YouTube, founded over a decade ago in 2005, has become a veritable cultural cache of content that comes from creators great and small. Controversies erupt over some high-profile submissions, while others languish in obscurity from the very day they are posted, never amassing more than a few dozen hits. Now, in a recent viral scuffle, it appears that a general and popular revolt has occurred in reaction to YouTube’s annual “Rewind” video.
According to the Verge , YouTube’s own “YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind” video is officially the most disliked video ever to be posted to the social media service, ever. This places it behind ahead of a somewhat inauspicious company, including Rebecca Black’s music video for “Friday,” Jake Paul’s “It’s Everyday Bro,” the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare trailer, and even “Baby Shark Dance,” by Pinkfong. “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj are also present on the list.
Julia Alexander of the Verge details the impetus for the discontent.
“Since YouTube Rewind was first published on December 6th, the backlash has been loud and constant. Creators who starred in it, like Marques Brownlee, have addressed the controversy, while other YouTubers work on their own versions of Rewind they view as more authentic. The backlash directed at YouTube for this year’s Rewind boils down to a growing disparity between the platform’s true creator culture and the polished version that YouTube wants to present.”
Wow. The #youtuberewind2018 video has surpassed over 1 million dislikes in nine hours and is already 35th on the all-time list of most disliked videos on YouTube. At this rate it will be in the top ten 24 hours after going live.
What has happened? pic.twitter.com/7BHqeq5cnT
— vidIQ (@vidIQ) December 7, 2018
YouTube seemed to be able to take the criticism in stride, however. In a recent tweet made earlier today, December 14, the official Twitter account for the video hosting service posted a self-deprecating tweet that acknowledges the viral fail in a humorous manner.
New record!! Oh…wait. pic.twitter.com/hgmHkV8tK5
— YouTube (@YouTube) December 13, 2018
A side-by-side snapshot captured at that particular moment in time showed that the much-reviled “YouTube 2018 Rewind” video had actually surpassed the frequently mocked — and equally viral — Justin Bieber “Baby” video in terms of overall dislikes — by a margin of 500,000 thumbs-down or more.
YouTube was not done acknowledging their misstep, however. They would follow up the above tweet in short order, making a somewhat apologetic statement towards their creators in a message with a more serious overall tone.
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. Watch this space!
— YouTube (@YouTube) December 13, 2018
It would appear that while YouTube’s big-budget Rewind video may not have resulted in the intended effect, lessons were learned — and a negotiation process is underway. As Fruzsina Eordogh of Forbes noted earlier this year, conflicts between the community of creators that provides content for YouTube and the corporate structure supporting the Google-powered enterprise are hardly uncommon. Given the massive amount of sociocultural influence — and financial dividends — tied up in the relationship between the two camps, it seems little wonder that, at some point, a bit of acrimony might rear its head.
Will YouTube and their largest, most prominent creators settle the score in an amicable fashion? That remains to be seen. Hopefully, 2019 does not see a trumping of this year’s least-desirous social media record.
