On July 12th, everyone’s favorite internet dad, Shane Dawson, tweeted three screenshots and a message. The first screenshot was a question a fan had asked him on Instagram, reading “would you ever do a video with Jake Paul?” to which Shane replied “actually ya. I would love to follow him around for a day and see what his life is like. I’m very fascinated by him. How much of his life is real and how much is an act? What’s his family life like? Does he date? Does he have real friends off camera? Does he actually have that much money or is that house rented? So. Many. Questions.” So many questions indeed. The second screenshot was a response from Jake Paul on Twitter to a fan asking if he would do a video with Shane, reading “I’m down.” The third screenshot was a bald Shane Dawson looking disheveled, captioned “Shane Dawson wig snatched”; what dramatic times we are living in. Finally, Shane concluded this series of screenshots with a message: “I know it’s controversial but I really wanna try more things like this on my channel. I wanna try things I’m genuinely interested in. The ups and downs of Jake Paul’s life and persona is something I would love to see from the inside.” Thus, the internet was thrust into a series that would consume viewers and force individuals to question themselves and everyone around them for weeks.
While I won’t spoil the eight riveting videos that this series became, discussing the highlights is necessary; Shane started out the series talking to experts, researching sociopaths and psychopaths, meeting the friends and family of Jake, and eventually Jake himself. And with each week and each postponement of the next episode’s release, Shane caused millions of viewers to hold their breath, time after time. And as more of the world learned about sociopaths and their apparent prevalence, the more they questioned those around them. Shane also managed to make the world feel sympathy for Jake Paul, someone hated by virtually everyone over the age of twelve, and in the process has established himself as a true influencer. Shane Dawson continues to thrive as a creator because he is constantly pushing the limits as a YouTuber, and he is not afraid to get his hands dirty, or dip his feet into new, uncertain territory. Furthermore, Shane has made himself a reliable source of information for those on the internet because his content is genuine, factual, and yet still engaging, because of the sincerity in his work. Therefore, I predict Shane is here to stay for a long time as a true influencer, as shown by the success of his series, which I am sure many are happy to hear.
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