This Alaska Life

1
aulty

aulty

Chatty Member
An Alaskan family of 6 with the mum, Lauren, vlogging their adventures and weekly Costco haul. It started out being mostly about Costco and local grocery stores and how much pricier everything is in Alaska. But nowadays she regularly shows what they are up to as a family - they are a fairly active bunch, hunting, fishing, outdoorsy stuff. Their side channel (AlaskaBoys, about the dad and their sons' adventures) hasn't been updated in a while. I think they are a pleasant watch - their boys are on camera fair bit, but as far as I can see as willing participants.

They are currently pregnant with twin girls and Lauren is doing some content about it (I don't doubt its getting her views and subscribers but I think at this point it is also very carthatic. By the latest video there are major problems with her pregnancy. I am very nervous for them). They want/ed to do a virtual baby shower (everything is a bit in the air now with the complications) and I am amazed how many people have sent them gifts. They are at 50k followers at the moment and there is hardly any sponsored content.

https://www.youtube.com/@ThisAlaskaLife

I've never followed someone like this 'from the beginning' and I am interested to see how/if their content changes once they hit the big numbers. But for now, I just hope there isn't bad news.
 
aulty said:
An Alaskan family of 6 with the mum, Lauren, vlogging their adventures and weekly Costco haul. It started out being mostly about Costco and local grocery stores and how much pricier everything is in Alaska. But nowadays she regularly shows what they are up to as a family - they are a fairly active bunch, hunting, fishing, outdoorsy stuff. Their side channel (AlaskaBoys, about the dad and their sons' adventures) hasn't been updated in a while. I think they are a pleasant watch - their boys are on camera fair bit, but as far as I can see as willing participants.

They are currently pregnant with twin girls and Lauren is doing some content about it (I don't doubt its getting her views and subscribers but I think at this point it is also very carthatic. By the latest video there are major problems with her pregnancy. I am very nervous for them). They want/ed to do a virtual baby shower (everything is a bit in the air now with the complications) and I am amazed how many people have sent them gifts. They are at 50k followers at the moment and there is hardly any sponsored content.

https://www.youtube.com/@ThisAlaskaLife

I've never followed someone like this 'from the beginning' and I am interested to see how/if their content changes once they hit the big numbers. But for now, I just hope there isn't bad news.
Click to expand...
One of the babies has died unfortunately. When I first came across them I quite like them, but they are clickbaiting the hell out of this pregnancy (aka making money out of it) and I also think that it's beyond disgusting that a family who clearly live very comfortably held an online baby shower. Greedy grifters.
 
MrsSlocombe said:
One of the babies has died unfortunately. When I first came across them I quite like them, but they are clickbaiting the hell out of this pregnancy (aka making money out of it) and I also think that it's beyond disgusting that a family who clearly live very comfortably held an online baby shower. Greedy grifters.
Click to expand...
yeah, finally someone to talk to about this YTer 👋

The baby shower thing irked me too. There sure were a lot of people asking for it, and I even saw comments (after she lost the one baby) asking whether she would go forward with the virtual baby shower and that they were waiting for confirmation before sending something - which I took as 'I am not sending something unless I get a mention and a thank you in a video'. Family vloggers attract a weird crowd. Plus, they are Mormons (I think) and get some religious folk as well (although tbf they don't mention religious stuff much. The comment sections on the other hand, make me very sweaty, they can get very prayer circle).
Did you see how much stuff was on their Target and Amazon baby list? At least they are donating the surplus.
 
aulty said:
yeah, finally someone to talk to about this YTer 👋

The baby shower thing irked me too. There sure were a lot of people asking for it, and I even saw comments (after she lost the one baby) asking whether she would go forward with the virtual baby shower and that they were waiting for confirmation before sending something - which I took as 'I am not sending something unless I get a mention and a thank you in a video'. Family vloggers attract a weird crowd. Plus, they are Mormons (I think) and get some religious folk as well (although tbf they don't mention religious stuff much. The comment sections on the other hand, make me very sweaty, they can get very prayer circle).
Did you see how much stuff was on their Target and Amazon baby list? At least they are donating the surplus.
Click to expand...
I didn't look at their list because the whole thing disgusted me so much. And yay finding someone else to talk about them as well. Nice to meet you.
Do you happen to watch a channel called the Outdoor Boys? Huge channel - 5.3 million subscribers. The guy does extreme fishing/ hiking/ camping type adventures, often with his three kids. I'm torn between thinking it's amazing, but also thinking that it's totally crazy in relation to safety - if he's remote camping with his 4 year old kid, what happens if he has an accident or medical emergency etc? Does he have the kids fully trained to be able to contact emergency help etc?
 
MrsSlocombe said:
Do you happen to watch a channel called the Outdoor Boys? Huge channel - 5.3 million subscribers. The guy does extreme fishing/ hiking/ camping type adventures, often with his three kids. I'm torn between thinking it's amazing, but also thinking that it's totally crazy in relation to safety - if he's remote camping with his 4 year old kid, what happens if he has an accident or medical emergency etc? Does he have the kids fully trained to be able to contact emergency help etc?
Click to expand...
I think I've watched a couple of their videos and got the impression the children weren't always that keen. Good point about safety.
In the past I thought that on TAL she usually films stuff (adventures) that they do anyway instead of going somewhere just for content - she does that sometimes with other thinks, like certain shops or the fast food tour, but not with trips or hunts they do with the children. And there were a few comments that indicated that they take stuff like teaching the kids about gun safety and stuff like that seriously (and there are hunting courses for children in Alaska) and teaching them how to handle the boats.
Returning to the safety aspect - I remember a video with Mark taking Hunter for a caribou shoot in the plane. I assume if something happened the older lads know how to use the plane radio to try an contact someone, but if they can't they are sitting ducks. That would actually be an interesting video for them to make, what they teach their children about safety.
 
aulty said:
I think I've watched a couple of their videos and got the impression the children weren't always that keen. Good point about safety.
In the past I thought that on TAL she usually films stuff (adventures) that they do anyway instead of going somewhere just for content - she does that sometimes with other thinks, like certain shops or the fast food tour, but not with trips or hunts they do with the children. And there were a few comments that indicated that they take stuff like teaching the kids about gun safety and stuff like that seriously (and there are hunting courses for children in Alaska) and teaching them how to handle the boats.
Returning to the safety aspect - I remember a video with Mark taking Hunter for a caribou shoot in the plane. I assume if something happened the older lads know how to use the plane radio to try an contact someone, but if they can't they are sitting ducks. That would actually be an interesting video for them to make, what they teach their children about safety.
Click to expand...
I just saw on youtube that there is a notification about baby shower part two.
 
Yes, she mentioned she ran out of time in the first live because people sent so much stuff. Who are those people and are they as generous with their local charity as they are with a random Youtuber? Those parasocial SM relationships are so weird.
 
I feel bad for saying this: I will not watch her latest video about the twin they lost, I don't want to be a grief tourist and I am over YTers sobbing at the camera for content. I know videos like that can help others on their grief journey, but it's not for me.
 
aulty said:
I feel bad for saying this: I will not watch her latest video about the twin they lost, I don't want to be a grief tourist and I am over YTers sobbing at the camera for content. I know videos like that can help others on their grief journey, but it's not for me.
Click to expand...
I agree, it's a private moment.
 
aulty said:
I feel bad for saying this: I will not watch her latest video about the twin they lost, I don't want to be a grief tourist and I am over YTers sobbing at the camera for content. I know videos like that can help others on their grief journey, but it's not for me.
Click to expand...
I confess that I did watch it, but it also annoys the hell out of me that youtubers make money out of content like that - they seem to lose a healthy perspective of personal and private moments. Did you watch the recent vlog about Mark and Hunter with the plane issues - they could have died, but hey it's nothing but a money making opportunity. When Mark finally got home he had to go in the house holding a camera so their 'tender embrace' could be filmed. That's total BS.
 
MrsSlocombe said:
Did you watch the recent vlog about Mark and Hunter with the plane issues - they could have died, but hey it's nothing but a money making opportunity. When Mark finally got home he had to go in the house holding a camera so their 'tender embrace' could be filmed. That's total BS.
Click to expand...
Yes, now that you remind me that might have been the video that tipped me over. Also, remember when Mark was on the moose hunt and the emergency signal on their phone was triggered and she kept milking that in a video. Both very scary situations and I understand that she was worried and that Mark was rattled, and of course she can share it if they want to, but the Roland Emmeric version is a bit much.
 
aulty said:
Yes, now that you remind me that might have been the video that tipped me over. Also, remember when Mark was on the moose hunt and the emergency signal on their phone was triggered and she kept milking that in a video. Both very scary situations and I understand that she was worried and that Mark was rattled, and of course she can share it if they want to, but the Roland Emmeric version is a bit much.
Click to expand...
She's really pushing out the vlogs these days - every day when Mark was hunting for a week and every day during their cruise. I know that the cruise ones would be to write off all of their costs, but I kind of wonder if they have some money issues?
 
MrsSlocombe said:
She's really pushing out the vlogs these days - every day when Mark was hunting for a week and every day during their cruise. I know that the cruise ones would be to write off all of their costs, but I kind of wonder if they have some money issues?
Click to expand...
You make another good point. I bet they got a bump in revenue with documenting the pregnancy (plus all the things they got via the baby shower recipe) and are now trying to ride the wave. Def aiming for that 100k. I am surprised she doesn't do more sponsored videos.
TBH I don't think Mark's income alone can support a family that size, with that many hobbies, three cars, a plane and a boat ... imho there is always that very noticable point with YTers when they go from 'this is a fun bit of side-work' to 'I'm gonna make money off this' and where they realise what they can get away with as a write off.
Oh, will you look at this, they are in Hawaii now.
 
aulty said:
You make another good point. I bet they got a bump in revenue with documenting the pregnancy (plus all the things they got via the baby shower recipe) and are now trying to ride the wave. Def aiming for that 100k. I am surprised she doesn't do more sponsored videos.
TBH I don't think Mark's income alone can support a family that size, with that many hobbies, three cars, a plane and a boat ... imho there is always that very noticable point with YTers when they go from 'this is a fun bit of side-work' to 'I'm gonna make money off this' and where they realise what they can get away with as a write off.
Oh, will you look at this, they are in Hawaii now.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with you about that noticaeable point about money making and write offs. They used to airbnb her parent's apartment over winter and they won't have done that for two years now, so they will be replacing that income I guess? They do rely heavily on Violet for content and income though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top