like, "Hey, man. I just want to say like I I love what you're doing for the community. You crushed it on the show." He goes, "Dude, you don't remember me?" And I'm like, "No." He goes, "Dude, I've been to your house a bunch when you guys used to just have those YouTube shoots at the one the one in Monterey Park where you guys were like" And I was like, "What the f███?" I was like, "Dude, that's so cool." And then I and then I messaged him after. Of course, he didn't reply. >> He ████ didn't remember him. >> He just big-timed him. >> So, he's been to the JK house? >> Yeah, when we used to just work and you know the front house and people would just come in through and we're just shooting random stuff all the time. >> Roll through with a friend one day? Is
8:28 that what happened? >> Yeah, maybe he was even uh like a extra or something. >> Yeah, he worked on the video. >> But back then it was like like our our house, the JK house, we're shooting all kinds of random content so people would just show up all the time. >> I was on a flight to Japan with him and I was fanboying and I couldn't say hi. >> Dude, he's probably like, "Oh, ████ That's ████ Joe. What the hell?" >> He's like, "That's the second time I got big-timed by JK." >> WE'RE TOO GOOD. WE'RE TOO GOOD FOR HIM. >> I DON'T KNOW. HE KEEPS LOOKING AWAY. WHAT THE ████ DUDE? >> RIGHT. You guys are cool. I get it. >> Oh, ████ That him? That's crazy. Now he got too shy. >> Maybe that feels kind of cool in a way cuz he's not used to that where people are like, "I don't remember you." >> That's true. >> Like he's like, "Ooh." >> That's crazy. >> At least he's not walking up to him calling him Glenn for once. >> It's like something different. >> higher now. >> Yeah. >> No, we ████ up.
9:19 >> Right? >> AJ Rafael is still doing stuff, right? He's still >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Like consistently, right? >> That's right. >> He'd be in like TV shows and stuff. He was in like Wonder Man for like a People be doing cool stuff like acting and stuff. >> Hey, Timmy's on that show now. >> Yeah. >> Varnell Hill. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. They had two Two out already. >> That's awesome. >> Good job, Tim. >> Still killing it for sure. David's always killing it. That's dope. You know how um what was that one is it Jenny Suk? Jenny s u k? >> Yeah. >> I remember being hella into her music type stuff. >> Jenny Suk? >> Jenny Suk. >> Shut up. >> Suk. Suk? Is that I don't know. >> Oh yeah, we can't forget about >> Jenny Suk with the x. >> Dumbfounded? >> Oh, dude. >> Yeah, he's doing good. >> Oh, bro, he's killing it, man. Yeah. >> Like he writes for shows. >> That's awesome. >> Yeah, he's killing it. >> He's a legit writer like has a book. Like he'd be doing book signings and
10:09 stuff. Yeah, really literally just dropped a book. >> even know he could read, but that's good. >> This is why this is how it happens. >> JK be big time people so good. We're just so good at it. No, but other Asian YouTubers that quit, though. >> Yeah. >> What about those? >> you feel like you were part of that world even though like cuz the dance world, the music world, like everyone kind of came together. >> Like uh if you were going to ask me personally, I'd be like uh yeah, I was part of it, but like from a dance community realm, I was a YouTuber. From the YouTuber realm, I was a dancer. So, you're never really fully and then also from a YouTuber realm, I couldn't monetize any of my videos, but I was still invited to the YouTube platforms. I was still getting signed or like you know deals with like Machinima or like
10:59 trying to figure out things with DanceOn or whatnot because I knew that like I was a content creator more than I was just like a dancer. >> Yeah, that term wasn't even invented back then. >> Yeah, but they couldn't monetize it. So, >> It's the free music, dude. >> Obviously. Royalty free. We should have went royalty free the whole way. >> It sucks so bad. The worst is when dancers would make their own music. They would like create tracks to to skirt that and people go, "THIS MUSIC ████ SUCKS." >> DAMN. >> SO, you're just getting hurt two ways. Hey, you know who's tight? Kathy Nguyen. >> Oh, yeah. >> Kathy was tight, yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, she was always super nice. >> She randomly pops up in Wong Fu stuff, too. >> Yeah, every time she pops up, everyone's so happy to see her. She has like a really good fandom. She's great, yeah, OG. >> Cuz one of my favorite like like experiences during that era is when we would just randomly get booked on a gig
11:50 together and we find out like, "Oh ████ you're going to be at that show?" But I don't really see that anymore. They don't They don't do that at all. >> ISA did a good job of doing that. Every time there was an ISA event, that's when I kind of met most of the creators and stuff. >> I think they still do it. I just don't think those colleges want to BRING YOUR 40-YEAR-OLD >> I DON'T see any flyers. Like, yeah. >> young guys now. >> Guys used to always play in the basketball thing, right? >> Bart does all the time. >> basketball thing? >> I did that one. There's one in Toronto that always brings us out, too. But then because that one's run by SeeMee, we talk so much about SeeMee, I don't think they're going to bring me out anymore. >> Just cuz we said Shang-Chi's gay in like 17 videos? >> Just cuz David called him semen lube? >> Dude, it's SeeMee, I love you. SeeMee's always been awesome to me, so I'm going to be mayor, but >> I think SeeMee is, by the way, a very talented, good actor. I just think he's kind of gay on social media. That's all. >> Oh man, great.
12:41 >> Kind of. >> It really seals the deal. >> basketball in Toronto is fun. >> Okay, we don't think Shang-Chi's gay at all, for the record. >> he's gay, for >> If David and then we're at Jason's house, so we get in trouble, too. >> Why are we guilty by association? You are gay. Didn't you just have him on like Kinjaz? Like randomly, he's like >> dancing with Kinjaz. >> Yeah, it was dancing with because we don't go on YouTube and go, "He's gay." >> Should do. >> We don't We don't go online and be like, "Dude, Shang-Chi's >> Why are you gay?
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