YouTube 101: Subscriptions
"YouTube 101: Subscriptions" is the first video of the YouTube 101 series. The series itself is an official YouTube original where the platform partnered with various content creators to create instructional videos explaining how to use YouTube's basic features. "YouTube 101: Subscriptions" is Mondo Mini Shows' contribution to the series, and as its title suggests, it explains how to use YouTube's Subscription feature. It was published on YouTube on February 10, 2010, though the official Happy Tree Friends website promoted it about a day earlier via the News post.
As of 2024, the entirety of YouTube 101 had been unlisted, meaning "YouTube 101: Subscriptions" can not be searched for anymore, though its official YouTube link is still live, so it can still be watched.
Synopsis[edit]
Happy Tree Friends website (News post): School is back in session but instead of learning the booooring way, why not have some of our favorite HTF characters teach you a thing or two about this new-fangled thing called, YouTube! Check out the gang as they give you some tips and pointers on how to use YouTube’s Subscription feature! Best part, there’s no homework and everybody gets extra credit![1]
YouTube: What are subscriptions and how do they work? Cuddles explains. Made by http://www.youtube.com/mondominishows
Plot[edit]
After admiring and placing Giggles' photo on his desk, Cuddles turns on his computer monitor to show the YouTube front page. He browses "giggles" using the search bar. He then arrives at Giggles' channel page, which he then subscribes to. Cuddles is at first annoyed that she has not added any new videos lately, but his expression lights up when he sees that her recent activity consists of her favoriting a video by Disco Bear titled "Giggles at the Malt Shop". He checks the video himself. He is shocked to see that it shows Giggles drinking together with Disco Bear. He moves on to his own channel, where it shows that Disco Bear is one of his subscribers. Cuddles then angrily types a string of symbols on his own bulletin board to announce his frustration. Afterwards, he unsubscribes from Giggles' channel, throws her photo into the trash bin, and cries.
As it turns out, the "Giggles" in the Malt Shop video is actually a cardboard cut-out. Disco Bear immediately ends the recording (and thus the video) using his remote.
Transcript[edit]
The following transcript is taken from YouTube's subtitles/closed captions in English.
Female announcer: Subscribing to Channels is a great way to stay current with your favorite users on YouTube. When you come across a Channel you like...
(Cuddles giggling)
Female announcer: Click the Subscribe button. Now, whenever you're logged in, you'll get that user's latest video delivered straight to your home page. Whenever that user rates favorites or comments on videos, you'll be notified in your recent activity feed on your home page. And if you want to see who is subscribing to your Channel, you can keep track by looking at the subscriber's box. You can message your Subscribers by posting a bulletin on your Channel which they'll see in their recent activity feed. You also have the option to remove subscriptions anytime by going into Edit subscriptions and choosing Unsubscribe. You are now in the best position to stay updated in all the new content that interests you.
Survival rate[edit]
- Number of surviving main characters: 2
- Number of dead main characters: 0
- Total rate: 100%
Notable mistakes and errors[edit]
- There are inconsistencies on the usernames shown in the video when it comes to capitalizing each word ("Cuddles" or "cuddles"). It is also inconsistent in referring to Giggles' channel by her own name ("giggles") or as "The Giggles Channel".
- The search results show Giggles having uploaded 390 videos, even though she only has 2 uploads on her channel.
- Neither of Giggles' uploaded videos on her channel have titles. Cuddles' and Disco Bear's channels do not have this problem.
- "Giggles at the Malt Shop" is shown to have 7 minutes and 1 second of duration and 4 views when it was shown on the YouTube home page, but on Disco Bear's channel shown shortly after, it has 3 minutes and 36 seconds of duration and 2,055,700 views.
- Giggles' channel icon is of her smiling to the viewer with her hands on her cheeks, but her icon on Cuddles' Subscribers list shows her face in a three-quarters view with a big smile (similar to the one on her channel background and her featured video) taking up the entire space. Similarly, Disco Bear's channel icon is just his head facing the viewer, but his icon on Cuddles' Subscribers list is a stock artwork of him dancing.
- Earlier on, Cuddles' search results show a giggling Giggles as her icon.
- Cuddles' recent activity log on his channel shows that he added Lumpy and Nutty to his Friends list. However, both characters are not on the list, only on the Subscribers list.
- On Cuddles' own recent activity, there is a grammatical error on the time logged when he subscribed to Giggles' channel. It reads "1 hours ago" when it should be "1 hour ago".
- According to Disco Bear's channel, he has 35 uploads, even though the Malt Shop video is the only one listed.
- The cursor is visible outside the YouTube interface during the scene when Giggles' photo is thrown into the trash bin.
Reception[edit]
As of March 2, 2022, "YouTube 101: Subscriptions" has about 47,000 likes and about 13,000 dislikes.
References to earlier Happy Tree Friends works[edit]
- While searching for "giggles", among the video results displayed are "Eyes Cold Lemonade", "Ka-Pow! Beta" (a promotional video for the Ka-Pow! spin-off), and "Eye Candy".
- Three of Cuddles' most recent uploads, as well as his featured video, have their thumbnails taken from existing Happy Tree Friends shorts.
- His featured video, "Carpal Tunnel of Love" (not to be confused with the Fall Out Boy music video), which has 24 views and was uploaded on January 1, 2010, uses a still shot from "A Change of Heart". Its description is "Tunnel of love! Love, love, love!! <3" and has a duration of 2 minutes and 53 seconds.
- "Cuddles Loves Giggles!!" (24 views, uploaded 3 weeks ago in-universe) shows the flower from "I Heart U".
- "Happy Bunny Time! Opening movie" (1,781 views, uploaded 1 year ago in-universe) and "Happy Bunny Time! Ending" (503 views, same upload time) are from "We're Scrooged!". The same thumbnails are used for the random videos (unrelated to Mondo Media and the Happy Tree Friends) shown after "Giggles at the Malt Shop" finishes playing.
- Cuddles has three videos in his Favorites, all of which are official MondoMedia uploads. They are "Every Litter Bit Hurts", "Valentine's Smoochie", and "Holidazed & Confused".
Trivia[edit]
- Giggles' YouTube channel has 374,073 subscribers. Her channel description, though only a snippet, is a direct copy of the official MondoMedia YouTube channel description at the time, which was "Short, viral and deadly funny! Please subscribe to our channel so you can be the firs..."
- Cuddles' YouTube profile details the following:
- Channel views: 1,081
- Total upload views: 7,384
- Age: ??
- Joined: September 12, 2006
- Last visit date: 1 day ago
- Subscribers: 3
- On Cuddles' activity feed, he has done the following:
- Made the bulletin post: "#%&! #%? $!#% !!!!!" (1 second ago)
- Subscribed to giggles (1 hour ago)
- Became friends with lumpy (2 weeks ago)
- Became friends with nutty (2 weeks ago)
- Made the bulletin post: "check out this great video" (video in question is "Carpal Tunnel of Love"; 2 weeks ago)
- Uploaded a new video, "Cuddles Loves Giggles!!", whose description is "Squeee! So much love! Love, love, love!" (3 weeks ago)
- Outside of the presence of graphic violence or blood from certain video thumbnails appearing in this short, no proper blood and gore are shown, as it is meant to be an instructional video for a more general audience.