SW17LS

One day I want to be so confident of my own opinion that I can totally ignore worldwide fame and popularity because it disagrees with my opinion lol

Seriously, I want to live 5 minutes in your brain.

LexBob2

With so much content available it's impossible to say who is the "best" reviewer out there. We each might have our favorite(s) but that's about as far as it goes. I like having so many choices to pick and choose from.

SW17LS

Totally agree.

My thing is, you cannot ignore popularity. For instance, people love to crap on Doug DeMuro, but he has far and away more subscribers than any other car YouTuber...can't say he's "not good". Clarkson is hugely successful and popular, can't say he's "not good". Can say you don't care for them or their style, but to say their style is "not good" is absurd. The millions of dollars their style has earned them doesn't lie.

"Clarkson does too much of this"...the sheer hubris to think one has any right to tell somebody as successful as Jeremy Clarkson what they are doing is wrong absolutely boggles my mind lol

geko29

Agree. I find Doug a tad annoying, so I only watch him sometimes. But I absolutely acknowledge that his style resonates with a huge number of people. Largely "normies" who maybe I'd describe more as auto-interested than car enthusiasts--that's not a dig, just a comparison of the level of interest/dedication/obsession. And clearly there are a LOT more of them than there are of us. I've definitely had more people out in the general world (as opposed to in car enthusiast circles) tell me that Doug is their favorite reviewer than all other reviewers combined.

He's kind of like Gordon Ramsay in a way. Undeniably an expert in his genre, but most people who watch him are more interested in his personality and what that brings to the show than in the intricate details that are holed up in his brain. The smaller group of people who are interested in learning specific cooking techniques in great detail are looking elsewhere, because that's not what most of his shows are about.

GFerg

LOL, here I am thinking I just watch the usual suspects (Throttle House, Jason Camissa, Chris Harris, Smoking Tire, etc etc), like everyone else, and Ive never heard of any of these people above. They all look boring and unrelatable AF to me. But this is super subjective and I'm happy yall enjoy watching them. I need to be at least mildly entertained when watching a car review video. Do something more than drone on about leather seat comfort and steering feel. Add some great videography, tell a story, be silly, tell some jokes etc.


If looking for tons of specs and info, I tune into various car related podcasts instead. I think that is a much better format to fill my inner geek as the reviewers can provide the finite details that they can't fit into a 15-30 min long review video.

FrankReynoldsCPA

No fun allowed.

mmarshall

Well, if you lived inside of me, you would quickly learn that fame and popularity mean nothing to me. Never did...never will.

Margate330

Well said, me either. lol

somethingfornothing

At the end of the day, it's entertainment. We like our videos that mix in humor and hearing jokes, etc. Youtube isn't the main driver for us deciding what car we want. For that, we'll go to the dealer and look at the car in person, drive it, analyze it, etc.

SW17LS

Great way of describing it.

Exactly lol, serious business.

So the fact that someone is hugely successful at doing something means nothing to you? They are still subject to your judgement of how they do what it is they are hugely successful at doing?

Like I said, sheer hubris.

Jeremy Clarkson is undeniably one of the most successful auto reviewers of all time. Its like people who hate Taylor Swift and say her music is terrible. This shows how absurd that statement is:



You don't have to like it, but rejecting the success is intellectually dishonest.

mmarshall

I agree that nothing beats a personal test-drive....I myself have done hundreds of them over the years, in everything from a diminutive Smart-for-Two to a massive Ford Excursion. But many people really don't have much in the way of driving skills....or the ability to evaluate a vehicle. They depend on reviewers, auto-magazines, Consumer Reports, and, in some cases, even us here in Car Chat.

SW17LS

LOL, any adult is able to drive a car and decide whether or not they like the car or not.

mmarshall

No, that is not Hubris, Hubris is pride and vanity. To be unconcerned with fame and notoriety is the exact opposite of hubris.

Perhaps the best example of Hubris I can think of, among auto-reviewers, was the former Brock Yates of Car & Driver magazine. He was like a strutting peacock, and would diss almost anyone or anything he didn't like...although he was actually not that bad of a reviewer.

SW17LS

If the word arrogance makes you happier...use that. The hubris is your belief that your opinion about Clarkson is more valid than his obvious incredible success. You don't like Jeremy Clarkson, that does not make him a bad car reviewer. In fact he is the most successful and widely watched car reviewer of all time.

Again, Brock Yates was the Editor in Chief of Car & Driver Magazine. He did not become that by accident, he was a GIANT in his field and earned the right to write what he wanted. What is wrong with a reviewer "dissing" what they don't like? The whole point of a review is whether or not the person who is reviewing the item likes it or not. Your own reviews are full of your own biases and likes and dislikes (your tirades against low profile tires, drab color choices, modern infotainment systems and screens are great examples).

A review is always a subjective opinion of someone who supposedly is in a position to be able to critique an item on its merits.

What you want is someone to spend 40 minutes discussing all the features and trim of a vehicle...thats not a review...thats a presentation. A review by its very nature is always subjective.

Motorola

I would put Clarkson on the same level as Anthony Bourdain rather than Gordon Ramsay... I think that's how much of an impact he's had as a presenter.