On their channel Blackthornprod, brothers Noa and Liam Calice host something akin to a game jam.

The two brothers are passionate about game development. In fact, the majority of their channel’s videos teach viewers how they might go about it—from getting started to solving specific coding problems.

More recently, however, they’ve organized their own game-jam-like contests, bringing in other game developers to participate. And when these developers aren’t competing against each other like they would if it were a standard game jam, they’re working together.

The latter works like this: The brothers will pass along a game concept through a line of developers. Each developer, one-by-one and without communicating with one another, will build upon the previous developer’s work as they (hopefully) build the game into something engaging and fun. And after the game has passed through five or six developers, they’ll come together to play the game and offer their feedback on how the game turned out.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Blackthornprod, as mentioned before, provides some helpful advice for current or aspiring game developers on how they might spruce up their game. From creating a satisfying player character to coding dialogue, the channel has plenty of free videos that’ll help train viewers.

Though the occasional developer might feel a little upset if one of those latter developers later changed one of their earlier contributions, the collaborations hosted on Blackthornprod are generally quite friendly. Developers will often compliment each other on their creations or progress. Likewise, many developers will respect the decisions of previous developers and strive to keep them in the game, even if it means altering the game or tweaking some assets to fit them in.

Blackthornprod may create a spark for game design for viewers, too. And even if it doesn’t, the process of their creations is fun to watch.

CONTENT CONCERNS

A couple of the developers have used crude language, such as “h—.” God’s name is occasionally used in vain.

Some game concepts are based around elements of horror or the supernatural. Demonic or magical creatures appear in some of the games. Likewise, some games end up containing some blood and violence.

In one video, Noa references some artwork he’s been working on, and we see a couple portraits of naked women.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Who knows? Maybe, one day, a game that first appeared on Blackthornprod just may also show up in our section for video game reviews. Or maybe the channel will be the spark to make your child start creating their own.

Apart from some infrequent language concerns and a couple questionable game concepts, Blackthornprod is relatively innocent. Its more recent videos feel like an online game show (no pun intended)—one that both entertains and instructs its viewers in the process that goes into game design. And while not every game ultimately works out by the end, viewers can still walk away with that added knowledge regardless.

The post Blackthornprod appeared first on Plugged In.

Well, challenge accepted.

Lindsey Stirling didn’t let her elimination from America’s Got Talent in 2010 dissuade her. And through her eponymous YouTube channel, she’s been wowing her millions of fans through her songwriting, violin playing, and dancing—often doing the latter two simultaneously. Indeed, some might say that those judges made the biggest mistake of the year in eliminating Stirling.

Throughout the years, she’s collaborated with popular artists such as Pentatonix, Owl City and John Legend. And with her channel and many concert tours, Stirling has amassed a large fanbase who love her unique blend of violin with electronic and rock music.

If all that doesn’t make someone a world-class violinist, then I don’t know what does.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Stirling is really good at playing violin. In fact, she’s even able to dance in choreographed movements while she performs, which is no easy feat. The musician’s joy in her playing may encourage many viewers to find the time to learn their own musical instrument, too.

Stirling has also used her fame in order to support non-profits and charities, such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities and Toys for Tots. She’s also started her own nonprofit, The Upside Fund, which is “focused on supporting people in need of assistance to pay off medical debt.”

While Stirling’s music scarcely contains any lyrics whatsoever, focusing instead on her violin, viewers can listen to renditions of Christian Christmas songs like O Holy Night and Angels We Have Heard On High.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Stirling’s hit song and album Artemis are named after the Greek goddess, taking direct inspiration from the “goddess of the moon.” In the music video for the song, Stirling wears an antler headdress as symbolism for the goddess.

Some conservative families may find a few of Stirling’s performing outfits to be a bit revealing.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

At one point, America’s Got Talent judge Sharon Osbourne told Stirling that she didn’t think Stirling’s skills would be enough to fill a theater in Vegas. Now, there’s no theater in Vegas that would have enough room to fit all of Stirling’s fans.

Aside from a couple issues, Lindsey Stirling, the channel, won’t have much on it that will concern families—unless they’ve got a fear of impressive violin skills.

The post Lindsey Stirling appeared first on Plugged In.

Well, another channel has risen in prominence lately, too: The Critical Drinker, helmed by Scottish movie reviewer Will Jordan. This conservative-leaning commentator’s enormous popularity is based on his ranting critiques—in particular, for his videos skewering Disney-owned franchises like Marvel and Star Wars. While many of Jordan’s videos are simply discussions about what he did and didn’t like about a film, others slot into several different categories.

“The Drinker Recommends” is a category for movies that Jordan feels are prime examples of great storytelling and engaging movies. In this playlist, viewers will find movies both new and old that Jordan believes stand above the rest.

“The Drinker Fixes” contains videos where Jordan analyzes a character or movie plot and rewrites their motivations or the context around them in order to present a “better” version of it. What’s most notable about this category is that Jordan tries to stick as closely as possible to a movie’s themes and characters in order to prove that poor stories can be made better with a bit of workshopping.

“Production Hell” showcases movies or TV shows that had to go through difficult development and production processes due to monetary issues, overbearing higher-ups, difficult actors or other problems.

“Why Modern Movies Suck” allows Jordan to explain the unique issues behind newer films that he believes undermine their entertainment quality. These videos showcase examples Jordan uses to prove his point and are often the most opinion-based of his uploads.

POSITIVE CONTENT

The Critical Drinker provides valid points and commentary on many films and TV shows. For instance, Jordan often explains that movies that value universal messages will inherently relate to more people than those made to make a statement for the zeitgeist. He notes that movies with messages about family, the value of life and redemption are often the most compelling to audiences.

Jordan primarily focuses on each piece of entertainment’s storytelling, and he criticizes a given film when he feels that the storytelling has been thrown to the side in favor of pushing a political or cultural agenda.

CONTENT CONCERNS

If you thought that the name of the channel was indicative of the content concerns, you’d be right. In older videos, Jordan’s speech is intentionally meant to sound like he’s going on an intoxicated rant. Though newer videos haven’t focused as heavily on that schtick, The Critical Drinker channel name still brings to mind alcoholism.

By far, though, the biggest issue viewers will contend with is the heavy swearing. Both f- and s-words are frequent, as are other vulgarities. God’s name is taken in vain sometimes, too.

In some of the movie clips that Jordan shows, we also see people get hurt or killed in some bloody ways.

Recurring jokes include Jordan playing a clip of a man profusely vomiting in response to poor directorial decisions as well as using a flatulent noise for similar reasons. He also sometimes plays a clip of Nicholas Cage in his underwear or She-Hulk twerking. We hear a couple sexual quips, too.

And on a similar note, some of Jordan’s rants insult the directors and actors behind the films directly. While he often criticizes stories based on merit, he has also makes occasional jokes or comments that comes off as sexist.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Sometimes, movie critics can be quite harsh. I’ve read not a few movie reviews where I’ve thought, in full Marty McFly fashion “Wow, this is heavy.” I’m not immune to the irony that Plugged In’s reviewers(myself included) have probably written things that have elicited similar responses from our readers, too.

And, in true fashion, The Critical Drinker is harsh, too. Harsher than most, in fact, to the point of callous insult.

To Jordan’s credit, many of the points he makes have merit. Furthermore, he does a pretty good job explaining where he’s coming from and why he dislikes a particular element of the film. But let’s just say that when Plugged In dislikes something in a movie, we’re much more likely to express our perspective with careful tact. Not so for Jordan.

And that includes the content issues here. With frequent swearing and many crude jokes, The Critical Drinker probably isn’t the kind of sarcastic movie critic you’d gather your kids in the living room to listen to.

The post The Critical Drinker appeared first on Plugged In.

Were you to give us reviewers at Plugged In a technical title, I suppose you might call us entertainment critics. However, you may slap an asterisk next to that title, since we’re not critics in the conventional way. We often critique what we watch from an aesthetic, creative point, but that’s secondary to our role as content watchdogs. When we weigh a movie, it’s largely based on whether its positive messages outweigh its negative content concerns. It’s just the nature of Plugged In.

Well, Schaffrillas Productions, run by James Phyrillas, has its own focus: reviewing predominantly Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks movies.

Of course, that’s not all Phyrillas has done, since he’s got plenty of other videos, too, such as his talks about Nintendo products or his much older “YouTube Poop” videos (a name describing videos that remix popular content in chaotic mashups through heavy editing). But its his reviews of the animation companies that typically draw the most viewers.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Part of Schaffrillas Productions appeal stems from how deeply he dives into some of the films he covers. Phyrillas doesn’t give superficial reasons for liking or disliking a movie: he’ll explain how a flick’s plot devices, movie scores and voice acting have influenced his opinion.

He’ll also use these movies to talk about some deeper topics, too. For instance, Schaffrillas Productions systematically goes through various Disney and Pixar films to explain which surprise “twist” villains work and which don’t—and what makes a twist villain effective. Also, in a video on Shrek 2, he uses the film to explain what makes an effective movie sequel, and he reminds viewers how effectively Megamind analyzes the nature vs. nurture debate.

Critics can, by nature, gravitate toward negativity, but this channel isn’t always critical of films. Some videos also hope to convince viewers about why some movies are “cinematic masterpieces.”

CONTENT CONCERNS

Swearing occurs in most videos. Some f-words are censored, while others are not. We’ll also hear words like the s-word, “d-ck” and misuses of God’s name.

Some quips or references are sensual. He points out an animation that makes it look like a child is “humping his couch,” for instance, and he jokes that a Frozen sequel could have had Elsa “making out” with a man. And when he discusses anime that he’s watched, he references the unfortunate reality that many anime sexualize women.

Additionally, some jokes are crude, such as when he calls a film an “abortion.”

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Amidst plenty of jokes, Schaffrillas Productions creates videos that dive surprisingly deep into what makes a movie compelling–crafting well-thought-out arguments that bolster the points he makes. However, because of the crude language and occasional dirty joke, those arguments are best left for older audiences.

The post Schaffrillas Productions appeared first on Plugged In.

In 2009, Deadliest Warrior released on Spike. It tried to determine which ancient or modern warrior would win in a fight, factoring in each warrior’s respective “history, culture, and general fighting philosophy” as well as the deadliness of their weapons.

In a way, ERB does the same thing. But instead of determining who would win in a fight between Attila the Hun and Alexander the Great, they’re determining who would win in a rap battle.

Instead of combat readiness, ERB’s (Epic Rap Battles of History) warriors fight with clever prose and devastating insults. The people stepping into the verbal ring are historical and fictional—from Lara Croft vs. Indiana Jones to Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama.

And either way, it’s going to get brutally personal.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Peter Shukoff and Lloyd Ahlquist, the creators of ERB, do their research. The characters in their videos will often reference moments, beliefs and more that make up each other’s lives. As such, viewers might be compelled to learn more about each person or, at least, will appreciate the complex lyrics ERB wrote to bring about those references.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Make no mistake; ERB is not for kids—or even teens, for that matter. If YouTube channels received MPA ratings, ERB would get an R.

Characters will use all sorts of profanity, including the n-word, the f-word and various crude words that reference genitalia.

Additionally, we’ll hear a lot of references to sexual situations or body parts. Female characters tell other people to perform oral sex on them. Someone talks about breaking the hymen. Other characters reference orgasms and masturbation. Some female characters wear clothes that reveal cleavage.

There’s other content, too. One character, Moses, is played by Snoop Dogg, and he’s seen smoking and making crude references while women in lingerie dance behind him. Likewise, in a video that pits Adam against Eve, their crude rap is filled with sexual references. And Mother Teresa and Joan of Arc are paired up against sexual people. Someone calls himself a god.

There are also some violent references, including some comments Hitler makes while rapping against Darth Vader. Someone alleges a prominent political figure was in league with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And in Oppenheimer versus Thanos, we hear references to how both men caused a lot of deaths.

The channel’s various political rap battles rely on heavy stereotypes of the figures.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Anything goes on ERB, but the status quo should inform parents that it’s not a channel they’ll want their kids watching. We’ll give credit to MCs Shukoff and Ahlquist for their skill in writing such complex lines (and, we’ll be honest, some pretty solid disses). But looking at this from a content perspective, those lyrics leave us with a whole lot of issues.

The post ERB (Epic Rap Battles of History) appeared first on Plugged In.

Since 2012, Rob’s been leading his wife, Teryn, and their children, Jack, Hadley, Austin and Olivia, in learning how to draw all sorts of things. They’ve gone through countless markers and sheets of paper—after all, the channel’s uploaded nearly 2,500 videos since its inception!

And if you’ve got a pencil and paper at home, you can follow along, too! In each video, Rob will lead one member of his family in a step-by-step process to create whatever they plan on drawing, explaining helpful tips to achieve the desired result.

Rob’s most important tip? To practice—and have fun while doing it.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Art for Kids Hub offers engaging and easy-to-understand commentary that kids will have little trouble following. This makes sense, as because Rob is guiding his own children in each video, his approach is suited for younger audiences. Parents likewise won’t need to worry about swear words.

With thousands of videos (and a new one uploaded almost daily), children will be able to find instruction on how to draw things that personally interest them.

The videos on the channel as a whole span a wide range in drawing difficulty, which makes them accessible to a variety skill levels, More advanced designs are typically tackled by Rob with his older children, while easier drawings are paired with Rob’s younger kids.

Additionally, Rob and Teryn’s love for their children is evident in each video.

CONTENT CONCERNS

We did not see anything of concern in the videos we watched.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Art for Kids Hub could be a great teaching resource to inspire your child in his or her artistry. Whether your child wants to learn how to draw a character from a movie, their favorite animal or more, it may be worth considering checking out Art for Kids Hub.

The post Art for Kids Hub appeared first on Plugged In.

You may have better luck checking out New Rockstars.

The channel is best known for its breakdowns of movies, TV shows and trailers, pointing out “every detail you missed.” The many people who represent the channel cover much of the most popular entertainment, from Marvel and Star Wars movies to the Super Mario and Indiana Jones franchises. They’ll also theorize about what events may mean for the future of each series, and they’ll provide their opinions on other pop-culture-related questions.

POSITIVE CONTENT

New Rockstars just may help viewers learn more about their favorite series. Even for the most hardcore fans, the channel will likely point out a hidden fact or connected bit of lore that they may find interesting. And there should be something said for the channel consolidating a movie or show’s lore in one video so viewers won’t need to waste time searching for it themselves.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Language is a constant on the channel. Though f-words and s-words are censored, we hear other swears, like “b–ch,” “d–n,” “d–chebag” and “a–.” In one video, a commentator’s shirt contains the word “slut” on it.

We also see some sensual content. One video theorizes whether or not a character had sex with another. Other videos theorize about deeply problematic or sensual shows (such as Rick & Morty and Game of Thrones) and, naturally, sometimes talk a lot about those very issues.  We hear references to pornography, explicit sexual acts and genitals. In one video, we see the shadow of an animated man’s genitals. In a video about a Star Wars movie, a commentator jokes about adding genitals to a droid.

And as mentioned, channels that typically have a lot of negative adult content are analyzed in detail. These shows have jokes about suicide, drug use and instances of blood and gore.

A commentator jokes about a couple stories from the Bible in an irreverent manner.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

While New Rockstars may show you just how many intricate details the directors of your favorite movies and shows have added to their creations, the channel itself has some unavoidable pitfalls that make it a harder watch for young audiences. While some of these are based on the entertainment the channel breaks down, such as the content-filled Rick & Morty, that still won’t negate the swearing present in other videos.

The post New Rockstars appeared first on Plugged In.

I was listening to a television soundtrack.

It was Michael Giacchino’s song “Locke’d Out Again,” once of his many pieces he composed for the hit TV show Lost. I felt it again when I first heard Koji Kondo’s “Bom-Omb Battlefield” from Super Mario 64. And again, when I heard John Williams’ “Theme from Jurassic Park” from, well, Jurassic Park.

Each of these pieces made me feel something—mourning, joy, optimism. And, unlike with “Hot Cross Buns,” I had been exposed to the music almost accidentally. I had wanted to play the video game, or I had wanted to watch the TV show or movie. And because of my interest in the media, I was likewise interested in its music.

In our world full of entertainment, that’s the story of a lot of aspiring musicians who were initially inspired by the music of the Hans Zimmers and Koji Kandos of the world and decided that they wanted to learn how to make music like that, too.

That’s the audience 8-bit Music Theory aims toward. The channel focuses on using the soundtracks from a variety of popular video games in order to talk about the language of music. “Why Does Mario Music Sound Fun?” One video asks. “How Creative Limitations Shaped Ocarina of Time’s Best Music” another reads.

By the end of a given video, you might even feel that all that time you spent playing Legend of Zelda just might help you towards a music major.

POSITIVE CONTENT

While many of the things 8-bit Music Theory discusses may require a bit of musical knowledge to grasp, viewers who stick around long enough will certainly learn a thing or two about how memorable music is written, and the musical reasons as to why certain pieces make us feel the way we do.

Likewise, even if you aren’t interested in obtaining a music degree, the channel will certainly help you to listen more intently to the soundtrack in the next game you play, helping you to appreciate it more.

CONTENT CONCERNS

The channel’s most popular video, “Odd Time Signatures in Video Game Music,” contains a use of “a–.” In “Musical Evolution in the Civilization VI Soundtrack,” we hear a use of the s-word. We also see “wtf” written in another video.

Some games the channel takes clips from might not be ones that parents want their youngest children watching, such as the combat-oriented Bioshock and Dark Souls games.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

8-bit Music Theory can feel like a college music course in itself, at times diving deep into the mathematical language behind composition. Other times, however, its videos simply praise well-written music and help you to enjoy the work that went into its orchestration. While the very occasional swear muddies this composition, 8-bit Music Theory offers a deep dive into the world of video game music that just might get you tapping your foot as you listen.

The post 8-bit Music Theory appeared first on Plugged In.

The fun times and mishaps of cat ownership are the focus of his YouTube channel, Simon’s Cat. It sports more than a hundred different web cartoons for viewers to watch (and perhaps even relate to). From the incessant scratching on everything except the scratching post to having to constantly step over the cat as it sleeps on the steps, this animated cat causes a lot of mayhem.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Tofield’s cartoons are funny, enjoyable shorts and feature situations to which pet owners will likely be able to relate. One video warns against overfeeding your pet. And in general, viewers can enjoy the videos without needing to worry about content within them.

CONTENT CONCERNS

There is very little content to be concerned about on the channel. The cat’s anus is depicted by a dot on its rear. We’ll see slapstick humor, such as when the cat uses a baseball bat to wake its owner, or when it throws objects at Simon to avoid his grasp. The cat urinates on Simon in one web cartoon. One video’s title will bring to mind a common crass saying (but is in itself just fine). The channel’s merchandise website sells items related to horoscopes.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Simon’s Cat is the modern-day equivalent of opening the newspaper to the funny pages for your favorite comic artist. We found only minor hairballs to be concerned about with this web cartoon, and it’ll be especially relatable to pet owners.

The post Simon’s Cat appeared first on Plugged In.

No, it’s not as catchy as Billy Joel’s original lyrics, but doing just that has helped pianist Daniel Thrasher gain more than three million subscribers on his YouTube channel. The channel, named after Thrasher himself, is full of comedy sketches, and most of them pertain to music.

But you don’t need a music theory degree in order to comprehend the jokes. Even if you aren’t a musician, the skits are simple to understand. He’ll riff on riffs. He’ll turn the “If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands” into a recipe for disaster. Many of his videos star various versions of himself.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Thrasher’s skill on the piano is impressive and fun to listen to, and it may encourage children to want to practice their own instruments. Thrasher’s humorous skits can be fun and engaging. And musicians, may find some of those sketches to be relatable.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Many of Thrasher’s skits contain problematic content. In one video, “When you pray to Gsus” (a reference to a type of chord), a Jesus-like depiction appears, does sensual movements and references the coming of a great flood. “Gsus’” knees’ flatulate, and he says that it’s one of his miracles. He claims that his father is G-A-D (the notes of a Gsus2 chord). In another skit, Thrasher prays to “Lort,” and Lort’s transparent cousin arrives instead to bless his prayers.

Other skits depict Thrasher as the devil or possessed by a demon. When Thrasher plays a tritone on the piano, he accidentally summons Satan, who causes a man to have a seizure.

We’ll hear other sensual jokes, including a reference to a chastity belt, a pornographic genre and a lyric reading “when bae’s booty go awoogah.” In terms of violence, one skit shows a group of people plotting someone’s murder behind Thrasher’s back, and in another, Thrasher pretends to break his legs in order to get out of a social encounter.

We’ll occasionally hear censored swear words, including the f-word, s-word and “a–.” God’s name is frequently taken in vain.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Daniel Thrasher offers plenty of sketches that just might get a laugh or two out of you. And while many of the skits don’t have any content concerns, there are a number that do, including multiple spiritual jokes and a few sensual ones, too. And that might not be music to parents’ ears.

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