The Failure of WatchMojo: An Inevitable Implosion

WatchMojo’s Decline

The video argues that WatchMojo’s decline was built into the formula that made it successful: producing huge numbers of easy-to-make Top 10 videos, prioritizing views over depth, and treating criticism as irrelevant while the numbers remained strong.

From Experimental Websites to Top 10 Lists

The story begins with CEO Ashkan Khorsandi’s early career and network of experimental websites. Top 10 lists proved popular, and WatchMojo gradually focused on them, uploading at a pace that helped the channel stand out in YouTube’s early days.

Its polished editing and narration gave it an advantage over many amateur channels. But the video argues that the lists were often shallow, repetitive, and sometimes carelessly handled. This was especially apparent in videos about tragedies, including mass shootings, where the brisk format and music continued with little tonal sensitivity.

At its peak, WatchMojo drew hundreds of millions of monthly views, aided by YouTube recommendations and a wave of imitators. Khorsandi publicly defended the company’s scale and success, sometimes dismissing critics as a vocal minority. The narrator sees this as a way of avoiding the underlying complaint: WatchMojo’s popularity came from its format and distribution, rather than a distinctive creative voice.

Attempts to Branch Out

The video also follows Khorsandi’s attempts to move beyond Top 10s. His personal channel, Context TV, and a documentary about capitalism failed to find much of an audience, and a hoped-for run of documentaries never materialized.

Some of the video’s sharpest jokes target the documentary’s claim that entrepreneurship is the great equalizer. One commenter sarcastically suggests that Khorsandi “start investing in forks.”

SoundMojo and the Emphasis on Output

As views fell, WatchMojo’s side projects struggled too. SoundMojo began as a music label and later leaned heavily on AI-generated songs. The video mocks the tracks for recycling boastful lyrics and musical patterns, presenting them as a fitting example of the company’s preference for output over originality.

The Boyin Controversy

The controversy that crystallizes the story begins when Khorsandi responds to a critical video by Boyin without watching it. His comment—“The day no one talks about you is the day you become irrelevant”—draws a wave of attention and ridicule.

The narrator likens the reply to a séance board answering back. Viewers pile on with jokes, and Khorsandi later acknowledges that responding without watching was a mistake. WatchMojo’s subsequent explanations and defensive comments only keep the argument alive.

Promotion in a Video About Deceased Creators

Jacksfilms later draws attention to WatchMojo promoting SoundMojo in a video about creators who died, including Totalbiscuit and Technoblade. Totalbiscuit’s widow objects to the monetization of her husband’s death. WatchMojo apologizes and says the use of ads was an oversight.

The episode reinforces the video’s criticism that the company’s templated approach can make sensitive subjects feel like just another slot in the upload schedule.

Conclusion

The conclusion is deliberately uneasy: WatchMojo’s decline may satisfy people who disliked its content, but its falling recommendations are being overtaken by AI content channels. The narrator’s point is that WatchMojo’s collapse does not necessarily mean low-quality, mass-produced content is going away; it may simply be making room for something even more automated.

Personalities and Creators Mentioned

Ashkan Khorsandi, Boyin, Jacksfilms, PewDiePie, Guru Larry, and Totalbiscuit (John Bain).