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From chicken nugget vegetarians to pandemic parties, the disconnect is real! Join us as we count down our picks for the most jaw-dropping moments when famous content creators completely lost touch with reality. These influencer facepalms prove that sometimes, having millions of followers doesn't prevent you from making monumentally tone-deaf decisions.
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00:00I'm like, apparently I'm promoting gambling to kids, right?
00:03So I talked about that.
00:04It's my last video.
00:05I explained it.
00:06But like, that is like, I guess I was promoting gambling to kids.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:10And today we're counting down our picks for the jaw-dropping YouTuber misfires so disconnected
00:14from reality that they just about broke the internet and not in the good way.
00:18When I look at TanaCon, the things that I found out, they make TanaCon look like a lemonade
00:23stand, you know, a walk in the park.
00:25Cole and Savannah LeBrant share some controversial opinions.
00:28So much anger and so much hate.
00:31In the midst of it all, we truly believe that love is the answer.
00:37Instead of pro-life or pro-choice, is it possible for us to be pro-love?
00:44Internet personalities frequently try to leverage their platform for social commentary, sometimes
00:48with disastrous results.
00:50In the early 2020s, vloggers Cole and Savannah LeBrant released a video comparing the experience
00:56and implications of abortion to the Holocaust.
00:581,800 people died from heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., according
01:04to the CDC.
01:08But there's another, even more deadly killer than heart disease.
01:12By definition, abortion.
01:15Predictably, the backlash was immediate and intense as people called out the pair for trivializing
01:20one of history's greatest atrocities for some YouTube drama.
01:23Their analogy meant to stir emotion did little but spark outrage and demonstrate just how insensitive
01:27and out of touch high-profile creators can be when approaching complex moral issues.
01:31Like, you hear the word abortion, and I feel like it's become so normalized, and I'm glad
01:35that we can have conversations about it.
01:37But, like, where's the truth at?
01:39Yeah.
01:39Well, the truth is, you hear someone who's performed a thousand of them.
01:41Yeah.
01:42You know, instead of someone telling you, you know, what they think it is, or, like, you
01:46hear all these different, I don't want to say lies, but you just hear all these different
01:49variations of what an abortion is.
01:50Well, let's just go to the source.
01:51Colleen Ballinger denies allegations with a song.
02:09Apologies are usually meant to mend fences, but they can just as easily burn bridges.
02:13In 2023, Colleen Ballinger, known for her Miranda Sings character, tackled grooming allegations
02:18not with a heartfelt response, but with the now-infamous Toxic Gossip Train, a ukulele-based
02:23ditty denying accusations of inappropriate conduct.
02:26All aboard the Toxic Gossip Train, chugging down the tracks of misinformation, the Toxic Gossip
02:36Train, you got a one-way ticket to manipulation station.
02:42This bizarre musical approach left viewers confused, amused, and most of all, deeply unimpressed.
02:47The result, Colleen's attempt at deflection became instant meme fodder, and a masterclass
02:51in how not to handle controversy, putting the focus squarely on her melodramatic delivery
02:55instead of the serious accusations at hand.
02:58Although she eventually returned to the world of content creation, Ballinger's career took
03:02a serious long-term hit.
03:03Everybody I found someone new to harass, she did some things that I do not like in her
03:08past, so everybody gather round, cause we're about to attack, but not based on facts, oh
03:13no.
03:14Your loaded lethal weapon is your fingers on the keys, you don't need any armor when you
03:18can hide behind a screen, so shoot me down quick, click the click, and bam!
03:24The reputation's deceased.
03:26David Dobrik's $100,000 Puzzle Disaster
03:29One of the most common comments I see is you guys asking me for money, so I've finally
03:34figured out a way to get all of you guys' money.
03:37I sound like a scam, but this isn't a scam, listen.
03:39I made this puzzle, it's called The $100,000 Puzzle by David Dobrik, that's me.
03:43High-stakes giveaways are a long-standing YouTube staple, but every so often they veer into the
03:47preposterous.
03:48When David Dobrik launched his $100,000 Puzzle Contest in late 2020, it looked like a generous
03:53windfall.
03:54Take your camera on your phone, just like that, and then you scan it, cause it's a
03:57QR code, and look, now it'll load your prize, and you're going to 100% win, anywhere from
04:0225 cents to $100,000.
04:05And I won 25 cents!
04:07You guys can swipe up right now and get this puzzle for yourself or for a friend for Christmas,
04:11and do me a favor, when you scan the QR code, record your reaction.
04:14However, fans soon realized they were basically buying lottery tickets, albeit in puzzle piece
04:18form.
04:19That, more often than not, didn't lead to a prize at all.
04:22The convoluted rules, nearly impossible odds, and lackluster wins made the ordeal feel more
04:26like a cash grab than a fun fan event.
04:29Cementing Dobrik's generosity is woefully detached from what his redditor-heavy audience
04:33thought a fair contest should be.
04:35Just wanted to let you know that until March 31st, you have until March 31st to assemble
04:39your puzzle and collect the winnings.
04:41Hundreds of thousands have already won, but the 100,000 is still out there.
04:44No one got the 100,000.
04:46Really?
04:47Really?
04:48You're able to control who wins?
04:50Somebody wins the 100,000?
04:51That's so interesting to me.
04:53Fine Brothers React World Controversy.
04:54And it's because of all your support that we're now announcing this big thing that will
05:00bring us closer than ever before by creating a new way for us to create content together.
05:05This is not only a huge step for our company, but for the entire global media industry.
05:09Ever since React first debuted over five years ago, we saw the impact of the series.
05:13It probably goes without saying that internet users value creative freedom, not corporate
05:18control.
05:19So when the Fine Brothers tried to trademark the term React and license reaction videos
05:23to other channels under their React World banner, in 2016, the backlash was nothing short
05:27of volcanic.
05:28We're excited to announce React World, which is the first of its kind program that allows
05:32people and companies to license all our popular shows online so that anyone, even you watching
05:37right now, can create your own versions in a fully legal way and be part of a new and
05:41exciting global community.
05:43Creators were outraged at the idea of claiming ownership over a genre that predated YouTube
05:47itself.
05:48The Fine Bros' attempt to franchise the entire concept of reacting was universally ridiculed,
05:53and their subsequent apology video only cemented the impression that they were woefully misaligned
05:57with the platform's grassroots origins and community-driven spirit.
06:00First and foremost, we're sorry for confusing people by using terminology like our React
06:05format.
06:06We were never trying to say that every video where someone reacts to something else is
06:09something we would try to control.
06:11When we referenced licensing the React format, we only meant our specific series, not the overall
06:16genre of reaction videos.
06:18We do not own the genre.
06:19Jake Paul's COVID House Party
06:21The mayor of Calabasas says the city will work with the sheriff's department to shut
06:25down any gatherings that violate city and county health orders.
06:29The city will also fine people who do not wear masks in public, and those fines start at $100
06:35for the first offense.
06:37While most of the world was hunkering down, masking up, and baking sourdough bread, infamous
06:41social media personality Jake Paul decided to go in the opposite direction.
06:45In July 2020, the influencer hosted a massive house party during the height of the COVID-19
06:49pandemic, and then doubled down by publicly dismissing the virus as a hoax.
06:53They're holding onto the bulldozer like it's a bull.
06:56The video showing dozens of people packed into the 23-year-old's mansion in the upscale
07:00hills of Calabasas, playing drinking games, dancing, and yes, that's an excavator.
07:06The crowd appearing to completely disregard safety precautions.
07:09No social distancing, no masks.
07:12Criticism drilled down on Paul's reckless antics, triggering condemnation from neighbors,
07:16local authorities, and even the mayor of Calabasas.
07:19In the midst of an unprecedented global health crisis, the YouTubers' flagrant disregard
07:24for public safety and penchant for blithe conspiracy theorizing perfectly epitomized out-of-touch
07:29influencer behavior.
07:30How do you enforce those rules?
07:32Yeah, and that's going to come down to the local municipalities.
07:35Each one is going to have to decide how aggressively they want to enforce it.
07:39When you hear the mayor of Calabasas say there's going to be a zero-tolerance policy,
07:43you presume that there really could be even arrests if this happened.
07:47Remember, the goal here from law enforcement is not to punish, it's to prevent.
07:53Logan Paul begs viewers to buy his couches.
07:55They all laughed at me.
07:56They said I'd never do it.
07:57But today marks the day when we found a buyer for the Mercedes couches.
08:02What the hell?
08:04You said no one would buy the couches.
08:06I want to make you eat your words, Mark.
08:07I didn't say anyone would buy the couches.
08:09Oh yeah, flashback.
08:10Like, nobody's going to want to f***ing buy these.
08:11As soon as you sit on them, you want to automatically f***ing drop yourself into a pit of acid.
08:15In 2020, Logan Paul became a punchline of influencer excess after revealing he dropped
08:20$90,000 on two Mercedes-Benz couches, furniture so overpriced even he later called the purchase
08:27stupid.
08:28Trying to offload them, Paul listed the couches on Craigslist for $20,000, telling fans,
08:32if you want to give me a birthday gift, buy my couches.
08:34This is one of my biggest regrets in my life.
08:37$90,000 for both of these.
08:38And I'm not saying that to boast.
08:40I'm saying that so you understand how dumb of an idea that was.
08:42We've been trying to sell them forever and we found someone who is going to buy it for
08:46$17,500.
08:47I mean, so yeah, we lost $72,500.
08:51Honestly, I'm just happy to get rid of them.
08:53The move came across as tone deaf and desperate, sparking mockery across social media.
08:57Critics saw it as yet another example of how disconnected YouTubers had become from everyday
09:01reality, flaunting obscene spending, then expecting their followers to clean up the mess.
09:06What Paul framed as a desperate sale instead became a case study in influencer self-parody.
09:11I've heard these couches suck.
09:12What's the deal?
09:12Why don't you sit them up for yourself?
09:13Okay, sure.
09:14Come here to think.
09:15What was the name?
09:17What do you think, bro?
09:18You know, they're not the most comfortable couches I probably ever sat on.
09:21I got you, bro.
09:22They came with bits.
09:23Yeah, that's nice, dude.
09:24I mean, this is ridiculous.
09:27You have cash in hand.
09:28These are my couches now, so I'm just going to sleep on these now.
09:31Mr. Beast takes the L.
09:32You've just concluded today the biggest competition show, I think, of all time.
09:38Well, it is of all time, but I think you've got 50 Guinness.
09:40Well, you know, largest sets in history, most world records in history, largest catch prize
09:44in history, most winners in history, most contestants in history, most cameras.
09:47Yeah.
09:47And what, 50 Guinness world records?
09:49Yeah.
09:50That we know of.
09:51There's probably way more, but yeah.
09:52In 2025, Mr. Beast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, drew criticism after admitting he'd lost tens of
09:58millions of dollars producing his prime video series, Beast Games.
10:01Despite racking up over 50 million views, Donaldson called the project not a good financial
10:05decision, revealing he'd spent more than $29 million on just two episodes and over $100
10:10million overall.
10:11I was wondering as I was watching it, if Amazon are aware of the fact that you're just going
10:15to give away the money like this, like when you flip the coin and it adds another $5 million.
10:20But that didn't affect them.
10:21I lost a ton of money filming the show, so that came out of my pocket.
10:24Really?
10:25Yeah.
10:25We spent way too much money on it.
10:27I lost tens of millions of dollars on that show.
10:29Really?
10:30Yeah.
10:31I'm an idiot.
10:31The 10-episode show gave 1,000 contestants a shot at a record-breaking $10 million prize.
10:37But fans weren't sympathetic.
10:38Many saw his loss as the kind of problem only a millionaire could afford, reinforcing just
10:42how far removed he's become from his audience's reality.
10:46For someone who built an empire off relatable generosity, the confession felt more like a
10:50brag than a burden.
10:51How much did the whole thing cost?
10:53That I have been advised not to say, because people would hear big number and be like,
10:58oh, well, I could have made a good show if I had that kind of money.
11:01But the thing is, they couldn't, because money isn't everything.
11:05Like, building and managing it is infinitely harder.
11:09Is it more than 100 million?
11:10Yeah, of course.
11:11Yeah.
11:11Rice Gums Mystery Boxes.
11:13Basically, it's a site that has a ton of these random mystery boxes.
11:16Like, right here, he has a Yeezy and Supreme and technology, like smartphone.
11:20I don't know.
11:20I guess you buy a mystery box, you open it, and you get one random either dope item or bad
11:25item.
11:25It's like a mystery.
11:26It's a surprise, right?
11:27When a popular YouTuber starts promoting a platform where fans can win valuable items,
11:31it might sound exciting.
11:32However, Brian Lee, known as RiceGum, found himself at the center of a major controversy
11:37for his promotion of mystery box websites.
11:39These sites, often criticized for resembling gambling, allowed users to pay for virtual boxes
11:44with promises of expensive electronics or designer goods.
11:47Honestly, these shoes aren't that bad, because I bought the box for $160, and you can sell
11:51it for $400.
11:52So I'm actually selling it, because I don't like these shoes, but I know that these shoes
11:56aren't bad, like our off-white Chuck Taylors.
11:58But yeah, I just sold it back, so I can try again right here.
12:00Come on, give me something off.
12:01These aren't bad either.
12:03Wait a minute, guys.
12:04The box was only $160.
12:05I can sell this back for $600 and make profit.
12:08Allegations soon surfaced that these boxes were rigged.
12:10Heavily favoring the house are offering incredibly low-value items compared to the cost.
12:15RiceGum's promotion of these potentially predatory practices to his young, impressionable audience
12:19sparked outrage, as critics argued he was exploiting his fanbase for personal profit.
12:23All I'm trying to say is, it was a mistake.
12:26I probably should have done it, and it'll never happen again, but s***.
12:30I made the bag, you know what I'm saying?
12:32I made the bag, bro.
12:34Y'all wanted me to secure the bag, so I did it.
12:36Y'all say, go get the bread, so I just had to, come on, man.
12:39Tana Mojo's TanaCon.
12:41This is the Meet & Greet check-in line.
12:44This is crazy.
12:45Thousands of fans were left agitated after attending an event meant for them to meet
12:50their favorite online influencers.
12:53It was really hot.
12:54There were some people that just looked like they were about to, like, pass out, and everyone
12:59was pretty upset.
13:01Few YouTuber projects have imploded as publicly and spectacularly as TanaCon.
13:05When Tana Mojo sought to outdo VidCon with her own convention in 2018, it might have sounded
13:10like a commendable way to buck trends and one-up the establishment.
13:13With that said, the event was a logistical apocalypse.
13:16Attendees sweltered for hours in the sun, many without access to food, water, or even the
13:20venue itself.
13:21It just was like a lot of empty promises, and then it got canceled afterwards, so I
13:27know that people were, like, really upset that they wasted thousands of dollars to go
13:31to this event.
13:32Event attendees shared their feelings on Twitter, saying,
13:35For everyone outside, the reason the line is not moving is literally because there is
13:41not enough room inside.
13:43Security was non-existent, goodie bags were laughable, and refunds few and far in between,
13:47proving that clout doesn't magically confer event planning skills.
13:50TanaCon entered internet lore not just as a failed convention, but as an unforgettable
13:54monument to influencer hubris.
13:56VIP tickets started at $65, plus tax.
14:00Krista Walgren bought two, and says each ticket was supposed to come with a bag, valued at four
14:07times the cost of the ticket.
14:09Instead, she says she got this.
14:11A condom, a plastic bracelet, stickers, and a phone grip.
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14:29Trisha Paytas' Complicated Relationship with Vegetarianism
14:35Trisha Paytas, notorious for provocative statements, dropped a claim that stunned the internet.
14:52She said she's a vegetarian, but apparently includes chicken nuggets in that definition.
14:55In various clips, she has referred to her diet as vegan, even while admitting to consuming
14:59beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and milk.
15:01For the past few days, I've been going plant-based, and yeah, of course I haven't had that much
15:09of a difference yet, but mentally, I just know that's the path I'm meant to be on.
15:16So, all that to say, yes, I just posted a KFC video, but honestly, it made me feel sick.
15:22This isn't simply a matter of evolving diet, it's a performative identity shift,
15:26a content-friendly label she tucks away when inconvenient.
15:29For many viewers, it's a hilarious and surreal example of someone so disconnected from basic
15:34definitions that it circles back into pure, absurdist spectacle.
15:38Which YouTuber moment made you cringe the hardest?
15:55Are there any out-of-touch moments we missed?
15:57Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
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