Those familiar with the work of Greg Jackson, more commonly recognized by his internet pseudonym, Onision, will have no argument to the statement that the man in question is strongly and openly opinionated on a variety of topics. He creates content on several of his own YouTube channels, ranging from sketch comedy, to songs, to personal life stories, to words of advice to his subscribers, to thoughts on current events and cultural phenomena. If I’m being kind, the best way I can describe him would be a cynic who firmly believes in the power of tough love. Upon investigation of his various YouTube and social media accounts, one can undoubtedly find controversial commentary of some kind on issues both old and new, as Jackson has been outspoken on YouTube since about 2008. Additionally, he has released two based-on-a-true-story novels, "Stones to Abbigale" and "This is Why I Hate You," both published in 2015.
There is something generally commendable about the willingness to express an assertive opinion on the internet without hiding behind the anonymity of a typed comments section, and Jackson certainly does not shy away from that. Admittedly, what first drew me to his content all those years ago were his click-bait-y titles and brightly crafted thumbnails. I had no idea how captivated I would be, as I had originally set out looking for mindlessness. But in sifting through both his personal updates and social commentaries, I became fascinated by his psychology, finding myself uncertain about whether or not I agreed with his many opinions, but I can never say I found his insights to ever be undoubtedly wrong; most statements made a valid, if a bit uncouth, point. I continued, and still continue, to build a relationship with his content because it makes me think and, at times, challenges my values, but at other times perfectly aligns with my thoughts as they are, a true accomplishment of a resonating artist. To be clear, I don't necessarily agree with everything Jackson says, but his ability to spell out what he believes provokes a wealth of food for thought, and his perspectives are certainly eye opening.
When I familiarized myself with Jackson’s novels, I was initially a little disheartened. The texts are filled with glaring spelling and grammar errors, and fair shares of tangential prose; not what the average reader would consider well-written, let alone well-written by the standards of an English and creative writing major. To say the least, I felt slightly betrayed. This man who I considered able to express himself so eloquently and defending of his arguments both faithfully and factually, couldn’t write a novel without distinct airs of biased angst. At the time, I considered both books to be complete abuses of the already distrusted system of self-publishing.
In taking a step back from my initial emotional reactions to "Stones to Abbigale" and "This is Why I Hate You." I have come to a few realizations about what it is important to admire someone you consider to be both an artist and a certain type of hero. The first being that famous creators are people too, and while in most cases it is difficult to forget that the person in question is completely human and completely flawed — as he so often admits — no one is perfect, and no one will ever live up to the full pedestal-warranting expectations of their fan-base.
Secondly, because artists are people, they have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to forms of expression. When I compare Jackson to myself as an artist, for instance, he is a performer and can vocally and visually present strong cases and valid points, whereas I am shy and borderline terrified of public speaking and would much rather publish my ideas in the written word. Both these artistic strengths are valid.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a work of art must be judged by its own standards, not by the standards of genres as a whole. Jackson marketed both his novels as embellished stories recounting a series of real events, and as it would be totally uncharacteristic for him as an artist, chose not to have his novels filtered by the mainstream professional industry, and for that he continues to be admirable.
