"I don’t usually say much in response to or about anything that people post when it comes to Iris’ videos. Considering that I am a whole lot less politically correct than she tends to be I think this is a good thing. This time a topic caught my eye that I had been thinking about for some time. Let me give you a quick background.
We went to IMATS in Pasadena a short time ago and we met a lot of famous YouTube Gurus. Iris was very happy to see them all and I, well, I recognized them. They were all very nice, especially Judy. She was just so bubbly it was infectious and it seemed like she would make a very cool buddy. Anyway a lot of the IMATS videos on YouTube started generating the usual amount of hate that spawns from jealousy and anonymity. One specific topic that arose really got me thinking. That topic was the confusion or disgust over people’s reactions towards the Gurus.
Folks seemed to be expressing a lot of hate towards the fans! Now I’ve never understood the crying and the screaming of your typical obsessive fan so I am not here to defend that weirdness. I believe the words that were used were a variety of “I don’t understand why people treat them like celebrities.”
On the surface, that comment makes perfect sense but let’s take a moment to think about this. Why are “celebrity” celebrities treated the way they are to begin with? They are pretty people and they get paid butt loads of money to memorize words other people write.
If anything I think YouTube Gurus and other people like them deserve the celebrity treatment even more so than your average uneducated, rich and spoiled child star that will inevitably end up broke, then break out of a fraud of a rehabilitation facility only to show up dead in a seedy hotel.
These YouTube “stars” on average, are your run of the mill people person. They are more often than not just being themselves. That is definitely something you don’t get from celebrities that many people apparently think deserve special treatment. YouTube persona’s speak from their own minds, use their own words, take their own time, their own equipment and produce content that is usually their own style. If a teeny bopper wants to look up to my wife because she taught her how to comb her hair a certain way and/or likes the silly humorous touches she adds to her videos sometimes instead of your average flamboyant movie star vampire, then so be it. They could stand to have some more realistic and more trustworthy role models I say.
These YouTube guys and gals put a lot of work into what they produce on a regular basis. They usually make these videos pro-bono but yes occasionally do receive little bonuses that don’t hurt anyone. You’d be mistaken if you assume they all make a living off of the work they put in. Only the few top tier individuals can pull that off. Even so it is nothing compared to the ridiculous amounts of cash those other “celebrities” earn for producing only shallow entertainment that they usually play a very minimal part in the creation of.
So why NOT treat YouTube Gurus like celebrities? I personally think they deserve it more so if not simply for being so accessible. They get the fame and responsibility but not the funds that come with it so they have much more at risk. How many angry and threatening comments haven’t you all seen (or participated in) on blogs and forums? If anything like that happens to a movie celebrity law enforcement is all over it.
Personally I would be much more excited to meet someone like “The Wine Kone” than a person like Alec Baldwin. I’ve seen enough of his videos to know that I shouldn’t shake his hand though I wouldn’t mind take a picture with him. :)
So remember these are regular people so they deserve more respect than your average star that gets paid for the exposure.
G"
IRIS: Please, if you have any comments to make about this blog and my husbands thoughts, I ask you to post them here. Please do not copy and paste it any where else to discuss. I am sure he would LOVE to discuss this topic with you. And blogs are perfect for discussions. Thanks so much!
5 comments:
great topic! I think that some beauty gurus do deserve to be treated with lots of respect. Others seem to be letting "fame" go to their heads and can't be bothered with "youtube fans" because it is seen as creepy/stalkery. It does seem like youtube fans know their gurus more personally than say a Hollywood star but as you stated we choose to put ourselves out there. We edit our own videos and what comes out of our mouths or what we put on twitter, facebook, blogs, etc. We create our personas for our fans to view and that should be taken into consideration when fans ask personal questions. Anyways, <3 you Iris and I would more than likely ask you for a picture if I ever saw you in person!!
Thanks Gerardo...very profound, as always. I was baffled when I went to Vegas this past spring, at the number of people that approached me wanting a picture etc. It was odd...and a little intimidating. But I do think people that put themselves out there and help others for no compensation(some of choose to use copyrighted music so we don't even have hope of becoming 'partner'...haha) deserve to be thanked for it. LOL
Iris, you have always inspired me...I always recommend your videos to my viewers.
Ashley
Lisafreemontstreet
First, I like how this issue was finally addressed :) I feel a little baffled with the "deserve" part, I believe respect should be earned. I actually like Iris videos, it's all the top gurus that let it get to their heads. I'm not saying ALL GURUS don't deserve the celebrity treatment but you have those that expect to be treated like one.
I totally agree with your husband!
I totally agree!
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