Talking With Report of the Week, YouTube's All-time Nutrient Critic

Five years ago, a teenager named John started a YouTube channel. Clad in a overnice suit and wielding a vocalisation that ane might describe as "erstwhile-time radio newsman," he gear up out to review hundreds of fast-nutrient items and energy drinks. Since then, the simply named Study of the Week has grown into something of a cult phenomenon online, and John himself has get an idol.

Who is this guy? Why is he wearing a arrange? How many suits does he ain? We went straight to the source for answers. This … is the Report of the Week Report.

What was the initial idea behind Report of the Week? What did yous ready out to do?
The thought came from watching this one guy on YouTube who did these pizza reviews. At the time I didn't even accept an intention of reviewing nutrient. I just wanted to review free energy drinks. It looked actually nifty to just talk nearly something and try it and say how it tastes and whatnot. "I'll just make a few videos about these, put them on YouTube and see what happens." Just when I first started out with it I realized, Hey, this isn't too bad. I kinda like being in front of the photographic camera.

When practice yous call back it started to take off? When did you lot notice that more people were watching and commenting on it?
In January of 2013, I had just started doing nutrient reviews of different items, and this video of mine where I reviewed the pan pizza from Domino's, someone posted it on Reddit. I gauge one of the few people who watched it at the fourth dimension said, yous know, "This guy, he sits there. He does these nutrient reviews in a adapt. I've never seen anything similar information technology." Information technology started out with perhaps 300 views at the kickoff of the day and at the end of the day it had 300,000 views. So it was really this one twenty-four hour period in January of 2013. People I estimate had never seen a nutrient review like it.

What's interacting with fans like? What's that dynamic?
For the nearly part I'd say at that place's two groups of fans. Ii singled-out groups. You take the people who are regulars. So you lot have people who are just passing through. [The regulars are] very friendly, very nice. They'll offer some constructive advice, but they're never jerks. Those are the people who I really do the channel for. That's probably a couple hundred people.

At present the people that I say are just passing by, this is where you get a mixed bag. You become some people who say, "These videos are nice. I subbed considering of this." And then yous go people who are simply innocuous. They'll say, "Nice review." And of form y'all get the trolls who, you know, postal service whatever comes to mind offset, I figure. I ever endeavor to just be welcoming toanybody.

How many videos do you make a week at present?
In total, I take effectually 600 videos. Per week, sometimes information technology'southward five, sometimes information technology'due south four. If at that place'southward, say, a new detail from Taco Bell, I'll put everything to the side and I'll attempt to review that every bit soon as possible. I'll try to prioritize. I effort to practise 2 or three nutrient reviews per week of hopefully new fast-food items or items from major chains.

I also wanted to enquire yous about your on-photographic camera persona. Exercise you article of clothing suits all the time, or is that just something you do for the videos?
A lot of people will say, "Are they costume pieces? Why do you vesture the suits? What is it nearly the suits?" The suits themselves are not costume pieces. It'due south what I vesture every day. Right at present equally I'm talking to you I've got on a gray arrange with a nice purple, striped tie. That's what I'm just wearing today; I don't even plan on filming anything. In a sense information technology's what makes the channel stand out. I'g a guy in a suit who reviews everything.

What are your well-nigh memorable reviews?
There was this 1 that ties in with Planet Wings. I decided I wanted to clear out their whole menu, practise a review of each wing flavor. But the near well-known one that I did is for their suicide wings, which are supposed to exist the hottest thing on the menu. I said to myself before I did the review, "I've had a lot of wings in the by. These will probably exist hot, but it's no big deal." I just went in at that place, only downed a wing for the review. It was, my God, the hottest affair I've ever eaten. I didn't even conceptualize that. Information technology took me completely off guard. So there I was sitting at that place trying to do this review. My mouth was called-for. I was crying trying to get water and everything. That was an interesting one.

I couldn't imagine finding a style to talk nearly wings for ten minutes. Is the length of your videos office of the amusement value of information technology?
I'd say definitely the length of the videos and also the quality of the videos themselves actually are something that make the channel what it is. The style of humour that I do is oft dry humor. It appeals to some people more than others. For example, last nighttime I did an energy-drink review. It was chosen Rockstar Revolt. The can had this ground forces camo design and I decided to requite a lilliputian talk about how I call back they should phone call it — instead of "Rockstar Revolt" — they should call it "Rockstar Military Coup" instead. I doubt that really has a zing to information technology that really sells the production.

Let'south say you're stranded on a desert island. You can but have iii energy drinks and three foods. What are they?
The three that I would bring is, of class, standard Monster Energy, the original. It'southward very basic. I call up it'southward very practiced however. Second drinkable that I'd bring is this one called Bawls. That one is more than of a specialty drink but it's very squeamish. It'due south like this little very pleasant, calorie-free, carbonated beverage. Very good. Comes in dissimilar flavors. Third energy beverage I'd bring, probably … you know, Monster Energy Drink, they always exercise such a practiced job with all of their products and they're ane of the lines of energy drinks that I respect the well-nigh. So I'd probably go with Juice Monster third. Again, because I merely think information technology's an excellently crafted drink. It'south able to combine these different flavors of fruity juices with the caffeine and information technology really leads it to exist a very pleasant drink, especially in warmer weather condition.

Equally for food, the top-three food items I'd bring with me would exist probably anything from Five Guys, specifically probably a burger with bacon on information technology. That's always a smashing 1, i of my favorite things to swallow. Second matter I'd bring, I love this item from Pizza Hut: their stuffed-crust pizza with pepperoni. That was always a large favorite of mine. Third, I'd simply bring some standard buffalo wings from a concatenation chosen Planet Wings. They're a local chain. They serve mostly the Northeast, but they really exercise a practiced job with what they have.

What are you other hobbies? Outside of recording these videos, how do yous fill your fourth dimension?
A lot of the time what I do is I savour writing. Lately I've been writing short stories anywhere between x and 90 pages long. Another thing that I'll fill my time with is — and this is probably another reason why I haven't put on a ton of weight from all these reviews — is I'll leave and enjoy nature. Unremarkably I'll try, if the atmospheric condition'south nice, to accept a good 3-mile walk every evening. Another hobby that's more of an interesting one is shortwave radio. It's really not too popular over here anymore. Instead of just transmitting a signal that would be heard 50 miles away, it tin can be broadcast to other countries and exist heard thousands of miles away.

Do you programme on running TheReportoftheWeek indefinitely?
I don't plan on stopping. Back in February when I did the five-year ceremony video I did this free energy-drink review to kind of commemorate the channel having been there for five years. In the video I said, "I'm gonna continue doing this channel. I don't have any plans on stopping. Assuming all goes well I'll exist dorsum here for ten years."

This interview has been edited andcondensed.

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