History OvershadowedByControversy / ChannelAwesome

* WebVideo/TheAmazingAtheist is remembered mostly for his videos talking about feminism and a time when he not only accused a rape victim of lying but also told him to re-experience the rape.

''Website/ChannelAwesome'' became [[OvershadowedByControversy infamous]] in the mid-to-late [=2010s=] for several controversies. The site went from one of the biggest pages on the internet to a shell of its former self for all of the drama, controversy, and negative behavior that was exposed about the site's staff.

%% Louis Lovhaug (AKA Linkara) of Atop The Fourth Wall was cut per cleanup thread. While his reactions to Oneyplays stuff may not have been graceful, they don't cross the threshold of "Overshadowed By Controversy" as he still remains a broadly respected figure in broader online-creator spaces. Please do not re-add him without consulting the Cleanup thread.

* Creator/AllisonPregler, aka Obscurus Lupa, was removed from the site for (as she put it) being away from her computer during a Skype call she claimed she had no idea about beforehand. This led to Lupa's boyfriend, Phelan "WebVideo/{{Phelous}}" Porteous, leaving in protest. Nowadays, she's known for kickstarting the #[=ChangeTheChannel=] movement that exposed Channel Awesome's shady business practices (including her firing) and led to the near-complete exodus of contributors from the site. The controversy also led to Allison cutting ties with several long-term colleagues, particularly Creator/BradJones. While she continues to make content on her own, many people still treat her as a "figurehead" of that movement, and she's even had to tell a VocalMinority of the movement not to harass people in her name.

%% Louis Lovhaug (AKA Linkara) of Atop The Fourth Wall as cut per cleanup thread. While his reactions to Oneyplays stuff may not have been graceful, they don't cross the threshold of "Overshadowed By Controversy" as he still remains a broadly respected figure in broader online-creator spaces. Please do not re-add him without consulting the Cleanup thread.

* The company as a whole became engulfed in controversy after a document titled "[[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WZFkR__B3Mk9EYQglvislMUx9HWvWhOaBP820UBa4dA/mobilebasic Not So Awesome]]" came to light, listing numerous grievances with the company, including alleged aggressive and misogynistic behavior by [=CEO=] Mike Michaud, sexual misconduct allegations towards former [=CFO=] Mike Ellis and [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis JewWario]] [[note]](though the actual accusations wouldn't come till later)[[/note]], preferential treatment towards Creator/DougWalker (which gave him a say in several corporate decisions), and reports of general mismanagement and incompetence. The company's attempts to contain the controversy only made things worse. Doug tried to stay away from the controversy, but posted the second company response on his Facebook, only mentioned the set improvements in a Salon interview (which he's discussed before as a problem), and seems more happy to hate himself on Critic with SelfDeprecation over being useless than reaching out to the people who worked with him. Almost all of the content creators left the site, [=#ChangeTheChannel=] trended on Twitter, and Channel Awesome had their reputation heavily damaged.

* Creator/LewisLovhaug the creator of ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'' is most known outside of his fanbase for [[TakeThat his snipes directed]] at the channel WebVideo/OneyPlays for their impressions of him that were made out of jest rather than anything maliciousness. Similarly, Lewis has attracted criticism for his [[StreisandEffect (failed)]] attempts to [[BuryYourArt hide]] his old webcomic Webcomic/{{Lightbringer}}, which Lewis now regards as an OldShame. With many taking issue with Lewis trying to deflect any attempts to take about it rather than own up to his mistakes, with some even accusing Lewis of being hypocritical given his entire job is reviewing bad comics.

** His ''WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}'' review is mostly remembered for the joke he made about Splinter's voice sounding like he smoked a lot of Marlboros, unaware that his voice actor in that film, Creator/{{Mako}}, died of lung cancer. Critic apologized for it in his ''Film/RedSonja'' review, and later made a RunningGag about it where Critic acts like Mako is a SacredCow who must not be insulted.

** His review of ''Film/ErnestSavesChristmas'' was originally aired with a joke done when a bunch of kids are watching a puppet show where he says "Yes, I think he entertains the autistic children". It's the only joke he's ever edited out of any of his videos and is most likely the most controversial thing appearing in his "Nostalgia Critic Fuck-Ups" video, as it caused the literal ElephantInTheRoom to appear.

* Chad Rocco of ''WebVideo/FamiliarFaces'' is more known for his '''''extremely''''' deep hatred of the later seasons of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', particularly after Creator/LaurenFaust left, as well as [[FanHater rude and demeaning behavior towards anybody who enjoys them]].

** The ''Manga/SailorMoon'' review is remembered mostly from the backlash it received from fans of the series for several jokes that were viewed as sexist, racist, and homophobic, using the soon-to-be-obsolete [=DiC=]/Cloverway dub instead of the original Japanese version, and the fact that the Critic focused on the ages of the characters (calling it "Jailbait: The Show" and implying that it was created by and for creeps/sexual predators when it was actually created by [[Creator/NaokoTakeuchi a woman]] for young girls), than for any of its actual merits. The controversy drove Doug Walker to refrain from creating more anime-related reviews outside of crossovers. [[note]](When he reviewed ''Film/DragonballEvolution'', he brought anime fans Creator/LittleKuriboh and Creator/MasakoX onboard as co-hosts to help explain the source material. This review was received much better.)[[/note]]

** The LetsPlay of ''The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare'' is far more well-known for the backlash it received than for the video itself, to the point where the following review of ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'' had Critic apologizing for it at the start in a sketch where he got sent to prison for it (placed next to [[Film/TheGarbagePailKidsMovie the State Home for the Ugly]], no less).

* Creator/NoahAntwiler, also known as [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment The Spoony One]], was once a very popular and respected internet personality, and his involvement with Channel Awesome helped to [[ColbertBump boost its popularity in its early days]]. Noah further stood out by being willing to discuss a wide number of topics, including ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', movies, video games, and professional wrestling when most reviewers largely stuck to a specific thing. His reputation first started declining after a major ScheduleSlip in 2011 caused by a severe CreatorBreakdown due to health issues and a messy breakup with his then-girlfriend Scarlett (who had helped manage his site and content creation). After seemingly getting back on track, a sleazy tweet to WebVideo/JesuOtaku (who was in a relationship with Nash at the time) led to Noah being removed from Channel Awesome. The final nail in his reputation's coffin came in 2014 with his setting up a Patreon, where he would proceed to break his promises (such as creating a movie) in the wake of its success, prompting accusations of him freeloading off his fanbase,[[note]]Noah admitted that he didn't expect the Patreon to be as successful as it did, which led to further accusations of him spouting false promises.[[/note]] and his content creation continuing to slow to a crawl to the point that he hasn't made any new video reviews. His vocal hatred of his own fanbase and [[CausticCritic perpetually negative attitude]] (both on- and off-camera) have only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper solidified his decline]], with his own [[https://www.reddit.com/r/thespoonyexperiment/ subreddit]] now branding itself [[SelfDeprecation "the second worst thing about The Spoony Experiment."]]. As [[WebVideo/DownTheRabbitHole Fredrik Knudsen]] put it in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSZ1TqgOIU retrospective]], Noah is now a cautionary tale of what fame can do to a person who can't handle it and burns themselves out, as well as a warning to not take viewers' goodwill for granted.

* Creator/NoahAntwiler, also known as [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment The Spoony One]], was once a very popular and respected internet personality, and his involvement with Channel Awesome helped to [[ColbertBump boost its popularity in its early days]]. Noah further stood out by being willing to discuss a wide number of topics, including ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', movies, video games, and professional wrestling when most reviewers largely stuck to a specific thing. His reputation first started declining after a major ScheduleSlip in 2011 caused by a severe CreatorBreakdown due to health issues and a messy breakup with his then-girlfriend Scarlett (who had helped manage his site and content creation). After seemingly getting back on track, a sleazy tweet to WebVideo/JesuOtaku (who was in a relationship with Nash at the time) led to Noah being removed from Channel Awesome. The final nail in his reputation's coffin came in 2014 with his setting up a Patreon, where he would proceed to break his promises (such as creating a movie) in the wake of its success, prompting accusations of him freeloading off his fanbase,[[note]]Noah admitted that he didn't expect the Patreon to be as successful as it did, which led to further accusations of him spouting false promises.[[/note]] and his content creation continuing to slow to a crawl to the point that he hasn't made any new video reviews. His vocal hatred of his own fanbase and [[CausticCritic perpetually negative attitude]] (both on- and off-camera) have only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper solidified his decline]], with his own [[https://www.reddit.com/r/thespoonyexperiment/ subreddit]] now branding itself a "disappointment convention". As [[WebVideo/DownTheRabbitHole Fredrik Knudsen]] put it in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSZ1TqgOIU retrospective]], Noah is now a cautionary tale of what fame can do to a person who can't handle it and burns themselves out, as well as a warning to not take viewers' goodwill for granted.

''Website/ChannelAwesome'' became infamous in the mid-to-late [=2010s=] for several controversies. The site went from one of the biggest pages on the internet to a shell of its former self for all of the drama, controversy, and negative behavior that was exposed about the site's staff.

* Brad Jones himself is probably known for being the only contributor outside of the Walkers' inner circle to remain loyal to the site in the fallout of [=#ChangeTheChannel=] [[note]]([[WebVideo/GuruLarryAndWez Guru Larry]], the only other creator who stayed on, has made it clear that he is on the site solely out of spite for [[ScrewedByTheNetwork having been ignored]] and to watch the drama unfold)[[/note]]. Although previously critical of Channel Awesome's mismanagement, he subsequently dismissed all accusations of workplace abuse as either exaggerations or outright lies, infamously saying the mocking line "I just want an apology, whether you mean it or not!". He's especially infamous for a (later retracted) accusation of a malicious [=SWATting=] incident at the funeral of his wife's father. This led to a breakdown of relations between Allison and Brad, with Allison removing all crossover videos the two did and one of Brad's producers cutting ties with him.

** The LetsPlay of ''The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare'' is far more well-known for the backlash it received than for the video itself, to the point where the following review of ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'' had Critic apologizing for it at the start in a sketch where he got sent to prison for it ([[Film/TheGarbagePailKidsMovie placed next to the State Home for the Ugly, no less]]).

* ''Webvideo/PopQuizHotshot'' is only remembered for a TroubledProduction that showed Channel Awesome's poor management. It emerged as a goal from an Indiegogo fundraiser, promising 40 episodes. The show failed to emerge after a year and a half, but was forced to release the first episode when Indiegogo threatened to investigate them for fraud. Reception was very negative, a hiatus ensued before more episodes came out, and the overall run was only twelve episodes (the legal minimum required of them by Indiegogo).

* Creator/NoahAntwiler, also known as [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment The Spoony One]], was once a very popular and respected internet personality, and his involvement with Channel Awesome helped to [[ColbertBump boost its popularity in its early days]]. Noah further stood out by being willing to discuss a wide number of topics, including ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', movies, video games, and professional wrestling when most reviewers largely stuck to a specific thing. His reputation first started declining after a major ScheduleSlip in 2011 caused by a severe CreatorBreakdown due to health issues and a messy breakup with his then-girlfriend Scarlett (who had helped manage his site and content creation). After seemingly getting back on track, a sleazy tweet to WebVideo/JesuOtaku (who had been in a relationship at the time) led to Noah being removed from Channel Awesome. The final nail in his reputation's coffin came in 2014 with his setting up a Patreon, where he would proceed to break his promises (such as creating a movie) in the wake of its success, prompting accusations of him freeloading off his fanbase,[[note]]Noah admitted that he didn't expect the Patreon to be as successful as it did, which led to further accusations of him spouting false promises.[[/note]] and his content creation continuing to slow to a crawl to the point that he hasn't made any new video reviews. His vocal hatred of his own fanbase and [[CausticCritic perpetually negative attitude]] (both on- and off-camera) have only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper solidified his decline]], with his own [[https://www.reddit.com/r/thespoonyexperiment/ subreddit]] now branding itself a "disappointment convention". As [[WebVideo/DownTheRabbitHole Fredrik Knudsen]] put it in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSZ1TqgOIU retrospective]], Noah is now a cautionary tale of what fame can do to a person who can't handle it and burns themselves out, as well as to not take viewers' goodwill for granted.

* WebVideo/TheAmazingAtheist is remembered mostly for his videos talking about feminism, and a time when he not only accused a rape victim of lying but also told him to re-experience the rape.

** His review of ''Film/ErnestSavesChristmas'' was originally aired with a joke done when a bunch of kids are watching a puppet show where he says "Yes, I think he entertains the autistic children." It's the only joke he's ever edited out of any of his videos and is most likely the most controversial thing appearing in his "Nostalgia Critic Fuck-Ups" video, as it caused the literal ElephantInTheRoom to appear.

* WebVideo/TheAmazingAtheist is remembered mostly for his despised time with the website as "The Distressed Watcher", saying that people who enjoyed ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' even ironically [[FanHater should be taken to a death camp and shot]], a comment about Creator/JakeLloyd's performance in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' being so bad that he deserved to become a drug addict, calling ''Film/CopOut'' worse than his real-life father's death, his videos talking about feminism, and a time when he not only accused a rape victim of lying but also told him to re-experience the rape.

* Justin "JewWario" Carmical was a popular member of Channel Awesome, famous for ''WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis'' and frequently collaborating with site members. Carmical left Channel Awesome in 2013 and committed suicide a year later, with many fans and fellow members paying tribute to him. Five years later, during [=#ChangeTheChannel=], Channel Awesome, in response to accusations they had failed to deal with a then-unnamed[[note]]due to the name being withheld at the victims' request[[/note]] sexual predator in the company, released a screencap depicting a chatroom between them and an anonymous employee that filed out a sexual harassment complaint on February 12th, 2013. Between the chat stating the perpetrator would be fired on Friday (i.e. February 15th, the same day Carmical announced his departure), and Channel Awesome's [[https://postimg.cc/SYGQKHfb poorly-done censorship]], Carmical was revealed as the unnamed predator. Making matters worse, further evidence indicated Channel Awesome higher-ups knew about Carmical's behavior before 2013, but did nothing until the harassment got violent and actively suppressed information (though the victim reportedly did not want to press charges against Carmical). Carmical's reputation took a 180, and most posthumous tributes to Carmical were [[OldShame removed]] as a result. WebVideo/MarzGurl, meanwhile, added a disclaimer to tribute film ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'', stating it is remaining up for historical purposes and that she was unaware of Carmical's true colors.

* [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]] was a popular member of Channel Awesome, famous for his ''You Can Play This'' review show and being a frequent collaborator with site members. Carmical left Channel Awesome in 2013 and committed suicide a year later, with many fans and fellow members paying tribute to him. However, Carmical's reputation made a complete 180 when posthumous allegations of grooming and rape came to light. To elaborate, Channel Awesome, in an attempt to defuse the [=#ChangeTheChannel=] controversy, released a screencap depicting a chatroom between them and an anonymous employee that filed out a sexual harassment complaint. The screencaps were edited to remove mentions of the perpetrator's name, but there was enough to pin Carmical as the perpetrator. [[note]]The screencaps showed that the chat took place on February 12, 2013, a Tuesday. The chats then continued to say that the perpetrator would be fired on Friday, which would've been February 15 (i.e. the same day Carmical announced that he was leaving the site). The transcripts were also [[https://postimg.cc/SYGQKHfb poorly-censored]] (possibly deliberately), leaving enough of Justin's name allowing people to directly confirm CA were talking about him.[[/note]] Making matters worse, further evidence indicated that the Channel Awesome higher-ups actively knew about Carmical's behavior even before the 2013 complaints made against him, but didn't do anything until the harassment got violent and actively suppressed information (though the victim reportedly did not want to press charges against Carmical). Most posthumous tributes to Carmical were then [[OldShame removed]], and WebVideo/MarzGurl has stated that she's only keeping ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'' up for historical purposes, with a disclaimer that she was unaware of Carmical's behavior and true colors.

* Creator/NoahAntwiler, also known as [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment The Spoony One]], was once a very popular and respected internet personality, and his involvement with Channel Awesome helped to [[ColbertBump boost its popularity in its early days]]. Noah further stood out by being willing to discuss a wide number of topics, including ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', movies, video games, and professional wrestling when most reviewers largely stuck to a specific thing. His reputation first started declining after a major ScheduleSlip in 2011 caused by a severe CreatorBreakdown due to health issues and a messy breakup with his then-girlfriend Scarlett (who had helped manage his site and content creation). After seemingly getting back on track, a sleazy tweet to WebVideo/JesuOtaku (who had been in a relationship at the time) led to Noah being removed from Channel Awesome. The final nail in his reputation's coffin came in 2014 with his setting up a Patreon, where he would proceed to break his promises (such as creating a movie) in the wake of its success, prompting accusations of him freeloading off his fanbase, and his content creation continuing to slow to a crawl to the point that he hasn't made any new video reviews. His vocal hatred of his own fanbase and [[CausticCritic perpetually negative attitude]] (both on- and off-camera) have only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper solidified his decline]], with his own [[https://www.reddit.com/r/thespoonyexperiment/ subreddit]] now branding itself a "disappointment convention". As [[WebVideo/DownTheRabbitHole Fredrik Knudsen]] put it in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSZ1TqgOIU retrospective]], Noah is now a cautionary tale of what fame can do to a person who can't handle it and burns themselves out, as well as to not take viewers' goodwill for granted.

* Creator/NoahAntwiler, also known as [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment The Spoony One]], was once a very popular and respected internet personality, and his involvement with Channel Awesome helped to [[ColbertBump boost its popularity in its early days]]. Noah further stood out by being willing to discuss a wide number of topics, including ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', movies, video games, and professional wrestling when most reviewers largely stuck to a specific thing. His reputation first started declining after a major ScheduleSlip in 2011 caused by a severe CreatorBreakdown due to health issues and a messy breakup with his then-girlfriend Scarlett (who had helped manage his site and content creation). After seemingly getting back on track, a sleazy tweet to WebVideo/JesuOtaku (who had been in a relationship at the time) led to Noah being removed from Channel Awesome. The final nail in his reputation's coffin came in 2014 with his setting up a Patreon, where he would proceed to break his promises (such as creating a movie) in the wake of its success, prompting accusations of him freeloading off his fanbase, and his content creation continuing to slow to a crawl to the point that he hasn't made any new video reviews. His vocal hatred of his own fanbase and [[CausticCritic perpetually negative attitude]] (both on- and off-camera) have only [[DiggingYourselfDeeper solidified his decline]], with his own [[https://www.reddit.com/r/thespoonyexperiment/ subreddit]] now branding itself a "disappointment convention". As [[WebVideo/DownTheRabbitHole Fredrik Knudsen]] put it in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSZ1TqgOIU retrospective]], Noah is now a cautionary tale of what fame can do to a person who can't handle it and burns themselves out, as well to not take viewers' goodwill for granted.

* Brad Jones himself is probably known for being the only contributor outside of the Walkers' inner circle to remain loyal to the site in the fallout of [=#ChangeTheChannel=] [[note]]([[WebVideo/GuruLarryAndWez Guru Larry]], the only other creator who stayed on, has made it clear that he is on the site solely out of spite for [[ScrewedByTheNetwork having been ignored]] and to watch the drama unfold)[[/note]]. Although previously critical of Channel Awesome's mismanagement, he subsequently dismissed all accusations of workplace abuse as either exaggerations or outright lies, infamously saying the mocking line "I just want an apology, whether you mean it or not!". He's especially infamous for a (later retracted) accusation of a malicious [=SWATting=] incident at the funeral of his wife's father. This led to a breakdown of relations between Allison and Brad, with Allison removing all crossover videos the two did and one of Brad's producers cutting ties with him. Creator/LewisLovhaug also denounced Brad's actions in the start of his 600th ''Atop The Fourth Wall'' episode.

* [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]] was a popular member of Channel Awesome, famous for his ''You Can Play This'' review show and being a frequent collaborator with site members. Carmical left Channel Awesome in 2013 and committed suicide a year later, with many fans and fellow members paying tribute to him. Then in April 2018, posthumous allegations of grooming and rape came to light. In an attempt to defuse the [=#ChangeTheChannel=] controversy, Channel Awesome released a screencap depicting a chatroom between them and an anonymous employee that filed out a sexual harassment complaint. The screencaps were edited to remove mentions of the perpetrator's name, but there was enough to pin Carmical as the perpetrator. [[note]](The screencaps showed that the chat took place on February 12, 2013, a Tuesday. The chats then continued to say that the perpetrator would be fired on Friday, which would've been February 15 {i.e. the same day that Carmical announced he was leaving the site}. The transcripts were also [[https://postimg.cc/SYGQKHfb poorly-censored]] {possibly deliberately}, leaving enough of Justin's name allowing people to directly confirm CA were talking about him.)[[/note]] Making matters worse, evidence indicated that the Channel Awesome higher-ups actively knew about Carmical's behavior even before the 2013 complaints made against him, but didn't do anything until the harassment got violent and actively suppressed information (though the victim reportedly did not want to press charges against Carmical). Most posthumous tributes to Carmical were then [[OldShame removed]], and WebVideo/MarzGurl has stated that she's only keeping ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'' up for historical purposes, with a disclaimer that she was unaware of Carmical's behavior and true colors.