The Views: Will Smith, Pets & Phones
YouTube has succeeded in creating a platform that allows creators to talk about their daily lives in new and creative ways. One of these innovative ways that creators now share facts about themselves is through animation. More and more YouTubers have taken the concept of a Q&A or a daily vlog to the next level by making themselves and their surroundings into a cartoon. Jaiden Animations is one of the many channels that animates funny childhood stories into lighthearted and entertaining videos that have amassed a very impressive following.
A large number of Jaiden Animations videos talk about her childhood idiosyncrasies that make for a laugh and a pang of nostalgia as viewers reflect on their own quirks when they were younger. In her most recent video, Jaiden attempts to track her obsession with animals through her child years. She recounts how her animal obsession started with dogs, then moved to her more exotic pets such as mice, parrots and even flying squirrels. She remembers how much she tortured her parents for one of these interesting creatures to live in her home with her and how she failed time and time again. The whole video leads up to the present where Jaiden lives with her pet bird, Ari and plans to get more pets in the future. Jaiden does her own voice over for all her videos and the combination of her voice and her drawing of her own story makes the viewer feel that they are learning something new about an old friend. She has a creative way of making her almost seven million subscribers feel like they know her, and Ari, on a personal and friendly level.
In his most recent meal, David of DavidParody, shares an experience few people ever get to see. He taste-tests a Canadian Military MRE, or meal ready to eat. The meal comes concealed piece by piece in a brown bag designed for the ingredients to last for a very long time. His chosen mean: spaghetti and meatballs. The package comes with a hamburger bun, peanut butter and jelly, two sports drink mix, the actual spaghetti and meatballs, beef jerky, dessert and more finished with cutlery and matches. He then goes through the motions of preparing the meal as a solider would, mixing his beverages in bags and heating up his food in pots of boiling water. David feeds into the desire to know things we didn’t even know we wanted to know- like what do soldiers eat when they are at war? Well, now we (his almost four million subscribers) know. We also know that it doesn’t taste as bad as one might expect. Viewers cannot help but be intrigued by David’s intriguing subjects and hilarious commentary. Also, one you start the video, you cannot help but want to know how good or bag pre-packaged, brown bag spaghetti and meatballs tastes.
With the release of every new iPhone comes a mirage of technology creators on YouTuber reviewing them. Many viewers rely on these creators to decide whether or not they will purchase the newest and flashiest device. YouTuber ZHC may seem like another one of these creators at first glance with his newest video, “Customizing 11 iPhone 11’s, Then Giving Them to People,” but he takes it a step further. Josiah Alan Brookes buys eleven new iPhones out of pocket then uses a variety of different materials and methods to customize each one in a different and unique way. The best part? He then goes up to strangers on the street and gives them away. He challenges strangers to easy tasks that they all succeed in and then gifts them their new customized iPhone (not without setting aside four to raffle off for his own three million subscribers). At one point, he even pays a stranger one hundred dollars to take the iPhone off his hands. ZHC’s combinations of generosity and artistic skills make him the perfect channel for all kinds of viewers. Whether you enjoy man on the street content or large-scale art projects, ZHC has something for everyone.
As YouTube becomes a more mainstream way to consume content, more and more celebrities are looking to YouTube as another platform to connect with their fans. The current king of YouTube falls into his example. Will Smith started his channel about a year ago and since then has been showing his 6.7 million subscribers a glimpse into his insane life. Part of this insane life means throwing insane birthday parties, which he showcases in his most recent video. While promoting his newest movie, Gemini Man, Smith celebrates his 51st birthday in Budapest, Hungary. His family celebrates with him as he performs for thousands of fans and is gifted a huge cake onstage. Smith feeds into viewer’s desire to see what it is like to live as a celebrity and more celebrities are following, including Jack Black, Zendaya and Shay Mitchell. His large subscriber count and viewership comes from him not having to build a following on YouTube. His fans from his television and movie roles simply followed him onto a new platform, whereas most YouTubers built their following from the ground up. Smith’s channel opened up the platform for more celebrities like him and fans are loving the insider look into what it means to be Will Smith.