James Charles has returned to YouTube this month after his controversy a few months ago. Charles uploaded “An Open Conversation” after a break of almost three months. He sought to make it right and take his place in the YouTube spotlight once again. But considering his past woes, the return wasn’t ever going to be painless.
An “Open” Conversation
After he uploaded his return video on the 2nd of July, the YouTube community went ablaze in minutes. He was back with good intentions. This was his attempt to reach out to the fans, unfiltered. But millions of views and countless videos in response later, some began to believe his return wasn’t a good faith attempt to make it right. Instead, it might have been a highly calculated move, seeking to take advantage of his platform and mislead his followers. In his video, Charles made a big claim that this time his return would be discussed in an “Honest, raw, unfiltered way”. And for his part, at least in the face of it, he was making good on that promise during the video.
Regardless of his intentions, however, Charles’ return video wasn’t given a break by the community. With an almost negative ratio of likes and dislikes gathered shortly and countless responses made, Charles’ return plan was about to be spoiled.
A Behavioral Examination
As part of the response to the video, some in the community called in to question the genuineness of his remarks. And some creators that specialized in behavioral observations have acted on this worry to deconstruct the mannerisms James Charles displayed in his video, and to explain the disconnect between his words and the feelings some got.
Observing the Calculations
In his video, YouTube creator “Observe” points out that Charles chose to film the conversation in his usual set. And his tone and gestures were all seemingly regular for this type of conversation. But regardless of his tone, his language choices gave out some red flags. While Charles aimed for honesty, his choice of words regarding the apology part of his video was poor. As during the video, he unintentionally revealed to the viewers his unending aspiration of protecting his brand and his image above all else. Observe additionally pointed out that this pattern of behavior was nothing new for Charles. Because he had also made similar remarks in the past with his many apologies.
Overflowing Out the Cup
Approaching the conversation from a different angle, the YouTube channel “Tea Spill” drew attention to the absurd choice Charles made during his return video. His return/revised apology video takes a turn in the later minutes as Charles starts putting make-up on. Tea Spill claims James did this to distract the viewer from the conversation. This action, they pointed out, not only takes away the genuineness of the video but also serves as a slap in the face for all that has been hurt by his actions in the past.
James Charles meanwhile, has chosen to return to his regular uploads and mostly disregarded the responses. And although he hasn’t been getting as many views as before his latest controversy, he has more than once proven from his several scandals that if someone can find a way to bounce back, it would be him. Whether he deserves to or not is up to the community to decide, once again.
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