Madison and Youtube
After our study of Madison and Vine, I've found myself inspecting the properties of this concept within a platform that never crossed my mind as a potential host of M&V: Youtube.
I, like many other people I would assume, have a large list of subscriptions to different content makers on Youtube. The first thing you see when you log into the homepage is a list of recommended videos from your list of subscribed channels, and new videos are typically the first thing you see. Personally, I am subscribed to channels concerning beauty, lifestyle, and fashion. These videos interest me the most, and after watching a few the other day I realized that they all have a thing in common: they all have the perfect opportunity to swiftly incorporate the M&V technique into their videos. I find this to be because Youtube is a personal platform where you get to chose the content you post and watch, and anything that you post is perceived as a personal choice that isn't dictated by anyone other than yourself.
However, this initial thought can quickly be diminished when we consider the possibilities of sponsored videos. Typically, a Youtube content creator would announce that a particular video is indeed sponsored in the beginning of the video, but sometimes they mask this word and the connotations with it by saying they instead "partnered" with a company. Moreover, I frequently see beauty Youtubers do reviews of beauty products. I've recently learned that some of these can be sponsored, as opposed to sent to the content creator in a PR box (which is how most Youtubers claim they receive the products they review.) Sometimes, in order to insure their audience's trust, they'll claim that they've bought the products themselves so that their opinion will seem more authentic. But how do we ever know if the content creator is telling the truth? How do we know we're not just watching a 17 minute advertisement for a particular product?
I, like many other people I would assume, have a large list of subscriptions to different content makers on Youtube. The first thing you see when you log into the homepage is a list of recommended videos from your list of subscribed channels, and new videos are typically the first thing you see. Personally, I am subscribed to channels concerning beauty, lifestyle, and fashion. These videos interest me the most, and after watching a few the other day I realized that they all have a thing in common: they all have the perfect opportunity to swiftly incorporate the M&V technique into their videos. I find this to be because Youtube is a personal platform where you get to chose the content you post and watch, and anything that you post is perceived as a personal choice that isn't dictated by anyone other than yourself.
However, this initial thought can quickly be diminished when we consider the possibilities of sponsored videos. Typically, a Youtube content creator would announce that a particular video is indeed sponsored in the beginning of the video, but sometimes they mask this word and the connotations with it by saying they instead "partnered" with a company. Moreover, I frequently see beauty Youtubers do reviews of beauty products. I've recently learned that some of these can be sponsored, as opposed to sent to the content creator in a PR box (which is how most Youtubers claim they receive the products they review.) Sometimes, in order to insure their audience's trust, they'll claim that they've bought the products themselves so that their opinion will seem more authentic. But how do we ever know if the content creator is telling the truth? How do we know we're not just watching a 17 minute advertisement for a particular product?
I totally agree. When watching beauty gurus review products sent to their "PR box" i think nothing of it and continue to watch and think that the specific product is good. I also liked the point you made about the established trust between the creator and the audience. Even though it may be a set up for a 20 minute video, i subconsciously persuade myself to trust and believe the youtuber, simply because the product being reviewed wasnt blatanly stated as a sponsor or partner to the video or youtuber.
ReplyDeleteI am completely on board with what you are saying. Sometimes I'll just be watching my favorite beauty YouTubers and they will talk about some product that is great, and I will be subconsciously be persuaded to want that product even if I don't need it, or even if it isn't even good. Heck, I've even been convinced to buy multiple of the products advertised and then got them and realized, I don't even wear makeup! In all seriousness though, I find it sickening that YouTube and its creators, which was for the longest time admired for its individuality freedom us now being bought by large coorporations, which take away from the original idea of YouTube.
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