BreadTube

BreadTube, or LeftTube, is a term used to refer to a loose and informal group of online content creators that provide editorial opinions[2][3] and educational lectures[4] from socialist, communist, anarchist, and other left-wing perspectives.[2][3][5] BreadTube creators generally post videos on YouTube that are discussed on other online platforms, such as Reddit.[6] BreadTube creators are known to participate in a form of "algorithmic hijacking."[7] They will choose to focus on the same topics discussed by content creators with far-right politics. This enables their videos to be recommended to the same audiences consuming far-right videos,[7] and thereby expose a wider audience to their perspectives.[6] Many BreadTube content creators are funded through crowdfunding, and the channels often serve as introductions to left-wing politics for young viewers.[4]

Unofficial BreadTube logo used on Reddit[1]

Origin

The term BreadTube comes from Peter Kropotkin's The Conquest of Bread,[8][9][10] a book explaining how to achieve anarcho-communism and how an anarcho-communist society would function.

Criticism

The term is used by and associated with the BreadTube fandom more than the creators themselves,[11][12] some of which have spoken out against the use of the term or being categorized with it,[13] likening it to a form of gatekeeping,[14] vague and ill-defined, and prioritizing the voices of white content creators over those of people of color.[11][15][16][17]

Notable channels

As the term is informal and often disputed, there is no agreed-upon criteria for inclusion. According to The New Republic in 2019, the five people most commonly mentioned as examples are Natalie Wynn, Lindsay Ellis, Harry Brewis, Abigail Thorn, and Shaun, while Kat Blaque and Anita Sarkeesian are cited as significant influences.[9] Ian Danskin,[18] Hasan Piker,[19] and Steven Bonnell[20] have also been described as part of BreadTube, though Bonnell has since advocated against socialism and communism.[21][22]

References
  1. "r/BreadTube". Reddit. 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  2. Somos, Christy (October 25, 2019). "Dismantling the 'Alt-Right Playbook': YouTuber explains how online radicalization works". CTVNews. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  3. Alexander, Julia (January 31, 2020). "Carlos Maza is back on YouTube and ready to fight". The Verge. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  4. Citarella, Joshua (September 12, 2020). "Marxist memes for TikTok teens: can the internet radicalize teenagers for the left? | Joshua Citarella". The Guardian. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  5. "Youtube: Auf der anderen Seite die linken Influencer". Die Zeit (in German). January 13, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  6. Kuznetsov, Dmitry; Ismangil, Milan (January 13, 2020). "YouTube as Praxis? On BreadTube and the Digital Propagation of Socialist Thought". TripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. 18 (1): 204–218. doi:10.31269/triplec.v18i1.1128. ISSN 1726-670X.
  7. Roose, Kevin (June 8, 2019). "The Making of a YouTube Radical (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  8. "A Thorn in YouTube's Side Digs In Even Deeper". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  9. Amin, Shaan (July 2, 2019). "Can the Left Win YouTube?". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  10. "Three: Mirror Image". The New York Times. April 30, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  11. T1J (July 26, 2019), I'm Kinda Over This Whole 'LeftTube' Thing, retrieved August 19, 2020 – via YouTube
  12. @Philosophytube (July 5, 2020). "'Breadtube' and 'Lefttube' are terms invented by fans and journalists to refer to a handful of creators with overlapping fanbases, some of whom are friends in real life. I don't use it to describe myself or my work because I don't think it's a coherent political or even stylistic category, though I understand others do want to use it for themselves" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. @kat_blaque (August 1, 2019). "I've said this a few times, but I don't particularly care to be included as part of Lefttube/Breadtube/whatever. I also know that the people a lot of people consider as part of Lefttube/Breadtube have larger and more significant stakes in capitalism than I personally do" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. @Hbomberguy (June 5, 2019). "Very much not a fan of the term 'LeftTube', I find the term very gatekeepy, and don't see myself as belonging to that group. I am a media analysis person who occasionally shares his personal conclusions about the world. My work feels too broad to fit the term. But whatever:" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. Blaque, Kat (June 4, 2019), Why is "LeftTube" So White?, retrieved August 19, 2020 – via YouTube
  16. @Hbomberguy (June 5, 2019). "There have been youtubers you could call 'left wing' for a decade, including POC like T1J or Kat Blaque. But 3 white guys and a white transwoman get a few subscribers and suddenly it's a special new group with its own name. Oh I see what's happening here. No thanks!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. @InnuendoStudios (April 19, 2019). "Yeah, there isn't a lack of diversity in LeftTube, but there's a serious lack of attention paid to minority LeftTubers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. Somos, Christy (October 25, 2019). "Dismantling the 'Alt-Right Playbook': YouTuber explains how online radicalization works". CTVNews. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  19. Citarella, Joshua (September 12, 2020). "Marxist memes for TikTok teens: can the internet radicalize teenagers for the left?". The Guardian. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  20. Roose, Kevin (June 8, 2019). "The Making of a YouTube Radical". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  21. "This is not a healthy positive direction to head in... - Destiny Debate on Socialism ft. Ben Burgis - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  22. "This feels so idealised... - Destiny Debates NonCompete - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved January 22, 2020.

Further reading
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.