The underdogs of YouTube

Mina Hamblet and Mary McGrath, News Editor and Staff Writer

Ask any teenager in America who Jenna Marbles or Kingsley is, and almost all of them will be able to give an answer. Since 2005, YouTube has exploded as a popular site for video blogs, otherwise known as “vlogs”. Users such as Marbles and Kingsley have generated mass support for their weekly videos, but there’s also another side of YouTube. Vloggers such as Andrew Hales, Dan Howell and Colleen Ballinger have managed to hit over the 50 million mark in views, and yet are still not as well-known as others.

Whether it’s bad singing, funny opinion videos, or awkward social experiences, each of these four YouTubers have created laugh out loud videos that many people have overlooked.

However, some of these users are on the rise, such as Andrew Hales, better known by his YouTube name “LAHWF”, an acronym for the well-known Fight Club quote “Losing all hope was freedom.” A combination of awkward interactions with people in public places or at different colleges, (such as awkward elevator situations or “almost” picking up girls), Hales started posting videos about a year ago. Since then, his videos have elevated in popularity as he finds more and more ways to video awkward interactions with others, like “walking off with other people’s cell phones” and “holding the door for people who are far away.”

Dan Howell (aka “Danisnotonfire”) is another name that people might be getting used to as well. This twenty-something Brit started back in 2007, and has quite the fan base in England. In fact, he recently got his own Sunday night radio show on BBC Radio 1 with his best friend, Phil (another British YouTuber). However this fame has not crossed over into the U.S, and there are still many people who are unaware of them. A mostly opinionated vlog, Dan uses funny scenarios throughout his videos to talk about things such as Tumblr, what not to do at the movies, and much more. His sarcastic and witty opinions have won over many people, with more sure to come.

When someone hears the name Colleen Ballinger, it’s most likely it won’t be recognized. But hear the same “Miranda Sings” and it’s a different story. Created in 2008 by comedian Ballinger, this funny internet character is best known for her funny comments, rants and comically bad singing. Her rendition of “California Girls” remains her most popular video, and she has “covered” everyone from Beyoncé to Bieber. She also had a second channel known as “MirandaVlogz” which covered “Miranda’s” opinions, before she switched over to her main channel “MirandaSings08”. On occasion, she still uploads comedic opinionated videos such as “The Story of Thanksgiving.”

Each of these YouTube channels and people bring a laugh to anyone who comes upon them, and their growing fame means they’ll hopefully stick around for years to come.