How do you explain motovlogging?

nedder

nedder

Wannabie Member
How do you explain motovlogging? I don't mean how do you explain what it is, I mean how do you explain the point of watching motovloggers to someone who's never heard of it? I tried explaining it to a friend recently and he said it sounds like "a point of existential confusion." I told him that would be a great handle for a motovlog channel. You can find all the elements of motovlogging in other formats. There are plenty of blogs/vlogs, action videos, enthusiast communities... on the Internet, but what's so special about the recipe that makes a motovlog? I can't explain why I myself don't care to watch someone talk on YouTube about what's on their mind, and I don't care to watch POV motorcycle riding with no monologue, but when you put the two together you have something I'd rather watch than network television. Maybe it's because my own thoughts arrive in my head while I'm walking around viewing my own POV so it seems more familiar and natural than a third person vlog. Maybe it's the novelty of having the closest possible experience to being inside someone else's head. If it was common for people to go jogging with full face helmets would jlogging be "a thing?" I really can't put my finger on why motovlogging is "a thing" yet I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Just wondering if anyone has ever successfully explained to someone who "didn't get it" why you or anyone would like watching motovlogs.
 
Motovlogging is a better version of video blogging, in my opinion. When you watch a motovlog you're not just looking at a persons face, you're going on a ride with a motovlogger. You visit great places, countries and drive in epic meetups!
 
Mate, I've wondered over this too. I've tried explaining it to others (non-riders) and have been met with blank stares. Maybe it's something about the motorbike experience that, if you haven't ridden you'll never understand, we all share, and the solitude and isolation inside a helmet we escape by speaking out.
 
I think the water is to blame! ... Folks these days give way too many blank stares.... o_O

"A point of existential confusion" ?!?! .... That friend a university student that likes sounding clever? :rolleyes:

... Motovlogging ... If I need to explain it to someone... "I go for a ride on my bike , I have a action sports camera with me, I record my ride and chatter away to my mates who also do the same thing, we upload the videos to YouTube so we can all see what the others are up to"

... There's no need to initiate the non riders or non vloggers into the whole rationale ... People either get it or they don't! :)
 
It's a fair question if you're not aware of it, but "video blog on a bike" should answer it. As to whether you like moto vlogs or not is just taste or opinion, if you don't get MVs, then you don't get vlogs, but it's not something on which you can base an opinion on someone.
 
"You do what?"

"Well I ride things with a camera and microphone to share with the internet"

"uhhhhh"

But in all seriousness moto vlogging is just another example of how people are consuimg media differently. You can sit down and watch a number of different YT channels as a substitute for cable e/t/c.
 
I just say it's like blogging on camera, whilst riding a motorcycle.

Although most of the time I don't bother to tell anyone. All of my friends outside of motorcycling are unaware that I'm part of this community, or ever made videos. Too awkward to explain!
 
I'd say a lot has to do, kind of as you said yourself, with the combination of both the rider's "story" as well as getting to see where they are riding.

I too get little joy out of silent riding videos, or just people talking on video -- but a motovlog is always interesting to me. Even if I've just got it playing in the background while I do something else, just being able to hear the combination of the rider's speech as well as the sounds of a motorcycle... being able to identify the sounds of passing traffic, or knowing when they're pinning it around a bend etc -- it's an experience only a rider can truly understand.
 
TekNinja81 said:
it's an experience only a rider can truly understand.
Click to expand...

ce1410167d5afe7cc193269c20960950.jpg
 
Thanks for all the replies. Like I said in the original post, I don't have a problem defining what it is, or why people do it, I just have a hard time articulating to people why I watch it, and special thanks to the few replies that specifically addressed that "point of existential confusion."

I thought about it some more and I think for me it's the combination of man and machine with a dash of community. I love machines, but watching a video of one run probably doesn't do much for most people. The best example of machine videography in the world is Top Gear UK and watching it on mute isn't remotely as good as watching it with Clarkson's narration. Most things become much more engaging when you add a human element. On the flip side while it's primal to want to engage with other people there are plenty to choose from and I guess those who are hurling down the landscape on a machine are more interesting to me. As for community I think there is something just different about motovloggers. Maybe it has something to do with what Steelfabric said about escaping the isolation of the helmet that makes motovloggers actually seem more personable. There's more to it than that though. I belong to lots of online communities across all my hobbies and the average person in those communities are pretty dim and not the type of folks I'd want to hang out with in person. Motovloggers tend to be more clever, resourceful and benevolent than the average Internet acquaintance. Not sure why, just seems that way.
 
It's like trying to explain porn. Why would you watch two persons, doing the exact same thing, more than once in life?.

I like riding motorcycles and when I'm not riding, I like to feel like I'm riding. I get close to that by watching other riders on the Internet. That's my explanation for other people.

Now, the reasons why I spend my time watching mvlogs is because I feel connected with some personalities, I like the interaction when it happens and as nedder said
nedder said:
I belong to lots of online communities across all my hobbies and the average person in those communities are pretty dim and not the type of folks I'd want to hang out with in person. Motovloggers tend to be more clever, resourceful and benevolent than the average Internet acquaintance. Not sure why, just seems that way.
Click to expand...
I'm also on a lot of online communities related to my hobbies (Electronics and computers) and none feel as close as mvloggers and motorcycle riders around the world.
It also is very interesting to watch cities, neighborhoods, roads and people from all over the world.
Something really special I get from this is that some vloggers don't show themselves, just a helmet, a motorcycle, and the road. That gives you the chance to connect with a person in a different way, you cannot (mis/pre)judge by looks, race or anything, it's just a voice inside a helmet. If you're lucky enough to meet with a vlogger you follow and it isn't like you imagined, it's too late. You learn to live with it.
People are way too quick to judge by looks nowadays, that is something we need to learn not to do.
 
Shirou said:
It's like trying to explain porn. Why would you watch two persons, doing the exact same thing, more than once in life?.
Click to expand...

I think you nailed it Shirou. From now on when someone asks I'm just going to say, "It's porn for people who ride."
 
Case in point there - each to their own. I don't get why people would watch palm reading videos, but I don't think it odd that someone might want to.
 
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