Logan Paul apparently made a lot of money off of his apology video, and people are outraged
After Logan Paul uploaded a video to YouTube that featured a dead body hanging in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, the internet collectively rallied to “cancel” him. He immediately deleted the triggering and mindlessly cruel video, apologized on Twitter, and then uploaded an apology video that reportedly was monetized. In the apology he called his original video a “severe and continuous lapse in judgment” and said “I should’ve never posted the video. I should’ve put the cameras down.”
His apology has garnered 29.2 million views (at the time of publication). And according to SocialBlade, it has already earned him somewhere between $14,000 and $116,000.
To get you up to speed on Paul and his YouTube career, Forbes estimates that he made $12.5 million in 2017 largely from YouTube videos like “surfing down the street on a giant Christmas tree” and “my first fist fight.”
Twitter is rightfully outraged that Paul has been able to profit off of a grave ethical mistake, and others condemned YouTube for allowing a platform where bad behavior is compensated. Some people demanded that he donate the proceeds from the apology video to charity.
Paul is apparently taking a break from videos at the moment and has not responded to the reported monetization of his apology video.
taking time to reflect
no vlog for now
see you soon— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/948389807142576130
Logan Paul monetizing his apology video for uploading a vlog in which he laughed at and zoomed into a dead body, which he also monetized, just further proves how ignorant and money hungry he is. Some people do not deserve the success and platforms they have.
— antonio (@antoniodelotero) January 2, 2018
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Hey @LoganPaul you really want to apologize? Donate the $20,000.00 you just made on your MONETIZED apology video to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Set a real example. Stop with the crocodile tears. Do something that matters…
— Zakry Hayden (@ZakHaydenMusic) January 3, 2018
The entire YouTube ecosystems is a fraught one, with other YouTubers uploading their own “Logan Paul Reaction” videos and in turn making money off these clips. false
It’s one thing for Paul to have a lapse in judgment with taking and posting the original video, but it’s another thing entirely that he’s able to profit off this mistake. At this point Paul has not suffered any major setbacks professionally or financially for posting the original video — if anything, this incident has made him more money.
Hopefully YouTube steps in to adjudicate: our larger fear is that in a culture where videos clicks drive profit, others may see a “YouTube scandal” as a big payday with little personal consequence.
