-
The ‘Traumageddon’ Reckoning
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #144 | June 20, 2023 Youtuber Colleen Ballinger is currently facing an onslaught of allegations of grooming and inappropriate behavior from former young fans and employees. Though the situation, known as “traumageddon,” may seem like niche influencer drama, it’s actually indicative of how creators have come to hold each other accountable. I’ll…
-
Creators Face an Existential Crisis. But Help is On the Way.
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #143 | June 15, 2023 Today’s newsletter is presented by Detail, a powerful all-in-one app for video creators at every level. Use Passionfruit’s referral link to try out their new iOS app Detail Duo, which allows you to dual record, edit and post directly from your phone. SPONSORED Detail Duo is the…
-
The Creator Labor Economy is Broken. Pay Your Mods Anyway.
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #142 | June 13, 2023 Don’t adjust your screens, we’re trying out some new stuff here on the newsletter. Starting with this long overdue meet-and-greet: Hi! I’m Drew Grant, and I’m the managing editor of Passionfruit. If you’ve noticed we’ve been shifting around our content coverage, I’m the person to blame for…
-
Streamers Rally Against ‘Anti-Creator’ Policies From Twitch
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #141 | June 8, 2023 Just 24 hours after announcing a sweep of stringent restrictions on branded content on Tuesday, Twitch backtracked Wednesday, removing the changes due to creator backlash. Creators were furious at the new policies, rightfully calling the changes “anti-creator” for making sponsorships far more difficult and expensive for streamers…
-
Long Gone Are the Days of Facetune
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #140 | June 6, 2023 Long gone are the days of Facetune, of merely erasing the occasional zit or lightening dark circles after a late-night out on a static, good morning post. Now, with new filters from TikTok, you have the power to completely transform your face on video, warping your eyes…
-
🪧 People Over Profit
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #139 | June 1, 2023 Greetings, fellow humans. With science and tech leaders issuing apocalyptic robot warnings, teens bullying Snapchat’s new chatbot to make it whimper and call them “senpai,” and influencers multiplying into clones, it’s impossible to escape the AI craze these days. We’re flying fast into the unknown with no…
-
🎮 ‘League of Legends’ Union Refuses To Play
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #138 | May 30, 2023 In a historic move, professional League of Legends players in the North American League Championship Series (LCS) are making their voices heard. Just days before its highly anticipated summer season kicks off this Thursday, these players voted to walk out. The uproar stems from Riot Games’ decision…
-
🦹 Bogus Copyright Strikes Again!
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #137 | May 25, 2023 Brace yourselves, because our town misogynist, edgy streamer Adin Ross, actually copystriked a video… he helped make??? It looks like the edgelord supreme copystriked one of his collaborators, Call of Duty streamer Futives, who co-streamed gaming with Ross (with Ross getting his ass righteously handed to him…
-
😡 Is YouTube Doing Enough To Prevent False Copystrikes?
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #136 | May 23, 2023 We’re thrilled to welcome star internet culture journalist Kelsey Weekman as a contributor for Passionfruit. This week, she explores the case of YouTuber Alex Edson, who is facing heat for nearly de-platforming his rivals with allegedly false copyright strikes. It begs the question: Is YouTube doing enough…
-
📣 Elon Musk’s ‘Free Speech’ Hellscape
CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #135 | May 18, 2023 Ever since billionaire Elon Musk took the reins of Twitter for a staggering $44 billion in October 2022, Twitter has transformed into a hub of chaos. It seems every week the platform makes headlines—whether its for the appointment of a new CEO, the launch of Twitter Blue,…
