#a new drama video came out recently and it has like half a million views and im just sitting here like yall

[aceforwhatevenisthis]

i can't be the only one who sighs and gets super annoyed when a watcher drama video pops up on their youtube recommended

[bonbonbun-luna]

Cool! Can you do a crossover/AU where Marinette a Youtuber, by secret, like just a hobby/second job. But know one knows it hurt since she never show her face since she wears a mask and such. Became friends with many Youtubers, even Markiplier and Game Grumps even argues about adopting her. Then get worried about their “little bug” and learned about some not happy things with about the school, a video of Chat being well not cool and the lies of this liar...Team Miraculous YouTubers!

I hope you gonna like it! This is non-magical AU and I don’t really watch the american youtube(Maybe only Pewds), but if you like it, I’ll write the second part where Marinette will interact with them! Send me more requests guys (ฅ･ิω･ิฅ)

Marinette sighed in disappointment, looking at the trending tab.

The video «Ladybug and I are soulmates» has gained over ten million views and an incredible amount of likes over the past six hours. Reading the comments in which the loyal fans of Chat Noir called her a blind idiot, Mari could hardly hold back her tears.

This has been going on for two years already.

She started making videos three years ago, hiding her true identity with a mask, lenses and a nickname. This should never have become a big deal, but a month after the first video, which somehow magically gained 400,000 views(Mari was sure that her uncle Jagged Stone was involved in this), Netty decided to make another one, finally buying new equipment and completely hiding her room so that no one could recognize it.

Parents watched her with interest, quietly supporting and sincerely rejoicing in their daughter's new ineres.

Sabina couldn't stop smiling, thinking that this year was the best for her baby girl. Her precious daughter finally made friends, scared off her bully, met many celebrities, fell in love and even found a new hobby. Tom cautiously touched all the equipment Marinette bought, being afraid to break something with his big hands.

Blunette ran excitedly, trying to cover the bright pink walls with a peach-colored material. The installation of the camera was difficult for the girl, but she managed, from time to time hissing viciously at interested parents scurrying around her room. When everything was ready, the Netty started the video in dismay, awkwardly waving her hand.

In her hands bluenette held a recently sewn dress, nervously touching the voluminous petticoat. Each time the light hit the skirt, viewers could notice a pattern in the form of birds surrounded by flowers.

Trying to smile boldly, Mari introduced herself as Ladybug and told that she was holding a costume for Clara Nightingale last performance. Gradually, Marinette became more confident, because she finally could talk about what she likes, forgetting about her worries. Smiling proudly, Netty brought the camera closer to the pattern, talking about how she had spent weeks embroidering it. Giggling, she showed fingers injured by a needle and admitted that she was sincerely proud of what she got in result. At the end of the video, she put on a dress on a mannequin and showed every detail, describing the work on it. Standing behind the camera, Netty wished everyone a good evening and shouted «Bugout!», finishing the video.

With the help of her clients, who actively talked about their favorite designer, and Clara Nightingale, who admitted that she wanted to give Marinette the main role in her clip, the video instantly gained a million views, causing the whole school to buzz with delight, and asking her fans(God, she had fans!!!) to make a new video.

It was stupid, but Marinette squealed almost a few hours in a row, excitedly jumping around the room. Sabina and Tom, selling pastries below, actively distracted frightened customers. Awareness of how happy their daughter was, warmed the hearts of loving parents and they couldn't stop smiling.

The realization that she was a celebrity came to Mari only when her best friend Alya started a blog about her, trying to reveal her true identity. After an attempt to credibly rejoice over Cesaire, the embarrassed but determined Netty set about writing the script and release dates for the commercials. It took her almost two weeks, but it was worth it, because at the end she had a normalized schedule and she finally clearly knew what she was going to talk about.

The third Marinette's video, in which she showed and described in detail the work on the cover of the album of Jagedd Stone, attracted the attention of the famous youtuber Chat Noir. The playfully grinning blond admitted in one of his videos that he was beginning to hate his popularity and it was the inspirational speeches of the little seamstress that made him stay. In the end, he winked flirtingly, asking the girl for an autograph. A few hours after the release of his video several thousand grateful fans signed up on her channel, and all the comments yelled that she was their savior. Smiling like an idiot, she tried to answer everyone, quietly rejoicing that she was able to help someone. The number of her subscribers rapidly increased to 800,000 and she couldn't stop excitedly rushing to the phone with every notification.

At one such happy moment instead of another comment she saw a message from Chat Noir. Blushing and goosebumps, she read about how he would like to work with her, and girl couldn't stop giggling. Trying to hold the phone with trembling hands, she quickly agreed, screeching into the pillow from shock. If she only knew back then what exactly would bring this to her...

Two weeks later they first met each other. The guy smiled playfully when he saw Ladybug, and instead of shaking hands he kissed her hand. Instinctively, the girl pushed him away and shook her head.

«Borders, kitty, borders».

Chat Noir laughed and invited her inside his studio. During the video recording, the young man actively flirted and involuntarily Marinette freed herself and began to respond to flirt. The blonde seemed to her as a long-drawn-out friend and she felt absolutely free with him. Needless to say, the video has become damn popular, forcing fans to wonder if they was dating.

The bluenette immediately began to deny everything, saying that this was their first meeting and they were just acquaintances, to which she received a promise from Chat Noir that he would soon become her boyfriend. Back then Marinette ignored this comment, dismissing it as a silly joke, but now she could not help but regret it.

The girl rubbed her eyes tiredly, looking displeased at the time. The clock showed that there were four hours left before school and Netty couldn't help but regret that she had not gone to bed earlier. She was sure that at school she would face another batch of charges, and therefore sighed wearily.

Eight months ago Lila Rossi came to school. She was an obsessive liar, actively manipulating everyone she met. On the very first day, she began to claim that she was Ladybug's best friend, confidentially reporting that she had introduced the youtuber to Jagged Stone. Smiling brazenly, she said that half of the costume ideas belonged to her. Boiling with anger, Marinette tried to tell everyone about her lies, but her classmates was instantly turned on, calling her a bully.

Now, when the school was a clan by the board of this cunning fox, who took control of even the principal Mr. Damocles, it was almost impossible for a bluenette to study. Every day was like a bad drama when she was accused of every crime that could be.

Sometimes, when Marinette was tired, she began to talk about her problems with her friends from youtube.

«It's almost impossible, 'ya know. When I go to school I am among idiots with one brain cell, and when I record a video, I endure the harassment of this moron Noir. Who am I now, a Wonder Woman?»

She never noticed the worried glances that threw at her, so she had no idea that soon there was a surprise waiting for her.

In the afternoon, trying to endure the ridicule of her classmates, she consoled herself with the fact that the weekend would begin very soon.

«Wow, you sigh so tiredly. Being such a bully is probably so hard», a sarcastic voice sounded nearby.

Turning her head, she noticed a gloomy Alya, who put her hands on her hips. Behind Cessarie stood scared and embarrassed Nino, and Adrian's head could be seen behind his shoulder. Seeing Mari’s resolve, Agreste shook his head in condemnation. Can't Marinette just calm down? All she needs is to become friends with Lila and then all the problems will end.

«What do you need, Alya? I'm tired and want to relax», the bluenette snorted, rolling her eyes and looking calmly at her ex-friends.

Alya angrily clapped her hands on the table, her eyes burned with a fire of justice.

«What do I need? What do YOU need from Lila? Stop bullying her! She never did to you anything bad, and you continue to cling to a good person because of your jealousy!»

Marinette grimaced, squeezing the bridge of her nose with two fingers.

«I have no idea what you're talking about, Alya! I haven’t talked with Rossi for more than three months!»

Lila, sitting at the first desk, sobbed, innocently opening her tear-stained eyes.

«Marinette, how can you lie like that! Yesterday you deleted all my contacts! How do I get in touch with my bestie, Ladybug? She recently moved to New York!»

Alya looked sadly at her friend, wanting to console her, and then turned to Netty, her eyes flashing viciously.

«I can't believe you, Dupain-Cheng! You are even worse than Chloe! How can you-», the girl’s fiery speech was interrupted by the shocked Miss Bustier, who flew into the classroom.

The woman looked around the class worryingly, and after she found out someone, who she was looking fir, her a thin, frightened voice attracted the class attention.

«Marinette, I... He... Um... There is someone at school who wants to meet you».

Immediately after the words was said, the happy Jagged Stone ran into the class. A tired Penny was trailing behind him, who noticing Mari, waved her hand.

«Netty! My beloved niece! I'm so glad to see you, dear», the man sang, jumping to the end of the class in an instant.

A pale Lila stood next to him, trying to hide, but she was stopped by Alya, who grabbed the girl by the hand. Frightened, Rossi swallowed a lump in her throat.

«Jagged Stone? Excuse me, aren't you recognize Lila? She saved your kitten, remember?».

The rock star made the most astonished grimace that he was capable of, forcing Marinette to hide her face in her hands, expecting something not that good.

«She did what? The last time I saw any cats was in my grandmother's house, at least twenty years back.» The man grinned maliciously, and then, ignoring the dumbfounded faces of the children around, he again turned to the embarrassed bluenette.

«My dear designer, there are several people who would like to talk with you! They need your knowledge and talent.»

«Uncle G, I can’t, I have a school!»

Mrs. Bustier spoke again, awkwardly clearing throat.

«Actually, we got a note from your parents, Marinette. It seems you really can go»

Jagged giggled like a small kid and excitedly handed Mari into Penny's arms, who led the girl out of class, quietly apologizing and explaining the whole situation. Jagged smiled sweetly, and then looked predatoryly at the class teacher.

«By the way, haven't I mentioned that there are a few people who want to meet some more from your class?»

Kids whispered excitedly, hoping that they would be lucky one. The man smirked viciously, laying documents on the tables in front of Mrs. Bustier, Lila, Alya and Adrian. The teacher immediately picked up the sheets in her hands, reading what was written on them, and then fell into a chair, unable to stand on staggering legs. It seemed that a little more and she would faint from shock.

«What is it?», Adrian asked frowningly, frowning.

«This is a lawsuit, Mr. Agreste. For you personally, this is a lawsuit about harassment and a restraining order».

«But I did nothing wrong!», the blond guy screamed indignantly, frowning displeasedly.

«Really? But it seemed to me that when you put on a mask and start calling yourself a Chat Noir, you stop respecting woman's rights and understanding the word 'no'»

Smiling coldly at the frightened schoolchildren, Jagged left the classroom, leaving chaos and drama behind. The man didn't care, he hurried to his wife Penny and his beloved niece, Marinette.

Today will be a wonderful day.

[queer-as-frikc]

My coming out story is weird, it gets a lil transphobic so tw near the end tw long post too

So, pretty much throughout my time growing up through elementary school and half of middle school, i grew up in a white middle class area. I didnt know about the LGBTQ+ or anything other than what I saw, which was white people and an occasional poc. Eventually I had to move and I ended up in a super diverse area, and ended up becoming best friends with this person (they are ftm now so imma use the right pronouns but they were f when this story mostly takes place) he told me all about things I didnt know, specifically the LGBTQ+ community and that he was pan, and it was new information so just like any 13 year old learning new things, I questioned myself, I questioned if I could like the same sex or not or possibly more.

Sadly, drama happened between my best friend, his girlfriend and I, so thing got a little weird. But there was a time in winter, when he was off that relationship for more than a month and he said he'd like to date me, and I really thought about it before hand and said yeah, I couldnt tell you how happy I was to have this experience.

I told my mom that night, in a round about way cuz I was nervous, "Hey mom, what if I liked girls?" She told me she doesnt think that I do, because I always expressed feelings for guys, and when I tell her I didnt really understand what being gay was when I was younger, I didn't really know it was a possibility. She snapped at me and said, "Unless you are willing to kiss a girl and do the other stuff, you arent gay at all."

Eventually I have a sit down conversation with her, about how confusing this all was and how I wish I knew how I felt, and so on. She said she had a similar questioning phase but it never stuck so she doesnt think I am.

Like a month later I figure it out and dude that was so gratifying. I came out as bi to my mom, who just dismissed the whole thing, but I was terrified to tell my uncle (it's a long story about that, no it's not "sweet home Alabama") because he always said bi's were wh*res so yeah. I ended up telling him, and he goes, "You know my opinion on it but that doesnt mean that I'll disown you or anything." Btw the relationship (dating wise) with my best friend after he came out as ftm because he went back to his ex, it's all cool tho.

So that was that, or so I thought. It was my first year of high school, and I finally really understood the definition of pan, what was holding me back though was the trans experience, I thought because I didnt know what it was like, I couldnt be pan, even though I didnt have a preference, turns out it just means you like people no matter their gender and it like, clicked finally so yeah. I've told my family about that since but I a similar reaction: my mom said she doesnt think I am and she lectured me on my generation having so many labels and how she hated it. My uncle said he appreciated that I was pan more than me being bi which confused me but he just had a better view of pansexual than bisexual. (I explained to both of them what the difference was but idk man)

I believe it was my second year of high school when I really started to question my gender, and that was mostly because I saw a video of what gender dysphoria looks like if it's not that strong and you arent aware for ftm. So like wearing bagging clothes all the time, always wearing sports bras, and practically no other bra, feeling really good if someone accidentally calls you sir, etc. And I was like, oml it's me. But it wasnt, I didnt find that out until later tho. So, with my friend group, I find a name that seems to fit me well and ask them to address me by it and he/him pronouns, as like a test of sorts. (All of my friends are gay in some way so it was cool) In the end tho, I got a little iffy about the whole thing and wouldnt ever correct them at times or it was just off for me. I felt really bad because I thought that they might have thought that I was just trying to force myself to be more like them, but I wasnt, i still felt bad though and kinda dropped it.

I'm not sure 100% how I figured it out tho, but I remember talking to my best friend (not the same one from middle school, they were my best friend as well but they arent the same person) about the whole experience and I believe they brought up the idea of genderfulid, and I was like :0.... what that. They explain it, you go aall over the gender spectrum, some days you might feel like a boy, others you might feel like you have no gender, some days you might feel like your gender is something completely weird and different, that's just what it is. And I was like, "It fits but like, I barely feel femme at any point in time, maybe like once a year." And they tell me, that's ok and stuff as long as my gender just decides to be a completely weird and went all over the place, it counted, so I was like, "I finally figured it out!!!" And i was so happy.

Then came the time I was comfortable enough to tell my parents. I had been using the label genderfuild for over half a year already and I thought that it was what I was so it was ok to tell them. I saw how ok me being gay went, so I was nervous but not as nervous as I should have been, probably. I told my mom first, she went on a similar rant of her no liking my generations labels and such, but it went fine, I explained it, I thought I was through, I thought I was fine, apparently not. One day I'm in the shower and I hear my mom being very expressive with what ever shes talking about to my uncle, which is fine, she needs someone to vent to sometimes. When I get out though, and I can here her clearly, I hear sees complaining about what I told her recently, that I'm genderfulid, but instead of saying that, she only says I want to be a boy. (Oh no) So shes complaining to him, asking why I cant be more like her and just be a masculine girl and be fine, why do I have to fit in with the crowd of my generation to feel special, why cant I just be fine with who I am now? Etc.

The sad thing is, that night, I was going out shopping for pants and underwear with my uncle because I needed some and I wore men's pants already at that point, because they are more durable, and stuff so I knew it was gonna be a long ride. My mom was snippy with me that whole night, just the entire time which sucked.

When we finally left to go get clothes though, I didnt know it could get worse. My uncle lectured me about how that's just my generations fad, and how his was making tattoos and piercings ok in the work place and mine is being trans a gay and all that crap, and that I'm just trying to fit in, I'm not being myself, no matter how much I chop myself up and cut my hair and take hormones my chromosomes will never change and so I can never be an actual guy. He also said that I would bring just more attention to myself being a woman who does guy things rather than try and be one, and he thinks I'm doing this all for attention. I was mad but silent at this point, I didnt want to cause anything to happen. He ended up asking me, "So did you pick a different name?" I was surprised but I said yeah, and my friends were using it and it seemed to fit better. He asked me what it was and fear over took my body. I told him, "I'll only tell you if you dont use it against me if your mad." He says, "i cant promise that." And then gets mad because I wont tell him. Though I do, because I feel obligated since hes buying me clothes. To be even more confusing, he buys me guys underwear, and undershirts along with the predetermined pants he promised me and now I'm so confused.

But it gets even worse. When we get home, my mom freaks out on him because be bought me all that mens stuff and she said he was encouraging my behavior and stuff, he defended with it's just clothes, and yah it is. Eventually things settle down, obviously my mom isnt talking to be, but that's for the best at this point. I'm in the living room with my uncle and he just then starts harassing me with questions like, how do you know? he asks. "Well, I just feel that way, same as you." I say. But why do you wanna be a guy? he asks. "I dont wanna be a guy, it's just weird that way. Also it's not me being a guy, it me being many more than that," I say. He says that's bullsh*t. I offer to show him videos that better explain what trans is and how it's an actual sciencey thing and stuff but he said he wont take a video because he wants me to say it. And then he just goes off, saying the name I picked out shows how self centered I am because I am selfish, he kept asking me if i liked to fight, to catch and play with bugs, to be strong, to be angry all the time, and all these stereotypes for men and I just left, and went to bed. He wasnt going to listen to me, so there wasnt a point to me staying.

But, it gets worse. The morning comes and I'm awoken by the slam of my door by my uncle and the laughter of my mom. My uncle starts being really aggressive and starts cleaning my room, I only have clothes on the floor mostly so that's all it was, but he starts saying, well if you're gonna be a man, imma start training you like one, the man of the house picks up after everyone, the man of the house does everything he can to help the house run smoothly, the man of the house has to be strong, and all that stuff. (Which I thought was funny because he was "the man of the house" yet I did everything, and still do. I clean up most after him, funny huh.) And, I know what's happening and so I stay in bed, I don't want this to happen. But I literally get ripped out of my bed by my uncle and get told to stop being a little b*tch and a brat because I'm being selfish by my mom and I'm yelled at to sit in the living room and wait while my uncle cleans my room. When hes done hes starts lecturing me and being all aggressive and in my face. He keeps asking me a million questions with the tone that he didnt care so I knew he wouldn't listen. Eventually, him and my mom leave, I'm told to stay there until I get back. When they do get back, they act like everything is fine, nothing happened between them and I and it's just been so hard for me to talk to them about that since.

I'm greatful that I dont have to deal with that anymore but every time something that that is brought up with my family, I panic so much now. I'm fine and I'm safe but it was very traumatic for me. And uh, thanks for listening.

hey, thank you so much for sharing your story. this was just. so heartbreaking. noone deserves to have a person like your uncle in their life. im so sorry you had to go through all of that. i hope you’re in a much better place now <3 (also i loveeddd reading about how you figured it out) =)

again, tysm <3

[sugasgummy]

How BTS Paved the way

Okay so basically I wrote this as my JR paper for high school. I decided to write about BTS because I was allowed to pick what I wanted to write about and it's supposed to be a research/opinion page. It basically talks about what makes BTS so special and different from the rest. Its 16 pages long with citations and yeah that’s it basically. Please enjoy

@BTSCRAZED on IG AND TWT

The Entrepreneurs of Change: Why BTS is Different from the Rest

           They’ve sold over ten million albums, sold out entire tours including their upcoming stadium tour with over one million attendees in a matter of 5 minutes, hold five world records and now known as the biggest boy band in the world. They are BTS and they paved the way for a new genre of music known as K-pop. This band has proved to be more than just a generic boy band. They have played a big role in a wave of new music and trends, created a strong fanbase who they’ve taught important life lessons like self-love and acceptance, broken many records, gain popularity all over the truly become the biggest boy band in the world but how come a boyband from one country (South Korea) managed to reach people around the globe?

        First, let’s talk about what is K-pop and Korean pop culture? “They call it Hallyu, the Korean wave: the idea that South Korean pop culture has grown in prominence to become a major driver of global culture, seen in everything from Korean dramas on Netflix to Korean skincare regimens dominating the cosmetics industry to delicious Korean tacos on your favorite local menu. And at the heart of Hallyu is the ever-growing popularity of K-pop — short, of course, for Korean pop music” (Vox). K-pop has recently become very popular all over the world especially in the U.S. K-pop is often used as an umbrella term for all types of Korean music popular outside of Korea, so the genre can consist of rock bands, hip hop, indie, and basically any other type of music. The K-pop genre consists of main groups though there are solo artists who most of the time had previously been part, of other bands. Although you probably don’t know you have probably already been exposed to this wave especially if you visit Twitter regularly or were on YouTube in 2012 through 2013 when the song “Gangnam Style” by PSY came out. K-pop fans have a lot of power and can start trending thing in a matter of hours depending on the popularity of the idol they are promoting.  Korean pop culture is very different than American. It’s like a whole new world with new rules, vocabulary and just way of being fans. It’s all very well planned and based around main fanservice. Periodically or for special holiday and events, idols what K-pop fans call celebrities to have comebacks – which is when they release new albums and start a new concept for their music or performances- or release special packages and collaborations like makeup, photo books, concert DVDs and collectibles that they fans can buy. Along with those new comebacks or packages they hold fanservice events like music shows and fan meets. That is one of the biggest reasons K-pop is so popular and has a big fanbase. This is one of the biggest reasons I think that K-pop more specifically BTS has become so popular outside of Korea. But who is BTS?

        Who is BTS? First, what does BTS even mean? BTS in Korean is Bangtan Sonyeondan meaning bulletproof boy scouts but in 2017 they officially changed their name to beyond the scene because they wanted fans to see beyond than just the scene in front of them. They are one of the most popular boy bands in the world at the moment BTS has been called next generation leader by Time magazine and “have grown beyond the bounds of traditional K-pop acts, making a splash everywhere from Chile to California. Their devoted followers styled as “ARMY,” have kept them trending on social media at most public appearances.” (Time). They hold the world record for most views in 24 hours with 78 million views on their newest song “Boy with luv” from their newest album Map of The Soul: Persona and at the same time broke the record for the fastest music video to reach 100 million views broken at one and a half days since its release. Each of the seven members is adored by thousands of people all over the world. Kim Namjoon goes by the stage name RM is the leader, producer, and one of 3 rappers of the group he is the only fluent English speaker and the first member to join the band. Next is Kim Seokjin or just Jin the eldest member and vocalist of the group he plays the role of the dad of the group though originally, he wanted to be an actor he has grown a lot and is now one of the best vocalists. Up Next is Min Yoongi or Suga the main rapper and producer very well known for his quiet yet savage personality. Then there’s Jung Hoseok aka J-hope he’s one of the main dancers, producers, and rappers of the group he is also the happy virus of the group he is everyone’s angel and hope. Now for the three Maknaes which in Korean means the youngest members of the group we have Park Jimin who’s is very well known for his powerful yet elegant looks that can capture both female and male attention. He is one of the main vocalists and dancer of the group. Followed by Kim taehyung or V which is his stage name. Who is another powerful visual and was actually voted most handsome face in the world in 2017 and also ranked #5 in 2018 he is also a vocalist of the group. Last but not least is Jeon Jeongguk or just Jungkook the youngest member yet unspeakably talented, main dancer, main vocalist and center face of the group who was also placed #2 in the most handsome faces in the world 2018. Together Those seven men hold so much power they’re not only all good looking but all extremely talented in different things that when put together make the best boyband in the world. They have the power to sell out anything with just a single tweet it's insane.  These seven boys didn’t just become famous overnight they made their debut but where were ignored and judged harshly until they broke through the charts in 2017 with all their hard work and the help of ARMY.

        BTS is very well known because of their huge and very dedicated fanbase that will do anything to get them the recognition they deserve. This is because they have proven to be more than just a group of good-looking men that can sing, rap and dance. They try to share positive messages like self-love, touch on delicate topics like suicide and depression as well as being big supporters of the LGBT community by breaking gender-role buy wearing feminine clothes and makeup and advocating equality regardless of sexuality, gender, and race. All of this through music, videos, and campaigns that they launch. First, I want to talk about how they use their music and content to shine a light on controversial topics like mental health, sexuality, gender identity, growing up, finding yourself, and even political topics. Almost every music video that BTS release follows this storyline about a group of teenage boys and their struggles in growing up and finding the right path while facing different obstacles. The teenage boys are played by BTS of course and the story actually starts out from the very beginning of their career even though we had only figure out it was a storyline during a later era in 2017. The story begins with a group of rebellious teenagers who don’t like to follow the rules who are looking for acceptance and love which they get from each other. Each character hides their own demon and dark past. Namjoon the leader of the group of friend struggles with not know who he is and what he’s going with his life. Jin who is supposed to be the most mature member struggled with the fact that he’s growing up and being who his father wants him to be who forces him to betray his friends and leave them. Yoongi suffers from depression after his mother died in a fire and he couldn’t save her and holds himself guilty for and attempts to commit suicide. Hoseok was abandoned by his mother at an amusement park when was a small child and suffers from PTSD and also has narcolepsy which forces him to live in a hospital the majority of the time. Jimin is very similar to Hoseok they know each other the best because they were both forced to live in a hospital. Jimin suffers from abandonment issues but in the sense that he thinks everyone hates him and he isn’t good enough and also has seizures with an unknown and also tries to commit suicide at one point. Taehyung is a young delinquent who always seems to get in trouble. He isn’t a bad person he just has a bad life with an abusive father which leads him to murder his father one night trying to protect his sister. Then there’s Jungkook he’s the youngest he’s just trying to see his friends who are more like his brothers since they have basically raised him happy. He eventually realizes he can’t have the happiness or euphoria he wants and ends up committing suicide as well. That part of the story takes place during their albums called The Most Beautiful Moments in Life part one, The Most Beautiful Moments in Life part 2, Young Forever, and Wings.  Then continues in their Love Yourself series. Which is when they try and find a way to reverse time and fix all their mistakes or stop themselves from splitting up and killing themselves. I feel like this story is something that you really wouldn’t expect from a boyband of any kind. Which why I think it's so important and makes BTS special and different. What boy bands do you know that have tried to even touch on the topic on this level? Apart from incorporating important mental health and life issues. They have also encouraged people to show who they are and speak themselves. On November 1st, 2017 the group launched their Love Myself campaign in partnership with UNICEF. This campaign was created as an anti-violence campaign but, in my opinion, it has grown to be much bigger than that. Over the last two years, I have watched as BTS has grown and spread their message teaching everyone that they don’t need to hide who they are and shouldn’t be afraid who they are to the world. This message has even led them to speak at a united nations conference in New York making them the first ever Korean Band to do so. The leader of the band Namjoon who fans have since then called their “President” made a very touching speech on how to find yourself.  In the speech, Namjoon said, “After releasing the “Love Yourself” albums and launching the “Love Myself” campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world, how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. These stories constantly remind us of our responsibility. So, let’s all take one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to speak yourself. I would like to ask all of you. What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, gender identity: speak yourself. Find your name, find your voice by speaking yourself. I’m Kim Nam Jun, RM of BTS. I’m a hip-hop idol and an artist from a small town in Korea. Like most people, I made many mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, little by little. What is your name? Speak Yourself!". This is one of my favorite speeches Namjoon has ever given as a leader. I’m not going to say that they’re the only artist to ever say this, but they the apart of the few to have such a big impact and influence so many people. I’m also not going to tell you that because of them I have started to love myself, but I can say that I have learned to speak for myself and for what I do believe in. I have spoken out a lot about who I am where I come from like my sexuality and my immigrant background. All the things that the old me wouldn’t have done. But BTS has created a protective bubble that allows me to speak out and find more people like me be happier than I used to be. Because of I have become someone different who I like more than who I used to be. BTS have really set the stage for this new genre of music. Though they aren’t the first they are the only ones to have truly made an impact. The reason this one band from South Korea out of hundreds of other is because of their extremely strong a big fanbase.  Over 10 million fans can’t be wrong.

        Like I mentioned previously BTS’ fanbase is called A.R.M.Y. which stands for Adorable representative MCs for Youth and their Job is to spread the message BTS is trying to give and this Army is extremely dedicated I mean extremely dedicated to their job. Ages ranging from 6 years old to 60 years old BTS is for everyone to enjoy. Their fanbase is all over the world promoting their boys. They spend hours every day creating a thing for BTS a promoting BTS through any way they can. On an interview for Billboard, an Army said, "We want to see them break records and write history." And that’s exactly what we are working for. There are thousands of fan account that are run on twitter an Instagram alone and I’m one of them. The point of these fan account it’s to keep the rest of the fanbase updated, create content, promote BTS, and recruited a new member for the fanbase. This is exactly what I do on my fan account every day on my fan account and literally any chance I can anywhere else. The mission is to promote and educate everyone about BTS this raises their popularity and success.  BTS fans are extremely dedicated to them for many different reasons. Some for their looks, others for their catchy music and of course for their message. “Their message is beyond just making good music. They talk about social issues. They stand for more than your typical boy band would stand for. I think that’s really important for people my age and the younger generation to really understand. Everything on social media, you kind of get desensitized to everything out there. But BTS brings it to the forefront. A lot of things that people younger than me or my age wouldn't care about or know about, they find out about because BTS cares about those things. That really sets them apart for me in comparison to anyone else out in the industry.”   says Christine Gee 27-year-old BTS ARMY for Billboard. I totally agree with her joined the fandom for the very same reason. A lot of people think that because their speaking in a different language their message is unimportant, and people don’t care but we do we translate and decipher the meaning behind everything they say and that’s the truly important part. These boys have voices too and that’s what army is here to promote. Doing that is its own process alone as well.

        The process is very complicated, but we figure out the most efficient way to promote them however we can.  Take BTS’ new album for example first we take everything we know and piece it together like a puzzle. Which is a part of the idea of looking beyond the scene. Like I mentioned before they have a storyline to their videos.  We had already figured out it’s a storyline and every comeback they add a new part or chapter. So, we spend the 6 months between each album piecing the story together and creating theories and trending them on twitter so even while they are away they continue to be relevant. Which is very important in all fandoms and I believe that this fandom is the most active. I've been a ton of other fanbases and it gets boring eventually. We get bored and run out content, but the army is different they're always creating new memes or theories keeping the content relevant.  Once the comeback was confirmed they do many things they promoted it in every tweet they could and made sure to trend it then started setting new goals as well as participating in new activities released by BTS’ company. For the next month, Army spent all their free time trying to find even clues for the new comeback and preordering the album until we reach whatever goal we set for themselves this time we reached 2 million presales in the first 24 hours. Then they set goals for the music video and album streams the goal this time was to beat any previous record we had set so we settled on one hundred million views in 24 hours while the Korean fans who are called K-diamond army and Japanese fans the J-jewels were asleep every other army would stream the music video repeatedly. The American fanbase would buy single songs while the European armies would buy the whole album, so we could get the individual songs on the album on charts and then the full album all while still watching and sharing the new music video. That we get the album to be number one in more than 80 countries as well as making sure that the video and every trending tag on twitter are BTS related in order to capture more audience. Once the other armies were awake and together they set up street promotions by buying billboards and decorating train carts promoting BTS. That all was just for a new album. Every other day army promotes BTS by donating in their names. Every time it one of the members birthday Army donates to a cause.  For this year for Suga’s one of the rapper’s birthday a hundred of army donated blood under his name. For other members, we would adopt endangered species under their names and save those animals. they do things like this because they don’t just want them to be well known but also because they want them to be known for good deed. Of course, BTS themselves also pay parts in these kinds of projects. One of the members J-Hope recently donated 250 Million Won which is over $200,000 just for scholarships for female students. They also normally don’t like when we buy them gifts so why not spend money on a good cause. It’s our job, in the end, we are their representatives we have to make them look good. Like I mentioned before I had been a part of many other big Fanbases and I have never seen this amount of dedication or activity. Not even the Directioners fans of One Direction the who previously were biggest boy band in the world. I feel like this type of dedication has been part of their rise to fame. The amount of time and loyalty they put in is like no other.

        Many people argue that army is a very toxic and aggressive fanbase because of how dedicated we are to promote BTS and sometimes can start fights for being too dedicated with fans of other groups by boasting of our success and achievements. Other times is for being too dedicated for example in many occasions interview misphrase or say things criticize them harshly and Army goes on a rampage against them. For example, Richard Lloyd Parry who is a British foreign correspondent and writer. Parry interviewed BTS and made an insensitive comment about one of the members Namjoon who is the only fluent English speaker in the group English. Of course, Army wasn't happy at all and started to tweet hate at Parry and forced him to apologize publicly because of the insensitive comment. Army said very harsh thing which I witnessed on twitter thought it was very harsh but I believe that he deserved it not only cause I’m army and I support BTS until my last breath but because if this was said to any non-English speaker I would be upset especially since English isn't my first language either its really upsetting when someone underestimates your hard work because you speak differently. In an article about why BTS are way too dedicated and must be stopped it says “BTS fans are young, and youthful adoration isn’t meant to be measured or sensible. Those teenagers you see in floods of tears at Beatles concerts? Not measured, but joyous and warm, a life-affirming testament to the power of pop culture. But that passion, combined with the facelessness of social media, has given rise to something ugly and extreme, aggression that sullies the band’s name. The BTS ARMY marches on a message that is exclusionary, intolerant of others. You wonder if BTS are fearful of their own, intense fanbase.” (NME). I don't agree nor disagree with this quote cause I myself am one of those extremely dedicated fans. I agree that the pressure can get to the boys and all I care about is their happiness and wellbeing the last thing I want to do is hurt them and make them feel bad or ashamed but then again BTS and army have a very strong connection and they always express their love for us the same way we express our love for them. I believe the reason that army acts like this is because BTS has always been put under everyone’s else and now they are finally getting recognition and we won’t let anyone ruin that for ashough criticism is great and everyone has a right to their opinions army strongly believe in the phrase if you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all we understand when you say that the music isn't your type and it’s not for you that totally understandable but if you come to us with “BTS sucks they don't even speak English why do you like them they look like girls” you're basically signing your death wish. So yes, we are aggressive but without Army, BTS would literally be unknown because people are ignorant and unfair for who they pick to like. By promoting them this way they have proven so many people wrong and have made BTS proud.  Army has made BTS the powerful people that they are today.

BTS is breaking more records than other any other foreign artist in the U.S. but why? There are thousands of other Bands in all kind of languages, but they aren’t making the same impact? I honestly think it’s because of their fanbase and the way that they promote themselves. There is a formula to be the biggest boyband in the world. First, you need good music with a message that people want to hear. Many artists nowadays like to either talk about sex or drugs. BTS chose to instead choose to talk about self-love and acceptance but at the same time making their music fun and energetic. Next you need to promote it this can come in many ways BTS chooses to release a “comeback trailer” which is what American artist calls a single before the full album comes out they also release photoshoot sets that connect to the concept of the album to get fans excited to buy all the album typically one album comes with one version of the photo shoot and there are typically four different photo shoots so as a good fan you would want to buy all four raising the album preorders and sales. Speaking of fans, you need a big fanbase you need an audience to share it and watch it that’s where army comes in like I previously talked about we promote BTS any chance we can and divide up the streams in order to get them to trend in as many places as possible and beat as many records as possible. That’s how you become the biggest boy band in the world. Now you’re probably asking yourself okay but so many artists do that how come only BTS is getting all the attention. My answer to that is luck I believe they were lucky that so many people grow to like them, and they really do create amazing music that I believe many people can relate to something another artist may be doing. For example, BTS is made up of rappers, vocalist and dancers all with different styles, for example, one rapper is more into hip hop while the other Is more into RnB and the other is straight rap. Same with the vocalist part is pop the other part is a ballad and sometimes even rock. All different types that can reach different people and when you put them together everyone can enjoy at least a little bit of it. in comparison, you take a big artist like let’s say Drake who is a rapper very popular with today’s youth who into rap the same with Ariana Grande who makes pop music typically popular with the youth only reaching one type of audience. While BTS has all these different genres making more open to different groups of people. Which is very important because with a little of everything you get a lot and that’s what makes BTS special. They get a little bit of everything and when that comes together it creates something big.

Now you’re probably telling yourself I understand that they’re popular in America and different from American artist but what makes them different from other artists in Korea. First, let's talk about what the entertainment companies or record labels in Korea look like. Before BTS’ big success there was the “Big Three” a term used when talking about the three most successful record labels in South Korea. The big three includes SM entertainment which still is home to the biggest artist in the K-pop industry, JYP interment who also is very big and has some of the best artists in my opinion and lastly YG interpatient which has a lot of new talent. BTS comes from a small company called Bighit entertainment was essentially broke up until BTS success and is only home to now 4 different artists. But now the tables have turned and with the help of BTS bight has surpassed the big three by bringing in billions of dollars just from BTS related sales. But how? BTS Isn’t the first group to make it to the U.S. and stay on top.  We all remember PSY who came from SM entertainment Back in 2013 who was really successful and the first Korean artist to become a global phenomenon. “Gangnam Style was phenomenal, but PSY’s persona was consumed as a character, not as an artist,” Choi says. “He didn’t have a strong fan base like other idol groups, but [US promoter] Scooter Braun found him marketable and introduced him to the American mass media. Despite his long career and musical talent, Psy was depicted in the United States as a hilarious, thus non-threatening, Asian male stereotype.” (SCMP). I agree with this yes PSY was huge and everyone was crazy for him but in American pop culture, he was a one-hit wonder. He did make more music which I absolutely loved and is honestly a big part of K-pop culture except no one outside of the K-pop fandom know about it and that’s the problem. The same thing happened with a boy band called Big Bang and before that all in 2009 a less popular girl group called the Wonder Girls who had made it into billboard charts and even toured with the Jonas brother in 2009. All those bands had tried but failed to stay popular in the U.S. afterward. After that, no other band had tried promoting like that in the U.S. until BTS appeared in the charts in 2017 and managed to stay there. Something that no other Korean artist has done in a long time. After that BTS started to pave the way for other Korean bands like NCT, Black Pink, and EXO on talk shows and award shows. They did what no other band was doing, and they didn’t even come from one of the big entertainment companies that exist in South Korea. Korean artist themselves have even agreed to this idea. A former member of the Wonder Girls and literally the biggest solo artist in Korean right now Sunmi mentioned BTS in one of her interviews when told that her work with the wonder girls had paved the way for K-pop in the United States. She replied “No BTS did” I find this so amazing because as a K-pop fan I am telling she is and OG she’s the first of the first a legend in K-pop books. For her to deny her part in the path of K-pop today and give BTS credit for their work is amazing. Army themselves couldn’t believe it but we totally agree with her.   Though they weren’t the first to start the pave the path into popularity in the U.S. they did finish paving the way for a new artist to come.

In conclusion, seven Korean boys are now the biggest band in the world. Paving the way for many new artists to come and becoming global superstars. They’re doing this in many different ways. For example, using their popularity to shine a light on important controversial topics, having extremely dedicated fans and lastly for making great music for almost anyone. BTS are truly the entrepreneurs of change.

Works Cited

“BTS Pave Way for K-Pop Golden Age in the U.S, Doing What Psy Couldn't.” South China Morning Post, 20 July 2018, www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2127984/bts-pave-way-k-pop-golden-age-us-achieving-what-psy-and-wonder-girls.

“BTS Speech at the United Nations UNICEF.” Performance by Namjoon Kim, YouTube, UNICEF, 24 Sept. 2018, https://youtu.be/oTe4f-bBEKg

“Five Ways BTS Changed the World of Pop Music.” Evening Standard, 12 Apr. 2019, www.standard.co.uk/go/london/music/bts-map-of-the-soul-persona-ways-changed-pop-music-kpop-a4110786.html.

Bassett, Jordan. “Why the BTS Army Must Be Stopped.” NME, NME, 18 Oct. 2018, www.nme.com/blogs/we-need-to-talk-about-the-bts-army-2389994.

Bruner, Raisa. “Everything to Know About K-Pop Group BTS.” Time, Time, 11 Oct. 2018, time.com/collection-post/5418827/bts-members/

Herman, Tamar. “Meet the Fans of BTS: Profiles of American ARMY.” Billboard, 29 Sept. 2017, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7981702/meet-fans-bts-profiles-american-army.

Kolgraf, Jackie. “How Fans of BTS, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift & More Are Changing Music Marketing.” Billboard, 15 Feb. 2018, www.billboard.com/articles/business/8099836/fan-armies-bts-beyonce-taylor-swift-music-marketing.

Litovsky, Dina. “40,000 BTS Fans Can't Be Wrong.” Vulture, 10 Oct. 2018, www.vulture.com/2018/10/bts-and-the-army.html.

Romano, Aja. “How K-Pop Became a Global Phenomenon.” Vox, Vox, 26 Feb. 2018, www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/16/16915672/what-is-kpop-history-explained.

[normanisource]

Ally Brooke Hernandez, 24, has a two-tone thing happening, with a black leather hat and skirt paired with a fuzzy pink sweater and pumps. Normani Kordei, 21, has accented herself with huge chrome hoop earrings and silver-dipped nails. Lauren Jauregui, 21, wears a lacy boho-chic blouse and carries her puppy, a rescue mutt named Leo. Then there’s Dinah Jane Hansen, 20, who peels off a trippy floral jacket to reveal a bright yellow tee that reads, in big block letters, “I’M A RAY OF FUCKING SUNSHINE.”

Fifth Harmony used to tour malls like this: shopped from town to town, crammed between kiosks for tchotchkes and lit by department store signs. That was in 2013, less than a year after its lineup was now-famously chosen by Simon Cowell and Antonio “L.A.” Reid flipping through the headshots of X Factor contestants on the verge of washing out. The teens twice tried to christen themselves, but the first name (LYLAS, for “Love You Like a Sister”) was already in use, and the judges hated the second (1432, pager code for “I love you, too”), so Cowell asked viewers to submit ideas online. Rebranded Fifth Harmony, they took third place and stepped off the show into a joint deal with Reid’s Epic Records and Cowell’s Syco Music.

But those are all tales of an earlier era, before 2016, the group’s biggest year yet -- and the one that ended in shambles when, exhausted and unfulfilled, 5H lost Camila Cabello to a solo career. Last year’s 7/27 debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, propelled by “Work From Home,” the first top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit from a girl group in nearly a decade. But the acrimonious December split made even bigger news, with 5H accusing Cabello of quitting through her reps, and Cabello denying the accusations. It was... awkward.

“Try experiencing it,” retorts Jauregui when I volunteer as much. The rest of the group, as it so often does, rushes in to complete her thought. “I was literally going to say that,” Kordei quickly adds. “I get to sleep at night knowing we did everything in our power as friends, bandmates and human beings” to make it work. Then Hernandez: “You can’t change people.” And finally, Hansen: “Let’s just say we’re in a better place now -- there are no secrets in this circle.”

Jauregui admits she nearly threw up from anxiety before the downsized 5H’s first performance, at the People’s Choice Awards in January. But today, the members are quick to (literally) high-five each other as they talk about their ongoing 7/27 Tour, the first in which they’ve built in real downtime, and a third album, due later this year on Epic. “Honestly, in this very moment, we could not be happier,” says Hernandez with more assertiveness than the Pollyanna-ish cheer that’s her trademark. Their first new single as a foursome, “Down” -- a neon-edged dancehall bubbler featuring a warmly romantic verse from Gucci Mane (“Got me showing off my [engagement] ring like I’m Jordan”) -- reached No. 42 on the Hot 100. Meanwhile, Cabello’s “Crying in the Club,” which entered the charts two weeks earlier, peaked at No. 47. Both are still active on the Mainstream Top 40 list.

“Crying in the Club” is a wide-screen, Sia-style ballad and “Down” is an airy dance track, but the two have more in common than just a chart trajectory: They’re both grown-up songs for longtime professional “girls” now expected to be seductive women. The 5H video, which racked up 21.6 million views in two weeks, even seems to offer some sly commentary on this, with the group pulling up to a seedy motel and writhing on beds in separate rooms. But the women have come up with their own narrative for the lyrics, which came to them from “Work From Home” co-creators Ammo and DallasK, and include “You the type that I could bake for/’Cause baby, you know how to take that cake” -- as well as the chorus, “Long as you’re holding me down/I’m going to keep loving you down.”

“We dedicate it to each other,” says Hansen. “We’ve been together five years, so that message is powerful to us. We’ve been there for each other through ups and downs.” Hernandez hits her with an “Amen.”

The single is only a slice of what’s to come, because for the first time, 5H is co-writing its songs -- over half, in fact, of those destined for the new album. Since January, it has been holding songwriting camps between tour stops, mostly at Windmark Recording, just two miles from here. The group typically breaks into pairs, then takes turns with that day’s writers and producers like 5H alums Monsters & Strangerz and pop and R&B producers Harmony Samuels (Ariana Grande) and Sebastian Kole (Alessia Cara).

“It’s not like they came in at the end and started riffing,” says Leah Haywood of Dreamlab, which has two songs on the album. “We sat and wrote verses together, because they’re empowered women who want to be pushing the agenda.” Justin Bieber’s go-to hook man Poo Bear, who worked with Skrillex on a 5H session, adds, “I was pretty blown away. They were hungry and excited and seemed like they had a serious new point to prove.”

Those collaborators create “safe spaces,” says Jauregui, where they can try ideas without fear of judgment. But the world outside isn’t so cushy. Plenty of popular girl groups have lost members and carried on, but none have found more success. En Vogue withered commercially without Dawn Robinson. Destiny’s Child hit peak sales just before LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson were ousted. And the one Spice Girls album that followed the departure of Geri Halliwell was an abject flop.

One Direction provides a hopeful example -- Made in the A.M. handily outsold its predecessor even without Zayn Malik. But the industry is perhaps kinder to boy bands. As much as its music (and videos) might be maturing, 5H is dedicating itself to an idea almost radical in its innocence: that four pop stars are better off as a single group -- albeit with a name that, at this point, feels a bit silly. “The fans,” quips Hernandez, “are our fifth member.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, whose 15-year-old daughter Simone is “pretty tight” with Hansen, says 5H is “aspirational to so many young girls around the world.” He adds, “Once the drama [of Cabello’s exit] settles, instead of looking at it as a devastating loss, I look at it as an amazing opportunity for growth.”

We’re now inside, aprons on, at The Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories. The women chat about how much they love SZA’s Ctrl as they pioneer new ways to Snapchat themselves, chopping scallions for quesadillas, charring tandoori-style chicken wings and deep-frying homemade potato chips. Overseen by a chef named Jamie, they share kitchen duties with an almost psychic ease -- except for the cookies. The plan is for everyone to pitch in on a batch of the classic chocolate-chip variety, and that’s how it starts. But then Jauregui asks for white chocolate, Hansen requests pretzels, and Hernandez wants her Texas pecans (she’s from San Antonio). Soon one mixing bowl becomes four, and Kordei is in the pantry foraging hazelnuts, Rice Krispies and almond extract.

It’s a cute metaphor for how 5H’s members are cultivating their independence not only from their corporate minders but from one another. It’s also woefully inadequate in addressing Jauregui’s personal journey during the last few months, starting with a declaration she defiantly slid into an open letter to Trump voters, which she wrote for Billboard in November: “I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman, and I am so proud of it ... I am proud to feel the whole spectrum of my feelings, and I will gladly take the label of ‘bitch’ and ‘problematic’ for speaking my mind.”

In March, Jauregui shared photos from a November “coming-out” shoot, as photographer Nicole Cartolano characterized it to MTV, with her then-girlfriend Lucy Vives (daughter of Colombian singer Carlos Vives). Her sexual identity has since cropped up in her music. Jauregui briefly made an appearance on the Hot 100 as a guest on Halsey’s “Strangers,” which, as a duet about an it’s-complicated same-sex romance, has inspired more than a few think pieces.

Jauregui’s openness speaks not only to the accepting nature of 5H but also to the potential for a mainstream girl group in an era where many minorities feel under attack. 5H is still a place for purity rings. Hernandez is wearing a “TRUE LOVE WAITS” band. She and Kordei identify as Christian, while Hansen is Mormon. But all insist Jauregui’s expression is “supported.” And Jauregui, who believes in “the universe and a god source, like an energy,” seems content with this. But asked if she would be comfortable singing about a relationship with a woman in a 5H song, she says she doesn’t know, “because it has to do with me personally. It doesn’t speak for everyone in the group, which is its own entity as an artist. That’s the whole reason for doing your own thing.”

Kordei has recently added a new chapter to her story, too. She competed on Dancing With the Stars this past spring, returning to a childhood passion. “I grew up dancing competitively and being in pageants, and my grandma made all my costumes and dresses. I remember watching the show on the couch with her, and she’d pause the TV to create sketches based off what she saw,” she says. Kordei and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, finished third, which is all the more impressive when you consider that for the first three weeks she flew to the Los Angeles tapings direct from 5H’s Asia tour, popping melatonin on the plane and chugging coffee (a new habit) before doing the cha-cha.

Hernandez recently dropped a summery song with DJ duo Lost Kings and A$AP Ferg. She also clocked a writing session with Christian country-folk singer Cindy Morgan and touts the acting career she plans to launch this year. Hansen has an unreleased RedOne cut featuring Fetty Wap and French Montana, and she loves tennis and jokes about becoming a volleyball star. “I’m at a place where I’m continuing to identify myself,” she says. In other words: find her part in what could become a multidisciplinary 5H empire.

“Last year, we all learned a lesson about mental health and making sure you step away from something. It just makes this stronger,” says Jauregui. “Fifth Harmony is the home base,” offers Kordei, “where we always come back.” “Yasss,” says Hernandez.

Of course, when your break from work is more work, there isn’t much room for, like, life. They all describe their days as a “blur,” and Hansen says she doesn’t know “what vacation means.” For those who keep asking: No, Kordei still hasn’t had a chance to go on that date with DWTS’ Bonner Bolton. And in a quiet moment in the kitchen, Hernandez confesses that there’s nothing she wants more than to get married. But the women don’t even have homes apart from their families -- the houses would sit empty.

It was only 14 months ago, in the middle of my interview with the group for its first Billboard cover, that the same four sitting here broke down in tears detailing the extent of their fatigue and stress. “Jesus Christ, dark times,” recalls Jauregui, and they didn’t let up. The same day Cabello’s exit was announced, there was a leak of what seemed to be a recording of Jauregui telling Hernandez the band was treated like “literal slaves.” “I don’t know where that [audio] came from,” says Jauregui, “but that’s what the game does to you sometimes: runs you dry.” But it was a bit more than that.

“We were little girls coming off of a TV show and had a team of people trying to sculpt us into something we weren’t,” says Hansen. “They took advantage, like, ‘Get in there and record this, you thing,’ ” says Jauregui.

“If you’re told you can’t do something when there’s a creative desire to do it, that’s depressing,” says Geri Horner -- nee Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice -- who just released her first single in 12 years. “Spice Girls always wrote our own stuff, but I can relate to that.”

The long road to liberation began with 5H hiring outspoken music lawyer Dina LaPolt at the end of 2015. “I sat the girls in a hotel conference room and for five hours educated them on trademarks, copyrights and rights of publicity,” says LaPolt, who soon helped secure them new management with the preeminent firm Maverick (Madonna, U2, Miley Cyrus). “Then I educated them about every agreement they signed, which [were] the worst I’ve ever seen in the music business.”

LaPolt successfully transferred the Fifth Harmony trademark from Cowell to the group, meaning the women now own the name, along with the right to control how it is used and to profit from any deals. (The agreement -- signed in April 2016, months ahead of Cabello’s exit -- doesn’t name Cabello in the “Fifth Harmony Partnership.” “I don’t represent Camila,” is all LaPolt will say.) She then renegotiated 5H’s contract with Epic, which she characterized as “a very adversarial” process.

LaPolt and 5H stress that the group’s relationship with Epic is now good. The women count among their “saviors” the label’s senior vp A&R Chris Anokute, who came onboard near the end of making 7/27. (Reid left Epic in May amid sexual-harassment allegations.) “We raised our voices,” says Hansen, “and to have someone in our corner like Chris, who believes in us, is the most important element to make the wheels go.”

Which allows 5H to meet the challenges of being Women of Pop in the late 20-teens. Rihanna, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez and Lorde have all shown how much artistry, agency and album-building matter. Basically, the band needs to pursue the authenticity Cabello secured by going it alone. The challenge is not only doing that in a group, but also while relying on familiar themes, like girl power, diversity, body positivity and inclusion.

Jauregui is the first to admit she was scared about 5H’s future without Cabello. “We’d put blood, sweat and tears -- and birthdays and funerals we missed -- into this thing,” she says. “It’s our livelihoods and our families.’ This is the train, and now you’re like, ‘Is the conductor going to come through with the coals, or are we left here to die?’ ”

Hernandez says there were “many therapy sessions.” Hansen, at least, quit worrying when they released their first press photo as a quartet and everyone, including Ellen DeGeneres, started editing themselves into the frame, “trying to recruit themselves into the squad.” Which raises the question: Have they considered bringing in a new member? They answer in unison: “Heeeell naaaw!”

[shenmeizhuang-blog]

10 + 11 questions tag, cont.

I got more questions, that is all. *waves at @renewedmotionforjudgment * 

Original here. 

A. Always post the rules. Answer the questions then write (10 or 11?) new ones.

B. Tag 11 people and link them to the post. Tell the person who tagged you that you’ve answered their questions.

Favorite heroine?

Bu Bu Jing Xin’s Ruoxi/Zhang Xiao, because I loved how they explored her inner conflict, as well as the discrepancy between how well she adapted to the Qing court lifestyle on the surface and her 21st-century ideals. 

A close second would be Legend of Zhen Huan’s Zhen Huan, because I live for that transformation to moral darkness.  

Favorite drama trope?

An anti-hero (preferably anti-heroine’s) “descent to evil”, as well as satisfying comeuppance and/or revenge. 

Name a character that you initially liked but came to dislike?

Oh dear god, Glory of Tang’s Dugu Jingyao. I still have no idea what to ultimately think of her character, though I can rationalize an appropriate ending from the scenario the show provided. Also, I can’t help but suspect that the scriptwriters sort of pretended that the major conflict that was largely her doing was actually between Dongzhu exclusively (admittedly, Zhenzhu leaving the 王府 actually improved the entire viewing of experience of S2, and the “胡话” actually really made sense to me). Umm…this post totally won’t be more of me ranting about The Glory of Tang Dynasty.

Least favorite drama trope?

In period dramas especially, when male lead is forced to marry someone who isn’t his love interest, sometimes the second female lead, therefore acts like a total asshole towards her. Like, WTF? (Sadly, it even happens more often than I’d like to think.) E.g, why I couldn’t even get through Shen An and Song Ning’s arc in Lure of the Hua Xu Song: City of Devastating Love and why I hated the most recent Huan Zhu Ge Ge remake.  

What dramas do you think should be 20 episodes shorter?

Perfect Couple – literally chop away the last 20 episodes and literally we already have a much more improved show. General And I, probably, though I dropped it so can’t give full judgment. 

(I’m also still wondering how Glory of Tang managed to be 92 episodes long. 92 EPISODES LONG. I think maybe they actually needed ~80-85 or so episodes, because there are way too many flashbacks in S2. Like, just from the general vibe of the show it doesn’t feel like a particularly long show (?), and actually remains fast-paced and intense until Ep 70, and then by Ep 76 the pace picks up again all the way to the ending. And even then, I’ve read fan complaints that they actually cut out quite a lot from the original script, and I’m just like ???)

Favorite example of trope dissection/dispellation?

As I was writing these questions, I was mostly thinking of how I LOVED how Glory of Tang completely subverted the whole “he has a tragic backstory but he lurves the girl and happens to be hot, therefore for some reason deserves her love/healing” bullshit. 

But, more GOTD feels aside, Bu Bu Jing Xin in general sometimes feels like such a wonderful trope subversion in itself – the way they examined time travel, Ruoxi/4th’s entire dynamic, Ruoxi’s characterization, developing Minghui and Mingyu, etc., etc. 

Favorite time travel drama?

Bu Bu Jing Xin! Obvious. 

(Go Princess Go is rather unique, though slightly too…brash (?) for my tastes.)

What historical figure would you like to see a drama about?

Something about Tang Dynasty’s Princess Gaoyang, Princess Anle, or Princess Taiping

Also, largely shocked that there hasnt been a hit show about the Qing Dynasty’s Emperor Guangxu and Consort Zhen, since their entire story/political situation literally screams cdrama. 

What type of plot twist would you like to see more?

When someone supposedly had amnesia, but it turns out, he/she was faking it. Something that ends up subverting a trope. Hmm. Maybe?

What is the worst plot twist you have seen in a drama?

I’m pretty much thinking of the entire latter half of Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. If you haven’t watched the debacle, don’t. 

I asked and tagged people already, so I don’t feel like putting out more questions, except for these questions (that most likely won’t see, and probably won’t answer): 

How many more dramas will Mao Zi Jun participate in before he lands himself a lead role? 

When (specific dd/mm/yyyy) will Glory of Tang get English subs?

Speculate why all these upcoming shows are basically 40-90 episodes long.

Help me rationalize how or why JJ Lin has a music video with over 100 million views on YouTube (as well as other music videos with considerably large view counts, despite most of his fanbase located in an area with no access to YouTube), yet zero presence on Tumblr. 

On the contrary, why does everyone talk about Jolin Tsai’s crazy MVs, though her videos actually have considerably fewer YouTube views?

If Yu Zheng, being Yu Zheng, decided to adapt SHR, would it be an even worse mess, or would he somehow miraculously recreate the political intensity and complexity of Schemes of A Beauty? Give statistical evidence.

Anyone watch C-variety??

Given my drama preferences, what non-C-dramas do you recommend?

Longest show you’ve seen and completed ever. 

Thoughts on H&R (欢瑞)’s penchant for repeat casts, tendency to split their recent shows into multiple seasons, as well as overall poor drama-promoting abilities. 

Name two celebrities from different countries that look freakishly alike.

[guidetoenjoy-blog]

Fine Bros. Entertainment is building its YouTube empire, one 'react' video at a time

New Post has been published on https://entertainmentguideto.com/must-see/fine-bros-entertainment-is-building-its-youtube-empire-one-react-video-at-a-time/

Fine Bros. Entertainment is building its YouTube empire, one 'react' video at a time

Staffers at Fine Bros. Entertainment post with the Diamond Play button.

Image: fine bros entertainment

BURBANK, California How do you react to poor fan reaction?

That was the question that Benny and Rafi Fine, the brothers known for their popular YouTube channels, had to ask themselves in January after many of their viewers became angered over their (now defunct) initiative.

The duo’s goal was to give creators worldwide access to 11 of their company’s various shows and trademarks, including their franchise of “react” videos (in which groups of people, including kids, teens and adults, react to various topics). But many argued the “React” brand is not the Fine Brothers’ to license and viewed it as an attempt to claim profits over every “reaction” video out there. It only took five days before the pair apologized and discontinued the program.

Now it’s been eight months since the drama and Benny and Rafi have moved on, with hopes that their fans have too. The new challenge they face is getting their audience to trust and care about them again.

For the Fines, that means refocusing on doing what they do best: Making and distributing content.

“Our intentions were not what people thought they were. It was a very simple plan from our regard: A cool new initiative that wasn’t going to do anything bad to anyone,” Rafi said in a recent interview with Mashable at the Fine Brothers Entertainment office in Burbank. “People still think we’re trying to do something bad.”

“It was what it was,” Benny added. “There’s not much you can do about the reality when those things happen, beyond trying to look through clouds of it, find out what’s the essence of this, realize, learn from it. We learned this is not something we should be doing let’s just move on from on it and go back to what we had been doing. We’re fully and totally refocusing.”

Making moves

Benny and Rafi, who grew up in Brooklyn, have a typical brotherly rapport.

At 33, Rafi, the youngest, is slightly more hipster and mellow. He is often seen sporting a beanie. Meanwhile, Benny, 35, speed talks his way through conversations, with Rafi either interrupting or finishing his sentences.

The duo has been making online content since 2004, before YouTube even launched. They were instrumental in the success of Maker Studios, now owned by Disney.

Now, Fine Brothers Entertainmentn functions as a full-fledged media company, studio and network.

The company produces 10 serialized shows every week for over 20 million YouTube subscribers, as well as other digital platforms and linear television.

That includes scripted, non-scripted, animated, sketch, interactive, and, of course, the react videos.

The company’s videos getnearly 150 million views each month, and their channels overall have more than 5 billion lifetime video views.There are now about 55 people working at FBE full-time, who produce an average 12 videos per week.

Over the last year, the Fines have made a handful of big hires, including Brandie Tucker,who produced Big Brother and Hell’s Kitchen, and Andrea Kinloch, who previously worked for AOL Original Video and Warner Bros.

“It’s definitely been a year of building out a team we can grow on top of and scale in a much easier and faster way,” Rafi said. “With so many new platforms, we have to innovate how to make content on such a mass scale. On top of it, we’re also making TV shows and features and everything.”

Now, they are in the process of expanding their offices, by adding another floor with tons more studio space.

The Burbank office space (of which they inhabit three floors of) is not the average studio set-up.

For starters, the office is sort semi-hidden: there’s no sign outside the building indicating that it’s FBE’s headquarters (so fans don’t crowd outside, FBE execs said).

The first thing guests are greeted with at the reception area is a table filled with books written by YouTubers and snacks. Lots of snacks.

The bright blue walls are decked out with Fine Bros Entertainment memorabilia, including a few boards which people who have participated in “React” videos sign. They also proudly display some of their many awards, including a Webby, a Streamy Award and a Daytime Emmy.

Before expansion, there were just two sets utilized by all staffers, with a white board outlining the daily filming schedule for each space. With the added floorspace, employees will be adding areas for filming.

Much of the third floor will remain dedicated to the post-production team, which holes up in areas. (One of the editing suites is appropriately nicknamed “the lair.”)

Image: saba hamedy/mashable

Upping the slate

To the average Hollywood honcho, it’s hard to explain what exactly FBE is. That’s where Kinloch, Tucker and Matt Labate VP of Channels, Strategy and Audience, come in.

Tucker comes from the TV development world, where she produced TV series such as Big Brother, Hells Kitchen, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? and the upcoming show on MTV Epic Win!.

Her goal is to build a bridge with traditional Hollywood outlets.

Luckily, FBE has already built itself in Hollywood enough to have brand recognition. The company has been behind TruTV show Six Degrees of Everything, Nickelodeon’s ReactToThat (made in partnership with Nick Canon) and ABC Family’s Superfan Suite for its hit show Pretty Little Liars.

“Fine Bros Entertainment knows fandom better than anyone,” Tucker told Mashable. “We know how to tap into what people obsess over. And that’s valuable.”

Kinloch, meanwhile, is responsible for making deals with brands and licensing content (including to international TV networks and education partners).

The hope is that people see FBE for what it is: A nontraditional entertainment company capable of doing traditional material while still tapping in to digital audiences.

“We’re not necessarily the influencer but we’re not traditional media,” Rafi said. “We’re very much a hybrid. We find ourselves in that middle ground.”

Another company that has mastered this hybrid is Rooster Teeth.

The Austin-based production company, behind hits such asRed vs. Blue, was founded in 2003 by YouTubers Matt Hullum and Burnie Burns and then acquired by digital entertainment company Fullscreen in 2014.

Since then, the company has amassed more than 20 million subscribers to its YouTube Network, as well as 3 million unique monthly visitors to its RoosterTeeth.com hub and 1.8 million registered community members.

FBE has always been working on expanding its slate, but ove the last year the focus was to delve into more long-form projects.

So in January, it came as no surprise when one of FBE’s projects was announced as part of YouTube Red’s first line-up of originals

SING IT!, a half-hour sitcom that provides a satirical take on singing competition shows, was made in partnership with traditional studio Mandeville Films.

The 10-episode show is a workplace comedy about a singing competition show (a la American Idol or The Voice).

It features a mix of traditional and digital stars including Mircea Monroe (Hart of Dixie) Missi Pyle (Gone Girl), Debby Ryan (Disney Channels Jessie) and Mark Sullivan (Guest of a Nation). It also includes actual singing competition alumni, including Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo (the married couple that competed onAmerican Idol) andLeah Lewis (The Voice Season Four). Guest stars include Sasha Pieterse (Pretty Little Liars), YouTube stars Sam Tsui, Todrick Hall and Tim DeLaGhetto.

WithSing It!, YouTube Red viewers could actually vote for which fictional contestant they want to win ahead of the final episode. Contestants were then eliminated based on who viewers pick, giving an immersive element to the digital show.

FBE also just relaunched the animated series Emo Dad. The entire season is on Fullscreen’s SVOD service already but episodes also become available weekly on YouTube.

“There’s kind of a trifecta of things always going on at our company,” Benny said. “There’s the digital side of things, which is just as big as it’s ever been and growing on month-to-month basis. At the same time, opportunities with shows like Sing It! are leading to other things and now we are starting to move toward more long-form scripted [content]. The brand integration side is the third wing.”

Up next? “Soo many things,” Benny said.

Among the new projects: The company’s first feature film, titled F*&% the Prom.

Day 3 of the movie! Overnight w/ @MGortat @daniellemcam @Joel_Courtney @cameronpalatas #TextMeWhenItsOver #FTheProm pic.twitter.com/GWiLIiyAdw

thefinebros (@thefinebros) April 3, 2016

Plus, Fine Brothers Entertainment will have a new addition to its growing react franchise called “CELEBS React,” which will launch later this year.

FBE partnered with Fullscreen for the show, which will live on the Fullscreen’s SVOD platform and the FBE channel.

The overall goal is to “extend olive branches” to as many distribution outlets and create quality content, the Fine brothers said.

But even as FBE continues to grow both in terms of content and company size Benny and Rafi emphasize they want to remain connected with their fans and the digital world.

They end every Wednesday all-hands meeting with two traditions.

The first, reading a round-up of notes from the office’s “good shit” box, where employees can submit compliments about each other. For example, one employee wrote a note praising another for “slaying” in a recent video shoot.

Then, the Fine brothers read a fan letter. On this particular day, Benny chose one that was written out on a typewriter.

Benny read an excerpt aloud:

“I’ve been struggling with depression, but your shows mean so much to me. They introduced me to a whole world of pop culture.”

The entire room applauded.

Read more: http://mashable.com/

[friend-clarity]

Tommy Robinson Drew Attention to ‘Grooming Gangs.’ Britain Has Persecuted Him.

“Asian grooming gangs” (euphemistic because no Chinese or Koreans are involved and what is happening is not grooming but mass rape). Every month brings news of another town in which gangs of men (almost always of Pakistani origin) have been found to have raped young, often underage, white girls. The facts of this reality — which, it cannot be denied, sounds like something from the fantasies of the most lurid racist — have now been confirmed multiple times by judges during sentencing and also by the most mainstream investigative journalists in the country.

In May of last year an Italian television crew reporting on migrants in Rome had been attacked by some migrants near a local train station. The female presenter was assaulted, and the whole thing became big news in Italy. But in the normal modern European fashion, after much tut-tutting everybody went back to the safe semantic discussions we like to have. Such as whether or not the term “no-go zone” is exactly appropriate to describe an area where a female journalist cannot go without being physically assaulted. So round and round we go.

Robinson took another view and turned up a while later at the same spot with his own camera crew to find that nothing had changed. The area was still dominated by migrants, and a number swiftly demanded that he leave ...

Douglas Murray, May 31, 2018 

The latest controversy is maddening for many reasons.

Tommy Robinson is a British political activist and “citizen journalist” who came to prominence in Britain almost a decade ago when he founded the English Defence League. The EDL was a street-protest movement in Britain whose aims could probably best be summarized as “anti-Islamization.” It emerged in the town of Luton after a group of local Islamists barracked the homecoming parade of a local regiment returning from service in Afghanistan.

From their earliest protests the EDL’s members sought to highlight issues including sharia law, Islam’s attitudes toward minorities, and the phenomenon that would become euphemistically known as “grooming gangs.” In reality these protests often descended into hooliganism and low-level violence (naturally helped along by self-described “anti-fascists”). The authorities did everything they could to stop the EDL, and the media did everything possible to demonize them. In a foretaste of things to come, very few people made any effort to understand them. And nobody paid any price for (indeed many people benefited from) claiming that the EDL was simply a fascist organization and that anybody who even tried to understand them must be a fascist too. The usual prohibition against sweeping generalizations doesn’t seem to apply if the generalization tilts in that direction.

I interviewed Tommy Robinson five years ago, after he had left the EDL (having by his own admission failed to keep extremists including actual neo-Nazis away from the movement). As he said then, one of the problems of everyone insisting that a particular movement is campaigning for the Fourth Reich is that the few people who think that sounds like a great idea will show up. Whatever his other faults, there is no evidence that Robinson thinks that way. Indeed he was once charged with assault for head-butting a Nazi sympathizer who wouldn’t leave an EDL protest. Not many people bothered with those details. The assault got reported, but not the cause. So the fact that Robinson had head-butted a Nazi became yet more evidence that he himself must be some kind of Nazi.

Anyhow — Robinson wised up slightly, and eventually began to plow his energies into a type of citizen journalism/activism. Some of this has been remarkably brave, some of it remarkably wrong (such as a video he made after last year’s Manchester Arena attack, in which he seemed to furiously suggest that everyone living around a particular mosque in the area must be some type of enemy combatant), and some remarkably ill-advised — not least because it has allowed him to be presented in the worst possible light.

For example, a couple of months ago Robinson went to Italy. In May of last year an Italian television crew reporting on migrants in Rome had been attacked by some migrants near a local train station. The female presenter was assaulted, and the whole thing became big news in Italy. But in the normal modern European fashion, after much tut-tutting everybody went back to the safe semantic discussions we like to have. Such as whether or not the term “no-go zone” is exactly appropriate to describe an area where a female journalist cannot go without being physically assaulted. So round and round we go.

Robinson took another view and turned up a while later at the same spot with his own camera crew to find that nothing had changed. The area was still dominated by migrants, and a number swiftly demanded that he leave. One of them then got into a tense stand-off with Robinson, and at one point, as Robinson turned his back on him, this man raised his hands over Robinson and said something like “I can kill you.” At which point Robinson promptly turned around and punched the man in the face. As so often it was a gift to his critics. This episode was reported in the Daily Mail Online under the headline “Far-right thug Tommy Robinson punches a migrant in Rome while filming in an apparent ‘no-go zone.’” The decision over where to put the scare quotes in that headline (and where not to) tells its own story about modern European mores.

The controversy around him continued. In March, Robinson was suspended from Twitter, where he had almost half a million followers. The social-media site (which merrily allows terrorist groups like Lashkar e-Taiba to keep accounts) decided that Robinson should be suspended for tweeting out a statistic about Muslim rape gangs that itself originated from the Muslim-run Quilliam foundation. And it is on this matter that the latest episode in the Robinson drama started — and has now drawn worldwide attention.

Ten years ago, when the EDL was founded, the U.K. was even less willing than it is now to confront the issue of what are euphemistically described as “Asian grooming gangs” (euphemistic because no Chinese or Koreans are involved and what is happening is not grooming but mass rape). At the time, only a couple of such cases had been recognized. Ten years on, every month brings news of another town in which gangs of men (almost always of Pakistani origin) have been found to have raped young, often underage, white girls. The facts of this reality — which, it cannot be denied, sounds like something from the fantasies of the most lurid racist — have now been confirmed multiple times by judges during sentencing and also by the most mainstream investigative journalists in the country.

But the whole subject is so ugly and uncomfortable that very few people care to linger over it. Robinson is an exception. For him — as he said in a 2011 interview with the BBC’s Jeremy Paxman — the “grooming gangs” issue isn’t something that afflicts some far-off towns but people in the working-class communities that he knows. And while there are journalists (notably the Times’ Andrew Norfolk) who have spent considerable time and energy bringing this appalling phenomenon to light, most of British society has turned away in a combination of embarrassment, disgust, and uncertainty about how to even talk about this. Anyone who thinks Britain is much further along with dealing with the taboo of “grooming gangs” should remember that only last year the Labour MP for Rotherham, Sarah Champion, had to leave the shadow cabinet because she accurately identified the phenomenon.

Which brings me to last Friday. That was when Robinson was filming outside Leeds Crown Court, where the latest grooming-gang case was going on. I have to be slightly careful here, because although National Review is based in the U.S., I am not, and there are reporting restrictions on the ongoing case. Anyhow, Robinson was outside the court and appeared (from the full livestream) to be filming the accused and accosting them with questions on their way in. He also appeared to exercise some caution, trying to ensure he was not on court property.

It isn’t the worst thing in the world (it isn’t child rape, for instance), but it is an offense to which Robinson understandably pleaded guilty.

But clearly he did not exercise enough caution, a strange fact given that last year Robinson had been found guilty of “contempt of court” for filming outside another rape-gang trial, one involving four Muslim men at Canterbury Crown Court. On that occasion Robinson was given a three-month prison sentence, which was suspended for a period of 18 months. Which meant he would be free so long as he did not repeat the offense.

Although Robinson appeared to be careful at Leeds Crown Court last Friday, to dance along the line of exactly what he could or could not livestream outside an ongoing trial with a suspended sentence hanging over his head was extraordinarily unwise. What happened next went around the world: The police turned up in a van and swiftly arrested Robinson for “breach of the peace.” Within hours Robinson had been put before one Judge Geoffrey Marson, who in under five minutes tried, convicted, and sentenced Robinson to 13 months. He was immediately taken to prison.

From that moment it was not just Robinson but the U.K. that entered a minefield of legal problems. In addition to the usual reporting restrictions on the ongoing trial, a reporting ban was put on any mention of Robinson’s arrest, swift trial, and conviction, meaning that for days people in the blogosphere and the international media got free rein to claim that Tommy Robinson had been arrested for no reason, that his arrest was a demonstration of a totalitarian state cracking down on free speech, and even (and this one is remarkably clueless as well as careless) that the recent appointment to the position of home secretary of Sajid Javid — who was born to Muslim parents — is the direct cause of Robinson’s recent arrest.

The facts are both more prosaic and depressing. Robinson would not now be in jail if he had not once again accosted defendants in an ongoing trial outside the courthouse. He had been told by a judge last May not to do this and yet he did this again. It isn’t the worst thing in the world (it isn’t child rape, for instance), but it is an offense to which Robinson understandably pleaded guilty. More important, the trial that was coming to a close last Friday is just one part of a trial involving multiple other defendants. It is certainly possible that Robinson’s breaking of reporting restrictions at the Leeds trial could have prejudiced those trials. To have caused the collapse of such a trial would have been more than a blunder; it would have been an additional blow to victims who deserve justice.

Some supporters of Robinson have been pointing out that there have been reporters outside the trials of celebrities accused of child abuse (Rolf Harris, for instance). But the comparison isn’t exact. It is exceptionally difficult to put reporting restrictions on the trial of a household name, and difficult to select jurors with no views on the defendants. The fact that this legal complexity exists in some cases does not mean that an additional layer of difficulty ought to be overlaid on the already-difficult-enough attempts to bring to justice gangs of otherwise unknown men. In any case, accosting a celebrity on their way into court would also be an offense.

The whole affair is in many ways maddening. Maddening that Robinson stepped over a line that had been very clearly drawn for him. Maddening that he gave the police and courts a legitimate reason to arrest him. And maddening because, as he must have known (and as I have said a number of times over the years, including during a speech at the Danish Parliament three years ago), it is by now abundantly clear that every arm of the British state has been out to get Tommy Robinson from the moment he emerged on the scene in Luton a decade ago.

The problem — as I said in 2015 — is that any challenge Robinson presents is all a secondary issue. The primary issue is that for years the British state allowed gangs of men to rape thousands of young girls across Britain. For years the police, politicians, Crown Prosecution Service, and every other arm of the state ostensibly dedicated to protecting these girls failed them. As a number of government inquires have concluded, they turned their face away from these girls because they were terrified of the accusations of racism that would come their way if they did address them. They decided it wasn’t worth the aggravation.

By contrast, Tommy Robinson thought it was worth the aggravation, even if that meant having his whole life turned upside down. Some years ago, after crawling over all of his personal affairs and the affairs of all his immediate family, the police found an irregularity on a mortgage application, prosecuted Robinson, convicted him, and sent him to prison on that charge. In prison he was assaulted and almost killed by Muslim inmates.

Tommy Robinson will be in prison for another year. And all those people happy with the status quo will breathe a sigh of relief.

What can be said with absolute certainty is that Tommy Robinson has been treated with greater suspicion and a greater presumption of guilt by the United Kingdom than any Islamic extremist or mass rapist ever has been. That should be — yet is not — a national scandal. If even one mullah or sheikh had been treated with the presumption of guilt that Robinson has received, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the rest of them would be all over the U.K. authorities. But different standards apply to Robinson.

And on it goes. On Sunday there was a protest in London in support of him. The legal blogger “The Secret Barrister” might have spoken for a whole nose-holding class when he dismissed this protest as “a Nazi-themed march.” Look at the video he links to and you will see a lot of people with their arms in the air chanting “Oh Tommy Robinson.” If our eminent legal correspondent thinks this is Nazi-themed, he can never have been to a football match or, come to that, a Jeremy Corbyn rally.

So it will continue. Tommy Robinson will be in prison for another year. And all those people happy with the status quo will breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness that troublemaker has gone away.” Yet their real problem has not gone away. There is no chance of their real problem going away. Because they have no plan for making it go away.

They have a vague hope, of course, which is that at some point soon in the coming generations this will all simmer down and the incoming communities will develop similar views about the status of women as the rest of society. And perhaps we will get there someday. But it is telling that the apparently tolerable roadkill en route includes one young man from Luton — and thousands of raped girls.

[perspectiveofsham]

My Media Audience: The Third Post

Television is one of the most important and commonly used form of technology, the lecture touched upon how the development of new media technologies has altered the way we use specific devices at home. The professor also questions the class asking how could researchers collect insight on how audiences consume media in private settings versus how audiences consume media in theatres which made me realize that with the concept of livestreaming, that is readily available for everyone to access at home, many people would not have the need to leave their homes and view something in person, which make it harder for researchers to develop a clear insight. By hearing this statement from the professor it immediately reminded me of my personal audience experience that I have quite frequently, where I would livestream soccer games, since it is not practical for me to witness them in person in a stadium where they usual take place. My preference of streaming soccer games online connects to the required reading that was given in week 8, which was “The influences of Sports Viewing Conditions on Enjoyment from Watching Televised Sports: An Analysis of the FIFA World Cup Audiences in Theater vs. Home” by Kihan Kim, Yunjae Cheong, and Hyuksoo Kim. Personally when reading this article, I did not agree nor understood how watching the World Cup in a theatre is preferred more than viewing the games at the comfort of your own home. The reason why I couldn’t get myself to agree with the given statement in the article is because I have a very biased opinion, since I would only watch World Cup games or any soccer game at home with or without family and friends. The study used the most recent FIFA World Cup which was in 2014, where I would watch every game especially when the Brazilian National Team plays at home, since I was able to enjoy my time watching the game in my living room or at my friend’s house. As I gave the article a read, I started to think why I didn’t like going out to sports bars or a crowded theatre to watch games since they do hold an amazing atmosphere, and it was mainly because whenever I would watch a soccer game at home I like to view tweets and see what people would have to say about the game and the players playing on the pitch and also since I personally do not like to be surrounded around a significant amount of people especially when there is a crazy event happening. Since there is no academic research to this date that compares a person’s audience experience of watching games in theaters vs in a home, the article outlines some researched differences when it comes to watching sports at home than the theatre which are based off screen size, image quality, audio quality, viewing condition, cheering atmosphere where I experienced all of these at home. When it came to screen size during the 2014 world cup, it did not bother me at all since I was still living with my parents at the time and they had a 60inch TV which was too my advantage and I was able to watch the game in a fairly big screen at my own home. Although having a big screen was very versatile, when it comes to watching soccer games almost always I would have to livestream the game off my computer which sometimes alters the image quality compared to a live broadcast that you would have to pay for from Bell or Rogers for instance. Since having to livestreaming a game is one of my main methods on watching a game at home, I often run into challenges in having finding links where the commentators (audio) would speak in English or the quality of the audio will be inaudible. Apart from the challenges of livestreaming a game, when it comes to the atmosphere I never not had a good time especially if I am surrounded by people I know, since there are several of different emotions in the room of how the game will turn out. One of my best memories during the 2014 World Cup was when I watched the WC final game, Argentina vs Germany where the atmosphere that surrounded me and my friends was very intense, since our group of 6 split into 2 having one side supporting Germany and the other supporting Argentina. From what I could remember we were all yelling at the TV and at our one friend who kept telling us that it was “just a game” since one of the goals Argentina made became off-side (meaning it is not considered to be a goal) and at the very last minute Germany scored a goal having them win and gain the title, which many of us were upset about since we did not like the German team. Although the atmosphere was very intense there was a moment during half time where I went on twitter to see what people had to say about the game and how the only goal that happened became off-side, but as that was happening we all looked at the TV and noticed someone running onto the pitch and realized it was the YouTube Prankster that goes by VitalyzdTV which changed the atmosphere of all of us being intense to us all sharing a laugh. As mentioned above I would use twitter to know how other users view the same game that I would be watching and see how we all interact from viewing one specific event, which was the world cup, but it did not make me realize that twitter has its own uniqueness for audience interaction until it was discussed in lecture on November 16th. Based on the article, “Framing News in 140 Characters: How Social Media Editors Frame the News and interact with audiences via Twitter” by Ben S. Wasike, that was assigned for the week lecture Wasike stated that twitter is used best to report activities and create interaction within the social network site. The article also identifies Twitter as a news breaking tool where it as the capability to deliver up-to-date breaking news faster than televised news stations. As an audience I recently experienced how many people (users) who use Twitter came to know about the Libya slave trade situation, where many people, including myself, were exposed to videos and pictures of the underground slave trade and not know this existed until it was brought upon on twitter, where users will use the hashtag #Libya to raise awareness about the matter in hopes of government action to stop this slave trade that is happening. The situation that is currently circling in Libya was later broadcasted on TV stations but was first known on twitter since the social media platform is many peoples go to source on getting information on what is currently happening around the world whether good or bad. Although news channels like CP24 and City TV still exist for people, I personally cannot use televised new channels to get my information but rely on twitter and other social networks sites instead, since I am currently in school and live away from my parents, having no access to cable television with news channels to know what is currently going on around the world. Apart from the weekly articles the textbook states, “networked media forms such as YouTube, Facebook, and the online role playing game World of Warcraft are creating new opportunities for audiences to contribute their own creative ideas” reading more into the textbook Sullivan mentions how YouTube is a site for participatory culture where the audience is given power to make whatever content that is put out by users to be considered viral and be viewed by millions. Everyone who has accounts to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram all participated in the culture of sharing content or giving importance to certain content. One out many events that I participated in and being an active audience, that involves YouTube content creators, was keeping my self-updated on creator Jake Paul who is a 20-year-old American actor and YouTube personality who gained fame from an iPhone and android application, Vine. A couple months’ back Jake had received over 100 million views on a rap song he came out with that included many of his friends singing and rapping that blew up significantly on YouTube and went virial on many social media platforms, where people like myself did not like Jake Paul but still watched the video for the sake of knowing what everyone was talking about apart from that video Jake Paul gained even more media attention from audiences like me to be invested in the drama he was a part of, for instance accusing his ex-girlfriends current boyfriend of assault towards his assistant, dissing his brothers fandom and going against his own brother, creating “disstracks” on other YouTubers who are not a fond of him, and bullying his Spanish roommates on a daily basis. With all this going on in the YouTube Community myself and many other users played a huge part in entertaining these dramas towards / coming from Jake Paul by being an active audience. Other than YouTube, I took part in being an audience when social media personal Danielle Bregoli went viral on twitter off a video that was posted of her on the Dr. Phil show disrespecting the people around her including her mother and saying her famous catch phrase that is now considered a meme “Cash me outside”. Not only did I take part in witnessing and sharing her uproar on social media, I took part in many others like Rebeca Black’s music video, the Gangnam Style music video, and another recent one of the Man’s not Hot music video from Big Shaq. Whenever I would watch these videos my intentions are not to help these people grow, apart from ones who truly deserve recognition for doing good, and gaining media recognition for doing unpleasant/ unmannerly but to see why these videos are being hyped by other audience members which unintentionally make viewers give acknowledgement to such videos, which is something people cannot avoid when being a part of participatory culture.

[njawaidofficial]

YouTube Grows Up: Inside the Plan to Take on Netflix and Hulu

http://styleveryday.com/2017/10/09/youtube-grows-up-inside-the-plan-to-take-on-netflix-and-hulu/

YouTube Grows Up: Inside the Plan to Take on Netflix and Hulu

With a veteran television exec, talent like Demi Lovato and Google’s $86 billion in cash, the platform known for skateboarding videos and tween vloggers wants to join the battle to become a prestige TV player. “I want our shows to resonate in a big way with audiences,” says content head Susanne Daniels. “And once that happens, we’ll be on that list — like it or not.”

Days before Morgan Spurlock debuted his anticipated Super Size Me sequel at the Toronto Film Festival, the documentary already was drawing buyer interest. Netflix made a play for Spurlock’s poultry industry exposé, per sources. Hulu and CNN also were said to be in the mix, but a surprising distributor quickly rose to the top: YouTube. The lights had just dimmed on Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken‘s Sept. 8 world premiere when THR reported that the streamer would pay $3.5 million for the documentary, committing to a theatrical release and a hefty marketing spend. “YouTube made the most sense for what I wanted to accomplish with this film,” says Spurlock, who is said to have left millions on the table to work with the Google-owned video hub and its 1.5 billion monthly viewers. “You don’t make movies to sit on a shelf and collect dust. You want them to actually be enjoyed by as many people as you can. And their plan is to make this a noisy partnership.”

Indeed, when Super Size Me 2 debuts on YouTube Red, the company’s $10-a-month streaming service, in 2018 after a run in theaters (a distribution partner hasn’t been chosen yet), it will front a small but growing slate of films — among them a documentary from rapper Warren G and a special starring Katy Perry — that YouTube global head of original content Susanne Daniels is hoping will help turn the world’s biggest repository for web video into an arbiter of taste and culture, a player in both the Oscar and Emmy races. “I want the movies that we’re buying to be buzzy and have something provocative to say,” says Daniels, a career television executive who joined YouTube in 2015 to lead its original content push. “It’s easier to support films the right way when they have a really loud and strong point of view.”

That YouTube execs were trolling Toronto for the next big indie hit says a lot about the rise of streaming video services over the past few years. An arms race among cash-rich new players — led by Netflix and Amazon and now including Hulu, Apple, Facebook and, yes, YouTube — has electrified the content business as legacy distribution models continue to fracture (see the 25-year low in box-office attendance this summer). The shift is redrawing the hierarchy of the television industry, where all five broadcast networks saw a decline in total viewers last season while the streamers committed about $20 billion to programming delivered without a cable subscription. This summer, Apple poached Sony TV’s top execs Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht to help it spend $1 billion making the kinds of shows (The Crown, Breaking Bad) that they once sold to networks. Netflix snapped up uber-producer Shonda Rhimes from ABC with an estimated $100 million deal. And Facebook announced its new video destination along with deals with dozens of production and publishing companies.

If there’s one thing that Netflix’s House of Cards, Amazon’s Transparent and Hulu’s drama series Emmy winner The Handmaid’s Tale have shown, it’s that it only takes one big hit to earn Hollywood’s respect and, in many cases, a subscriber’s credit card information. “If you can offer talent the same level of fame and exposure and pay them the same — if not more — than they get elsewhere, you can get access to anybody,” says BTIG media analyst Richard Greenfield. “There are no barriers anymore.”

Perhaps, but for every Netflix or Hulu, there is an Xbox Entertainment Studios or a Yahoo Screen or an Intel Media, all of which were scrapped after pricey launches. Even YouTube has been here before with its short-lived initiative to offer as much as $5 million up front to everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Jay Z to create their own “channels.” But the latest investments have the Hollywood talent community salivating. “The commitment of resources seems to indicate that this is a long-term game,” says Joe Cohen, co-head of CAA’s TV department. “It’s the most exciting time we’ve been in because of how much opportunity there is.”

There’s certainly not room for half-hearted programming plays in 2017. With nearly 500 scripted series expected this year, breaking through all that clutter isn’t easy. A common refrain as these new buyers take meetings is that each is looking for its Game of Thrones — an all-audience, brand-defining megahit. What that means for each platform is starting to come into focus. While Apple has been on the hunt for a big-budget drama from the likes of A-list creators Ryan Murphy or Vince Gilligan, Facebook is taking a more measured approach — saving Nicole Byers’ MTV comedy *Loosely Exactly Nicole from cancellation and ordering low-budget series from such longtime partners as BuzzFeed and Refinery29.

Where does all this leave YouTube, the site that launched the streaming age in 2005 with user-generated cat videos but now wants to be taken seriously as a prestige subscription destination? During a recent visit with THR at Google’s Mountain View campus in Northern California, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki laid out her multipronged offensive: a slate of ad-supported unscripted originals from such names as Demi Lovato (see sidebar), Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres, coupled with a scripted push for YouTube Red that combines existing IP (including Step Up: High Water, an offshoot of the dance movie franchise, and The Karate Kid spinoff Cobra Kai) with projects fronted by its homegrown digital stars. Among the shows in the works are a musical comedy with Rudy Mancuso (3 million YouTube subscribers) executive produced by Avengers: Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo, an Anna Akana (1.9 million) drama executive produced by Mark Gordon and a Liza Koshy (11.7 million) vehicle. It even launched its own version of a skinny bundle, YouTube TV, offering access to channels including FX and ESPN over the internet for $35 a month. “Television is changing a lot, and there are opportunities to reinvent parts of it,” says Wojcicki. “We’re going to continue to invest more in it.”

YouTube and Hollywood haven’t always been so chummy, of course. As the original digital video disrupter, the site was a pariah during its early years when uploaded clips made up the bulk of its database. Viacom sued for $1 billion over copyright infringement of footage from The Daily Show and South Park (it was settled in 2014), and the company still regularly wars with the music industry over royalties. So three years ago, when chief business officer (and Netflix alum) Robert Kyncl began to plot the launch of a service that would give users the best of YouTube without the advertising, he knew how important it would be to get Hollywood on board. “YouTube Red was something the creative industry always wanted us to do,” says Kyncl. “I’d been on the receiving end of those calls pretty much every week.”

Enter Daniels, who had spent years tapping into the minds of teens at WB Network and later MTV. Early YouTube Red offerings starring the platform’s biggest stars (think a reality series with PewDiePie) drew eyeballs but not much notoriety. Now that strategy has changed. This summer, YouTube Red went head-to-head with Netflix, Hulu, AMC and Amazon to land Sony TV’s Karate Kid reboot, set 30 years after the coming-of-age classic, with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles. Most involved expected the half-hour Cobra Kai — from Harold & Kumar duo Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg and Hot Tub Time Machine writer Josh Heald — to land at Netflix. But Daniels’ aggressive 10-episode straight-to-series offer sealed the deal. Why? “Netflix is breaking a show every other week,” says Macchio. “With the passion that YouTube and Susanne Daniels have, this show is not going to get lost. They want it to be that first big show that puts them on the original content map.”

YouTube isn’t really part of the prestige TV conversation yet, and Kyncl declines to disclose how much the company is willing to spend on its originals business. But sources indicate it’s more likely in the hundreds of millions annually, nowhere near the $6 billion that Netflix pledges. (EMarketer estimates that YouTube ad revenue, which Google doesn’t break out in its earnings reports, will be about $3.5 billion this year, and Google had $86 billion in cash on hand in 2016.) While YouTube is willing to spend like any cable outlet (around $2 million an episode for dramas), say people familiar with its deals, it’s not quite ready to stretch beyond the $5 million an episode of some premium dramas, except for a handful of marquee projects.

YouTube also is said to have beat out others to land the Mancuso project, which has Pitch Perfect‘s Jason Moore attached to direct the pilot. But for other pickups, Daniels and her 30-person staff in the company’s Playa Vista office have had to get more creative. She landed the series reboot of Step Up after running into Lionsgate’s Erik Feig at a New Year’s Eve party. “Whatever was in the champagne that night, the call came in Monday, and it was like, ‘Let’s figure out how to do this,’ ” recalls Lionsgate Television chairman Kevin Beggs. Meanwhile, she piloted the Doug Liman-produced Impulse, based on a novel in Steven Gould’s Jumper series, before ordering it to series. “It’s my preference always to do a pilot,” says Daniels. “But in this crazy, competitive environment — more competitive than I’ve ever seen it before, ever — I don’t always have a choice.”

That competition will only become fiercer as Apple, Facebook and perhaps someday soon Snapchat or Twitter or Instagram get into the premium video game. While a meeting with Netflix, Amazon or Apple may be a creator’s goal among the streamers, persuading a top writer or producer to make the trek to Playa Vista — YouTube’s Hollywood outpost — isn’t as easy. But Daniels hopes that’s changing as she starts to make more high-profile pickups. Agents say the streamer’s hybrid approach of working with both YouTube celebrities and more traditional TV talents has led to some confusion over what the outlet is looking for. However, developing a “brand” of shows is a notion that Daniels pooh-poohs: “Short of choosing a really specific lane to play in, how do you really define ‘brand’? How is Amazon’s brand different than Netflix’s brand different than HBO’s brand different than Showtime’s brand?” She does acknowledge that she is focusing on the 18-to-34 demographic with youthful but edgy fare. On her wish list is a family show with religious overtones (she recently met with Touched by an Angel scribe Martha Williamson), and sources say she also is looking for a broad, multicamera comedy, a female ensemble in the vein of Girls and an action drama that would appeal to YouTube’s large gaming community — in other words, something for each of YouTube’s core demos.

While nearly all of the streamers are competing for awards recognition and prestige, only Facebook, with its 2 billion monthly users worldwide, and YouTube truly can duke it out over sheer audience scale. For now, YouTube has a clear head start on video, with more than 1 billion hours watched daily throughout the world. But through Watch (which currently is only available in the U.S.), Facebook is gunning for a larger slice of the $11.7 billion in ad dollars expected to flow into the digital video business this year.

Already, the two have gone head-to-head on programming. Facebook also considered working with Katy Perry on her 96-hour live stream, but YouTube ultimately landed the ambitious project, which drew more than 50 million views in 190 countries. (Per sources, MTV also bid, but the show would have aired only in the U.S.) “I’m so glad we swung for the fences on that and tried it,” says Daniels. “We need to be thinking about community and interactivity and live and international and all the things that we are that a TV network isn’t.” Witness was the first in a small slate of unscripted originals that YouTube has developed separately from its Red programming and will release outside the paywall in the hope of attracting blue-chip advertisers. “One of the things that I grew uncomfortable with was the fact that we were not creating original content for our biggest partners,” says Kyncl, noting that he’s hoping to tap into the demand that has been created by the nearly 20 percentage point drop in ad-supported originals in the traditional TV business over the past five years as subscription streaming services have flourished.

Plus, there’s the assurance that an ad on a Kevin Hart or Ryan Seacrest show won’t run alongside anti-Semitic, violent or other controversial videos often found on YouTube (and that prompted an advertiser revolt dubbed the “ad-pocalypse” earlier this year). So far, L.L. Bean and STX Entertainment have signed on for DeGeneres’ behind-the-scenes series Show Me More Show. The rate card for the series, which has averaged around 500,000 views per video since its Sept. 19 launch, is said to range from $500,000 to $1.5 million, though other shows have packages that are more expensive. Ulta Beauty is on board for Lovato’s Simply Complicated (Oct. 17), and Johnson & Johnson is the exclusive sponsor of the Seacrest-produced singing competition Best.Cover.Ever.

Talent, meanwhile, has been lured by the potential to reach fans no matter what country they live in. “YouTube is the O.G. of video content on the internet,” says Lovato, the 25-year-old pop star (for those over 40, she’s referring to the “original gangster”). “When they came to me with the idea, I just couldn’t say no.”

But as YouTube sets its sights on higher-profile projects, it risks alienating the community of digital talent who came to fame on its platform (and subsequently helped raise production values and CPMs), especially because projects like the Logan Paul-fronted sci-fi film The Thinning and Joey Graceffa’s reality series Escape the Night are said to be some of the most popular on Red.

Creators are watching YouTube’s moves closely. “It makes sense for them to do both,” says Rhett McLaughlin, one half of hosting duo Rhett & Link, who have both a YouTube Red series (Buddy System) and an ad-supported show (Good Mythical Morning). “This is ultimately a battle for people’s eyeballs.”

Facebook already is exploiting the tension, offering upfront deals to digital influencers to post their videos on Watch, though the social network says it eventually wants to stop funding content altogether in favor of a revenue-share arrangement (the split is the same as YouTube’s, with 55 percent of ad revenue going to the creator). YouTube execs, however, say they won’t abandon the site’s homegrown stars. “We focus on both YouTube native talent and Hollywood talent,” says Kyncl.

Of course, there are quirks to working with a technology company. At YouTube, the main challenge is its uniquely annoying platform architecture, in which each original series must live on a designated YouTube channel. For Step Up, for instance, YouTube is creating a whole new channel, which it will fill out by licensing the original films and offering collections of dance videos. “Some of these things are really new to us and require a whole different approach,” says Lionsgate’s Beggs. “A lot of people who are not normally in the same room together have met multiple times over at YouTube to compare notes.”

One benefit of having all those engineers working behind the scenes, though, can be the troves of data about the intimate viewing habits of billions of people. Daniels came to the Cobra Kai pitch armed with the knowledge that Karate Kid videos had yielded more than a billion views on YouTube. And platforms that rely on advertising typically aren’t as precious about data as Netflix or Amazon. Although YouTube doesn’t release subscriber figures or ratings for Red (the only number that executives have shared is that its first 37 originals have been viewed 250 million times — or an average of about 6.7 million views per show), creators with channels on Red receive monthly reports detailing how long people have watched their videos (important since YouTube shares subscription revenue with its creator partners) and other performance metrics.

In the subscription space, no one seems poised to catch Netflix, which has a five-year head start and series slate that included 43 scripted originals in 2016. But as Netflix and others look to own more of their shows, YouTube (and Apple) could get a boost. “Netflix wasn’t even in the original programming game four years ago,” says BTIG’s Greenfield. “If Apple wants to be a major player, if Google wants to be a major player, this is the beginning.”

Sitting in her Playa Vista office in August after her weekly production update meeting, Daniels contemplates just what it will take to turn YouTube into the kind of platform that gets mentioned in the same breath with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. “I want our shows to resonate in a big way with audiences,” she says with a gleam in her eye. “And once that happens, we’ll be on that list — like it or not.”

This story first appeared in the Oct. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

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LGBTQ Q=Queer News -> Tennessee Legislative Session Begins With Anti-LGBTQ Legislation

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LGBTQ Q=Queer News -> Tennessee Legislative Session Begins With Anti-LGBTQ Legislation LGBTQ Q=Queer News -> Tennessee Legislative Session Begins With Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Author of Russia's gay propaganda bill pushes decriminalizing domestic abuse…