The Almighty Sell-outs!

[Alexander Kirby]

It seems that as soon as someone on the internet (and I'll be referring specifically to Youtube in this post) tries to make some money they're slapped with the label of "sell out". I think in a world of Youtube, adblock and free-to-play, people have become used to getting things for "free". The problem is that there's no such thing, but people are used to monetary transactions taking place out of sight, and now there is an adverse reaction whenever someone makes a more obvious attempt at making money.

This thread was sparked after I read some comments on one of FreddieW's videos (I know, I should probably avoid youtube comments). There was someone complaining that he was a sell-out for wanting donations to make a proper professional series. This guy was complaining about how Freddie always managed before without need for donations and how you apparently didn't need any money to make a youtube video (let alone a whole web series). What really got me though, is that when one person stated that he'd been seen making similar comments about other youtubers, he replied saying, and I quote: "i expose bad sellout youtubers that is what i do".

That got me thinking, as I see this a lot if I think about it. "Wut? You want MOAR money?" Now, I must admit, I'm guilty too. I always feel a twinge of... I don't know really... every time someone tries to make an advertising deal or says "please buy my T-shirts!!!111". I bought Alan Wake recently and I was rolling my eyes at the obvious Energizer branding and that nice looking Ford parked outside a cheap rundown static caravan. But I really don't see why people get so angry that they feel they have the duty to be some sort of savior of the cheated masses. Especially when it comes to a purely optional donation as, I can't stress this enough, HE WILL GET TO SEE IT EITHER WAY, EVEN IF HE DOESN'T DONATE!

TL;DR
What do you think? It can be pretty cringe-worthy at times, I know, but what gives us the right to say to someone "Hey! You earn enough already! You must carry on doing exactly what you were before!"

 

[Parasondox]

That guy in the comment section, like many others in the YouTube comments, do not understand the effort it takes to make YouTube content. Before I studied for media some odd years ago, I would say to myself, "how hard can it be", then when I was taken on a tour of how things are like, it opened my eyes. It can take a several days just to produce a 5-10 min+ video from getting the actors, props, time, setting/location, several license permissions if needed, and including editing and that can be a long all nighter with no sleep just to get it done before the deadlines. Also most importantly, MONEY!! Nothing is free and when you make something, it cost money. Even when you bake a cake for example, money is needed for ingredients.

Honestly in this case he didn't have the right to say that. Majority of YouTubers aren't millionaires. For many of them, this is their highest source of income that they get through YouTube advertising and sometimes they don't get enough so they have to either seek donation to make content that they know their fans will won't, sell added extra's like shirts and gifts. Heck some even have part time jobs just so they can get more money for their own personal use. Oh and did I forget that the main thing here is that we get to view the content they make FOR FREE!!!

FREE. They aren't sell outs. Are you a sellout for trying to make money to improve on something for the fans? At the end of the day, they need money to produce content and if they aren't getting any income then guess what, no video. But then again some people will still ***** saying "Well why aren't you uploading more videos, EVERYDAY" or "Your videos are shit, why don't you do something different and better". Thank you Alexander Kirby for pointing out that even if he himself didn't donate, he will still get the video FOR FREE. No one is pointing a gun to his head telling him to give them his money.

ADDED NOTE: I know someone will play Dick Advocaat to my argument and I respect that because there is a flip side to it all. I just don't want to fill up this post with so much text.

 

[Ratty]

The idea that doing art for money compromises artistic integrity is not a new one. And it's true. Doing something with the aim of selling it IS different from doing it purely as an expression of your personal feelings/beliefs. So these youtubers are sell outs in the same sense that Shakespeare was. Artists gotta eat.