So I think we already know the outlines of the typical criticisms of Breadtube, namely that it's vaguely-leftist content that focuses on cultural critique and gives a nod to socialist theory here and there but it doesn't actually achieve anything and it's just a media-consumption demographic with no moves towards anything that resembles on the ground organising and activism. (Obviously there are a few outliers but as a rule this generally holds true.)

I dipped out of Breadtube years ago for plenty of reasons but I just posted on Lemmygrad criticising the SPD Three Arrows movement which prompted me to have a look at the Breadtuber Three Arrows and they have done exactly the same thing that Contrapoints and a lot of other large figures in this genre have done:

They build up a healthy Patreon base and then their content drops off to like a couple of videos a year, if that, while continuing to draw off a personal salary which rivals that of a full-time worker.

In the past two years Three Arrows has produced 4 videos, amounting to less than 4.5 hours of runtime all up.

That's staggering for someone who is getting over 60k a year, at the most conservative estimate.

Likewise Contrapoints claimed to be getting 20k a month and she's putting out like 1-2 videos a year. And there's plenty of other examples of this too.

Imagine what could be done if people supported their local grassroots organisations instead of paying boatloads of cash for their twice-yearly YouTube treats smh.

  • AssortedBiscuits [they/them]
    ·
    1 year ago

    I've been thinking about these Youtubers, and I think like you said, it boils down to whether they have a life outside of Youtube, career-wise and artistic-wise. Videos made by people trying to be Youtubers as a career path just feels different. There's also a case where a content creator is focused to another site, usually Twitch or Tiktok, but has a Youtube channel for highlights. Those videos also feel pretty different.

    These Youtube channels are from people who have lives outside of Youtube:

    https://www.youtube.com/@Aliantos/

    https://www.youtube.com/@sci-inspi/

    https://www.youtube.com/@11foot8plus8/