At the start of the month, a makeup launch broke the internet and sold out of over a million products in under an hour. Alex Casey and Jihee Junn dissect the YouTube documentary series that led to its success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZywVlyogLYM&t First off, who is Jeffree Star? Who is Shane Dawson? Jeffree Star is an internet … Read more
Since writing about adults with fetishes exploiting children on YouTube, David Farrier has become familiar with the reality for kids on the wild west of YouTube. He explores the troubling subculture of videos targeting children created by adult hypnotists. “Um… goodbye YouTube. I’m serious. I have to delete my channel because of perverts,” says James … Read more
My YouTube Party of Five is a new series in which we invite people to share their five favourite YouTube videos, the ones hold closest in their heart, the ones they’ll play at 2am while drunk at a party. This week: Sam Brooks. “Something bad, something good, or something funny?” Whenever I’m hosting a gathering … Read more
Mukbang is a South Korean video craze in which a host eats huge amounts of foods while interacting with their audience. Comedian and mukbang superfan Rose Matafeo decided to make her own mukbang, so she bought $60 of takeaways from Double Happy in Te Atatū South, west Auckland, and got to work. The Spinoff’s food … Read more
Jamie Curry uploaded a video titled “my sexuality” last Sunday, and in doing so let viewers in on a deeply personal side of herself. Sharing one’s personal life online isn’t a new phenomenon, but for YouTube content creators it’s also a part of their job. Audiences expect to be let in to the creator’s world, … Read more
You may have come across ASMR videos on YouTube and been baffled at people speaking softly while they pretend to cut your hair or do your makeup. But for some New Zealanders these videos are not just a way to relax, but an aid to their mental health. Baz Macdonald investigates. A beautiful young man … Read more
Many parents of young people have been in touch asking for advice on how to talk to their children about YouTuber Logan Paul’s video in the Aokigahara ‘suicide’ forest in Japan which showed a man who had died by suicide. High school teacher and counsellor Louisa Woods has some tips for parents. Content warning: This post contains … Read more
Would you watch a stranger open PR packages in a YouTube video longer than the average sitcom episode? Millions of people do. Morgan Ashworth explains why. Shannon Harris is sitting on the floor in her filming room, wearing a Gucci-esque t-shirt and Homer Simpson pyjama bottoms. She’s surrounded by packages. It’s like 15 Christmases at … Read more