Capitalizing on OUTRAGEOUS: The Genius of YouTube Superstar Trisha Paytas.
Breaking the YouTube glass ceiling is hard work. In 2015, The Guardian reported that “300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.” Three years later imagine the multitude of content pouring into the video giant ,and the chances of uploading a video, having it go ‘viral’ and repeating that formula to build an audience. Sure, thousands of creators break that ceiling and are able to have fully fledged, and well paying careers as YouTubers, but what are the chances? And in 2018 how do you break through? It’s simple, be outrageous.
This isn’t a blog post about how to become a successful YouTuber, but rather the genius of YouTube’s controversial queen, Trisha Paytas.
If you’re not familiar, Paytas is an eccentric 29 year old content creator who is best known for her videos where she eats and cries on her kitchen floor. Yes you heard that right. Oh, and she has also self produced 7 albums and professional music videos with millions of views. Move over Britney.
But how did she become so popular and why does she resonate with viewers? Paytas has been uploading videos on the internet since 2005 and you may recognize from traditional media as well. She’s been on America’s Got Talent, Ellen, was featured in an Eminem music video and even had a cameo on Modern Family. She’s been trying to break into the entertainment industry in Hollywood for over a decade but YouTube is where she has hit it big.
Paytas is a living meme, and I do not mean that in a negative way whatsoever.
While many people may underestimate her as a dumb blonde, she is an expert in the art of trolling, acting and shocking audiences. She has mastered a hybrid of taking her real life and an outrageous persona into creating what I think is one of the most skillfully crafted performance pieces of our generation.
While she will often post fashion hauls and beauty related videos, her YouTube fame has flourished out of such classic videos as:
Whether she really believes in a viewpoint or not she will pretend or play dumb for the camera. Paytas most recently made a music video professing her love for alleged murderer OJ Simpson. She states that she didn’t know who he was but saw he was just released from jail and found him attractive. She has also recently stated she’s a christian pop star after making two music videos about how she adores Jesus.
In 2017 after ending a relationship, Paytas went on a spree of posting videos on her kitchen floor crying. In one video she said she was a chicken nugget, another she said a vampire was hiding in her house and stealing her used tampons. Her views skyrocketed and Paytas became the first YouTuber on Celebrity Big Brother UK (where she had more meltdowns).
Viewers love Paytas’ eccentric videos and behaviour. The numbers don’t lie:
She has over 4.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 1.4 million Instagram followers, and 400K followers on Twitter.
Her videos of her crying have been turned into fan art, merchandise and compilation videos:
Trisha Paytas has capitalized on her real life meme status. Her audience craves her outrageous brand and so long as she keeps this up they’ll keep watching, and so will I.
#create
