Zooming in on Pewds (Q2)
I mentioned in an earlier post that YouTube celebrities are so diverse that it's impossible to generalise them as a whole, so I figured for this post I'd narrow things down to one YouTuber. Or rather, the YouTuber, Felix Kjellberg, better known as PeeuuuuuwwwDeePAII (PewDiePie).
Felix is the most subscribed user on YouTube, with over 56 million subscribers and holds the distinction of being the most viewed channel of all time. He has a dedicated fanbase that he refers to as his "Bro Army", and was one of Time's "The World's 100 Most Influential People" in 2016.
PewDiePie's videos generally have between 3-6 million views, with most of the content being focused on video game streaming. He is known to have exaggerated responses to games, which is what his viewers find entertaining. In February 2014, Wall Street Journal released an article that used content from PewDiePie's videos to postulate that he might be portraying anti-Semitic values. This resulted in Disney-owned Maker Studio severing ties with him due them not wanting to be associated with his image. PewDiePie's defense was that all his videos were made for the sake of humour, and that he was being unfairly targeted by mainstream media because of his YouTube fame.
Rather than going on about PewDiePie's content, I want to explore what exactly makes him such a popular figure, with his "bros" supporting him even through the controversies he's faced.
In Charisma On Command's video on "Why PewDiePie Is Unstoppable", Charlie Houpert (the voice behind Charisma On Command) calls PewDiePie an "expert in capturing attention". Whether it's his video thumbnails or his high-pitched intros, PewDiePie makes people notice, for better or for worse. PewDiePie also utilises strong emotions in his "let's play" videos, often with exaggerated screams or swears when faced with monsters or in-game death. It's more likely than not that Felix does not respond that way to thing that happen in his daily life. He has perfected a persona which draws in viewers, and he knows how to monetize on it.
In essence, Felix seems to be an actor, with PewDiePie being the one role he plays the most. And the fact that his fans let him get away with paying impoverished people to hold up anti-Semitic signs means that his fans know it's all an act too. Surely no one is really that much of a caricature, they might think.
But that could just me my wishful thinking. When you're standing outside of the fan base looking it, seeing a sea of fanatic people practically worshiping one person just looks bizarre, whether it's PewDiePie or Jesus Christ. Surely people can't actually believe in this guy?
References:
Nicas, J., Fritz, B. and Winkler, R. (2014). Disney Severs Ties With YouTube Star PewDiePie After Anti-Semitic Posts. [online] WSJ. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-severs-ties-with-youtube-star-pewdiepie-after-anti-semitic-posts-1487034533 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2017].
PewDiePIe (2017). My Response. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/lwk1DogcPmU [Accessed 5 Jul. 2017].
Felix is the most subscribed user on YouTube, with over 56 million subscribers and holds the distinction of being the most viewed channel of all time. He has a dedicated fanbase that he refers to as his "Bro Army", and was one of Time's "The World's 100 Most Influential People" in 2016.
PewDiePie's videos generally have between 3-6 million views, with most of the content being focused on video game streaming. He is known to have exaggerated responses to games, which is what his viewers find entertaining. In February 2014, Wall Street Journal released an article that used content from PewDiePie's videos to postulate that he might be portraying anti-Semitic values. This resulted in Disney-owned Maker Studio severing ties with him due them not wanting to be associated with his image. PewDiePie's defense was that all his videos were made for the sake of humour, and that he was being unfairly targeted by mainstream media because of his YouTube fame.
Rather than going on about PewDiePie's content, I want to explore what exactly makes him such a popular figure, with his "bros" supporting him even through the controversies he's faced.
In Charisma On Command's video on "Why PewDiePie Is Unstoppable", Charlie Houpert (the voice behind Charisma On Command) calls PewDiePie an "expert in capturing attention". Whether it's his video thumbnails or his high-pitched intros, PewDiePie makes people notice, for better or for worse. PewDiePie also utilises strong emotions in his "let's play" videos, often with exaggerated screams or swears when faced with monsters or in-game death. It's more likely than not that Felix does not respond that way to thing that happen in his daily life. He has perfected a persona which draws in viewers, and he knows how to monetize on it.
In essence, Felix seems to be an actor, with PewDiePie being the one role he plays the most. And the fact that his fans let him get away with paying impoverished people to hold up anti-Semitic signs means that his fans know it's all an act too. Surely no one is really that much of a caricature, they might think.
But that could just me my wishful thinking. When you're standing outside of the fan base looking it, seeing a sea of fanatic people practically worshiping one person just looks bizarre, whether it's PewDiePie or Jesus Christ. Surely people can't actually believe in this guy?
References:
Charisma On Command (2016). Why PewDiePIe Is Unstoppable. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-31CYrfMMTY [Accessed 4 Jul. 2017].
Nicas, J., Fritz, B. and Winkler, R. (2014). Disney Severs Ties With YouTube Star PewDiePie After Anti-Semitic Posts. [online] WSJ. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-severs-ties-with-youtube-star-pewdiepie-after-anti-semitic-posts-1487034533 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2017].
PewDiePIe (2017). My Response. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/lwk1DogcPmU [Accessed 5 Jul. 2017].
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