How the "Game Grumps" Moved Me To Tears

This should really require no introduction. Game Grumps, initially the collaboration of popular Youtubers Egoraptor and JonTron (now Egoraptor and Danny Sexbang, who also swap co-hosting duties with Rubber Ninja on the channel's Steam Train installment), is easily one of Youtube's most beloved gaming channels. For the two people who may be in the dark, Game Grumps features daily gameplay videos with some of the most ludicrously fun commentary you'll find anywhere. Since its debut in the summer of 2012, its popularity has only grown, with more and more people becoming absolutely hooked on stopping by each day to enjoy the latest ten-minute chunks of gameplay. At the time of this writing, the Game Grumps channel has close to 1,500,000 subscribers.

While there is a vocal minority that reacts with the greatest negativity any time a particular game playthrough contains mistakes or misinformation, the overall Grump audience seems to have welcomed the channel into their daily lives with open arms and is happy to stick around for whatever adventures their viewership may find them in. Many viewers have actually been engaged enough to create fan art, animations, and music video remixes of their favorite Game Grumps moments (many of which end up featured by the Grumps in their "Liked Videos" section.) The overall response and meteoric success has been truly inspiring to watch.

In fact, it's been so inspiring to me on a personal level that it actually moved me quite deeply one day.

I jumped onto the Grump phenomenon a little later than some, perhaps 2/3rds of the way through the original run with JonTron. I had seen a video here or there and enjoyed myself, but once I saw the Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) video wherein a random glitch sent Egoraptor into a now-famous fit of existential rage, it was all over. I was hooked. "WHAT IS MY LIFE?!" is a quote I often think back to. Even after having listened several times, the whole exchange continues to put a big dumb smile on my face.

Much later, when I finally stumbled across the popular animated version of this "Beautiful Little Moment" with Team Fortress 2 characters cast as our heroes and the subject of their dismay, my reaction was much stronger than the laughs I initially expected going in. I thought about the impact that Game Grumps has had over all. It's this goofy little show where two guys have ridiculous conversations as they play random video games, and it has literally brought joy and inspiration to millions of people. It's amazing.

The same could be said of the hosts' individual projects as well. They're a really talented group of guys. They put themselves out there, they worked at it, and ultimately, they've made a gigantic impact. I think that is fucking beautiful, and even though it is plain to see, the entire weight of it tumbled down on me all at once as I watched the video unfold. As it drew to a close, I found myself with actual tears in my eyes.

If there's one thing you need to know about the world, it's that real men cry. I am man, hear me FEEL!

The reason for this super mushy reaction is a giant cocktail of various emotions. While I greatly admire the talent and accomplishments of the Grumps, I also deeply wish I had been able to carve out something more successful with my own creative endeavors by now. I have a million and one hopeful projects and more ideas are coming to me all the time. I want nothing more than to see them all through somehow. I want to put it all out there and hopefully have people enjoy it on some level. However, I've disappointingly let myself get distracted and discouraged by every possible speed bump along the way. I haven't fulfilled even the slightest fraction of my potential, largely due to worrying over all of the tiniest details so much that I keep myself from ever acting on it at all. I've been at a motivational stand still for far too long.

That's not how the Grumps do things. This is a bunch of guys that see it fucking through whenever some creative whimsey strikes. They put it out there, all or nothing, and it has paid off greatly. I had plenty of "you just have to do it" moments before, but this particular Grump-fueled realization hit me quite powerfully. The TL:DR version is that the accomplishments of the Grumps amaze me, and I truly wish I could finally get my shit together enough to do as they have and see my projects through. Despite the elements of self-disappointment behind much of it, this was a significantly inspiring moment.

Still, that was some time ago now and I ultimately continued thinking and dreaming more than doing. However, I'm happy to report that I'm finally getting a much more powerful hold on my motivation. I'm making the time. I'm putting the wheels into motion. This very blog has been up for years, but only in the past week have I managed to figure out what I want to do with it. It may have taken ages, but perhaps "late" really is better than "never." Whatever happens with any of the projects I have coming up, I'm giving it all my best shot. Though the Grumps are not my only source of inspiration, they have played a significant part in helping me get back on my feet. I will always be thankful for that.

If you find yourself also struggling with motivation, do everything you can to hang in there. Even if you're the sort to constantly realize over and over everything you've done wrong and still struggle to change, one day things will click if you stay open to it. Life will knock you down time and time again, but if you can hold on to the will to keep getting back up, you're going to be able to come out the other side of all of the bullshit a much better person one day. Just look at everything the amazing Danny Sexbang has accomplished. His own story of overcoming depression and motivational issues is a giant source of inspiration in itself. It's always possible to turn things around.

To anyone reading this, I wish you the best of luck with your own endeavors!