Just a couple of weeks back, we discussed a controversy that rocked the OG youtube world. Here is the complete account of the Colleen Ballinger scandal.
And we are here again, unpacking a mess of an apology video. Let’s get straight into it…
Brief Summary Of The Accusations Against Colleen Ballinger
In 2020, Adam McIntyre uploaded a video on Youtube alleging that he was groomed and used by a veteran Youtuber, Colleen Ballinger. That video did manage to catch a few eyeballs and start a chatter. But Colleen’s fandom buried the whole exposé within a few days. And by the rule of the internet– if there’s no engagement, it means not serious.
Colleen kept creating videos on all her channels, especially her alias, Miranda Sings. It is an obnoxious character created by Colleen, who addresses internet things with an annoying accent and voice tone.
Overall, Colleen’s content can be considered PG-13, and her fandom mainly consists of adolescents to teenagers and a handful of young adults. She is one of the first content creators to bag her own TV show, Haters Back Off, which ran from 2016-2017.
Adam accused Colleen of approaching him for his creative work and did not credit him. But this was the least of the issue. The point of contention here is the misuse of power dynamics that often results in grooming. Colleen was in her 30s, and Adam was just a teenager when she allegedly groomed him between 2017-2020.
The details of these accusations are disturbing enough to resurface this case again in 2023. While more people came forward with their bizarre encounters with Ballinger, she went radio silent on the issue and instead performed in her fan-meet tour. She addresses these allegations vaguely in one of the tours–
“It’s been a crazy just kind of few years in general. Life is crazy. There are so many things to say, and I’m not going to say those things for now. But I do want to say that I am so appreciative of you guys, and I’m very grateful; I know I have already said that – I’m saying it again. Another time in my life when you guys have shown me a lot of love and support was when we were all going through the pandemic together.”
And cut to the present; she finally sits down to address the situation and apologize…wait… is that an apology or an indie music video? Let’s find out.
Colleen Ballinger Apology Video
I think we are witnessing an internet history. No one could have imagined an apology video starting with a ukulele.
Colleen is pulling the strings, but it seems like the strings to her career are far gone.
Here’s a complete transcript of the song if you don’t want to listen to the out-of-tune instrument–
These are some key takeaways from the “apology.” Feel free to comment with your own take–
- According to Colleen, this entire issue is an elaborate effort to cancel her.
- She implies that the accusers her digging her past too deep to point out her mistakes.
- She acknowledges that her past behavior was not something she is proud of and, since then, has made a lot of changes within herself.
- She also equates Adam’s grooming accusations to that one oversharing auntie in every family who borders on inappropriate statements.
- The rest of the song is just her pointing fingers back at the accusers, saying they simply want fame from this drama. According to her, they are vilifying her by blowing the situation out of proportion.
- At one point, she also implies that no matter what she says now, people won’t be willing to listen to her and rather board the hate train.
- She plays the victim card that these accusations have made people send death threats and wishes to her. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, sending someone death threats is inexcusable. But since Adam presented valid screenshots, the “innocent” train left the station for Ballinger.
- But she misses the entire point of the accusations when she reduces the situation by saying that she is canceled because– “FIVE YEARS AGO, I MADE A FART JOKE.”
- She never addressed that she was engaging in inappropriate chats with minors.
Here is the problem with the apology video…. She has not apologized. Plus, her implications are severely problematic for grooming cases.
What Are Tea Channels?
If you notice, this “song” chorus is “ToXiC gOssIp TrAiN!”
Ballinger implies that this is Adam’s effort to gain internet fame by creating a drama. Adam McIntyre’s Youtube channel can be considered a Tea/drama channel.
Simply put, he posts commentary on various internet dramas. Usually, the “Tea Channels” are considered as the bottom of the barrel in content creation because people think that they are not really creating their own content but rather harping on others’ videos.
They often exaggerate, elaborate, and draw conclusions for the sake of entertainment.
When Colleen says toxic gossip train, she implies that Adam’s serious accusations are nothing but a vile attempt at blowing the drama. However, grooming is a serious issue, where young minds are susceptible to online predators.
Youtube Apology Videos
Dramaggedon was a prime example of the career assassination of a majority makeup community. These videos are futile attempts to regain their reputation after they are exposed and their followers turn on them.
Colleen has taken the fake apology to the next level with her musical performance. But what does that say about severe allegations? Is this a mockery of a rampant online issue where minors become the victims?
Even though Colleen’s case is not that extreme, it is disconcerting given her content is accessible on the Youtube Kids app. It is high time that Youtubers are held accountable for severe accusations rather than perceiving this as mere entertainment.
What are your thoughts on Colleen’s apology video? Do you think that her text messages require legal action? Should she be de-platformed as a punishment? Do you believe there is more to her side of the story?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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