If you have ever checked my stuff out, you’d notice there is mess-with-the-public stuff, song parodies, cartoons, political commentary, etc. Point being, I do a lot of stuff. A site reviewed my channel (positively) and said I was “Tom Green-esque” while TubeMogul called me a cartoonist in a press release. Now, song parodies have become my gravy this year. People eat them up. And either way, my audience is growing (slowly, but growing).

One of my friends called me “the One-Man Comedy Central” and I think he hit the nail on the head as far as how I am branding myself. Since he said that to me, I have been telling other people that same thing.

You can go to my channel and watch me play multiple characters in a sketch, you can see cartoons I make entirely on my own, and you can see what happens when I think of something funny to do in public (among other things). People are starting to understand that and that is what they are telling other people.

I get email saying stuff like “it’s great how eclectic your work is!” Because that word is extremely popular right now. People are using it to describe their taste in music to seem open-minded. And those same people, whatever be the case, seem to be liking what I am doing.

In response to the “which is better, eclecticism or consistency?” question, I would say I don’t think either one is better. From a creators standpoint, I’d say the easiest is probably consistency. You brand and build an audience quicker because people know what they are getting.

Artistically, a variety is WAY more fun, though. It’s just really hard to make people understand what you are doing without showing it to them. You can’t pitch a fast-curve-change-up. It’s physically impossible.

…so I am going to use what my friend said about me and tell people I am a “One-Man Comedy Central.”

Some people can get away with it like Lajoie and Liam Lynch, others just seem off. Let’s not forget that you become a prisoner to your audience’s expectations often “he sold out!” – which puts that realtionship in danger.

BTW : Bobby J. is right about Lajoie, but he neglects to mention that he’s a hell of a funny guy too.

Comedic tone, in my opinion, can change from innocent and silly to irreverent to downright dirty – it’s all about timing and expectations. Look at Monty Python – you never expect a nice old woman from Essex to drop an “F” bomb, but when she does, it’s fantastic. You never expected it – and comedy is often that – playing against audience expectations. But if you do see it coming, and it’s a properly planted set-up, my advice to other web video comedians – go the other way or keep going and take it to the most absurd level you can.

I say variety is the spice of a good content creator. You or your group is the brand loyalists will follow and who knows, by breaking out of your own mold, you might attract a new, larger audience.

You have a variety of stuff, but rarely does it seem calculated to merely generate views. Usually it seems as though you are just having fun.

We need another weinergate. Or cheese-type prank, if you’re not too high and mighty for us non-HBO stars.