For those that don’t know, troubadours are a part of the European oral tradition that stems from the medieval era. These performers would travel through towns and villages and exchange stories for room and board. They also worked in the service of a lord or lady for the purposes of writing songs for them. The primary function of a troubadour is to tell stories. Whether they are about love and betrayal or war and the glory of birth, it is their responsibility to keep and tell the the stories of the world.
Other cultures and countries have designated storytellers who memorize stories and then teach other people those stories so that they can be told into the future. These people are usually held in high regards since they have the whole history of people in their head.
The profession requires a great deal of theatricality and being a good storyteller is a must.
Just like the traveling storytellers of the past, YouTubers work in the service of companies and create content with the intention of marketing to their set demographic. They get paid very little and their compensation is constantly varying. They share stories with a community of people.
There are very distinct differences between YouTubers and the keepers of stories in other oral traditions. For one, YouTube videos last indefinitely and there is such a surplus of stories that it would be impossible to memorize them. Videos are not about universal stories. Stories that get passed down are usually morals or reflect in some way the group of people that are inheriting the story but YouTube videos can be about anything.
You want people to watch your cat play with a piece of string for 14 minutes and 43 seconds?
You can do it!
Do you feel the urge to tell the story about the time you went to Chipotle and they forgot your guac?
Go for it.
Do you want to go on a 32 minute tirade about the injustice of the European metro system?
It’s a free country.
Some of the most popular YouTubers like Lilly Singh and Liza Koshy built their foundations on oral storytelling. Although for the most part videos on YouTube reflect the day to day experiences of the actor and their viewers, the theatricality of the performance is what brings us back for more.
I know what you’re thinking:
But why are musicians or comedians or actors not troubadours, Imani? Musicians actually sing like troubadours did so that would make more sense, right? Who’s making up these rules?
I am, obviously. There is no reason that the title cannot apply to multiple fields. But musicians have maintained their culture position almost since the inception of songs. Comedians and actors were once synonymous and they both take their place on the stage. YouTubers are a recent phenomenon since YouTube was created in 2005. And getting paid for making videos only started in 2008. And like the troubadours of the past, they travel with their stories and speak to the needs of certain communities.
Oral tradition is still kept alive through plays and folk music and the story keepers that are still hard at work remembering history but I think that YouTube is a culture in and of itself. It hasn’t existed long enough to be considered a tradition but I think that one day it could be the biggest story keeper of all.
