It’s a bit of an understatement to say that 2020 has been a bit of a fustercluck for everyone. Maybe it’s because we’ve all gone a little stir crazy due to COVID-19 and being stuck in iso, but for some reason 2020 has also seen a rise in the number of YouTube-related controversies.
Case in point: the latest in what’s been a long list of YouTube-related controversies involves notorious knobhead Jake Paul, who found himself at the receiving end of a search warrant from the FBI in relation to his involvement in the looting of a mall during the George Floyd protests.
Speaking of Jake Paul, the GOAT team talk about how his latest scandal and the biggest 2020 social media shake ups on ‘It’s Been A Big Day For…’ below:
Jake Paul being a waste of oxygen is just the start of what’s been a crazy 2020 for YouTube and controversies because it seems like there’s been an excessive amount of well known content creators – such as Pewdiepie, Shane Dawson, and even Jenna Marbles – getting in trouble this year.
ImJayStation faking his girlfriend’s death for subs
We’ve all known for a while that ImJayStation was trouble but faking his girlfriend’s death just for clicks? That’s just next level messed up and the subsequent backlash and demonetisation of his content was well deserved. Couple that with some legal troubles, it’s no surprise that we haven’t heard from him since his little publicity stunt.
Shane Dawson being called out (again)
Oh Shane Dawson, wherever he goes controversy follows and 2020 hasn’t been kind to him. Aside from the usual drama with Jeffree Starr and James Charles (which we’ll get into in a bit), he’s found himself at the end of a long overdue reckoning after getting called out for his old problematic content. Throw in a crappy non-apology with his YouTube channels getting demonetised, this is one 2020 controversy that certainly got eyeballs rolling.
The GOAT team dive into the whole Shane Dawson mess right here:
Myka Stauffer rehoming her adopted son
Hoo boy, this one really sucked. YouTuber Myka Stauffer had rehomed her adopted Chinese boy, Huxley, after two or so years of milking the poor kid for content and the backlash was far swifter than the adoption process she and her husband went through.
While Huxley is doing well now with his new family, Myka Stauffer found herself ostracised by the internet despite issuing an overdue apology, cut from a number of lucrative partnerships, and being placed on our list of 2020’s most cooked YouTube controversies.
Miranda Sings landing in hot water
We’ve all done stuff in the past that we regret, but I’m pretty sure we’ve never sent lingerie to a minor while also releasing some racist and sexist content like Miranda Sings has.
But it seems that this horrendous little thing didn’t deter Miranda Sings from doing what she does because she’s still uploading content onto YouTube as we speak.
Jenna Marbles leaving YouTube forever
Jenna Marbles was one of the OG YouTube stars (alongside Pewdiepie) from its early days so it was a bit of a surprise to see her on the list of 2020 YouTuber controversies. But even more surprising than Jenna addressing her problematic past in a forthcoming manner was her announcement that she’ll be leaving YouTube forever. Now that was a twist no one saw coming.
Whatever the hell is going on with James Charles, Jeffree Starr and Tati Westbrook
Jebus H Christ and all that is holy, where do we even begin with this one. Drama has always circled James Charles, Jeffree Starr and Tati Westbrook, yet it seems like things somehow still escalated even further in 2020 as these annoying YouTube creators not only found themselves squabbling like housewives on a soap opera, there were more serious controversies levelled at certain people, such as sexual assault allegations towards Starr.
Speaking of Jeffree Star, the GOAT team talk about his tone-deaf make-up line:
Pewdiepie being Pewdiepie
It wouldn’t be a list of YouTube controversies if it didn’t have Pewdiepie on it, and true to form he definitely made headlines for the wrong reasons in 2020. After taking a (much welcomed) hiatus at the end of 2020, Pewdiepie came back in 2020 having learned absolutely nothing except perhaps how to be even more irritating in courting more controversies.
No wonder why all his favourite Spotify artists want him to stop listening to their music.
YouTubers partying despite COVID-19
The last thing you want to do during the COVID-19 pandemic is to party with a lot of people without wearing face masks or adhering to any sort of social distancing rules.
But proving that 2020 is the year in which we discover the idiots living among us, several prominent YouTube creators like Jake Paul (unsurprisingly), James Charles, and Tana Mongeau found themselves at the sharp end of several controversies after throwing and/or attending some huge house parties that posed some serious COVID-19 risks. As I said, idiots.
Brie Larson becoming a YouTuber
Brie Larson turning to the dark side and becoming a YouTuber was supposed be some wholesome fun for everyone. But the internet continues to have an irrational hate for her and her videos quickly copped an excessive amount of downvotes from puffy-chested bros and trolls.
But kudos to Brie Larson because the rookie YouTuber isn’t letting this sort of thing get to her and her content is exactly the sort of wholesome entertainment we all need right now.
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