Wikipedia

Smosh

(Redirected from Lasercorn)

Smosh is an American YouTube sketch comedy-improv collective, independent production company, and former social networking site founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox.[1] In 2002, Padilla created a website named "smosh.com" for making Flash animations, and he was later joined by Hecox. They began to post videos on Smosh's YouTube channel in the fall of 2005 and quickly became one of the most popular channels on the site. The Smosh channel has over 10 billion views and over 26 million subscribers.

Smosh
Ian Hecox (left) and Anthony Padilla (right) at VidCon 2014
MediumInternet
Years active2002–present
Genres
Websitesmosh.com
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2005–present
Subscribers26.7 million
Total views10.8 billion
NetworkDefy Media (2011–2018)
Mythical Entertainment (2019–2023)
Associated actsShut Up! Cartoons
100,000 subscribers
  • 2007 (Smosh)
  • 2011 (Smosh Games)
  • 2011 (ElSmosh)
  • 2019 (SmoshCast)
1,000,000 subscribers
  • 2009 (Smosh)
  • 2011 (Smosh Games)
  • 2011 (ElSmosh)
10,000,000 subscribers2013 (Smosh)
Last updated: August 8, 2024

Initially making lip-sync videos to cartoon and video game-based songs, Smosh rose to fame for their "Pokémon Theme Music Video"; reaching 24 million views, it became the most-viewed video on YouTube until it was removed from the site due to copyright infringement. Smosh pivoted towards comedic sketches geared towards pop culture media, with Hecox and Padilla portraying various characters. Making series such as Food Battle, If X Were Real and Every [Blank] Ever, Smosh continued to garner online popularity throughout the 2010s. Their sketches progressed in production quality as they included more actors and crew members.

Owned by media company Defy Media starting from 2011, the brand expanded to consist of multiple channels, including gaming content (Smosh Games), a variety channel (Smosh Pit), animation (Shut Up! Cartoons), and other language-based channels. In 2017, Padilla left the channel to pursue independent ventures and focus on creating solo content. On November 6, 2018, Defy Media abruptly closed without warning, leading the Smosh cast to reveal they would continue making content while in search of a buyer. They subsequently joined Mythical Entertainment after their company was purchased by Rhett & Link on February 22, 2019. After four years of ownership under Mythical, Padilla returned to the channel in 2023, and alongside Hecox had bought the company back from Mythical, re-establishing Smosh as an independent entity.

Considered one of the earliest YouTube personalities and content creators, Smosh has achieved various records and accolades. The Smosh channel has experienced three different spans as the most subscribed YouTube channel. Hecox and Padilla were included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2014, and the Smosh brand has won Webby Awards, Shorty and Streamy Awards. They were often included in lists of the highest-paid YouTubers.

History

Formation and lip sync videos (2002–2006)

 
Padilla (left) and Hecox (right) at the 2nd Streamy Awards in 2010

The franchise began when Anthony Padilla built a website in 2002, smosh.com,[‡ 1][2][3] and made several different Flash animations.[2] He has stated that the name "Smosh" came from an incident where he mistook a friend explaining a mosh pit as a "smosh pit".[4][‡ 2] Padilla created the website's logo through juxtaposing a fast-forward sign and the letter "S" from a Linkin Park-based text font.[‡ 3] Later, his friend, Ian Hecox, joined the venture; Padilla and Hecox first met in the sixth grade.[4] They became friends, and quickly discovered their knack for comedy.[4][5] On November 19, 2005, they joined YouTube and made several videos together, lip syncing the theme songs to Mortal Kombat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers, the last of which was their first video uploaded to the website.[6] At first, these videos were not intended to be posted online, but after they sent them to their friends, they started a YouTube channel.[‡ 2]

One of Smosh's earliest videos, "Pokémon Theme Music Video", was released on November 28, 2005. It followed the same style as their other earlier videos, featuring the duo lip-synching the original English theme song for the Pokémon anime.[7][8] However, the video instantly became much more popular than any of their other videos. Over the course of its lifetime, it gained over 24 million views, becoming the most-viewed video on all of YouTube at that time.[7][9][10][11][12] This held that title until being dethroned by Judson Laipply's "Evolution of Dance". It was later removed for copyright infringement.[11]

The success of their Pokémon video and other videos led Smosh to be featured in the "Person of the Year: You" issue of Time, published on December 13, 2006.[10] Due to the channel's continued success, and Smosh's partnership with YouTube, the two recreated the video in November 2010, this time changing the words to be critical of The Pokémon Company taking down the Pokémon theme video.[13]

Initial YouTube success (2006–2011)

 
Hecox (left) and Padilla (right) performing at Vidcon 2012

Over the course of the next few years, Smosh began to diversify. Barry Blumberg, former president of Walt Disney Television Animation, discovered Hecox and Padilla's videos in 2006, and came in contact with them to become their manager. Blumberg helped the duo obtain a spot among YouTube's Partner program in 2007, allowing Smosh to monetize their content. He also persuaded the duo to develop a schedule for video creation.[4][8]

They started making short YouTube skits, such as their annual video series Food Battle, and That Damn Neighbor, which were primarily filmed in and around a house in Rosemont, California.[‡ 3][14] In January 2010, Smosh launched the "Smosh Pit" feature, a blog that consists of various pieces of pop-culture trivia, and written comedy.[4] In addition, 2010 saw the channel launch three different Smosh-based web series: Ian Is Bored, which started as a collection of comedic videos by Hecox, but then turned into both Hecox and Padilla making vlog like videos, and renamed Smosh Is Bored;[15] Ask Charlie, where people ask Charlie, from their January 2010 Charlie the Drunk Guinea Pig video, random questions;[16] and Lunchtime with Smosh, a comedy series featuring Smosh getting and eating food from various places, and answering Twitter questions from their fans on Twitter.[8]

Defy Media and Padilla's departure (2011–2018)

 
Hecox (left) and Padilla (right) at VidCon 2014

In 2011, Smosh was acquired by Alloy Digital (later rebranded to Defy Media), while also enjoying a 40% boost in viewership.[11][17] Blumberg would also become the chief content officer of Defy Media.[8] In 2012, the duo started three new YouTube channels, ElSmosh, with Smosh videos dubbed in Spanish, Shut Up! Cartoons, with various animated videos,[18][19] and Smosh Games, with gaming-related content hosted alongside Mariko "Mari" Takahashi, David "Lasercorn" Moss, Matthew Sohinki, and Joshua "Jovenshire" Ovenshire.[20][21] These songs (along with other original songs) have been released in four albums to date – Sexy Album (2010), If Music Were Real (2011), Smoshtastic (2012), and The Sweet Sound of Smosh (2013).[16] In January 2013, the Smosh channel surpassed Ray William Johnson in subscribers to become the most-subscribed YouTube channel for the third time.[22] Following the achievement, Smosh collaborated with Johnson on a video of his "Equals Three" series.[23] They held this position until August 2013 when they were surpassed by Swedish Let's Player PewDiePie, who also collaborated with the duo shortly after reaching the position.[24][25] During this period, Smosh participated in YouTube's Comedy Week in May 2013.[26][27]

By 2015, Smosh began hiring cast members for their videos, including Noah Grossman, Keith Leak Jr., Olivia Sui, Courtney Miller and Shayne Topp.[8] They began appearing in sketches such as the Every (Blank) Ever series.[5][2] In January 2016, a web sitcom was launched on the main Smosh channel. Part Timers is a comedy-drama which takes place at a fictional children's arcade and pizza place called Pork E. Pine's, which takes inspiration from Hecox's first job at Chuck E. Cheese's.[28][29] Each episode presents a challenge that the team must overcome to keep the business going. The series features regular Smosh cast members, Grossman (as Pete), Hecox (as Ian), and Padilla (as Anton), in addition to Cat Alter (as Mads), Jade Martz (as Ella), Casey Webb (as Dinger), and Natalie Whittle (as Lori).[30] The series was released every Monday on the Smosh channel from January to May 2016.[30] Also that year, the Smosh cast streamed a live sketch show on YouTube on August 26. Compared to Saturday Night Live, the 90 minute show featured improvisational sketches and fake TV commercials, which Hecox and Padilla stated was an adjustment from their typical scripted comedy. Regarded as the first live sketch show on YouTube, the stream reached 55,000 concurrent viewers and over 1.3 million views.[31][32]

On June 14, 2017, Padilla announced he would be leaving Smosh to pursue independent video ventures due to a "lack in creative freedom".[33][34] Hecox stated he would remain with Smosh, adding "I'm really looking forward to taking Smosh to the next phase, and we can't wait for people to see what we have coming up."[35]

Under Mythical Entertainment's ownership (2018–2023)

On November 6, 2018, Defy Media abruptly announced they were shutting down and laying off all its employees.[36] Hecox said that Smosh was not "going away" and that plans were underway to find Smosh a new home.[‡ 4][37] Padilla released a video the following day which went into more detail about his departure from Smosh and his issues with what Defy was doing with their employees and Smosh. He said that he and Hecox sold Smosh to Alloy Digital (which later became Defy Media) for stock, which had no monetary value because the company never went public. Padilla also expressed dissatisfaction with how Defy treated its employees and stated the company exploited them financially, took over his Facebook page, tried to take over his Twitter account, prevented him from joining the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and that they had pressured them into starting a fundraiser for Food Battle: The Game before it had even been conceived, something that had at the time led to accusations of exploitation being leveled against himself and Hecox. He also explained that he had not previously shared this information because of worries that it would threaten the job security of his friends.[38][39][40] On November 12, Smosh released an update video reaffirming that Smosh was searching for a new owner, and that in the meanwhile, content would continue to be released independently by the Smosh team. The cast clarified that they still had a significant amount of content from before Defy Media's shutdown in post-production. They also did not rule out the possibility of filming new content and releasing it independently, calling such an idea "old school", alluding to YouTube's early days when content was less commercialized.[‡ 4]

On February 22, 2019, Smosh was acquired by Mythical Entertainment, a production company founded by fellow YouTube comedians Rhett & Link.[41] A majority of the Smosh cast and crew returned to the company following the acquisition.[41] During this time, Smosh operated out of Mythical Entertainment's Los Angeles office, though later moved into a specially built studio space in Burbank.[42] Smosh also created a new weekly podcast, "SmoshCast", following the announcement.[41]

Smosh created another live show in a similar manner as their 2016 stream, named "Under the Influence". The stream featured the cast performing sketches alongside reenacting several of their segments, "Try Not To Laugh" and "Eat It or Yeet It", while under the influence. The stream aired on June 30, 2022.[43][44]

Padilla's return and Smosh as an independent venture (2023–present)

On June 20, 2023, Hecox and Padilla announced the latter's return to Smosh after the duo had decided to repurchase a majority stake in Smosh from Mythical Entertainment to become an independent entity again, with Mythical maintaining a minority stake and maintaining involvement in an advisory capacity. With this change, Padilla promoted Alessandra Catanese, the COO and executive producer from his own company Pressalike Productions, as CEO of the new Smosh entity, It was stated that the main Smosh channel would return to a more sketch-oriented output, moving away from the pivot to more improv-based content in the years prior. However, the unscripted Smosh Pit and Smosh Games channels would remain as they were.[42][45]

Channels and content

Smosh

Smosh is the original and main channel created in November 2005, with their current output focusing around the show Bit City, a sketch comedy series akin to a late-night show.[46] On the channel, much of their videos consist primarily of comedic sketches featuring Hecox and Padilla in various scenarios.[4][47] The channel originally became popular for lip-sync videos to video game and cartoon soundtracks, before the duo gradually pivoted towards creating scripted videos.[4][5] Many of their older videos typically start with a cold open showcasing the Smosh logo with an interspersed comedic soundbite, before ending with the catchphrase "Shut Up", which was recorded by Hecox in 2005.[‡ 3][8] At the end of the videos, they often promoted behind-the-scenes footage and bloopers as exclusive content on their website.[8] The duo primarily uploaded sketch videos once a week every Friday;[8] following their reunion in 2023, the channel shifted to uploading new sketch videos every two weeks among other series.[42] Their videos often employed custom thumbnails comprising pixelated images and exaggerated expressions of the duo, which were described by author Rosie Matheson as "add[ing] a sense of mystery to everything they do."[16]

Smosh's repertoire of videos comprise comedic shorts, parodies, and episodic series, often of them portraying various characters.[8][16] Several of their most popular content include the Food Battle, If X Were Real and Every (Blank) Ever series.[2][6] In Food Battle, Hecox and Padilla compete to see which food they enjoy can complete the most challenges. Described as a mix of Iron Chef and Calvinball, the videos show Hecox using a pink-frosted sprinkled doughnut and Padilla choosing a variety of foods voted on by fans.[48][49] The If X Were Real videos see the duo parody various video games, films and pop culture media while questioning their realism.[8] Every (Blank) Ever similarly satirizes varied situations and experiences;[4][8] for example, "Every Instagram Ever" comically comments on anxieties regarding Instagram and social media.[5] Their most viewed video is their 2008 sketch "Beef 'n Go", a parody of portable snack foods which advertises the titular fictional snack. Considered a mockery of American commercials, the fake advertisement contains celebrity endorsements from Tom Cruise, Britney Spears and Barack Obama; the video also ends with a reveal that the cows used to make the product were fed "wheat grass and horse testicles."[2][16] According to Hecox, the video reached a significant amount of views due to the thumbnail, which featured a raunchy screen capture taken from the video's middle portion.[‡ 5] The video accumulated over 108 million views as of 2024.[‡ 6] Other videos of theirs include their Pokémon In Real Life video;[8] their Boxman series focusing on the titular cardboard box-human hybrid character;[4] and That Damn… featuring Hecox as a character in conflict with his neighbor over the former's pink flamingo ornament.[8] They have also ventured into music, creating comedic songs for licensed media such as The Legend of Zelda and Assassin's Creed 3, among other original compositions.[16]

Rooted in slapstick comedy,[16] Smosh's sketch videos were often characterized as absurd, childish and silly.[4][2][50][51] Their demographics mainly target children, adolescents and young adults,[4][52] with their sketches frequently containing profanities including "shit", "damn" and "hell".[5] Their content was also noted for their nostalgic value and relatability, such as their In Real Life and Every (Blank) Ever series. Discussing these videos, BuzzFeed News writer Anne Helen Petersen remarked that "they're fluent in the anxieties, annoyances, and everyday experiences that animate teen life."[5] As Smosh grew in popularity, their content and style evolved, showcasing higher production values and increased maturity.[6][32] Their cast members, recognized by Petersen for their diversity,[5] also became more prominent in their videos.[8][6] Following Padilla's return to Smosh, the channel returned to the sketch comedy format primarily featuring the duo, including revisiting past sketches such as their "Stop Copying Me" video and Food Battle.[47][49]

According to a 2012 interview with New Media Rockstars, Smosh's process for making sketch videos involved Hecox and Padilla brainstorming ideas for sketches, with Hecox writing their ideas into an outline and the duo expanding them into a full script.[15][11] Scheduling in advance, much of their videos took upwards of two weeks for preparation, including writing, record and editing.[15][16][8] Padilla typically edited much of the sketches, while Hecox would write another sketch and later edit the bloopers and deleted scenes.[15] The duo described their editing and writing skills as primarily self-taught.[15] However, they also attributed their college classes in acting and screenwriting to their experience in creating sketches.[8] As they progressed in making videos, they began hiring staff members and crew to aid in production, and moved filming locations from Sacramento to Los Angeles.[4][6] Initially uploading once or twice a month early in their career, they adhered to a schedule of frequent uploads once a week starting in 2008; their consistency in producing videos was cited as a key factor for their internet success.[8][11][53] Regarding their influences, Padilla cited Jim Carrey as a comedic influence, and Hecox was inspired by the 1987 movie Spaceballs.[5][54] Other influences include South Park, Saturday Night Live, and the comedy group The Lonely Island for their music videos.[32][54]

Other channels

Smosh Pit

The Smosh Pit channel uploads every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The videos consist of a variety of formats including game shows and challenges involving the cast. Current Smosh Pit shows include:

Current Smosh Pit shows
  • Try Not to Laugh (2017–present)
  • 2 Truths 1 Lie Challenge (2018–2020; 2023–present)
  • Smosh Pit Theater (2019–present)
  • The Challenge Pit (2019–2021; 2023–present)
  • Beopardy (2020–present)
  • Who Meme'd It? (2021–2022 SG; 2022–present)
  • Reading Reddit Stories (2022–present)
  • You Posted That? (2023–present)
  • Culinary Crimes (2023–present)

Smosh Games

Main article: Smosh Games

The Smosh Games channel uploads every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The videos consist of playing video games, board games and card games, with various recurring games and series. Current Smosh Games shows include:

  • Board AF (2016–present)[55]
  • Gaming with a Twist [Formerly Chaotic Gaming] (2019–present)
  • Stan Trivia (2020–present)
  • Sword AF (2023–present)[56]

SmoshCast

Smosh's podcast channel currently comprises two shows:

Smosh Mouth

Smosh Mouth (also referred as the SmoshCast) is based on the original format of SmoshCast's first iteration. The podcast was reintroduced on 26 June 2023 and is hosted by Shayne Topp and Amanda Lehan-Canto every Monday with one other rotating Smosh member and/or a guest joining them each episode. It includes them talking about their lives and various other topics and current events, revealing and discussing possible future ideas for various content and reading through and discussing various things on social media, such as Reddit posts and more.

Lunchtime with Smosh

A more ad-hoc podcast that features Ian and Anthony chatting about what's on their mind, while joined by Erica, a member of Smosh's production crew.

ElSmosh

ElSmosh uploads new Smosh episodes that have been dubbed over in Spanish. The videos are mostly from the main Smosh channel. It was originally created by a fan who dubbed Smosh videos in the language, and Hecox and Padilla hired them.[4]

Other ventures

App and game development

Smosh has branched out into various ventures related to digital media, including app and game development.[4][57] In February 2013, they released the Super Head Esploder X video game for iOS, which became the most downloaded game in the App Store within its first week.[58][59] The same year in July, they also started an Indiegogo campaign for an iOS and PC game, Food Battle: The Game, which was based on their characters and the foods used in their annual Food Battle series.[60] Lasting for 33 days from July 22 to August 24, the campaign raised $259,247 in total over a $250,000 goal, with Hecox and Padilla donating 10% of the funds to the "DoSomething", "Child's Play" and "FEED USA" charities.[61] An action RPG inspired by games such as The Legend of Zelda and The Witcher 2, the game was released in 2014.[54]

In early 2010, Smosh created the "iShut Up App" for Android phones as part of a Google sponsorship; it eventually made its way to the iTunes app store.[16] Smosh released another mobile app in February 2014 to access Smosh videos and other content from their website, and an Xbox One app later the same year.[57]

Books

In 2013, Smosh created Smosh Magazine which consisted of comics, interviews and behind-the-scenes content. The magazine ran exclusively in the United States for two editions.[16][59] Throughout 2015 and 2016, Smosh partnered with Dynamite Entertainment to publish a comic book and graphic novel series.[62] Titled "Super Virgin Squad", the six-issue series chronicles the titular group as super-humans. The first issue was released in May 2016.[63]

Films

On September 18, 2014, it was announced that a feature-length film starring the duo was in development by AwesomenessFilms;[64] it would be later titled Smosh: The Movie, and was released direct-to-video on July 24, 2015, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, with Netflix acquiring the film's streaming rights.[65][66] Directed by Alex Winter from a screenplay by Eric Falconer and Steve Marmel, it stars both Hecox and Padilla as fictionalized versions of themselves, alongside fellow YouTube personalities Jenna Marbles, Grace Helbig, Harley Morenstein, Mark Fischbach, Dominic Sandoval, and the Smosh Games crew, with Shane Dawson appearing in the Unrated version.[67][68]

Smosh created the film Ghostmates for YouTube Red that was released on December 14, 2016.[69][70]

Appearances in other media

Smosh has appeared in various episodes of YouTube Rewind.[71][72] They also appeared as guest judges on the Internet Icon series in 2012.[73] Hecox and Padilla also had voice roles in the 2016 animated film The Angry Birds Movie,[74] and appeared in an episode of the Epic Rap Battles of History web series.[75]

Legacy

"We were just making videos because it was fun and not because we actually thought we could turn it into something and we're really thankful we did now, because Smosh is our life, and our income, our everything you know".

Padilla in a 2015 Business Insider interview.[76]

Reception and popularity

One of the first personalities to gain popularity on YouTube, Smosh has been regarded as among the most popular channels on the website, and an early example of an Internet celebrity.[57][77] They have also been credited as pioneers and innovators of the platform.[78][79][80] News outlets have referred to the brand as a media empire.[4][5][80] Their authenticity was recognized as a factor for their popularity.[59] BuzzFeed News and Variety both observed their relatability among audiences and their relationship among their fans.[5][59] Compared to traditional celebrities, Smosh among other internet personalities were typically deemed more engaging and authentic among adolescents.[4][81] Troy Dreier of Streaming Media Magazine ascribed their fan base's affinity of the duo to their image "as likeable (if crazy) guys next door."[11] However, author Aaron Duplantier stated that their videos eschewed intimate self-expression, instead focusing on skits.[82] The duo themselves had emphasized authenticity as important in online success.[51]

Their videos have received a positive reception from several outlets. Likening them to Saturday Night Live, Grossman opined that "[t]heir genius... is in their unswerving, unwinking commitment to idiocy."[10] Matheson claimed that their humor worked for its seditious and crude, yet inoffensive nature. She also praised Smosh for Hecox and Padilla's lack of embarrassment or fear, and their enjoyment of "mucking around" as a reason for retaining their viewership.[16] Several outlets highlighted their exaggerated acting style and penchant for juvenile, yet appealing humor.[4][5] Borden noted their acting style emphasized their personalities over finesse,[4] while Petersen asserted that if one "find[s] their humor juvenile, you're missing the point: It's not for you."[5] Kennedy Unthank of Plugged In praised the channel's nostalgic value and longevity alongside the duo's friendship. However, he raised concerns of their use of profanities, sexual humor and death in their sketches.[83] Smosh's various cast members have also received praise for their acting style and character work.[84][85]

Impact and longevity

 
 
Personalities such as Jenn McAllister and Logan Paul were among the YouTubers inspired by Smosh.

Smosh's popularity has been regarded as increasing the recognition of the Internet as a creative medium.[77] Among other creators, they were recognized as part of the trend of distributing creative works via social media.[86][87] Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly opined that their success on YouTube "reshape[d] the site into a vast entertainment entity that produces so much more than Web-based novelty acts."[88] Their 2006 video Feet for Hands, which featured the Zvue audio player as part of a promotional deal, was cited as an early example of influencer marketing by journalist Chris Stokel-Walker.[89] Author Kelli S. Burns credited the duo with popularizing the lip-synch video genre in her 2009 book Celeb 2.0.[78] Various content creators have cited Smosh as an inspiration.[77] YouTubers Jake and Logan Paul were inspired by Smosh to create their first channel, Zoosh, in 2006.[90] Jenn McAllister was likewise inspired to create her channel, writing in her autobiography that their 2007 Spiderman, Spiderman sketch was the first YouTube video she watched.[91][92] Musician and YouTuber Emma Blackery also regarded Smosh as an influence.[93]

Smosh has been noted for their focus on internet-based ventures and longevity in internet popularity by various outlets. In an interview with the channel, CNET attributed their popularity to the early timing of their YouTube presence.[94] Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes claimed a similar viewpoint regarding their beginnings in a 2013 article. She also noted their expansion into online media as opposed to traditional media, describing them as a "new, purely digital breed of star."[95] Fast Company highlighted the brand's early expansion as a realization of the changes in YouTube's algorithm.[80] The duo had expressed their desire to stay on YouTube rather than transitioning to traditional media, and attributed their relevancy to their expansion in a 2016 IndieWire article.[32] A 2017 Mashable article remarked on their lasting popularity in comparison to other YouTube content creators; writer Saba Hamedy claimed that the duo "still haven't fallen out of the internet's favor. Ten years in and that's saying something: viral stars don't often survive their fan's short attention spans."[6] Business Insider listed them among the original YouTubers with sustained popularity in 2015.[96] Tubefilter in 2017 mentioned that compared to early YouTube creators, Smosh continued to upload content while expanding their brand.[97]

Various commentators noted their enduring legacy following Padilla's reunion with Hecox. NBC News listed Smosh as among the original YouTube channels to return in 2023. Daysia Tolentino stated that "many commenters celebrated the return of 'classic' Smosh", noting their first sketch following their reunion received over 6 million views by December 2023.[47] Morgan Sung of TechCrunch claimed that their reunion as an independent entity was "setting the precedent for creators to own and define their contents' legacy", and regarded it as a victory for content creators.[98] TheGamer's Jade King similarly considered Smosh's return as a rare victory for both YouTube and the internet, reflecting on the duo's friendship and the brand's controversial history.[99]

Accolades and achievements

Smosh has been awarded various accolades throughout their career. Hecox and Padilla were both listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2012 and 2014 for the entertainment category.[100][101] The same outlet has listed them as among the highest-paid YouTube celebrities throughout the 2010s – in 2015,[102] 2016[103] and 2017.[104] Smosh ranked #1 in an IStardom list of the top internet celebrities in 2008, with their ubiquity across multiple social media websites cited as a factor for their popularity.[105] In a 2014 survey from the University of Southern California published by Variety, they were ranked the #1 most influential personality among U.S. teenagers, listed ahead of celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio.[106][107] They would place #5 in a similar survey the following year.[108] NewMediaRockstars included Smosh at #27 in their 2015 list of the top 100 YouTube channels.[109] The same year, they were among the first internet personalities to obtain sculptures from the Madame Tussards wax museum.[4] Their awards include Best Comedy at the 2007 YouTube Video Awards for their "Smosh Short 2: Stranded" sketch[110] and the Social Star Award in the North American category in 2013.[111]

In addition to once holding the most-viewed video on YouTube with their Pokémon theme song,[4] Smosh has held multiple records on the site. In 2017, they were listed in the Guinness World Records book as the most-subscribed comedy channel.[112] The publication ranked their Legend of Zelda rap video as the most viewed Zelda fan-made video in their 2015,[113] 2016[114] and 2018[115] iterations. Their music video on Assassin's Creed III was also ranked the most-viewed fan film based on an action-adventure game in 2015.[113] A 2012 Tubefilter article claimed that their Beef n' Go video was at the time one of the most-viewed non-music videos on the website.[116] They have held the record for the most-subscribed YouTube channel in three periods – May to June 2006, August 2007 to September 2008, and January to August 2013.[4][2] Smosh was the first YouTube channel to reach ten million subscribers, and received the YouTube Diamond Creator Award.[117][14] From 2006 to 2017, it was the only channel to consistently remain within the top-ten most subscribed list.[97]

Current cast members

Main article: List of Smosh cast members
  • Ian Hecox – Smosh (2005–present), Smosh Pit (2006–present), Smosh Games (2012–present)
  • Anthony Padilla – Smosh (2005–2017; 2023–present), Smosh Pit (2006–2017; 2023–present), Smosh Games (2012–2017; 2023–present)
  • Keith Leak Jr. – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2014–present)
  • Olivia Sui – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2015–present)
  • Noah Grossman – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2015–present)
  • Courtney Miller – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2015–present)
  • Shayne Topp – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2015–present)
  • Damien Haas – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2017–present)
  • Amanda Lehan-Canto – Smosh (2020–present), Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2022–present)
  • Chanse McCrary – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2022–present)
  • Arasha Lalani – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2022–present)
  • Angela Giarratana – Smosh, Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2022–present)
  • Trevor Evarts – Smosh Pit, Smosh Games (2024–present)

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
Comedy
[118][119] 		US
Heat.
[118][119]
Sexy Album 11 —
If Music Were Real
  • Released: November 11, 2011
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
 5 26
Smoshtastic
  • Released: December 3, 2012
  • Formats: Digital download
 3 27
The Sweet Sound of Smosh
  • Released: November 30, 2013
  • Formats: Digital download
 4 33
Shut Up! and Listen
  • Released: December 10, 2015
  • Formats: Digital download
 4 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for Smosh
Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref(s)
2007 2007 YouTube Awards Comedy "Smosh Short 2: Stranded" Won [120][121]
2009 2009 Webby Awards Experimental & Weird "Sex Ed Rocks" Nominated [122]
2010 2010 Webby Awards Viral "If Movies Were Real" Nominated [123]
2013 3rd Streamy Awards Best Comedy Series Smosh Nominated [124]
Audience Choice for Personality of the Year Smosh Nominated [124]
Best Animated Series Oishi High School Battle Nominated [124]
2013 Webby Awards Branded Entertainment Short Form "Ultimate Assassin's Creed 3 Song" Nominated [125]
2013 Social Star Awards Most Popular Social Show Smosh Nominated [126][127]
United States Social Media Star Smosh Won [128]
2014 4th Streamy Awards Best Comedy Channel, Show, or Series Smosh Nominated [129]
Best Gaming Channel, Show, or Series Smosh Games Won [129]
2015 Seventh Annual Shorty Awards YouTube Star of the Year presented by A&E Smosh Won [130]
5th Streamy Awards Show of the Year Smosh Nominated [131]
Best Gaming Channel, Show, or Series Smosh Games Nominated [131]
2016 2016 Webby Awards Gaming (channel) Smosh Games Won [132]
6th Streamy Awards Gaming Smosh Games Nominated [133]
Food Put it in My Mouth Nominated [133]
2017 7th Streamy Awards Live Smosh Live Won [134]
Gaming Smosh Games Won [134]

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Wikiquote has quotations related to Smosh.
Achievements
Preceded by
N/A
 Most Subscribed Channel on YouTube
2006–2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Most Subscribed Channel on YouTube
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Most Subscribed Channel on YouTube
2013–2013 		Succeeded by
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