We all know YouTube is bif. People go online to watch content on the website/app more than they watch any cable network every day. Ordinary average people who, as a mere hobby, began filming in front of an open window and an iPhone stacked and rested on various books and household items, are now making as much money as engineers, lawyers, and even doctors do. Felix Kjellberg, or PewDiePie, reportedly made $7.4 million in 2014. However, with a following of almost 46 million subscribers, he would be making way more if PewDiePie was a TV show. To put his popularity into perspective, the average audience for this last season of Game of Thrones consisted of 7.68 million people.
And though no other original YouTube creator has gotten even 30 million subscribers, at least 2,000 channels have surpassed 1 million subscribers as of April 2016. Many of these creators collaborate and make content for their viewers, or many just make similar content. This means that if you follow one of these 2,000 channels, you know about many more.
It’s no wonder why traditional media has paid so much attention to these creators. Several YouTubers have released books, music albums or music singles. They are not necessarily professional actors, but they get to make films and shows that are legitimate, meant to be taken seriously. They smell a little bit like Hollywood but feel foreign to their actual audiences. These content creators have walked red carpets and have been included in several magazines. Their followings have extended to other social media platforms.
But can content that originated on YouTube really be any good outside of YouTube?
With a handful of exceptions, no.
Evidence of this can be found in content made just for YouTube Red. Slightly fancier production with a static premise (instead of a creator posting whatever they want to) has resulted in content that is a lot worse that what airs on TruTV.
Speaking of TruTV, the FineBros’ "Six Degrees of Everything" lasted for one season. Their own 14 million subscribers weren’t interested.
Shane Dawson's 2014 film "Not Cool" was met with horrible reviews by critics. The following is the beginning of Neil Genzlinger's New York Times review:
“Not Cool,” one of two films to emerge from a Starz competition show called “The Chair,” is an attempt at a raunchy comedy that is so poorly executed and so unfunny that no one involved with it should ever be allowed to work in the movies again.
And let's not forget about FRED, who in 2009, was the most subscribed channel on the site with a little over 1 million subscribers. On YouTube, the channel was met with popularity and praise. On Nickelodeon, his followers got bored, and critics slammed the content.
What makes YouTube so special and mainstream among young people is the connection between a creator and his or her viewers. You are watching a regular person; there seems to be no facade, no big production. A creator is a friend to his/her viewers. A creator interacts with and listens to his/her viewers. I'm not saying the YouTubers shouldn't make films or television shows, or get a person to ghostwrite a book about them. It makes sense that they, once mediocre people with big dreams, accept offers that help them achieve those dreams. Furthermore, as entrepreneurs and contributors to projects outside of YouTube, creators have found success. Many are incredibly successful with their music endeavors. But YouTube talent cannot be translated into traditional scripted film and television talent and remain good.
