Disney ditches Pewdiepie after anti-semitic stunt

[Jtbrig7390]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-semitic-stunt

Disney-owned Maker Studios has dropped YouTube star Pewdiepie over recent videos which contained Nazi jokes and anti-Semitic references.

In particular, Felix "Pewdiepie" Kjellberg received widespread criticism for a now-removed 11th January video where he paid two men to dance and then unfurl a sign which read "Death to all Jews".

Pewdiepie created the video to highlight Fiverr, a website where people can sell their services for $5. The video sees Pewdiepie choose the above phrase and then look visibly stunned when he indeed gets exactly what he paid for.

The video concluded with Pewdiepie apologising:

"So that's Fiverr. What an experience. Wow. I didn't expect that. I don't feel great about this. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say."

Maker Studios, which has partnered with Pewdiepie for years, decided the stunt was one too far.

"Although Felix has created a following by being provocative and irreverent, he clearly went too far in this case and the resulting videos are inappropriate," Maker Studios said in a statement to Wall Street Journal.

Maker Studios is a network of YouTube channels that works together to share promotion and advertising deals. Snapped up by Disney in 2014 for $675m, it signed Pewdiepie to last year launch Revelmode - his own sub-network of partner channels.

The video was created by Indian men who have since claimed they did not understand the message they were reading out. The pair were banned from Fiverr, although Pewdiepie successfully lobbied on their behalf for their account to be saved.

Wall Street Journal, which broke this story, published its article accompanied by a compilation of other references to Nazis in Pewdiepie's videos - such as him discovering player-made swastikas in his game Tuber Simulator, and a gag where he was unwittingly caught gazing at an Adolf Hitler speech on YouTube.

Edited together, the compilation paints a negative picture.

Pewdiepie has never shied away from controversy or deliberately-offensive humour, but has now pulled several of the videos shown in the compilation.

And while he has won a record-breaking 53m subscribers for his ability to shock and satirise, Pewdiepie has been criticised for not engaging his platform - and particularly his younger audience - in a wiser manner.

But for Pewdiepie, who sees his channel as entirely for entertainment, and who bases many of his skits on his viewers understanding the fact he doesn't believe what he's saying, the issue of who watches his videos has lately become a problem.

In particular, the 11th January video won Pewdiepie support from white supremiscists who see him as a messenger for racist views. This, perhaps, may be Disney's biggest worry - not that Pewdiepie doesn't align with its image but but that his words are now being taken literally and celebrated by alt-right sites such as The Daily Stormer.

The issue is only exacerbated by the current US political climate and the rise of extreme right-wing views in the mainstream. Any suggestion that Pewdiepie was aiding this, even unwittingly, would be a dangerous one for a family brand like Disney to stand behind.

In response, Pewdiepie has now published a statement to, in his words, make things clear. It's reproduced in full below:

"It came to my attention yesterday that some have been pointing to my videos and saying that I am giving credibility to the anti-Semitic movement, and my fans are part of it as well for watching. I don't want to cite the sources because I don't want to give them any more attention.
"This originated from a video I made a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to show how crazy the modern world is, specifically some of the services available online. I picked something that seemed absurd to me - that people on Fiverr would say anything for $5.
"I think it's important to say something and I want to make one thing clear: I am in no way supporting any kind of hateful attitudes.
"I make videos for my audience. I think of the content that I create as entertainment, and not a place for any serious political commentary. I know my audience understand that and that is why they come to my channel. Though this was not my intention, I understand that these jokes were ultimately offensive.
"As laughable as it is to believe that I might actually endorse these people, to anyone unsure on my standpoint regarding hate-based groups: No, I don't support these people in any way. Thanks for reading.

It's unclear how Pewdiepie will be financially affected by the loss of the Maker Studios partnership - for the millionaire star, it's unlikely to cause too much stress. What will be interesting, however, is whether these latest developments will mark any change in Pewdiepie's output.

Ummmmm no shit, he should have known what would happen.

Update

UPDATE 2.00pm: Seizing upon Disney's dismissal of Pewdiepie earlier today, YouTube has now taken its own steps to distance itself from its biggest star.

Pewdiepie's channel has been kicked out of Google Preferred, YouTube's major advertising program for selling popular “brand-safe content”, Variety reports. This follows a number of videos being delisted from the service for breaching its advertising rules.

The star's YouTube Red series Scare PewDiePie has also been cancelled. The show was renewed for a second season last June, although it's unclear whether any further work on the show had taken place.

[ParanoiD84]

And he will still be making millions upon millions with little effort.

Hes got something like over $7.4m annual earnings.

[Super Kami Dende]

The funny thing I found about this, was in the recommended section next to a Video I saw of this on Youtube was his Vlog of him and Ethan and Hila Klein hanging out.

[derpkitteh]

hitler jokes are pretty funny, but definitely not the kind of thing you do as such a large public persona.

i think my favorite thing is that tribal dude that always looks like he's got cocaine on his nose, and he says shit he's paid to.

[Sharkconas]

Makes sense since Disney wants to avoid looking anti Semitic .

[derpkitteh]

The funny thing I found about this, was in the recommended section next to a Video I saw of this on Youtube was his Vlog of him and Ethan and Hila Klein hanging out.

ethan and hila are legit jews, and ethan still makes holocaust jokes sometimes.

[Kalis]

Makes sense since Disney wants to avoid looking anti Semitic .

No wonder they rejected my idea for the film Snow White Supremacist and the Seven Untermensch.

[zenkai]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-semitic-stunt










Ummmmm no shit, he should have known what would happen.

The fact I know who this guy is pisses me off, I watched one video and I felt my IQ slipping the longer the video went on. Thanks internet for making stupid people famous.

[XangXu]

Why is Pewdiepie even popular at all? He makes weird annoying noises like a baby and plays video games in front of a webcam... Where is the talent exactly?

I am even surprised Disney considered him, or any youtuber, in the first place. We're talking about a kid who makes sex jokes, cusses a fuck ton, and plays violent video games... how is this Disney material?

Disney was an idiot for considering him on the first place

[ParanoiD84]

Why is Pewdiepie even popular at all? He makes weird annoying noises like a baby and plays video games in front of a webcam... Where is the talent exactly?

I am even surprised Disney considered him, or any youtuber, in the first place. We're talking about a kid who makes sex jokes, cusses a fuck ton, and plays violent video games... how is this Disney material?

Disney was an idiot for considering him on the first place

Well he is the biggest youtuber of them all, could be why but yeah he can be annoying as hell. I enjoy him playing horror games though but that's it.

[XangXu]

Well he is the biggest youtuber of them all, could be why but yeah he can be annoying as hell. I enjoy him playing horror games though but that's it.

Well it tells me that Dianey has lost touch. If they are going to youtube in order to find creative talent, then the company is pretty much dead.

Fuck this world. I hate it more every day.

[jstnw89]

Makes sense for Disney.. Never understood the allure of Pewdiepie but then again the popular shit on youtube is usually weird as fuck

[ParanoiD84]

Well it tells me that Dianey has lost touch. If they are going to youtube in order to find creative talent, then the company is pretty much dead.

Fuck this world. I hate it more every day.

There is others i much rather watch like theRadBrad for example even though hes pretty shitty lol but he is fun to watch.

[Wikko]

I'm not condoning this but why is it that you can basically joke about anything in the world, except when it comes to jewish people. Then it's a shitstorm.

[Hashtronaut]

Thanks internet for making stupid people famous.

Sadly this is not something new the internet has introduced...there's always been famous stupid people

[TwistedSkull]

Make sense that Disney don't want to asociate with that. But on the flipside i have heard multiple times that Maker is a horrible network so i guess both parties got something out of it.

[Fencers]

Fiverr sounds sorta awesome. Checked some of the services and i could actually use some at home and work. I will try this out.

Thanks, pewdiepie. Your antisemitic antics might solve some bussiness needs for me at highly affordable rates!

[Dontrike]

Why is Pewdiepie even popular at all? He makes weird annoying noises like a baby and plays video games in front of a webcam... Where is the talent exactly?

I am even surprised Disney considered him, or any youtuber, in the first place. We're talking about a kid who makes sex jokes, cusses a fuck ton, and plays violent video games... how is this Disney material?

Disney was an idiot for considering him on the first place

I've never understood how Youtube personalities that strictly play games got so popular. I know when I was a kid the worst part of playing games with others was NOT being able to play, so much so you got in arguments over which persons turn it is and when to pass the controller, and yet 20 years later millions of people are willing to just watch people play, rather than just buying the game and enjoying it.

It is slightly better when more people are involved with the playing, then you get to hear some conversations, but really that should be limited to watching an episode while you're on the toilet.

[Prawnapple]

Lol not exactly a Pewdiepie fan in particular, but fuck Disney!

[Kontinuum]

If they are going to youtube in order to find creative talent, then the company is pretty much dead.

Disney pretty much dead?