David Cater

That’s not a spelling mistake, that’s intentional. This week, I talk about a wonderful individual who’s seen a big turnaround on her end of youtube in the past number of months. I first encountered Emily through the events of Internet Prom that was set up by Amanda. Emily was one of the hosts before Alex Carpenter took control and it was quite a wild fun night. I more or less subbed to all the hosts as they have to be fantastic to have been the hosts, that statement has held true for certain. Now I haven’t had a chance to watch all of Emily’s videos but I know I’ve seen all the ones she puts out since I subbed to her and there’s a good reason; Emily provides something unique to an old formula.

Emily, like many of us, is a vlogger on youtube, but the thing that makes Emily unique is that she takes careful risks and is able to talk about subjects that we may have not considered, might be afraid to discuss or even add new views and values to a perspective that has been forgotten about. But furthermore, Emily is a person of the people; she thoroughly thinks about her audience and is very selfless among the selfish out there. She has grown up with a very engaging generation of youtubers, but she doesn’t just represent the generation she has been part of, she has been bridging a gap that has been apparent since the first/second generation of youtubers were considered famous and beyond mortality.

These are just the fundamentals of Emily as a youtuber, but what makes her brave is that she isn’t afraid to speak about something that needs discussion. She was one of two videos (Savannah was the other) that made some serious comments in the wake of Vidcon of how divided the youtube community has been and has been working to bring that community back together, so it’s not a divide between two groups but that we are one group of unique individuals making history as we speak. She’s even had the guts to carry out a dare to discuss Existentialism in a bikini! But she also has stated that she’s not brave, so why am I saying she is? Because she’s baring herself out there. She’s trying to show that there’s more behind the fourth wall of youtube and that everyone is entitled to be imperfect and be someone on youtube. She promotes a level of honesty and values that we have forgotten in the rise of youtube, that we make a mask for ourselves online which can disconnect us from others, and she is showing the example that we can be ourselves without fear.

I think one comment I said to her on a recent video was that “You are a thinker and a doer. You think great thoughts and share trends on youtube. You take action where others may not” and that is a strong indication of how brave she is (in my opinion). Because many people can think great ideas and not carry them through or many people do things without great thought. Emily represents a person who does both, she shares herself while adding reason for us to be watching her. She sparks ideas and discussions; I even remember discussing about her and her videos at Summer in the City which shows her bravery is known worldwide. It takes a strong and brave person to put themselves on the internet, without a gimmick or an act to hide behind. Emily represents a new wave of honesty that is coming through the ranks of youtube that is shared with Amanda, Kym and Lauren. And that is the bravest thing we have seen in a good while.

Emily, I want to say thank you and give my applause to you. You have been one of the strongest and bravest individuals to spark something new within an old formula and you did that by being just yourself. Never stop being your fantastic self because that’s where the bravery would end, which is something I doubt we’re going to see for a very long time.

The world needs more bravery; something that has been has been lost in the realm of online through fear and shame. Emily has shown us that the bravest people are the ones who are the most honest. We need to continue seeing more people be brave like her.

Wow! The reception to Doctober has been off the charts. Thank you so much for all the support behind this and willingness to participate or even just acknowledge this idea.

I also released a youtube video just yesterday covering this event, so far the reception has been well received like on here.

So an idea came up that I should have a page for people to report to, that people can send in the episodes/serials they plan to watch during Doctober and give their feedback, etc. So this is what the page is about in particular. I just spent the past thirty minute deciding my serials to watch and I’m going to announce them now. You may wish to copy me as you please, but I will put reasons behind my selections.

Before I post my serials, you can find the entire episode/serial listing here. It’s worth looking at as it will provide the order of release, but also which have been affected by the elements that have led to the missing 108.

With that, here are the serials I will be watching:

Hartnell Day = Sunday

2nd: An Unearthly Child

9th: The Daleks

16th: The Edge of Destruction

23rd: Marco Polo*

30th: The Keys of Marinus

* Marco Polo is one of the serials (all four parts) that is part of the missing 108. However, Crossing the Whoinverse has the Loose Cannon restored production which consists of still images and audio from live recordings fans made. I wish to watch this episode but I understand if people don’t wish to sit to still images and audio only. Again, this is my choice as these are the first five serials.

Troughton Day = Monday

3rd: Power of the Daleks

10th: The Moonbase

17th: The Tomb of the Cybermen

24th: The Ice Warriors

31st: The Dominators

Troughton’s episodes were heavily affected by the mass wipings that occurred back in the day so he’s the one Doctor that’s the most spaced out for choice. I wanted to enjoy his performances, which is why out of the full Loose Cannon/fan made restorations, I went with his first serial. The Moonbase and The Ice Warriors have some episodes missing but not all. Troughton might be the hardest for you to choose from if you’re wishing to keep continuity, his third season (6) is the least affected. But again, this is your own choosing.

Pertwee Day = Tuesday

4th: Spearhead from Space

11th: Doctor Who and the Silurians

18th: The Ambassadors of Death

25th: Inferno

Jon Pertwee’s debut season (7) gets covered in the space of four days. Should be a good Tuesday for certain. His Doctor was the one that introduced The Master, but he made his debut in Season 8, as an FYI.

T. Baker Day = Wednesday

5th: Robot

12th: The Ark in Space

19th: The Sontaran Experiment

26th: The Attack of the Cybermen*

What a debut season that awaits here, Jelly Babies and all! But wait, what’s missing here? Well for the keen eyes here, this is the season which features the highly popular Genesis of the Daleks, so why is it missing? Because I’ve seen it already and loved it to pieces. So I’ll be skipping that serial onto the final serial of Season 12, which is Attack of the Cybermen. New watchers, if you’re going in order for Tom Baker, Genesis of the Daleks is a MUST WATCH serial. I am only skipping it because I’ve seen it and trust me, it’s one brilliant serial.

Davison Day = Thursday

6th: Castrovalva*

13th: Four to Doomsday

20th: Kinda

29th: The Visitation

Much like with Hartnell, Pertwee and Baker, first serials for Davison. However, one thing to note about his debut serial Castrovalva, it’s part of a loose trilogy that is formed with Tom Baker’s final two serials (The Keeper of Traken & Logopolis). I personally will be watching those two serials before Doctober starts so it all makes sense upon watching. I wouldn’t say it’s compulsory but it’s recommended according to info.

C. Baker Day = Friday

7th: The Twin Dilemma

14th: Attack of the Cybermen

21st: Vengeance on Varos

28th: The Two Doctors*

You get two seasons for one with Colin Baker as The Twin Dilemma is the only serial of Season 21. Much like his namesake, Colin Baker has an serial skipped which is The Mark of the Rani, much like with Genesis of the Daleks, a serial I’ve seen before and features one of my favourite villains, The Rani. So much like before, if you’re going for continuity, go for The Rani first, but multiple Doctors episodes/serials are worth the watch.

McCoy Day = Saturday

(1st: The Wedding of River Song - Current Series Finale)

8th: Paradise Towers*

15th: Delta and the Bannermen

22nd: Dragonfire

29th: The Happiness Patrol*

McCoy is a bit spaced out for me as I’ve seen his debut episode Time and the Rani and the first serial of his second series Remembrance of the Daleks (both very good episodes). If people are going by continuity order of McCoy’s episodes, you won’t be seeing Remembrance or The Happiness Patrol during this as your first episode/serial will be Time and the Rani. But the plus side is that much like with Pertwee, you get his full debut season in one go.

So those are my chosen serials for Doctober. Now as mentioned in the original post, this is purely open to anyone’s interpretation. Some wish to go in full continuity, but the concept is to introduce all aspects of Classic Who with the different Doctors during that run. Some even prefer to go by episode than serial. I know many fans caught onto the series after Eccleston left the current run, but if the new series has shown is that a number of the classic villains and characters have already been introduced to you during the new series and not many will have realised how far back some of them go.

Is it important to by continuity order? It will make the experience easier but it’s not vital. I have seen a number of serials already before this and each serial does stand on their own. So if you wish to watch the most popular episodes, you can. But naturally, best to watch them in some order so events make sense (as like with the current series).

So as said, this is the home base for reporting your Doctober progress, your selected episodes/serials, your views. Everyone can go as they please, you can give feedback on episodes, share experiences, the decision is yours! Any question or queries, just ask.

That being said, do people want to see a Doctober Tumblr page itself so it’s not on my own tumblr page or is this easier for you?

Where I’ve covered Amanda and Kym before, I thought I’d cover someone I see as a big inspiration about life and being a youtuber. When John Green asked most recently, “Who are your most beloved youtubers?” Lauren was one of the first people to spring to mind because the truth is; there is much to love about her.

I first encountered Lauren through Youtube’s Truth or Fail, where she covered Star Trek (she’s already a win there and my first 5/5 on that game show), shortly after I subscribed to her and got to see how much more there is to this winning nerdfighter. Now I think many of my friends know Wheezywaiter was the inspiration for me to get into youtube, but Lauren was the inspiration for me to GET youtube; to understand how it functions, what works and how to be a better youtuber. She taught me how to be someone by interacting with others and to be involved with the community, which plays a big role in how youtubers should function, not necessarily for popularity, but how to appreciate those around you that share the same interests. I think the key thing that Lauren showed me more than anything though is how being yourself is the most important thing in life (and on youtube), let me explain further.

When you see Lauren’s videos, you see someone who’s passionate about the videos that come out of her channel; whether it’s discussing an event that’s happened to her; a worldwide event; a cause or her Reaction Reviews; Lauren puts her energy into it. She is a person who loves life, she gets enjoyment out of anything she does and isn’t afraid to be laughed at just for the enjoyment of others. She’s a person who shares an interest in the beauty of life, whether it’s things people enjoy like Harry Potter or Doctor Who; to treating everyone from any backgrounds equals, even if “normal” eyes see them as different. She’s a person who loves honesty; that it’s perfectly natural to be yourself and that shows through her videos and live shows. She doesn’t put on a front, it’s all Lauren.

If by now, you’re starting to say “Yeah, I get the point David, but why is she beautiful?” Then you’ve missed the point. As Kym rightly pointed out that beauty isn’t about the looks but what we represent, Lauren fits the bill. While I do feel she has a natural beauty about her, that’s because she has a perfect balance with herself inside and outside, with her personality and passion shining through, making her more beautiful than Scarlett Johansson or some other generic person the media says we should love. Lauren, I’ve said to you once before you’re the bravest person for your honesty, I want to correct myself to saying you’re the most beautiful person for that same honesty. John and Hank Green brought the phrase “Don’t Forget To Be Awesome” into modern pop-culture, Lauren never does forget because she lives in awesome.

Next month she gets to see a show she wrote come to life on stage (and filmed for youtube) called Trek. If you’re in the Florida area, go and see it when it’s out. I know it’s being filmed for youtube, but enjoy the chance of seeing the live work of a passionate nerdfighter in person because if Lauren’s taught me anything, it is that the beauty of life is better appreciated while it’s still available to cherish because it will never come again once the moment has passed. To see more of the passion and beauty of Lauren, go check out her youtube channel. Sundays see her Doctor Who Reaction Reviews go up, one of the highlights of a Doctor Who weekend, amongst her other videos.

The world needs more beauty, Lauren is part of that beauty as she sees it everywhere she goes and shares it with us. We need to be beautiful like her.

themunchkym:

That it would be FANTASTIC if you would vote for me in the King of the Web competition so that I can use the money to get to my dream college. :)

Thank you so much!

(Also, umm… If you reblog, I’ll send you a PERSONALIZED thank you. And a virtual hug.)

Much like my post not too long ago about Amanda Sternklar, there are other people who fit the bill of dedication to the cause through their strengths and means. Today is where I focus on another good friend from the youtube community; Kym Couch aka TheMunchKym. Now I’ve known Kym for about the same time as Amanda and she’s definitely someone I would consider a good friend, we have similar interests, get all the in-jokes within the circles we’re in and heck, I’m her PA, ironically making this promise only 3 hours before she became a youtube partner. Let’s just say she’s definitely among the top of the friendship pile in the youtube community for me.

I’ve spent today catching up on watching all of her youtube videos before she reaches her Vlogoversary (one year since her first video upload) and there was something that made me sad when I watched some of her earlier stuff. This is one of those elements where it would be under a wibblely wobblely timey wimey thing of knowing the present situation to the past that the video lies in. The thing that made me most sad was that I saw her aspirations about college, this was more present when watching her Thoughts From Places video about Boston when she went to visit a University. How so you ask? Well simply put, she currently can’t go. Now Kym is a person who is dedicated to the cause, she doesn’t give up on her friends or her goals but she has been heavily backed into the corner where her dreams of being at college currently hang by a thread and I want to give some further insight into this amazing person before saying how we can turn this thread into a rope and make something happen.

Kym has been uploading onto youtube for nearly a year, and in that time, she’s won tickets to Playlist Live; got voted into team known as Vlogadelic; got featured on Buck Factor; won an advanced copy of Jackson Pearce’s Sweetly; gained over 3,000 subscribers; became a Youtube Partner. There are quite a number of people who have made this achievement in their first year, but Kym is a person who earned her place through hard work and dedication to the community itself. Kym’s primary strength lies in her thinking and delivery which makes her one of the best vloggers known to date. She knows how to keep your interest, engage in conversation and also respond to those around her, she even spends time to thank EVERYONE of her 3,000+ subs for making the time to watch and listen to her. How many people actually do that? She’s told us we’re Beautiful; provides respect to the Thespians Who Get None; she even paints her nails for many occasions like seeing the Harry Potter 7.2 Premiere. There’s so much to Kym that some words can’t describe her enough and I don’t want to go into so much detail because you should discover her for yourself, but this is where I need to raise a point.

Over a year ago, a girl named Tessa Violet, better known as Meekakitty, won a contest to win $10,000 thanks to the YouTube community and she put most of that money to charity, but also gave her an opportunity to go to college where she lacked the funds. Much like Tessa back then, Kym is one of those people who has earned her stripes and deserves to be at college, and this is the chance to make it happen. There’s a monthly competition called King of the Web, in short it’s a voting competition where the winner of the month received $5,000. Now, while there are many youtubers who have their rightful means to go for this cause, I am appealing to those in the community to consider the situation. This is an opportunity for someone to have a future, someone who deserves a future and all she has had is no because of circumstances beyond her own control. Many people have an opportunities handed to them only to be thrown away or just abuse that power they have because they can. Kym is not someone who would waste an opportunity and this is why we need to help her.

If could please sign up to King of the Web, and give your daily ten votes to her page found here, then it would mean so much. I normally don’t like online contests but this one is one that means a lot because a friend can have something she needs and deserves more than anything. Is it wrong to spend little less than a minute a day to give a chance for someone to continue to chase their dream? Heck, if Kym wins, I’ll do something like shave my head, wax my legs or something. But it would mean a lot to see her get to a point that the current situation won’t allow her to, so let’s help her there.

The world needs more awesome, Kym is part of that awesome. Let’s be awesome and give a future to the Queen without a crown!