It’s safe to say late-night television has flatlined for anyone under 50. Johnny Carson once commanded up to 15 million viewers; now, most hosts are lucky to keep their jobs. The next wave of personality-driven entertainment may come from an unexpected place: virtual YouTubers, or VTubers. These are creators who stream through animated avatars instead of showing their faces. They’ve met with high-level politicians, performed at a Dodgers game and are bringing in younger viewers like nothing else.
Being able to stream through a virtual avatar offers something invaluable in an age of data collection and online harassment: privacy. For many creators, anonymity isn’t just a preference, it’s necessary. After all, the recent incident involving Emiru (a popular Twitch streamer) at TwitchCon highlighted just how vulnerable public figures can be in physical spaces. VTubing provides an alternative, allowing people who don’t want to give up their privacy to stream.
Beyond safety, the appeal also lies in freedom of expression. Avatars allow creators to speak freely. For instance, take Kirsche Verstahl. She’s the most prolific political Vtuber and pulls in thousands of views per video. In the face of blatant political assassinations, I predict we’ll see a VTuber added to a news network by 2035.
One thing people tell me when trying to say that this won’t happen is that people don’t want to see “cartoon characters.” I completely disagree, seeing as the anime movie “Demon Slayer” has outgrossed every Marvel movie released this year in the box office. With younger people, I don’t see as much of a stigma against animation as a medium. As the world grows harsher and more cynical, people increasingly turn to creative forms of escapism, and VTubing fits that bill perfectly.
Another comment I hear is that VTubers are reserved for people who are terminally online. I understand this charge far more, but would counter with the fact that nearly everyone nowadays is terminally online, and the most influential “poasters” ideas have a way of transmitting to influential people. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme, and just as the founding fathers used anonymity and pseudonames, it appears Vtubers are continuing the tradition in an increasingly online world.
Self-written bio: Ryan Hurley is an Iowa State senior majoring in Business Administration with a minor in political science. He enjoys discussion and is currently working on a cookbook.
