Most people know Red Letter Media from their seventy-minute The Phantom Menace review. The first video (published eleven years ago) is now sitting at eleven million views. That video launched their popularity and it’s what I first watched back in high school. That video series, while still mostly excellent, causes me to cringe and skip the unsettling “Mr. Plinkett” framing device. Ironically, I feel they “may have gone too far in a few places.” But, if you only watched those reviews, you might not know that they’re just three dudes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, talking about movies.
I’d actually recommend against watching any of Red Letter Media’s videos if you’re a certain type of person. Specifically, if you’re a white male in your twenties or thirties who likes movies; you may never stop watching. For those who are truly in, they’re in for life. No YouTuber or channel will ever replicate the curated blend of beer, yelling, VHS tapes, and conversation. You can find redditors banding together on r/RedLetterMedia, swapping stories of how long they’ve been watching the channel or how many times they’ve watched all of the videos. One RLM redditor said, “Was bored and looking for a small Excel exercise so I calculated the combined length of all RLM YouTube videos. Came out at exactly 299 hours 8 minutes and 36 seconds (~ 12.5 days). That is all, please move along.”
That’s not even counting their unlisted videos, as another redditor pointed out in a comment below. Some fans have claimed to have watched all of their videos multiple times through—setting aside more than a month of their life to Red Letter Media. I may not have watched all of their videos, but I have watched all of their Half in the Bag series where they break down popular, mainstream blockbusters. If you’re wondering what Half in the Bag means, the research I’ve done says that it means something like “nearly drunk.” You’ll feel them leaning into that vibe no matter which episode you watch. The format is pretty much Siskel and Ebert if they worked at a VCR repair shop, destroyed things, and drank beer.
If every Half in the Bag episode is approximately forty minutes on average (rough guess), then I’ve watched around 152 hours, or about six full days. These videos are representative of why so many fans flock consistently (They have, on average, a high view count per video relative to their subscribers) to their page. In this relatively brief exposé, I’ll try to condense those six days of Half in the Bag down to its core elements. Here we go (in alphabetical order):
- Jay Baumann: The bearded one. The horror movie encyclopedia. A skilled editor. Rich Evans (who you’ll meet later) said in their Alien commentary that Jay is a paradox because he’s one of the most friendly and happy people he has ever met, and yet he delights in misery. To that, Jay responded that he takes joy in movie misery, which is a safe outlet for that sort of thing. Throughout the eleven years of Half in the Bag, Jay disagrees with Mike, references obscure near-lost media, gives ideas and wisdom to studios for free (there’s been a few times where it seems like they have listened— looking at you, Invisible Man), espouses critiques to every demographic of actor, and drinks beer. Unlike his changing hair and beard, Jay has always been incredibly consistent. While he’s friendly, warm, and quick to laugh, he never compromises his opinion for a favorable short-term image. He’s probably the one who gets the most angry Twitter responses when he shares his opinions.
- Mike Stoklasa: The “Star Trak” fan. The closet intellectual. The printer of papers. The jaded old man. Mr. Plinkett himself. There’s a legend that at one point Rich Evans was asked, “How do you become a part of RedLetterMedia?” And Rich answered, “Be Mike’s friend twenty years ago.” Mike might just be my favorite. He’s so purposefully unhinged and pretends he’s completely fed up with movies to the point that you begin to believe him. Mike and Jay are the duo of Half in the Bag. They’re the ones who have unknowingly cataloged the rise and fall of big-budget superhero movies and peppered the internet with surprisingly nuanced takes on the movie industry. This, while giving movie fans a crash course in filmmaking and film criticism. Rich just joins when they let him. I love Mike’s emphatic tirades, his flair for editing, his affection for ghost hunter Zak Bagans, his never-ending Star Trek: The Next Generation references, his beer drinking, and his noises.
- Rich Evans: Many people probably see Rich Evans as a living meme. He was even featured on Ellen’s show—Julia Roberts herself laughed at him. Rich knows he’s a meme. He once said, “Get laid! I’m Rich Evans, I’ve gotten laid. You can do it!” But Rich is more than just a meme; Rich is an icon. He’s a captivating mix of aloof dad and big nerd. One of my consistent laugh-out-loud running gags is seeing the subtitles appear on screen for when Rich mispronounces words. He’s a kind soul, another deep Star Trek fan, he coined the phrase “Star Wars is creatively bankrupt,” and he’s the owner of the world’s most memorable laugh. Many redditors have talked about falling asleep to Red Letter Media, only to be woken up by Rich’s token cackle.
That’s it. The three core elements of Half in the Bag, but more importantly Red Letter Media, are Jay, Mike, and Rich. Yes, there are other delightful people who pop in from time to time (notable celebrities include Macaulay Culkin and Patton Oswalt), but the core three are the consistent creators. I was tempted to say something like: the core elements are editing, comedic timing, and integrity, but Jay, Mike, and Rich are the vessels for those ideals.
If you just simply watch their “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Review” series, you might only see their movie analysis via an unfiltered, vulgar sense of humor. You might miss their hearts of gold. It’s their most popular series, but not their most approachable (that title should be given to their commentaries). In the end, they’re colloquially known as “your favorite YouTuber’s favorite YouTube channel” (look to Dunkey or Jacksfilms for proof) for a reason. I really think I’d enjoy it if, for the rest of my life, I could watch an episode of theirs once a week after dinner.
What are you waiting for? If you think foul language and shock humor is a feature, not a bug, then step into the wholesome, hilarious, and most long-term parasocial relationship you could ever experience (Seriously, I warned you. You know who you are). They’re not perfect, but they feel like friends. In the eighties, they had Cheers. For me, I have Red Letter Media.
Isaac graduated Calvin in 2019 studying English, secondary education and recently finished being an English teacher for the past few years. He’s currently a resident director at Hope College while also taking classes so he can become an art teacher. Isaac loves movies and lighthouses more than most things.
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Thanks for an enjoyable read!
Why “white male”? Will a black or brown or whatever else twenty something male not like RLM due to them not being white?