11 Reasons You Should Vote For 'Gen Why' For A Webby Award
Holy shit, guys, Elite Daily's weekly comedy series, "Gen Why," has been nominated for Best Variety Show for The Webby Awards. Click here to vote.
The Webby Awards are the internet's highest honor. And you can definitely not quote me, The New York Times said it first.
The Webby Awards presents two honors in every category of video: The Webby Award and The Webby People's Voice Award. Yeah, you, the people, have a say in if, on the night of the awards, we get celebratory drunk or really sad, uncomfortable-to-watch drunk.
Based on the number of people we've worked with alone, we feel like we've already won. We cast dozens of people per episode giving fresh faces a chance to speak to their generation.
We've had comedians before they were cast on "SNL" and actors before they quit their cocaine addiction, and I credit it entirely to their experience on "Gen Why."
"Gen Why" is run by a two-person team: Nick Massey and myself. And we can't tell you how honored we are to be up against huge franchises like Conde Nasté and Conan O'Brien.
When I heard the news, I had this crazy feeling in my stomach that felt like I was about to break up with someone and also fuck them for the first time. I don't know what's going on.
Now, it seems only appropriate to provide a listicle on why you should vote for "Gen Why" for a Webby Award.
1. Why we start every sentence with "Why."
Our generation is curious, inquisitive and doesn't know what the fuck we're doing. The "Gen Why" team collaborates with writers from the editorial side of our site to talk about what millennials are interested in at the moment.
If you think about it, you guys write the show. Based on analytics and page views, we calculate what interests you guys the most. And although we'll never do a video on Cash Me Outside Girl or the Kardashians' waist trainers. you guys are welcome to keep trying to search stories of them on our site.
2. We're all a little "Gen Why."
Whether you're a senior in high school or a senior citizen, you can undoubtedly relate to millennial terms like "ghosting." (We had to explain to our older audience that this didn't mean "all of your friends.")
3. We explain confusing lingo.
Pegging, negging, ghosting, Irish Exit, dad bod, blue waffle... you can thank "Gen Why" for explaining these terms to you so you could look hip and ~with it~. We're basically the Urban Dictionary for people who choose not to read.
Remember when you thought pegging was just a guy hitting on someone with a peg leg? Yea I was confused too... but good thing Gen Why is here to make you look well informed at your darts tournament or feminist book club or whatever you're into these days.
4. We're LGBT flirty.
No, I didn't mean LGBT friendly. I'm talking threesomes, role play and plungers.
Some of our all-star cast members swing and suck for the same team. Whether the episode was about dating, sex or why AIM was the best social media ever, it was easy to stack the lineup with a diverse group of insane people.
5. We laugh until we ugly cry about politics.
Now, on "Gen Why"'s ninth season, we have been through the downs and downs of the latest election. Rather than differentiating between real news and fake news and breaking down Trump's tweets, we decided to tell the hard-hitting truth: this is the start to the end of the world.
Before the election, our Trumpocalypse episode shows Trump sitting in the oval office announcing the nuclear holocaust has hit most of the lower states.
He announces everyone is a zombie, the only TV show available is his own reality show and Valentine's Day has turned into Father's Day.
I won't go as far as say we can predict the future, but...
6. We are basically astrologists.
Whether you're Gemini, Leo, Tauras or someone with a stable sense of self that doesn't base their major life decisions on stars, it's assumed you're looking to us for science-based horoscopes.
"Gen Why" has predicted everything from how you'll embarrass yourself at your holiday work party to how you're going to die. Spoiler alert: both are equally as awkward.
7. We question gender norms.
Gender roles are the farthest thing from normal. We're constantly debunking gender stereotypes from everything to being a manly man to being girlfriend material.
In an age where jealous-girlfriend-searches-through-phone memes are the norm, we do what we can to refresh your Facebook feed.
8. We know how to party.
I would like to take time to personally thank every actor who silently spilled drinks on each other doing the stankey leg and juju on that beat in the background of people's interviews. This is a weekly occurrence, and I don't really know what it's like to actually party anymore.
From episodes trippin' on weed to one-night stands, it's safe to say if you party with "Gen Why," you are really going to regret it.
9. We give the people what they want: dogs and babies.
We could have easily made all our episodes with the same people at a party drinking the same apple juice in a pint glass.
But, because we like to torture ourselves in the name of comedy, each season, we'd brainstorm on who would be the worst to direct. Thus, episodes about owning pets and raising babies and having your own DIY channel.
10. It's a place to give everyone a voice (if you're funny).
What's so great about "Gen Why" is we simply ask people about a topic and let them rant. Every comedian, actor, YouTuber, influencer and Riff Raff has chosen to be on the show because it's a small place on the web where people are allowed to say whatever the fuck they want to shit ton of people.
I started at Elite Daily three years ago coming from a TV network where the only thing I was making was copies and snack arrangements. Elite Daily believed in me and allowed me to work on this show.
It has truly changed my life. I fell in love with comedy by getting to go to these comedian's shows weekly; I've found some of my best friends through this show. I've fallen in love with dark comedy and realized the best way to deal with pain is to find the funny in it.
11. The show will only get way cooler.
By voting for "Gen Why," you're not only boosting our egos, resume and overall Insta likes — the show will undoubtably get so much better.
Think about it: comedians and influencers who thought they were too cool for our show will be like, "Wait, you got a Webby?! This is worth my time now."
Vote for your generation. Vote for a movement. Vote for more butt jokes.
