#6 - I spent an hour with ANTHONY PADILLA

Summary

Podcast Summary: Smosh Mouth
Episode #6 - "I Spent an Hour with Anthony Padilla"
Release Date: July 31, 2023

Hosts: Shayne Topp (Shayne), Amanda Lehan-Canto (Amanda), and Anthony Padilla

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1. Introduction and Reunion

In this special episode of Smosh Mouth, hosts Shayne Topp and Amanda Lehan-Canto welcome back former Smosh co-founder Anthony Padilla. The episode marks a significant moment as Anthony returns to the Smosh family after years of absence, sparking excitement and nostalgia among fans.

Shayne Topp [00:34]: "And we are here with our very special guest, Anthony Padilla."

2. History: Smosh's Initial Success and Anthony's Departure

Shayne reminisces about the early days of Smosh, highlighting Anthony's pivotal role in creating the brand alongside Ian Hecox. Anthony reflects on the tumultuous period leading to his departure in 2017, discussing the strains within Smosh and the corporate challenges that ultimately led to his exit.

Anthony Padilla [01:44]: "The most insane story on YouTube, I think, like, the most insane arc a YouTuber has had."

3. Defy's Corporate Challenges and Smosh's Struggles

Both Shayne and Anthony delve into the difficulties Smosh faced under Defy's management. Anthony elaborates on the overwhelming number of projects imposed by the corporate side, which stifled creativity and led to burnout.

Anthony Padilla [03:13]: "A huge issue that we ran into was the corporate side of things, where they had a laundry list of, like, 10 big projects for us to work on pretty much each year that were totally unplanned."

Shayne shares his observations of the strained environment, emphasizing the lack of creative freedom and constant corporate interference.

Shayne Topp [03:57]: "You had, like, no freedom to really say what you wanted to do."

4. Anthony's Journey Post-Smosh

After leaving Smosh, Anthony embarked on creating his own content, focusing on interviews and independent projects. He discusses how this period was both challenging and enlightening, helping him discover his true identity separate from the Smosh brand.

Anthony Padilla [30:14]: "So it was never an idea of like, ooh, I could maybe go back and be a cast member. That just didn't sound right to me."

5. Ian Hecox's Leadership and Company Revival

Anthony praises Ian Hecox's transformation into a confident leader during Smosh's darkest times. He recounts Ian's resilience in maintaining the brand and guiding Smosh through Defy's collapse and subsequent revival.

Anthony Padilla [19:15]: "He had to figure it out... Ian was left making a lot of those decisions. He had to be the leader."

Shayne echoes this sentiment, highlighting Ian's unwavering confidence and dedication.

Shayne Topp [25:13]: "Ian stepped up... that's the most confident you've ever sounded about anything you've ever nailed down."

6. Smosh Pit's Emergence and Cultural Shifts

The conversation shifts to the evolution of the Smosh Pit channel, which became a creative haven away from the main commercial pressures. Anthony credits this channel for allowing Smosh members to express their authentic selves and rekindle their passion for content creation.

Shayne Topp [14:19]: "You guys always had a thing going. But Smosh Pit is where I saw the things come to life that it felt like you all had so much passion for."

7. Public Reaction to Anthony's Departure and Reunion

Anthony candidly shares his experiences dealing with public backlash after leaving Smosh, including negative comments and the emotional toll it took. Shayne and Amanda discuss how fans reacted to his departure and the ongoing jokes about his absence.

Anthony Padilla [37:22]: "When I first left smosh, there was definitely 'go back to smosh' comment... 'smosh is better without you.'"

Amanda Lehan-Canto [38:44]: "Imagine the amount of time that you have to go, like, 'How long does it take us to get over a breakup?'"

8. Anthony's Evolution and Current Contributions

Back in Smosh, Anthony shares how he's leveraging his skills and experiences to contribute meaningfully. He emphasizes his focus on fostering creativity, understanding audience preferences through data, and enhancing the collaborative environment within Smosh.

Anthony Padilla [61:37]: "I want to appear on the episodes. I want to get to know everyone really well... find out what you're most excited about, like, so you can shine."

Shayne and Amanda commend Anthony’s growth and his ability to integrate seamlessly back into the Smosh family, enhancing the collective creativity.

Shayne Topp [63:30]: "We are so glad to have you back."

9. Future Plans: Smosh Mouth Podcast

The trio discusses their plans for the Smosh Mouth podcast, hinting at exciting new content and collaborative projects. Anthony reveals the initial ideas for a joint podcast with Ian, aiming to delve deeper into conversations and explore diverse topics.

Anthony Padilla [64:03]: "We are in the very beginning phases of coming up with ideas for what a podcast that Ian and I host together would look like."

Shayne expresses enthusiasm for the upcoming projects, assuring listeners to stay tuned for future episodes.

Shayne Topp [65:03]: "I'm really stoked for it. I've heard some thoughts and stuff and I'm really excited about it."

10. Personal Reflections and Concluding Thoughts

The episode concludes with heartfelt reflections on the journey of Smosh, the importance of personal growth, and the strength of friendships. Shayne, Amanda, and Anthony express gratitude for the reunion and the future prospects of Smosh.

Anthony Padilla [44:24]: "It was the best decision, not just for me, but for everyone."

Shayne Topp [46:47]: "I really respect both of you for your individual journeys... your friendship to be able to take a step away and figure out who you guys are on your own and then come back."

11. Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Anthony Padilla [01:44]: "It's so wild just how there's this huge story to it now."

• Shayne Topp [03:57]: "You had, like, no freedom to really say what you wanted to do."

• Anthony Padilla [19:15]: "He had to figure it out... Ian was left making a lot of those decisions."

• Amanda Lehan-Canto [38:44]: "Imagine the amount of time that you have to go, like, 'How long does it take us to get over a breakup?'"

• Anthony Padilla [61:37]: "I want to appear on the episodes. I want to get to know everyone really well... so you can shine."

• Shayne Topp [65:03]: "I'm really stoked for it. I've heard some thoughts and stuff and I'm really excited about it."

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Conclusion

Episode #6 of Smosh Mouth serves as a poignant reunion between Anthony Padilla and the Smosh family. Through candid conversations, the hosts explore the highs and lows of Smosh's journey, Anthony's personal growth, and the future trajectory of the brand. This episode not only celebrates the return of a beloved member but also underscores the resilience and enduring spirit of friendship that defines Smosh.

Transcript

[Shane Topp]

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[Amanda Leehancanto]

Do a service for me.

[Shane Topp]

Play the Godfather now at champacasino. Com. Welcome to the family. No purchase necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law 21 plus terms and conditions apply. Hi. Welcome to the Smoshcast. I'm Shane Topp.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And I'm Amanda Leehancanto. And we are here with our very special guest, Anthony Padilla.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah, something I never thought would ever happen here on the Smosh cast.

[Anthony Padilla]

Seriously? Well, I mean, because this Smosh cast has been around a while, and I think the very first episode that you guys did was talking about the collapse of Defy, Right.

[Shane Topp]

And then the first episode of this reboot is talking about you coming back, you guys coming back and buying Smosh and Smosh being whole once again.

[Anthony Padilla]

It's so wild just how there's this huge story to it now.

[Shane Topp]

You know, it's the most insane story on YouTube, I think, like, the most insane arc a YouTuber has had. That's ended well. Yeah, it hasn't ended in, like, oh, then that's how their career ended.

[Anthony Padilla]

That's true. It's funny. When Ian and I first started talking about it, we're like, okay, so I guess, you know, as wild as it sounds, if and when this ends up happening, our story will now be that we were the guys that sold our company for $0 worth of ST and then bought it back with more cost, more than that.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

So many people want to know what you bought it back, and we won't even ask. No, we don't know, never tell.

[Anthony Padilla]

It will not be said.

[Shane Topp]

That's. That's trade secret.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

Working and working at Defy, and over the years, seeing those businessmen who are running Defy businessmen, the more that I'm like, why did you sell it to them? Like, why? Why did you trust those guys?

[Anthony Padilla]

We did not see the businessmen face to face. And the businessmen had cycled and changed many a time over the years. So the people that you ended up seeing, that's probably true. Cause we sold in 2011. You were brought into the cast in 2015.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

So even by that point, four years had passed, and every single person that we had worked with had changed, and Defy wasn't Even called Defy. Initially, it was Alloy. Then when Alloy merged with Break, that's when it became Defy. And you came in during that era. And it was a lot of other people being brought in that if I had seen them face to face, I would have said, yeah, no, yeah, that's crazy.

[Shane Topp]

It was. It was such a weird place. That was a weird time.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

So glad I wasn't there to.

[Anthony Padilla]

You would have. It was very corporate and weird feeling. Right.

[Shane Topp]

Smosh was fun. And, like, especially when we started getting. It was fun. It was fun for me because, like, it was a new thing. I was not working before, so to have a job was cool. But. But yeah, whenever the corporate stuff got involved and it was very involved with what. Whatever you and Ian were doing, you guys could not go anywhere without corporate having so many notes involved.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. And then, you know, it's. And this is a part of it that I didn't talk about initially when I talked about leaving Smosh, but Ian and I did touch on it when we made our announcement. But a huge issue that we ran into was the corporate side of things, where they had a laundry list of, like, 10 big projects for us to work on pretty much each year that were totally unplanned and would just come up, and then it would be like, you're going to do this thing. And it was like, that is going to take way more time to do this thing than the amount of time that we have. And then they're like, oh, then we'll just hire all these other people to take to pick up the slack so that you can do this thing. And then it's like, this is not going to be good, but it's like, oh, we're too deep into it. It needs to happen. And it felt like that was continuously the case of, like, we're, well, the wheels are already motioned, so we have to do this.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You had, like, no freedom to really say what you wanted to do. They were like, it's already. You're already too far gone into it already.

[Anthony Padilla]

Couldn't say yes or no as much. I mean, there were some instances, I'm sure, but if we let the wheels go at all, it was like, it's too late. It needs to happen. And then it was like us trying to repair it, us trying to creatively get our voices in there, but then they would be overshadowed, or it would just take all of our time in order to get things going the way that we thought they should go. And at a certain point, it was just out of control. It Was completely out of control.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah, I. You know, it's interesting. I was thinking about it how back then you and Ian were so busy that I feel like I hardly ever saw you guys because you guys were just constantly swamped with projects. I mean, you did. In the year and a half or two years that I worked with you back in the day, you guys did two movies, or you had a movie coming out around when I joined. You did two movies. You did a whole, like, TV show. Essentially it was on Smosh, but like you did a whole extra series on.

[Anthony Padilla]

Top of the Timers.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. Like you guys always had a thing going.

[Anthony Padilla]

The live streamed hour. Live.

[Shane Topp]

We did Smosh Live, but you guys were doing Smosh Live on top of other.

[Anthony Padilla]

On top of the weekly sketches, on.

[Shane Topp]

Top of the Games channel.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Sitcom. Do you mean you had a live audience?

[Anthony Padilla]

Okay, there was. It wasn't. Didn't go that far, but it was.

[Shane Topp]

Like sitcom inspired, Goldberg style. Sitcom.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Okay, got it.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It just. It was everything sitcom without the live audience, without the laugh track. But otherwise it was a sitcom.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah, you guys were swamped.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Nightmare.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

If you ever watch a sitcom on YouTube without this laugh track, just watch it.

[Shane Topp]

It is jarring.

[Anthony Padilla]

I've seen people edit out the laugh track from Friends and it seems like it's so disturbingly quiet and awkward.

[Shane Topp]

Well. Cause it ruins the timing of, like, now it's just dead space. So the joke is weird. So I never saw you guys and then I talked about it on the first episode of this podcast series. But the last time I saw you at work.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Oh, yeah.

[Shane Topp]

I don't know if you remember that.

[Anthony Padilla]

I do remember that because I knew it was my last day, but I couldn't tell anyone yet.

[Shane Topp]

Did I not know? I thought I remember in the moment knowing that that was going to be the last time I worked with you.

[Anthony Padilla]

I think I kind of hinted to it as much.

[Shane Topp]

I feel like maybe I had heard that it's like this might maybe maybe through the grapevine.

[Anthony Padilla]

But, like, not for me directly, because I was told that I could not tell. Isn't that wild? I was told I couldn't tell the cast. I couldn't tell until the day of because they needed to keep their hands on people.

[Shane Topp]

It must have been a high. Maybe it was hindsight later on. I just remember. I remember that moment of being like, see you later, man. And it was down the street. And then at some point, I thought it was when I got in my car. Maybe it was later on. I just remember thinking back on and be like, wow, that was the last time I, like, worked with you on. On.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That's such an indie movie ending. See you later.

[Shane Topp]

Then we also had the big goodbye where we were all telling you to shit your pants. Like, the announcement.

[Anthony Padilla]

Oh, yeah. When you all came in at the end. Yeah, yeah.

[Shane Topp]

And I remember. But there was all sorts of weird stuff. But it's just weird because I feel like I didn't actually have many moments to, like, sit and talk with you back then. And not even with Ian back then.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, the most we would talk was, like, at the airport, waiting to catch our flight to Sacramento or whatever. But we. We had just switched over everything to. To be local, where we were shooting. So we. That time that we had together totally went away.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

And I. Yeah, when I was saying bye to you that day, I knew it was the last time I was gonna see you. I don't know if you just picked up on the way I said it, but it was like I was done with the shot. And then I was like, where's. You know, I was keeping track of everyone, all the cast members that were there because I wanted to individually say bye to them because I knew it was my last day. And I remember noticing that you had left, and I ran out, and I was like, bye.

[Shane Topp]

I didn't even know that.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, I noticed you were leaving. I was like, this might be the last time I say bye in this capacity. And you hadn't been told yet. I didn't know what the Internet's reaction was going to be. I didn't know what your reaction was going to be. So it was a strange.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Very bittersweet bye, man.

[Shane Topp]

It was strange.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

See ya, man.

[Shane Topp]

Well, it was strange, and it felt. It felt very final. And to be fair, it's been six years.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Like, wait, hasn't it's been six years?

[Shane Topp]

Seven.

[Anthony Padilla]

It was. It was six years and six days to the day. You're marking it down on the wall. Okay, here's the reason I know about the Sixes. Here's what Ian and I noticed. So we started the Smosh YouTube channel in 2005. Six years later, we sold it to Defy. Six years later, I left, and six years later, I came back. And it was six years and six days since my announcement that I was leaving, to the day that we announced that we bought it back. So I don't know what's up with these.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

666 means the devil.

[Anthony Padilla]

And our first video back was that we summoned.

[Shane Topp]

It was all the long con for a. Oh, my God.

[Anthony Padilla]

Successfully. We did it successfully. No one even knew. I just had to announce it today.

[Shane Topp]

It was just our way of killing Ethan.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Crank gameplay. That's really intense.

[Shane Topp]

That's. That's pretty strange.

[Anthony Padilla]

So you knew it was finite or final?

[Shane Topp]

I don't. To be fair, I don't fully remember because, as I stated before, I was going through a breakup.

[Anthony Padilla]

That's right. That week.

[Shane Topp]

So I was. My mind was just elsewhere. But I remember. I vividly remember saying goodbye to you on the street there. And I remember at some point looking back and be like, wow, that was probably the last time you can feel it.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I feel like you can always feel those things. Like, you know when someone's like, bye, man. You're just like, see you, man.

[Shane Topp]

See you, dude.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I'm sorry. But when he told me this story, I was like, oh, my God, was there like a mist? Like, it really was like.

[Shane Topp]

It really felt that way. And when you left, it absolutely felt like you're not coming back.

[Anthony Padilla]

That's so strange. Cause it wasn't officially mentioned, but I have a memory of saying bye to each person, which is like this weird tunnel vision, almost ethereal kind of thing, where it was like, it's just your face saying bye, and it's just like this weird void around you.

[Shane Topp]

Just me just alone in the dark.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, that's what it felt like.

[Shane Topp]

I don't mean in that moment, but I meant just like, once you left and it was announced that. That you were gone, I was like, oh, we're not working. We're not gonna get to work with you again.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah. How did you. How did you feel about that?

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. What were those days after you left like?

[Anthony Padilla]

They were. They were so weird. Even on my. The day when the video came out and it was announced, it was. I. I knew that I was gonna need to disconnect from the computer a bit or from my phone. Cause, like, you could just sit there reading the comments all day, even though they're almost the same thing. You're like. You just. It was my whole life leading up to that point. You know, I made the Smosh logo and website when I was 14. I was 29 at that point, so it had been over half of my life that the Smosh brand and everything that came with it was. Was part of my life. So it felt like I was cutting off a part of me entirely. Like my identity was getting chopped off, and it was now in someone else's hands to define what was once so attached to me. It was now up to other people. To decide what Smosh meant. And it was such a strange feeling. And I remember, like, I went to Echo Park Lake and gotten like the paddle boats or whatever. Like, you know, you know, the little.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Like before they were swans or I.

[Anthony Padilla]

Think it might have just changed into swans.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Pre swan. Okay.

[Anthony Padilla]

I don't know. It was like right around that same time.

[Shane Topp]

That is such a good thing to go do.

[Anthony Padilla]

But I was like, I'm just gonna just chill here. I was with a couple friends, and it was a really weird feeling putting down my phone, knowing that more and more reactions from people, more people were clicking on the video and finding out and knowing that that was really a big shift. Cause it was something kind of like what you were saying. It was like, you know that it's different.

[Shane Topp]

It was fun and on. It was massive. And I remember it was the first time that anything had happened at Smosh, because when I joined, I mean, Smosh was still. It was huge. But when you left, I remember seeing it as the like, number one thing on Twitter. And that was the first time where I was like, whoa, this building is like, what we're doing is a big deal right now. And yeah, the eyes are on us. Not necessarily a great way. Like, this is definitely weird. And there was certainly a lot of us were like, is this gonna work?

[Anthony Padilla]

Did you have doubts too?

[Shane Topp]

I think we always had. There's. With YouTube, there's always this feeling of like, well, it could all just tank tomorrow.

[Anthony Padilla]

That's literally why Ian and I sold Smosh in 2011, because it felt like it.

[Shane Topp]

It's a scary career. And the longer I've been in it, the more I'm like, yeah, it just feels like at any moment the views could just go away. But yeah, there was certainly. I think there was a lot of pessimism around there of like, this is. Well, it's screwed. Like, half of the brand is gone. Like it was built upon your guys friendship. And I will say, and no, no, even at that time, we still hadn't figured out Smosh Pit. Smosh Pit eventually came into its own, I think in like 2018. And it just kind of randomly happened because the rest of the corporation was so focused on the main channel and they had their. This like, this lock on it. And. And they were trying so hard to figure it out that the second channel, they were just like, yeah, you guys go. Just go do whatever, right? So over there we had freedom. And it.

[Anthony Padilla]

It.

[Shane Topp]

I think there's an irony or like a beautiful irony to they kind of, you know, Keith Noah, Olivia, Courtney, and myself. And then we had Sarah Whittle as our producer.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And it was kind of just Sarah Whittle.

[Shane Topp]

It was just kind of us just like. It was just like whatever you guys want to do at the end in 2018. And then later Josh Mattingly as well. And. But, you know, we were all hired to be kind of like extra cast on Smosh. But what kind of ended up happening is I felt it's similar to your guys story is that we ended up all becoming such close friends. And that friendship really shined on Smosh Pit, where it was just like, yeah, guys, just go do whatever. And that's kind of where Smosh, I feel like began, was you and Ian just being like, yeah, we'll just do whatever and have fun and just have a good time. And so the, like, theme of friendship stuck around in a weird way. But it was hard on the main channel to figure out. I mean, every blank ever kind of carried us for a long time. And it became the every blank ever channel.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Oh, yeah, it did. That's what I saw when I first, like, started researching it.

[Shane Topp]

You joined on the tail end of the every blank ever era, I feel like. Right?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah. I mean, I remember when I auditioned, I auditioned. Ian was there, you were there. And I read with Damien.

[Shane Topp]

And I.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Read with Damian, and we did this like, crazy sketch or something, and they just wanted me to, like, go even bigger and try to do characters. And I'll never forget that. After I did that, it was really fun. And then they asked me a question. They're like. And I was in a really, like, interesting place in my life. I was at Sunday Company and Groundlings, and I was just working constantly. I had a really intense, amazing manager. And I got there and I was just so, like, you know, just like going, right? And they were like, okay, if you could have one superpower, what would it be? And I went. And I just said, vulnerability. Yeah. Tell us what your superpower is. My superpower is being vulnerable. Like, straight up being very vulnerable. And it's terrifying.

[Shane Topp]

My superpower would be being weak as fuck.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And I literally. I literally was. And Damian was like, okay, that's actually. That's really cool.

[Shane Topp]

Sorry, I don't mean to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable by saying that's really cool, but I think that's really cool.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

But Damian was like, that's really cool. And I was like, oh, my God. I was like, looking for the door. I was like, then I'm gonna go fuck myself now. And I'LL never forget. Ian stood up and went, do you write comedy also? And I said, yeah. And he went. And he shook my hand.

[Anthony Padilla]

He knew. He knew.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

He knew. I was like, oh, this. He knows what's going on.

[Shane Topp]

And then I left.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I got in the car and I called my manager. Didn't book that. I said, vulnerability is my superpower. You know what?

[Anthony Padilla]

That's a good shirt, even.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I know, but I literally felt like I was like a kindergarten teacher. And then I was like, what did I just say? It was so unfiltered. Yeah, but people, like, I guess.

[Anthony Padilla]

I think. I mean, honestly, that statement alone is exactly why you're doing a podcast. You know, I think Ian was able. You know, if he really did know in that moment, I think it probably was seeing that there was more to you than just the comedy. You know, there's more depth, there's multiple layers, and you can build on that a lot more than just someone who only can do one type of thing.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah, it was so cool. He was right by the door, and he stood up and he went, do you write comedy also? And I said, yeah. He went. Shook my hand, and I was like, okay, I'm not getting this. But I was like, he clearly knows something's up. But it was amazing.

[Shane Topp]

It's been funny, too. And you've only known it, too. Is Ian as, like, the president of Smosh has been the vibe for so long now. Yeah, it's such a funny vibe.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah. When you left, I feel like the fans were like, oh, here comes Ian. But I was like, but that, to me, is not Ian. Like, Ian just, like, loves chit chatting about dark shit. So do I. But, like, I think he got this role when you left that was like, the dad who got divorced. Maybe it's just, like, on the couch, like. But I was like, there's so many other sides to Ian. He played into that.

[Shane Topp]

Obviously, Ian played into the bummer jokes, because he does he. As I've said, he's willing to joke about anything, and it's a good, good thing. And he's a very funny guy. I. I'm curious what you think, how you think things were going in the years you were gone. But it's. It's been fun to see this arc of Ian, and I've. I frankly, just being honest, I've. I've gotten to know Ian so well over the six years, and that's what's so interesting about you coming back. You know Ian better than any of.

[Anthony Padilla]

Us, but I don't know that Ian from the past, as well as you guys.

[Shane Topp]

President Ian.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That's. That's true. So, like, what? Well, first of all, what kind of dad were you?

[Shane Topp]

What do you mean?

[Anthony Padilla]

What do you mean? Like, when I was.

[Shane Topp]

But when you guys were both there, like I said, you guys were like, so busy that you weren't like around doing the type of thing.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. There was no leadership, really, coming from Ian and I, except I think that we showed excitement and passion for a while. Maybe not the very last year, but we showed that. And I think that's where we kind of led. But it wasn't really, we're the leaders. And when I left, and especially when Defy collapsed and Ian was kind of left there making a lot of those decisions, he had to be the leader that had to lead by example and get everyone on board with his ideas. And that was a really unique role for him because he was kind of forced into that position and he was forced to get really good at it. And I think over the six year time period that I was gone, I've seen him observing from the outside. I've seen him get better and better at that role, even though I know that he doesn't love it. He's not like, I can't wait to go be a leader when I go to work. And he's told me that he feels like he thrives most when we kind of have the dynamic between us where I can pick up when he's not really.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

He's glowing.

[Shane Topp]

He's been so happy.

[Anthony Padilla]

It's really, really cool to see because watching from the outside, I was able to observe his mannerisms and kind of get a general idea of where his headspace was at. But even then I wasn't able to fully understand him because I didn't fully understand him for so many years leading up to it. So I was just an outside observer trying to just like, keep tabs.

[Shane Topp]

Right.

[Anthony Padilla]

But I do notice a stark difference ever since Ian and I had that discussion and we're like, you know what? Let's buy Smosh. Anything that we can do to make that happen, let's do it. And as after that conversation, I've been keeping up, up to date with the content more and more. And I've seen Ian shine in such a interesting way where I don't even. I mean, I don't know if you guys felt it, but before the announcement, like you felt, I did start to.

[Shane Topp]

Notice a change these past few months. I started to notice. I was like, this dude is. There's something about him, like, the cool factor started to change. He started wearing a chain. He started wearing a chain. He started tucking shirts in.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I was like, he's tucking in every shirt.

[Shane Topp]

I'm like, all right.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

He wore a chain. He was, like, glowing. And our conversations were about, like, life and joy and, like, not really what he was reading on the Internet.

[Anthony Padilla]

Right.

[Shane Topp]

His confidence level has changed this year. So when you. When you guys announced the whole thing, when you walked into the building, I was like, okay, this makes sense. He's feeling a lot more confident because things are feeling more certain, and this. This place is going to turn into more what he.

[Anthony Padilla]

I think he was able to see how it would change everything here, which I know that he was kind of like, I don't know the future, necessarily. After I left, he didn't quite know the future. And I think it gave him certainty of knowing where this company, where this brand could go in the future. That didn't just feel like everything was like, let's just make a decision based on where we're at right now. We were able to zoom out and see a much bigger picture. And for some reason, I think just naturally, his confidence started growing as. I don't know if this is related, but he is so good at writing and coming up with jokes. And I think for a long time, he got the impression in his head that he wasn't good at that anymore. And I think the Smosh channel, moving away from written stuff, which I feel like he just really shines at these absurd ideas, and when they come to life on screen, maybe I'm able to help keep them a little bit more focused. But I really love that because he has so many great ideas, and I started noticing just how many good ideas he would just like. I mean, he would throw out, like, 30 ideas, and 20 of them were brilliant. But I feel like he started to gain confidence, too, in our writing sessions, where he realized, like, oh, this isn't a fluke. I'm not just. I wasn't just funny in the past. I don't know if this is. It was a worry that was going on in his head, but it certainly was in mine. I was like, was I only good at this in the past? Can I be good at this now? And we both discovered together that what we were good at in the past was kind of more of a representation of our innate abilities and personality on our own, but also the dynamic between us. And it seems like his confidence was growing there and on camera. When I would watch him from the outside, even hosting, let's do this. When I saw him hosting these things, it seemed like he was more. Much more confident, and he was able to take initiative.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah, he.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

He was. He's shining. Let's do this. I mean, I loved doing let's do this. It was so fun. But he was so. I just felt like he. It was his own thing that he, you know, had an idea and then was like, oh, I feel like I can be confident on my own. You know what I mean?

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. Ian is so much funnier than he realizes, and maybe he's realizing it now.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

But over these past years, I think the thing that has always frustrated me is, like, he just. He'll. He. As you said, he'll throw out ideas, but he'll be like, yeah, this one's dumb.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

I'm like, no, that's really funny, man. And so even I remember when he pitched let's do this, he's like, yeah, I kind of have this idea thought about. And then he talks about. We're all like, that's a great idea, man. Like, let's do it. But whenever he goes 100% and he commits fully, it's always great. And I think he really does that in your guys sketches.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yes.

[Shane Topp]

Like, there's no doubt, like, the Ian that people know and love is that guy. And I think when he does. When he's able to write and, like, know what. What it is, he goes full force. But I will say, like, even with the improvised stuff, he held himself back. He's so good, but he just. He just needs to allow himself to just, like, I think he would say, go full force. He second guesses and, you know, I feel bad talking about him without him here, but it's all good things, because the reality is he's. He's really.

[Anthony Padilla]

The truth is that he was doubting himself, but the less that he's doubting.

[Shane Topp]

Himself, and I think he probably. He. I know he's talked about how 2019 was, like, one of the hardest years, because that was when. And I will say the first time I saw Ian, like, I don't know, for lack of a better term, level up, was back at Defy after you'd left. There was those couple years where he wasn't really in charge because Defy had so many people involved. There was, like, 50 people who were up above that. I. I don't know what they were doing. There were business men, but so Defy collapses, and all those people are just gone. They never cared about Smosh. Right? Like that. That was just a they cared about numbers company that was just a source of profit upstairs.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

They're just so. They up numbers on their old computer.

[Anthony Padilla]

So.

[Shane Topp]

So suddenly one day, it's like, Smosh is gone and all these people are just gone. They don't care. And I remember talking to Ian and being like, hey, like, so what? What are we gonna do? And I remember like, this look of just. It's still Ian where like, everything's very casual and just kind of shrugged off almost. But I remember him just being like, we're gonna figure it out. He's like, no, I'm gonna get this together. And I was just like, that's the most confident you've ever sounded about anything in your. That I've ever single dad.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

He had to figure it out.

[Shane Topp]

But Ian's always like, yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. But then this is the first time he's like, we're gonna. I'm gonna. We're gonna have it.

[Anthony Padilla]

And I feel like we see that a lot more to get him now.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. And he, like, that was the first. I was like, dude, this. Ian's crazy. This guy's. This guy's not fucking around. And he really. I don't know, he had to do so much that behind the scenes that I didn't see. But he was making business deals and he was working all day, every day to get that shit together. And you know, people say Rhett and Link saved Smosh. It's like Ian saved Smosh. Rhett and Link were there to make that deal happen, but Ian was the one who, like, put that shit together.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah. When you were not here, like, you probably didn't. Did you know what was going on or what? When you were watching, what was the.

[Shane Topp]

Shutdown like for you? Cause it had to be. It had to suck because that was.

[Anthony Padilla]

It was so many mixed emotions because part of me. Well, I was still bitter at the time too, so. So it was like. It was a bummer because it was like this thing that Ian and I made, this thing that represented our friendship was. Was potentially gone. I. Because I had no idea the types of talks that Ian was. Was bringing up with people. I didn't know that there was a possibility for it to be saved. I thought it was done and. And I was really bummed out. But I'd be lying if I didn't say a part of me was kind of like, oh, well, that's good. That. That. That might mean that, you know, because in my head, Defy had totally ruined it. Right And I was like, that might mean that it will no longer be getting more and more ruined.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Right.

[Anthony Padilla]

Because Defy was just, like, stomping on it, I felt. But then, I mean, I'm so glad that I was proven wrong, that my doubts about it, about Smosh being something that could not be repaired, did not end up being true. Because you guys picked up. You. You know, you said you did the Smosh Pit stuff, and you were able to kind of take full control there. You were able to put your heads together and make that into something amazing, which it is now. Which, by the way, that was one of the last meetings that Ian and I had while I was still working there. Even though I knew that I was leaving, I still took these meetings, and we were. We made the decision to change the channel name from Smosh second channel to Smosh.

[Shane Topp]

Wow.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Smosh Second channel seems to be called Smosh second Channel.

[Shane Topp]

I do love that the Smosh Pit name came from you both.

[Anthony Padilla]

That was either.

[Shane Topp]

That's really cool.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. Because we were like.

[Shane Topp]

I didn't know that.

[Anthony Padilla]

We're like, pit. That's stuff where extra stuff goes, but also a mosh pit, which is where the original.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

A mosh pit is where a bunch of people are really close to each other, just, like, enjoying themselves and completely letting loose.

[Shane Topp]

Wow.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

But Smosh Second channel, It could have been a banger. I'm gonna go watch Smosh Second channel. My favorite fun video.

[Anthony Padilla]

That is what it was called.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. I remember starting off there and be like, all right, we'll work on the Smosh second channel. No, Smosh Pit. That's really cool.

[Anthony Padilla]

Well, you heard it here, and yeah, that time period was so interesting, because the main channel. I know you guys were really banking on every blank ever. Cause it was really repeatable. It was gaining a lot of new audience. It was really broad. But then Smosh Pit is where I saw the things come to life that it felt like you all had so much passion for.

[Shane Topp]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Like, our original, like, selves came out.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I feel like. And try not to laugh and all those things.

[Shane Topp]

Oh, dude. I mean, we're having a blast. We're just doing whatever there. But I think the main channel, I think over all these years, I think the problem is that there is this, like, mentality of, for one, try to figure out what it is without you. And then it was also just this thing of, like, keeping it alive. And we did have a lot of fun on the main channel. I'd be lying to say, like, oh, we Never had fun. Like, filming sketches is fun, but it just never felt like we really could, like, go wild with it. And we were always trying to figure it out. And even up until recently, it did feel like. Here's also Smosh Pit content.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, Smosh Pit two.

[Shane Topp]

So. Yeah, exactly. Smosh second channel.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, Smosh pit second channel.

[Shane Topp]

So it made so much sense immediately when you came back. It's like, yeah, that's what it is.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Did you, when you were watching it, like, make it past defy and start to like, get maybe some joy back? Were you ever like, I want to go back?

[Anthony Padilla]

There was. I've always felt like if I were to be back, I would need to have to be in some kind of position where I could make decisions about the creative and direction, just because that's the type of person I am. I don't know. I'm like, if I'm going to be working on something, I need to be able to be fully in and I need to have some creative pool. I need to be able to tell my opinions and have them be heard and actually make things shift around and be malleable. And the concept of owning Smosh again was never even an inkling of an idea because it was, you know, Smosh was worth a lot of money and we didn't necessarily make a lot of money selling Smosh. So it was like I would be going into debt to buy the thing back that Ian and I created.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That's crazy.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. So it was never an idea of like, ooh, I could maybe go back and be a cast member. That just didn't sound right. Cause that's kind of the position I felt like I was in. In the final days of the Defy Times, I felt like I was just a cast member who would show up into sketches. And even though I would have some hand in coming up with some ideas, it was like we were working on so many things that if I even tried to spend 10 minutes coming up with an idea over here, that would be taking away for something over here. And at that point I was just a cast member. So the idea of coming on and just being a cast member was. Didn't sound that exciting to me. But I did deep down feel like if I had some way to really guide the ship, that sounded exciting, but again, so far fetched that it wasn't even something that I ever thought.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Wasn't even a possibility.

[Anthony Padilla]

No, never sat with it.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I mean, I never thought it was a possibility. That. And I had only learned a little bit about you, but When I got on, it was just like. You were just like a fan. You were like a folklore tale, right? You were a fan. It had been years in a graveyard.

[Anthony Padilla]

Cause you came on in 2018-2019-2019-2019.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I came on.

[Anthony Padilla]

So that was two years after I'd left. I was already just a faint memory.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

It was just. You were just like literally a tale that they tell their children before they go to bed.

[Shane Topp]

It was a joke that had already been played out.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Oh, it was a joke that was dead.

[Shane Topp]

Did you ever on your own channel hear the stuff of like, where's Anthony?

[Anthony Padilla]

I started being tagged in things on Twitter.

[Shane Topp]

Okay.

[Anthony Padilla]

And people would take an animated gif and it would have the subtitles on the screen and I'd be tagged in that. And I'd be like, over at Smosh, they're talking about me. What's going on? So I would check it out. I think I probably saw for the first time I saw it.

[Shane Topp]

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[Anthony Padilla]

Wild West Smosh Summer Games that was you. That was you. I wasn't there.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I wasn't there.

[Anthony Padilla]

That was before you.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That was before me.

[Anthony Padilla]

I was there.

[Shane Topp]

I. My memories had gotten mixed up. I guess I was the first person to make a joke out of it.

[Anthony Padilla]

It wasn't Noah on the. Try not to laugh.

[Shane Topp]

It was. That was around the same time. But I think that was after. I think mine on Wild west was the first.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Now you have to kill Shane.

[Shane Topp]

So. And I remember it. I remembered it after we were talking about it. Because after you left, it was a big thing of like, do not mention Anthony.

[Anthony Padilla]

Like, is that what the rule was internally?

[Shane Topp]

Just because it was like. It was like, this is like they all signed.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Do not mention Anthony's name. Like where?

[Shane Topp]

Like, screw it, I'm out of here too.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Wild West Summer Games. It was.

[Shane Topp]

It wasn't like this hard line thing. It was just like. What are you going to say? Like, it's. Of course it's this big, massive thing that's folklore that we're all scared of because this is immediately after.

[Anthony Padilla]

And that was a response to all the comments. Right.

[Shane Topp]

All the comments were, where's Anthony?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

All the comments, how in trouble you are.

[Shane Topp]

Every comment, every comment comment on every video was where's Anthony? Particularly on the main channel. But. But everywhere it was, it was all over the place. And it was still when I.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

When I got here and I was just like, oh.

[Shane Topp]

It became.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Well, by that.

[Shane Topp]

At that time. It was a joke.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

It became a joke of a joke.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yes, yes.

[Shane Topp]

But, yeah, so it was on Wild west. We were doing this, this bit where it was like a gunslinging draw thing. And I lost. If you lost, you had to give like a death like speech. Yeah. And so people are giving these like crazy speeches. It comes to me and I'm just like, we've all been holding this in. And meanwhile, like I said, this is me post breakup. I'm like, I'm like, I got nothing to lose. My brain is fried. And I look at everyone and I just go, where's Anthony? Where's Anthony? Yeah, I just fall to the ground. Because I was just like, come on, guys. Like, we can all acknowledge what's going on here.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That's what I love about Shane, because I do the same thing where you just call out the elephant in the room at a time. But I guess you called it out. And then it became a long.

[Shane Topp]

Well, we had to make. Yeah.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And haunted Anthony's dreams, probably.

[Shane Topp]

And then Noah did that joke on Try not to laugh. Like, all I want is Anthony. So we, we did the Where's Anthony? Thing. And then they started to comment where's Anthony? As a joke, which was better for.

[Anthony Padilla]

Us to be part of the joke that everyone was in.

[Shane Topp]

Then they ran with that joke forever.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. So when I first saw you say where's Anthony? It felt like it was really from a place of jest. And it was like just pointing out the things that people are saying. So I thought it was really funny. And I don't know if I saw Noah's. But then it was like six months later, someone had linked me to a compilation. So I had seen. So I had seen you say it once. So I'd seen you say it 50 times. You say once, I thought it was funny. And then I linked to something where it's like 10 more times. I was like. I was like, wait, this is just an ongoing bit. And it seemed like some of the times it wasn't just from a place of jest, something about it. I don't know if I was just reading into it wrong, but it was like after something. It was like 10 times, you know, and it was like sometimes it felt like there was a little bit of something else there to the point where, I mean, obviously if I was better at communicating, I would just been like, you know, speaking with you about it in some way. And I didn't even want them to stop. But I think a part of me wondered, like, is there something else going on behind the scenes? Are there other discussions about me going on that pushes you guys to make the joke?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Right, of course. That makes sense. So glad I wasn't there yet.

[Anthony Padilla]

By the way, you did not contribute.

[Shane Topp]

You're not in trouble. Shane probably did deep doo doo. I. If I remember correctly, it wasn't any sort of animosity towards you, but I do think just the comments just. It was like, oh, man. Like, we were like just, you know, like we're just doing our jobs. Like we're here and all we're being. All the comments are just saying, so.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Was there any chat?

[Shane Topp]

And so, yes, we would. We were sometimes saying. It just. It was more of a. I would say if there's any animosity was towards the people commenting, and that's what I'm.

[Anthony Padilla]

Able to see from the outside now, is that your tone wasn't about me, it was about the commenters.

[Shane Topp]

Because, yeah, the more time that you were gone, the more it was like, all right, like, we're moving forward because.

[Anthony Padilla]

You guys are doing like, you guys are making great shows and coming up with new things. And then you're like, give it up. We're working on something new. Stop living in the past, live in the present.

[Shane Topp]

Well, we can't do anything about it. I'm sorry.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Anthony's going to go home on shit list and just cross out your name.

[Shane Topp]

Shane gone.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And Amanda's just has a star next to it.

[Anthony Padilla]

An asterisk with a will figure out.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

It needs to continue on shit list.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah, I just. I remember. I just was curious how much you faced comments and stuff.

[Anthony Padilla]

Oh, well, there. When I first left smosh, there was definitely go back to smosh comment. And there was. You were funnier in smosh or smosh is better without you or mind you.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

There were tons of comments that were like, smosh was way funnier with Anthony.

[Anthony Padilla]

I mean, it went both ways for sure. I blocked the word smosh for like six months.

[Shane Topp]

Wow.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Only six months. I would have blocked it for a lot longer.

[Anthony Padilla]

Okay. I don't remember exactly. It might have been a year. But I do remember there was a time where I was like. I was like, I feel better about this. People referencing Smosh doesn't make me feel one way or the other anymore, so I'm gonna remove this word filter. But there was definitely a time period where I was like, every time I'd go to my comments, it was go back to Smosh. And then every once in a while, you'd see something that was like, smosh is better without you. And I'd be like, oh, I can't.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Even imagine, because you are so in the spotlight. Like, people every day leave their jobs. People every day get divorced. People every day fuck up big time. You made a decision that was better for you. And it's just. I literally can't even imagine the amount of time that you have to go, like, how long does it take us to get over a breakup? Like, that was like, a company, a partnership, a friendship. And then you have commenters being like, dude, you suck without this thing that you were with. Like, it's not like the friend groups of the divorcee are like, God, you were so much better when you were.

[Anthony Padilla]

You were better with your ex.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You were so much better when you were with your ex.

[Anthony Padilla]

You were so much better with him.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

They just go, yes, sorry, we're having fourth of July, and you were not invited, or whatever.

[Anthony Padilla]

Right?

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Like, you have to experience that on such a public level. Like, I can't even imagine.

[Shane Topp]

I bet 100 bucks that the people who are commenting on A hundred dollars. Okay, I bet you $100. We're gonna have to prove this. I bet you that the people who are commenting. You were funnier on Smosh are the same people who would then go over to Smosh and be like, you guys suck without Anthony. They're just haters. They just want to, like, make people feel bad.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. I don't think they actually were putting much.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

They looked. They looked up to you. You guys were like, the. The people together. People put their, you know, love and, like, all of their meaning sometimes into that, which I totally understand. I mean, when we watch shows, we're like, why'd you kill off that character?

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, hello.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Like, Game of Thrones season one. You're like, spoiler, why'd you kill off that character? And it's just like, but this is your life, right?

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah, but people look from the outside at public figures as if they're characters.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I know.

[Anthony Padilla]

I mean, even when someone's watching a reality TV show, they're like, that character did this thing. It's like, these are real people.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I mean, literally, when I. I just went home to Rhode island, it was 1am I was walking my sister's dog, and this girl goes, amanda. And I went. My brain just went, how do I know you? How do I know you? How do I know? How do I know you? And my sister's like, there. Just, like, after a few drinks, she's like, who's that?

[Anthony Padilla]

Do you know this bitch?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

She was like, who the fuck is that?

[Shane Topp]

Who the fuck is that?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And I'm walking my sister's dog. And she was like, oh, sorry, you don't know me at all. But you're on Smosh. You're so positive. I want to buy you a drink. Her boyfriend's sitting there like this. She didn't introduce him the entire time. And my husband's there, and my husband's like. And then she goes, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Literally said that. And her boyfriend's like.

[Anthony Padilla]

Like, that's true.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I'm not even kidding.

[Shane Topp]

The boyfriend was like, that's true. I'm a huge piece of shit.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah. And then she goes, oh, sorry, sorry. This is my boyfriend.

[Shane Topp]

So anyway. Shut up, Mike.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And my sister's just there being like, how the fuck is that?

[Shane Topp]

Does your sister watch this podcast? This is the second time you've roasted her on this show.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

She'll never watch this podcast clip that moment.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah, we're the compilation of that.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I don't know which sister it is. I have three.

[Shane Topp]

Okay, fine.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

So anyways, it was so sweet, but she was like, I want to buy you a drink. It was actually, like, the cutest thing ever. And I forget why I'm launching into this, but she saw me as this, like, you know, this being this person. And I think it was so weird for her to see me on the side of the street near where she lives walking a dog. She's like, you have a dog? I'm like, no, it's my sister's. We gotta go.

[Shane Topp]

I love encountering fans when I'm someplace weird. Yeah, they were, like, out in the middle of nowhere.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Why are you in Rhode Island? I was like, well, I'm. Well, my cousin's getting. I'm from Massachusetts. She was like, what the fuck? So it's just like. But I get it. Like, they see, you know, this. This being this. This character that you are. Because I am truly myself on this. On this show. But sometimes we do play characters. We do play a Part we do ham up a bit.

[Anthony Padilla]

Sure.

[Shane Topp]

Right.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You know, but I think sometimes, like, they say, never meet your heroes. Like, I think sometimes that is hard to meet someone that you're like, wait, I thought you were. This way.

[Anthony Padilla]

The facade gets.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah, but that was really just who I was.

[Shane Topp]

I mean, look, I can relate to that lady. That's how I felt when you walked back into Smosh. Oh, yeah, there we go. Bringing it right around.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And he was just like. But I saw the compilation video.

[Shane Topp]

It was actually. So, yeah, he's like, hey, guys, I'm back. We bought Smosh and Shane, you're dead to me. Why don't you leave?

[Anthony Padilla]

How dare you start that trend?

[Shane Topp]

I'm sorry. I've started a lot of trends that I didn't want to start, and they have continued on. There's a lot to catch up on. There's a lot of jokes that you'll be like, what is that? It's so weird. I feel like so many things started. I think the only legacy character joke that I have that was around when you were still here was Courtney freakin Miller.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

I think that's the only one. All the rest are newer.

[Anthony Padilla]

I love that, because a lot of the new characters that you guys come up with are on smosh pit things. You know, they're. They're in Try not to laugh and whatnot. And those characters are great. It's kind of the foundation of where Ian and I got started with the sketches. It was like, let's come up with this ridiculous character. Here are the things they do. Here's the way they look. They always do these things. And you could run so far with that.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You can.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. You know, one thing I want to say is one of the comments that did bug me the most when I first left was were people that were painting my decision to leave as if I was letting down Ian and letting down all of you and letting down the brand, which, of course, there is a certain amount of truth to that, where if Ian and I were on much better terms, if we were super, super close, like, it would have been like, let's work on this together. But just the place that we were at, it seemed like we needed to step away in order to, like, find ourselves again. When I was stepping away, I didn't know I would be coming back. But I feel like every single thing needed to happen. I needed to leave. I needed that time away in order for us to get to the position that we're at now. So in some way, it's almost like, with being able to zoom out far enough, you know, at that time, I was like, I hope someday people can see that it was. That this is the best decision, not just for me, but for everyone.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Right?

[Anthony Padilla]

And it's really cool because it's like, I don't.

[Shane Topp]

I mean, right now, Smosh is huge. And I think it's. I don't know if it would have been if it played out a different way, you know, I mean, I think. I think this whole story is so epic, and it needed to happen. You guys talked about that in your interview with Ian on your channel, that this kind of did need to happen. Like, you were gonna be unhappy staying here with the way it was, and you needed to take that step away. I also think it was good. You guys started this thing forever ago when you were kids, and it's complet. Completely overshadowed your own lives and your friendship to be able to take a step away and figure out who you guys are on your own and then come back. You guys were, at a certain point, forced to be best friends on camera. And that's tough. Like, that's a tough thing. And it becomes a product more than an actual friendship. So to be able to walk away and leave that alone and then choose to be best friends again, I think.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Leaving was probably the best decision that you could have made for yourself, because it was like, not only are you doing yourself a favor, but you're essentially doing the fans and Smosh a favor, because it was like, you guys needed to go and grow on your own, and you need to start. Start your podcast and, like, really figure out who you guys were. Because exactly what Shane was saying, like, I mean, you guys started when you were 14.

[Anthony Padilla]

I mean, yeah, that's when I made the website, but we got together and started making the videos at, like, 17.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

It's so young. Like, you don't. I don't even think we should go to college at 17. It's just like, we don't. You don't know what the fuck is going on. Yeah, you kind of do. You have a sense. But life, you change so much, especially in your 20s. You know, like, you have to go away from something and come back to it better.

[Shane Topp]

And I think I said it to Ian when he was on the podcast, but, like, I really respect both of you for your. Both individual journeys in all this. Like, your choice to leave, the thing you made forever ago as a kid, that meant everything to you, that's an insane choice. And you made it for your own good. And you recognized Your own happiness. That's huge. That was gigantic. And then Ian really, I think, was scared to be a leader here. He was scared to be on his own, like, president.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

And he really did it. And he's. He's stuck with it through crazy. I mean, not only the shutdown, where he stepped up. Stepped up, but the pandemic as well, where we were all filming stuff on our own by ourselves.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

And he. He was. He stuck with it, man.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I was there for that.

[Shane Topp]

He's had some endurance with all of this, and so to see you guys back together. I know is. I know for him, it's at least there's, like, pressure taken off because he has you, and I can see that there's so many aspects of the job that he. He questions himself. I think he's great at it, but he questions himself. And I think you can fill in that part for him where he's like, oh, sweet. I know I can rely on you. And I've said that. I said this to you, I think, the day you first came back. But I'm like, you both together is, like, one of the greatest YouTubers ever. I appreciate you individually, super successful.

[Anthony Padilla]

Like.

[Shane Topp]

Like, you went. You went, and you were successful on your own. Ian maintained Smosh on his own. That's really cool to see that there was success from both of you individually. But together, it's. I mean, it's. When we're at Vidcon or we're Talking to other YouTubers, Smosh has, like, a. There's something to it. Right? Like, other YouTubers go, oh, that's a big deal.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I just think it's cool that you come back and Smoshes an amazing deal. But also, like, you did start a podcast on your own. You have I don't even know how many million subscribers or something.

[Anthony Padilla]

7.

[Shane Topp]

It's insane.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Like, you. When did you decide to do that?

[Anthony Padilla]

So one of the first videos that I made right after I left Smosh was this video where I was like, I'm going to interview other big youtubers and talk to them about what it's like to be an independent creator, because I haven't uploaded my own video in five or six years. At that point, like, I wasn't making the decisions as an independent creator anymore. So I interviewed them, and I was feeling really awkward and out of my element because I'm used to doing sketch comedy where it's all written beforehand. So I was in such a strange place that I decided to just make it part of my character. I was like, I'm an awkward person. And like, just to hide the fact that I really was feeling awkward, and that actually did help cause it. It made me feel more confident in myself because I was supposed to be awkward. So whenever I wasn't awkward and I was confident, it was just like a little bonus. And then it started all shifting in that direction and I tried a whole bunch of different types of videos. I thought that my lane was making sketch comedy, so I was writing out some stuff. But I realized that on my own, without Ian, I am not a very strong writer. I do not have the funniest jokes. So I would write some funny things, but then I would, like have this huge chunk that was just improvised. And I was like, I can improvise and come up with stuff. And when we cut down this 30 minute piece of chaos down to two minutes, it'll be really a really solid bit there. So that all these elements combined. I realized that sketch was just not the right way. You can't make money doing these short things that you write anymore. Was taking all of my. And I looked back at the first video that I had made and I realized, like, oh, maybe I could play more into this interview kind of character where I don't really have to write it. I just come up with questions and then I get to improvise from there. So in a weird way, interviewing was a way for me to do loosely scripted, improvised content because I got to have the security of having the questions to go back to structure. If I needed to fall back on it, I could. But otherwise I get to improvise and take up that space to have longer videos, which is what YouTube was pushing at the time.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And you also seem extroverted. You seem like a people person.

[Anthony Padilla]

That is an illusion, really.

[Shane Topp]

You're an introvert. Really.

[Anthony Padilla]

I'm very introverted.

[Shane Topp]

You're actually out of. And I mean, you know, I'm just now hanging out with you again recently. But I always got the sense, and I get the sense still that, like, Ian is the outgoing one. Yeah, Ian's super outgoing. And people maybe don't clock that. No. At parties, Ian will walk up to any group of people and he'll just. He'll just join the convoy. It is shocking to me for sure. And he's so chill about it.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

So you're so. It's an illusion.

[Anthony Padilla]

It's an illusion.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Extroverted.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yes. And it's because I. And this is a strange thing that came about from doing the interviews is I realized that I, you know, when I started Taking those more seriously, doing more of those episodes. They started off as really silly stuff, but they grew to be a little bit more focused on more of just me being curious and learning. But I realized that I had inadvertently made it my job to learn how to communicate with people, to learn how to follow a conversation, to learn how to hold an interesting conversation that wasn't just about me and what I was doing. Because so many people up to that point, whenever someone would talk to me, they'd talk to me about smosh. They would talk to me about what I was working on. And then I got very used to talking about just the stuff that I was working on.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You were practicing being an extrovert.

[Anthony Padilla]

So in doing these interviews, I was practicing. Yeah, Learning how to be an extrovert, Learning how to talk to people. And in that process, I was able to start. So at first, they were really silly interviews. I was doing Flat Earthers, furries. I remember things like time travel things where it was like, these people are a little strange. Let's see what's up? And at first, it was really like, it was 2018 or so when the most popular thing to do on YouTube was to be a commentary channel and kind of say, everything is cringe. Look how cringey that person is.

[Shane Topp]

Wow.

[Anthony Padilla]

Cringe. That person's awkward and cringy.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Weird outfit. Weird outfit.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. Yeah, they did that cringey thing. It was like TikTok Cringe compilations. Everything was about how cringey someone was. And I fell into that by being like, I'm gonna interview flat Earthers. And it's like, it's a little bit cringy that they believe this thing that's been scientifically proven to not be the case. And I thought that was kind of my thing for a bit. And then I interviewed furries, and I wasn't necessarily going in from the perspective, like, I'm gonna make fun of them, but it was very much like, this is a strange group of people. Right?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

And in doing that video, I learned so much about them. I learned how they feel more comfortable portraying themselves with Personas that they get to invent because they're not. Many of them are not happy with the way that they're perceived or seen by other people. So now they get to create this world for themselves where they feel more comfortable. And I learned so many more things that I realized is just a peek at humanity, a peek at this common feeling that so many of us feel. And I learned a lot about myself. I started applying those things. I learned to the way that I view the world and myself. And that just kind of led me down the path of getting more and more serious with these conversations. And I started really leaning into that one part of me. And in doing that for so many years, I realized that there was a part of me that still really wanted to be over the top and silly. And my interviews, while I still incorporated some of those elements, I literally had me falling through the ceiling. Crashing through the ceiling as, like, a little sketch bit there that I established in the days of wanting to show that these interviews were. Were really weird. But as the interviews got more and more serious, I still kept that really weird element. And it was around the time that I decided. I mean, just it was not right. Like, kidnapping survivors, school shooting survivors, work through trauma. I survived getting kidnapped by a serial killer. It just. It just. Yeah, the tone wasn't right, but I was still trying to hold on to that. That, like, that absurd type of humor that I did with Smosh. And it was a thing where people started commenting that was weird. But the rest of the video was great, and you became the cringe. And then my crew was like, I feel like we need to look at these intros. They're. They're the only thing that doesn't feel like it matches the tone. I was like, you are very like, what? But I didn't. I didn't want to give it up for so long because I felt like there wasn't. There was, like, a part of me that would be almost stifled. This part of me that's really absurd and over the top and just wants to lighten the mood by things just being just, like, silly.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

And it was around the time that Ian and I started talking about the Smosh deal and eventually being able to make this happen again, where I was like, actually, maybe I could let my. My new show focus entirely on what it's best. That being curious, learning about other people, connecting with people, giving people a place where they feel like they can be themselves and other people can learn through them and learn through me. Learning and asking questions. Like, I could focus on just being curious and making a connection with someone. I don't have to be silly and over the top because I. You know, if it happens, it happens naturally. But. But I might have Smosh as my outlet for that part of me.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Right.

[Anthony Padilla]

So the Smosh deal has actually helped me refine and focus on what I'm best at with that series, what that series does best. And then I have Smosh to do.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

To do Falling over the Top fall through the ceiling.

[Anthony Padilla]

Five minutes of screaming in every episode. Like, I get to do as absurd of a thing that I could think of and wait.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I love that so much. I feel like the podcast was almost like your therapeutic way to like work through everything that you were feeling. And also, like, I talked to Shane about this. Like, when I create characters, I find the cringe thing in a person that I see and I'm like, ooh, I don't really understand that that makes me feel weird or that makes me feel funny or that makes me feel excited. I'm gonna put that character on so I can connect it to my inner fears or excitement and then work through the character. Work through that stuff. Through the character.

[Anthony Padilla]

So you understand them, whoever you're portraying and yourself more.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yes. So I just combine the two. I feel most free, actually, when I'm in a full on character in a wig and people like, I don't even know where you went. I was like, me neither. But I know, like, now I understand them by putting it on. That's why I love doing my sisters. They are like my first impressions ever. And my mom, because it helped me understand the things that they do that you're like, why did she just do that thing?

[Anthony Padilla]

Right.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And then I'm like, oh. So I like that you were like, I'm going to like be curious about furries or flat earth. Because I think it like helped you understand this part about yourself and like work through the identity of Smosh. Cause that's not just the only thing that you want.

[Anthony Padilla]

And I had to work through. Yeah. The identity of who I am as an individual and the show directly. I used to say indirectly, but I think directly helped me understand myself, to perceive the world with less judgment, to let go of my old things. You know, when I'm interacting in a moment, am I interacting based on what is actually happening in front of me or am I interacting with it based on all the things that have stored up in my head over the years that it is now filtering through?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Right.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. Well, so it's now been a bit since you've come back. How's it been?

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Oh, yeah. What has it been, a month?

[Shane Topp]

I mean, by the time this airs, I'm trying to think, but it's. But even as of now, by the.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Time this airs, it's been probably, definitely, but.

[Shane Topp]

But it's been. It's been a little bit. You've been working with Ian. I mean, has it been everything you you'd hoped for and dreamed of?

[Anthony Padilla]

Yes.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yeah, yeah. Are you dreaming?

[Anthony Padilla]

Disappointed with the way it's going and I'm not so sure about anymore.

[Shane Topp]

This sucks.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. I had a 30 day money back guarantee and I really satisfied.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Cue him falling through the ceiling.

[Anthony Padilla]

No, it is really, really interesting because I think it's been maybe 15, 20 days since the announcement by the time of this recording.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You count by days. Love it.

[Anthony Padilla]

Three to four weeks.

[Shane Topp]

Ish.

[Anthony Padilla]

And it is. So it's different in action because in my head it was just a concept of what will this be like when I return. Especially because I'm going to continue doing my other series. So, yeah, there was a little bit of worry like, am I really going to be able to do all of these things that is required of me? And you know, right now I can say that it is overwhelming because we are, you know, we're coming in here and picking up a lot of different things that will. I will not have to be putting as much of my time and energy into once we've kind of established things.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

You know, I'm coming in here not only writing and creating sketches for the main channel, but I've been kind of doing my rounds. I'm appearing on. Try not to laugh.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Extroverted.

[Shane Topp]

There was a comment.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Extrovertedness.

[Shane Topp]

There was a comment on, I think it was Reddit stories. The one that you were on.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

Where someone was like, anthony Padilla is doing the, like speedrun of every single style of content on the pitch.

[Anthony Padilla]

Basically.

[Shane Topp]

You did every single format, basically in like a week.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That's a lot.

[Anthony Padilla]

It was, I mean, it was a lot because I'm literally meeting and interacting with some of the cast for the first time on camera. On camera.

[Shane Topp]

A lot of those interactions are the very first time.

[Anthony Padilla]

Oh, yeah.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Play one game with me and Angela and Chant and Arasha and you're like, I need to go to bed for a month. Like needed time to decompress. Play one game of secret Sith and you're just like, I need to die and then I'll be reborn next year.

[Shane Topp]

It was so trippy to be reading those red stories, like, because that was only three days after I found out.

[Anthony Padilla]

And the announcement wasn't seen by the world or anything.

[Shane Topp]

No one's still a secret. So we're, we're recording that. I'm like, this is crazy. I did not think last Friday this was something that was never going to happen. And now I'm sitting here, it was such a trip.

[Anthony Padilla]

So my job right now has been to, you know, observe, just kind of see how things are Going. I think that there were maybe some people that assumed that me coming in and. And, you know, Ian and I owning Smosh together, we were just going to start changing everything. This is done, this is done, this is switching. This is different. But in reality, what we want to do is I want to appear on the episodes. I want to get to know everyone really well. I want to be able to look at, you know, if we want to look at the stats or if we want to look at the comments. Like, I want to be able to take all the data in and understand what's working best, what's not working, trim off the things that aren't working quite as well, amp up the things that are working really well, converse with all of you, find out what you're most excited about, like, so you can shine. I mean, I love that you are a host of one of the shows that you are now joint hosts on this. Like, I don't. I don't want to necessarily give away all of our business plans so far, but one thing that I really want to focus on is giving each person finding that place where they can really shine.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

And, you know, I love that. I love that. Makes me really happy because I feel like I've started to really figure out what I really like. And I love doing this podcast. I also love doing Dungeons and Dragons. Didn't know that that was like, a secret love. I've never played before while shooting.

[Shane Topp]

Found that out mid shoot.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Mid shoot, I was like, something awoke within you elfears just grew. And I was like, to Middle Earth.

[Anthony Padilla]

See, that's amazing, though. So I love. I guess I kind of learned by doing this on my own channel, but, like, just throwing stuff out, seeing what works, and then coming back and being like, I really loved that. I really loved that show. I love that element. I love being able to express myself in that way. How can I do more of that? How can I make something that encourages me to push myself in that direction, push myself outside of my comfort zone and learn more things about myself? Because that's something that has longevity. Something where you go into. You already know everything about it. You're already a master. You already know where it's gonna go and where it went. Not as interesting as pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. Being able to grow with each thing that you do. That's something that you could actually stick with for a long time.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I love that you're just staying curious. Again in now Smosh, right?

[Anthony Padilla]

And now you guys with this, you're you every time after you Shoot one of these. You are different just because you learn something about each other or you said something you haven't said out loud before. When you're doing your Reddit show, you're learning. You're having.

[Shane Topp]

I am learning a lot about people. You're learning about people.

[Anthony Padilla]

You're learning about. You're having to think of things in a slightly different way, too. When you hear someone's situation, you're able to see it from kind of that, you know, zoom back perception of. I don't have any stake in this. Let's just remove myself. What are. What. How do I analyze this situation? So it's cool, you know, you guys have shows and outlets where you can learn more about yourself.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

And that curiosity and excitement and passion, I think, is what comes through the camera. And I think that's what was lost in our first or in our defy days. It started to get lost. We weren't doing things because we were excited and curious. We were doing things because we had to meet numbers.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. Yeah, I love that. That's very true. And we're so glad to have you back. And there's. There's one last thing I want to talk about because something cool that you guys are working on that is going to be.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Probably can share.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. That's gonna be on this channel. But you guys, you and Ian are making a podcast.

[Anthony Padilla]

We are in the very beginning phases of coming up with ideas for what a podcast that Ian and I host together would look like.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah. Okay.

[Anthony Padilla]

And it might be premiering on this very channel.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Oh. Next to, dare we say, Smosh.

[Anthony Padilla]

Smosh Mouth.

[Shane Topp]

Smoshmouth.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Alongside, guys, we call it Smoshmouth.

[Anthony Padilla]

Are you gonna make Smosh Mouth?

[Shane Topp]

Let's see if it should be Smoshmouth.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

I think we should make.

[Shane Topp]

We kind of. We kind of said it last time, and now we're just like, now it's like seeping in because we can do whatever we want nowadays. I feel like, truly, truly, there's no rules.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

There's no parents.

[Shane Topp]

Well, but you and Ian are cool.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

You're not our. Yeah, you guys are cool.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

We're the cool parents that leave and just leave you a $20 bill for pizza.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

That's not enough money.

[Anthony Padilla]

Now I'm in 90s mode. $100 for a pizza?

[Shane Topp]

Yes.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Maybe breadsticks.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. Damn you, inflation.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

So, yeah, we're really excited that you. You're gonna be on the same channel podcast.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shane Topp]

I'm really stoked for it. I've heard some. Some thoughts and stuff and I'm really excited about it. So keep an eye out for it when it's. When it'll be dropping. We'll. We will make sure to let you guys know as well here.

[Anthony Padilla]

But, yeah, but I am so excited, you know, you guys are stepping up as hosts, and, you know, you're being more creative and giving your input in bigger ways. And I think it's really cool how the Smosh Pit channel has a bunch of different shows under it with similar vibe. It could be cool if smoshcast had a bunch of different shows on it with similar vibes with Smosh Mouth. Yeah. He's proud of us. He's proud of us.

[Shane Topp]

Anthony's proud of us.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

But you're still on his shit list.

[Shane Topp]

Yeah.

[Anthony Padilla]

You're gonna earn your way off of that one.

[Shane Topp]

Okay, Good to know. Well, thank you.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Thank you so much for being here.

[Shane Topp]

Also a phrase I never thought I'd say.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

What? Thank you.

[Shane Topp]

Thank you, Anthony, for being here. I didn't think you would ever be here.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

To learn.

[Shane Topp]

This is really so cool, man. Thank you. This is really so cool.

[Anthony Padilla]

I'm just excited that, you know, even with something that's on a Smosh channel, I get to show up. You guys have it under control. I get to just show up as a guest.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Yep.

[Anthony Padilla]

I know that you guys got it covered. That's such a nice feeling.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

We have it covered, right, Shane?

[Shane Topp]

We have it covered. We absolutely know what we're doing.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

We are absolutely fine.

[Shane Topp]

It's all good. Anyways, thanks, Anthony.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Thank you.

[Anthony Padilla]

Thank you.

[Shane Topp]

And thank you. Yeah. Thank you for watching Smosh Mouth.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Smoshmouth.

[Anthony Padilla]

Yep.

[Shane Topp]

Bye. Bye. Get out.

[Amanda Leehancanto]

Get out.

[Anthony Padilla]

When he gets to talk about the first time you met Ian and improvised and kissed him.

[Shane Topp]

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[Amanda Leehancanto]

Do a service for me.

[Shane Topp]

Play the God Godfather now at chumbacasino. Com. Welcome to the family. No purchase necessary VGW Group void where prohibited by law 21/ terms and conditions apply.