I need your advice.

I was a bit unsettled by the video but my comment came late anyway and I see that you’d sit on it for now. I have a psychology podcast in my country and I do notice that certain contents attract certain audience. I once talked about antisocial personality disorder and then quite a few listeners showed their antisocial side by leaving very nasty comments. Luckily I gradually have a larger audience base and many people are very kind to protect the podcast. I guess if you want to put it out there, an indication of your intention (maybe not in words but in speech) could be helpful to clarify things and avoid confusion.

My english is a pain in the a.... 😂 so I only wanna say: the truth can be ugly. Go ahead with it. I like the Video.

My humblest apologies for my tardiness at answering this so long post facto. This answer most probably wouldn't even matter now, and I'm sure that you're too busy at this stage of your career to read this, but I'll take the liberty of commenting anyway. To be honest, most women would relate to this, and that is extremely sad. Especially for those of us who are single at an advanced age, others seem to firmly believe that we are remaining single for them, and become quite aggressive when we reject their advances. The derogatory names mentioned in this video are quite tame and gentle in comparison to the names that I've been called. The social media harassment is as real as the face-to-face harassment, especially as I'm too nice to tell people to bugger off, which even led to me needing to change my name to the Welsh spelling on social media so that the strange people who stare at me at my Church and at my work would stop finding me. I've even had someone push me into a corner during a night duty shift and promise me that he would kidnap me, lock me in his house, and force me to have his children as that was best for me. Based on these and so many experiences, I raise my proverbial hat to you for being brave enough to expose yourself to the world by being an ASMR artist. I'm too scared to leave my house alone. May respect and kindness follow you always.

My thoughts on this video: Firstly, Jim - outstanding acting as always. *takes a respectful bow* Second: the content is tackling a dark issue that I can’t even imagine dealing with in this context bc I’m not an ASMR artist such as yourself. That said, I really cringe to know you perhaps have personally encountered this vile behavior at some point. 🥺 As a woman who has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in its most classical form, I do understand the feelings it brings about, the helplessness , confusion fear and anger it can create. Imo I believe harassment and trolling and other vile behavior such as stalking has no place anywhere in this world ~on the Internet or otherwise. Every human being has a right to be and feel safe. Anything beyond that is criminal and should be prosecuted without a doubt. The gunshot at the end didn’t bother me. Why should we tolerate such disgusting behavior in our interactions? If a sick person is threatening to a level of harm then the consequences are what they are lawfully. It could be polarizing video, but I applaud you for taking on a real and dark issue. It’s why I adore you as an artist. You will be the one who ultimately decides to publish. You have my deepest support.❤️

I'm so late to this... I don't have a problem with the video. I would just be hurt seeing creepy trolls spamming your comment section, since this video would definitely strike a nerve with them... I would defend you though if that happened...

(I posted this comment then it disappeared, trying again, sorry!) Don’t forget about those of us many timezones behind or ahead of you, who aren’t able to comment right away but really want to! :) I gave this some serious thought and wrote a longer response but edited it down to something reasonable. :D I was struck by how the introductory on-screen disclaimers and the video description on YouTube imply that there are many youtubers who are internalizing abusive and uncomfortable communications they receive, and it hurts my heart to be reminded that some people may mistakenly think they deserve to be spoken to in those ways and struggle with low self worth. I worry the (presumably) higher concentration of sensitives and empaths in the ASMR community feel more obligation than the “average Joe” to respond to DMs and comments, and are more likely to feel a personal responsibility to engage with people, especially those asking for help or being needy. This can be problematic with abusive trolls, who seem to thrive on being responded to and given attention. I think us sensitives are more negatively impacted by online abuse and harassment and weird communications, and may not be as equipped to deal with it in a way that protects us and keeps us healthy. It seemed like from the disclaimers and description that your intent was to bring light to this online abuse and, like you’ve done in some past videos focusing on serious subject matter, encourage people to talk about it and not keep quiet, and direct people to legitimate resources or reporting methods. But, I think the overall tone and effect of the video seems disjointed, and not at all light-hearted. You’ve presented this character with such great acting (he exudes creepy, gross, sniveling, and sickly), some ASMR mainstays like (very realistic btw) typing sounds and specific creepy mouth sounds, and threw in some humorous pokes at this guy’s stupidity and run-of-the-mill unwoke toxic masculinity and entitlements. Yet the idea of “indulging” in this dark character and scenario and ASMR, as I have with some of your other dark ones, feels revolting and wrong here. The video’s title implies a standard if a little weird ASMR experience, yet the intro and description speak to the opposite. Since your intent seems to be ultimately PSA-like, I think having that more clearly in the title and sidelining the other stuff would be wise. I found the gunshot at the end extremely jarring, and I worry it could be perceived as a threat to the most extreme abusers who have communicated with you, ironic as though that may seem, but these are twisted minds, and they might twist it into what to them is reasonable justification. The online abuse and harassment problem seems so intractable and ingrained in internet culture now, that I’m not sure what the answer is or how to get through to people, though I know many folks in this area of activism are working on that. I very much admire Jim your desire to help people and make the world a better place, but I worry this comes with a downside and hope you have found ways to manage it. OK, long comment done :) (Cassiopeia)

oops late to the party but here's my 2cents ...as usual I am all about the character work which was, of course, great. Production quality stellar as always. If you are bringing attention (with humor) to a serious subject i think it needs to be a longer video or a series like your Knight series. I think this might work better because you are giving a more fleshed out story a chance to go deep into a subject and then can lighten it with some humor/sarcasm. It's a serious enough thing that it deserves a bigger back story. If you do that i think even the gunshot at the end might work if that part is fleshed out too.

Hmmm....to post or not to post....that is the question, controversy is always a big subject and not to be taken lightly, this is something you feel needs to be addressed and said in a way you hope people understand because either you know someone who has been cyber harassed or I'm sad to say have gone through it yourself, I'd say put it out there, maybe warn about the ending as it does need to be turned up loud to hear and the gunshot was a bit of a surprise, I can't get over how creepy your character was, some people turn right ugly hiding behind a screen and having them know that we know how cowardly their whole sick game is might open up some of their eyes to what might happen to them might make them think twice about being internet trolls, you have a good fan base and none of us will let you get roasted by creepers if they come for you, I know I will be saying something, stay frosty dude! :)

Oh - p.s. My hearing isn't the best, (too many rock n' roll shows without hearing protection in my youth) so maybe you want to make sure to type out the closed captioning so that it's accurate. I was able to hear it though I just had to turn it up really loud.

We all care about your safety. But I also understand that there are always risks to spreading awareness and the opposition of something. And sometimes the cost of change is making people uncomfortable. Both the good guys and the bad. While it may not make a huge difference, it is at least a message. That these people are seen and their unsavory behavior isn’t passively ignored. I had previously thought that I would add some elements to make the message a little more potent and to further drive it home, but you did a fine job and it’s your message to convey how you please. Whether you sit on it or publish it, I support you. Thank you for sharing with us.

I should have been more precise; I think you should publish despite upsetting some people *who think this behaviour is acceptable.* Nobody should cop this kind of abuse.

There are many things in this video that were done well. I love the screen reflecting in the glasses and the creepy appearance. You captured the stalker vibe very well. Overall all great production. You also had good build up starting with the tamer comments to the more extreme. With that in mind, I believe you should go more extreme with this. There seems to be so much hatred toward women out there. While we’re often insulted sexually, we’re also called fat, stupid, ugly, you name it. If you went more extreme with your comments, it might justify your ending better. The gunshot seemed a bit extreme and came out of nowhere. I also wondered if women receiving these types of threats really receive such a quick response from the police. I’ve heard that many feel helpless in these sorts of situations. I also liked that you added disclaimers. I’ve experienced this type of thing (as most women have) in milder forms and I felt uneasy at times watching this. Was that the purpose of the video? I would agree that the purpose seemed a bit unclear. Are you trying to depict how disturbed this individual is and, by killing him, give us a sense of justice/revenge? Perhaps your intention is to educate what an AMRtist goes through on a daily basis? I believe this is a very important topic and applaud you for addressing it. I love your work and the thoughtfulness you put into each video. Thank you for reaching out to us for feedback.

Sandra (Sazmotaz)

I had a lot to say but here's the tl;dr: I think it's a good thing to use your artform to bring up a subject that will be upsetting to some. Publish it.

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said but I will tell you what I think and re-state the points from above that I felt most resonated with my reaction. I didn't realize I couldn't make paragraphs... First, I don't have personal experience with getting messages like this, but I know lots of people who do and I can't imagine what it would be like and it sounds simply awful. I imagine a lot of your ASMRtist friends/community as well as yourself have to deal with this and I'm really sorry because as you said, nobody should talk to other people in this way. As far as whether you should publish this or not, only you can decide but when I have to consider publishing content that sheds a light on certain behavior in society (basically any -ism, harrasment, bullying, or other things that people do to make others feel small) I remind myself that I felt the need to create the posting or write the piece, response, etc. for a reason. If I am uncertain, I sit on it for a few days and I tend to find that if I continue to feel the need to post it, then I do come what may. If after a few days I am not thinking about it consistently, I don't post it. Sometimes within that timeframe someone will have said everything I would have already said, or I might have decided not to post it for self-care purposes and just writing it was enough/all I had the bandwith to do to process how I felt about the situation, post, etc. 1. As others have said, I think you should consider the safety of you and your partner first. I'm not saying that to suggest you don't publish this--sometimes we just have to speak up about things--but you have to accept that there will be pushback from the very people you're shining a light on. 2. You can't make everyone happy, and honestly you don't need to because if someone gets pissed off by watching this then they clearly needed that wake-up call. 3. I agree with the others that the shooting at the end is unsettling, I also wonder if that would make it seem less, relevant to the people who actually need to see this, because they know that wouldn't wind up happening to them. 4.I like the idea of posting a short video at the beginning with maybe the information you put on in type, as well as a warning that it includes online harassment and might be unsettling for people who have experienced it, the suggestions of ways to find help. 5. If you do decide to post this (and I haven't read all of the comments yet, someone alluded to you deciding not to post it rn) I will be more than happy to tell people who get salty about this and try to defend Nice Guy behavior to STFU!

Perhaps make it invisible so only those who are given the link can watch it. That way those of us who have watched it can share it with others that might appreciate it as well. ?

Remember that with enough warning, people will be able to avoid it if they feel it's too much. Maybe releasing it with a soft and fluffy "aftercare" kind of video will give fans who feel they shouldn't watch it a little treat or a recovery for those who do watch and feel they need a recovery.

I didn't really think this was as intense as a Bunman and Poppet video. (Also, wouldn't it be great if it was them? Ha!)

My thoughts.... Interesting idea. I think it needs a little work, to flesh out the ideas presented. The gunshot came out of nowhere making it a “What just happened and why was it relevant to the story?” It broke the story. The key taps were too loud and fought with the vocals. I liked the screen shine on the glasses, I don’t want or need to see your eyes, for several reasons. The moustache bothered me, and focused my attention on it, looked off centered and falling apart. Silly but anything that takes away from your message should be dealt with. The subject matter and the handling didn’t feel “lighthearted” and so the disclaimer didn’t help. Perhaps you needed this for yourself, but to put it out there, I feel it needs a bit of work. There are several confusing points. What is it you are trying to say? Also, every viewer is going to ask “did I do something to cause this?” Should you address that? Thanks for asking our opinion!

Cyana Maize

Wow. Great character. Great idea. Excellent quality as usual. ASMR wise, I liked the typing, his voice, and the mouth sounds, while there, weren't over done. This IS a very serious and very real issue in our culture. Personally, I've been done dirty by some similar creeps. I feel like this guy was a bit too middle of the road. I feel like you could take him a bit farther one way or the other. More humorous - denoting he is not to be taken seriously, or more obviously creepy and angry - denoting more realism. He only mentioned his age once and frankly, you could still pass for 20 something so he didn't come across too predator-ish until the slit your throat thing. And yeah...the gunshot was a bit much. Would have more satisfying (for me personally) to see him taken off in handcuffs. I feel like this could be very educational with some tweaks (though I'm sure that's probably not why you made it). Hope that all made sense.🤷‍♀️

Nanci Ives

I'm late to the party on this... but wanted to give my opinion if that helps as well.. even after you already decided to hold off... which is a good idea... this subject matter is a bit touch and i would think that it could trigger some with what goes on during the video. Even with the opening remarks/warnings, I still feel that you might get unwarranted comments after you post it for the public. I think instead of playing the character role (which is pretty good), I think more of a discussion of assuring those who might of been a victim in this scenario (I hate to hear that you've had to go through that. No one deserves to be targeted like that. ) and that they're not alone and as you pointed out to get the help by talking to someone about it, even if its with the police. Harassment should never be taken as a norm and as creators/posters/etc, we should not have to just let it happen. I've, myself, have had to report a few through the websites and thankfully it has never escalated since reporting them.

Having had the same stalker since high school who has found me through changed numbers, blocked accounts, has contacted my business account to try and get me to talk to him and threatened me in person and online I can say this guy sucks but I like the video both production wise and content wise (though I agree that arresting is more reasonable it did bring me a tiny bit of joy imagining someone else in his place there) and you did a great job with the character. Keep on keeping on dude and stay safe out there. The creeps are going to probably let you have it with this one.

i think it's a very effective and important commentary on behavior that should never be normalized. but i absolutely understand that tilting the mirror at those who make it a point to engage in this way may be too unsettling.

Follow your heart, Jim.

AndromedaCat

But legit stealing the “gym hamster” line. I hope you haven’t trademarked it yet.

It’s not comfortable to watch but that’s not really the point. I think it’s a clever way to address an issue than many deal with on varying degrees of levels. The ending was a bit jarring, but until that point I found it darkly amusing. It certainly raises awareness on a serious issue. I think it’s okay to use humor or satire when making a point. Not sure if people will find it too relaxing, though.

The gunshot was too much. Although I kind of imagined it wasn't really the police at the door, it was Bunman and Poppet somehow. I think my brain just compensated for my horror.

Missa

I agree with others that maybe the end is a little much, but I think the video is very well done. It provides a lesson in how to respond to creeps like this one. The disclaimers at the beginning of the video and in the description are very thoughtful and should be sufficient for anyone who might tend to think you’re not taking the issue seriously. As I’m sure you know by now, you can’t make everyone happy, and you never know what someone’s going to have an issue with, but you have a large and loyal fan base who trust you to handle sensitive issues. That said, ultimately you have to do what you feel comfortable with. Thank you for being sensitive to the feelings of others. 💜

As you sit on it, you should keep in mind what someone has aldeady mentioned about the risk you're putting on yourself because, yes, you will get follow-up nasty messages. I do think it says a lot about online communities in a good way, but you and your partner's well being and sense of safety trumps any message. So, something to think about. Either way, you have a large community of support.

I think that you definitely should publish it. Obviously, quality wise, it's great. But more so, it's important to you and that alone makes it 'worthy'. Not every video is going to be everyone's 'thing' and that's okay. But this is definitely something that should see the light of... YouTube (?). Whether you publish it now or later, I think you should.

undeniablyEmily

PUBLISH IT. There is so much of this ‘keyboard warrior’ stuff happening today. My heart hurts if you or someone close to you has gone through this. It definitely calls attention to the thirsty messages that get posted. I know I for one will be more mindful of what I say. It’s very real and will probably make a few people uncomfortable but so what?! It’s an important message and needs to be shared.

Andrea Branham

Still this man is a creep and I think it is would be a good thing to publish this video, because some young girls just don't know what to do in a situation like this and it's important to show it to them that it is not normal, not an "adult way of speaking" and that they need to tell somebody what's going on

I think the ending kind of diminishes the message a bit. It’s a little too shocking. If you cut the gunshot part and just have the guy arrested the ending would be stronger. Aside from that it does send a strong message, not just from the ASMR community but from everyone who has encountered a person like this and been made to feel uncomfortable/unsafe. I do agree with theGhostWolfe’s concern about some people feeling targeted and sending horrid messages to you in retaliation. Just make sure you keep yourself safe both physically and mentally.

I always feel safe watching your videos and I feel safe now, knowing that it is you (but the acting is great!)

Thank you guys! I think I'll sit in it for now, as I don't want to polarise, alienate, or hurt anyone. Maybe I'll release it down the road... I'll see. I'm going to post tonight's video as a little remedy for it!

Jimち ASMR

You are right, this is real life and is important. I think a warning might be good. Also, seriously hope that none of our comments as fans have made you feel this way. I vote publish.

I rewatched it and thought it over. It's an interesting concept and I would love to see something like this or for you just to post it. But it is a touchy subject. It may not be one of your more popular videos but maybe it just needs to be out there. Hope this helps. 🙂

Hi theGhostWolfe. Absolutely! I agree with you. Jim is so wonderfully talented and diverse that he had something for everyone out there.

It's not going to be for everyone but they can choose not to watch. I vote for publish.

Hope

Hmmmm....yes, but that end is a little much, even for me.

I do hope the "just wasn't for me" angle is considered. I switched off the Highwayman RP as it wasn't my thing. Not watching is always an option.

I hope you didn’t get such messages yourself. I have already had a similar experience and still find the video well done and funny. I agree with the others about the warning and that maybe the black humor needs to be mentioned, because there are surely people who don’t get it right.

My headcanon is that he got bean-bagged at the end, and the visual is smoke, not blood.

Okay. I’m 8 minutes in and had to pause. You said in the description that obviously this was a issue close to your heart. I’m going to assume that someone or someones have spoken to you in this manner? I hope you took your own advice and reported it because that’s not okay, and if that did happen to you I am so sorry! I will give my own personal reaction to this one. In the first 8 minutes I was uncomfortable and not relaxed at all. I had to stop. The mouth sounds are not my thing and I didn’t love mustache for whatever reason. I think this one was just too much for me personally. That’s not to say that other people won’t enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me. I much prefer your highwayman, mechanic and daemon type of characters, and videos where you are just yourself. Thank you for sharing this with us. Take care of yourself and stay safe.

Whew! Honestly, I think it might raise awareness of the ever-growing problem of online stalkers. I've had my fair share of this kind of message. Recently, I had another ASMR artist who decided I had a confidence issue... He wanted to see more of my face. In reality, it has nothing to do with my confidence and everything to do with men who take it upon themselves to tell women they need to show more of themselves, face, feet, or whatever! I agree with the other comment about the ending. That might be a bit too much. I think you portrayed this in the best way possible.

Jill

I like the video. I knew some people that caved when someone messaged then and got upset about something. Nothing happened to them and they eventually got wise, but I wish they had more of this to help. I do agree that more of a warning may be needed, but overall, I think it's something you could post.

I had a great time being creeped out and disgusted by this guy, I agree with LacyLola that maybe the end, especially the ‘him getting shot’ part, was a bit much (it probably would’ve felt more cathartic to have him rot in a prison). All in all I think you portrayed this character as shitty enough for people to not take it as any kind of endorsement. I personally can’t speak to how triggering it would be, I only have experience with a different kind of online creep, but I’m sure other people can help you with that

I really liked it. I loved the sound of the keyboard and eve some of it was funny. I've dealt with this kind of situation before and this hit home. Like the others have been saying, i think you could publish it but put some more warnings on there.

krista B tidwell

Maybe it's just me, but I found that ending to be pretty satisfying.

Perhaps add more of a warning in the title? I agree with the earlier statement made about how this could anger some people. The quality is definitely there, I'm just concerned some people would feel targeted and spam the comments.

Hi Jim!On one hand it was pleasurable to see you trying on a new character and I got the message of this video,but on the other hand... Clearly "no".There is too much of human garbage in real life and to see it in safe spaces like this is disturbing.Well,for me at least.I've dealt with several guys like that online and in real life and I would be happy to forget about those interactions

I watched it all the way through and I recently have dealt with someone like this character. To be honest, this video was pretty cathartic for me. It may not be to everyone, but I found it very funny and very tingly. The notes at the beginning were good and important. My only critique was the end and only because the gunshot surprised me (I'm jumpy, though). I think your work is unique and often dark. They're like little plays and the watcher often gets to be a character. Your work is not for everyone and I think that's what makes your work spectacular. I agree with Wolfe that if it would stress you out, maybe keep it up for patrons? But I think it's great and a good addition to what you've published.

EDIT: I'm voting "probably yes" on publishing. The quality is A++ and it's pretty tingly even without my headphones. I see the dark humour in it, but my biggest concern is that there will be people who don't. If it's not too bold of me, perhaps including something like "dark humour" early in the video title will help? I think my biggest concern is people who will (rightfully!) feel targeted by this and be angry, and if their comments are going to stress you out, it's not worth it. (The "zzz's knees" quip cracked me up, though.)

So I thought the video was fine, but maybe the end was too much? Otherwise it should be publishable.

Mouthsounds... I'm out. But for poeple who like this it's ok. I like the tapping sounds.