Posting this here because it seems to be a popular opinion at least in YouTube comment sections, but every time I see a small YouTuber (who’s rising in fame) start taking sponsorships when they haven’t before, almost EVERY comment talks about how they’re “selling out” or a “recession indicator” just because they can’t stand sponsorships.
Now, I get that Sponsorships sections of videos can be boring to sit through , and I skip them occasionally, but I wouldn’t think the YouTuber is selling out or using the audience as a cash grab. YouTubers are humans too, and taking an opportunity to get money from making videos makes sense in my opinion.
(Yes, I know this happens to larger YouTubers too, such as ‘Lessons in Meme Culture’”
Let me know any thoughts, or if this is to take of an opinion.
shmedit:
I realize that there are multiple forms of sponsorships and whatnot, and yes, it fits the definition of selling out.
I’m just talking about the negative connotation.
Not all YouTubers are the same, some don’t care about their audience and it makes sense to hate on them, or even the lack of timestamps, but I still think that hate towards a person only for accepting a sponsorship is unwarranted.
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imo theres a fine line, some youtubers i feel like degrade into just making the most useless videos just to put some ads in for companies/products that absolutely suck and they collect their paycheck and move on to the next one. i respect the creators most that take sponsors from things they believe in and also dont let it affect the quality of their content
I think it depends who they’re sponsored by
I agree, don’t promote scumbag companies, and give me a bookmark/chapter on the video to skip the ad. win-win, love it.
If the sponsorship goes against something that the channel espoused, it’s selling out. Otherwise, no, it’s just selling their credibility for ads like everyone does.
I’d say a majority understand this and only manchildren don’t
Just use sponsorblock if it bothers you. It works amazingly well.
Well this is embarrassing….
Sir? No one cares.
The whole point of being a YouTuber is to gain sponsorship and become famous whilst also being devoid of talent. Selling out is the ultimate goal for a YouTuber. They couldn’t do anything else
Sponsorship is fine. When they become the amount of a cooperate sellout like odd1sout then I have a problem
No one could have said it better mate
That’s exactly what it is but it is not bad or wrong
I don’t think you know what “selling out” means.
If literally selling out isn’t your definition of selling out then what the fuck is?
Yep, I’ll never ever watch through a YouTube sponsorship section and I’ll never consider buying the product, but if it helps the YouTuber get money and either become or stay full time so they can make more videos for me to watch then that’s fine by me
Depends on the sponsorship.
When you know for a fact that your sponsor is dangerous and/or malicious and you still decide to work with them, you are, in fact, selling out.
When you promote a product that you don’t believe in, you’re still selling out, but that’s OK.
When you promote a product that your content has absolutely nothing in common with, you’re obviously selling out, but, again, that is OK.
—
Basically, I’ll only hold you accountable if you knowingly promote a dangerous product or a dangerous service. (Namely, if you promote B*tt*rH*lp, for example.) If you’re not causing harm – that is absolutely OK.
We found Guga’s account
Depends on the sponsorship.
Taking pay for work is “selling out” I guess
Sounds like you’re projecting
Depends on the sponsor.
Just finished watching a video and the guy was sponsored by a hair loss product…. Dude is BALD. That’s selling out.
I know other youtubers who refuse to take sponsorships for products they wouldnt otherwise use themselves. That’s just smart business.
I have turned down sponsorship offers from brands I believe in and even use daily because the idea of doing a pitch for them doesnt fit my brand and I feel like I would compromise the integrity of my content. I don’t mind making a little less in a month if it means maintaining my channel’s integrity. Compromising my image means losing loyal viewers and at best, in my case, it evens out monetarily.
Not automatically.
But it can be.
I agree unless the sponsor is related to gambling or a scam. At that point, you just don’t give a shit about your audience. The big exception is news channels. They should never accept sponsors. It may (usually does) keep them from talking about certain stories or spinning the story dishonestly because of the incentive structure
Selling out doesn’t really exist. We all exist in a capitalist economy. You offer a service that people want. The more people want your service, the more potential there is for wealth and success.
People who whine about artists, musicians, creators, for selling out, really just resent the exclusivity they attach to the material.
I’d redefine it as Selling Out is when said creators compromise their values and dilute their brand.
I think you’re absolutely fucking wrong. Sometimes, one of my favorite YouTube shows will be sponsored by competing companies that make the exact same products, and they will gleefully tell me that THIS company actually makes the best version of said product. It’s fucking irritating, because I can still remember last month, when they were calling a competitor the “best ever” iteration of it.
It’s fucking intellectually dishonest, and goddamn annoying.
wrong. its selling out. plain and simple. no one even buys anything they sponsor, either. im not sure why they do that. sponsorships are forced ads that cant be blocked.
people despise ads
and most youtubers talking about sponsors is just freaking insulting.
Yes you are right, and you are also wrong.
Context matters, sometimes they do ‘sell out’ other times they simply take on advertisers.
It is because of the way the contracts are.
The contracts are made in a way that you have to talk favourably about the product for them to pay you which sure I’ll be a bit nicer. But you can look at it happen time and time again the streamer/youtuber will say they love the game and never touch it again the moment stream ends because they enjoyed the money not the game.
For proof of this you can look up the video why is there no maple story. The guy literally filmed a whole video edited it sent it to them they said no you have to change this he said no I’m not changing my review because that’s what it was and they basically buried him. He isn’t allowed to post the review he made even if he doesn’t get paid because of the contracts. It’s awful
Seems reasonable to me for YouTubers to take sponsorships. YouTube doesn’t pay well on its own – you need to either be selling your own stuff via merch or Patreon or whatever, or shilling other people’s products. It’s not like people aren’t aware that YouTubers are being paid to promote a product, and hey, if them shilling for Nord VPN or whatever allows them to pay their team a good wage, and allows them to keep making the funny content I watch them for, I’m cool with them doing an ad read.
It exists on a spectrum. If the sponsorship is for something of actual quality, it isn’t necessarily selling out and shows that they respect their fans and audience. When they let trash and scams be a sponsor, they’re selling out. Tbh, a lot of YouTubers peddled Betterhelp, and that has got to be one of the most sinister sponsorships I’ve ever seen.
OP is a sell out.