Cullen and Katie: Blame the Mailman Part 7

[Playsinrain]

I absolutely believe most vloggers have some narc tendencies. The whole idea that random strangers are going to want to watch your "story" and "Hi-- we're at Target/Starbucks/Publix today!" and basically worship at your feet when you basically have no talent to speak of, has to come from a narcissistic leaning. And the people who say they vlog "for the memories" are lying to us, and probably themselves. You can film your kids all you want and save the footage-- that's for the memories. But editing it, coming up with a clickbait title, and monetizing it, takes it completely out of the realm of memories.
Back to Cullen and Katie in particular-- he was kinda snippy about sponsored vlogs today. "Not sponsored! Y'all, not everything is sponsored!" Someone feeling tense?

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I agree and they get a lot of affirmation in their comments, but they don't see the negative ones since most just stop watching. But losing subscribers means they aren't doing something right or holding their viewers attention which likely makes them look at their vlogs. I think they look at this site to see the negatives.

I did think it was a snippy remark with the the not sponsored remark today and you are right this is a business, provides their sole income and goes well beyond saving memories. They don't seem to get many sponsors lately and you see Bonnie rolling in one after another company contacting her and she isn't even part of Fullscreen or other media companies.

I wonder if Cullen is questioning their channel growth which hasn't been as fast/profitable as the Griffith sisters. He puts in time with creative parts of the vlogs with drone footage of southern US, football games going to the gulf and they seem like more normal parents compared to the Griffith sisters. Their children are well behaved and Macey Gaine"s speech is incredible. The reason I saw Cullen and Katie's channel was the Target Ball which took time and creativity to do this daily and he did a great job at it. I still believe their home makes a difference and no one likes to look at clutter unattractive space and you see this in television and movies with beautifully designed rooms. I just don't think you can discount this in YouTube vlogs. While some were critical of Ellie designer, I think she did a very good job, their house looks like out of a magazine and it cost a good deal of money they likely recoup with the monetized vlogs showing the process. Ellie was smart (out of character for her) in getting some help decorating and recognizing this will help their YouTube business. Some might say it isn't real, but are these vlogs any different than reality tv where for example MTV Real World the house was designed over the top or the Bachelor where the place is decorated beautifully and HGTV does well since we like to look at beautiful homes which is all an illusion, but it is a form of entertainment...and so is YouTube.

I wish they would do a vlog of Katie's family home at Christmas time or now...their home is beautiful with old southern charm. I hope they can find a house with charm similar to her mother's house, but I don't know with the affordability factor.

I disagree about the designer part. I think if your content is good people will watch whether your house is professionally designed or not. Plus E&J didn't get a big enough viewer spike from it for it to have been considered profitable to have hired one. Ultimately, I think it's more important for your home to reflect who you are and to be comfortable in it. If I'm going to go over to a friend or family members house, how nicely designed their home is isn't going to be a factor. How comfortable I feel while there is, and if it's clean, safe for my child, etc. Moving into a new home and replacing your old life with all new things someone else says you need to have just feels inauthentic to me.

I totally agree. Honestly? The state of someone's home on a vlog has never really crossed my mind until we started discussing it here. (granted if i see something disgusting i might make a comment on it, like E&J leaving dirty diapers everywhere and B&M having a sink full of nasty dishes with rotting food still sitting in them, that they even say was smelly.. thats just gross and i have NEVER seen anything like that with C&K) I have friends that live in million dollar homes that look like something straight out of a movie and i have friends who live in homes that are dated, hodgepodge decorated, full of clutter and pets and neither of them make me feel any less welcome or more welcome. They are still my friends even though their house isn't what i would choose. Things like that aren't something i really pay attention too unless they are brought up to me. Personal spaces like homes are just that, personal. If a vlogger wanted to paint the whole room black and red stripes and hang baby dolls from the ceiling then so be it. If they want their kitchen to look like a showroom then thats ok too, so is having piles of mail and junk on the counters. How someone decorates or keeps their home (unless, like i said its something that just shows a lack of basic hygiene) isn't what keeps me or stops me watching. Content is. But its all subjective i guess, some people can't stand clutter and the background clutter on a kitchen counter will make them unsub and never watch again. I'm just not that kinda person. lol

[Playsinrain]

I agree and they get a lot of affirmation in their comments, but they don't see the negative ones since most just stop watching. But losing subscribers means they aren't doing something right or holding their viewers attention which likely makes them look at their vlogs. I think they look at this site to see the negatives.

I did think it was a snippy remark with the the not sponsored remark today and you are right this is a business, provides their sole income and goes well beyond saving memories. They don't seem to get many sponsors lately and you see Bonnie rolling in one after another company contacting her and she isn't even part of Fullscreen or other media companies.

I wonder if Cullen is questioning their channel growth which hasn't been as fast/profitable as the Griffith sisters. He puts in time with creative parts of the vlogs with drone footage of southern US, football games going to the gulf and they seem like more normal parents compared to the Griffith sisters. Their children are well behaved and Macey Gaine"s speech is incredible. The reason I saw Cullen and Katie's channel was the Target Ball which took time and creativity to do this daily and he did a great job at it. I still believe their home makes a difference and no one likes to look at clutter unattractive space and you see this in television and movies with beautifully designed rooms. I just don't think you can discount this in YouTube vlogs. While some were critical of Ellie designer, I think she did a very good job, their house looks like out of a magazine and it cost a good deal of money they likely recoup with the monetized vlogs showing the process. Ellie was smart (out of character for her) in getting some help decorating and recognizing this will help their YouTube business. Some might say it isn't real, but are these vlogs any different than reality tv where for example MTV Real World the house was designed over the top or the Bachelor where the place is decorated beautifully and HGTV does well since we like to look at beautiful homes which is all an illusion, but it is a form of entertainment...and so is YouTube.

I wish they would do a vlog of Katie's family home at Christmas time or now...their home is beautiful with old southern charm. I hope they can find a house with charm similar to her mother's house, but I don't know with the affordability factor.

I disagree about the designer part. I think if your content is good people will watch whether your house is professionally designed or not. Plus E&J didn't get a big enough viewer spike from it for it to have been considered profitable to have hired one. Ultimately, I think it's more important for your home to reflect who you are and to be comfortable in it. If I'm going to go over to a friend or family members house, how nicely designed their home is isn't going to be a factor. How comfortable I feel while there is, and if it's clean, safe for my child, etc. Moving into a new home and replacing your old life with all new things someone else says you need to have just feels inauthentic to me.

E+J got a pretty good spike with their new house process/moving in and it is a reason they hit a million. Prior to moving in they were not doing as well.

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Bc its a new house...i don't think them hiring a decorator had anything to do with that. Someone could build same home they did and decorate it without help and i still think the growth would be there. New homes, new pets, new babies.. they all bring spikes in subs/views.. i don't think her choice to use a decorator had any effect on views.

[HelloSweetie]

E+J got a pretty good spike with their new house process/moving in and it is a reason they hit a million. Prior to moving in they were not doing as well.

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They haven't been doing as well after either though. The numbers went up for a couple vlogs and have trended back down again. They haven't seen long-lasting rewards since then. The audience came and left again. Or some came or others left (or Jared bought some views, but that's a discussion for another board). If C&K want to spend hundreds of thousands to design the interior of their home then fine of that will make them comfortable, but I would never argue it's a good financial decision for YouTube.

The fact is that C&K don't have as big of an audience as E&J and B&M (or even Ruby) because they don't appeal to the kids. Their audience is more similar to that of Bonnie's. A designer home isn't going to bring in that audience, pandering to the kids by making their lives look more FUN will. Constant "treats", no rules for the kids, shopping, makeup/hair appointments, minimal showing of the kids, etc. C&K are good parents, and that's just not what kids want to see. Ever notice how most popular kids shows have stupid adults? Thats the same reason I think channel's like Shaytards, E&J, Ruby and Daily Bumps do well, while others like C&K, Casey Levere, April and Davey, DeFranco Fam or Bonnie are slower to grow.

[tratra58]

E+J got a pretty good spike with their new house process/moving in and it is a reason they hit a million. Prior to moving in they were not doing as well.

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They haven't been doing as well after either though. The numbers went up for a couple vlogs and have trended back down again. They haven't seen long-lasting rewards since then. The audience came and left again. Or some came or others left (or Jared bought some views, but that's a discussion for another board). If C&K want to spend hundreds of thousands to design the interior of their home then fine of that will make them comfortable, but I would never argue it's a good financial decision for YouTube.

The fact is that C&K don't have as big of an audience as E&J and B&M (or even Ruby) because they don't appeal to the kids. Their audience is more similar to that of Bonnie's. A designer home isn't going to bring in that audience, pandering to the kids by making their lives look more FUN will. Constant "treats", no rules for the kids, shopping, makeup/hair appointments, minimal showing of the kids, etc. C&K are good parents, and that's just not what kids want to see. Ever notice how most popular kids shows have stupid adults? Thats the same reason I think channel's like Shaytards, E&J, Ruby and Daily Bumps do well, while others like C&K, Casey Levere, April and Davey, DeFranco Fam or Bonnie are slower to grow.

I agree kids are a big factor and I disagree the house doesn't have an influence. I dislike E+J but like looking at their house except for the backyard...this goes for Bonnie too and I have to go back and look at her paint color she chose on the upstairs walls.

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[tratra58]

I disagree about the designer part. I think if your content is good people will watch whether your house is professionally designed or not. Plus E&J didn't get a big enough viewer spike from it for it to have been considered profitable to have hired one. Ultimately, I think it's more important for your home to reflect who you are and to be comfortable in it. If I'm going to go over to a friend or family members house, how nicely designed their home is isn't going to be a factor. How comfortable I feel while there is, and if it's clean, safe for my child, etc. Moving into a new home and replacing your old life with all new things someone else says you need to have just feels inauthentic to me.

E+J got a pretty good spike with their new house process/moving in and it is a reason they hit a million. Prior to moving in they were not doing as well.

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Bc its a new house...i don't think them hiring a decorator had anything to do with that. Someone could build same home they did and decorate it without help and i still think the growth would be there. New homes, new pets, new babies.. they all bring spikes in subs/views.. i don't think her choice to use a decorator had any effect on views.

Who knows for sure, I love their furnishings and accessories. This designer did a good job.

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[Playsinrain]

What HS just said is so true. One reason why i only watch B&M to see the train wreck and can only stand E&J about once a week or so. C&K are the only vlogs that i will watch daily and look forward to watching. If they start changing and pandering to the kids more i will be very disappointed, bc i don't want to feel like i don't want to watch them anymore. I don't see it happening though. At least i really hope not. Cullen has a pretty adult sense of humor (Katie too if you think about it, she cracks the "thats what she said" jokes from time to time lol) and they aren't going to jeopardize the discipline of the kids just to make tweens want to watch them more. I think they have a good head on their shoulders from the point of not parenting well just bc it will get more child views. B&M are especially bad about not disciplining just bc they want too lok like cool parents for the vlog. HS made a good point with the TV shows always having dumb parents. B&M dont seem to realize that they aren't acting for a kids sitcom and that the way they raise their boys will impact them in the future. C&K arent in that bubble and know what reality is. B&M are just in it for the $$... i feel like if bryan could figure out how to put a studio audience in the house or rig it up with a laugh track, he would. They are so disillusioned its scary.

[Playsinrain]

E+J got a pretty good spike with their new house process/moving in and it is a reason they hit a million. Prior to moving in they were not doing as well.

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Bc its a new house...i don't think them hiring a decorator had anything to do with that. Someone could build same home they did and decorate it without help and i still think the growth would be there. New homes, new pets, new babies.. they all bring spikes in subs/views.. i don't think her choice to use a decorator had any effect on views.

Who knows for sure, I love their furnishings and accessories. This designer did a good job.

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Ehh... and this is where opinions take charge, I hate just about everything about E&J's house. From the layout to the wall colors to the kitchen counters to the art work. The only thing i really like is the wood flooring and that one bathroom that i think is the boys (the grey and green one? I would have too look back and figure out which one it is lol) If i were to build a home i would look right over E&J's style and floor plan for something totally different. But like i said, the way the decorate their home isn't what makes me watch or not watch.

[tratra58]

Bc its a new house...i don't think them hiring a decorator had anything to do with that. Someone could build same home they did and decorate it without help and i still think the growth would be there. New homes, new pets, new babies.. they all bring spikes in subs/views.. i don't think her choice to use a decorator had any effect on views.

Who knows for sure, I love their furnishings and accessories. This designer did a good job.

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Ehh... and this is where opinions take charge, I hate just about everything about E&J's house. From the layout to the wall colors to the kitchen counters to the art work. The only thing i really like is the wood flooring and that one bathroom that i think is the boys (the grey and green one? I would have too look back and figure out which one it is lol) If i were to build a home i would look right over E&J's style and floor plan for something totally different. But like i said, the way the decorate their home isn't what makes me watch or not watch.

Ok I like E+J house, but like C&K content. I wish Cullen would do Target Ball again...but a lot of work. I like the ocean visits too...the house near the gulf is nice;)

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[HashtagBlessed]

I am a sucker for anything interior design or new home related, so I enjoyed watching Bonnie's renovations and I thought she did a good job of bringing viewers along for the process and sharing information without over doing it. If Katie and Cullen did the same, I would probably watch more regularly to see the process. But they're not really the type of people to decorate or do home improvement projects. They've done very little to the house since they bought it. They're supposedly giving the kitchen a facelift to sell it and that's still unfinished. I just don't think they want to do projects. I'm guessing that they're looking for something move-in ready, and I doubt they care about furnishings. That's fine, but that is one more audience they're not tapped into, design and home improvement are huge markets right now.

(Off topic, but I wanted to chime in that Ellie and Jared's home feels very sterile and staged to me, probably because they moved from a much smaller space into a huge space and didn't really collect pieces they loved over the years. The haphazard way Ellie picked out the dinning table struck me as someone who didn't really think about it or care. We bought our first nice dining set recently and it was something I put a lot of research and thought into.)

[MommaLindsey2]

I noticed they turned Gaines carseat around. I'm a little surprised, I thought they were going to keep her rear facing as long as possible.

[Playsinrain]

Katie's makeup looked nice today, i love that lip color on her..
I'm laughing at Cullen freaking out over the AG stuff.. Oh just wait Cullen, i'm surprised they don't already have the catalogs in the mail yet. I swear to god the hospital sells baby girl info to AG the second they know its a girl. It will over take your life, its so overpriced (but really good quality and all the accessories are pretty cool) and there is so. much. of. it. (Personal, but im kinda sad, this is the first year in about 6 years that my daughter hasn't asked for the doll of the year for Christmas.. shes growing up you guys and i'm not ok with it!! She had to get her 'boyfriend' a present this year ) Oh and i had Kirsten, still have her and all the clothes i had too. vintage baby!!! lol
The prank call was SO FREAKING FUNNY... Nikki was not feeling Bruno, she gave him the wrong number.. bahahahahahahaha... Totally something my husband would have done

[angelfire89]

Katie's makeup looked nice today, i love that lip color on her..
I'm laughing at Cullen freaking out over the AG stuff.. Oh just wait Cullen, i'm surprised they don't already have the catalogs in the mail yet. I swear to god the hospital sells baby girl info to AG the second they know its a girl. It will over take your life, its so overpriced (but really good quality and all the accessories are pretty cool) and there is so. much. of. it. (Personal, but im kinda sad, this is the first year in about 6 years that my daughter hasn't asked for the doll of the year for Christmas.. shes growing up you guys and i'm not ok with it!! She had to get her 'boyfriend' a present this year ) Oh and i had Kirsten, still have her and all the clothes i had too. vintage baby!!! lol
The prank call was SO FREAKING FUNNY... Nikki was not feeling Bruno, she gave him the wrong number.. bahahahahahahaha... Totally something my husband would have done

I have Kirsten too! Never had many official accessories (I think my parents bought a few shoes and the hair brush/curler set, and a taekwondo outfit.) But my grandma made me a TON of outfits for her and I even made one for a school project about Sweden.

Sorry totally OT.

[Lovethesnark]

I noticed they turned Gaines carseat around. I'm a little surprised, I thought they were going to keep her rear facing as long as possible.

I bet they turned her around because she can't see the tv in the new car. In the other car the screen was on the back of the seat and she could see it in the mirror. The screen is in the middle now.

[Playsinrain]

Katie's makeup looked nice today, i love that lip color on her..
I'm laughing at Cullen freaking out over the AG stuff.. Oh just wait Cullen, i'm surprised they don't already have the catalogs in the mail yet. I swear to god the hospital sells baby girl info to AG the second they know its a girl. It will over take your life, its so overpriced (but really good quality and all the accessories are pretty cool) and there is so. much. of. it. (Personal, but im kinda sad, this is the first year in about 6 years that my daughter hasn't asked for the doll of the year for Christmas.. shes growing up you guys and i'm not ok with it!! She had to get her 'boyfriend' a present this year ) Oh and i had Kirsten, still have her and all the clothes i had too. vintage baby!!! lol
The prank call was SO FREAKING FUNNY... Nikki was not feeling Bruno, she gave him the wrong number.. bahahahahahahaha... Totally something my husband would have done

I have Kirsten too! Never had many official accessories (I think my parents bought a few shoes and the hair brush/curler set, and a taekwondo outfit.) But my grandma made me a TON of outfits for her and I even made one for a school project about Sweden.

Sorry totally OT.

I didn't have a lot of the things either, I made a lot of them on my own with cardboard boxes and other scraps. I did make a quilt i made her with my grandmother when i was about 10. I have the dress she came in and her accessories (an apron, a wooden spoon, a napkin? a coin and a necklace maybe?) some socks and shoes and Addie's tartan christmas dress. My BFF had Addie and i loved her Christmas dress and had to have it for Kirsten! I read just about all the books when i was kid. I loved those books. I always wanted Molly. I also wish i had kept Kirsten's hair in the braids. I took them down and put it in a bun and thats how it is now. I should send her off and let them redo them for me. I love that you can get knock off accessories for them now at pretty much every big name retailer. My kid never knew the difference between the AG horse and the Walmart horse. LOL She has a TON of that stuff.

[tratra58]

Katie's makeup looked nice today, i love that lip color on her..
I'm laughing at Cullen freaking out over the AG stuff.. Oh just wait Cullen, i'm surprised they don't already have the catalogs in the mail yet. I swear to god the hospital sells baby girl info to AG the second they know its a girl. It will over take your life, its so overpriced (but really good quality and all the accessories are pretty cool) and there is so. much. of. it. (Personal, but im kinda sad, this is the first year in about 6 years that my daughter hasn't asked for the doll of the year for Christmas.. shes growing up you guys and i'm not ok with it!! She had to get her 'boyfriend' a present this year ) Oh and i had Kirsten, still have her and all the clothes i had too. vintage baby!!! lol
The prank call was SO FREAKING FUNNY... Nikki was not feeling Bruno, she gave him the wrong number.. bahahahahahahaha... Totally something my husband would have done

That prank was very funny. Cullen is the master of pranks and I enjoy watching them. My favorite is the Scary Snake Beach Prank. The ocean also is beautiful in this vlog too!

[Playsinrain]

Katie's makeup looked nice today, i love that lip color on her..
I'm laughing at Cullen freaking out over the AG stuff.. Oh just wait Cullen, i'm surprised they don't already have the catalogs in the mail yet. I swear to god the hospital sells baby girl info to AG the second they know its a girl. It will over take your life, its so overpriced (but really good quality and all the accessories are pretty cool) and there is so. much. of. it. (Personal, but im kinda sad, this is the first year in about 6 years that my daughter hasn't asked for the doll of the year for Christmas.. shes growing up you guys and i'm not ok with it!! She had to get her 'boyfriend' a present this year ) Oh and i had Kirsten, still have her and all the clothes i had too. vintage baby!!! lol
The prank call was SO FREAKING FUNNY... Nikki was not feeling Bruno, she gave him the wrong number.. bahahahahahahaha... Totally something my husband would have done

That prank was very funny. Cullen is the master of pranks and I enjoy watching them. My favorite is the Scary Snake Beach Prank. The ocean also is beautiful in this vlog too!

I love the beach vlogs... I'm ready for them to go back.. lol Now i have to go watch that one again.

[Baconsgirl]

I know you gotta have friends but why these two Cullen?! [img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016122 ... d77529.png[/img]


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[WhatSheSaid]

I am a sucker for anything interior design or new home related, so I enjoyed watching Bonnie's renovations and I thought she did a good job of bringing viewers along for the process and sharing information without over doing it. If Katie and Cullen did the same, I would probably watch more regularly to see the process. But they're not really the type of people to decorate or do home improvement projects. They've done very little to the house since they bought it. They're supposedly giving the kitchen a facelift to sell it and that's still unfinished. I just don't think they want to do projects. I'm guessing that they're looking for something move-in ready, and I doubt they care about furnishings. That's fine, but that is one more audience they're not tapped into, design and home improvement are huge markets right now.

(Off topic, but I wanted to chime in that Ellie and Jared's home feels very sterile and staged to me, probably because they moved from a much smaller space into a huge space and didn't really collect pieces they loved over the years. The haphazard way Ellie picked out the dinning table struck me as someone who didn't really think about it or care. We bought our first nice dining set recently and it was something I put a lot of research and thought into.)

I suspect they will put more time and effort into their new home, and I expect they will make an effort to keep the rooms they film in much of the time, less cluttered. They might want to "hide" a room and make it a black hole of sorts. Just dump off the shopping, mail, project supplies, etc and keep their surfaces clear in the kitchen. I'm not bothered by clutter, I actually rarely see it in their home. What does distract me is when a cupboard door is left open. It is so easy to just shut it.

They actually have done quite a bit to their home since MG was born. They had the patio rebuilt, they painted and furnished the entry hall, the living and dining rooms, bought new furniture for the family room, and started on the kitchen. I appreciate that the backsplash cost was high and had to be put in hold. I know Katie spends a lot if money on baby clothes, but she's always been on top of the budget. Quite often when they lived in Florida, she would insist Cullen "freeze" spending. Unlike B&M and E&J, they are not, as one poster put it, living in a bubble. Vlogging or not, they seem to have set goals for themselves. So maybe their new house won't be a "Dream House Come True" because they hit paydirt while vlogging. They never lived in a garage before either. They are excellent parents and have a full life. They are vlogging their life, not living to vlog. When they were at the mall with GrandBerry a few vlogs ago, I could feel the joy as they whipped around the mall with the kids. They were enjoying themselves and it took me back to a time when life was easier and a lot more fun. At home, after the kids are put to bed, Cullen and Katie keep each other entertained. They riff off each other and do silly things, but the laughter and smiles are genuine. B&M, E&J, live contrived lives. If that is the trade-off for more subs and money, I think C&K are winning.