A mysterious YouTube video gave thousands of people a place to breathe. Then it vanished.
YouTube
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Cult of “Kill Tony”
“Tony Hinchcliffe’s fame skyrocketed after he made a joke that spooked even Donald Trump. In Texas, I watched how he became the most powerful comic in America.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Agony and Ecstasy of being a Viral Trickshot Video Star
“Think you could throw a basketball off a 540ft dam, into a hoop—while blindfolded? Meet the talented and ludicrously patient people putting hours into the internet’s most joyful (and pointless) clips.”
Posted inCuration
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories by Brenna Ehrlich, Yiyun Li, Claire L. Evans, Nicholas Casey, and Kent Russell.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Conspiracy Theorists Made Tiffany Dover into An Anti-Vaccine Icon. She’s Finally Ready to Talk About It.
“The Tennessee nurse stayed quiet in hopes that her silence would quiet false claims of her death. Now, she says it only hurt.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Vigilantes for Views: The YouTube Pranksters Harassing Suspected Scam Callers in India
“Los Angeles-based Trilogy Media took ‘scambaiting’ to a new level, but some claim they’re gaining viral fame at others’ expense.”
Posted inNonfiction
Escaping Coronavirus Lockdown Through a Stranger’s Solitary Walks on YouTube
Under self-quarantine, Aaron Gilbreath ‘moves’ freely with the help of Rambalac’s video travelogues.
Posted inStory
Under the Influence: White Lies
When you read “influencer,” do you think “white woman”? That’s not a surprise: the stereotypes originally established offline are reaffirmed on social media by the same systems.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quotes
Trying to Understand YouTube Success
How a successful YouTube celebrity barely leaves the house.