After nearly 13 years on YouTube, Keemstar is ready to move on from his YouTube channel DramaAlert. He released a video today explaining that he is retiring because he is no longer having fun on the platform. Since 2009, DramaAlert has focused on influencer gossip and related gaming news.
According to Keemstar, the rise of cancel culture during the pandemic last year was a major factor in his decision to retire. In his view, now that it has become socially acceptable for viewers to contact creators’ sponsors and insist they withdraw endorsements, the influencer space has become sterilized of any real drama or conflict.
Keemstar lost his GFuel sponsorship last year after H3H3’s Ethan Klein released a video claiming Keemstar exploited someone’s death for the sake of content.
Keemstar explained that because sponsorships are now at stake, influencers no longer speak their minds, each acting like “a walking, talking commercial.” Keemstar also took a shot at TikTok star Noah Beck, arguing, “this guy’s a robot…he’s not a real person, he’s fake.”
The DramaAlert host believes there has been a decline in commentary channels in general due to this perceived lack of drama. Now, many creators are moving toward longer, docuseries formats to appease the YouTube algorithm.
YouTube’s move toward recommended content and the addition of the opt-in bell icon for notifications are other factors Keemstar believes are separating fans from creators. In his opinion, the current YouTube algorithm, which wasn’t around when he started on the platform, creates a distracted mindset that gives YouTube, not users, power over what gets views.
On March 8th, 2022, Keemstar’s 40th birthday, he will be retiring to spend more time with family and focus on other interests such as boxing. Keemstar continues to search for a replacement host for the DramaAlert channel and revealed that the job has required him to be on-call constantly.
