The California Stereotype Experiment

"The California Stereotype Experiment" is a Smosh video released on June 7, 2006.

Description
Ian sets off to prove the "everyone in California surfs/lives next to a movie star" stereotype wrong.

Cast

 * Ian Hecox — Himself
 * Anthony Padilla — Himself

Interviewees

 * An unidentified man with a British accent
 * Steve
 * Clay
 * Pale
 * Paul
 * Michelle
 * Nick
 * Josh
 * Dan
 * Ryan
 * Tyler

Crew

 * Cameraman: Anthony Padilla

Synopsis
Ian and Anthony are at Santa Monica State Beach, where Ian explains that Californians such as himself are often asked if they surf or live near a celebrity. Ian is going to conduct an experiment by going out and asking random people at the beach if they actually surf or live near a movie star. Ian is confident that the experiment will prove the stereotype wrong.

During a brief intermission, Ian is surprised at how everyone they have interviewed either surf or lives next to a celebrity. Anthony points out the number of people at the beach with them and how at least one of them does not surf or live next to a celebrity, and encourages him to continue the experiment.

Ian is greatly frustrated by their inability to find anyone who either does not surf or lives near anyone famous. Anthony tries to encourage him to continue, but Ian starts to run off. Anthony tries to chase after him but eventually gives up and films Ian as he runs across the beach.

Trivia

 * This is the first video to use the iconic Shut Up! opening.
 * The opening of the video is an excerpt from "California" by the rock band Phantom Planet. It is the only song used in the Shut Up! opening that one of the Smoshers does not sing.
 * As of June 2020, the first three seconds of the opening is muted, likely for copyright-related reasons.
 * When Ian is interviewing Clay, a squirrel can be seen running in the background.
 * Ian and Anthony clarified in the Lunchtime with Smosh episode WATCHING OUR OLD VIDEOS that this entire video was scripted. However, the people they interviewed were not actors, rather simply folks they ran into at Santa Monica Beach were instructed them what to say.
 * In the same video, it is also mentioned that the wind was bad the day it was filmed, Paul is potentially Australian, and it was shot within a day of Smosh Short 2: Stranded.