19 moments that defined YouTube dramas economy … and then destroyed it.
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It was only a matter of time before the drama channels came for each other.
Audiences needed researched, fact-checked, and fair reporting on influencers.
Drama doesnt happen in a vacuum.
Feuds happening today are rewriting internet history.
Niche drama from years ago has helped set up the next generation of watchdogs.
April 12, 2017: Jackie Aina VS Petty Paige - Jackie Aina Copyright Striked Me!
My, my, how the mighty have fallen, Petty said at the time.
Its easiest for influencers to deflect and let the internets short attention span latch onto something else.
Refusing to handle it personally becomes the publics business.
Beauty influencers were able to influence their way out of major scandals with relationships and PR packages.
Up until that point, commentary on YouTube existed mostly as a subsection of reaction videos.
Jake Paul saturated video titles, creating his own little economy off angering his neighbors and off-beat diss tracks.
The monetary stakes were raised higher than ever.
The events here made the financial and career repercussions, on top of social consequences, much more real.
By this point, even Shane Dawsons loyalists were realizing the good PR he was creating for controversial YouTubers.
Charless first reply, a since-deleted teary vertical video titled tati, earned him no support.
But eight days later, the teen absolved himself in a 41-minute-long video titled No More Lies.
Succinct apologies like this happen on YouTube, TikTok, andInstagram Livefar too often nowadays.
October 1, 2019: The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star
Step one of being a clown?
Apply your clown makeup.
Keemstar, 38, has inserted himself into every incident he can on his DramaAlert YouTube channel.
No one is safe.
In general, podcasts have become a lucrative next step for those who want to monetize their drama.
In his wake, tea channels were canceled, reputations were ruined, and he profited.
There was only one clown at this circus.
After his follow-up response, a YouTube video titled Taking Accountability, YouTube demonetized all three of his channels.
Commentary channels now routinely amplify this power to round up receipts and get at creators ethical violations.
The Sway boys recently moved from Bel Air to a secluded house in the Hollywood Hills.
Party was broken by LAPD around 4am.
This is a long thread.
Its viral success spoke to the hunger for more thoughtful takes on events dismissed as low-brow drama.
Adam McIntyres allegedly bear, who chimes in whenever he needs to make that important qualification.
- Do we really need another Gawker situation?
Tati Westbrook is allegedly suing YouTuber Katie Joy from Without A Crystal Ball for defamation.
This time, though, Star cant seem to run from thealleged facts.
but anti-fans and reporters dont let up.
The old model of handling drama has no leverage now.
And yet,unlike his former friend Dawson, Star remains uncanceled.
Big Nik claims he was subjected to years of ableist jokes and abuse about his dwarfism.
(Just know that, for once, Paytas was completely right.)
Its a full-circle moment: Theres no longer space on the internet for creators who prefer chaos to transparency.