Pewdiepie Vs T-Series: Why The Obsession?

The rivalry between the YouTube channels of PewDiePie and T-Series for the title of the platform's most-subscribed channel began in late 2018 when T-Series' subscriber count began to near PewDiePie's. T-Series is an Indian record label and movie production company, while PewDiePie is a Swedish YouTuber who makes comedic videos. The rivalry sparked conversations about the future of YouTube, with T-Series representing the rise of corporate entities and foreign interlopers on the platform, and PewDiePie representing independent content creators. The competition between the two channels inspired many extreme responses from fans, including marches, billboards, and hacking.

The rise of corporate channels on YouTube

The rivalry between PewDiePie and T-Series was not just a battle for the title of the most-subscribed YouTube channel. It represented a shift in how established media companies viewed YouTube and the growing divide between individual content creators and corporations using the platform to advertise their shows.

T-Series, an Indian record label and movie production company, first heard about YouTube when it discovered that its music was being pirated on the site. In 2010, T-Series went to court against YouTube and obtained an injunction from the High Court of Delhi. However, during the legal battle, T-Series recognised the power of the platform and began informal talks with YouTube, which culminated in a licensing agreement signed at the end of 2010. The first official T-Series video was uploaded to YouTube on January 1, 2011.

T-Series' success on YouTube is the result of a combination of factors. Firstly, India is a massive growth area for YouTube and all digital media. This has had a knock-on effect on Indian YouTube channels, with a significant increase in the number of channels with over a million subscribers in recent years. T-Series has profited from this growth, with its videos accounting for a quarter of all views on YouTube in India last year.

Additionally, T-Series has cleverly exploited YouTube's algorithm by providing a steady stream of high-quality videos, outpacing individual creators like PewDiePie. The company also benefits from a range of on-camera talent and has diversified its content to include web series for platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube.

The rise of corporate channels like T-Series on YouTube has sparked concerns among individual content creators, who feel that they are being pushed out by global musicians and corporations. This dissatisfaction came to a head with the YouTube Rewind 2018 Controversy, where users felt that the yearly recap prioritised corporate and "ad-friendly" content over a celebration of creators and the content that made YouTube unique.

The rivalry between PewDiePie and T-Series can be seen as symbolic of the larger tension between individual content creators and corporate channels on YouTube. While T-Series has been criticised as a "faceless, corporate YouTube channel," its president, Neeraj Kalyan, disagrees, arguing that T-Series is "working like any other creator" and providing a platform for multiple artists.

Despite the concerns of individual content creators, the rise of corporate channels on YouTube seems inevitable given the platform's expanding global reach and the increasing monetisation of its top channels. As YouTube continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the relationship between individual creators and corporate entities develops and whether a balance can be struck between the two.

The use of extreme and illegal tactics by supporters

Supporters of PewDiePie went to extreme and illegal lengths to promote his channel and encourage people to subscribe. In March 2019, the Brooklyn War Memorial was vandalised with graffiti reading "Subscribe to PewDiePie". This incident was followed by another case of vandalism two days prior, where "SUB 2 pewdiepie" was written on a school's property in Oxford, United Kingdom.

In addition to acts of vandalism, supporters of PewDiePie also engaged in hacking. In November and December 2018, hackers under the pseudonyms "HackerGiraffe" and "j3ws3r" exploited vulnerabilities in certain printers, causing them to print messages urging people to subscribe to PewDiePie and improve their printer's security settings. In January 2019, the same hackers compromised over 65,000 Google Chromecast streaming dongles, displaying a similar message on smart TVs. During the same month, dozens of Nest cameras were hacked by a hacker using the pseudonym "SydeFX", who demanded that victims subscribe to PewDiePie.

In December 2018, a hacker defaced one of The Wall Street Journal's websites to display a message apologising for articles accusing PewDiePie of antisemitism and urging readers to subscribe to his channel. The hacker "j3ws3r" also took down T-Series' website with a denial-of-service attack. In February 2019, Bob Buckhorn, the mayor of Tampa, Florida, had his Twitter account hacked to post malicious tweets, including one encouraging users to subscribe to PewDiePie.

In March 2019, a user on the PewDiePie subreddit developed ransomware called "PewCrypt" that encrypted files on Microsoft Windows machines. The attacker claimed that they would release a decryption key when PewDiePie hit 100 million subscribers, but if T-Series reached that milestone first, the decryption tool would be deleted.

The association of the Subscribe to PewDiePie meme with neo-Nazi ideology

The "Subscribe to PewDiePie" meme has been associated with neo-Nazi ideology due to the YouTuber's history of flirting with alt-right culture and amplifying anti-Semitic rhetoric. In a video posted on December 9, 2018, PewDiePie recommended several channels he had been enjoying, including one called "E;R," praising its "great video essays" and linking to the channel in the description. The E;R channel has been identified as a hotbed of anti-Semitism, racism, and alt-right rhetoric, with its anonymous creator referencing his reputation as a racist in the FAQ section. This incident sparked immediate outcry, with critics citing it as another example of PewDiePie normalizing white supremacist alt-right rhetoric to his millions of followers, many of whom are teenagers.

PewDiePie's response to the backlash further fueled concerns about his association with neo-Nazi ideology. In a follow-up video, he dismissed the incident as an "oopsie" and claimed that he was unaware of the Nazi references in the E;R channel's content. However, critics argued that the offensive content was fairly obvious, and the video in question contained a racial slur in its description. This was not an isolated incident, as PewDiePie had previously faced backlash for using Nazi symbolism and making anti-Semitic jokes in his videos, resulting in the end of a deal with Disney.

The "Subscribe to PewDiePie" meme gained further traction among his followers, who engaged in various activities to promote his channel and keep him as the most-subscribed YouTube channel. While some of these activities were harmless, such as organized marches and supportive videos, others crossed legal boundaries, including vandalism, hacking, and the creation of malware. The activism of some supporters took a disturbing turn when the perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019 mentioned PewDiePie's name and used the "Subscribe to PewDiePie" phrase before the attack.

PewDiePie himself eventually requested his supporters to end the "Subscribe to PewDiePie" meme, stating that it should have ended after the Christchurch shooting. He expressed his condemnation of the attack and the mental toll it had on him. Despite his attempts to distance himself from the shooter's actions, the association of the "Subscribe to PewDiePie" meme with neo-Nazi ideology had already been made in the public eye.

The role of PewDiePie in cultivating his fanbase

PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, is a Swedish YouTuber known for his comedic videos. He has been portrayed in the media as a figurehead for YouTube, especially in the genre of gaming.

PewDiePie's popularity on YouTube and extensive media coverage have made him one of the most noted online personalities and content creators. He has also been cited by various publications as largely influential for digital content creation and Internet culture, particularly relating to video gaming subcultures.

PewDiePie's content was already noted for its polarizing reception among general audiences online, but in the late 2010s, it became more controversial and attracted increased media scrutiny. In 2019, following a public competition with Indian record label T-Series, PewDiePie was overtaken as the most-subscribed YouTube channel.

PewDiePie's early years as a YouTube creator focused on video game commentaries, most notably of horror and action video games. Some of his earliest videos featured commentaries of mainstream video games including Minecraft and Call of Duty, although he was particularly noted for his Let's Plays of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and its related mods.

PewDiePie's oldest video available for viewing is titled "Minecraft Multiplayer Fun". Uploaded on 2 October 2010, the video is noted for containing mainly Swedish commentary from PewDiePie, rather than the English language he would later employ in his videos. The video has amassed over 21 million video views as of August 2022.

PewDiePie's subscriber count surpassed that of the leading channel, Smosh, on 15 August 2013. PewDiePie received a certificate from Guinness World Records for becoming the most subscribed YouTuber.

PewDiePie's content has been described by various outlets as goofy, energetic, and obnoxious, yet genuine and unfiltered. PewDiePie's content has also been received negatively by the media, with detractors describing it as "obnoxious" and often reporting his popularity as an "inexplicable phenomenon".

PewDiePie's fanbase has been subject to criticism; in July 2018, Wired published an article, referring to PewDiePie's fan base as "toxic", stating that "it's not just that they've stuck with the Swedish gamer/alleged comedian as he peppered his videos with racial slurs, rape jokes, antisemitism, and homophobia for nearly a decade (though that's bad enough). It's also that they insist that PewDiePie somehow isn't being hateful at all."

The impact of regional audiences and content

T-Series' success can be attributed to its focus on regional audiences and content. India is a massive growth area for YouTube and all digital media, and T-Series has been able to profit from this. The company has a large number of channels that cater to regional audiences in India, with content in various languages, including Bengali and Tamil. This has allowed T-Series to tap into a wide range of audiences within the country.

T-Series also benefited from the Jio Effect, which caused an upsurge of Indian users on YouTube. This, coupled with the fact that T-Series uploads multiple videos per day, has contributed to its rapid growth in subscribers.

T-Series' focus on regional audiences and content has been a key factor in its success and has helped it become one of the biggest channels on YouTube. By catering to the specific needs and interests of regional audiences in India, T-Series has been able to build a large and dedicated subscriber base.

In addition to its focus on regional audiences, T-Series has also diversified its content offerings. The company has recently established a division that produces web series for platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube. This diversification strategy has likely contributed to its success and helped it attract a wider range of viewers.

T-Series' ability to adapt to the changing media landscape and cater to the needs and interests of regional audiences has been a key factor in its growth and success. By providing content that resonates with viewers in different regions of India, T-Series has been able to establish itself as a leading player in the digital media space.

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