Sorry PewDiePie, but I prefer Paul Gale. Against a tidal wave of pre-teens clamoring for daily web cam soliloquies, I prefer the YouTuber who not only has the courage to make traditional entertainment in a cutting edge space, but also the skill and, even more than that, the concentration. In a growing digital terrain sanctioned by more and more advertisers looking to make fast, cheap, “viral†commentary on what’s happening now now now, web creators are incentivized to sell their visions short. Gale, somehow, is unwavering in his pure pursuit of making his own, unfettered inspiration come to life. He’s leveraging YouTube in a way so few others can – or dare to – and chasing the long haul of art in the face of this afternoon’s opportunity. The encouraging part is: he’s getting millions and millions of views in the process. So much for the “art vs. money†conundrum. And again, my apologies to PewDiePie.
Luke is a writer/director for CollegeHumor and a watcher of many web videos. Send him yours @LKellyClyne.