Every year, YouTube releases a video featuring creators from its platform, trends of the year, and in the case of this year and last, celebrities that have nothing to do with YouTube. As one can imagine, lots of outrage and hate was directed right back at YouTube.
Of the over 100 participants in the video, only one of the “stars” include a YouTuber, who got his fame from the live stream service, Twitch. The rest of these “stars” are singers, comedians, actors, or celebrities that aren’t even on the platform made their way into the video that’s supposed to summarize YouTube’s year. These “stars” include Will Smith, Marques Brownlee, Trevor Noah, John Oliver, and Twitch streamer, Ninja.
Instead of focusing on major events that occurred during the year, such as the Logan Paul and KSI fight, Logan Paul and his suicide forest controversy, or Shane Dawson’s documentary series on the lives of both Jake Paul and Jeffree Star, YouTube Rewind spent most of the video over-referencing Fortnite and K-Pop.
“YouTube Rewind 2018: Everybody Controls Rewind” was uploaded to the YouTube Spotlight channel on Thursday, December 6. It took only one week for the video to break the record for the most disliked video on YouTube with over 10 million dislikes. This record has been previously held by Justin Beiber’s “Baby,” which holds over 9 million dislikes.
“Have you ever cringed so hard you actually cried,” said Paige Turcotte, “That was me watching YouTube Rewind.”
YouTube has only commented on Twitter, saying, “Thanks to the creators that took part in Rewind, and the community that responded. We hear what you’re saying, and we want to make next year better for all of you,” which also has started receiving backlash because of how it seems YouTube isn’t making an apology.
Regardless of the millions of dislikes, YouTube’s algorithm is still paying the channel because of the views. Lots of people are saying that they’re mad not because of how cringy it is, but because of how YouTube disregarded major things that happened during the year, only focusing on things to make the platform look pleasing to possible advertisers.
