The Cost of Attacking Wendigoon

Summary

In this video, the host discusses an online controversy where a YouTuber named 'In Praise of Shadows' criticized fellow YouTuber 'Wendon' and others, accusing them of promoting harmful ideologies. The critique backfired, as it led to increased views and revenue for the criticized creators. The host reflects on the irony of the situation, the dangers of resentment, and the importance of standing by one's beliefs against the pressure of the online mob.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses an internet controversy involving a YouTuber named In Praise of Shadows, who made a long video criticizing another YouTuber, Wendon.
• 🤔 In Praise of Shadows is described as a 'bread tuber,' someone from the left side of the political spectrum, who focuses on the means of production.
• 🔍 The video criticizes Wendon for associating with certain YouTubers and labels him as not belonging in the horror community based on guilt by association.
• 📈 The controversy inadvertently led to increased views and revenue for the criticized YouTubers, demonstrating the ironic outcome of the initial attack.
• 💥 In Praise of Shadows removed the segment about Wendon and eventually took down the entire video, which no longer exists for monetization but is preserved online by others.
• 📊 The reaction videos to In Praise of Shadows' video generated significant views and potential ad revenue, highlighting the power of controversy in driving online engagement.
• 👎 The video script criticizes In Praise of Shadows for making broad, negative statements about Appalachia and for mislabeling other YouTubers, showing a lack of research.
• 🤷‍♂️ The speaker reflects on the importance of recognizing bad actors online and the negative impact of false allegations and character assassination attempts.
• 🌐 The script emphasizes the volatile nature of the internet, where trivial matters can escalate and have real-world consequences, advising against living solely within online spaces.
• 💔 It discusses the poisonous effects of hate and resentment, suggesting that In Praise of Shadows acted out of these negative emotions with detrimental outcomes.
• 🚫 The video concludes with a lesson on not being governed by the mob and standing by one's beliefs, even in the face of public backlash or criticism.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is an internet controversy involving a YouTuber named In Praise of Shadows, who made a video criticizing another YouTuber named Wendon and several others, using guilt by association.

What does the term 'bread tuber' refer to in the context of the script?

In the script, 'bread tuber' refers to someone from the left side of the political spectrum, such as a socialist or communist, who is concerned about the means of production.

Why did In Praise of Shadows dedicate a significant portion of his video to attacking Wendon?

In Praise of Shadows attacked Wendon and other YouTubers by using guilt by association, attempting to label Wendon as a bad influence due to his interactions with certain individuals on Twitter and Reddit.

What is the 'Trap of Hate' mentioned in the script?

The 'Trap of Hate' refers to the negative emotions of resentment and hate that one may harbor and act upon, which can lead to destructive consequences, as seen in the actions of In Praise of Shadows.

What was the ironic outcome of In Praise of Shadows' video according to the script?

The ironic outcome was that In Praise of Shadows' video, which criticized others and complained about his own lack of earnings, inadvertently generated a significant amount of views and revenue for the YouTubers he criticized through their reaction content.

How much revenue was generated by the reaction content to In Praise of Shadows' video, according to the script?

The reaction content to In Praise of Shadows' video generated approximately 3,776,000 views, which could potentially translate to between $5,000 to $133,000 of revenue from AdSense alone.

What did In Praise of Shadows do with his video after the controversy?

In Praise of Shadows removed the segment on Wendon and eventually took down the entire video, which no longer exists for him to monetize.

What life lesson does the script suggest can be learned from this controversy?

The script suggests that harboring and acting on negative emotions like hate and resentment can be poisonous to one's well-being and can lead to undesirable outcomes, as demonstrated by In Praise of Shadows' experience.

What is the importance of recognizing bad actors according to the script?

Recognizing bad actors is important because it helps to distinguish between genuine criticism and false allegations, and it prevents the spread of misinformation and unjust attacks on individuals.

What is the script's advice on dealing with negative public opinion or 'the mob'?

The script advises not to be governed by the mob and to stand by one's beliefs if they are truly held and are right, regardless of external pressure or criticism.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Controversy on the Interwebs

The video script discusses an online controversy sparked by a YouTuber named In Praise of Shadows, who created a lengthy video criticizing conservatives in the horror genre and specifically targeted another YouTuber, Wendon. The speaker, who typically covers topics like guns and movie breakdowns, finds this situation relevant due to the life lesson it imparts about the 'Trap of Hate' and resentment. The controversy involves guilt by association, with several other YouTubers being implicated in the attack. The speaker also humorously notes feeling left out for not being included in the 'hit list' and highlights the irony of the situation, where the accused YouTubers gain views and revenue from the controversy.

05:02

📈 Unintended Consequences of Online Attacks

This paragraph delves into the repercussions of In Praise of Shadows' video, which inadvertently boosted the visibility and revenue of the YouTubers he criticized. The speaker provides statistics showing the significant increase in views for those YouTubers, resulting in substantial potential AdSense revenue. The irony is further highlighted by the fact that In Praise of Shadows' own video, which criticized others for poor content, ended up benefiting those same individuals financially. The speaker also notes the removal of the segment on Wendon and the entire video by In Praise of Shadows, which has since been preserved and circulated online, adding to the YouTuber's notoriety.

10:02

🤔 Reflecting on Internet Dynamics and Personal Growth

The final paragraph reflects on the broader implications of the online drama, emphasizing the importance of recognizing bad actors and the dangers of harboring resentment and hate. The speaker critiques In Praise of Shadows for his lack of research and for making broad, negative statements about certain groups. The paragraph also touches on the volatility of the internet and the importance of not letting online drama affect one's mental health. The speaker concludes with a life lesson about the negative impact of resentment and the importance of standing by one's beliefs, even in the face of public backlash. The story of In Praise of Shadows is presented as a cautionary tale, serving as an 'internet parable' about the consequences of acting out of spite and resentment.

Keywords

💡In Praise of Shadows

In Praise of Shadows is the name of a YouTuber who identifies as a 'bread tuber,' a term used to describe individuals with left-leaning political views, such as socialism or communism. The video script discusses this YouTuber's controversial actions, particularly his 3-hour long video criticizing other YouTubers, including Wendon. His actions and the backlash he received are central to the video's theme of the consequences of harboring resentment and hate.

💡guilt by association

Guilt by association is a logical fallacy where individuals are presumed to share the guilt of others with whom they associate. In the script, it is mentioned that In Praise of Shadows used this tactic to criticize Wendon by associating him with other YouTubers he interacted with on Twitter and Reddit, attempting to tarnish Wendon's image by the company he keeps.

💡Trap of hate

The 'Trap of hate' refers to the negative consequences of harboring intense dislike or resentment towards someone or something. The script uses this concept to describe how In Praise of Shadows fell into this trap by producing content out of resentment towards Wendon, which ultimately backfired and led to his own video being removed.

💡YouTuber

A YouTuber is an individual who creates content and shares it on the YouTube platform. The script discusses several YouTubers, including Wendon and In Praise of Shadows, and how their interactions and content creation are part of the narrative around internet controversy and the impact of resentment in online communities.

💡meritocracy

Meritocracy is a system where individuals are rewarded based on their abilities and achievements rather than factors such as wealth or social class. In the context of the script, the term is used to describe the YouTube platform, where content is judged on its quality, and creators are rewarded with views and revenue if their content is well-received by the audience.

💡Hawaiian shirts

Hawaiian shirts are a type of casual shirt with a colorful and tropical design. The script mentions the Baloo boys, known for wearing Hawaiian shirts, and contrasts this with In Praise of Shadows, who also wears a Hawaiian shirt in a video where he makes controversial statements, highlighting the irony of his actions.

💡Appalachia

Appalachia refers to a region in the Eastern United States, often associated with a predominantly white population. In the script, In Praise of Shadows is criticized for making a blanket statement about the region being 'white country' and exceptionally racist, which is used as an example of his lack of research and understanding.

💡Thanos

Thanos is a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, known for his controversial plan to eliminate half of all life in the universe to restore balance. The script uses Thanos as an example of a 'good bad guy' who intends to do good but uses evil means, drawing a parallel to In Praise of Shadows' actions in the video.

💡Internet justice

Internet justice refers to the concept of online communities rallying together to respond to or correct perceived injustices or wrongdoings. The script mentions 'sweet internet justice' in relation to the reaction to In Praise of Shadows' video, where other YouTubers created content in response, generating views and revenue that indirectly benefited from his actions.

💡Patience and resilience

Patience and resilience are qualities that involve maintaining composure and strength in the face of adversity. The script suggests that creators should not be governed by the mob's opinions and should remain steadfast in their beliefs, even when faced with criticism or backlash, as a way to demonstrate these qualities.

💡Parable

A parable is a simple story with a moral lesson. The script ends with the idea that the situation involving In Praise of Shadows could be taught as a modern-day parable about the dangers of acting out of spite and resentment, illustrating the consequences of such behavior.

Highlights

A YouTuber named 'In Praise of Shadows' made a 3-hour video criticizing conservatives in the horror genre and specifically targeted another YouTuber, Wendon.

The critique was based on guilt by association, involving other YouTubers like Mr. Gunsen Gear, Brandon Herrera, Donut Operator, and Durum.

The video accused Wendon of not belonging in the horror community and attacked his wholesome persona.

In Praise of Shadows made controversial statements, such as labeling all of Appalachia as white and racist.

The video also compared the 'Hills Have Eyes' people to Native Americans, suggesting an allegory of forced reservations.

In Praise of Shadows' video led to a surge in views and revenue for the criticized YouTubers, generating an estimated $133,000 from AdSense alone.

The criticized YouTubers responded with their own videos, which collectively gained millions of views.

In Praise of Shadows removed the segment on Wendon and eventually took down the entire video, which no longer exists for monetization.

The video's controversy sparked a discussion on the impact of resentment and hate in online communities.

The speaker reflects on the importance of recognizing bad actors and the consequences of acting on false allegations.

The irony of a 'bread tuber' inadvertently benefiting those they criticized is highlighted.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of not being governed by the mob and standing by one's beliefs.

The video serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of resentment and the importance of mental health.

The speaker suggests that the criticized YouTubers' responses could be seen as a form of internet justice.

The video's aftermath is likened to a modern-day parable about the consequences of acting out of spite and resentment.

The speaker concludes with a life lesson on the importance of not living solely on the internet and the value of real-life experiences.

Transcripts

gentlemen I have a little bit of a life

lesson for you today a little bit of

Internet controversy I saw this go down

on the interwebs and I consumed my brain

so I figured you know what I got to talk

about it get out of the

[Music]

system a YouTuber by the name of In

Praise of Shadows made a 3-hour long

piece on why conservatives shouldn't be

in horror and 34 minutes of that piece

was dedicated to attacking the Beloved

YouTuber wendon now you may be wondering

hey admin typically you cover guns and

other weird stuff for movie breakdowns

today we're branching out doing

something a little different if you have

to get your gun bug itch then here's a

montage of me shooting a few

[Music]

guns okay now that that's out of the way

we scratched that itch let's dive on

into what's going on here so a YouTuber

by the name of In Praise of Shadows who

classifies as a bread tuber now a bread

tuber is someone from the left side of

the political SPC spectum whether it's

socialism communism or whatever flavor

that is they care about the means of

production and he made this long piece

in it attacking the YouTuber Windon now

not only did he attack Windon he

attacked a bunch of other YouTubers that

I'll mention here in a bit by using the

means of guilt by association now one

reason I'm making this is because it

involves a rather interesting life

lesson that I took away from it because

I was thinking about this topic and what

ended up happening is that he fell into

a trap and that is the Trap of hate

Andor this feeling of resentment and

acting upon that that's essentially the

life lesson we'll kind of break it down

but let's get to the meat of it so a

quick background of what's going on here

I'm not going to go too far into the

details because a bunch of other

YouTubers have but essentially the quick

synopsis is YouTuber makes this big long

hit piece of it dedicated to won goes

over guilt by association some of the

YouTubers that I know that he names Mr

gunsen gear Brandon Herrera donut

operator and durum I know all those guys

they are all my buds if anything I

actually felt offended I didn't make his

no no list because he used all these

YouTubers to attack won by means of

guilt of Association interacting on the

Twitter these guys live on Twitter

Reddit and Twitter is where they live

they don't go outside apparently so

because of these interactions with just

these YouTubers I named there was more

this other YouTuber In Praise of Shadows

was able to try and label won as a bad

guy for interacting with these dudes

he's attacking won's wholesome Persona

he was just like oh geez sorry guys

about starting a violent hate group guys

sorry that people got Ked

I totally didn't mean to do all that my

bad I'll do better next time he thinks

that he doesn't belong in horror the way

he talks is interesting hor hor horor

hor hor hor in horror so it's one of

those things where it's just such a

reaching at straws also it should be

noted that the Baloo boys are known for

wearing Hawaiian shirts and guess who

else always has on a Hawaiian

shirt especially in this video where the

guy breaks down how he calls all of

Appalachia racist he says the entirety

of Appalachia is white country so you

have to assume everyone there is racist

which in itself is a wild kind of like

blanket racist statement deep Appalachia

is very white country and for the most

part is exceptionally racist genuinely

in this part of the country you have to

assume that any white person you meet is

racist unless they show you

otherwise all right dude he also does a

statement where he Compares The Hills

Have Eyes people to Native Americans

these cannibalistic savages the hill

people can be representative of anything

that you want them to be really they can

be Native Americans and the hills

themselves can be allegorical of them

being forced back onto reservations his

first thought was oh you know what these

people remind me of Native Americans and

imperialism also a wild take which it's

like a take that goes so far left

becomes right really interesting jumping

through mental Hoops here he then would

go on to name a bunch of different

YouTubers that won Associates with now

this is where to me things get

interesting and a fun example of things

going wrong in his long form video he

complains that after he did The Hills

Have Eyes video where he compares the

Hill People to na Americans and did

really bad on his channel and at one

point he only made $500 AdSense in that

month and he talks about how you can't

live off that and I'll say hey yeah

that's not a lot of money to live off of

if you're trying to do YouTube as a

full-time thing that's not going to pay

rent but YouTube is also a meritocracy

where if you make bad content the

audience will let you know and they're

not going to watch it what I love about

it the irony about all of this is that

in that video he's complaining about

only making $500 a month the video he

makes right this 3-hour long hit piece

or whatever it is with a video essay

complaining about conservatives it ended

up making everyone else a bunch of

money now before we go any further I

know you're on the toilet Wasing this

drinking your coffee eating your beer

make sure you like And subscribe I too

will be on the toilet reacting to your

comments so it's like we are connected

through a worldwide system of toilets

and we grow ever closer by the day a lot

of the YouTubers that he mentioned would

go on to make videos about this and I'm

going to read you off some stats here

Brandon Buckingham in 4 days 487 th000

views quick note on him and praise of

Shadow's video he called Brandon

Buckingham a gun tuber first off Brandon

Buckingham is not a gun tuber the lack

of research in there kind of hurts for

guys that have dedicated a whole Persona

to making internet gun content for you

to call someone a gun tuber based off

one video little offensive that one kind

of cuts deep oille 3 days 62,000 views

shoe on head 2 days 819,000 views some

ordinary Gamers mudahar 588,000 views

sensitive Society 88,000 views in 5 days

Tom dark 38,000 views in 3 days Willie

Max show 31,000 views in 4 days more

Pegasus 147,000 views in 5 days glow

black 91,000 views in 5 days X8 86,000

views in 4 days nenor 60,000 views in 5

days gamma 50,000 views in 7 Days X8

again we got 36,000 views on two videos

in 6 days Omni after dark 27,000 views

dumpy 22,000 views and top of gut 22,000

views now these are the ones I just

found going off their most views and

then kind of scrolling down the search

feed in grand total the reaction content

to this video generated

3,776 th000 views now if we go off the

rough adsence calculation that can be

anywhere between 5 to

$133,000 of Revenue off AdSense Al loan

generated for all those creators Andor

of course patreon and merch and all that

stuff could add up behind the back

scenes I don't have access to

guesstimating that but from a YouTuber

that did this hit piece he complained

about a lack of making money his work

alone would go on to make all of these

other YouTubers AdSense and get them

views and get them talked about now in a

weird way from a marketing standpoint he

is getting attention on him but it's a

lot of negative attention so I don't

know if he wants that smoke but there's

that old saying where it's like no

publicity is bad publicity so it could

be working out for him I thought that

was an interesting analysis to see kind

of what resentment and hate can do now

what makes it sting a little bit more is

that in Praise of Shadows removed his

segment on Windon and then took down the

entire video so that 3-hour piece of

work that he worked on spent all this

time doing no longer exists for him to

make money off of people have then

cataloged it and saved it so they have

the evidence of it on the interwebs

which the internet is going to do

internet things now to add even more

insult to injury I'm going to make money

off this video too so we have to thank

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and I love that sweet sweet internet

Justice thanks and praise of Shadows for

making the video now why am I so

interested in this topic one that

doesn't concern me well it does concern

my friends I consider some of those guys

very close and near and dear friends two

observations that I find very

fascinating and three there are some

good life takeaways so the observations

I have is a bread tuber a person that

would identify more on the Left End of

the spectrum complains about you know

means of production type thing he

inadvertently makes Mak the people he's

attacking a lot of money I find that

kind of like humorous and ironic and

funny and I just couldn't help but share

that with you guys I kind of like that I

think that's kind of fun it's making me

money too I'm not even involved it's a

hey In Praise of Shadows thanks dog

thanks for making that so another

observation I have is that there's an

importance of recognizing truly bad

people right this guy is lobbying shade

at wendon saying he's a bad person at

one point in his video he says he

shouldn't even be in civilized society

this kid would label all of Appalachia

racist a blanket statement that's not

behavior of a good guy the lack of

research he did calling Brandon

Buckingham out stuff like that using

pictures of his grandpa getting out of

the hospital that's not behavior of a

good guy we can all agree on that right

you can agree I can agree what's

concerning is that he would go on to say

and I think it was like Discord or

patreon whever it was I didn't watch the

entire video because I don't care I

watch the part about Windon that's the

part where I care about right if someone

has different opinion from me hey that's

fine it's it's the internet we all have

different ing opinions what I care about

is when you're attacking people and

using these false allegations and using

these things that aren't bad at all to

try and make people look bad that's

where I start to care I've definitely

experienced that on the internet myself

it's about recognizing Bad actors and

what I also find ironic is for someone

that cares so deeply about stories he

didn't recognize that he was playing a

really good villain as someone that is

trying to do good by means of wrong so

like a Thanos right a good simple marvel

example Thanos wanted to help the

universe out restore its balance by

deleting half of the universe committing

Mass genocide thanos's heart was in the

right spot Thanos wanted to do good but

he was going to use evil to do good

that's like the textbook definition of a

good bad guy right it's an interesting

bad guy in my opinion a bad person that

wants to do good by means of evil and

then the hero has to go and stop him

right that's like an interesting story

how he failed to see that through his

actions is pretty wild for someone that

so closely analyzes film like when I do

a movie breakdown I'm looking for like a

little bit of History a little Gunplay a

little bit of how the plot line kind of

resonates with us these guys look for

like deep subtext meaning it's kind of

wild another thing to real take away is

that this is kind of like a living on

the internet type thing the internet is

a weird volatile space where people

think stuff that matters actually

doesn't like this doesn't truly matter

I'm a grown ass man this type of thing

is not going to affect me whatsoever I

find it rather fascinating is almost

like a little bit of a case study like

please there's a lot of Life to Live off

the internet go touch grass don't live

on Twitter and Reddit it's not great for

your mental health stop it get some help

a big life lesson is that hate and

resentment is very poisonous to your

soul clearly this YouTuber was living

with level of resentment I can't speak

to his heart you know I can't say that

he maybe hated won the level of

resentment it felt like he had towards

him definitely showed but it's just a

life lesson of like when you hold on to

this negativity inside your heart when

you let it sit and fester because maybe

life's not going your way or something

didn't happen you're looking at Windon

apparently is like your Target and you

think oh yeah this guy shouldn't be my

space this should be my space and you

start resenting him and it sits there

and it boils up inside of you then you

act on it look at the consequences of

your actions you had these negative

emotions you were harboring and then you

acted on these negative emotions and

then you couldn't handle the

repercussions you folded you didn't

truly believe in what you were saying

you were governed by the mob another

lesson is don't be governed by the mob

if you have these beliefs that you hold

so true and near and dear to your heart

despite what a great mob from the

outside is saying at you hey you're a

bad person you're a bad person this is

wrong but you know in your heart that

it's true that it's right that it's good

you're not going to fold if a thousand

people show up to some function I'm at

and they're attacking me yelling at me

hey don't drink water water is bad water

won't save you instead drink nothing but

red 40 I would say no that's not that's

not true I'm going to stay hydrated

losers I'm going to stay hydrated so

clearly he's acting from a place of

resentment and he's governed by the mom

these aren't good actors now I do think

this guy could be redeemable I think he

could learn from the error of his ways

but I think what he did was a really bad

idea really bad idea it's definitely not

cool to try and come after someone like

that so I couldn't help but talk about

it I thought it was super fascinating

example there was a lot to take away not

just like the drama the internet drama

but like it's almost like an internet

Parable unfolding before your eyes if

won was talking to his Sunday school and

teaching them he would be like I will

teach you the parable of impraise of

Shadows a man who acted out of spite and

resentment and ruined his YouTube career

it's like a modern day YouTube internet

Parable if Jesus came back he'd preach

it at the sermon on the mount so I had

to share that with you guys I wanted to

quickly give you my thoughts and a good

life lesson takeaway because there is

one there I got nothing else for you

guys as always I'll catch you on the

flip gentlemen patreon merchandise

fantastic ways to support the channel it

really helps out what we got going on

here patreon gets Early Access to videos

chances are they have seen this video

before you as well as merchandise you

get a chance to rock some sick admin

swag you can show your mom you're on

track to finding a girlfriend making her

your wife and reproducing to make ful

children all because you bought a silly

willy t-shirt from my internet merch

store much appreciated now I have

nothing else for you goodbye