Below, find some observations on web series content, a continuation of my last post, “Web Series Trends.”
Content: Several trends became apparent as I watched through more webisodes. For lack of better words, I’ll name them comedy, sex and self-reflexivity.
Comedy. Comedy, like horror, seems to lend itself to low-budget production. Watching through a batch of the better-reviewed web series, a plurality, if not majority, were comedies. Perhaps a connection with viral videos helps explain this. People with limited time to watch something on the web would rather see something funny.
Sex. The Internet, which is even less regulated than cable, provides a place to explore more risqué subjects. At least, that’s a nice way to put it. An honest assessment might say that online-only shows provide an outlet for excessive swearing and private-part jokes. Sex attracts, especially online, so shows centered on dating/relationships, stripping, the porn industry, etc. (Young American Bodies, Tease, Blue Movies, respectively) are easy to find and hard to miss. Ironically, the actual content of these shows is fairly mild compared to what you find if you look anywhere else on the Internet.
Self-Reflexivity. Web series love to talk about themselves, whether in referencing TV, the Internet, or the creative process (see Agents of Cracked). There are web series about struggling actors (Star-ving) and even web series about the making of web series (Twisted Night). Also prevalent are references to videogames and online culture, however bizarre—Nerd Reflexivity. (See The Legend of Neil and The Guild.) All shows in this category serve as rich wells of niche allusions and inside jokes.