This is the response I've been waiting for. Mega64 to me feels like such an unique beast when it comes to creators who fell from grace. They never really fell, but they never really rose either. Every time they could have become big, they basically shot themselves in the foot. It's good to stay true to youself and have integrity, but you shouldn't be stupidly overconfident or completely ignore any criticism that doesn't come from a place of pure worship. They could've been as big, if not bigger than Smosh or AVGN, had they played their cards right. But their downfall is always prevented by those loyal fans they have left.
They've always been a little bit caustic. It always seemed strange that they very rarely ever collaborated with anyone else, despite being in California, and being around long enough to have a video about a Dreamcast game while it was still new. I never got to meet any of them in person, but I always wondered if Rocco had a certain way about him that repelled most people.
Speaking of AVGN, he's always had a nice way about him when addressing the fans, though he keeps his distance. Mega64's never really felt bad about treating fans like shit when he thinks it's funny, with lots of little shit like hanging up on callers abruptly or being pithy and rude. Nothing big enough to really call him out on, but its been a consistent thing throughout their entire run. That always put me off.
And the podcast, there were periods where they'd go as much as three weeks unannounced without uploading a new one, and I think a few anniversary ones were just a couple of minutes of them dancing celebrating a milestone, and nothing else for that week. There was also a time where they'd randomly scream as loud as they could into their microphones to be funny, and the fanbase just kinda... took it? I remember reading a comment on one that was like, "i forgot, no headphones with the boyz". Instead of, you know, getting on them for being fucking obnoxious and blowing your eardrums out. It's the one podcast I've ever seen where you just can't trust them enough to wear headphones. Even Cum Town, as chill and off-the-cuff as they are, levels out the audio whenever they scream. Their sponsorships got worse and worse over time, shilling beanbag chairs and LootCrate™, sometimes taking like 20 minutes to even get to the actual show, which'll have yet another sponsor and a plug for their countless shirts halfway through.
I remember speaking to you a while ago, really thinking about how to do a thread on them, and what I ultimately concluded is that those of us who had been with them for a long, long time built up a shitload of resentment over so much small stuff and their decline in quality around 2015, but there was just nothing big and major we can point to and get outsiders to laugh at. Rocco's a shitty person and a total manchild, but he's also not stupid and understands how the internet works. He tows all the right lines as to not get in trouble, and he's got a comfortable, generous income that he's not about to fuck with. Shit, anyone whose followed them for years could tell you that Rocco's statement in the OP is full of crocodile tears. He treats his own fans like shit, so why would Ashley be an exception?
It's pretty frustrating, and it's telling how long-time fans like you, me, and
@KoekenBakker can write entire novels whenever Mega64 comes up. There's plenty of little shit to pull up in the podcast archives to laugh at, but there's no way in hell I'm gonna listen to over a thousand hours of zero-effort content to timestamp. It was sad to see a fun podcast turn into a giant cynical "let's milk the fans for all they're worth" situation, but, whatever.
I wrote about that in more detail a while ago in Obscure Laughingstocks.
like every time a chick would be on their podcast it was normally because Rocco orbited her and wanted to slam.
lol, probably true. Let's see if Mariel Cartwright ever throws Rocco under the bus.
It wouldn't even be her first rodeo
edit, Rocco's statement:
Rocco Botte said:
That relationship in particular keeps being brought up, and it was a murky and awful one from many years ago. Way back then, I had no idea how to treat people or consider their feelings. This relationship was one where she was a lot younger than me- she was 19 and I was in my late 20’s- and I had no idea there was even an issue with that. It never even came up back then, and we began seeing each other. In retrospect, I understand how it looks, but at the time nearly a decade ago, I had no concept of any kind of specific dynamic or imbalance.
But I was a huge fucking idiot. I was never clear about how I saw that relationship, and I wasn’t there for her in any way she needed. I was scared to end the relationship, so I saw other people. I figured this was fine since we weren’t calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. But that was just an excuse. I couldn’t confront anything real, because I was a coddled baby, and I handled it like a dishonest, dipshit coward. It was the worst regret of my life to that point. Knowing I hurt them was pain I didn’t know I could cause. It was the wake up call I needed. I apologized to her in every way I could. And to this day- I am SO sorry.
Rocco was born in December 1984, so his late 20s would have ended in 2014, so the entire time he was with Ashley, he was doing the podcast. I don't remember him ever speaking about any of his relationships, nor seeming troubled at any point over his. His confident, cocky attitude was never shaken, even the slightest. Hm.
Rocco Botte said:
I renounced everything about the way I was- my attitude, the way I am towards other people, all of it. I got therapy and reached out to anyone else I felt had been affected, too, to apologize for who I was. I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I hated that person. I have spent years getting away from this behavior and trying to be more vocal about making sure other people aren’t poisoned like I was.
Hell, if anything, he just seemed to get
worse into his 30s.
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