[0:00] This is Doug DeMuro, and today I'm going [0:03] to talk through my six worst moments as [0:07] a car YouTuber. The worst things that I [0:10] love this job. It is absolutely [0:12] wonderful and fantastic and rewarding. [0:15] It is not always great and amazing. [0:18] There have been bad things that have [0:20] happened, and I'm going to walk you [0:22] through the six worst things that have [0:24] happened since I've done this job. [0:30] >> Summer travel hits different when you've [0:32] got the right car. And this summer with [0:34] the World Cup packing airports across [0:36] the country, the rental counter is going [0:38] to be a mess. Long lines, picked over [0:40] lots, and whatever car is left. There's [0:42] a better way. Turo is the better way to [0:45] rent whenever you need a car. With Turo, [0:48] I can choose the exact car I want, pick [0:50] it up where it's most convenient for me, [0:52] and keep it for as long as I need. And [0:54] renting a car on Turo is super easy. [0:56] Type in your airport, filter for exactly [0:58] what you want, SUV, all-wheel drive, EV, [1:01] something fun, whatever, and book. You [1:03] get that exact car, no or similar [1:06] surprises. I'm going to Boston this [1:08] week, and we've rented a Ford Focus RS, [1:10] something actually fun and cool. And [1:12] it's not just a Ford Focus or similar, [1:14] it's actually the car that I want. [1:17] So, for anyone traveling soon for [1:19] summer, Turo is available at over 170 [1:21] airports across the US and Canada. You [1:23] can also have it delivered to your home [1:25] or hotel, saving you time and making [1:27] things super convenient. So, this [1:29] summer, rent a summer-ready car, not a [1:31] rental car. Book yours at the link [1:33] below. [1:34] >> Okay, so the worst uh parts, worst [1:37] moments of car YouTube. A couple years [1:39] ago, I think I made a video about the [1:40] worst things that have happened to me [1:41] while filming. This one is a bit [1:43] broader. I I'm really getting into like [1:45] the stuff that that has specifically [1:47] made this job hard, not just camera, you [1:49] know, and and that kind of thing, but [1:51] like really actually, like this is a fun [1:53] job, and there's a lot of amazing parts, [1:55] and you might not imagine [1:57] uh as you the viewer that there are hard [1:59] things but there have been. So I've kind [2:01] of organized six [2:03] rather difficult things. Some were very [2:04] specific on this list and some are just [2:06] a little bit generic and all [2:08] encompassing of a time period or stuff [2:10] that happened. So regardless these are [2:11] my worst moments. It's It's been [2:13] interesting to compile this list and [2:15] kind of relive them. It's actually been [2:16] a little bit cathartic to do so [2:18] and to just talk about it a little which [2:20] I'll do with you now. So I've actually [2:22] more or less ranked these starting with [2:25] court of the the less worse moments [2:27] right on up to the worst moments I've [2:29] had. Starting with the first one. For [2:31] for years mean comments from people were [2:34] very difficult. I don't think that you [2:38] can truly understand how difficult it [2:41] can be to deal with mean people on the [2:44] internet unless you have spent time on [2:47] the internet dealing with the general [2:49] public like a YouTuber or a TikToker [2:54] has. I think that there is a general [2:56] thought among people that dealing with [2:58] mean comments is hard and I think people [3:01] have that feeling and I think there's a [3:03] little bit of empathy towards content [3:05] creators because of that. I don't think [3:07] you can quite understand just how [3:09] difficult it is unless you have actually [3:12] done it. It is especially hard when you [3:14] are little and when you are trying and [3:17] when you are starting off and when you [3:19] are uncertain and anxious and you're [3:21] confused about what to do to get biting [3:26] difficult mean rude comments from people [3:29] who are faceless. People who are total [3:31] cowards unwilling to show their name or [3:34] show their face or say who they are. [3:36] And on Twitter when I used to use [3:38] Twitter I stopped replying to people who [3:39] didn't have a location in their Twitter. [3:41] It's like you're not a real. I don't [3:42] believe it. Because I just it was just [3:45] like you are so anonymous that I just [3:47] don't I'm not going to do it. And I [3:50] don't think people understand how hard [3:53] that can be. Now, it is easy for me now [3:56] to do it. I have made a lot of money. I [3:59] have gotten a lot of views. [4:00] I have gotten validated that I'm good. [4:03] Like so no matter what people say, it [4:05] isn't going to change it isn't going to [4:07] be able to reframe that I know that I'm [4:09] good, that I'm successful. I got 2 [4:11] billion views. To this day I still get [4:13] people who say, "Doug DeMuro is the [4:15] worst. He's so terrible. He has horrible [4:17] car reviews." I'll read this stuff and [4:18] it's like, "Well, 2 billion people. [4:21] 2 billion views on my content." [4:24] I'm not saying you're wrong, [4:27] but I'm also saying like I think I I [4:29] think maybe it doesn't appeal to you, [4:31] right? But there are people AND THERE'S [4:34] A LOT OF THEM. [4:36] And I've tried to make that point [4:38] mentally to myself when I get those [4:40] comments. And I don't even have to make [4:41] the point to myself anymore because it [4:43] doesn't worry me. I don't get hurt by it [4:46] anymore. But there was a time when it [4:48] was tremendously difficult not to let [4:51] things like that have an effect on [4:53] myself, on my psyche. There were very [4:56] dark days. There were very hard moments [4:58] where you're thinking about as a [5:00] creator, you're getting a small number [5:03] of views on this article, on this video [5:05] and you're thinking, "Should I give up? [5:07] Should I stop doing this?" And you get a [5:09] bad comment that is said in a mean way [5:11] by someone and you're it just sends you [5:14] even further down that spiral. And um [5:17] >> [snorts] [5:17] >> it's tough. [5:19] It really really really is tough. And [5:22] those some of those early days and some [5:24] of the mean stuff that was said, I think [5:26] a lot of people just don't um [5:28] view content creators as real people. I [5:30] just straight up. I think that's the [5:32] wholesale truth is that a lot of people [5:33] just think they can say mean stuff [5:35] because this guy's on a screen and he it [5:37] doesn't matter. He's not a person. He's [5:39] not a person that I know. And you see [5:41] this on Reddit. Every single month on [5:43] the Reddit and the cars section there is [5:45] a post, "Which car YouTubers do you [5:48] hate? And even though there are strict [5:50] rules in that section about saying mean [5:53] things and being offensive and bad [5:54] language toward your fellow Redditors, [5:57] it's totally okay for thousands of posts [6:00] to come out saying trashing me and all [6:02] of my friends. Some of whom use Reddit [6:04] are right there in the post. [6:06] Uh it's totally okay because the [6:08] moderators and the users have decided [6:10] that these are not real people and that [6:12] it is okay for for very mean things to [6:15] be said. And it's I'm not just talking [6:16] about like, oh, I think he could have [6:18] done this better. Oh, I think I'm [6:19] talking about some of my fellow viewers [6:21] get comments about their weight. All of [6:23] us get comments about our voice. We all [6:26] have annoying voices. It's tough. And um [6:29] you know, the way they look, the way [6:30] they act, the stuff they say. You make a [6:33] word mistake, a verbage mistake, and you [6:36] are pounced on. [6:38] Um it's hard. Sometimes that stuff is [6:40] really hard. And for years that was hard [6:41] for me. And those are some of my worst [6:43] moments. I think back some of those [6:45] early days and some of my lowest, [6:47] hardest, most difficult moments. On that [6:49] subject, another one that is difficult [6:52] as a car YouTuber, as a YouTuber in [6:54] general, is when you get stuff wrong. My [6:56] videos are tough, uh especially for [6:58] this, because my videos were, are, will [7:01] be, have always been more heavy on [7:04] information than other car viewers. I am [7:07] consistently impressed when I watch a [7:10] lot of other car reviewers by how much [7:12] they can skate by talking about feel and [7:15] experience, and people still watch, [7:18] whereas I have to you know, in my [7:19] videos, my format, I spend 20 minutes on [7:21] like this button does this, this does [7:23] this, this was designed this way because [7:25] of this, X, Y, and Z. I am very fact [7:28] heavy, and I am a lot less experience [7:30] heavy. Reminded of that famous Katy [7:32] Perry line where she says, "In my next [7:34] life, I'm going to come back as Ed [7:35] Sheeran, who just gets up on the stage [7:36] with a guitar and sort of strums." And [7:38] she's like in a costume, has learned 50 [7:41] different dances, there's fireworks [7:42] going off. And that's kind of sometimes [7:44] how I think about it. It's hard when you [7:46] get stuff wrong [7:48] because you're pounced on immediately. [7:50] You know you messed up. It's hard to [7:52] mess up. It's sad. It's difficult. And [7:54] you're pounced on in a way that isn't [7:56] just like, "Hey, you messed this up." [7:57] You're pounced on like, "This I can't [7:59] believe you're so stupid. You know [8:00] nothing about cars. You're a complete [8:02] idiot. You're terrible." The well, [8:04] actually crowd comes out for basically [8:07] every video. Although most of the stuff [8:09] they say I find it completely [8:10] irrelevant. [8:11] Often they come out when I'm not even [8:13] wrong. It's like, "Well, actually you [8:15] didn't mention that the history of the [8:17] fender vent goes back to the 1931 [8:19] Footmobile." And it's like, that wasn't [8:21] what this video is about. But sometimes [8:23] you'll get a whole commentary and be [8:24] like, "Dude, misses everything now." And [8:26] it's like, I only have so much time. [8:29] Um when you are wrong, it's hard. Your [8:33] accuracy is important, especially for me [8:35] in my videos. Accuracy is important. [8:37] Years ago when I didn't have a big [8:39] audience, it didn't matter as much. Now [8:40] I do. A lot of people are watching and [8:42] you can't make mistakes. And I got to be [8:43] honest, I've refined my process to the [8:45] point where I do not make a lot of [8:46] mistakes. It has taken a long time to [8:49] get refined to that level and it is [8:51] difficult. But it still happens [8:53] sometimes and it is still always hard. [8:55] You're hard on yourself and then in [8:57] addition to that, the commenters are [8:59] really really hard on you. And it's not [9:01] polite. They're not like, "Oh hey, you [9:04] messed this up." I sometimes I'll watch [9:06] a video with one of my colleagues, my [9:08] YouTube colleagues and I'll hear [9:09] something they've said wrong and I think [9:10] to myself, "Oh man." [9:12] I just know what you're going to get in [9:14] your comments if I scroll down. I'm not [9:16] going to say anything. I'm not even [9:17] going to text you. [9:19] Um [9:19] cuz I already know what you're feeling. [9:21] Okay, next one, hardest moments as a [9:23] YouTuber. This was an actual moment and [9:25] it happened since that last video I did [9:26] where the hardest things have happened [9:28] to me filming. Uh new 4Runner. Great [9:31] car. Love it. The new 4Runner, they [9:33] launched it here in San Diego as a press [9:35] launch and uh didn't go on the press [9:37] launch. I a kids. I don't like stay two [9:39] nights at a hotel to have dinner with PR [9:40] people. But, I did go down to the hotel, [9:42] and I picked up a 4Runner, and I and I [9:44] filmed a video with it. The 4Runner [9:46] video is very important. This is a very [9:48] popular car. It was my first drive with [9:50] the car. It was anybody's first drive [9:51] with the car. It was a big deal getting [9:53] this video. Toyota had carved out four [9:55] good hours for me with the car that I [9:57] could do this. It's great. [9:59] Uh did the whole video, filmed the whole [10:00] thing, drove back, dropped off the car, [10:03] came home, put the video on my computer, [10:06] and found out that it did not write to [10:08] the memory card. Now, when it's a press [10:11] car, and I have it for a week, uh when [10:13] it's a car in our office, the cars and [10:15] Bids Cars that are there for months, it [10:18] sucks when it doesn't write to your [10:19] memory card. It's never happened. But, [10:21] it sucks because you did all this work, [10:23] but you just go film it again the next [10:24] day. It's just sitting there waiting for [10:26] you. This car was the press launch. They [10:28] had carved out 4 hours for me, and I had [10:30] used all 4 hours. I called Toyota. [10:32] Please I [10:34] It didn't write to my memory card. I'm [10:35] so sorry. I screwed up. Graciously, they [10:38] gave me a car for a little while, not [10:39] quite as long. They didn't have it as [10:41] long because I had gone over my [10:42] allotment. That was hard. I had to film [10:44] the entire video again. That's a tough [10:47] one, especially because that was on a [10:48] weekend, and I remember I woke up at [10:50] 8:00 a.m. on [10:51] Weekends are for my kids. I don't do any [10:53] car stuff. I don't do any video filming. [10:55] Weekends are for my kids. Waking up at [10:57] 7:00 a.m. to go to the hotel to get the [10:58] car, and be done by noon, back hanging [11:00] out with my kids, instead I finish at [11:01] 3:30, having filmed two videos of the [11:05] same car. That's hard. That is hard. [11:08] That is legitimately difficult as a [11:10] content creator when that happens. That [11:12] was the first time to me it had ever [11:15] happened. I've been doing this for 13 [11:17] years. [11:18] Um so, I got lucky, and I got lucky that [11:19] they still had time for me with the car. [11:22] Uh but, that is a tough blow when you go [11:24] to the computer, and you realize, "Oh, [11:26] no. It didn't write." That is just [11:28] discouraging, and difficult, and hard, [11:31] and taxing in the worst ways. And I'm [11:34] lucky again that I'm big enough and far [11:36] enough along in my career that I'm just [11:37] like, "Hey, it's part of this. I can [11:39] just do it again." But if I'm a small [11:41] YouTuber and I've put a lot of work and [11:42] effort into a big video and that happens [11:45] and this is a make or break video, my [11:47] channel's growing, maybe this will do [11:48] well, maybe it won't. Man, talk about [11:50] discouraging. That is a just incredibly [11:52] frustrating moment. Okay, next up, I [11:55] guess this is number three on my list of [11:58] frustrating [12:00] difficult moments as a YouTuber. I've [12:02] talked about this one a little bit here [12:03] and there. I'm not going to get too far [12:05] into it, but there was a time on my [12:08] channel where I flew to Australia to [12:11] review a series of cars that I was [12:13] promised to review. And when I got [12:16] there, [12:18] the dealership, Dutton Garage, reneged [12:22] on me filming those cars. The Australia [12:24] thing wasn't that big of a deal because [12:26] I was going on my honeymoon to New [12:28] Zealand at the same time. And so I [12:31] tacked two extra days on to my honeymoon [12:34] at the start [12:35] to go to Australia and film videos with [12:38] these cars. And what happened was I got [12:41] there and supposed to film the videos. [12:43] It was a pretty serious list. The reason [12:44] I go into Australia, Dutton Garage has [12:46] some really serious cars and it was [12:49] going to be a really serious list of [12:50] cars and I showed up and it was like, [12:52] "Oh, no, actually we're not going to [12:53] We've agreed to this, but we're not [12:55] actually going to let you do it." I [12:56] learned a lot of lessons there. I [12:58] actually don't, believe it or not, [12:59] harbor ill will at this point anymore to [13:01] Dutton Garage. I still was able to film [13:03] a really good tour video of the Ferrari [13:06] Enzo, which was really popular and [13:08] remains really popular. And we also [13:10] pivoted so I could do a Maybach S-Class, [13:13] I think I did as well. But I was [13:15] supposed to do like an Enzo, an EB110, [13:17] other really serious cars that I was [13:19] able to get later in various other [13:21] places, but you know, I went all the way [13:23] there. And I actually left a day early, [13:26] which I've never done before and I left [13:28] angry, which I've never done before. I [13:29] left [13:31] with some very unkind words to say to [13:33] their people [13:34] about what they had done. And there was [13:36] a lesson there. The guy who was the head [13:39] of social media had kind of been told [13:40] that I could do this, had promised that [13:42] I could do this. We had sort of set that [13:44] up, and then when I got there, the guy [13:45] who actually runs the dealership was [13:46] like, "Nah, can't do it." And I learned [13:49] like, "No, you got to go to number one, [13:50] and you got to get real approval from [13:52] real people to do this if you're going [13:54] to devote time." And I lost that time, [13:56] and that was hard, and I lost the first [14:00] I didn't get to go on my honeymoon with [14:03] my like to my honeymoon with my wife. I [14:05] picked up at the airport in a Ford [14:07] Ranger. It was fine, [14:09] but that was annoying. And that was a [14:11] tough moment, and it was a good learning [14:13] experience, I think, for everyone [14:15] involved in that video. [14:17] And that was that was a hard thing that [14:19] happened. Next up, number two hardest [14:22] moment as a YouTuber moments has been [14:24] working when [14:26] life sucked. [14:29] I [14:31] have put out [14:33] >> [snorts] [14:33] >> videos more consistently [14:37] than anyone else in this space, pretty [14:40] much. Two videos every Tuesday and [14:42] Thursday. I've probably stuck to that [14:44] schedule for 12 years [14:47] uninterrupted. Sunday videos more or [14:50] less the same. When when I have not put [14:52] out Sunday videos, it hasn't been [14:54] because I didn't make one. It was [14:56] because we were pivoting our strategy or [14:58] whatever but [14:59] more or less, I have had this format, [15:01] and now we have a podcast. [15:03] And there are no days off. [15:06] Ever. [15:07] There are no misses of Tuesdays and [15:09] Thursdays. I have moved cross-country. I [15:12] have had two children. I have had [15:15] weddings, [15:16] my own wedding and friends' weddings [15:18] that I've been in. I have traveled [15:19] globally around the world, literally, in [15:22] 19 with my wife, and there are no [15:24] misses. There are no days where I was [15:26] not posting on Tuesday and Thursday. And [15:28] if you really think about the level of [15:30] effort that's required with that, it [15:33] really is a big effort. And it is not [15:36] always easy to be in the right frame of [15:38] mind. Uh there are days when I am sick, [15:41] when I am physically sick, when I have [15:43] lost my voice, and you can tell cuz I [15:46] lost my voice, when I am barely able to [15:48] get out of bed, but I have to shoot the [15:50] car cuz it's a press car and it's going [15:53] back tomorrow, or because I look at my [15:55] calendar and there is not another day, [15:57] or because I have promised X, Y, and Z [15:59] person that I will be there that day [16:01] then. I don't miss. If I schedule it, [16:05] I'm there, I'm doing it. It is not But [16:08] when I make the schedule, I do not [16:10] necessarily know how my frame of mind [16:12] will be, and sometimes it's hard. And [16:15] the the video that most comes to mind, [16:16] I've talked about it here and there [16:17] before, [16:19] um I filmed a Genesis review uh the day [16:21] that I learned that my wife and I had a [16:22] miscarriage. And it was hard. [16:25] Um my wife's there at home struggling. [16:29] I got to film. [16:31] Um and [16:34] you know, that's tough. [16:37] Um that was tough. That was a tough day. [16:39] I still remember it. I still remember [16:41] being there in that parking lot with [16:43] this knowledge, I got to finish this. [16:45] I'mma get home to her, but I got to [16:46] finish this. [16:48] And [16:50] or you film 12 days in a row and you're [16:52] exhausted. [16:54] Or it's your wedding tomorrow. Like, you [16:57] got to do it. [16:58] And um [17:00] I'm lucky now that my schedule has [17:03] changed to the point where I don't edit [17:04] my own videos [17:06] uh anymore. I don't do a lot of the [17:07] stuff that used to be annoying. I don't [17:09] usually travel for content. And so, my [17:11] flight my schedule is more flexible. I'm [17:13] able to get these videos done without as [17:15] much trouble. But that wasn't always the [17:16] case, and I've only gotten to this point [17:18] because a lot of years spent in the [17:20] other point where if it was my birthday [17:23] and I had to shoot, I was shooting. If [17:25] it was the day after my wedding and I [17:26] had the right video needed to be done, I [17:28] was doing it. If it was a miscarriage, [17:31] if it was a sickness, if it was my child [17:33] is sick, he's home from school, [17:36] I'm shooting. That's been hard. [17:38] That's been legitimately hard. Working [17:40] while life sucked has definitely been a [17:42] hard part about this job. But, to me, [17:44] the very number one worst thing that has [17:47] ever happened, my worst moment as a car [17:48] YouTuber, is the time that I damaged a [17:50] car. This happened one time. I have [17:52] filmed I got to be honest, credit to [17:54] Doug, I have filmed almost 2,000 car [17:57] reviews in one way or another. And I've [18:00] only damaged one car in the entire [18:02] history of my channel. And it's actually [18:06] kind of funny because I get criticism [18:07] for sometimes for the way I treat my own [18:09] cars. People come to me, "Your car is [18:11] dirty." [18:12] Folks, you don't understand how careful [18:14] I am with cars day in and day out. [18:16] >> [laughter] [18:17] >> Like, my personal cars, I am not as [18:19] careful with because I just don't have [18:22] the mental energy. I pride myself when I [18:25] film videos, I return the car in the [18:27] exact condition and order I found it, [18:30] with the only change being that there is [18:32] a suction cup mark on your windshield [18:34] from where I stuck my camera. Other than [18:36] that, the car is the same. If you turned [18:39] it If you gave it to me and the roof was [18:40] up, I demonstrated the roof going down [18:42] or me lifting it off or whatever, but I [18:44] return it to you roof up. If you gave it [18:46] to me and you had a bunch of crap in [18:48] your trunk, but I needed to show the [18:49] trunk, I took all your crap out, I shot [18:52] the trunk, I put all your crap back in. [18:54] That's what we do. And one time I was [18:58] filming a car at a dealership. Uh this [19:00] was a Rolls-Royce that had self-opening [19:02] doors. The door opened and bumped into a [19:05] wall. And um [19:07] self-opening doors are really stupid, [19:10] really stupid. They're especially stupid [19:12] when they don't have a sensor to stop [19:14] themselves from opening too far. It's [19:16] actually one of the dumbest features [19:17] ever. But in this case, regardless of [19:20] the stupidity of it, I should have known [19:22] and should have been aware. And the door [19:24] opened and you know, creased itself. [19:26] This was a brand new Rolls-Royce a long [19:28] time ago. And I had to report, "Oh my [19:30] god, I damaged your car." And the dealer [19:31] was incredibly nice about it. "Dude, [19:34] don't worry about it. We'll get it [19:35] fixed. Not a problem. No big deal." But [19:37] that was a really hard moment. That [19:39] whole weekend I was like, "I can't [19:41] believe I did this. This is the worst [19:43] thing. This is the worst thing I've ever [19:44] done. This is horrible." [19:45] Um that's tough. Especially cuz I've [19:47] never done it before or since. [19:50] Overall, this job is great. It's the [19:52] best. It really is. It is truly [19:54] wonderful. It is both a passion and a [19:57] life enjoyment and also a career. And I [20:01] truly love that going to work every day [20:04] is fun and awesome and exciting. And 13 [20:08] years and 2 billion views later, I am [20:11] still just as excited every single day [20:15] about doing these videos as I always [20:17] have been. But it is not always sunshine [20:20] and wonderful and easy. There are hard [20:23] things. [20:24] Um nonetheless, I consider myself very [20:26] lucky even when it's hard. You know, [20:28] that day where I damaged the car or that [20:31] day where we had the miscarriage and I [20:32] had to still shoot. I'm thinking to [20:34] myself, "This really sucks. This is [20:35] hard. I'm sick and I'm still here. But [20:37] it could be worse. I could be sick or [20:40] having a miscarriage and I could be [20:42] delivering packages in Toronto in the [20:44] winter, you know? I could be There's a [20:46] lot of stuff." So even when it is hard [20:49] and even when people are saying nasty [20:50] things, you know, people say nasty [20:52] things at the airline ticket counter. [20:53] And I'd rather be hearing nasty things [20:55] when I'm making car reviews than there, [20:57] you know? So I still consider myself [20:59] incredibly lucky and I'm still [21:00] incredibly thrilled to have this job [21:02] even though, yes, there are definitely [21:04] times when it's hard and those are some [21:06] of my hardest moments.