I can go on and on about how YouTube is the new frontier of media and how television is slowly deteriorating in creativity and quality, but that’s not the point of this article. The point is to tell you the 10 Best YouTube Channels of 2014. There’s no criteria here. These are basically 10 channels that I admire, watch regularly, and am thoroughly entertained by. Will you necessarily enjoy them? No. But you might as well give them a try, for me. Or not for me. I don’t really care. You do you.
Honorable Mentions: MyHarto, The Fine Bros, Smosh Games, ScottBradleeLovesYa
Want countless acoustic sessions from your favorite indie bands? Well, this channel has got you covered. The French based peeps have brought in names like Family of the Year, Bastille, Imagine Dragons, and Hozier to bring gorgeously shot and mixed acoustic sessions in some of the most beautiful locations in France. However, the best part of the channel has quickly become the quintessential sound check clap at the beginning of each video.
Take the content of Elite Daily, add a hilarious British man, and you’ve got Jack Howard. His general rantings and musings seem random and pointless sometimes, but there’s always meaning behind them in the end. It takes real talent to be that funny and entertaining, while still educating an audience about something that they sometimes might not get: life. The best part is that he’s not trying to teach you anything. You take from it what you want to take from it. It’s what makes his channel great.
Just the fact that the Queen of Geek Felicia Day runs this channel means you should be watching, but hilarious shows like Co-Optitude, Tabletop, Spooked, and Space Janitors will make you come back for more. Even better, it’s place where you can celebrate your geekdom and realize that you’re not the only obsessed fan out there. Magic: The Gathering, Retro Games, Settlers of Catan. Did I also mention that it’s Felicia Day? I did. Well, remember it. Always.
You know those small things that annoy you in every movie? The cliches, editing mistakes, cringe worthy dialogue. Cinema Sins points them all out and more in a hilarious fashion and delivered on point by the narrator. For me, the channel is my go to whenever I need to kill 15 minutes or so. There isn’t a bad video. Every sin is on point and you’ll find yourself grateful that someone is calling out Hollywood’s utter bullshit.
Remember when I was talking about celebrating your geekdom with Geek & Sundry? Well, feed it over at Vsauce3. Basically geeky question you’ve ever asked, every conversation you wanted to ask, and every piece of merch you wanted to buy is addressed by the ever so charming Jake. I personally recommend watching the show Game LÜT. Just be warned that you may spend your entire life savings on all the amazing things. I mean, a Darth Vader toaster that toasts the Star Wars logo in to the bread. COME ON!
Attractive British men? Check. Food? Check. Simple ways to make this food? Check. Sorted food is pretty much everything you want in a food show. It’s funny, quick, and simple. The guys over at Sorted make it easy and fun to learn to make the dishes YOU want. That’s right. They take your requests and tips to make everything on their channel. That means everything you get is everything you want. What can be better than that?
4. Epic Rap Battles of History
People both real and fictional rap battling with insults that cut so deep they’re going to need stitches? I don’t really need to say much more. There’s a reason that this channel was YouTube’s most popular this year and that is because of the sheer talent of Nice Peter and Epic Lloyd, who are the masterminds behind the madness. Whether it’s Romeo & Juliet vs. Bonnie and Clyde or Oprah vs. Ellen, every single rap is witty, sharp, and damn catchy.
Cinephiles unite! I may be developing a mild crush on Bobby Burns. First of all, he’s hilarious. Second of all, he’s a film geek. Third of all, he uses his film geekdom and hilariousness for good. Mainly bringing us videos like How to Make a Slasher Film, The Home Alone Horror Trailer, and Why Predators Sucks. Any person that loves film, and more than that, loves criticizing film will not only appreciate this channel, they will get addicted.
Half the time I spend watching Grace Helbig videos I just beg the question: “why?” But does it matter? No. You just take it for what it is. A truly quirky girl doing some truly quirky things. The reincarnated Daily Grace brings us a spontaneity that gives us even more intimacy than ever before. Whether she is trying to get her friends to laugh with farts or just “reviewing” Taylor Swift’s 1989, it comes with her unique humor that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but just makes you fall in love with her every single time you watch a video.
1. You Deserve A Drink/Mametown
I’m going to set the record straight. Mamrie Hart is one of the funniest comedians on YouTube. If you don’t see that, then I don’t know if we can be friends. She’s embodies everything a funny person should be. She’s fast, witty, sharp, but isn’t afraid to dip down low to throw in some fart and sex jokes. In You Deserve a Drink she uses that trademark humor to do God’s work: getting you drunk. The show is so perfectly imperfect that in the end you watch it over and over, not for the recipes, but for Mamrie herself. Mametown takes her ridiculousness even further to give you sometimes legitimate and sometimes absurd advice, musings, and general shenanigans about life.
Obviously I missed a bunch of awesome channels. YouTube is an endless tunnel of talent and entertainment, so what are your favorite YouTube channels?
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.