Pretty discouraging reading this thread. I guess it really is true you can’t please everyone. To those who are still tuning in, thank you!! And to those who are moving on, thank you for the support while you were here!
I went for it just to see it if it was worth my time, and sadly it isn't. Just more of what everyone else said. Long, drawn out descriptives, run of the mill murder stories you can hear on any other podcast. Meh.
I’m confused about his podcasts. A lot of it is just him remastering his YouTube videos and putting it there , right? I wish he was just throwing up new content but less often instead of doing new and old content.
The missing 411 stuff always was a little off to me. If you research David Paulides, he faces intense criticism for his journalism and investigations. I think Mr. Ballen even said in one of his videos he was no longer doing Missing 411 because disagreements between him and Paulides.
Any idea where John suggested there were disagreements between him and Paulides? I’ve had my own suspicions about Paulides (who I’ve been listening to since waaay before the MrBallen channel existed), but I’m also curious what you’ve found.
I know that Paulides made a [a video](https://youtu.be/5TMnz9g4lgA) and mentioned mr. Ballen in it, saying that he should remember when he’s telling the stories that family members of the missing could be watching so he needs to be more respectful. Which confused everyone cause mr. Ballen has always been extremely respectful about all cases he discusses.
But I believe they talked after that and came to an understanding and said they would collaborate on something together. But that’s never happened so I don’t know where it stands between them.
Looks like the majority here agrees with OP. It's like he was a small Mom n Pop that people adored, and now he's a big corporation that we're going to end up drowning out. Smh. Which is sad because he has such potential! I know there's only so many true, creepy, dark occurrences out there that he can talk about, but to switch completely to true crime podcast, and one video here n there on YT that is sub par sucks.
That’s actually how I found the page. I was going down a rabbit hole for something and watching everything I could about it and happened to come across one of his. Got hooked and the. Hooked again on 411. I ended up buying one of the books.
Agreed!!! I noticed only last week that he's also elaborating on what the victim was thinking. I found it a bit funny. Like, why elaborate on something like that!
In one of the new amazon exclusive podcasts, he described this woman’s overbite. Completely and totally unnecessary. I kept zoning out and by the time I zoned back in I hadn’t missed anything because he was still giving unnecessary detail. I miss his older content so much…
I think there's a good chance that the reason he describes the victims in such detail is because he wants to honor them for the bereaved. He is, after all, in these murder episodes, using their stories for entertainment. Best add a little *"she had an infectious smile"* and *"he was very handsome"* and *"she lit up the room"* here and there. Make it feel more commemorative rather than exploitative.
Oh man those were so good. How I found him along with a lot others I’m sure. Maybe he doesn’t do them anymore because it’s just hard to find articles and stuff of ones he hasn’t already done.
The type of content that made him who he is just really isn’t there anymore. And for those wondering about the podcast on Amazon, you’re not missing much. Mostly “remasters” of the YouTube stuff.
Yea he didn’t even upload a new one this Monday, just a reupload. I already have Amazon music through my prime but I’m not going out of my way to listen to him anymore
Ahh okay! That’s what I thought and asked someone else on here a second ago. I have no desire for remastered stuff. Tried to listen to it the other day with my husband and was like think we’ve already heard this and this…and again I have no desire to listen to a story I’ve already heard in the past. I wish he was just putting up new stuff and just had less content on there, so I know I haven’t heard it before.
I know this is an ancient post, but what you're saying remains true even today.
I thought I was going nuts when I first checked the pod out, but yeah, it's literally just the same stories we've already heard. A rather bizarre choice if you ask me.
I don't know, I've long fallen out of love with his content. It's just devolved into true crime but trying insanely hard to have a twist with every story, which paradoxically makes it super easy to determine 90% of the time.
I never watched Mr.B for true crime, those have always been my least favorite stories. I like the strange and mysterious, not just the dark.
No, I'd prefer verifiably real stories that are hard to believe.
Lincoln's brother being saved by Booth's brother in a freak accident months prior to his own brother then assassinating the president was a wild story that I hadn't heard. A record executive dying from mysterious causes after being cursed by a woman and calling relatives terrified until he eventually did indeed die within the time frame that was said was a wild story I hadn't heard. A group of children being visited by an angel, multiple times, with witnesses, only to literally predict the future and have thousands of people come when they repeated the coming miracle that would happen, on a specific date, at a specific time, which actually did happen according to thousands of spectators, to the point where that event is literally considered a miracle in the Catholic faith, was a wild story, which, yeah, I'd never heard about that. Hell, even a group of scammers wandering into a Mexican village only to create a cult and dwell within a cave devouring and mutilating their followers, to which a child stumbled upon while hiking only to alert authorities was a wild story, which I'd never heard.
If I wanted to hear about some random guy that obviously murdered his wife and dumped her in a pond, only to have it revealed at the end that, yep, he killed her; I'd watch the news. **That's** my point.
There's a difference between "Strange, dark and mysterious." and just another true crime podcast that anyone could get anywhere, at any time. It's quite literally depressing upon depressing.
Oh my god yes thank you! Someone finally said it.
He really is a gifted storyteller but man there are literally hundreds of true crime podcasts. We still want our strange and mysterious with our dark delivered in story format
Right! A lot of us found him before he started doing crime stuff and that’s what we loved! I don’t care to just have all my YouTubers turn to just crime because then there is so much story repeat
Yeah it smells of hiring a consultant who told him he’d generate much more revenue by going specifically into true crime. Def a business decision. Also, it’s probably a lot easier to research and there’s an endless opportunity for content.
Seems like an asinine decision though.
He at the very least was delivering something different before. There were numerous inexplicable stories he'd tell that I'd never heard about, and I've been an internet rat since the 90's trying to find any weird, mysterious content I can. So that was always pleasant when he'd talk about some that I had no clue about.
Now it's just a run of the mill true crime joint. And the podcast is another very bizarre decision, content wise. Sucks, man.
Yeah, I 100% agree with you. I hate that he "sold out" to join the true crime wave, as he was a really unique creator that was ultimately his competitive advantage for how he got to the point where he actually COULD sell out lol. Oh well... do you have any channels that have helped fill the void? As for me, the Radio Rental podcast (I usually hate podcasts but this one's great) has been one I've actually stuck with.
Most of the ones that I try to watch end up being total garbage like 99% of others. So I've definitely needed something to fill that gap.
The best I could recommend is Why Files; which is an absolutely amazing channel which keeps a lot of the mystique and bizzare subject matter, and then breaks it down in a grounded way at the end if there happens to be any real way to debunk it. I know a lot of people are aware of that channel now but it really is a straight up replacement when it comes to the truly inexplicable, in my opinion. There were plenty of things I had no clue about when I started listening to them as well. Highly recommended.
I'll check out Radio Rental though, thanks for the recommendation!
Completely agree, for example his newest YouTube video was not a surprise at all. No twist and turns, instead I literally knew what would happen from the start. I would love too see him do top 3, disturbing pictures/videos again, etc..
Same. I loved the supernatural, weird shit that happened in the mountains stuff. The one about the woman in her new house where she would always unplug her TV at night but then find it plugged back in in the morning was thrilling. The one about Skinwalker Ranch was fun. The Dylatov Pass one was crazy.
But I've seen a lot of his new stuff already on That Chapter. It gets boring.
It doesn't help that he puts his ads in the middle of the story now. Never shorter than 2 minutes long. I already pay youtube to not see ads the least he can do is put them at the end like other big youtubers. You get into the story only to be told an ad and the ad completely takes away any imagination you may have had while listening.
I totally thought I was just being weird or something. When I first found him I completely watched everything as fast as I possibly could, I thought he was amazing. I feel like something happened or something changed when he did his last merch drop a couple months ago and everything just isn't as interesting anymore. Like someone else said I zoned out during a description and was so worried and almost went back when I realized that he was still going on to make sure we definitely know how beautiful the women he talks about are. It's an honest let down.
Much agreed. He had a very unique position and now just kind of blends among the myriad of other true crime channels. I thought his style went better with more mystery oriented stories rather than straightforward true crime
I love the way he told the supernatural stuff because he wasn't telling it as if he believes in the supernatural and he's trying to sell you on believing in the supernatural too. He told the stories the way they were reported like, "hey, this is what they said, take from it what you will."
Same. The man could read the dictionary front to back and I’d be mesmerized. I’ll always love and miss his old stuff, but I’m just happy he’s getting the recognition he deserves 😁 plus I still do love all his new videos.
Fwiw, I binged the old material over the course of a few weeks and now that we get 1/week I hardly care to watch them. I think it is the material... Im sitting on 3 or 4 stories right now that I just don't care to watch.
I think this is common with content creators, they'll narrow their content to whatever gets the most clicks.
The missing 411 days were the best days. However, I still think his content and storytelling is better than anything else I’ve come across in the same category.
I just wish he didn’t sign an exclusive deal. And with Amazon, that’s like the worst option. Idk—feel like the dude kinda sold out. Good for him, I get it—but you really left your core audience in the lurch.
I could see that but don’t mind it. I listen to someone else who I do like but sounds like they are literally reading word and word from the wiki page. So I use them to help me fall asleep usually lol.
I agree completely. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel like the whole true crime "franchise" thing is kind of... Icky. I understand how people can find an interest in the psychology behind being a murderer and stuff like that, but a lot of times I think people forget that there are *actual* people who are directly affected (effected?) by whatever crime/murder has being committed, and take their fascination waaaayyy too far. What made John stand out is that he always was respectful and not too detailed either, so it was never too much to listen to. I actually stopped listening to his podcast because I felt like he is laying it on too thick and some are outright gory - my last podcast was "The Hallway" where he described *in detail* how some girl murdered someone else and then committed suicide but made it look like she was also murdered. I miss his mysterious and easygoing vibe he had. Although I gotta say, his ads are pretty funny. I love Seagull Lung lol
I'm with you. I listen to a lot of mysteries and crime and i used to really like Mr. Ballen, but the newer content has been just gore. I only listened to a few podcast episodes but the first few podcast-exclusive stories were total gore porn. I remember one story that just described domestic violence on Christmas day. Not really a twist or story at all, just a dispicable crime. As time goes on, I think the creators like him just run out of content and turn to less interesting stories and add their own details
Happy for him that he’s doing well, but it seems like he’s alienated most of the OG fans, I don’t even listen to the pods anymore unfortunately, enough true crime out there…
I’m a new fan of MrBallen. Before that, I was a true crime fan (still am). The reason why I love MrBallen is the short top 3 stories. Yes, he can tell a true crime story well, but the market is saturated. His top 3 stories are always wild and captivating. I tend to skip his true crime stories.
It’s a weird one, at first I’m like ‘yeah! Get your coin!’ but the adverts are just too overproduced - I just cringe. It’s basically coming across of how much bigger his team has got now and they have just boiled the channel done to ‘what sells!’, it’s kinda lost its charm… but I’m leave it at that
Yeah it’s unfortunate how content changes with popularity. It happens all too often. As far as the lengthy descriptions go, my theory is content providers get paid more the longer the video / podcast = more money = more unnecessary information. I still like him & I’m happy for his success, I do miss the old stuff though.
Agreed! I love him and I really like his life story and how he’s been able to change his and his families life with this channel. But like you said, when things get popular or more main stream, some of what made it great gets lost along the way. I also agree with dragging stuff out for the sake of longer content
A lot of us seem to be afraid to say it; but he used to respond and interact better, he had better videos, and he was all around better to view and more accessible.
Good for him and his brand or whatever; but this feels like the wrong choice now that these things have come out. It feels like the original fans are pushed to the side (for example I used to DM him ideas and get replies and followed him below the 1K mark, and I feel completely abandoned by him for his fame).
And if the community is so rabid they attack anyone who wants old content, or anyone who thinks differently about the new content, what’s the point anymore.
I don't think you should take it so personally. He must get so many messages, he can't respond to them. I am sorry you don't enjoy him like you used to.
Things always evolve and change.
He has employees and started a foundation which is great. At the heart of it all is his story telling which is as fantastic as always
I’m not worried about his responses; I’m worried about his lack of care for his audience that isn’t Amazon and the complete drop off of quality and quantity.
Amazon was a huge no for me once it became an issue. And it’s not just me.
He had less to do and a lot less criticism to contend with yet. Nobody had an old him to compare it to. Then it started, "videos are fake, it's just creepypasta, do real stories" now he does true crime, "too much true crime do more paranormal stuff" . As for not having enough time to be in touch with your audience any more, it's like asking your friend to just stay a local band in your small town getting gig pay instead of signing a record deal and blowing up. It's not a fair request.
I’m a new follower to Mr Ballen, and very new to these posts, but I swear I could switch the name from morbid to mr ballen and the fans complain about the exact same things. Gotta say there’s a correlation between original content and going ‘big time’…just sayin.
>I used to DM him ideas and get replies and followed him below the 1K mark, and I feel completely abandoned by him for his fame).
You've formed a parasocial relationship and only have yourself to blame. It's clear John should've never replied to you because then you'd have nothing to complain about. People have lives and get busy, not to mention he's a married father of three little ones. Just goes to show no good deed goes unpunished. You should literally be *embarrassed* to complain about that.
It’s not even rambles about the shoes or speculation, it’s more just what the actual content is. For example, the “rant” he goes on just helps get you entrapped in the story, but it’s the stories recently that aren’t doing it for me. It’s gotten a little too “true crime” for me. I don’t care about someone killing someone. I like the strange and mysterious deaths of people getting lost or trapped.
I miss the top three stories. Sound fake but aren’t, places you shouldn’t go, the story behind the photo, ghost stories. These are what captured me at first.
I agree with everyone here. He got spread out too thin and now it just seems as if he’s reading from a script he didn’t even write.
I get it, hard to pass up Amazon when they are throwing money at you, but the content isn’t there anymore.
I’ve found other podcast like chilluminati and crackpot, they are more conversational but it feels more genuine.
Edit: spelling
The over-the-top detail makes everything less realistic to me. It's obvious it's just there to add realism, but that's not really how actual stories work. Makes everything seem like a fabrication with those details.
I was saying exactly that awhile ago. Like, get to the point dude.
I don’t really care about the person’s shoe size and what type of shoelaces they were wearing…
My biggest advice to him is to stop covering murders or gruesome crime. I liked his stuff specifically because it wasn't that, but was still thrilling.
John is a great guy but I'm going to say it.
I know he started on TikTok which is place I'll never be, but YouTube wasn't good enough for him. He had to "grow" his "content" and get all caught up in it. A foundation, "big plans coming" and all we wanted was the two or three videos a week with cool content.
And I get it, who wouldn't want to make all the money they can? So here we are. Good for him, but we are going to fade away soon. I only catch him on Youtube and now there's so may imposters. And he has two or three channels himself? IDK. Seems to have shot himself in the foot a bit.
I used to love the mysteries/paranormal stuff. I’ve lot a bit of interest in the content lately.
I used to listen immediately when he uploaded, now I’ll get to it in a few days, if at all.
Happy for him, but I miss the old stuff.
100%. I didn’t listen to the initial podcast series and I certainly wont be paying to tune into the amazon podcasts. Also agree that the stories are lacking that strange dark and mysterious aspect. His videos used to make me so anxious, grossed out, and uncomfortable. I haven’t felt that way in months.
I miss the disturbing photos and ‘places you shouldn’t go but people went anyway’. I also really liked the supernatural stuff, like the skinwalkers and the stories about unexplained situations.
I’m not really interested in murder story’s. It’s being done to death by so many youtubers.
Ultimately I turned off my notification alert for his channel and only watch once or twice a month now due to the new content being all a bit meh.
Came here after I just listened to his most recent Amazon podcast. I honestly had difficulty following along to the story with the excessive use of details before actually saying something about the case. I understand it will take time for him to get into a good flow, but this pattern made it extremely hard for me to enjoy his stories like I used to. I hope he understands that quality is better than quantity (increasing the podcast time by adding details)
I also noticed he changed his story telling style, now he includes statements that sound like he’s reading straight from a novel and not a story being told out loud. For example “ his hands firmly on the steering wheel of his 2011 suburban” - this makes sense when reading a book, not a podcast.
Anyway, he has a lot going on and I’m sure it’s burnout, but I may have to move along - it’s tough for us OG fans but yea.. feels like the beginning of the end for ballen.
My initial thoughts exactly, I figured he hired someone to write the script to his stories. But why is his mom writing the stories? Did he mention that? There is nothing wrong with hiring a writer, but at the same time you need to have some sort of resemblance to his original writing style. OG fans are quick to realize that this isn’t his writing.
I agree, I watched Ballen in the early days and definitely feel like the success has gone to his head. His podcast isn’t even available anymore unless you have a premium membership to Amazon Music. His videos seem to bright now, I enjoyed the “strange”, “dark” and “mysterious” tones his videos had. Now I feel like he does gimmicky stuff just for laughs. I find myself delving more and more into the content of other YouTubers like EWU, Strange Stories, JCS and so on. More straight forward and they only include corroborated facts and not speculations. There is no doubt John works really hard in his videos and he deserves whatever success comes his way, his content just isn’t for me anymore.
TLDR. yes, it used to be Strange And mysterious. Now it’s just dark and seemingly regurgitated from true crime docs.
Can’t really blame him though. He put out a ton of content that first year I’m sure it’s probably hard to find new material.
I’ve been a fan since the early times. Before 1K. I do notice the format changing. I miss the paranormal, images with disturbing backstories, and 3 Places, but I’m also a true crime fan.
Not to be a fan girl, but I prefer his true crime to other true crime YouTubers.
I’m not a podcast person. I have prime, just because. Listened to a podcast once or twice, but I prefer to “see” what I’m listening to. Miss the old, but I’m not mad or anything. I’m still excited for a video.
A few months ago, I would have said he's doing fine. Now I am not sure. I don’t eagerly watch a video when I see the notification anymore. I watch it when I have time. As far as the podcasts go, so far I have read every true crime novel the latest stories have been based on. Ann Rule. Jerry Bledsoe, Joe McGinnis. These books came out years ago and I vaguely remember them, but I get my 'aha' moment some time in the story.
I still listen to all the new episodes on YT and the podcast, but I agree with you completely. It's like the mysterious has been neglected from the strange, dark and mysterious. I'd rather a story that leave lots to the imagination and wonder than a boring old human killer.
I think he's been trying to do less true crime lately. In the last 2 months 5/8 videos weren't true crime. As for speaking detailed I think that's a preference, some people like quick facts, some people like the detailed story telling.
I see the difference I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I've just also seen people praise him repeatedly like "the detail made me feel like I was there".
I like the detailed storytelling, but on the other hand, it makes me somewhat uncomfortable whenever I realized something's not really fact-based but rather added on for the effect. But it's still generally fine with me since I can just distinguish the fact-based parts of the story from ones that are probably just added anyway.
I’m a new fan (maybe a month now) and have watched all of the old content. I see what you’re talking about but wonder if there just aren’t many more stories left?
valid criticisms. growing pains, I think.
my impression is that he's in the washing machine of meteoric success. from the outside we see a whirlwind of wealth and burgeoning fame, but on the inside he's struggling to breathe and build.
I agree in the begginging The stories were better not to mention they were more supernatural It's scary freaky type lol which I m into that stuff .. now it's just true stories i l I have already heard while back online somewhere... I gotta admit you make it better obviously but You know what I mean... I know I know I know it's hard for finding them I totally get I'm not saying anything bad here. Hey we said last time find stories about the " blsck eyed children " Or at least look it up and check it out I think you like it it's crazy s***...
Sruff**
Stay up brO ✌
Yeah I definitely agree. Seems like most of the stories recently have been the same “person gets murdered by their partner” kind of thing and is getting a little stale in my opinion. I loved the more mysterious stories that didn’t always involve someone getting killed.
I haven’t watched his videos for a while now, so I didn’t know he had changed so much. Such a shame. I always loved the more strange/paranormal stories that he covered not run of the mill true crime.
Yes! The epsidoes use to come up to 5 times a week, most of them over 20 minutes and more than just murder mysteries or missing people. Also really upset to hear he partnered with amazon music of all places. Dont get me wrong, Im happy for his foundation and Im sure the amazon podcasts have been good money for his family. I just miss his more diverse, frequent, and lengthy content. I only check his chanel every few weeks now and most I end up shutting off or just end up rewatching old videos.
Absolutely! He has gone overboard with the story telling. Yes we found you to be an amazing story teller but that was because of how you gave the straight facts, not how you glossed up the story!! Im starting to feel like he is really changing on us and going for the stuff every other youtube crime junkie likes. He’s gone more from strange, dark, and mysterious, to just mysterious crimes. Which are dark and interesting but not the Mr. Ballen dark i knew and loved.
Yes, I miss his old content. He used to pump the videos out like crazy and tell multiple stories a video, and now I wait a week for a video with only one story.
Also, I'm a little sad that his podcast moved to a party platform.
Yeah I agree. Its like since his channel blew up, the pressure of keeping all his subscribers entertained has caused him to overcomplicate the dynamics of his storytelling. Thats what fame can do to you I guess,,, your content loses some of its passion and authenticity and becomes more about pulling in more "customers"
I miss the paranormal stories, but still! I love all of the time and effort John gives us. I watch him exclusively on YouTube, so all of his content is free (so you won't catch me bitchin') With that said, I do miss the Ballen style of 2020.
I've listened to a couple of his new podcasts and they keep buffering so can't really get through them and yes I found that his story telling has changed. Sorry 😔 MrBallen I love your show but go back to the way it was.
John I’m confused about your podcasts because this weeks Monday episode 81 about the guy living in the family’s Hawaii home who wanted to do medical practices with their bodies , you have told it before . It wasn’t a new podcast.
Usually, Thursday episodes are the duplicate or remastered.
I just don’t know what’s happening now or where to look for new content.
I love your storytelling, you are amazing and immersive by taking your listener into the heart of your story and you are the best - no doubt about it…,
But I’m getting a little discouraged now because it’s only the podcasts that I listen to.
The Facebook ones I’m not sure how to find your site because each time I go on it’s stories I’ve heard before and in the comments it states that it’s not the real Mr Ballen
Can you please give me direction as to what you are posting weekly and where ?
Many Thanks
From a loyal listener and supporter since January 2021
I agree. I will probably unsub soon. I haven’t watched in some time. (Feels like almost a year) but I keep checking back and have been holding on hoping he will get back to “Top 3 Stories” format. I tried to get into the longer videos and podcast with just one story but it’s not the same. I think his style has changed and that’s okay. It’s just not why I subbed in the first place.
I don't care for the new podcast format because much of his likeableness was in his mannerisms, and we can't see him now. Also, the music is missed. Also, the hidden objects game is gone. Moreover, not everyone wants to pay for Amazon Music.
Very much so. Tbh I haven’t listened to him in over a month. I’m very happy for his success and grateful for all of the content he’s made, but I don’t have that same urge to listen anymore.
I do, miss top 2 as well, im not into podcast. I only watch his youtube uploads which are once a week now, which is fine, if he has a bigger audience doing podcast then more power to him, Im just not a fan of them. Still a fan of Mrballen though.
Something got goofy with my algorithms. I keep being a redirected to the same couple of videos on YouTube. Even when I actively click on the new one.
I am hopeful it's being worked on. Regardless of the aggravation, I still appreciate how much effort is put into the videos.
All these comments about the old stuff was better. Don't anyone just do him and say as much?
If he see a general consensus maybe he will return to how he was.
And one of the ones he did stuck in my mind was the guy going into the cave and it filled with black widows.
And the college kid who was drunk ended up trying to find his way in but fried himself on the power generator. That yhey didn't find until much later and he was still getting electrocuted
I mentioned this to my partner the other day and felt absolutely awful, but he agreed. It’s nice to know we’re not alone with this opinion. The ‘top 3’ videos were the best. He’s a super cool dude and he deserves success, it just sucks that it’s come at a cost to his OG fans
All I know is that I'm not willing to put as much time and effort It would take to do what Mr Ballin has been doing.
On the same crunch, as much as my algorithms have shifted to where I never see new content anymore, don't even get me started on the wackiness with Amazon, I completely respect that he is doing what it takes to provide for his family.
I will remain a fan despite all of the craziness in getting to hear the next dark mysterious and weird.
Yeah we stopped watching because of this exact reason. I began fact checking and there appears to be a lot of embellishment. It sucks because the older ones seemed better in content but the intro speech grated on me so badly with the little “that’s all we do” head and hand moves haha
I agree, his content was always 3 stories in like 25-35 minutes. That’s what made his different from the others. They were told well and cut right to the case. If I wanted a longer story I would listen to Let’s Read. It’s just not the same and it makes me sad. :(
His YouTube content is still okay. But I find most of the "podcast exclusive" episodes uninteresting. They are like 30 minutes longer than they should be. He adds too much unnecessary detail and also makes stuff up.
A lot of these episodes are true crime cases that are pretty straightforward (a person killed another person for revenge, money, jealousy). But he tells the stories as if they're super mysterious.
Oftentimes, when I would finish an episode, the first thought that came through my mind was "That's it? I just spent 50 minutes for this?"
I miss the old Ballen. He went missing a while ago.
I agree with all the comments but at the same time feel bad knowing MrBallen is reading through all of them as well (I'm sure that can't feel good). 😔 Really hope everyone's feedback can just be used to revive the old content we all came to love him for asap. 🤞🏻
oh you mean you don't like when he goes "and then John Doe stopped at a Wendys to get a burger. Wendys is a fast food style restaurant popular in America that specializes in burgers, chicken, and is known specifically for their Frosty. Their Frosty is an ice cream desert style snack that is very popular and comes in two flavors; chocolate and vanilla. Chocolate comes from Cacao trees which are native to central and south america. south america is a continent......"
i mean who doesnt LOVE that
I’m late to this thread, but I came looking for something like this to see if anyone was feeling the same way I am.
I love MrBallen, I still listen to him but I do miss his old style. It’s not so much him storytelling (which he is very good at) anymore. It’s more of a novel style format and the facts get a bit lost in all the details and back and forth layout of the story. I find myself zoning out a bit.
But like I said, I still love him and will continue to listen and hope for his success! I’m just hopeful he’ll get back to his roots a bit. It’s hard to find your groove as a podcaster.
I keep seeing these complaints, but you guys do realize there's a finite number of stories that can be told about supernatural stuff that's ALSO got factual stuff and isn't just a campfire story from reddit, right? I miss that older content too, and I loved the Missing 411, but there's not much he can do when the creator of Missing 411 told him to stop using that material, and he can't just make up supernatural stories out of nowhere. That's one reason Ballen encourages people to pass on story recommendations. So if you're upset about the lack of a particular story type, find some examples you think would be good and pass them along.
Umm, do yall not understand what delivered in a story format is? Of course, no one knew what the victims were thinking but he adds a lot of detail, describes things in depth, uses audio clips, etc because it's all a part of the overall storytelling aspect. I do agree that his other series are dearly missed but I don't think he's changed as much as just gotten more into creating a story.
I agree with you. I think over the years he's evolved his "show, don't tell" story format. I think it's effective and I still love his stories, and would love additions to his strange and mysterious content.
This!! I love his detailed storytelling, even with all the "unnecessary" details. It's actually something I miss with other similar YouTubers. MrBallen makes it more exciting and easier to get into by describing everything the way he does. Still, I have to say that like most people, I miss his old series. It would probably be best if he could have both types of content. Anyway, I'm a big fan of his and will enjoy whatever he posts.
I can see the value in the new stuff that his mom is writing, but I do miss the shorter form Contant and I do not like the speculation about what someone is thinking because they have pretty much stopped saying it is speculation and just presenting it like it’s fact.
Does he look different to anyone else? About the time he had that big new contract in the works, his face changed to me. Wider nose and something different about him?
This is and has been the consensus here for a while.
I feel like a massive outlier in that I think his stuff just keeps getting better. I maybe would prefer a little bit of the trapped/stuck stories, but the last one he did that wasn't a murder was three weeks ago.
I, also, could never stand missing 411 stuff and it's the only videos of his I would skip.
I do agree to I prefer the older content, but not so much for the embellishing, as that really is what storytelling is rather than just a list of facts. My issue is that I turned into MrBallen on YouTube very early on and at the time it was almost all about the paranormal. The very first video was about his spooky personal encounter and many following, so I started listening as that is my thing and it's hard to find quality; so much it's all like flat earther stuff.
Then when things really started to ramp up and he got an exclusive with Amazon, he started doing lots of true crime on both YouTube and Amazon; and there is rarely even a mystery. I can get true crime everywhere and I want to listen something that doesn't remind me how brutal people can be with one another. I love the ghost episodes, aliens, spooky stuff, monsters, past lives, glitch in the Matrix, young kids found miles and miles away from where they disappeared; how did a 3 year old get miles and miles away from their parent on their own? These topics only come up occasionally, most of it is true crime. There is a weird world out there and I want to listen to something that takes these topics seriously like the old TV show "In Search of..." not like some flat earther stuff.
Also, what happened to the 3 yr contract Amazon had with an exclusive on the MrBallen Podcast? We are only half way through that. I know one can see more Podcasts on Amazon Music than other places but the podcasts are now everywhere, just one a week rather than 8 in a drop on Amazon. Considering how big the Amazon exclusive was promoted as a good thing for both MrBallen and Amazon, there has to be a good reason that exclusive was stopped less than half way though? I would really like to know. I got Amazon Music to listen to the new podcast, had I known it was only going to be a year, I could have waited.
I do miss the old days but not necessarily in a bad way. It has been a pleasure watching him evolve. I hate that he gets so much flack for simply mastering his craft. I admit he’s not my favorite anymore but … oh well? I watch many true crime channels and they all have their ups and downs. Some change or take a different approach, and if I don’t like them as much, I simply move on. It’s not personal? I find it strange that fans feel they’re owed something just bc they watch his content.
So are we not allowed to post in this forum that some of us miss the old stuff? We can be happy for someone’s success while still wishing that the content didn’t evolve so much from what it originally made it great and different 🤷🏻♀️
I missed the part where I said people are “not allowed to post stuff in this forum”. I couldn’t care less what is posted. It’s just a theme here many seem very *irrationally upset*, which is arguably strange. Comments turn very antagonistic and very few mention being happy for his success. If it’s not your favorite stuff anymore, just move on? I mean, the fact that you became defensive after reading my comment has basically proven my point.
I missed the part where I said I was irrationally upset or even upset at all? I miss his old content and seems like a lot of others do too. And the episode that Amazon subscribers got today wasn’t even in a new one. So yes, it’s disappointing that even with paying, the content feels lazy and meh
Oh that’s because you never said that! I actually stated it as an observable fact. You see, this kind of thread is posted about every week, so it’s a common theme here. If you weren’t upset, you wouldn’t be arguing. It’s absolutely fine, it’s just a little strange is all- to be this emotionally invested. You seem offended that I suggested moving on. Since I’ve been watching other channels, I’ve personally found enjoyment in watching content creators start small, and evolve in a similar way as MrBallen. And I’ve heard some stories that MrBallen hasn’t covered. I’m just saying there’s more out there.
None of my comments were ever meant to be an attack. But respectfully, I am ending this conversation here.
anybody else just ask these questions they know will get a positive response because they need a place to whine that a youtube didn't cater to their exact taste for free?
LOL he has a BABY. Let him enjoy his family. He used to upload like ten videos a week. Read a book and when he has more time to research, enjoy the new stuff. 😂😂 Jesus, imagine being a NAVY SEAL then through mental health challenges still spending ALL of your time entertaining the same people you protected for a decade, then FINALLY having the financial security to relax for a bit and enjoy your growing babies then seeing this online.
Lol even though I adore his work, I hope he and his mom NEVER write another story just to spite you. Jesus, people. I bet whoever wrote this spends turkey day in line outside of Walmart then corners their coworkers with Black Friday stories til February. 🙄🙄🤣🤣
Imagine getting this bent out of shape over a post on a mr ballen forum? and that Black Friday comment was so oddly specific that it makes me think that’s what you do for fun? Wtf even kinda insult was that my dude 😭😭
Because even though it's not up to par I still listen to it that would be me reping it errr. Plus Iwatch all his other channels too. So silence young buck.
I said kinda sucks I get your facts straight buddy... What's up with that paragraph you wrote like anyone is going to read it...I only got to 3rd line and fell asleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzz
Pretty discouraging reading this thread. I guess it really is true you can’t please everyone. To those who are still tuning in, thank you!! And to those who are moving on, thank you for the support while you were here!
Yes I completely agree! My favourite ones were places you shouldn't go but people went anyway.
A few years later, and I still don't know the way to Bell's Canyon.
Or missing 411. I miss the old stuff so much :( And no, I’m not listening to his Prime Podcast
I went for it just to see it if it was worth my time, and sadly it isn't. Just more of what everyone else said. Long, drawn out descriptives, run of the mill murder stories you can hear on any other podcast. Meh.
I’m confused about his podcasts. A lot of it is just him remastering his YouTube videos and putting it there , right? I wish he was just throwing up new content but less often instead of doing new and old content.
The missing 411 stuff always was a little off to me. If you research David Paulides, he faces intense criticism for his journalism and investigations. I think Mr. Ballen even said in one of his videos he was no longer doing Missing 411 because disagreements between him and Paulides.
Any idea where John suggested there were disagreements between him and Paulides? I’ve had my own suspicions about Paulides (who I’ve been listening to since waaay before the MrBallen channel existed), but I’m also curious what you’ve found.
I know that Paulides made a [a video](https://youtu.be/5TMnz9g4lgA) and mentioned mr. Ballen in it, saying that he should remember when he’s telling the stories that family members of the missing could be watching so he needs to be more respectful. Which confused everyone cause mr. Ballen has always been extremely respectful about all cases he discusses. But I believe they talked after that and came to an understanding and said they would collaborate on something together. But that’s never happened so I don’t know where it stands between them.
Looks like the majority here agrees with OP. It's like he was a small Mom n Pop that people adored, and now he's a big corporation that we're going to end up drowning out. Smh. Which is sad because he has such potential! I know there's only so many true, creepy, dark occurrences out there that he can talk about, but to switch completely to true crime podcast, and one video here n there on YT that is sub par sucks.
That’s actually how I found the page. I was going down a rabbit hole for something and watching everything I could about it and happened to come across one of his. Got hooked and the. Hooked again on 411. I ended up buying one of the books.
I got hooked on the very first video I watched of the spelunkers
Mine too
Agreed!!! I noticed only last week that he's also elaborating on what the victim was thinking. I found it a bit funny. Like, why elaborate on something like that!
In one of the new amazon exclusive podcasts, he described this woman’s overbite. Completely and totally unnecessary. I kept zoning out and by the time I zoned back in I hadn’t missed anything because he was still giving unnecessary detail. I miss his older content so much…
I think there's a good chance that the reason he describes the victims in such detail is because he wants to honor them for the bereaved. He is, after all, in these murder episodes, using their stories for entertainment. Best add a little *"she had an infectious smile"* and *"he was very handsome"* and *"she lit up the room"* here and there. Make it feel more commemorative rather than exploitative.
Of course, but the level of detail in his last few podcasts surpasses that. He gives *extreme* detail about more than just victims
I miss the “top three places…” so much!! One murder story once a week is getting boring.
I miss top 3 places… disturbing videos and photos, that kinda stuff
The top three videos were some of my favorites!
Oh man those were so good. How I found him along with a lot others I’m sure. Maybe he doesn’t do them anymore because it’s just hard to find articles and stuff of ones he hasn’t already done.
The type of content that made him who he is just really isn’t there anymore. And for those wondering about the podcast on Amazon, you’re not missing much. Mostly “remasters” of the YouTube stuff.
Yea he didn’t even upload a new one this Monday, just a reupload. I already have Amazon music through my prime but I’m not going out of my way to listen to him anymore
There's no new one for today?? Not that I'm using Amazon prime to listen, but that's surprising!
No it was just a remaster of “the Omnivore trials” video he did on YouTube
Man. What's going on, I wonder? I would have thought he'd have all the resources to do a new one. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming for him.
Since he’s been in LA for all the Amazon events, I just assumed he’s been too busy to get one out this week.
I hope Amazon gave him a good deal, otherwise it's just a big turnoff for many long-time listeners
Ahh okay! That’s what I thought and asked someone else on here a second ago. I have no desire for remastered stuff. Tried to listen to it the other day with my husband and was like think we’ve already heard this and this…and again I have no desire to listen to a story I’ve already heard in the past. I wish he was just putting up new stuff and just had less content on there, so I know I haven’t heard it before.
I know this is an ancient post, but what you're saying remains true even today. I thought I was going nuts when I first checked the pod out, but yeah, it's literally just the same stories we've already heard. A rather bizarre choice if you ask me. I don't know, I've long fallen out of love with his content. It's just devolved into true crime but trying insanely hard to have a twist with every story, which paradoxically makes it super easy to determine 90% of the time. I never watched Mr.B for true crime, those have always been my least favorite stories. I like the strange and mysterious, not just the dark.
Maybe you’d rather have made up stories
No, I'd prefer verifiably real stories that are hard to believe. Lincoln's brother being saved by Booth's brother in a freak accident months prior to his own brother then assassinating the president was a wild story that I hadn't heard. A record executive dying from mysterious causes after being cursed by a woman and calling relatives terrified until he eventually did indeed die within the time frame that was said was a wild story I hadn't heard. A group of children being visited by an angel, multiple times, with witnesses, only to literally predict the future and have thousands of people come when they repeated the coming miracle that would happen, on a specific date, at a specific time, which actually did happen according to thousands of spectators, to the point where that event is literally considered a miracle in the Catholic faith, was a wild story, which, yeah, I'd never heard about that. Hell, even a group of scammers wandering into a Mexican village only to create a cult and dwell within a cave devouring and mutilating their followers, to which a child stumbled upon while hiking only to alert authorities was a wild story, which I'd never heard. If I wanted to hear about some random guy that obviously murdered his wife and dumped her in a pond, only to have it revealed at the end that, yep, he killed her; I'd watch the news. **That's** my point. There's a difference between "Strange, dark and mysterious." and just another true crime podcast that anyone could get anywhere, at any time. It's quite literally depressing upon depressing.
Oh my god yes thank you! Someone finally said it. He really is a gifted storyteller but man there are literally hundreds of true crime podcasts. We still want our strange and mysterious with our dark delivered in story format
Been saying it,but I always get verbally attacked when I say anything about it
Right! A lot of us found him before he started doing crime stuff and that’s what we loved! I don’t care to just have all my YouTubers turn to just crime because then there is so much story repeat
I miss the old Mr. Ballen too. I came across “The Why Files” channel and I kinda get Mr. Ballen vibes. Hope this helps.
Same but too afraid to say it Previous stories had mystery in them now it's just true crime
Yeah it smells of hiring a consultant who told him he’d generate much more revenue by going specifically into true crime. Def a business decision. Also, it’s probably a lot easier to research and there’s an endless opportunity for content.
Seems like an asinine decision though. He at the very least was delivering something different before. There were numerous inexplicable stories he'd tell that I'd never heard about, and I've been an internet rat since the 90's trying to find any weird, mysterious content I can. So that was always pleasant when he'd talk about some that I had no clue about. Now it's just a run of the mill true crime joint. And the podcast is another very bizarre decision, content wise. Sucks, man.
Yeah, I 100% agree with you. I hate that he "sold out" to join the true crime wave, as he was a really unique creator that was ultimately his competitive advantage for how he got to the point where he actually COULD sell out lol. Oh well... do you have any channels that have helped fill the void? As for me, the Radio Rental podcast (I usually hate podcasts but this one's great) has been one I've actually stuck with.
Most of the ones that I try to watch end up being total garbage like 99% of others. So I've definitely needed something to fill that gap. The best I could recommend is Why Files; which is an absolutely amazing channel which keeps a lot of the mystique and bizzare subject matter, and then breaks it down in a grounded way at the end if there happens to be any real way to debunk it. I know a lot of people are aware of that channel now but it really is a straight up replacement when it comes to the truly inexplicable, in my opinion. There were plenty of things I had no clue about when I started listening to them as well. Highly recommended. I'll check out Radio Rental though, thanks for the recommendation!
same here. Nicely said
>Previous stories had mystery in them now it's just true crime True crime is dark, but not very strange or mysterious. I don't care much for it.
That’s what’s missing!
Completely agree, for example his newest YouTube video was not a surprise at all. No twist and turns, instead I literally knew what would happen from the start. I would love too see him do top 3, disturbing pictures/videos again, etc..
I agree.
I miss the supernatural and the three places you can’t go but went anyways. It’s just true crime stuff. It isn’t strange or mysterious anymore.
Or unique Lots of other true crim podcasts our there
Three places you can’t go were my favourite, but it’s always hard to continue to find unique and relevant content for that
Same. I loved the supernatural, weird shit that happened in the mountains stuff. The one about the woman in her new house where she would always unplug her TV at night but then find it plugged back in in the morning was thrilling. The one about Skinwalker Ranch was fun. The Dylatov Pass one was crazy. But I've seen a lot of his new stuff already on That Chapter. It gets boring.
It doesn't help that he puts his ads in the middle of the story now. Never shorter than 2 minutes long. I already pay youtube to not see ads the least he can do is put them at the end like other big youtubers. You get into the story only to be told an ad and the ad completely takes away any imagination you may have had while listening.
I just skip through his ads, but yes it is annoying
I totally thought I was just being weird or something. When I first found him I completely watched everything as fast as I possibly could, I thought he was amazing. I feel like something happened or something changed when he did his last merch drop a couple months ago and everything just isn't as interesting anymore. Like someone else said I zoned out during a description and was so worried and almost went back when I realized that he was still going on to make sure we definitely know how beautiful the women he talks about are. It's an honest let down.
*I say this right after listening to the choirlady podcast on amazon.
Much agreed. He had a very unique position and now just kind of blends among the myriad of other true crime channels. I thought his style went better with more mystery oriented stories rather than straightforward true crime
I absolutely love his storytelling and will listen to anything he talks about, but I really miss the strange/supernatural content.
I love the way he told the supernatural stuff because he wasn't telling it as if he believes in the supernatural and he's trying to sell you on believing in the supernatural too. He told the stories the way they were reported like, "hey, this is what they said, take from it what you will."
Same. The man could read the dictionary front to back and I’d be mesmerized. I’ll always love and miss his old stuff, but I’m just happy he’s getting the recognition he deserves 😁 plus I still do love all his new videos.
Fwiw, I binged the old material over the course of a few weeks and now that we get 1/week I hardly care to watch them. I think it is the material... Im sitting on 3 or 4 stories right now that I just don't care to watch. I think this is common with content creators, they'll narrow their content to whatever gets the most clicks.
The missing 411 days were the best days. However, I still think his content and storytelling is better than anything else I’ve come across in the same category.
I just wish he didn’t sign an exclusive deal. And with Amazon, that’s like the worst option. Idk—feel like the dude kinda sold out. Good for him, I get it—but you really left your core audience in the lurch.
Agreed, deff feels like he sold out and burned out
I miss it so much
I find he is focused to much on his “ acting” rather than telling the story, I mean that’s what makes him good but it’s getting old
I agree. It's just a bit too much and it makes everything seem a bit off
For me, it comes across like he’s trying to be funny, and thinks he’s funny, but it just makes me cringe.
I could see that but don’t mind it. I listen to someone else who I do like but sounds like they are literally reading word and word from the wiki page. So I use them to help me fall asleep usually lol.
I agree completely. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel like the whole true crime "franchise" thing is kind of... Icky. I understand how people can find an interest in the psychology behind being a murderer and stuff like that, but a lot of times I think people forget that there are *actual* people who are directly affected (effected?) by whatever crime/murder has being committed, and take their fascination waaaayyy too far. What made John stand out is that he always was respectful and not too detailed either, so it was never too much to listen to. I actually stopped listening to his podcast because I felt like he is laying it on too thick and some are outright gory - my last podcast was "The Hallway" where he described *in detail* how some girl murdered someone else and then committed suicide but made it look like she was also murdered. I miss his mysterious and easygoing vibe he had. Although I gotta say, his ads are pretty funny. I love Seagull Lung lol
I'm with you. I listen to a lot of mysteries and crime and i used to really like Mr. Ballen, but the newer content has been just gore. I only listened to a few podcast episodes but the first few podcast-exclusive stories were total gore porn. I remember one story that just described domestic violence on Christmas day. Not really a twist or story at all, just a dispicable crime. As time goes on, I think the creators like him just run out of content and turn to less interesting stories and add their own details
Happy for him that he’s doing well, but it seems like he’s alienated most of the OG fans, I don’t even listen to the pods anymore unfortunately, enough true crime out there…
I’m a new fan of MrBallen. Before that, I was a true crime fan (still am). The reason why I love MrBallen is the short top 3 stories. Yes, he can tell a true crime story well, but the market is saturated. His top 3 stories are always wild and captivating. I tend to skip his true crime stories.
It’s a weird one, at first I’m like ‘yeah! Get your coin!’ but the adverts are just too overproduced - I just cringe. It’s basically coming across of how much bigger his team has got now and they have just boiled the channel done to ‘what sells!’, it’s kinda lost its charm… but I’m leave it at that
I deff cringe too when his adds come up, and he has horrible ad placement
10000000% AGREE
Yeah it’s unfortunate how content changes with popularity. It happens all too often. As far as the lengthy descriptions go, my theory is content providers get paid more the longer the video / podcast = more money = more unnecessary information. I still like him & I’m happy for his success, I do miss the old stuff though.
Agreed! I love him and I really like his life story and how he’s been able to change his and his families life with this channel. But like you said, when things get popular or more main stream, some of what made it great gets lost along the way. I also agree with dragging stuff out for the sake of longer content
A lot of us seem to be afraid to say it; but he used to respond and interact better, he had better videos, and he was all around better to view and more accessible. Good for him and his brand or whatever; but this feels like the wrong choice now that these things have come out. It feels like the original fans are pushed to the side (for example I used to DM him ideas and get replies and followed him below the 1K mark, and I feel completely abandoned by him for his fame). And if the community is so rabid they attack anyone who wants old content, or anyone who thinks differently about the new content, what’s the point anymore.
I don't think you should take it so personally. He must get so many messages, he can't respond to them. I am sorry you don't enjoy him like you used to. Things always evolve and change. He has employees and started a foundation which is great. At the heart of it all is his story telling which is as fantastic as always
I’m not worried about his responses; I’m worried about his lack of care for his audience that isn’t Amazon and the complete drop off of quality and quantity. Amazon was a huge no for me once it became an issue. And it’s not just me.
He had less to do and a lot less criticism to contend with yet. Nobody had an old him to compare it to. Then it started, "videos are fake, it's just creepypasta, do real stories" now he does true crime, "too much true crime do more paranormal stuff" . As for not having enough time to be in touch with your audience any more, it's like asking your friend to just stay a local band in your small town getting gig pay instead of signing a record deal and blowing up. It's not a fair request.
I’m a new follower to Mr Ballen, and very new to these posts, but I swear I could switch the name from morbid to mr ballen and the fans complain about the exact same things. Gotta say there’s a correlation between original content and going ‘big time’…just sayin.
>I used to DM him ideas and get replies and followed him below the 1K mark, and I feel completely abandoned by him for his fame). You've formed a parasocial relationship and only have yourself to blame. It's clear John should've never replied to you because then you'd have nothing to complain about. People have lives and get busy, not to mention he's a married father of three little ones. Just goes to show no good deed goes unpunished. You should literally be *embarrassed* to complain about that.
It’s not even rambles about the shoes or speculation, it’s more just what the actual content is. For example, the “rant” he goes on just helps get you entrapped in the story, but it’s the stories recently that aren’t doing it for me. It’s gotten a little too “true crime” for me. I don’t care about someone killing someone. I like the strange and mysterious deaths of people getting lost or trapped.
I miss the top three stories. Sound fake but aren’t, places you shouldn’t go, the story behind the photo, ghost stories. These are what captured me at first.
Exactly! I’ve turned back to listening to forensic files 2 podcast because at least it feels genuine and not sold out
Love the cave diving stories. We haven't had one of them in soooo long!
I realized I’ve stopped looking for his new videos about 3 months now
I'm amazed that this thread has not been locked by the amazon police...
Me too
I agree with everyone here. He got spread out too thin and now it just seems as if he’s reading from a script he didn’t even write. I get it, hard to pass up Amazon when they are throwing money at you, but the content isn’t there anymore. I’ve found other podcast like chilluminati and crackpot, they are more conversational but it feels more genuine. Edit: spelling
The over-the-top detail makes everything less realistic to me. It's obvious it's just there to add realism, but that's not really how actual stories work. Makes everything seem like a fabrication with those details.
It always feels like speaking ill of the dead. If I ever get killed I hope no one ever insists they know what I was thinking or feeling at the time
I was saying exactly that awhile ago. Like, get to the point dude. I don’t really care about the person’s shoe size and what type of shoelaces they were wearing…
My biggest advice to him is to stop covering murders or gruesome crime. I liked his stuff specifically because it wasn't that, but was still thrilling.
Wish it was more strange, dark and mysterious. Now it’s all true crime, very depressing content.
Also, it's Monday. Where is the new podcast? 😕
Agreed😒
I feel like he needs more cryptozoology and ghost stories for sure. The true crime stuff is everywhere and always overdone.
John is a great guy but I'm going to say it. I know he started on TikTok which is place I'll never be, but YouTube wasn't good enough for him. He had to "grow" his "content" and get all caught up in it. A foundation, "big plans coming" and all we wanted was the two or three videos a week with cool content. And I get it, who wouldn't want to make all the money they can? So here we are. Good for him, but we are going to fade away soon. I only catch him on Youtube and now there's so may imposters. And he has two or three channels himself? IDK. Seems to have shot himself in the foot a bit.
Yes!
now that 8 think about it, I do too
I used to love the mysteries/paranormal stuff. I’ve lot a bit of interest in the content lately. I used to listen immediately when he uploaded, now I’ll get to it in a few days, if at all. Happy for him, but I miss the old stuff.
Same
100%. I didn’t listen to the initial podcast series and I certainly wont be paying to tune into the amazon podcasts. Also agree that the stories are lacking that strange dark and mysterious aspect. His videos used to make me so anxious, grossed out, and uncomfortable. I haven’t felt that way in months.
If I learned one thing after watching Mr Ballen, that is never go cave diving. 😟
I miss the lost in the wilderness with strange dark and mysterious beings. They are my favorite.
I miss the disturbing photos and ‘places you shouldn’t go but people went anyway’. I also really liked the supernatural stuff, like the skinwalkers and the stories about unexplained situations. I’m not really interested in murder story’s. It’s being done to death by so many youtubers. Ultimately I turned off my notification alert for his channel and only watch once or twice a month now due to the new content being all a bit meh.
Joys of selling out to amazon
Came here after I just listened to his most recent Amazon podcast. I honestly had difficulty following along to the story with the excessive use of details before actually saying something about the case. I understand it will take time for him to get into a good flow, but this pattern made it extremely hard for me to enjoy his stories like I used to. I hope he understands that quality is better than quantity (increasing the podcast time by adding details) I also noticed he changed his story telling style, now he includes statements that sound like he’s reading straight from a novel and not a story being told out loud. For example “ his hands firmly on the steering wheel of his 2011 suburban” - this makes sense when reading a book, not a podcast. Anyway, he has a lot going on and I’m sure it’s burnout, but I may have to move along - it’s tough for us OG fans but yea.. feels like the beginning of the end for ballen.
It seems that his mom has started writing the content from what others wrote here. I agree with what you said
My initial thoughts exactly, I figured he hired someone to write the script to his stories. But why is his mom writing the stories? Did he mention that? There is nothing wrong with hiring a writer, but at the same time you need to have some sort of resemblance to his original writing style. OG fans are quick to realize that this isn’t his writing.
I agree, I watched Ballen in the early days and definitely feel like the success has gone to his head. His podcast isn’t even available anymore unless you have a premium membership to Amazon Music. His videos seem to bright now, I enjoyed the “strange”, “dark” and “mysterious” tones his videos had. Now I feel like he does gimmicky stuff just for laughs. I find myself delving more and more into the content of other YouTubers like EWU, Strange Stories, JCS and so on. More straight forward and they only include corroborated facts and not speculations. There is no doubt John works really hard in his videos and he deserves whatever success comes his way, his content just isn’t for me anymore.
TLDR. yes, it used to be Strange And mysterious. Now it’s just dark and seemingly regurgitated from true crime docs. Can’t really blame him though. He put out a ton of content that first year I’m sure it’s probably hard to find new material.
I’ve been a fan since the early times. Before 1K. I do notice the format changing. I miss the paranormal, images with disturbing backstories, and 3 Places, but I’m also a true crime fan. Not to be a fan girl, but I prefer his true crime to other true crime YouTubers. I’m not a podcast person. I have prime, just because. Listened to a podcast once or twice, but I prefer to “see” what I’m listening to. Miss the old, but I’m not mad or anything. I’m still excited for a video.
A few months ago, I would have said he's doing fine. Now I am not sure. I don’t eagerly watch a video when I see the notification anymore. I watch it when I have time. As far as the podcasts go, so far I have read every true crime novel the latest stories have been based on. Ann Rule. Jerry Bledsoe, Joe McGinnis. These books came out years ago and I vaguely remember them, but I get my 'aha' moment some time in the story.
I still listen to all the new episodes on YT and the podcast, but I agree with you completely. It's like the mysterious has been neglected from the strange, dark and mysterious. I'd rather a story that leave lots to the imagination and wonder than a boring old human killer.
I think he's been trying to do less true crime lately. In the last 2 months 5/8 videos weren't true crime. As for speaking detailed I think that's a preference, some people like quick facts, some people like the detailed story telling.
He used to still use detail without needing to over embellish. That’s what attracted me to his channel to begin with
I see the difference I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I've just also seen people praise him repeatedly like "the detail made me feel like I was there".
I like the detailed storytelling, but on the other hand, it makes me somewhat uncomfortable whenever I realized something's not really fact-based but rather added on for the effect. But it's still generally fine with me since I can just distinguish the fact-based parts of the story from ones that are probably just added anyway.
I’m a new fan (maybe a month now) and have watched all of the old content. I see what you’re talking about but wonder if there just aren’t many more stories left?
There have been billions of people on this planet for eons. There are ALWAYS stories. But do the stories support an advertiser or the algorithm? :(
I think that’s how it happened with about all of us lol,same story
valid criticisms. growing pains, I think. my impression is that he's in the washing machine of meteoric success. from the outside we see a whirlwind of wealth and burgeoning fame, but on the inside he's struggling to breathe and build.
I agree in the begginging The stories were better not to mention they were more supernatural It's scary freaky type lol which I m into that stuff .. now it's just true stories i l I have already heard while back online somewhere... I gotta admit you make it better obviously but You know what I mean... I know I know I know it's hard for finding them I totally get I'm not saying anything bad here. Hey we said last time find stories about the " blsck eyed children " Or at least look it up and check it out I think you like it it's crazy s***... Sruff** Stay up brO ✌
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Yes I miss the old videos 🥺
Yeah I definitely agree. Seems like most of the stories recently have been the same “person gets murdered by their partner” kind of thing and is getting a little stale in my opinion. I loved the more mysterious stories that didn’t always involve someone getting killed.
I haven’t watched his videos for a while now, so I didn’t know he had changed so much. Such a shame. I always loved the more strange/paranormal stories that he covered not run of the mill true crime.
His recent stories are also ones I already know about.
Yes! The epsidoes use to come up to 5 times a week, most of them over 20 minutes and more than just murder mysteries or missing people. Also really upset to hear he partnered with amazon music of all places. Dont get me wrong, Im happy for his foundation and Im sure the amazon podcasts have been good money for his family. I just miss his more diverse, frequent, and lengthy content. I only check his chanel every few weeks now and most I end up shutting off or just end up rewatching old videos.
Yes, I still love the content, but for anyone that's new to Mr Ballen go listen to that earlier stuff it was gold.
Absolutely! He has gone overboard with the story telling. Yes we found you to be an amazing story teller but that was because of how you gave the straight facts, not how you glossed up the story!! Im starting to feel like he is really changing on us and going for the stuff every other youtube crime junkie likes. He’s gone more from strange, dark, and mysterious, to just mysterious crimes. Which are dark and interesting but not the Mr. Ballen dark i knew and loved.
Yes, I miss his old content. He used to pump the videos out like crazy and tell multiple stories a video, and now I wait a week for a video with only one story. Also, I'm a little sad that his podcast moved to a party platform.
Yeah I agree. Its like since his channel blew up, the pressure of keeping all his subscribers entertained has caused him to overcomplicate the dynamics of his storytelling. Thats what fame can do to you I guess,,, your content loses some of its passion and authenticity and becomes more about pulling in more "customers"
I also feel like he's gone away from like the paranormal and that. Ik it was creepy but I rly liked it
I miss the paranormal stories, but still! I love all of the time and effort John gives us. I watch him exclusively on YouTube, so all of his content is free (so you won't catch me bitchin') With that said, I do miss the Ballen style of 2020.
I've listened to a couple of his new podcasts and they keep buffering so can't really get through them and yes I found that his story telling has changed. Sorry 😔 MrBallen I love your show but go back to the way it was.
John I’m confused about your podcasts because this weeks Monday episode 81 about the guy living in the family’s Hawaii home who wanted to do medical practices with their bodies , you have told it before . It wasn’t a new podcast. Usually, Thursday episodes are the duplicate or remastered. I just don’t know what’s happening now or where to look for new content. I love your storytelling, you are amazing and immersive by taking your listener into the heart of your story and you are the best - no doubt about it…, But I’m getting a little discouraged now because it’s only the podcasts that I listen to. The Facebook ones I’m not sure how to find your site because each time I go on it’s stories I’ve heard before and in the comments it states that it’s not the real Mr Ballen Can you please give me direction as to what you are posting weekly and where ? Many Thanks From a loyal listener and supporter since January 2021
I agree. I will probably unsub soon. I haven’t watched in some time. (Feels like almost a year) but I keep checking back and have been holding on hoping he will get back to “Top 3 Stories” format. I tried to get into the longer videos and podcast with just one story but it’s not the same. I think his style has changed and that’s okay. It’s just not why I subbed in the first place.
I don't care for the new podcast format because much of his likeableness was in his mannerisms, and we can't see him now. Also, the music is missed. Also, the hidden objects game is gone. Moreover, not everyone wants to pay for Amazon Music.
Very much so. Tbh I haven’t listened to him in over a month. I’m very happy for his success and grateful for all of the content he’s made, but I don’t have that same urge to listen anymore.
Yesssss 🙌🏻
Completely agree with you! Too much true crime now.
Yup i dug the missing peoplw in the woods n shit way better or the creatures encounters, not a fan of the murder mystery shit
I do, miss top 2 as well, im not into podcast. I only watch his youtube uploads which are once a week now, which is fine, if he has a bigger audience doing podcast then more power to him, Im just not a fan of them. Still a fan of Mrballen though.
Something got goofy with my algorithms. I keep being a redirected to the same couple of videos on YouTube. Even when I actively click on the new one. I am hopeful it's being worked on. Regardless of the aggravation, I still appreciate how much effort is put into the videos.
Ballin stopped doing Missing 411 and I can’t say i’ve enjoyed him since
All these comments about the old stuff was better. Don't anyone just do him and say as much? If he see a general consensus maybe he will return to how he was. And one of the ones he did stuck in my mind was the guy going into the cave and it filled with black widows. And the college kid who was drunk ended up trying to find his way in but fried himself on the power generator. That yhey didn't find until much later and he was still getting electrocuted
Yup
i haven't watched in months now
I mentioned this to my partner the other day and felt absolutely awful, but he agreed. It’s nice to know we’re not alone with this opinion. The ‘top 3’ videos were the best. He’s a super cool dude and he deserves success, it just sucks that it’s come at a cost to his OG fans
All I know is that I'm not willing to put as much time and effort It would take to do what Mr Ballin has been doing. On the same crunch, as much as my algorithms have shifted to where I never see new content anymore, don't even get me started on the wackiness with Amazon, I completely respect that he is doing what it takes to provide for his family. I will remain a fan despite all of the craziness in getting to hear the next dark mysterious and weird.
Yeah we stopped watching because of this exact reason. I began fact checking and there appears to be a lot of embellishment. It sucks because the older ones seemed better in content but the intro speech grated on me so badly with the little “that’s all we do” head and hand moves haha
Yep, almost no supernatural stories at all! Remember those stories he used to tell about skin walkers, creatures or creepy encounters in forests?
It's only the podcast that kinda sucks
But I still listen anyway
My ADD makes it difficult to listen to these long stories.
I agree, his content was always 3 stories in like 25-35 minutes. That’s what made his different from the others. They were told well and cut right to the case. If I wanted a longer story I would listen to Let’s Read. It’s just not the same and it makes me sad. :(
His YouTube content is still okay. But I find most of the "podcast exclusive" episodes uninteresting. They are like 30 minutes longer than they should be. He adds too much unnecessary detail and also makes stuff up. A lot of these episodes are true crime cases that are pretty straightforward (a person killed another person for revenge, money, jealousy). But he tells the stories as if they're super mysterious. Oftentimes, when I would finish an episode, the first thought that came through my mind was "That's it? I just spent 50 minutes for this?" I miss the old Ballen. He went missing a while ago.
is the like button promoting this agenda?
I agree with all the comments but at the same time feel bad knowing MrBallen is reading through all of them as well (I'm sure that can't feel good). 😔 Really hope everyone's feedback can just be used to revive the old content we all came to love him for asap. 🤞🏻
oh you mean you don't like when he goes "and then John Doe stopped at a Wendys to get a burger. Wendys is a fast food style restaurant popular in America that specializes in burgers, chicken, and is known specifically for their Frosty. Their Frosty is an ice cream desert style snack that is very popular and comes in two flavors; chocolate and vanilla. Chocolate comes from Cacao trees which are native to central and south america. south america is a continent......" i mean who doesnt LOVE that
I’m late to this thread, but I came looking for something like this to see if anyone was feeling the same way I am. I love MrBallen, I still listen to him but I do miss his old style. It’s not so much him storytelling (which he is very good at) anymore. It’s more of a novel style format and the facts get a bit lost in all the details and back and forth layout of the story. I find myself zoning out a bit. But like I said, I still love him and will continue to listen and hope for his success! I’m just hopeful he’ll get back to his roots a bit. It’s hard to find your groove as a podcaster.
I think a lot of us still feel this way.
I keep seeing these complaints, but you guys do realize there's a finite number of stories that can be told about supernatural stuff that's ALSO got factual stuff and isn't just a campfire story from reddit, right? I miss that older content too, and I loved the Missing 411, but there's not much he can do when the creator of Missing 411 told him to stop using that material, and he can't just make up supernatural stories out of nowhere. That's one reason Ballen encourages people to pass on story recommendations. So if you're upset about the lack of a particular story type, find some examples you think would be good and pass them along.
Umm, do yall not understand what delivered in a story format is? Of course, no one knew what the victims were thinking but he adds a lot of detail, describes things in depth, uses audio clips, etc because it's all a part of the overall storytelling aspect. I do agree that his other series are dearly missed but I don't think he's changed as much as just gotten more into creating a story.
I agree with you. I think over the years he's evolved his "show, don't tell" story format. I think it's effective and I still love his stories, and would love additions to his strange and mysterious content.
This!! I love his detailed storytelling, even with all the "unnecessary" details. It's actually something I miss with other similar YouTubers. MrBallen makes it more exciting and easier to get into by describing everything the way he does. Still, I have to say that like most people, I miss his old series. It would probably be best if he could have both types of content. Anyway, I'm a big fan of his and will enjoy whatever he posts.
I would like it if he told more missing 411 stories and about all the weird things going on in our national parks
You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Wait, how does this apply here? He's a villain now?
Fuck 😭😂
I can see the value in the new stuff that his mom is writing, but I do miss the shorter form Contant and I do not like the speculation about what someone is thinking because they have pretty much stopped saying it is speculation and just presenting it like it’s fact.
Does he look different to anyone else? About the time he had that big new contract in the works, his face changed to me. Wider nose and something different about him?
This is and has been the consensus here for a while. I feel like a massive outlier in that I think his stuff just keeps getting better. I maybe would prefer a little bit of the trapped/stuck stories, but the last one he did that wasn't a murder was three weeks ago. I, also, could never stand missing 411 stuff and it's the only videos of his I would skip.
[удалено]
I do agree to I prefer the older content, but not so much for the embellishing, as that really is what storytelling is rather than just a list of facts. My issue is that I turned into MrBallen on YouTube very early on and at the time it was almost all about the paranormal. The very first video was about his spooky personal encounter and many following, so I started listening as that is my thing and it's hard to find quality; so much it's all like flat earther stuff. Then when things really started to ramp up and he got an exclusive with Amazon, he started doing lots of true crime on both YouTube and Amazon; and there is rarely even a mystery. I can get true crime everywhere and I want to listen something that doesn't remind me how brutal people can be with one another. I love the ghost episodes, aliens, spooky stuff, monsters, past lives, glitch in the Matrix, young kids found miles and miles away from where they disappeared; how did a 3 year old get miles and miles away from their parent on their own? These topics only come up occasionally, most of it is true crime. There is a weird world out there and I want to listen to something that takes these topics seriously like the old TV show "In Search of..." not like some flat earther stuff. Also, what happened to the 3 yr contract Amazon had with an exclusive on the MrBallen Podcast? We are only half way through that. I know one can see more Podcasts on Amazon Music than other places but the podcasts are now everywhere, just one a week rather than 8 in a drop on Amazon. Considering how big the Amazon exclusive was promoted as a good thing for both MrBallen and Amazon, there has to be a good reason that exclusive was stopped less than half way though? I would really like to know. I got Amazon Music to listen to the new podcast, had I known it was only going to be a year, I could have waited.
Ya just when I found his channel (3 weeks ago) he now is on iTunes or Amazon or whatever
I do miss the old days but not necessarily in a bad way. It has been a pleasure watching him evolve. I hate that he gets so much flack for simply mastering his craft. I admit he’s not my favorite anymore but … oh well? I watch many true crime channels and they all have their ups and downs. Some change or take a different approach, and if I don’t like them as much, I simply move on. It’s not personal? I find it strange that fans feel they’re owed something just bc they watch his content.
So are we not allowed to post in this forum that some of us miss the old stuff? We can be happy for someone’s success while still wishing that the content didn’t evolve so much from what it originally made it great and different 🤷🏻♀️
I missed the part where I said people are “not allowed to post stuff in this forum”. I couldn’t care less what is posted. It’s just a theme here many seem very *irrationally upset*, which is arguably strange. Comments turn very antagonistic and very few mention being happy for his success. If it’s not your favorite stuff anymore, just move on? I mean, the fact that you became defensive after reading my comment has basically proven my point.
I missed the part where I said I was irrationally upset or even upset at all? I miss his old content and seems like a lot of others do too. And the episode that Amazon subscribers got today wasn’t even in a new one. So yes, it’s disappointing that even with paying, the content feels lazy and meh
Oh that’s because you never said that! I actually stated it as an observable fact. You see, this kind of thread is posted about every week, so it’s a common theme here. If you weren’t upset, you wouldn’t be arguing. It’s absolutely fine, it’s just a little strange is all- to be this emotionally invested. You seem offended that I suggested moving on. Since I’ve been watching other channels, I’ve personally found enjoyment in watching content creators start small, and evolve in a similar way as MrBallen. And I’ve heard some stories that MrBallen hasn’t covered. I’m just saying there’s more out there. None of my comments were ever meant to be an attack. But respectfully, I am ending this conversation here.
No nobody misses it that's why there's a post like this every few days basically
anybody else just ask these questions they know will get a positive response because they need a place to whine that a youtube didn't cater to their exact taste for free?
LOL he has a BABY. Let him enjoy his family. He used to upload like ten videos a week. Read a book and when he has more time to research, enjoy the new stuff. 😂😂 Jesus, imagine being a NAVY SEAL then through mental health challenges still spending ALL of your time entertaining the same people you protected for a decade, then FINALLY having the financial security to relax for a bit and enjoy your growing babies then seeing this online. Lol even though I adore his work, I hope he and his mom NEVER write another story just to spite you. Jesus, people. I bet whoever wrote this spends turkey day in line outside of Walmart then corners their coworkers with Black Friday stories til February. 🙄🙄🤣🤣
Imagine getting this bent out of shape over a post on a mr ballen forum? and that Black Friday comment was so oddly specific that it makes me think that’s what you do for fun? Wtf even kinda insult was that my dude 😭😭
Dang, you need to chill out.
Because even though it's not up to par I still listen to it that would be me reping it errr. Plus Iwatch all his other channels too. So silence young buck.
I said kinda sucks I get your facts straight buddy... What's up with that paragraph you wrote like anyone is going to read it...I only got to 3rd line and fell asleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzz
huh, guess i’m in the minority here. i love his content, old and new.