You might already know about YouTube channels that cater to vlogs, skits, and beauty. But some of you might not be aware about the “drama” category, which feature videos where YouTubers report various news, mostly entertainment-related. The popular kind of drama channels though are the ones that aim to “spill tea” on issues between certain individuals.
If you look up these videos, a lot of them focus on fellow YouTubers. As of recent, these are centered on members of the beauty community who, for whatever reason, are going after each other via subtweets and Snapchat videos.
I’m personally not a fan of content like this but when sh*t hit the fan after the Jeffree Star documentary on Shane Dawson’s channel, I couldn’t help but catch up on what’s happening and what his former friends did as a reaction. Frankly, I was both informed and entertained—later, I found myself watching more drama videos whenever something controversial happens on any social media platform.
Just like with every gossip we consume, subscribing to something like this can be addicting. After all, you get celebrity and influencer updates that aren’t being captured on camera. And who doesn’t want to watch people we dislike get exposed with #tea?
At the same time, this can also get toxic because, as Jeffree put it in one Snapchat video, this is someone’s life that’s being made into a spectacle by some drama channels. It’s true because there are channels that sensationalize every small detail—for example: a vague comment—and implicating that it’s an attack against another person, even though it’s not. It almost feels like if you watch too much of it, it’ll become habitual for us to intrude on someone’s privacy for the sake of #tea and also make insinuations about people we barely know. I mean, admit it, many people already do the latter a lot. But that’s not something one should be proud of doing, especially if it’s meant to spread toxicity rather than the truth.
On the other side of the spectrum, the problem can also lie with the public figures who purposely create drama so they can be talked about. The Paul brothers, Jake and Logan, are prime examples of this as their outlandish antics and disrespectful attitudes have garnered them widespread media attention. In a recent documentary, Jake also admitted that a lot of their content was fake or staged, and created to earn views. Hence, earning income and ad revenue from YouTube. It was revealed that his older brother, Logan, would capitalize on real private problems for views.
However, not all drama channels are created to spread rumors. There are those that aim to report the news and actually reach out to people involved to get statements from them. Channels like Rich Lux and BeauTea with Ashley ensure that they get all sides, and they don’t shy away from commentary when it’s needed.
If you’re someone who watches YouTube videos on the regular, it’s always important to choose what you watch. Drama channels can be entertaining to some extent. But if you feel bad energy from them, stop watching or seeking them out. Gossip only benefits those who consume them; the subjects only receive unsolicited, judgmental comments. Remember that these public figures are human beings, they’re not on display in a museum for us to intrude on them, regardless if we’re behind the screen.
Art by Marian Hukom
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