Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry. This week, PewDiePie, Addison Rae, and Tom Scott are all impressing us with their second careers. Also, The Onion did something silly.
Creator commotion
PewDiePie’s art is making people reevaluate their life choices. The one-time king of YouTube drew every day for a year, and he got pretty good at art. So good, in fact, that other artists are wondering how their progress has been so slow in comparison. This is your weekly reminder that creators are good at tasks that involve repeated grinding. That’s why they play so many video games.
Kai Cenat leads Streamer Award noms. Speaking of video games, dozens of gamers will vie for trophies at QTCinderella‘s annual celebration of streaming content. None of those gamers are up for as many awards as Kai Cenat, who set a new show record with five noms in a single year. That’s what happens when you keep breaking records.
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Marques Brownlee drove too fast. The tech reviewer had to apologize after he was caught going 96 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. Though I understand the condemnation Brownlee faced, as a fellow New Jersey native, I do have some sympathy for him. If you’ve ever been on the Garden State Parkway, you know that Jersey drivers like to go fast.
Pop culture minute
Addison Rae was the real Brat all along. The TikTok star featured on a remix of the Charli XCX hit “Von Dutch,” and the track scored a Grammy nom for Best Remixed Recording. I can only imagine that Rae celebrated her feat with a nice cold Diet Pepsi.
It’s going to be a very Jschlatt Christmas. The creator born Jared Schlatt has recorded some unique takes on classic holiday standards. Forget streaming — if Jschlatt can become a regular on every big-box retailer’s Christmas playlist, he’ll be set for life.
Tom Scott left YouTube. Then he wrote a book. Scott, known for his inquisitive explorations of scientific and mathematical concepts, took a break from his channel at the start of 2024. 11 months later, he’s releasing Lateral, a book that challenges readers to think outside the box. If you like using your brain to solve puzzles, check it out.
The biz
Sam and Colby are a Hot Topic this fall. The duo known for their joint explorations of haunted locations have brought their apparel brand XPLR to Hot Topic locations across North America. On Instagram, Sam and Colby said that they’ve been fans of Hot Topic since elementary school, in case their entire vibe didn’t make that obvious already.
Hawk Tuah dating app. Need I say more? If you don’t want to get a million messages from suitors who will make some crass joke about spitting on that thang, then don’t download Pookie.
Get your prop bets in before the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson clash. Bookmakers will give you favorable odds if you want to bet on Tyson biting Paul’s ear, like he did to Evander Holyfield in 1997. If you want to bet on Tyson biting Paul’s private parts instead, the odds are five times better. As silly as these props are, they help explain why the Paul/Tyson tilt is happening. A lot of money is going to be wagered on this fight.
Agency dealings
Peet Montzingo signs with CESD Talent Agency. Montzingo is a short-form breakout star who has parlayed his wacky family life into a book deal, a music career, and more. CESD Talent will look to keep the good times rolling for Montzingo and his associates.
CAA presses start with Scott the Woz. Scott Wozniak’s game reviews and video essays have brought in nearly two million subscribers on YouTube. Now he’s linking up with CAA to improve upon his already impressive distribution strategy. He’s already shown up on linear TV. Where to next?
Kensington Grey is working with WNBA ballers. The firm that advocates for underrepresented creators in the influencer marketing landscape has added basketball players Isabelle “Izzy” Harrison and Aerial Powers to its roster. Female athletes have unprecedented momentum in the creator game right now, and Kensington Grey is not missing its opportunity to buy into that trend.
The internet is a strange place
The Onion buying Infowars is the best. The satirical publication will turn Alex Jones’ old stomping grounds into a parody of itself. The Onion brought back print media and made fringe conspiracy theories sound funny. Can it turn the frickin’ frogs gay?
Sketch has a Feastables vending machine in his $20 million mansion. Imagine reading that sentence to someone who was scraping by in the creator world 15 years ago. Their first question would probably be “what’s Feastables?” followed by “Who’s MrBeast?” and “He got how many views?”
An Argentine soccer club is taking creator stunt signings to the next level. YouTube star Spreen got a minute of game time for Deportivo Riestra in Argentina’s top-flight league. Now it’s A.C. Milan’s turn: Put in iShowSpeed, you cowards!
