Is the show actually in danger of being cancelled?

[WhiteButStillHip 4]

It is my favorite show and I would be so sad if it was cancelled. I got my wife to listen to it a few times, and she likes it, but she keeps listening to "how did this get made?" episodes over and over and so she is generally of no help. My daughter is 2 and doesn't get most of the jokes.

 

So, is the show doing well?

[liebot 55]

It's interesting, because really podcast shows can get cancelled at any time, like how life can get cancelled for people.

 

Without warning. And it's very sad.

 

But no, I don't think it would make sense, and I mean dollars and cents, to cancel the Hollywood Handbook.

[RocHoover 400]

I cam confirm that there has been a lot of internal dialogue about this, but no one is actually supporting this move.

Most of the problems have surrounded the ad reads and how they mainly rub Midroll the wrong way. Creates a lot of headaches for upper management (Scott and Jeff) at Earwolf and creates tension when Sean and Haze won't play ball

[rod aug 5637]

I cam confirm that there has been a lot of internal dialogue about this, but no one is actually supporting this move.

Most of the problems have surrounded the ad reads and how they mainly rub Midroll the wrong way. Creates a lot of headaches for upper management (Scott and Jeff) at Earwolf and creates tension when Sean and Haze won't play ball

UHHHHHH INCORRECT

[DoctorFrog 649]

I cam confirm that there has been a lot of internal dialogue about this, but no one is actually supporting this move.

Most of the problems have surrounded the ad reads and how they mainly rub Midroll the wrong way. Creates a lot of headaches for upper management (Scott and Jeff) at Earwolf and creates tension when Sean and Haze won't play ball

 

Where did you get this information? Is this true? Or Is It False?

[elizamuffins 4228]

 

Where did you get this information?

He works at Earwolf's Scranton branch.

 

[nohorseman 5423]

I know how it feels to receive this from someone you admire, so know this when I tell ya, JRB: you're full of shit. I guess I don't know what you know or maybe you were doing a bit but..

 

Here's what I know, and I am a real nerd about this sort of stuff. I will start from the most official and 'factual' and get more speculative as the list descends:

• Here is a comment from Scott explicitly and publicly calming people about the possibility that HH might stop based on the administration. This is from an AMA in January in reply to reddit's Golden Boy Slayner, so this well predates the momentum the CBB appearance gave the boys. He had comments in July's (the month, not Diaz) AMA that he is personally happy to see HH get their due.
  
• There is one documented public instance of an advertiser being unhappy (Toilet Bowl Cleaners). Some people sort of vaguely speculate there might be another instance like this, but I don't really know the details.
  
• Midroll chooses two very joke-y ads to put as examples on their page about advertising on HH. If you don't feel like clicking through, it's recent and wacky Loot Crate and Privlo ads
  
• Adam Sachs's wife Molly is personally a big fan of Hollywood Handbook
  

Now for some less-supported arguments and hearsay:

• I was a part of the top secret reddit cabal that purchased the ad on HH. During that time, Midroll ad executive Lex Friedman joined the Slack chat's private room. Unfortunately we don't have the archives since we use the busted free version of Slack, but he was very enthusiastic about involving us and I'm pretty sure stated that they love HH. I am also pretty sure Slayner asked him about people getting mad about ads to which he replied something to the effect of 'way less than you'd think.' Just including this to emphasize my second bullet point although you don't have to believe me
  
• Check out these comments from Jeff Ulrich on Something Awful, collected on reddit by your friend and mine: Zsinjeh. They're a very businesslike discussion of the thoughts on cancelling vs. not back in April 2014 a couple of weeks after Ep. #025 Scott & Jeff Our Business Associates. Jeff mentions he loves the show and doesn't want to cancel it then when things were much worse off than they are now
  
• We know that 20 weeks later from Jeff's comments (August 25, 2014), a 30-second ad on the show was $60 bucks from the Toilet Bowl Cleaners controversy. Less than a year later, the ad quote for 30 seconds has tripled (this number from ya boy, Earwolf advertiser). In a few more weeks when Slayner and I are caught up on the wiki, we could potentially track how many ads have been bought over time. Based on my impression, it's increased; I feel there are more 'legit' non-internal ads on HH nowadays than Who Charted (but don't really have the numbers on this).
  

So I'm pretty confident that the show is fine as long as Hayes and Sean want to do it. And I'm also confident they quite enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

This isn't to say we shouldn't feel very protective of the show and support it with offer codes, promotion online, potentially crowdfunding more ads; help support it and grow its profile so there isn't even a doubt in anyone's mind.

Edited August 19, 2015 by nohorseman

[PutsomeJellyonit 48]

I'm a relatively new disciple to The Book of Hand of Wood of Holly.

 

I've noticed as i'm catching up on episodes that the ads seem to take up more time and energy, but what caught my ear most was that episodes literally start with ads, i.e, messages from the hosts before the episode begins, like "hey everyone, before we begin..."

 

It's one thing to take a break for an ad, it's another to hit play and not hear some intro drum-clap-drumdrum-clap-MegRyan

 

I also get the feeling that ads are creativity sinks. Sometimes hosts just sound tired when they're reading ad copy. I understand the novelty and feeling of 'connection' we get with this format.

 

But there are some serious unmeasurable, intangible consequences of this. Pandora's ads are lousy, hell most ads are boring. Hollywood handbook, as usual, set the bar really high with what an ad could be. My concern is that putting so much energy out, for a joke, but on behalf of a company, turns people off from the art. Like how The Onion 'sponsored' articles are somehow less funny to me.

 

Full disclosure, i've never bought any of the products i heard on the show. Im not opposed to it, its just stuff i dont care about. I hope that day comes.

 

And i dont think it's easy to make this work, and i appreciate earwolf and everyone working hard to get a good business model up and running. Aloha--

[Silvrwoman 4998]

I'm a relatively new disciple to The Book of Hand of Wood of Holly.

 

I've noticed as i'm catching up on episodes that the ads seem to take up more time and energy, but what caught my ear most was that episodes literally start with ads, i.e, messages from the hosts before the episode begins, like "hey everyone, before we begin..."

 

It's one thing to take a break for an ad, it's another to hit play and not hear some intro drum-clap-drumdrum-clap-MegRyan

 

I also get the feeling that ads are creativity sinks. Sometimes hosts just sound tired when they're reading ad copy. I understand the novelty and feeling of 'connection' we get with this format.

 

But there are some serious unmeasurable, intangible consequences of this. Pandora's ads are lousy, hell most ads are boring. Hollywood handbook, as usual, set the bar really high with what an ad could be. My concern is that putting so much energy out, for a joke, but on behalf of a company, turns people off from the art. Like how The Onion 'sponsored' articles are somehow less funny to me.

 

Full disclosure, i've never bought any of the products i heard on the show. Im not opposed to it, its just stuff i dont care about. I hope that day comes.

 

And i dont think it's easy to make this work, and i appreciate earwolf and everyone working hard to get a good business model up and running. Aloha--

 

But the ads are funny. Who sent you?

[PutsomeJellyonit 48]

 

But the ads are funny. Who sent you?

 

Of course they are. I love them

[monju125 140]

I've been listening to podcasts for so long that it still feels so weird to think of it as a business. I'm glad it is, because otherwise most of the podcasts I listen to would have ended a long time ago, but I still sort of have this thought of podcasts as just a simple thing people do in their closets (c4FknL anyone?).

[greggy 15909]

bad news, they canceled it :c bye friends forever

[Goon Diapers 6]

If only Sean would quit spouting off about controversies like religion killing more people than AIDS or whatever some guy said. They need to quit ruffling feathers or they might find themselves in trouble.

[robotam 4493]

Apparently some of the higher-ups at Scripps are threatening to end Hollywood Handbook if there isn't a popcorn gallery this week. It's been a fun ride but I'd still prepare some questions incase Hayes and Sean decide to save the show.

[Henry 3777]

They also threatened to cancel the show if someone posts three times in a row on the forums.

[Henry 3777]

But I don't see that happening.

[Henry 3777]

Ever! (knife picture)

[Henry 3777]

Fourth post

[Henry 3777]

Fifth post and I give all fingers to any forum rules

[greggy 15909]

the record is like 3 pages of self-posts so i'd keep those fingers, you're going to need them

also, please dont do it

[Henry 3777]

I ain't trying to set a record, I guess in the spirit of things all I really need is a thumb. To thumb my nose at whatever counts as authority in these parts! (I just can't get enough of a certain song. I think we all know which one.)