Forbes' Highest Earning Youtubers are Problematic

Forbes has released their list of the 10 highest earning Youtubers and frankly, it’s problematic. One, because there is not one female Youtuber on that list. But namely, out of the 10 highest paying stars, two (well three) have a history of delivering racist and insensitive content.

via Forbes

Despite literally starting the year off with one of the MOST morally insensitive videos ever created, Logan Paul has been listed as number 10. His bitch ass apology which has over 53 million views, in combination with his $14.5 million earnings, exposes the Youtube and online entertainment loophole for responsible content making. Sure, the 23 year old was removed from YouTube’s Google Preferred Ad Program, giving him a temporary hit. However, after his momentary month of “reflection”, he was back to his regularly scheduled programming.

via Forbes

Then there’s Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie. Coming in 9th place for his $15.5 million income, he is most notable for his video gaming series. The Swedish digital creator (who also has the most subscribers at 72.5 million) has received rightful backlash for his extremely racist and sometimes violent language used in his videos. In a collection of nine videos, the gamer used anti-Semitic references and imagery including the Nazi anthem, swastikas, and signs such as “Death To All Jews” — which resulted in him being dropped from YouTube Red, Disney and Google’s Preferred Ad Program.  And of course we can’t forget his casual use of the n-word during a livestream.

While both Paul and Kjellberg posted apology videos for their actions, their earnings and ability to continue profiting from the digital platform showcases how Youtube is not willing to enforce their company ethics when it comes to their most profitable employees. As long as you give an notepad app apology and “reflect” for a bit, you can come back.

Of course there is always the possibility of redemption. After all, social media can be a bit too quick to ‘cancel’ someone for a very human mistake. However, is this year’s list the redemption story of two men who have truly learned their lesson— or a reflection of another money hungry capitalist system? What does it say about our society that a slap the wrist for unethical content is enough for the sake of money and fame? The celebration of these men for their more than indecent behavior is in no way surprising. Afterall, something as vulgar as grabbing a woman by the pussy, might just get you the Presidential seat. While I do not deny the hard work these men have put into their craft, it does make me question what we as a society are valuing in both the content we view and the creator behind it. Hopefully in 2019, we will see a step up in creator responsibility and humility.