Thoughts on calling out others media and/or creators

testerdahl

testerdahl

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I'm not sure how many of you are on TikTok, but I was today looking around to see what everyone was going to be pissed. Turns out there's a ton of videos calling out Dave from Daves Auto Center over some advice on diesel engines.

Basically Dave said you shouldn't idle your diesel nor let it warm up. Just get in and drive.
https://www.tiktok.com/video/7445816126875045166

Now, I've spoken with enough diesel engineers and owned a diesel to know immediately that's not the right thing to do. Besides, why do diesel trucks come with remote start if you shouldn't let them warm up?

Also, owner's manuals are filled with information on how to start up your diesel in cold weather and how you should either plug them in or let them idle.

The concern, with diesels, is really about excessive idling which I take to mean 6-8 hours a day for years.

I've also spoken with and had roommates as mechanics. It is mind boggling how much information they have and equally mind boggling the conclusions they draw from that information and past experiences. Mechanics, and I'm generalizing here, refuse to read owner's manuals, trust anything an automaker says and think every engineer should just be shot.

Back to Dave, here is one of the response videos:
https://www.tiktok.com/video/7450137867117972766

Now I have a rule that I don't call out other outlets. Why? Hell, I get stuff wrong from time to time and it would turn into a juvenile game of tit for tat.

What do you think?
 
There is also this video that was in an email newsletter I read. Apparently Doug said being born rich had nothing to do with his success in life. After much pushback, he took it down. Being a creator is hard enough without making self-inflicted mistakes. Screenshot 2024-12-19 at 2.16.18 PM.png
 
I'd agree that calling out other content creators is a slippery slope. But there are times where it may be beneficial to the community.

Recently, one of the tech channels I watch called out a company that was engaged in some pretty shady and misleading business practices. They also called out some of the influencers who were promoting this buisness and contributing to the misinformation.

One of the influencers retorted that they were not at fault and had been mislead by the company. Seems to me they should be doing some due diligence before taking add money.
 
I think the best and only way to call out someone is to have an interview with the person that the original videographer was trash talking.

For example the diesel engine. Get one of the engineers that designed the thing and have them explain how to run it correctly.

Same for suspension components, tires, marketing...

Crush the lies without giving the hate-tuber any notoriety.
 
testerdahl said:
Now I have a rule that I don't call out other outlets. Why? Hell, I get stuff wrong from time to time and it would turn into a juvenile game of tit for tat.

What do you think?
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Good rule.

I would rather someone just comes out with the opposite video showing why you can warm them up rather than specifically mentioning or going after the other guy. Start an internet war and yes, you will win some battles, but you will also lose some. Is it worth it?
 
I had to remind myself my own advice here. There were two videos that just pulled at me to tear into them. One had the usual omissions, misclassing, and complete lack of research commentary about a model of pickup truck.

The other was the usual "Car guy" trying to review a pickup from a car ownership perspective. (This style has annoyed me since the old Car and Driver days of Patrick Beddard and Csaba Csere.

Sometimes its hard to walk away.
 
Saddle Tramp said:
I had to remind myself my own advice here. There were two videos that just pulled at me to tear into them. One had the usual omissions, misclassing, and complete lack of research commentary about a model of pickup truck.

The other was the usual "Car guy" trying to review a pickup from a car ownership perspective. (This style has annoyed me since the old Car and Driver days of Patrick Beddard and Csaba Csere.

Sometimes its hard to walk away.
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I was in a restaurant once talking with one of the old Car and Driver guys you mentioned. He was telling me how dumb trucks are and how people are so dumb in his neighborhood that own them. His Porsche 911 is the only good vehicle ever. Let’s just say I had to step outside before I did something I’d regret.
 
Funny story. We were at the dealer buying the Ford Ranger when the sales team started to figure out who I was and that I had a YouTube channel. The sales manager, I'm assuming, stops by to chat and learns about the channel.

He says, "we have another guy with a channel who stops by."

Me: "who is that?"

SM: "Untamed Motors. Really nice guy. Hammers us in the videos though."

Me: "Ah, that guy does click bait."

SM: "Yeah, every video starts out with a title like dealerships are terrible, then Untamed Motors guy says that's not really what I believe."

Me: "I don't do click bait."

He kind of looks at me and I think it finally dawned on him what I meant by click bait.
 
testerdahl said:
Funny story. We were at the dealer buying the Ford Ranger when the sales team started to figure out who I was and that I had a YouTube channel. The sales manager, I'm assuming, stops by to chat and learns about the channel.

He says, "we have another guy with a channel who stops by."

Me: "who is that?"

SM: "Untamed Motors. Really nice guy. Hammers us in the videos though."

Me: "Ah, that guy does click bait."

SM: "Yeah, every video starts out with a title like dealerships are terrible, then Untamed Motors guy says that's not really what I believe."

Me: "I don't do click bait."

He kind of looks at me and I think it finally dawned on him what I meant by click bait.
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I thought that guy was out east, not near Nebraska. Geesh, how far did you go to buy the Ford Ranger? Mainly a Toyota guy from what I could tell. He bought a Jeep 392 for about 2 seconds and sold it. Not someone I follow.
 
TheDo114 said:
The guy goes trough trucks like underwear. This is my last truck for real this time, and then sells it within 3 months and buys something else. No wonder he thinks they're reliable, can't put any millage on them.
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And every other video is how the vehicle market is crashing. So funny to see one 10 months old saying "The market collapse has begun!" right next to one saying the same thing but just a week ago.
 
I could tell you were pointing out that these strategies are a short term gain. We all have to remember that for many companies, they were all chasing numbers for end of year financial reporting.

I have a feeling they think they can deal with this problem in CY25...which can only be solved by reducing production numbers and adding incentives. That seems like CY25 is going to be a very expensive year for automakers unless someone can do something about affordability.

I don't think that can easily be solved either. I'm not sure 35% percent off a Laramie Longhorn truck is going to solve the affordability problem. I think a lot of people need more $20-35k vehicles and there really isn't very much out there for them.
 
stevemax07 said:
I could tell you were pointing out that these strategies are a short term gain. We all have to remember that for many companies, they were all chasing numbers for end of year financial reporting.

I have a feeling they think they can deal with this problem in CY25...which can only be solved by reducing production numbers and adding incentives. That seems like CY25 is going to be a very expensive year for automakers unless someone can do something about affordability.

I don't think that can easily be solved either. I'm not sure 35% percent off a Laramie Longhorn truck is going to solve the affordability problem. I think a lot of people need more $20-35k vehicles and there really isn't very much out there for them.
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Speaking of that 35%, I was reading a post Anthony from Mark Dodge wrote on another forum. He basically pointed out that price reduction already exists with incentives. So all Ram or any CDJR vehicle has to do to lower prices is simply remove the incentive and drop the price. The consumer, excited about a big price savings, doesn't realize it is literally the same price as it was with incentives.
 
I did see my local Ram dealer with the Ram Warlocks for $39k back in December. I thought that was a solid value vehicle when you consider TFL just spent $36k for a Hybrid Maverick.

I think vehicle packaging changing and potentially some relaxing of some regulations would provide for a jump in sales opportunity. There seems to be a growing demographic of folks who want a base model vehicle with good infotainment.
 
I don't really know, I think it's an interesting topic and I think there's probably some truths on both sides. People are forgetting that pre-COVID dealer lots would be pretty stacked full on inventory but I also think there's truth that the industry is going through a little bit of a reset and it will hit the most vulnerable first. Take Ram/Jeep as a recent example. They don't have the depth of models to offset people rejecting overpriced trucks or SUVs.

The reason I say that there's probably truth to both sides is you can look at the current situation today and paint a picture that things are just getting back to normal as Tim does. However, you can also look at the current picture today and say it's a sign of things to come if they aren't able to move through their inventory. Only time will tell which direction it truly goes and my guess is among just the truck manufacturers it will go four different directions.

Can Ram afford long-term to sell their trucks for $10,000 less? They're slashing prices now to move through inventory but that doesn't change the fact that all of the money they poured into the refresh and new engine can't be maintained long-term at that cheaper price point.

Toyota has a bit of a black eye right now and seems to be just plotting forward with their ever increasing pricing strategy. I would expect the Ranger and GM twins to continue to eat into that market share and make pretty serious gains through 2025.

Unfortunately for RAM and Jeep, Ford and GM can pivot much quicker and continue to create crash flow through selling cheaper vehicles that people seem to want now.

So going back to what I said in the beginning I don't really think anybody knows what's going to happen. I do think it's a little silly to have so much vitriol for one side of the argument or the other. In the end all it will do is cost both sides viewership because whether you want to admit it or not many of the same people are watching both channels.
 
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