YouTube vlogging has become a legitimate profession for many content creators – and with that comes business drama. In the past few weeks, the world has seen perhaps the largest feud to date between YouTubers, as makeup vloggers Tati Westbrook and James Charles exchanged loaded videos and words.
It started when Westbrook posted a lengthy video criticizing Charles on two primary fronts. From a business perspective, she called him out for supporting a vitamin/supplement brand that was a competitor to her own, despite all she had done to help make Charles the star that he is. But the more serious accusation was her claim that Charles has been known to inappropriately flirt with uninterested young men.
Since Westbrook’s initial video, Charles has publicly apologized and also defended himself on both fronts. It’s unclear what’s true and what isn’t, but the fallout is easy to see: Charles has lost a whopping 3 million subscribers, while Westbrook has gained 4 million (though she has also faced criticism in all of this). Those are crazy numbers in the YouTube world.
To some of us, the world of makeup vlogging may not matter much. But what does matter is that YouTube has undoubtedly become a business, and every video posted can have serious brand ramifications.
Images Courtesy of James Charles (YouTube) | Tati Westbrook (YouTube)