r/SmoshFansFreeSpace

I don’t want to be a negative fan/viewer but I want to point out something that I’ve noticed and if I’m the only one who notices it I’ll delete this post so it’s not just up here for no reason.

I’ve noticed that the newer the episodes are the more and more they start trying to find context in stories that aren’t there and I feel like they do it for most stories where the op is a guy. Like for example the most recent episode (red flags with Trevor and Courtney) there was a solid like 5 minute section during the story of the gf who snooped through ops Reddit account. I feel like they were almost trying to find any reason to doubt op and criticize them. They were going on and on about “if we saw what you were commenting we’d better be able to judge you” when op explains the type of comments he made. “Op didn’t use that account so we couldn’t find their other comments”. I know some of it was jokes but as a guy I feel very frustrated when they don’t question the women ops like that. Sometimes I get why they do it bcs it’s so out of the blue it wouldn’t make sense but the entire arguments and discussion had sufficient context to make a judgement.

They also in the same episode said how people make assumptions about them without knowing them behind the scenes (paraphrasing that part) and they get frustrated. I fully understand that a lot of the guys they read about suck in the stories so I understand to a point. They’ve also read about a ton of horrible women too and they tend not to question them as often. Maybe I’m missing the mark here so please let me know!

I don’t know how to say this without seeming overly critical or rude, but I feel like Amanda struggles with the podcast format.

It’s not just these most recent episode (with co-creator of Pen15) - I feel like it happens fairly frequently.

I think she doesn’t know how to “interview” or host with a guest present.

Most of the time when it’s another Smosh cast or crew visiting the show, it flies under the radar because I feel like they are generally chattier with one another and just have a good time.

But when others are invited in, it seems like she forgets the main task of the show, to interview the guest, and instead opts to vocalize her own experiences or share her own opinions at the risk of derailing the convo.

I would have loved to hear more from the guest this week when they were talking about her book and her upbringing, but it ended up being more of Amanda sharing her own experiences reading the book and how she pictured it in her own head, and how it resonated with Amanda’s own story, etc.

It often feels like conversation shifts into somehow interviewing Amanda about herself (again), and misses out on maximizing the guest’s presence for the episode.

*Important Clarification*:
I don’t think Amanda does this intentionally. I’m not sure she has much insight into it at all actually…

Surely reading too far into it, but it seems like Shayne often is tasked to wrangle Amanda back in and guide the convo.

Which is a bummer, because I think some of his candid moments with guests are often a highlight, laughing alongside each other, then Amanda interjects with an attempt at childhood trauma interpretation of someone she’s never met before, or starts talking about her own childhood in a way that makes me feel like I’m just waiting for her to be done with her anecdote so we can get back to the podcast.

(When Shayne was out a few episodes, I feel like her guests even had to help *her* follow a line or theme.)

Don’t get me wrong, she’s hilarious, and consistently so. So I totally get it!

But it does often seem like those on each episode are kind of accommodating the “Amanda”isms and random off-topic stuff - being polite about it.
But I worry that she’s kind of left to her own devices perpetually and that the podcast kind of suffers for it IMHO.

Anyone else out there feel similarly?
Or can put it maybe better / more sensitively / more cleanly than I can?

Maybe I’m just picky or irritable, but I feel like it’s continued for several months though, and that she could benefit from a topics list or some loose script or something to go off of.

Interesting that this was always billed and heavily themed as Courtney’s show and now they’ve added a cohost, wonder why the decision was made. Interesting choice too as I’ve never really seen Chanse and Courtney as much of a duo. I wonder if they’ll be hosting it together or doing alternate shows.

literally the irony of SCREECHING during the aita show and ruining the show for everyone, including the performers and production crew. i’m fucking unemployed and i paid $87 to have a cute time and listen to my favorite performers. thanks for wasting what little i have of my $$. you’re the asshole.

Talking about the guy whose gf had a problem with his reddit advice, they were really picking on him for the same things they say on the show regularly.

And kind of like every other story, after reading a few comments that aren't on par with their initial takes, they mellow their opinions out