Disney has dropped PewDiePie over anti-Semitic content

[Shawn Knight]

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, best known as YouTube sensation PewDiePie, has been cut by Maker Studios (which Disney bought in 2014) after posting a series of videos featuring anti-Semitic messages. A spokesperson for Maker Studios told The Wall Street Journal that although Felix has created a following by being provocative and irreverent, he clearly went too far in this case and the resulting videos are inappropriate.

At least one of the videos in question, which has since been taken down, reportedly featured two men that Kjellberg hired through freelance service Fiverr. As the story goes, the men were paid $5 to hold or make a sign that reads, “Death to All Jews.”

The Journal said a review of PewDiePie’s YouTube channel turned up nine videos since August that include anti-Semetic or Nazi imagery. As of writing, none of PewDiePie’s other videos have been removed. With more than 53 million subscribers, the 27-year-old Swede has the largest YouTube following by far. He’s also generating truckloads of money, reportedly bringing in around $15 million last year.

PewDiePie said in a recent Tumblr post that he in no way supports any kind of hateful attitudes. Instead, he said he thinks of his content as entertainment, not a place for serious political commentary. As laughable as the jokes may or may not be and although it was not his intent, the net personality said he understands that the jokes were ultimately offensive.

The guys that PewDiePie hired also apologized in a video posted last month, saying they didn't understand the message they were supporting in the video.

Update: In addition to the Maker Studios deal above, this morning we've learned YouTube has cancelled the second season of 'Scare Pewdiepie' a YouTube Red exclusive show. YouTube has also removed Pewdiepie from their Google Preferred program, a premium tier of YouTube advertising sales meant for “brand-safe” content. Clearly this will have a financial impact for the popular YouTuber who will nonetheless be able to monetize his 50+ million subscribers through other venues.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/68148-disney-has-dropped-pewdiepie-over-anti-semitic-content.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

He's not as honest as Hitler was, at least he admitted to being anti semitic.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Dude should have deleted his channel when he originally threatened to. Would have been better off that way.

The guy is just completely out of ideas, generating clickbait videos because he cant make original content to save his life anymore. He has made more then enough to retire. Time to move on.

And in the end, being a colossal **** and then saying "I was doing it for entertainment" doesnt make you any less of a colossal ****.

"The guys that PewDiePie hired also apologized in a video posted last month, saying they didn't understand the message they were supporting in the video."

BS, absolute BS. Unless you are mentally 2, there is 0 way these guys had no idea what they were doing.

 

[Fobus]

One thing I don't understand, why content aimed at children generate so much ad revenues. There's a reason why his young audience consume so many of his videos - because they don't have enough disposable income to buy stuff - games, subscribtions to netflix, etc, so they consume free entertainent on youtube. Why can't buy the stuff they are being marketed. Why ad executives think they are worth their ad money? Surely better ROI would be to target older demographics?

I'm sure it has some return on investment, but surely not #1 on whole youtube?

 

[oldikes]

He knows he doesn't have to put in effort to make revenue off his channel anymore. he just trolls.

 

[Squid Surprise]

"The guys that PewDiePie hired also apologized in a video posted last month, saying they didn't understand the message they were supporting in the video."

They held a poster saying "Death to all Jews".... unless their excuse is that they didn't understand the language it was written in (or they are illiterate), I don't think that's a viable excuse... Explain how that can be interpreted in any way other than offensive?

 

[Nobina]

Dude should have deleted his channel when he originally threatened to. Would have been better off that way.

The guy is just completely out of ideas, generating clickbait videos because he cant make original content to save his life anymore.

When did he make original content ever? He just screams at a mircrophone like an *****, not because he is immature but because it gets views, somehow. Clickbait is something everyone does now cause it gets views, it's the number one thing on YouTube, which is why it's absolute ****.

 

[ForgottenLegion]

Never saw the appeal in any he's ever made. Channels like his seem so fake. Shouting into the mic and over exaggerating every action. That's annoying not entertaining.

 

[Uncle Al]

Never saw a racist yet that was had a bit of common sense .... maybe he'll be lucky like the last Grand Dragon of the KKK and have his wife put an end to his suffering ...... LOL

 

[Skjetne]

"The guys that PewDiePie hired also apologized in a video posted last month, saying they didn't understand the message they were supporting in the video."

They held a poster saying "Death to all Jews".... unless their excuse is that they didn't understand the language it was written in (or they are illiterate), I don't think that's a viable excuse... Explain how that can be interpreted in any way other than offensive?

That's what he also said when they said that they didn't understand what they where saying.

But in his defence, he did it more to test what people where willing to do. Most people flagged him, and refused, but those guys and "jesus" actually did it. The ones taking the order are equally to blame for fulfilling it, despite being hateful (they could not have known that it was ment as a joke).

But you reap what you sow I guess..

 

[Burty117]

"The guys that PewDiePie hired also apologized in a video posted last month, saying they didn't understand the message they were supporting in the video."

BS, absolute BS. Unless you are mentally 2, there is 0 way these guys had no idea what they were doing.

You didn't watch the video then?

"The guys that PewDiePie hired also apologized in a video posted last month, saying they didn't understand the message they were supporting in the video."

They held a poster saying "Death to all Jews".... unless their excuse is that they didn't understand the language it was written in (or they are illiterate), I don't think that's a viable excuse... Explain how that can be interpreted in any way other than offensive?

Same I guess goes for you?

The guys who held the poster up were in Africa and didn't speak English properly. They just printed out whatever came from Fiverr and held it up, jumping up and down excitedly.

Here's a link on YouTube to the Fiverr Video so you can see what I mean, I really do doubt those guys knew what they had on the sign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT3GE0Avv6o

Either way, at the time when he released the video it was funny. He was pushing the limits to see what he could get people to do or say on Fiverr, turns out, upset literally the entire internet xD

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Waste of good oxygen.

 

[fimbles]

Maybe I am weird. I thought it was as funny as hell

 

[Burty117]

Maybe I am weird. I thought it was as funny as hell

No I found it funny as well. We live in a world full of Politically Correct rubbish or people who simply can't take a joke. I think South Park has been jabbing at people like that for the last few seasons xD

 

[wiyosaya]

Maybe I am weird. I thought it was as funny as hell

It sounds like Disney assumes his target audience is the young and impressionable. Unfortunately, the young and impressionable do not yet have the capacity to understand content like this in an adult fashion. Adults, however, are a different story.

 

[amstech]

Did you just call him a Youtube sensation?
If 10 million people like a foolish thing, its still a foolish thing.

 

[ManuelV]

So, what the internet is saying is that it wasn't a joke and he needs to be punished?

 

[Ranger1st]

So , he says 'death to all Jews' and that's a capital crime to all, but the feminists say 'die cis scum' the BLM say ' all whites must die', the liberals say ' blow up the white house and rape melenia ' .. BUT that's ok with the media and byt the indications here, most of you. You hypocrites on here that are morally and ethically offended by PDP, yet fail to take umbrage with the rest of the above narratives are a major part of the the problem. The world seeks to find balance and the more radical and more accepting society becomes of the liberal degeneracy. The more it's creating the balance point, and that's the right.. the hard line nationalists and the hard line are the ones with the alpha males and the guns and unlike the left, which yells for thew police the moment the right starts to swing back and they have nowhere to fee to.. the Right will not stop swinging. It's already happening.

 

[ManuelV]

So , he says 'death to all Jews' and that's a capital crime to all, but the feminists say 'die cis scum' the BLM say ' all whites must die', the liberals say ' blow up the white house and rape melenia ' .. BUT that's ok with the media and byt the indications here, most of you. You hypocrites on here that are morally and ethically offended by PDP, yet fail to take umbrage with the rest of the above narratives are a major part of the the problem. The world seeks to find balance and the more radical and more accepting society becomes of the liberal degeneracy. The more it's creating the balance point, and that's the right.. the hard line nationalists and the hard line are the ones with the alpha males and the guns and unlike the left, which yells for thew police the moment the right starts to swing back and they have nowhere to fee to.. the Right will not stop swinging. It's already happening.

Ah, PDP is a internet celebrity, that is why it is mention on this site and not the others comments you mention, and not because there are some people, in some place of the country/planet, that are crazy, it means we know what they said and think it is fine.

Do you see anyone here who mention blowing the white house or raping someone?.

 

[JaymondoGB]

Dont know who he is, so I guess that wont change then. He will fade into the past just like all these other so called "stars"

 

[Dimitrios]

Only in America you can be a millionaire and do nothing while doctors, cops, and soldiers get nothing.

 

[mrjgriffin]

Here's the hilarious part. Walt Disney himself was an anti-semetic.........

 

[EClyde]

According to Ancestry dot com's spit test I am >50% European Jewish (whatever that is) and I read about it.
If I owned a sports team could I name them the Fighting Hebes?

 

[EClyde]

Here's the hilarious part. Walt Disney himself was an anti-semetic.........

What I found was a statement by Meryl Streep a great actress that used to be kinda cute once a long time ago but has morphed into a female Robert Redford. Robert doesn't know his head from his *** and neither does Streep.

I also found the Disney's grandniece backs up Meryl. How well did old Walt's grand niece know his politics?

In conclusion: I need more proof then Streep and a grand niece. Seems to me without Walt here to defend himself and the frequency with which people SCREAM RACIST I am going to ignore the accusations. Now if you have tape of Walt saying something or his writings and you want to produce them I am all ears and eyes. Just don't tell me about songs from the Jungle Book.

 

[GhostRyder]

In all honesty, I am not a fan of PDP and in fact think his content is pretty boring to say the least. That being said, I think this is another overreaction from everyone and I highly doubt he is a real Anti-Semitic. He wanted to see what you could pay for and how far people will go and thought it would be funny. Should he have done that, no but hindsight is 20/20 and he thought it would get a funny reaction as shock humor or he would see you can't pay for that.

If he really was a full on Anti-Semitic, I doubt he would let people know because he making loads of money. Why jeopardize all the money your making to make your views public especially knowing that people would react really badly towards it. He made 15 million last year, I doubt he would really have done that video and hired that service just to make his views public knowing it could jeopardize him.