One of the biggest stories surrounding the YouTube community as of late is the lawsuit against YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein of h3h3 productions by fellow YouTuber MattHossZone for a reaction video that he deemed unflattering. Even though almost every other major internet personality has rallied around Ethan and Hila, with a GoFundMe started by Philip DeFranco gaining well over $150k, they are going to still court and will need to fight for Fair Use in front of a jury. Should people be able to use copyright claims to take down unflattering videos? Has Fair Use become too vague to be used as a defense? Is there something YouTube can do as the leader in online video content to combat this?
Wow, that is scary. Sounds like good old censorship at work. Insulting or criticizing someone is something we should all be entitled to, within reason. There have been other cases like this on youtube. It seems like those with deep pockets and sensitive egos will always try to sue others to shut them up. Perhaps youtube could make users sign an agreement before starting a youtube channel that the user accepts that response videos may happen and that no legal action can be taken, or a user's account will be suspended. – LisaDee8 years ago
With their series having ended a little over a year ago, can we make anything out of looking back at it? Perhaps something about the pressure of standing out as a 1-3 minute sketch comedy show on a Youtube more and more dominated by let's plays and long videos? The show ran for 8 years – has it had a cultural impact? I'm not sure, but it seems worth discussion, at least.
Youtube has become a place of community for a wide range of individuals with a multitude of interests that include but are not limited too gaming, nutrition, lifestyle, fashion etc. Many of these video makers have been able to make a career out of their videos, and many viewers are eager now ore than ever to start their own channels. What is the main appeal? Is it the lifestyle? The gratification of subscribers? The seemilngly easy job that stemmed from a hobby? Decide and discuss while including the negative attributes.
A great topic for discussion. I think it would be better for those that want to consider writing on this topic to focus on the younger generation because they are the ones who are constantly influencing and being influenced by youtbers. It would be interesting to have a discussion on the impact of makeup tutorials on young girls. – Nilab Ferozan8 years ago
I feel one important part of the relevancy today is how basically everyone wants to start making a YouTube channel to feature their own specific talents and abilities. The problem with YouTube is that it has no real means of promoting new channels, with the exception of its Creator Academy videos must Youtubers have to learn the way to use YouTube and gain popularity by experience alone. – Kevin Mohammed8 years ago
Analyse the effectiveness of DIY tutorials found on YouTube and how young people are using them to learn new ways of making things, including building, cooking, makeup, art, etc.
The discussion could go further into the positive effects of youth being able to look up how to do things on their own and how that could encourage them to be more self-sufficient and mature. – murrayjl9 years ago
I completely agree! It was a very brief intro to a topic but it can definitely be broadened. Thanks – StephL1t9 years ago
I think whoever chooses to write about this could also consider the broader implications for education in general. As knowledge becomes more democratized universities will have to think of new ways to justify paying for an education. – salparadise969 years ago
I love this idea. I think an important thing to look at with this topic is the difference between getting information from a one-sided provider rather than from someone in our lives who offers not only the information we're seeking but also a meaningful exchange with another person. – natalieanne9 years ago
Being a teenager who is always looking for something new to do I did make my way to those DIY videos on random things like paracord, cooking, woodworking, etc. Some of these hobbies I have found that would work well in the marketing field. Along the lines of how it is shaping my generation, it is teaching us the basics of marketing and the responsibilities of life. – hnowinski8 years ago
One genre of web video that has been very popular over the last two years is the "montage parody." These videos involve intentional over-editing, flashing lights, air horns, and the use of many stock graphical effects. They were originally used to parody highlights videos by gamers, but now have become a genre unto themselves. How did these videos become popular, and what is their appeal? This could also be used to discuss how a parody grows beyond and breaks away from the original work.
Truly this could be an interesting study on the adaptation of trends on the internet. What makes the trend of "montage parodies" still relevant today? Most memes live a short life span and then are forgotten. Somehow, they have managed to cling to their fame thanks to a dedicated user base which congregates on the Reddit page r/Montageparodies. Excellent choice of topic. – Joe9 years ago
Explore the history and growth of YouTube. What is the cultural and societal impact of YouTube? YouTube is now more than memes and funny videos, it is a career for certain individuals. There is a plethora of YouTube celebrities whose main job is to upload viral videos. Their fame in different than that of a movie star. Explore the reasons as to why this has come to be and what does it say about culture and society?
It may also be interesting to look at popular viral videos. Viral videos tend to be popular for a short period of time (Harlem Shake) and then the fad fades. How do these videos impact YouTube in general, and what it may say about our evolving society?
I feel that this topic is a good one, and is relevant, but perhaps this topic could be better with some analysis on the personality of such YouTubers and how they influence their viewers to make a difference in the world. – BethanyS9 years ago
I would definitely read this, but I agree that narrowing it down would be helpful. There are lots of differing things that have shaken up the youtube community, such as the sexual assault accusations of multiple British you tubers, break-ups, stars coming out, etc. Maybe balance the scandals/more surprising revelations with your original positive topic. – Taylorsteen9 years ago
Analyse how "vlogging" or video blogging became popular. How has this affected the Youtube community? How will this affect a person's form of entertainment?
You can also talk about the pros and cons of being a vlogger. Sure, it may seem like easy money (as there’s less editing to do), but the more information you share to your audience, the more curious they become. Soon it will be hard to keep matters private, because your audience will always want to know what happened, and be angered if the vlogger alludes to it but doesn’t share. – YsabelGo9 years ago
Why not try a list of the best v-loggers of the decade? – smarrie9 years ago
I'm seeing more academic discussion in vlogs as well. People will upload an analysis or review on youtube more readily than an essay on the same topic. Think about the self-publishing aspect of that and being able to create a fandom of sorts. Mental Floss and Khan Academy as well as other education-focused groups and individuals are also posting quick comprehensive lessons on various concepts, historical events, and methods of thought that cover a rich amount of information but are presented in an easy to understand format. – nsnow9 years ago
Whenever I find myself watching vlogs I always find myself thinking too about what is the value of vlogging? Is it not just a simpler form of reality television? Does it have any true value or is it just a habitual sort of thing that we are curious about what someone else is doing? – FrankiHanke9 years ago
John Green obviously springs to mind here, both because of his wide range of vlogs (with mental floss and with his brother), and his own self-conscious engagement with the requirements of the form. Defintely check his tumblr presence! – bam2169 years ago
Maybe you can talk about how there is a very large audience. And like other people have said that there are pros and cons, like the privacy issue and all the work you have to do to film somewhere or be allowed to film something or not and legally showing something. And the different types of vlogging you can do so that like you said it is entertainment. – gopalrai9 years ago
With the advent of not only the Internet, but content-creating parties based entirely in the web, a new type of humor has arisen: LOLRANDOM HUMOR. LOLRANDOM HUMOR, so aptly named by one of my friends, is oftentimes a blitzkrieg of images, sounds, non-sequitur tactics, and other various "wacky" items from the grab-bag of Internet Comedy. Examples of this kind of humor can be seen in Vines, popular YouTube Comedy Channels, and virtually any message board of the World Wide Web. With this kind of comedy becoming so prolific, what could it entail for the future of humor, at least in pop culture, as a whole? Is this brand of humor harmless, or could it be the marker of the end of what we know as comedy today? Analyze what this could do to both up-and-coming content creators and consumers alike, and discuss whether or not this kind of humor is destined to be a simple characteristic of contemporary culture that is sure to give way to something else, or if it's around to stay for good.
Thug life videos! Those are hilarious.
I don't think this "new" type of humor is going to get rid of the old type. I think people will still enjoy more formal types of comedy like standup. Also, I think a lot of those forms of comedy have existed, it's just that they haven't been widely available. For example, my friends and I have always done stupid things, said stupid things, put together funny things, but the difference is no one was recording. So once the moment passed it was gone and we could not share it with anyone else. – Tatijana9 years ago
I think LOLRANDOM HUMOR is just adding another category to humor - people find absurdity funny and that's what people are taking advantage of. It's similar to TV programming, as some people prefer shows with laugh tracks such as The Big Bang Theory (although they use a real audience), and some people prefer more 'sophisticated' humor such as Community. It's all about preference! – YsabelGo9 years ago
