Thrill of destruction?

[Saito2 7355]

Can some explain the thrill that some can derived from destruction? There is a group within our hobby (and life in general) that appear to get enjoyment in pushing RC vehicles to the point of breaking. Personally, this is diametrically opposed to my inner feelings on the subject. As a child, a broken toy meant no replacement and likely trouble from mom or dad. Perhaps that shaped me to some degree. Even as an adult, breakage from pushing things a little too far makes me cringe a bit inside. Things wear out and accidents happen which doesn't bother me but wrecking something after taking that jump I knew was too high etc. etc. is not a good feeling. Guilt from lack of mechanical sympathy I suppose. Yet on the other side, there are folks who not only don't care about destruction, they relish in it. We've all seen the Youtube videos. Its something I may never get my head around, but perhaps someone can explain it to me. This is not to judge. Different stroke for different folks.

[moffman 5954]

This is the modern world we live in now (unfortunately maybe???) everyone wants hits/likes so they go to the ultimate extreme in our rc world which is to go and destroy perfectly good rc vehicles and like you mate it definitely doesn't float my boat but on the flipside it obviously give them some sort of income?...........modern life

[Kowalski86 4082]

Can't say that I've seen that many youtube videos, but I guess its just easy views/contents (especially when their stuffs free). I just stick to watching racing streams.

[Superluminal 3847]

Yeah I cant get round that either, I think it is the mechanical sympathy aspect that makes you die a little bit inside each time you witness some peoples inability to treat anything with care or glee in breaking something. I have a work colleague who's a really nice chap but just cant seem to be able to close a cupboard door, adjust his car seat or operate a switch without using eight times the amount of force and thousands of times the required velocity. So almost everything he owns or around his desk is broken in some way. Its not deliberate I dont think, some people just arent wired up that way - so if he ever asks to borrow anything of mine I start to sweat a little bit or make excuses.

[toyolien 5638]

1 hour ago, Superluminal said:

Yeah I cant get round that either, I think it is the mechanical sympathy aspect that makes you die a little bit inside each time you witness some peoples inability to treat anything with care or glee in breaking something. I have a work colleague who's a really nice chap but just cant seem to be able to close a cupboard door, adjust his car seat or operate a switch without using eight times the amount of force and thousands of times the required velocity. So almost everything he owns or around his desk is broken in some way. Its not deliberate I dont think, some people just arent wired up that way - so if he ever asks to borrow anything of mine I start to sweat a little bit or make excuses.

Great reply. Loved reading that. I know someone just like it!

[BuggyDad 5416]

I'm guilty of quite a few breakages, and it could be argued we've pushed our DT-03s further than we should. However I don't think it's the same thing. It is a bit childish, accepted, but the errors are errors, not "sending" it to a certain breakage. No big jumps. It's nothing like the YouTube stuff. No getting a kick out of breaking something. And no breakages really in quite a few months now. I take the view that these toys are for having fun with, and sometimes that's a bit fast and so the risk of damage occasionally gets high. But I want to avoid damage, absolutely. And I'm right there with you on mechanical sympathy - there are many people make me cringe with this.

So I think there's a middle ground. Maybe it's to have one car that does get pushed relatively hard, but not the others. 

It actually gives me some pleasure that my son's car has a massive level of wear to eg the suspension pivots and the drive cups. Huge play. But no breakages there. And the wheels are wrecked. He is 9 after all, so for me that's all just a sign of fun and use. 

[Kowalski86 4082]

1 hour ago, BuggyDad said:

I'm guilty of quite a few breakages, and it could be argued we've pushed our DT-03s further than we should. However I don't think it's the same thing. It is a bit childish, accepted, but the errors are errors, not "sending" it to a certain breakage. No big jumps. It's nothing like the YouTube stuff. No getting a kick out of breaking something. And no breakages really in quite a few months now. I take the view that these toys are for having fun with, and sometimes that's a bit fast and so the risk of damage occasionally gets high. But I want to avoid damage, absolutely. And I'm right there with you on mechanical sympathy - there are many people make me cringe with this.

So I think there's a middle ground. Maybe it's to have one car that does get pushed relatively hard, but not the others. 

Buggys are built to jump and go off-road (well good buggys), things are bound to break. But theres a fine line between damage under normal use and the nonsensical "Bash, break, pay LHS to repair, repeat" stuff.

[speedy_w_beans 4279]

Always consider a person's motivations:

Say hello to the estimated $165 million destructo-economy

Seems to be combination of factors on the parts of the content producer and the content consumers.  The producer sees a notoriety, popularity, financial reward.  The consumers can't seem to stop consuming the content.

[Kowalski86 4082]

19 minutes ago, speedy_w_beans said:

Always consider a person's motivations:

Say hello to the estimated $165 million destructo-economy

Seems to be combination of factors on the parts of the content producer and the content consumers.  The producer sees a notoriety, popularity, financial reward.  The consumers can't seem to stop consuming the content.

Basically, you've got hustlers who want money and the "influencer lifestyle", and consumers that really need to get a hobby.

In RC land, I've noticed that a handful of the bigger "basher" channels get free Arrma/Traxxss stuff, then break it doing some crazy stunt. I wouldn't doubt that manufacterers cater to these influencers since the kids that watch this stuff will imitate it, then beg mom or dad to buy whatever upgraded part.

[Killajb 1594]

From a personal perspective, I don't understand why someone would want to destroy their RC stuff doing skate park jumps "to the moon" or whatever.  I do however understand that its all about making content and gaining views for money. As you mention @Kowalski86, often the content creators are gifted free cars and parts. 

I also openly admit to watching, but more from an engineering perspective.  I'm amazed to see just what kind of punishment some of these designs can endure, or which upgrade parts seem to make the most improvements with regards to durability.  That said, I still don't have and never will have a desire to go out and trash any of my own vehicles (or anyone else's even if they gave me the controller and asked me to do it). 

[Wooders28 4874]

When your earning around £4000 per million views, (based on the number of subscribers) ,and driving it nicely, doesn't create views, then it kind of pays to smash them up.

I think I've become climatised to it tbh, although, they can smash up new cars all they want, it's if vintage stuff starts getting willfully smashed , it's gets me,  as they're getting harder to find, and more costly for us to replace the less there are.

Luckily, that's not really hit our hobby/sport yet, but there is a 1:1 guy out there, making a tonne of cash smashing up lovely trucks and cars ,crushing them with diggers (skyline) etc.

 

[yogi-bear 2424]

destruction for its own sake I am not interested in, but there is obviously a market for it, just look at the channel Will It Blend. 

However looking back in my younger years, I am guilty not so much of purposely destroying something but rather trying something to see if I can pull off some stunt or trick. Case in point was attaching rocket engines to my Celica LB Turbo. It got smashed, but one because I was too ambitious with what I had. Also back then the car wasn't the vintage collectable it is now.

Destruction to achieve a goal isn't so bad, destruction just to drive views, I usually pass. Unless it Lego, and in slow motion then I'm hooked, but that can be rebuilt!

[Busdriver 6285]

Have to admit back when I was young 🦖🦕 I used to launch Airfix models out of an upstairs window!!! I even used to put fireworks inside and blow them to pieces. In my defence I was only really destroying abominations of modelling skill!!!!. If we are honest we are drawn to disaster whether it be motor racing, sinking ships etc. frankly if people get a buzz out of extending the boundaries to the point of destruction well that’s up to them. I remember once listening to a mechanic at a drag race who told me he had tuned an engine for a big top fuel final in such a way that it would reach its ultimate performance 2/3 of the way down the quarter mile at which point it would destroy itself!!! Having said all of the above wilful destruction of classic items I don’t get!! 

[Saito2 7355]

2 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

If we are honest we are drawn to disaster whether it be motor racing, sinking ships etc.

Guilty here. Its a borderline "special interest" of mine. Some folks think I'm "sick" for studying some of the disasters I do, but somehow, I manage to internally remove the human tragedy element (which horrifies me). I'm fascinated in the tiny, incremental steps that lead to equipment failure and how things can be made better to insure it never happens again. I'll never fly in a plane though .

6 hours ago, speedy_w_beans said:

Always consider a person's motivations:

Excellent observation. I'm not very "hip" to internet trends. Some of these trends tend to make my brain lock-up i.e.: eating videos in a world where people are starving, destroying cars where someone less fortunate could use one. People trashing or abusing things that could improve the lives of others tends to disgust me personally. Sorry.

 

I'm always fine with breakage during use. That's what these things are made for. Blatantly flailing and smashing something to death is like taking something we're gifted with the availability of having of in our lives and spitting on it. Sorry for the harsh words. Just opinion.

[alvinlwh 7081]

I do destroy, although only static models. And they are those that are badly built, I made a mess off or are just poor quality. RC are too expensive for me to just destroy on purpose. I suppose also the factor of something I built with my own hands. I guess many of these "destroyers" do it on RTR so they do not have the same attachment?

[alvinlwh 7081]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-48326572

Some just like random destruction.

[Juls1 1716]

As a video content creator back in the days before YouTube existed, I can say that pushing things to the limit for the video is a real thing, not necessarily trying to break it but pushing the limits for the camera. Of course cars back then were brushed and nicad powered, but tamiya TA02’s and HPI EMT’s couldn’t do 10 metre jumps without high possibility of failure.  Assuming you could get them going fast enough to achieve it. 
 

i think it’s no different now that content creators feel like it’s necessary to push the limits if it deliberately destroy cars for the sake of views. If you try to make a living making YouTube videos you’ll ultimately be sucked into doing whatever pays best. But just as people like to watch the silliness I don’t think most want to deliberately break their rc cars. If they did, why would they buy stronger upgrade parts? 
 

in any case, tomley is quietly achieving without too much carnage, Kev is breaking everything he touches and doing as well as ever, Glenn and Gavin are making slow progress I’m hoping for an uptick for them both very soon because I know the current subscriber counts are probably not sustainable. 
 

I don’t know if anyone else has gone trail driving with a good friend and two CC01’s? The issue is the first hour is scale and careful, the second hour is increasingly destructive and the giggles nearly kill you. Good friends and too longer run times are a bad idea. Or are they? 

[Thommo 1242]

 

This thread has no photos and is hurting my eyes.

 

[XJman 74]

There is always joy to be had in pushing limits. The failures suck, but when you land that crazy jump and roll away it's a great feeling.

My complaints with the current state of the hobby is the faster is better mentality. Sure, that arrma can hit 100, so can a tt02, so can a rc10 but it doesn't mean it's worthwhile. You can't do anything but blast off in a line. It's too powerful and too unpredictable for any track I've ever seen.

Traxxas has been on that bandwagon for probably 20 years now. 65mph out of the box! The chassis can't do anything at those speeds but it'll do it and people buy that up.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't do absolutely stupid **** with my old emaxx. Launching it up onto and off of my roof, sending it off big drops at my mtb park. It went bad often, but when it went right it was glorious.

I just picked up a super rock Rey. That 1/6 scale monster will absolutely scoot and I don't doubt it's going as fast as the box says. It handles it well and will actually tear around a corner without just understeering off the map. I also broke the **** out of it launching off a birm at my park second day I owned it. Really bummed me out but before that launching big as badword and landing flat and blasting away was good fun.

I'll be going back later this week when the parts come in to do it again too.

[markbt73 5706]

This was also my problem with the last few seasons of Mythbusters. Try the stunt, bust the myth, then try to recreate the results even though you've just shown it's impossible. It led to a few fun episodes, but an awful lot of just blowing stuff up or wrecking stuff for no reason.

[yogi-bear 2424]

5 hours ago, Thommo said:

 

This thread has no photos and is hurting my eyes.

 

lets fix that (and I will add I am still plan on restoring this car!)

subsequent rocket test resulted in a bit more damage

 

[Willy iine 18826]

The only satisfaction I get destroying stuff is public toilet after TacoBell..   

 

Some folks destroy their RC cars just to show off they can (bragging they have money or something)..  pretty silly if you asked me.  I cherish all my cars that are displayed in my pretend RC shop.. from economical to exclusive.  

[Saito2 7355]

6 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

The only satisfaction I get destroying stuff is public toilet after TacoBell.. 

Almost sprayed my tea everywhere with that one!  

[87lc2 2837]

I'm mechanically sympathetic to a fault so no I don't get it at all...This goes for RC & 1:1, I take very good care of my things as my father taught me.  I do love racing my trucks and run them hard, but I rarely break parts like so many others I race with.  Freestyle events have been creeping into some of the monster racing in my area and I can't stand it and will never participate.  Dumbest thing ever.  I don't even like watching the Monster Jam crap these days.  Why you would do that to such beautiful machines is beyond me.  I mean, I know why they do it ($$$$), but it still annoys me.  

[Pablo68 1095]

I watch the channel in question here, it's fun viewing, but I totally get it and that kind of driving isn't for me, even with my Xmaxx or whatever.
I also watch Tomley, he comes at the hobby from a different angle. I enjoy them both and a few other RC channels besides.