Christopher simply got a brief email that said that, after a re-review, it was determined that his videos did not, in fact, violate any guidelines. Then, without an apology or any other acknowledgement, both channels were reinstated. Hours later, he got a curt email informing him his appeal was denied-again, with no explanation of what policies he had violated. “I didn’t know what I was appealing,” he explains, “since I didn’t know what I did wrong.” He just told the anonymous authority that his channel was clean and promoted responsible gambling. For them to turn around and shut me down with zero explanation hurts.”Ĭhristopher immediately filed an appeal. I gave them 1,100 videos and made them a lot of money. “It was like a stab in the back.” Christopher says. As far as the creators knew, they were doing exactly what the platform wanted them to: generate and promote original content that brings clicks. Both channels had been, presumably, making good money for YouTube. But in the side hustle economy, where you let people watch you play slots, drive them to the casino, or even write about what they do there, the rules-to the extent that there are rules-are much less transparent. You have a good idea of what it takes to get fired from your job: punching the boss is out, as is destroying company property, showing up drunk, or doing all three. It’s about being able to market original content that drives clicks. It’s no longer about musical or athletic talent, looks, or even being in the right place at the right time.

Platforms like YouTube have redefined the nature of celebrity itself. Instead, they are famous to their fanbases of a few hundred thousand for as long as they can keep cranking out new content. Everyone’s not world famous for fifteen minutes.

Fifty years later, we’re in the future, and Warhol was half right. Andy Warhol famously said back in 1968 that in the future, everyone would be world famous for fifteen minutes.

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