If there is one thing about me that is true, I love a good YouTube video. Ever since I was a kid after school I would plop down on my couch, grab my family IPad and consume video after video on YouTube. And throughout my long history of being fans of many Youtubers, I have been noticing a pattern of creators that I tend to gravitate to: the duos.
Before I even knew how to do long division, I was watching my kings Rhett and Link on Good Mythical Morning .I have had multiple dreams of meeting them and me immediately breaking down in tears, proving that they are still my favorite YouTubers to this day. The duo pattern kept strong with me being obsessed with Dan and Phil in middle school. At this point in my life, I was discovering alternative/emo music (another duo:Twenty One Pilots) and watching the “Phil Is Not On Fire” videos is a rite of passage for a blossoming emo. But they weren’t the only duo I loved during middle school. I would watch Smosh, Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova, The Dolan Twins and many collaboration videos of Troye Sivan and Tyler Oakley. Flash forward to present stay, I still am drawn to the duos. Every time I sit down to eat a meal or do homework, Sinjin Drowning or Slushy Noobz is on in the background. Every time I want to listen to a podcast while walking to class, I listen to Emergency Intercom or Ear Biscuits from Rhett and Link. With this pattern of duo appreciation I have realized how duos recently have been popping off and I have an idea of why.Â
Two Heads are better than one
When it comes to comedy duos, I think that it is just so easy to be a fan of them. When you see two people riffing off each other and bonding, you can’t help but enjoy watching them. Watching Trixie and Katya laugh at each other’s jokes and add to the craziness on top of that, is absolute gold. Watching Kaylynn and Weston from Sinjin Drowning mess with someone on Roblox or Movie Star Planet. It creates a space where they can just riff and be weird with each other. People enjoy watching funny people, be funny, so doubling that is only going to make it more enjoyable.Â
Being in a duo makes the people in the duo more likable. Seeing someone you might not be a huge fan of hanging out and just being goofy with a friend humanizes them. Being next to someone who you are comfortable with can help you share different parts of your personality. It’s like when you go to a party with your friend, and you only know your friend at the party. You feel more comfortable meeting people and being outgoing because your friend is there. I personally don’t like Ben Affleck, but put him in this “will they won’t they” ongoing joke with his bestie Matt Damon, it makes him more likable to me (only for a second).Â
People love duos because they love their real-life friends. We all think when you are together with your friends, you are the funniest people on the planet. We all have thought, “we should have a podcast”, when laughing with your best friend. When you watch a duo on YouTube, it feels like you are just hanging out with your friends. When I am away at school and I miss my friends from home, I will throw on a Rhett and Link video to feel comfort. Not only because they are my emotional support Youtubers, but because they have been best friends since first grade, and you can see how real their bond is. The chemistry between Martin and Hamzah from Slushy Noobz—whether they’re watching the solar eclipse, baking football replicas, or playing The Sims—reminds me of the bond between my best friend and me. Even our most mundane activities turn into a comedy routine. Watching duos is like coming home from break and catching up with old friends.