Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Volume 8 Article 4

2020

The 3 P's: Pewdiepie, Popularity, and Profitability

Lea Medina Pepperdine University, [email protected]

Eric Reed Pepperdine University, [email protected]

Cameron Davis Pepperdine University, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr

Part of the Communication Commons

Recommended Citation Medina, Lea; Reed, Eric; and Davis, Cameron (2020) "The 3 P's: Pewdiepie, Popularity, and Profitability," Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research: Vol. 8 , Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr/vol8/iss1/4

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Communication at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. 21

The 3 P’s: Pewdiepie, Popularity, & Popularity

Lea Medina

Written f or C OM 3 00: M edia R esearch ( Dr. Klive Oh)

Introduction Channel is an online prole created on the Felix Arvid Ul Kjellberg—more website YouTube where users can upload their aectionately referred to as Pewdiepie—is original video content to the site. e factors statistically the most successful YouTuber, o his channel that will be explored are his with a net worth o over $15 million and over relationships with the viewers, his personality, 100 million subscribers. With a channel that relationship with his wife, and behavioral has uploaded over 4,000 videos, it becomes patterns. natural to uestion how one person can gain Horton and Wohl’s Parasocial such popularity and prot just by sitting in Interaction eory states that interacting front o a camera. It seems that Pewdiepie’s with mediated gures, such as YouTube more controversial actions such as using personalities, can cause viewers to feel like oensive language have ultimately only added they have formed real relationships despite to his popularity; these moments o criticism that relationship being one-sided. Parasocial show that he is a character o resilience in an Interaction eory helps to answer the industry o ever-changing trends. While uestion o why Pewdiepie is so protable. gaming has been widely overlooked in the For starters, Pewdiepie has created an past, it became the “most popular and atmosphere in his online community in which protable form o entertainment” (D'Argenio, subscribers believe they are interacting with 2018). Content creators stand to gain him in a meaningful way. Subscribers can post nancially from brand deals, sponsored on his subreddit (an online hub to talk about videos, and other ways o promoting video shared interests) and hope Pewdiepie displays and mobile games. By 2021, the gaming their post in his newest video. Pewdiepie has industry is set to make 180.1 billion dollars been committed to posting once a day for (Dobrilova, 2019). Not only can Pewdiepie be over six years which ensures a constant seen as a character o resilience but the presence in his subscribers’ lives so as not to gaming industry, through which Pewdiepie be forgotten. Finding ways to connect with made a name for himself, can also be seen as a and support Pewdiepie has never been so easy. powerful force o resilience. By studying what From wearing his merchandise to buying his factors make Pewdiepie’s videos so popular sponsored gamer energy drink, there seems to and how he obtains money from that online be no limit to how Pewdiepie can inuence success, it will be easier to understand how his large subscriber base. content creators will prot on YouTube in the e uestion is both relevant and future and how others can mimic such signicant because YouTube is continuing to resilience. is research also helps to better grow and expand its user base. Within this understand the mind o a consumer and what modern context specically, YouTube has a they value in an online personality. reliable audience who watch their favorite Many terms need to be conceptualized channels regularly as i tuning in to a network within this research uestion. A YouTube show. YouTube stars are making so much o 22 their online content that the pursuit o a centric creation to its now YouTube career is becoming increasingly professionally-generated content selection. more common and desirable. In the United e content uploaded to YouTube in 60 days Kingdom and United States alone, being a is the same amount o content that would be YouTuber is about 3 times more likely to be broadcast over a span o 60 years (Figueiredo, chosen as a career amongst children than Benevenuto, & Almeida, 2011). e being an astronaut (Berger, 2019). Looking at astonishing rate o content available to the the Parasocial Interaction eory, it can be online world is oen overlooked because only seen how modern consumers turn to YouTube some content creators and videos are deemed to be entertained through the most mundane as popular. Online celebrities arise from the means. e shi in entertainment from creation o YouTube as these created professionally generated content (PGC) to personalities begin to post their videos at a user-generated content (UGC) is important constant rate. As YouTubers gain more views, to professional industries (entertainment, they increase in popularity. e most popular lm, advertising, etc.) as this reveals YouTuber, in terms o the number o views, is consumer behavior. e increasing use o Felix Arvid Ul Kjellberg otherwise known as YouTube signies an interest in varying forms Pewdiepie. Using the Parasocial Interaction o content. eory, Hegemonic Masculinity eory, In conclusion, this study will research Inclusive Masculinities eory, it becomes the factors that make Pewdiepie successful on possible to understand why he can gain such a the YouTube platform by analyzing the following as well as indicating what makes relationship between his popularity and him protable. Discovering why Pewdiepie’s protability. By studying these aspects o the videos are so popular is important as these are most popular YouTube channel, the goal is to personalities that greatly inuence large further understand what garners nancial populations. It is important for many success on YouTube so future users o the industries to better understand the platform and researchers can better predict relationship between content creator and what makes or breaks a new YouTube viewer. Looking to Parasocial Interaction personality. is research seeks to nd how eory, it is important to know what can social media personalities, specically make a subscriber so loyal to someone they YouTube stars, can become resilient gures o have never met. inuence over their viewers despite their Social Media is something that is shortcomings. By understanding this, our commonly used but it is dicult to dene. To study will gain insight into how content conceptualize such a medium, it is useful to creators, namely Youtubers, can create view social media as a “proto-industry” made relationships with their audience and, up o content creators who “engage in content through that, gain a prot. innovation” to a global community (Craig & Cunningham, 2017). is is an ever-growing Literature Review industry that allows for anyone to gain a YouTube is a social media platform following via the follow-button through that has transformed the world o new media. platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, It aects how viewers nd entertainment (i.e. Facebook, etc. e increase in the use o social “Vloing, gaming, style tutorials”) (Craig & media also brings an inux o social media Cunningham, 2017). YouTube, itself, has had a inuencers. ese are “organizational transformation since its user-generated advocates in the new medium o social media 23 for strategic communication” (Au, Pang, & created (Kim, 2012). A big part o viewing Sng, 2019). In this case, social media is the content on YouTube is being able to platform by which Pewdiepie can experience more o a realistic sense o communicate with his viewers. humanity unlike the high production world o Social media and its inuencers create studio television. Stuart Cunningham and a world in which a select number o David Craig, in their research, found that individuals can gain a position o power over there seem to be three types o content genres their followers. Dr. Mingyi Hou, a that viewers tend to enjoy from amateur communication researcher at Tilburg content creators: “vloing, gameplay, and University, notes that there is a dierence style tutorials” (2017). Pewdiepie is most between traditional celebrities and a social known for his gameplay videos which show media celebrity. is new version o celebrity him playing video games, an interesting found online can avoid jumping through choice seeing as he is not known for being many hoops to achieve a more temporary and very good at playing these games. Parasocial limited level o fame. Hou writes that since Interaction eory, as described by Donald social media inuencers are native to online Horton and Richard Wohl, is the theory that platforms, it is harder for them to break out helps explain why people can form “real” to other levels o fame beyond the internet relationships with distant mediating gures (Hou, 2018). Amongst the many platforms o (Rihl & Wegener, 2019). Because Pewdiepie is social media, there is one channel in not an exceptional gamer, his lack o skills particular that can innovatively produce come across as relatable and create a inuencers: YouTube. comfortable atmosphere that viewers respond YouTube is a platform that generally well to. ey can form a pseudo friendship allows anyone to upload videos online that with him. anyone in the world can view. It is also the Mingyi Hou looks to beauty and platform through which Pewdiepie has found lifestyle YouTuber, Zoe Su. Zoella, her internet fame and fortune. Dr. Jin Kim, o the YouTube persona, oen lets her audience College o Saint Rose, claims that YouTube know that she is not a “professional expert” as used to be a site for mainly amateur creators she gives her tutorials which creates a level o who used the platform as a way to express informality (2018). is informality and themselves through user-generated content persona o the “girl next door” allows viewers (UGC). However, it has now turned into a to see her as a friend, rather than just a platform for professionally-generated content stranger online (Hou, 2018). Parasocial (PGC) which is content created by Interaction eory says that these viewers will well-known large media corporations that is then have this sense o a real friendship with normally found on other channels. Kim Zoella as well as loyalty that they will take to describes how traditional media TV channels, the store with them. I Zoella is to vocalize such as ABC and NBC, found that using her opinion on any brand or product, her YouTube to broadcast their TV shows helped followers are likely to think the same way. In in ad revenue as well as the number o views this same way, Pewdiepie has the same eect (Kim, 2012). ough PGC creators have shown on his followers. Horton and Wohl, with their their large presence on YouTube, UGC is very theory, say that “viewers’ reactions to much thriving on the platform. Many viewers television broadcasts resemble those o people consider UGC to be a more authentic engaged in face-to-face interactions” (Rihl & experience than that which is professionally Wegener, 2019). e same can be said for 24 subscribers to YouTubers. In regards to masculinity that the majority o his viewers Pewdiepie, there are uite a few factors that can relate to. It has been found that the help build to the characterization o such a Parasocial relationship between the mediating YouTube giant. Kristy Beers Fägersten, an gure and the viewer strengthens the more associate professor at Södertörn University, similarities there seem to be between the two Sweden, claims that viewers can look at parties (Rihl & Wegener, 2019). ough Pewdiepie as a friend because he can disarm Pewdiepie may not make such explicit barriers o formality with his physical and misogynistic remarks as his gamer verbal language (2017). e greatest counterparts, he does play into masculine contributor to this approachability is his mannerisms. By repeatedly making sexual excessive use o cursing. Fägersten cites jokes that arm masculinity and even going cursing as an event that happens amongst as far as making homophobic remarks, friends in an informal setting (2017). Pewdiepie can “legitimize” the position o Pewdiepie’s use o explicit language (especially men at a place o power while making his use o English as a native Swedish speaker) homosexual men and women the point o allows his audience to see a friend in him. laughter. He can reconcile this with his Pewdiepie especially gained popularity viewers by bringing in his girlfriend and through his uploading o videos in the “Let’s fellow gamer, Marzia Bisognin, to his videos Play genre” in which he plays video games (Maloney, Roberts, & Caruso, 2018). By on-screen and provides a commentary having a female present, Pewdiepie sends a (Fägersten, 2017). is act o playing popular message that he is familiar and supportive o video games online in front o an audience females. His eminent presence can dwar her also strengthens the sense o friendship smaller, feminine gure when he makes amongst viewers. Fägersten looks further as hypersexual jokes as they engage in a Let’s she dissects certain videos within Pewdiepie’s Play game (Maloney, Roberts, & Caruso, Let’s Play genre. In one video, she cites the use 2018). is can oen be seen as him only o 73 curse words, averaging 5.2 swear words furthering his legitimization o the dominant per minute (Fägersten, 2017). It is these videos man while others see the importance o that launched him to his level o popularity having a female present to oer a more and it appears that the cursing was a large inclusive insight within Pewdiepie videos. factor in that outcome. Since Maloney et al.’s research was conducted Masculinity is another factor to look in 2018, Felix Kjellberg and Marzia Bisognin at to explain Pewdiepie’s popularity. e have gotten married so it is interesting to see majority o gamers are males and Pewdiepie i that new relationship status will aect how does well to strengthen this ineuality in viewers see him, his commitment to YouTube, gender ratios. Raewynn Connell describes his behavior, etc. Regardless, there is also Hegemonic Masculinities eory (HMT) as a another theory that must be discussed: “conguration o gender practice that Inclusive Masculinities eory (IMT). is ideologically legitimates...the dominant theory says that “boys and young men [o position o men and the subordination o Western Culture]” are beginning to care less women” (Maloney, Roberts, & Caruso, 2018). about whether they are seen as homosexual or As o 2015, male gamer viewers made up not. is focuses on the more inclusive and about 80% o the gendered landscape. aectionate behavioral patterns displayed by Pewdiepie’s level o masculine talk within his men. While Pewdiepie may display behaviors Let’s Play genre may strengthen the that legitimize masculinity, he may also use 25 this dierence between men and women to bad and good for Pewdiepie. Seeing as he is more eectively appear inclusive. Maloney, the top YouTuber, it is more likely that his Roberts, & Caruso note that this inclusive videos become recommendations for viewers behavior may be seen as “a form o ironic at a more constant rate. However, it also heterosexual recuperation”. ese researchers means that there is an internal algorithm that see Pewdiepie’s behavior as a way to more may choose to work against him for reasons subtly shi from a way o explicit such as his swearing that makes him less “marginalization” but rather to a more brand friendly. With the “Googlization” o inclusive route (2018). YouTube, this large media conglomerate seeks Understanding who Pewdiepie is, as a to “extract value” in an “eort to exploit YouTuber, helps to explain why his viewers digital audience labor” (Nixon, 2016). is relate to him, but it’s also important to means that Google can generate revenue from understand why YouTube videos, in general, YouTube through the use o advertising. become popular. YouTube videos’ popularity YouTubers may receive a portion o this is signicant because it aects industries from revenue i there are no copyright “technological, economic, and social infringements (Nixon, 2016). ose YouTubers perspectives” (Figueiredo, Benevenuto, & with a large number o views are seen as Almeida, 2011). Content is uploaded to popular which generates attention for YouTube at uite an astonishing rate, so how protability. I an industry sees popularity does any video have a chance at becoming a within a YouTuber, they may take a deep “hit”? Researchers from the Universidade interest in monetizing their videos (Kim, Federal de Minas Gerais ultimately found that 2012). e Googlization o YouTube allows for YouTube’s internal and search mechanisms banners placed in videos as well as playing contribute highly to how videos are found commercials throughout. e ad revenue is (Figueiredo, Benevenuto, & Almeida, 2011). then split between YouTube and the Factors such as “related videos” contribute copyright owner (Nixon, 2016). YouTubers can highly to how videos can gain the most views. be paid when viewers do things like click on Search referrers are the largest factor in why banner ads or watch their ads for longer than videos gain views (Figueiredo, Benevenuto, & 30 seconds without skipping (“How do Almeida, 2011). e internal algorithms o YouTubers Get Paid?”). It would be benecial YouTube are the reason why videos can to uestion Pewdiepie’s viewers i they pay become popular. e main goal for YouTube attention to these advertisements to further is to get users to watch more videos for a understand the protability aspect. longer amount o time thus increasing the Understanding the concept o popularity number o advertisements watched (Cooper, leading to protability helps apply this 2019). e YouTube internal algorithm looks concept to Pewdiepie. at many dierent aspects o a YouTuber’s With Pewdiepie, several factors lead videos such as retention rate, consistency o to gaining more publicity. Controversy is a uploads, Key Performance Indicators (likes, big one when it comes to the number one dislikes, shares), how new a video is, etc YouTuber in the world. His most notable (Cooper, 2019). is plethora o information event happened in 2017 when he paid “two can hurt or hinder how much a YouTuber’s people in India to hold up a sign that read video is recommended to viewers. is "death to all Jews.” (Randell, 2019). Another tracking o popularity helps signify which gure dressed as Jesus and was told to defend YouTuber can become protable. is can be Hitler’s actions (Perez, 2017). In response to 26 that video, many endorsers dropped deals Pewdiepie’s views increase, the more with the YouTuber including Disney. e subscribers he attains. e more videos he second season o his YouTube Red show, uploads, the more money he is making (Social “Scare Pewdiepie”, was cancelled as a result to Blade, 2019). the controversy as well (Perez, 2017). Google Popularity is a dening term used even removed advertising from the video. It when a creator has a high number o views seemed like Pewdiepie could not recover from and therefore the greatest number o it. He was slowly distancing himsel from that subscribers. e most popular YouTuber to controversy when he made another mistake date is Pewdiepie. HMT helps to explain how later that year by using the n-word in a live Pewdiepie has sustained such relevance and stream. It all seemed to be pointing popularity within the male-dominated gamer downward for Pewdiepie but he was able to industry. Inclusive Masculinities eory hold on to his ranking. ough controversy (IMT) explains how he can also appeal to temporarily lowered his subscriber count, it broader demographics o YouTube users. is ultimately helped in viewership as his name all leads to Pewdiepie being able to create a was constantly spread across social media strong Parasocial Relationship as explained by platforms. Pewdiepie spent the next couple o the Parasocial Interaction eory. It becomes years distancing himsel from his series o easier to create a full context o who controversial actions. His eorts include Pewdiepie is as an inuencer as well as why he making an apology video where he tells his has been able to gain such popularity. Felix audience that he “disappointed in himsel” Kjellberg has been able to create this online and “there are no excuses [for his behavior]” persona o Pewdiepie to become a mediating (Hern, 2017). ese apology videos allow for gure with his subscribers. Pewdiepie’s use o the viewer to decide whether they forgive the curse words, display o his romantic oender and in turn can create a stronger relationship, and consistent posting allow his Parasocial relationship when fans decide to viewers to create a Parasocial relationship. On defend the YouTuber’s actions. In 2019, Felix the other hand, through means o his more Kjellbergrevealed that he and his girlfriend, controversial aairs—such as exclaiming Marzia Bisognin, had gotten married which derogatory terms—Pewdiepie has gained led to more positive publicity which is an infamy which ultimately leads to more views example o how harmless news can also create and thus more popularity. ough there has more popularity (Randell). Subscribers who not been much research in terms o the have followed Pewdiepie for many years can relationship between popularity and feel a strong connection to a couple that they protability, it becomes easy to see a have seen grown together. Ultimately, correlation to how Pewdiepie’s high Pewdiepie’s relatability, controversy, subscriber count and viewership leads to big masculinity, and humor all add to his brand deals and high advertising revenue. popularity. His popularity creates more views which indicates more sales and thus a higher Research uestion level o protability. As o 2019, Pewdiepie’s What are the factors that lead to channel has averaged more than 8 million Pewdiepie’s popularity? What is the views every day and, in one month, he can relationship between his popularity and make up to 1 million dollars (Social Blade, protability? 2019). By viewing his statistics on his YouTube Factors that lead to popularity refer to summary, it becomes clear that the higher certain characteristics o Pewdiepie that 27 makes him more likable. It’s helpful to know masculinity, cursing, skill at video games, i his sense o humor, Swedish background, consistency o uploads, and Parasocial his laugh, or any other features make Interaction theory were identied as Pewdiepie a popular YouTuber. Is he popular potential factors o popularity to be tested because he is likable or rather because he is through uestioning. Purchasing or desiring controversial? e factors that lead to merchandise, paying attention to popularity will be the independent variable. advertisements, purchasing or desiring is list o factors is the genetic makeup o endorsed products, and sharing Pewdiepie popularity that will ultimately lead to content with others were identied as protability: the dependent variable. potential factors o protability to be tested Protability refers to the amount o money in the survey. e factors identied as that one person can make based on their contributing to protability will impact work. In this case, protability is a term that Pewdiepie’s popularity as well due to their directly links to Pewdiepie’s revenue stream. positive correlation. Is Pewdiepie the highest-paid YouTuber? Is he able to make money due to his factors o Sampling and Procedure popularity? Because Pewdiepie is a part o a e survey was distributed across rare breed o YouTubers that uploads every YouTube comments, Instagram, and Reddit day, I suspect his consistency o video uploads targeting Pewdiepie subscribers or heavy will be a large factor o his popularity. I also viewers (at least once a week). Pewdiepie’s expect to nd that the more popular channel was created in 2010; his popularity Pewdiepie is, the higher his protability will and social relevance has grown substantially be due to more viewers interacting with his over the last decade. Because he has been monetized videos and ads. considered the most subscribed to individual YouTuber--or at least competing for that top Method rank--for so long, traces o his followers’ Research Design activity are visible across the web. us, we To investigate the factors that sought to collect data from this population o contribute to Pewdiepie’s popularity and Pewdiepie’s followers. It did not make sense protability, an online survey was conducted for us to uestion consumers who don’t know through ualtrics.com. e survey method about Pewdiepie or perhaps don’t care about allows for wide online distribution to him, because that doesn’t help to signify what specically Pewdiepie viewers. Other research factors make Pewdiepie appealing or popular. designs reuiring in-person testing are For these purposes, the logical solution is to impractical for this study, as Pewdiepie take an expert sample. Experts, in this case, viewers are a demographic dened only by are subscribers or viewers who watch their online activity and no geographical or Pewdiepie at least once a week. By posting in physical traits. Locating and testing the YouTube comment section, we aimed to Pewdiepie fans online is the only feasible target experts watching new or old videos o method that allows for a meaningful sample Pewdiepie’s. Reddit is a platform created size. Surveys also allow for signicant data to solely for the purpose o allowing opinionated be uickly compiled and compared. users to share their opinions. Because o this, Survey uestions allow for the testing o what it is easy to nd those passionate experts o key factors relate to Pewdiepie’s popularity Pewdiepie by nding subreddits that speak and protability. Humor, controversy, specically about him. Finally, it is even more 28 apparent which Instagram users are abandoned as a source o participants for the Pewdiepie experts; i one is willing to run study. their own Pewdiepie-related fan account with In total, 60 survey responses were the sole purpose o posting about his videos recorded. Two participants did not complete and life, then they are experts on the topic o every uestion, resulting in some total scores Pewdiepie. being out o 59 or 58 participants. Data was To entice Pewdiepie viewers to take stored on ualtrics.com and analyzed the survey, comedic comments were le that through Microso Excel. Researchers sought to match the humor o Kjellberg. One analyzed the data for trends, themes, means, such comment was: “Do NOT Take is dierences, freuencies, and anomalies. No Survey! 99% o People can’t complete this data was discarded, but profanity was Pewdiepie survey for a university study.” To censored. uestions started from a broad lens avoid being marked as spam, multiple asking how oen participants consumed comments were constructed to leave on YouTube content. e survey then asked diering YouTube videos including; about the participants' experience and “University Students NEED Responses to is interest in Pewdiepie’s specic channel with Pewdiepie Survey! Please, PLEASE, click the the intent to nd the factors that lead to his link!”; “Are you a Pewdiepie Fan? Do you call popularity. It then ended with uestions that yoursel a gamer? Prove it. Take this survey.” uestioned the expert population about their and; “Good morning, gamers. is Pewdiepie interactions with advertisements and survey is for a university study. Please, for the merchandise with the intent o nding what love o God, click the link.” e survey was leads to protability. posted on eleven o Pewdiepie’s recent videos from October and November 2019. Instrument When messaging fan accounts on Initial uestions were designed to Instagram, messages were tailored to be validate the credentials o participants as friendly and personable: “Hello! I’m doing a Pewdiepie subscribers or consistent viewers research project on Pewdiepie and would be (at least once a week). Likert scale uestions so grateful i you completed this survey for were craed to investigate the factors that me! And maybe even let your followers know contribute to Pewdiepie’s popularity. e about it. anks!” e message was sent to statements “I like when Pewdiepie curses” and more than 54 fan accounts, one o which “Pewdiepie has many masculine traits” were posted the survey link on her story. Creating indented to directly verify i Fägersten and personable messages was done to convince Maloney et. al respectively were correct in participants that the study was legitimate and their hypotheses that these elements nonthreatening. contribute to Pewdiepie’s large following. Lastly, the survey was attempted to be Other statements such as “I watch Pewdiepie distributed on Reddit. e most popular because he is funny”; “I watch Pewdiepie subreddit for Pewdiepie, because he is good at video games”; and “I like r/PewdiepieSubmissions, does not allow links that Pewdiepie uploads every day” were made to be included in posts which made accessing to gauge whether humor, skill at video games, their subreddit user base impossible. Another and consistency o uploads relates to why subreddit for Pewdiepie, r/Pewdiepie, marked participants watch and subscribe to the post as spam due to the link being Pewdiepie (popularity). Several uestions included which resulted in Reddit being were distributed specically to investigate the 29 protability o Pewdiepie. Participants were data for these three factors is the most asked i they have bought Pewdiepie signicant. Additionally, 59.32% (M = 4.93, SD merchandise or a product he endorses. ey = 1.49) o participants at least somewhat were also asked i they pay attention to agreed with the fact that they felt that YouTube ads on Pewdiepie videos. Lastly, Pewdiepie exhibited masculine traits, which uestions were posed that aimed to Connell’s Inclusive Masculinities eory understand i the YouTube community could attribute to his popularity, but only surrounding Pewdiepie encourages his 13.56% strongly agreed with that statement. popularity through online discussion. Another interesting statistic points to the Participants answered i they would share a positive eect o Marzia, Pewdiepie’s wife, Pewdiepie video with a friend, i they create and her involvement with the videos. 56.9% o internet posts concerning Pewdiepie, and i participants at least somewhat agreed that they have their own YouTube channels with a they are more likely to watch a Pewdiepie following. video i Marzia is in it. Many o the Instagram accounts that were direct messaged were fan Findings & Analysis accounts for both Pewdiepie and Marzia, as As o December 1, 2019, the survey these two oen are seen as a package deal. that was distributed to Pewdiepie experts had Based on the responses, many o Marzia’s fan a total o 50 participants. e survey was accounts are young females and that re-released for a week and was closed again on demographic was more willing to participate March 1, 2020. O the total 60 participants, 2 in the survey. is helps to explain the o the participants did not fully complete the positive response to Marzia. However, entire survey which will aect the data. e Pewdiepie’s relationship displayed normally survey data shows that 91.53%(M = 1.12, SD = on screen adds to the Parasocial Interaction .42) o the participants watch YouTube every eory. By normalizing the appearances o his day with another 8.47% watching anywhere girlfriend-turned-wife, Pewdiepie can create a from one to four times a week. 54 o the 60 comfortable and personal atmosphere on his participants (90%) were subscribed to channel. It most likely also allows him to Pewdiepie’s channel. 49.15% claim to watch reach out to a larger fanbase such as the Pewdiepie every day while 25.42% watch him younger female demographic that was willing 2-4 times a week. e study supports the to participate in this survey. notion that followers like Pewdiepie’s humor In addition to highlighting and his consistency, while simultaneously contributing factors, the survey also indicating that the survey successfully disproved factors that have not seemed to captured an expert sample group, o whom play any signicant role in Pewdiepie’s watch Pewdiepie freuently. 67.24% strongly popularity. Only 32.2% o participants at least like that he uploads every day. 61.02% o somewhat thought Pewdiepie is controversial participants strongly agree with the signaling that it is not a contributor to his statement, “I watch Pewdiepie because he is popularity. Other factors mentioned in the funny.” Moreover, 62.71% at least somewhat survey that did not hold signicant relevance agreed with the statement that they feel like to this study include the fact that 56.9% o they personally know Pewdiepie. is participants at least somewhat like when statement helps to support the idea that Pewdiepie curses suesting that this may be a Parasocial Interaction eory contributes contributor to his popularity and that Kristy greatly to Pewdiepie’s popularity. e survey Fägersten’s research is valid. Our study at the 30 very least conrms that cursing is not paid when viewers do things like watch full necessarily a hindrance to a YouTube ads or for longer than 30 seconds (i it is a channel’s popularity with 31.03% not having an longer ad). According to the participants, opinion on swearing and only 12.07% at least 74.58% (M = 2.12, SD = .61) at least sometimes somewhat disliking it. 39.66% said that they pay attention to ads on Pewdiepie’s videos. By somewhat agree that they watch Pewdiepie paying attention and fully watching because he is good at video games but the rest Pewdiepie’s ads, these participants can greatly o the results were distributed somewhat be contributing to the protability o his evenly ranging from strongly disagree to videos. strongly agree. ese statistics show important components that explain why Discussion & Conclusion Pewdiepie is popular. is data shows that Maloney, Roberts, & Caruso found those who have subscribed to Pewdiepie and that Pewdiepie was popular because o watch him regularly do so primarily because Hegemonic Masculinities eory in tandem they nd him to be funny, they can enjoy new with Inclusive Masculinities eory (2018). content every day and they feel as though they About 59.32% o participants at least know Pewdiepie personally. As shown in somewhat agreed that Pewdiepie has many Table 1 and 2 are Likert scale responses which masculine traits while another 27.12% could allowed survey participants to express their neither agree nor disagree. A threat to reasoning for being invested in Pewdiepie. reliability is the nature o the uestion. Not Seventy percent o participants many people will likely be willing to answer interact with other Pewdiepie subscribers on thoughtfully to uestions like, “Does social media platforms. 62.71% make social Pewdiepie have masculine traits?” or “is media posts about Pewdiepie on sites other Pewdiepie controversial?”. Nevertheless, it is than YouTube. 61.02% would share a imperative to note the 59% o participants Pewdiepie video on social media. ese who do see Pewdiepie’s contributions to statistics show how Pewdiepie’s popularity Hegemonic Masculinities eory (HMT). As leads to the creation o a community amongst o 2015, males dominated the platform o his subscribers. A YouTube personality that gaming viewer demographics with a makeup people are willing to talk about shows o 80% (Maloney, Roberts, & Caruso, 2018). popularity but it also shows a potential for Pewdiepie is a gamer who curses constantly protability. ough it is more dicult to and will make sexually explicit jokes; he make conclusions about the protability encompasses the very characteristics that aspect o the reading uestions, there are key encourage a hypermasculine setting. However, points to highlight. Although 71.19% o looking at the Inclusive Masculinities eory, participants have never purchased Pewdiepie it can be seen that Pewdiepie perhaps uses merchandise, 83.05% say that they would be these masculine traits to create a more willing to purchase merchandise in the future. inclusive setting. e presence o his wife, Based on this nding, a new uestion must be Marzia, ensures a more playful and inclusive asked; what is the bridge between a potential atmosphere. As shown from the survey, 56.9% buyer and an actual customer when it comes o participants at least somewhat agreed that to Pewdiepie merchandise? It is more dicult they are more likely to watch a video i to create a merchandise customer, but viewers Marzia is in the video. On May 25, 2019, can contribute to protability in other ways. Pewdiepie posted a video titled, “I brought YouTubers that monetize their videos can be back Marzia for this” referring to the fact that 31 within the past few months Marzia has been listing his ill-mannered past such as: using noticeably absent from his videos. e video derogatory terms to refer to female gamer, accumulated more than 6 million views which Natalia Mogollon, and uttering the “n-word” is astonishing considering the purely online (Chokshi, 2019). Nevertheless, with advertising content. Essentially, the video is a such a small percentage o Pewdiepie experts nearly 8- minutevideo sponsored by the app, only somewhat agreeing with the notion that Archero, to promote their mobile game. One Pewdiepie is controversial suests that o the top comments read, “8 minutes ad that controversiality does not aect the popularity people actually watch. at’s how marzia o a YouTuber. e validity o this nding is works”. e inclusivity and presence o a uestionable as this could also point to the female gure allow for Pewdiepie to relate to possibility that users are willing to overlook a broader audience while also making him and justify Pewdiepie’s oensive behavior seem more appealing as a man in a because he is likable due to other personality multicultural, happy relationship. Fägersten’s aspects. is research shows that while work cited Pewdiepie’s excessive use o curse Pewdiepie’s controversial behavior may not words as one o the greatest reasons why he is add to his popularity, it also does not hurt it. popular which coincides with 56.9% o Recruitment proved to be dicult as participants that could at least somewhat we failed to ask the participants through agree to liking when Pewdiepie uses curse which platform they found the link. is words (2017). Once again, both masculinity could have been benecial in clarifying which and cursing could be hard topics to ask platform was the most eective in terms o participants to be honest about which could recruitment. However, targeting Instagram aect the reliability o the uestion. However, accounts that consistently interact with their since there is a majority that like Pewdiepie’s followers seems to be a very eective means o use o curse words, it is important to consider sampling and was further pursued for the this. Fägersten believes that the excessive use nal data collection. Ultimately the main o curse words helps to create a very components—as found from this comfortable setting amongst Pewdiepie and survey—which create Pewdiepie’s popularity his viewers that is oen only felt amongst (i.e. his humor, consistent posting, Parasocial friends (2017). e eective use o cursing relationships) coincide with our initial adds to the Parasocial Interaction eory that expectations. With these results, we are allows Pewdiepie to create such a strong further able to create a clearer relationship relationship with his viewers. between Popularity and Protability. One e ndings for Pewdiepie’s conclusive point that was found through the controversiality were notable. Only 32.2% even sampling process is that a viewer does not somewhat agreed that Pewdiepie is guarantee a customer. ough the purchasing controversial. Not one person strongly agreed o merchandise is not the only way in which with this notion which is surprising but also to measure protability, it is a simple way o understandable. Not many people want to observing clear patterns. It certainly takes admit that they willingly support someone more eort to create a customer o Pewdiepie who has made anti-semitic jokes or blurts out merchandise rather than just a fan, as it does racist slurs. Even credible sources such as the for consumers o any product. It can be New York Times have written about concluded that there are several missing Pewdiepie’s controversial behavior stating factors to take into consideration such as that he is “embraced by the far right” while nancial background, fashion sense, frugality, 32 etc. However, Pewdiepie’s protability can be to Pewdiepie fans who say they would be measured through other means such as the open to buying merchandise and those who level by which viewers pay attention to the actually do make the purchase? Due to timing ads in his videos. 61% o participants pay constraints, it was not possible to develop attention to Pewdiepie’s ads sometimes while analyses and implement specic theories unto 13.56% answered that they always pay various genres o Pewdiepie’s videos. attention. Apply these percentages to However, one can further apply theories such Pewdiepie’s 102 million subscribers and that as HMT, IMT, and Parasocial Interactions creates a sizable ad revenue. It can be seen theory to dierent types o Pewdiepie videos that Pewdiepie’s high levels o popularity as (i.e. Let’s Play, Reaction videos, Reddit seen in his subscriber count translate to a Review). higher level o protability. e more is research is important because subscribers and viewers that Pewdiepie has, Pewdiepie is one o the most inuential the more people who are viewing his online gures who has fans that span across monetized ads, sponsorships, buying multiple generations. ough Pewdiepie may merchandise, and more. It is interesting to not always be the #1 YouTuber (in terms o note that only about 27% o participants had subscribers), the patterns o what makes a actually bought merchandise. is makes social media inuencer popular and protable sense when 27% o 100 million subscribers may be applied to other online personalities. euates to 27 million consumers buying It is important not only to the eld o sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. However, this communications but also to industries like number may also pertain to any number o advertising and marketing who may fail to smaller YouTubers. is consumer behavior understand why consumers have the potential suests that 27% o a given population are to be loyal to a brand. Furthermore, this willing to make a monetary investment in a research shows the varying aspects o why parasocial relationship. While this is not the controversial inuencers can remain relevant only way in which YouTubers make a sizable and highly popular despite oensive or bad prot, this research shows that only a small behavior: whether it be due to relatability or percentage o viewers need to actively invest by showing a clear portrayal o regret via in a YouTuber’s merchandise. Rather, a viewer apology videos. Pewdiepie’s constant posting contributes greatly to a YouTuber’s prot about relevant and modern content allows every time they watch a 30-second ad without him to strengthen this bond between him and skipping, click on a banner ad, watch a his subscriber base. He is able to sustain sponsored video, use a promo code, and more. sentiment and support because he eectively As o March 2019, a sponsored video on humanizes himsel through his lack o gamer Pewdiepie’s channel could cost up to $450,000 expertise, foul language, wife, and more. (Chokshi, 2019). YouTubers, like Pewdiepie, Beyond that, Pewdiepie is resiliently popular are able to gain millions o dollars based more because he becomes a familiar gure to his on a viewers’ on-platform engagement rather viewers who are more willing to forgive his than their active consumer behavior. shortcomings. Aer all, friends are more Topics that can be explored in the willing to understand and forgive the insolent future include why many participants say they behavior o their own friends. have not bought Pewdiepie merchandise is research indicates that there are (71.19%) but 83% o participants said that they certain factors that YouTubers need in order would be willing. What is the factor that leads to create a parasocial relationship with their 33 viewers in order to increase popularity. An how a popular YouTuber/inuencer can important factor to note for marketers is that become a character o resilience in the a popular inuencer needs passive ever-changing landscape o social media. e engagement (watching ads, etc.) while only gaming industry has become one o the most needing to sell merchandise to about 27% o protable industries in the past decade and their fanbase in order to produce a sizable Pewdiepie is a representation o that growth prot. Finally, all o these factors indicate and resilience.

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Appendix

Survey Results (CSV): For those interested in full survey data, they can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19-UD2416ehFXv37s07CdZrYSipX7xC6T/edit#gid=1505518 817