3 Ways “iCarly” Predicted the Rise of YouTube Comedians
iCarly premiered almost ten years ago on Nickelodeon. Feel old yet? So do we.
“In 5…4…3…2…”
Anyone who grew up in the mid–2000s with access to cable TV will recognize the enthusiastic countdown preceding the opening theme of the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly. The show, which ran from 2007 to 2012, starred Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, and Nathan Kress as Carly, Sam, and Freddie — three best friends who created a variety webshow and achieved Internet fame. iCarly tackled typical issues of adolescence and is notable for showcasing atypical family dynamics (e.g. Carly’s brother, Spencer, raises her while their dad is serving in the military; Freddie’s single mom smothers him with affection and is borderline psychotic). But what was most interesting about the show was its premise: iCarly predicted the success “regular” people could attain through online content creation. Ten years later, online entertainment is an impressive force, particularly among YouTube comedians. D.I.Y. entertainers like Ryan Higa, JennaMarbles, Lilly Singh, Smosh, and many more have capitalized on the ubiquity of the Internet (YouTube welcomes one billion unique visitors every month, according to the Huffington Post) to share their comedy and make a living. Let’s explore the three ways iCarly paralleled the cyber-comedians of today.
1. Accidental beginnings
In iCarly’s 2007 pilot episode, Carly and Sam first go viral when Freddie accidentally publishes a video of them making fun of their teacher, Ms. Briggs, on the Internet. Within a few hours, the clip garners 27,000 views and hundreds of comments praising the duo’s humor. Three years later, Jenna Mourey, better known as JennaMarbles, got a similarly rant-y start to her YouTube career. She posted her first videos in 2010; they are mainly composed of vlogs laced with profanity (“I f****** hate my roommate part 2,” “Me and Mr. Marbles havin a convo”). But her seventh video, “How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking,” was the vlogger’s first big success (still expletive loaded). In its first week, the video was viewed over 5.3 million times.
Refusing to be one-hit-wonders, Carly, Sam, and Jenna all decided to do the same thing — keep going. With Freddie as their technical producer, Carly and Sam turned their banter into fodder for iCarly. Jenna kept making YouTube videos. Seven years later, she has 17.5 million subscribers and almost 2.5 billion views.
2. Unexpected growth and fame
Becoming Internet famous can have some real life perks, too. The iCarly crew gained so much notoriety that it held a panel at Webicon (a parody of Comic-Con), flew to the Big Apple to meet Jimmy Fallon, and enlisted the aid of First Lady Michelle Obama to help Carly contact her deployed father.
Lilly Singh, better known as IISuperwomanII, is another great example of a content creator who used her platform to reach bigger audiences. She originally started making videos to deal with her depression, but soon evolved into much more than a girl with a webcam. Armed with over twelve million subscribers, Singh has gone on to create her own lipstick, tour the world, publish a book, and release a feature film. Clearly, all of her hard work has paid off; according to Forbes, Singh earned $7.5 million in 2016.
3. (Overly) Passionate fanbase
Meet Nora: a sixteen-year-old girl who loves her pet chicken, wearing her Richard Nixon mask, and, of course, iCarly (perhaps a little too much). When Nora traps the “iCarlies” in her basement during the episode “iPsycho,” viewers get a taste of the dangers that come with being famous. Like traditional celebrities, Internet stars have their fair share of crazy fans.
Jake Paul (pictured above) is a rising star in the YouTube community. A self-proclaimed “adventurer,” he has amassed a considerable following among preteens for his stunts, which have included setting furniture ablaze in his backyard and hiding in a White House bathroom. When Paul doesn’t have time to aggravate his neighbors, his devotees get the job done for him. Business Insider wrote that fans crowd around his West Hollywood house every day, spraying graffiti onto trees and the walls near his home. KTLA reported that exasperated neighbors have discussed plans to file a class-action lawsuit against Paul for his antics and the disturbance his fans have caused. Fame ain’t always pretty.
Content creators are here to stay, but the stars of iCarly have moved on to bigger and better things. Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy had roles in Despicable Me and Pets, respectively. Last month, Nathan Kress announced that he is going to be a father.
Hannah Xue is interning in the curatorial department and the creative services department at The Paley Center for Media this summer. She is a rising sophomore at Boston University studying Communication.
