Like everything, it starts with an organic foundation then slowly gets absorbed by capitalism. They're now brand reps more than anything. Subscribe to curiositystream, BlueApron, and watch your favorite streamer take an extended, nonchalant sip from their favorite [brand] soda, replete with logo mugging the camera lens.
The issue with breadtube is that it has very shallow analysis. I personally don't mind the corporate sponsors if that's their way to make a living. Every worker is a slave to capitalism at the end of the day.
After enough time to consider and place into context, sure, but I think we'd all have a negative visceral response if Felix and Matt broke off to talk about audible or NordVPN.
Yeah, but they have the luxury of making 120,000 dollars or whatever a month on Patreon
Its still weird hearing Dave Anthony do it at the start of Dollops.
Big Money Salvia gets a pass because he actually puts some effort into his ads, to the point they're entertaining enough you can ignore the product placement.
Idk, I think a lot of people get started with shallow analysis. I don't know if these channels specifically are very effective at moving people toward deeper analysis; the few I do watch, I treat more as entertainment than education personally. But I don't think that's a sufficient justification for dismissing media that never claimed to be academic in the first place.