VidCon 2023: Elf Bars & Egos

Issue #146 | June 27, 2023

Instagram Night Out is an invite-only VidCon event where 800 creators peacock, network, and hope to make agency and industry connections that will lead to better business deals. The splashy VidCon event occurred at a boozy music venue, the City National Grove of Anaheim, which has seen the likes of Prince, Stevie Nicks, Ray Charles, and other legends on its stage.

But on a Friday night in June, creators like the newly reformed Try Guys, Louie Castro, Angry Reactions, Celina Spooky Boo, and Safiya Nygaard walk the red carpet or huddle in exclusive corners of the room. Plebeians like me enter as they would any industry party: awkward and alone, praying to run into someone they know.

At a party full of egomaniacs where imposter syndrome is contagious, it’s worth questioning who the new gatekeepers of the media landscape are. Does the entertainment establishment still reign? Sort of. Although Hollywood is 34 miles away and media giant Viacom owns the convention, “non-traditional” media is still king at VidCon. Instead of studio bosses solely setting the rules, the top 5% of creators and TikTok, Meta, and YouTube executives are calling the shots on who gets to make money, what stories to tell, and exactly who gets invited to parties like these.

VidCon said it brought in 55,000 guests this year, including internet celebrities like Keke Palmer, Dream, the aforementioned Try Guys, and Smosh. But on this night, MrBeast’s manager, Marc Hustvedt, is the main topic of conversation. Hustvedt, the “president” at MrBeast, hosted a much-talked-about panel earlier in the con, in which he warned creators to steer clear of TikTok due to potential turmoil from the 2024 election season and regulatory threats surrounding the platform.

By now, the world knows who MrBeast is and how he harnessed attention-grabbing stunts, clicky thumbnails, and candy consumerism to reach 163 million subscribers. Yet, no one was talking about MrBeast, at least not directly. They were talking about Hustvedt, the guy pulling the strings.

“The best panel I went to was by this guy,” said Devin Robbins, a video editor previously featured in Passionfruit, pointing to Hustvedt. “It’s MrBeast’s manager.”

At Robbins’ panel earlier in the day, he spoke candidly about the labor behind major social media empires. It’s hard to advocate for fair pay and working conditions at VidCon, a place that prioritizes brand hype above all else. Still, Robbins and his co-panelists did just that by pointing to the long hours and high expectations placed on those lesser-known creators working behind the camera: editors, copywriters, producers, and graphic designers.

Some people operating behind the scenes are everyday creative laborers. Others are big-shot executives, like Hustvedt. Some are good bosses who will ignite your passion and compensate you fairly. Others will neg and squeeze every last dime out of their underlings. That’s just the reality of the landscape.

Hollywood suits are no longer the only people shaping the entertainment landscape. Now, social media executives use creative people for social currency or monetization potential. And they’re not the only ones accused of nefarious behavior — even the publicly charitable MrBeast has been accused of berating and belittling younger employees.

The “creator economy” was supposed to be revolutionary. But 13 years after the first VidCon, it’s clear that although some gatekeepers are different, they’re just maintaining the status quo. The adults are talking, and surprise millennials, you now are the adults. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Even with labor issues hanging in the air, the party was a great opportunity to dish out industry gossip, connect face-to-face, and party. You look up from your phone, and Zach of the Try Guys will be doing an odd but endearing dance next to you. Comedian Adam Rose comes up and goes on a zany rant. Cozy crafting queen Holly Auna gives you a handmade rubber ducky bracelet. And for a moment, you can let go of all the expectations gatekeepers — and yourself — have set.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need hundreds of thousands of followers to be a creator. You don’t need to appease advertisers and brands, and you don’t need to win a Webby. You don’t need to be MrBeast.

And honestly, you don’t need to fork over the $185 to go to VidCon. Sure, it’s a networking event, but you can also connect with people online or in smaller (free) gatherings. You can find the tools you need in community Discord servers, or even on Passionfruit. It doesn’t make you any less of a creator not to give a fuck about this dog and pony show.

– Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor

ON THE GROUND

Elf Bars & Egos: VidCon 2023

Passionfruit’s Publisher issues a dispatch from VidCon.

By James Del, Passionfruit Publisher

→ READ THE FULL STORY

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THE COMMENTS SECTION

“Hot Take: content creation was my dream job, but right now I’m kind of glad it’s my hobby. I hope content creators get a better deal soon — or maybe even a union.”
—VTuber Aurora Kosmik on the difficulties of full-time content creation.

IN THE BIZ

YouTube announced it is testing a thumbnail A/B campaign tool that allows creators to test the performance of up to three thumbnails.
It also announced an AI dubbing tool that automatically translates videos to new languages.
TikTok is preparing a new online shopping strategy to rival platforms like Shein and Amazon.
Reddit hackers threatened to leak confidential information unless the company pays a ransom and reverses its despised API price hikes.
Discord is planning to allow creators to sell downloadable products, like ebooks, guides, or digital art.
MrBeast is moving on from his “Beast Burger” brand, saying it’s too difficult to quality control a fast-food empire.
Despite ongoing concerns about Twitch’s 50/50 revenue split for creator subscriptions, Twitch launched a 70/30 split for its new “hype chat” — where fans can pay creators to pin their messages in chat.
Marvel faced backlash for featuring an AI-generated intro sequence in its latest series “Secret Invasion,” amid growing concerns in the entertainment industry over the use of AI over human creativity.
After an artist noticed a similarity between their art and a scene in a new video game, its developer Bungie said it will compensate and credit the artist. Goes to show, it’s always good to speak up when you feel your work has been copied.