Now that I’ve finished my rant about the community’s ignorance, let’s talk about why React World isn’t actually so bad, and why it’s actually something that could have been pretty cool.

For one, it’s really important that we distinguish REACT as a brand, vs. react (or reactions) as a video category:

The Fine Brothers are widely known for their reaction videos, obviously, which they post to a channel called REACT. REACT is a brand they have built up, and they have become known for their own distinguished style of reaction videos.

That being said, it’s important to understand that The Fine Brothers are simply trying to protect their own unique format, like any YouTuber does with their content. They never stated they owned reaction videos as a category. Instead, they invited people to personally work with them on developing shows using their already distinguished style and assets.

Imagine having the opportunity to host your own version of your favorite show with support from the people who make it. Doesn’t that sound awesome? That’s because it actually is pretty cool… Instead of having to start from scratch, or worse, be labeled as a copier for ripping off somebody else’s content, you get the opportunity to be a part of a widely recognized brand.

It’s not for everyone, of course. Some people would rather start a diner and not a McDonalds, I get it. But that doesn’t mean McDonalds is going to sue you for also making a place that sells burgers. It just means you don’t get to use McDonalds’ current asset’s or resources, it’s pretty simple. You need to design your own logo, menus, infrastructure, etc… You’re essentially on your own, and if that’s what you want, that’s perfectly okay.

This is no different than what The Fine Brothers were trying to do. They were trying to allow people to use their original format and assets in a way that gives credit where credit is due. Many YouTubers have their own unique styler, and when people copy that style, those people are called out. So why is this any different? Are we just hating The Fine Brothers because they are the first YouTubers to take reasonable steps to prevent blatant copying while creators in the past have sat and let it happen? I think the internet is being a bit too harsh, and that’s because, again, I don’t think many of you have really read into this as much as you should have.

My conclusion:

I definitely understand why React World could have been confusing to some people. Even watching the video on it, I still cringed a bit at the way they presented what they were trying to do. However, at the end of the day, I took the time to form an educated opinion, and I realized that although they may not have conveyed this properly, The Fine Brothers had good intentions at heart.

In hindsight, I think The Fine Brothers might have been on to something really cool. However, I think the YouTube community is still too immature to properly appreciate programs like React World, and I think that in general the community needs to take the time to become a little more informed about issues before they voice their opinion on them. It would certainly help to reduce the amount of uneducated banter.

So that’s it. That’s my two cents. You can agree with me, you can hate me. My point being: Benny, Rafi, you guys aren’t assholes, and I appreciate what you were trying to do.