History YMMV / PopQuizHotshot

* CharacterRerailment: In the most basic of senses, but a lot of people love it for making Critic an actual consistent ''character'' again, as reboot often has the issue of him just being a mouthpiece for Doug and having less internal logic than he used to.

* EvilIsSexy: Critic from the reboot onwards. He's deranged with a hint of IJustWantToHaveFriends woobie, and the HoYay is ramped up. And given that it's all improvised by Doug, the Ask That Guy reminder definitely does not hurt. Thirdly, the fact that he loves looking pretty in a tiara [[http://straysketches.tumblr.com/post/135067866291 helps]].

* AcceptableTargets: Christian in ''Bunny Boobies'', who not only wore a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' tee, but also admitted to writing ''MLP'' fanfiction. Critic made fun but not in a nasty way, while the comment section is full of accusations of him of being autistic and [[DisproportionateRetribution hopes that he really did get shot]].

%% * MemeticMutation: Brad's statement about the original pilot--"Everyone needs a ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'' on their resume!".

* UnfortunateImplications: [[https://thegiddyowl.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/pop-quiz-hotshot-pilot-recap-part-1/ This]] [[https://thegiddyowl.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/pop-quiz-hotshot-pilot-recap-part-2/ recap]] points the issues of the only woman being there against her will, and the only black guy having zero lines even when he's being talked to.

* BrokenBase: Whether the Critic episodes are an improvement over the pilot. Some think so because the Critic seems more invested in hosting, and the technical polish (such as it is) being stronger, along with the episode format being more streamlined. Others liked the pilot more because, to quote a YouTube comment, "Disinterested Brad is still a better host than hamming it up Doug".

* BrokenBase: While the Critic episodes are deemed a big improvement over the pilot, people are still split over the spazzies. They're either obnoxious with a shitty name, or they're funny BlackComedy, or they're irritating but the in-universe hate for them makes it okay.

* FridgeBrilliance:
** Creator/BradJones is supposed to be playing an insane, twisted version of himself, so why wouldn't he have a random mixture of standard pop culture trivia and oddly morbid questions?
** People complain if the contestants don't know the answers to questions. RuleOfFunny being the point instead of knowledge aside, everyone is meant to be folks snatched off the street.
* GrowingTheBeard: Episode one was deemed an improvement over the pilot.

* ScapegoatCreator: Like with the site in general, Doug gets blamed for all failings when Hotshot was actually produced and ordered by Michaud. In this instance, even his dad said Michaud demanded a game show but had no clue what he actually wanted outside of that.

* CatharsisFactor: A lot of neurodivergent fans love the show because Critic is open and accepting about being mentally ill, even mentioning an eating disorder, and while he's evil with it, it's also kinda refreshing.

* ContinuityLockout: Downplayed. Critic holding people captive because he's lonely in the second episode just looks like a slightly modified RecycledScript if you don't know that his SanitySlippage is a big plot in his show, he has RealityEnsues issues with kidnapping, and that he's expressed grief with being friendless many times.

* GrowingTheBeard: While the jury's out on whether it's actually ''good'' or not, episode one was deemed an improvement over the pilot, getting rid of the UnfortunateImplications being a bonus at the very least.

* HilariousInHindsight: In "Bunny Boobies", Christian sucks up to Critic a lot, but one of his answers is "Devil Boner vs Santa Christ". This happens in the ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' review.

* JustHereForGodzilla: While Critic is lampshaded as the godzilla in question (with Doug in the indiegogo promo promising he'd be in every episode), a lot of people thought Brad being snark machine was the only worthwhile part in the pilot. Tamara trying her best to give her character depth comes in a close second.
* LGBTFanbase: The second episode appealed to them a lot more, with Critic hitting on both Tom and Ryan (who play along), and General Anesthetic's admission that he used to look female being treated as the exact opposite of an UnsettlingGenderReveal.
* MemeticMutation: Brad's statement about the original pilot--"Everyone needs a ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'' on their resume!".

* NeverLiveItDown: The series is this to Website/ChannelAwesome. The pilot episode was released months after it was originally slated to premiere and was received with massive negative reception. They proceeded to release only eleven more episodes, far below the forty episodes promised in the Indiegogo campaign, and there were two four month hiatuses. It's doubtful that Channel Awesome will ever attempt crowdfunding again after this.
* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Downplayed, as the badly-received pilot didn't do so well for CA's reputation, leading in {{retool}}ing it into what a lot of people considered GrowingTheBeard, but as Fard said, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLyGmW9oq70&lc=z13bzxwygpjcyvlbj04cel34ivbbs1wbyrk0k “like, dislike, as long as you watch the video ;)”]].

* TearJerker:
** The Critic in the opening laughing and enjoying himself and just wanting to watch movies with his friends and showing him in an empty room with no friends.
** He says at least five times in the first one that he's also kidnapping people so that he doesn't get kidnapped himself again. Hyper and other people who have held him captive really did a number on his brain.
** Plus how obviously he's traumatized by his [[AbusiveParents childhood]], saying that when he thinks of it, "a little nerve goes off" in his brain.

* ScapegoatCreator: Like with the site in general, Doug gets blamed for all failings when Hotshot was actually produced and ordered by Michaud. In this instance, even his dad said Michaud demanded a game show but had no clue what * SpecialEffectFailure: When Brad is explaining the backstory in the pilot, his hand looks deformed [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CB2Y2FPUEAE4kZQ.png at one point]].

* ScapegoatCreator: Like with the site in general, Doug gets blamed for all failings when Hotshot was actually produced and ordered by Michaud. In this instance, even his dad said Michaud demanded a game show but had no clue what he actually wanted outside of that.
* SnarkBait:
** Even Brad made fun of it thirty minutes into this [[http://www.thecinemasnob.com/con-panels/midwest-media-expo-the-cinema-snob-panel panel]], teasing that he was on so many drugs so doesn't remember doing it and "everyone needs a Film/BattlefieldEarth on the resume".
** Aside from all the making fun at Midwest Media Expo, in the ''Fantastic Four'' making of when Doug is standing in front of the whiteboard (with the three seashells joke still on there), he and Rob mock the cheapness of the show by saying the fans will be wondering “what the hell this game show's about”.
* SpecialEffectFailure: When Brad is explaining the backstory in the pilot, his hand looks deformed [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CB2Y2FPUEAE4kZQ.png at one point]].

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* AcceptableTargets: Christian in ''Bunny Boobies'', who not only wore a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic My Little Pony tee]], but also admitted to writing MLP fanfiction. Critic made fun but not in a nasty way, while the comment section is full of accusations of him of being autistic and [[DisproportionateRetribution hopes that he really did get shot]].

** Ed from episode 5. Some find him an entertaining homage to ''WesternAnimation/EdEddnEddy'', others find him an obnoxious and unfunny contestant who ruins the episode.