It’s kind of weird to refer to a series of film reviews on YouTube as escapism. Perhaps it is even disturbing once you take into account the fictional sketches that bookend these movie analyses.

Rest assured, this fiction is not what interests me in an escapist sense.

I should first note that the primary reason I enjoy the videos of Red Letter Media is the opinions of the various personalities. After all, it was their reviews of the Star Wars prequels that put them on everyone’s radar. Not only were the critiques organized like a proper academic analysis, but they were informed by a deeper knowledge of film-making. They were funny, but as someone growing increasingly frustrated with the ignorance on display of many games and media journalists at the time, they were refreshing.

As time has progressed and they’ve grown well beyond the character of Plinkett, they’ve continued to be well-informed and provide solid reasoning to their perspectives. There’s always that sense of humor, and even their conversational reviews are well-edited.

The real appeal comes from the camaraderie presented on camera. A pair or group of friends sit down, roll film, and just talk about a movie. They crack jokes, shrug off Internet outrage and culture war, and have no problem with disagreements. They just get to sit around and talk movies in a way I don’t often get to.

Is this the reality of the people behind Red Letter Media, though? While I think we are getting some of their true selves, it would be naïve of me to assume this is who they are regularly. The group of friends that sit down, roll camera, and just talk is the illusory presentation. Behind-the-Scenes videos such as the complete move of Plinkett’s house indicates that even a set so seemingly simple involves a lot of work.

This is not to suggest there’s some hidden dramatics happening off camera. While I imagine tensions can run high working on some of these projects, I doubt these guys would be so willing to work together for so long if they didn’t enjoy each other’s company.

Yet there is an illusion found in the end product. A friendship where a bunch of guys get to sit around just talking about movies – or occasionally video games – all the time. Clips of the group howling with laughter as they watch an awful movie only deepen this fantasy.

I once disliked their show Half-in-the-Bag because it was unscripted. It was only about two years or so ago that I have come to love it, Re:View, Best of the Worst, and Previously Recorded more than the original Plinkett reviews (this is nothing to say of The Nerd Crew and how spot on these guys are with the hyperbole of Internet and YouTube fan culture). As stated, each of these shows is cleverly edited in a fashion that few other shows of this nature would dare put time into. It allows you to get the highlights of the conversations, additional inserted humor, and specifically chosen video clips to highlight what is being discussed.

What makes it all work, however, is the chemistry. A chemistry that can only be found between friends familiar with each other’s quirks, personalities, and senses of humor.

Which is where the escapism comes in. Being an uncharismatic jerk of a nerd I often find myself lacking in the opportunities to sit with friends and have such discussions. Many of my friends are not as interested or invested in the art of film-making (or game design) to have such involved conversations. Those that do are often too busy themselves. The greatest reason I have a blog is because I’d otherwise have little opportunity to get my thoughts out into the world beyond myself.

Red Letter Media provides a bit of a “dream life”, which I imagine would likely sound hilarious were the men themselves to hear it. Again, it is an escapism ignorant of the effort put into the sets they record in, the actuality of their finances, or anything else unknown to the casual viewer. A group of friends with distinct personalities just sitting around having a good time conversing.

“The Inklings have already agreed that their victory celebration, if they are spared to have one, will be to take a whole inn in the country for at least a week, and spend it entirely in beer and talk, without any reference to a clock!”

It may seem absurd to bring up such characters as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in reference to Red Letter Media, but what drew me to this excerpt of one of Tolkien’s letters was the spirit of the celebration. A vacation defined by conversation. Who else would desire such a week long excursion? People must always flee to a destination and create itineraries for all the sights to see.

While there’s certainly appeal in that to me, it is nowhere near as strong as the desire to simply sit and have conversation with friends. Be it Germany, England, or Japan, the corner of the country I’d want to see would be a crawl of the pubs with friends, experiencing the food and casual atmosphere of that place while conversing and sharing ideas.

Red Letter Media removes the romantic notion of the vacation and makes it a regular occurrence of friends hanging out. There’s nothing exotic about it. Just friends having conversation. The placement of these discussions on YouTube almost feels like an invitation.

If there were nothing more than this escapism I might fear the need to refrain from viewing their content at all, but I always find myself driven to think after their conversations. Their analyses of the Independence Day films or their break down of Tremors incites me to think about these products further myself.

Unfortunately, I have a limited circle with which I can speak of these things as deeply or with such satisfaction. So I continue to watch, partially so that I might vicariously share that fantasy of discussing these near daily.

It is in that manner that a silly series of YouTube videos can be escapism.