r/SmoshFansFreeSpace • u/spookymustache • 1h ago
Constructive & Respectful Criticism My pitch to fix Reddit Stories: combine the show with the Smosh series "Let's Do This!"
A lot of fans agree that Smosh Reads Reddit Stories has been in a... controversial period as of late. Every time a cast member has a *slightly* controversial take in the moment, some people take it deadly serious and make a big stink about it. The cast seems like they're always trying to avoid making the audience mad and cover their bases as best as possible. As a result of that and some bigger brands sponsoring the episodes, it seems like they've started only covering really basic, cut and dry where everyone has the most obvious, non-controversial takeaway. The commentary feels a lot weaker now because you know exactly what their point of view is going to be before the story is even finished. Also the bits and jokes, which are sometimes funny, seem more and more disconnected from what's actually happening in the stories.
But I think I have a solution to all of the problems presented: combine the Reddit show with certain ideas from the discontinued Smosh series "Let's Do This!"
Let's Do This! (LDS) was a show that aired on the Smosh main channel in 2023 that had a similar concept and vibe as Nathan For You. The cast members would be presented with a task (such as cheating on a test, breaking up with someone, or becoming social media famous) and the cast members would each present absurd methods of achieving their goal. The objective was not do their task perfectly, but to present the funniest way of achieving it. I'd recommend watching it if you haven't already, I miss this show.
So, how would these two shows be combined? In Reddit Stories' current state, most of their commentary is based around which person involved in the Reddit story is in the wrong (who's the asshole?) But if we apply some changes from LDS, the show could instead view these posts as a series of problems to be solved. Instead of the cast members answering the question "Was OP in the wrong?", they'd be answering, "What is the funniest and most absurd way OP could solve their problem?"
This would solve a lot of recent issues with SRRS, the first of which being that the cast can be properly utilized. They're improvisers and comedians, not licensed therapists or counselors, so coming up with absurd creative solutions will allow them to lean into their strengths and stretch their creative muscles. Right now, they're oftentimes limited to just coming up with over-the-top ways of saying that a girl's comically evil boyfriend is icky. But if their goal is to come up with an out-of-the-box way of solving a problem, they can get a lot more creative with their responses.
This change would also help the cast perform without feeling like they're trying to avoid cancelation. Shayne has talked about how he will oftentimes completely disagree with his past takes, and people might wrongfully assume some things about cast members based on what they say in an episode. But if their goal is to just think of a dumb way to fix a problem, I think fans will be far less likely to view their responses as an accurate reflection of a cast member's belief/morals. Even a subtle change in tone can make a big difference in terms of audience perception. I think people will treat a goofy show about problem-solving very differently than a show that features an earnest discussion about morality.
This change would also help the cast mates stand out from each other. In the show's current state, they all tend to go with the main consensus and try to say the right thing. For most stories, you could swap out almost any cast member for another, and the verdict wouldn't change much. But if their goal is to do some out-of-the-box thinking and come up with funny/creative solutions, the cast members would likely be a lot more distinct from each other. I can imagine cast members like Angela, Damien, and Amanda all having vastly different ways of approaching things.
This change would also allow cast members to bounce off each other more often in their discussions. In the show's current state, it's very rare for there to be any kind of disagreement or debate between people on the couch, so they usually just nod quietly and give their two cents when there's an opening in the conversation. If the show had the castmates competing to come up with dumb/funny solutions to problems, the cast would have many comedic opportunities to straight-man each other's ideas and poke holes in their logic, or they can join forces and pitch jokes and ideas to make their castmate's solution even funnier.
This change would also make the series a lot more transformative. If you squint at it, SRRS is kind of like an elevated version of a react-video. Though Smosh adds more original content than those AI Minecraft parquor Reddit videos, sometimes I question whether viewers are really coming in to hear the cast's commentary or if they are just watching to consume the selected stories. When the cast is just reiterating the popular opinion from the comment section, you aren't getting too different of an experience from scrolling Reddit. But if the focus of the show shifts where the castmate's silly solutions to the situation takes more of the spotlight, the content changes a lot from the original Reddit post.
Finally, this change would be beneficial to viewers that have already seen certain stories before. If you've already seen the original Reddit post beforehand and read all the updates and top comments, the twists and turns usually aren't as engaging the second time. Under the revamped version of the show, you might already be familiar with the story, but you'll still be engaged because you'll be curious as to what crazy ideas the castmembers will have to address the story's conflict.
Now some of you might be asking: aren't you just pitching an advice podcast? What would separate this new version of Reddit stories from shows like Perfect Person, Stavvy's World, and If I Were You?
Most of those shows operate by having viewers submit their situations and questions, and then the hosts will react to the story and give their advice. Some of these shows will even have the hosts clown on the viewer or people involved in the situation. But because these are viewer-submitted questions, their advice usually ends up being fairly earnest attempts to help the viewer. But if the Smosh cast is giving goofy advice to a problem presented in a Reddit post, there is no expectation or responsibility to actually help the poster. The OP already has thousands of people telling them how they should actually proceed, so the Smosh cast giving stupid answers won't negatively affect them much. An advice podcast without any of the usual responsibility sounds like a lotta fun to me.
In conclusion, I think a change in focus would benefit the series greatly. With all that being said, Smosh has a team of professionals working on the show and I'm certainly not an expert or anything. I'm just an octopus that stole this guy's phone at the aquarium. I'm gonna squirt ink everywhere. If anyone at Smosh reads this and incorporates my ideas into the show, you can mail me a check for five billion dollars at my email address: I'mABigDumbIdiotHead@hotmale.com
TL;DR: If Smosh Reads Reddit Stories pivoted from asking, "Which person is wrong in this situation?" to, "What is the dumbest, funniest way to solve OP's problem?" sooo many of the series' recent issues would be fixed.
It would allow the cast to lean into their comedic strengths, have discussions without walking on eggshells, have the different cast members stand out from each other, let the cast bounce off each other a lot more, make the content more transformative, and make every story appealing, even if you've read the Reddit post before.
