1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,580 Paul: And now that I'm in LA, I'm hoping I'll be doing a lot more collabs. Yolanda: Yeah. That'd be cool. 2 00:00:03,580 --> 00:00:04,859 Paul: I'm excited for it. 3 00:00:04,859 --> 00:00:07,950 Hi PaulTalkers! I'm Paul Roth, 4 00:00:07,950 --> 00:00:11,759 not from DC anymore! Now I'm from Los Angeles! 5 00:00:11,759 --> 00:00:14,759 haha! [Yolanda laughs] And today I'm joined by my friend, 6 00:00:15,330 --> 00:00:20,210 Paul: ah, introduce yourself? Yolanda: my name is Yolanda and... Paul: And your channel? 7 00:00:20,210 --> 00:00:26,150 Yolanda: And my channel is just my name and I make videos about diversity focusing on film and tv. 8 00:00:26,460 --> 00:00:28,110 Paul: And you also have a channel about Chris Pine-- Yolanda: Ah, yes-- 9 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,080 P talking over Y: I mean Chris Evans [laughs] Y: Well, Chris Evans. I also have a, I have a collab channel that i always forget to plug 10 00:00:33,420 --> 00:00:37,890 Y: So that's great. Great reminder! It's called Dear Chris Evans, we make videos to Chris 11 00:00:37,890 --> 00:00:41,489 Evans, but also about Marvel and about life. And that's with my friend Farrah. 12 00:00:41,489 --> 00:00:46,890 P: Yaaaay! And occasionally guest stars, I've seen. Y: Yeah we've had some guests on there. If you ever want to be 13 00:00:46,890 --> 00:00:51,570 on Dear Chris Evans... Tweet at me! [Paul rolls chair toward camera] 14 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:58,720 P: Chris Evans, if you'd like to be on Dear Chris Evans, please tweet @ Y y o l a n d a a! Y over P: YES! 15 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:00,500 Y: That's the one! 16 00:01:00,500 --> 00:01:01,450 [theme music] [Yolanda laugsh] 17 00:01:07,140 --> 00:01:10,380 P: We're going to talk about what certain things me to us and we're going to start off by talking about the 18 00:01:10,390 --> 00:01:12,630 the, the big one... YouTube. 19 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,680 Y: I mean, I feel like I've been on YouTube, and watching youtube for so 20 00:01:16,690 --> 00:01:20,710 long, that I think the first time I really thought, 21 00:01:20,710 --> 00:01:26,140 "Oh! I feel validated in this hobby" was when i went to my first VidCon in 2012. 22 00:01:26,140 --> 00:01:30,310 and that was when like you'd have all these like- minded people who are like, "Yeah, 23 00:01:30,310 --> 00:01:35,710 online media is a cool thing. YouTube is, like, this amazing thing!" And for me it's 24 00:01:35,710 --> 00:01:40,390 been like this great community where, you know, no matter what happens in life, or 25 00:01:40,390 --> 00:01:42,910 no matter what changes, YouTube is still there. 26 00:01:42,910 --> 00:01:48,350 Y: So I think YouTube is kinda like this constant for me. P: I feel very similar feelings about 27 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:53,250 P: youtube. Um, especially because for most of my life, I've been trying to find a 28 00:01:53,259 --> 00:01:58,579 community where I fit in. And I had various, like, geographically-centered communities. You know: 29 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,710 high school, college, uh, things in the DC area where I lived. But when i discovered 30 00:02:02,710 --> 00:02:07,600 YouTube, I discovered all of a sudden I could connect with not just people were nearby, who may or 31 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,050 P: may not have anything else in common with me besides geography [Y: Right] but people 32 00:02:11,050 --> 00:02:14,680 who literally, like, care about the things that I care about, 33 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,640 P: from the opposite side of the world! That's amazing! Y: Yeah. 34 00:02:18,790 --> 00:02:24,130 P: And as I've just discovered from my move from DC to LA, this is a community that 35 00:02:24,130 --> 00:02:25,420 can stay with me wherever I go! 36 00:02:25,420 --> 00:02:29,200 P: So I've now crossed the country and i'm still on youtube 37 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,380 Yeah, it's really kinda like my, my online home. 38 00:02:32,380 --> 00:02:35,950 P: Next question, which is: What does VidCon mean to you? 39 00:02:35,950 --> 00:02:37,730 Y: Yeah. Vidcon is like 40 00:02:37,730 --> 00:02:40,730 the internet in real life! And it's wonderful! 41 00:02:40,730 --> 00:02:44,870 Y: And you're just like-- I always forget to post on social media, because it 42 00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:49,400 Y: feels like [Paul laughs] you're living IN social media, and inside the internet. And you have, like, all 43 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,209 these faces that you've seen for so long, in real life and, like, "Oh, this is awesome!" 44 00:02:53,209 --> 00:03:01,669 Y: and it's just like this great gathering of YouTube nerds and peopl who just wanna youtube. 45 00:03:01,849 --> 00:03:06,530 It's wonderful! If you've never been, I'm sorry, but i hope you can go soon. 46 00:03:06,530 --> 00:03:10,459 P: When I went to my first VidCon, only three years ago! I mostly went because I'd made connections with 47 00:03:10,459 --> 00:03:15,560 people who I really liked and they said, "Hey! Are we gonna see you at VidCon?" 48 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,420 and I was like, "I don't know what that is!" I've always tried to connect with people who have a 49 00:03:20,420 --> 00:03:22,310 small subscriber count. 50 00:03:22,310 --> 00:03:26,900 P: So my fellow vloggers are people who have, like, you know, a hundred subscribers, fifty subscribers, 51 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:30,739 maybe a thousand subscribers. Those, those were my people. And when I discovered I could actually, like, 52 00:03:30,739 --> 00:03:36,440 P: meet them? Face to face? That was it. I was sold. I was immediately sold. I went to VidCon, 53 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:42,169 and it was great! Like, I got recognized?! people knew who I was from YouTube!? 54 00:03:42,169 --> 00:03:47,810 P: (in squeaky high voice): It was my first VidCon! (normal voice) There's just something about the spirit of, like, "We're 55 00:03:47,810 --> 00:03:52,669 in this together!" that permeates VidCon (Y: Yeah!) that makes me just love coming back to it every year 56 00:03:52,669 --> 00:03:56,840 Y: I think every time, too, I'm like, "Maybe this will be my last year!" But there's 57 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,989 always reasons, you're like, "Nope. I have to go next year, because these people are 58 00:03:59,989 --> 00:04:01,130 coming next year, too! 59 00:04:01,130 --> 00:04:05,540 Y: So, it's like a never ending cycle, like, I'm still going to go to this! 60 00:04:05,540 --> 00:04:11,120 P: How about NFI? What does Nerdfighters Info mean to you? 61 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:12,260 Y: I found out about NFI, 62 00:04:12,260 --> 00:04:17,900 Y: like many people, through pat. (Paul laughs) Pat, Pat is amazing at networking-- 63 00:04:18,260 --> 00:04:20,600 P: Last year, in particular, she was on a mission! 64 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,630 Y: Yeah, I mean this year, too - she had her business card, she was, like, ready to 65 00:04:23,630 --> 00:04:29,210 go! So I've done a couple videos on NFI, and I think going to the meetup 66 00:04:29,210 --> 00:04:34,190 Y: made me want to be even more part of NFI, and like be more involved in 67 00:04:34,190 --> 00:04:38,570 that community, because I think there was-- more people than expected showed up, 68 00:04:38,570 --> 00:04:42,919 first of all, (P: More people than I expected!) yeah! it was wonderful and I think so many great 69 00:04:42,919 --> 00:04:47,900 people are just so intelligent and just have such great things to say 70 00:04:48,530 --> 00:04:54,199 Y: so it's great to have everyone in one place. Yeah. P: I've contributed to some other 71 00:04:54,199 --> 00:04:59,510 collab channels, but NFI is the first one that I really invested into and I'm so 72 00:04:59,510 --> 00:05:01,550 glad that I have, because like you point out, there-- 73 00:05:01,550 --> 00:05:04,280 P: These are people who are very intelligent they're very socially aware 74 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:08,690 for the most part, and they care about the themes that Pat and Dave come up with 75 00:05:08,690 --> 00:05:13,910 P: for every week. Um, and it's, uh, you can see the passion and the creativity and the intelligence 76 00:05:13,910 --> 00:05:18,590 of all these members of NFI who come from so many different walks of life! From young 77 00:05:18,590 --> 00:05:22,910 Zainab in the UK to Yolanda and myself in disparate parts of the United States with our disparate 78 00:05:22,910 --> 00:05:24,560 racial identities... 79 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,340 I mean you get lots of different perspectives on NFI and I love that! It's like a 80 00:05:28,340 --> 00:05:33,480 little microcosm of the YouTube universe! and yet we all kind of, like, get along! 81 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,180 Y: Yeah! P (squeaky): That's beautiful! (Y: That's great!) It's so 82 00:05:36,180 --> 00:05:40,889 nice! i'm gonna try to remember to insert, like, a photo of the huge meet up that we 83 00:05:40,889 --> 00:05:45,389 had! (Y: It was wonderful!) I-- Uh, at this point in the video, if i forget, just imagine tons of the 84 00:05:45,389 --> 00:05:49,050 best people (Yolanda laughs) and that's-- that's the photo. P: And you just mentioned it, so here's another thing: 85 00:05:49,590 --> 00:05:55,020 P: What does nerdfighteria mean to you? Y: Man! I think Nerdfighteria was like my 86 00:05:55,020 --> 00:06:00,180 real introduction to youtube. That, like, the YouTube community. Because i had, like, 87 00:06:00,180 --> 00:06:04,770 Y: somehow found Charlie and through him I found the vlog brothers and then I found 88 00:06:04,770 --> 00:06:10,500 Nerdfighteria and that was, like, "Oh! A bunch of, like, enthusiastic nerds about 89 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:14,039 Y: like, everything! About all kinds of subjects no matter what! You could find, 90 00:06:14,039 --> 00:06:17,039 like, your little subgroup within Nerdfighteria. 91 00:06:17,039 --> 00:06:20,729 Y: I think I found Nerdfighteria when I was still in high school, so that was like a 92 00:06:20,729 --> 00:06:25,229 really cool community to have online, when i felt like i couldn't always fit 93 00:06:25,229 --> 00:06:26,699 in at school. 94 00:06:26,699 --> 00:06:30,870 Y: I think, though, as I've gotten older, Nerdfighteria-- I mean I'm still, I still feel part 95 00:06:30,870 --> 00:06:31,530 of it. 96 00:06:31,530 --> 00:06:34,800 I don't think I've been as active in Nerdfighteria? 97 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,750 Y: I still watch vlogbrothers, I still watch their videos, but I'm not, 98 00:06:39,750 --> 00:06:42,870 I guess, actively part of Nerdfighteria? 99 00:06:42,870 --> 00:06:47,550 Y: I think that's why NFI has been really cool, because I've kind of been going back into 100 00:06:47,550 --> 00:06:51,300 it. That's been, like, a smaller community, because Nerdfighteria has grown 101 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:52,530 so much! 102 00:06:52,530 --> 00:06:55,860 But you still have like those smaller groups within Nerdfighteria that are 103 00:06:55,860 --> 00:07:00,510 still that smaller community that make you feel part of it still. 104 00:07:00,510 --> 00:07:05,130 P: Yeah, that's really nice. I feel like I first discovered Hannah Hart (Y: Okay!) 105 00:07:05,130 --> 00:07:10,470 And then through Hannah Hart I discovered some other people and I just kept, like Ashley Mardell, 106 00:07:10,470 --> 00:07:13,860 P: then also discovered John Green through Hannah Hart, somehow. (Y: Oh, okay!) 107 00:07:14,610 --> 00:07:18,449 And then i discovered the vlogbrothers videos... Even though I was, like, enamored of 108 00:07:18,449 --> 00:07:21,569 the vlogbrothers and watching their videos and learned about Nerdfighteria 109 00:07:21,569 --> 00:07:26,819 P: that way.. kind of similar to Ahsante, I never really felt like a part of 110 00:07:26,819 --> 00:07:30,479 Nerdfighteria because how often have you seen an Asian person on their, on their 111 00:07:30,479 --> 00:07:33,479 channel? I can tell you explicitly the first time I saw an Asian person on their 112 00:07:33,479 --> 00:07:34,289 channel: 113 00:07:34,289 --> 00:07:36,969 P: Sabrina. Y: Right. Yeah, I was gonna say. 114 00:07:36,969 --> 00:07:40,169 P: When Sabrina substituted in because she won the Nerd Factor 115 00:07:40,169 --> 00:07:45,969 Y: Yeah P: That, that's when I thought, "Oh! Maybe I can participate in this after all!" 116 00:07:46,140 --> 00:07:47,819 P: It's only been, like, 600 videos and 117 00:07:47,819 --> 00:07:51,479 finally an Asian person shows up. Maybe i can now participate in this. 118 00:07:52,020 --> 00:07:57,120 P: I like it! (Y:Yeah!) I just don't feel like I'm a part of it, necessarily. But at VidCon not only 119 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,050 is there Nerdfighteria, there are people who just go for VidCon itself. 120 00:08:01,050 --> 00:08:06,419 Y: Yeah! P: And, like, my favorite panel since the beginning has been Less Than Famous. 121 00:08:06,419 --> 00:08:11,250 Y: Okay... P: So what does the Less Than Famous panel and concept mean to you? 122 00:08:11,250 --> 00:08:15,389 Y: I remember when, I think it was talenthatter who started this 123 00:08:15,389 --> 00:08:19,860 and the idea was just like wow this is great this is kind of what we've been 124 00:08:19,860 --> 00:08:23,699 Y: looking for because it was getting to a point where there was like, only these huge 125 00:08:23,699 --> 00:08:25,750 youtubers and like, they just, 126 00:08:25,750 --> 00:08:30,010 the smaller community was starting to feel like we weren't important. And we 127 00:08:30,010 --> 00:08:35,110 Y: needed some kind of platform, some kind of space to be able to talk about our own 128 00:08:35,110 --> 00:08:38,050 experience on youtube, being a smaller creator because we're not doing this 129 00:08:38,050 --> 00:08:42,550 full time, this isn't our day job. That was like this really cool opportunity to 130 00:08:42,550 --> 00:08:46,600 Y: have small youtuber voices amplified. I think the last year was the first time i 131 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,380 auditioned for Less Than Famous, didn't get on, 132 00:08:50,380 --> 00:08:55,000 that's fine, but there's like so many audition videos you find because of Less 133 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,200 Than Famous, and you find so many small youtubers because of it. 134 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:04,600 Y: Because there's like the small youtuber tag [P: Yes!] out there, too, but people sometimes try to do 135 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,910 that just to get more views and whatever. 136 00:09:06,910 --> 00:09:11,500 Y: I've made one, doesn't matter. [laughs] But, uh, like Less Than Famous I think is more 137 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:17,080 community-focused and more about being involved in the community. So finding 138 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:21,370 those audition videos, I think you find people who are really part of YouTube 139 00:09:21,370 --> 00:09:26,740 and really kind of are what, what VidCon was about when [phone sound] it started and 140 00:09:26,740 --> 00:09:31,330 Y: hopefully continues to be. P: Less Than Famous was one of the first panels that 141 00:09:31,330 --> 00:09:32,350 I was really excited about. 142 00:09:32,350 --> 00:09:36,640 I think that, uh, i think like Linda Barsi tweeted out about it and my friend Alex 143 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,000 P: Turlockosaurus tweeted out about it, before I went to my first VidCon 144 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,290 So I was very excited to go and i loved it. From that first Less Than Famous panel, 145 00:09:44,290 --> 00:09:48,070 I decided I was gonna just audition for it. I'd-- until I get on to it 146 00:09:48,070 --> 00:09:52,480 P: or become famous. Because it gives me a chance to really figure out what I want 147 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:56,110 from the community and what I want to bring to the community. Because I think you're 148 00:09:56,110 --> 00:10:00,290 right! I mean a lot of people do, do things related to smaller creator, related to 149 00:10:00,290 --> 00:10:04,160 P: little youtube, et cetera, but they're doing it to get out of there. And I'm not gonna 150 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,279 ever turn down subscribers-- That's great! 151 00:10:07,279 --> 00:10:10,490 There are also lots of videos that are by people like myself, by my friend 152 00:10:10,490 --> 00:10:15,019 P: Ahsante who was on last year's Less Than Famous, by my friend Justin Dennis who was on 153 00:10:15,019 --> 00:10:19,550 this year's Less Than Famous, by myself and by Yolonda, where our video auditions 154 00:10:19,550 --> 00:10:24,230 are very clearly about the fact that we care about this smaller creator 155 00:10:24,230 --> 00:10:27,290 P: community and YouTube and YouTube community at large. 156 00:10:27,290 --> 00:10:32,120 And we want to contribute something to it by being on that panel. And THAT'S what 157 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:37,880 I love! When people like that are selected, I just, I'm just so, so happy! [Y: yeah] So 158 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:43,490 P: happy about it. I'm gonna audition again for it next year! It'll be my third audition! 159 00:10:43,490 --> 00:10:46,610 You can't stop me! Unless you ask me to stop. 160 00:10:46,610 --> 00:10:50,990 I think I'm gonna wrap it up by asking one last thing: Race and Representation! 161 00:10:50,990 --> 00:10:55,970 P: So, what does that mean to you? Both, both within the context of the VidCon/YouTube 162 00:10:55,970 --> 00:10:58,040 experience and just in general? 163 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:02,480 Y: What was cool this year was they had, like, the main stage panel but then they 164 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:09,079 had a separate Creator Discussing Diversity workshop or some kind of panel. 165 00:11:09,079 --> 00:11:12,769 So they had different opportunity-- It wasn't just like: This is your one chance to 166 00:11:12,769 --> 00:11:14,060 Y: discuss diversity, GO! 167 00:11:14,060 --> 00:11:18,980 They had, like, different opportunities, It was great! VidCon has been, at least, listening to 168 00:11:18,980 --> 00:11:21,170 the feedback from attendees. 169 00:11:21,170 --> 00:11:26,060 Y: and saying, "Okay! Clearly you want more diversity and we're going to provide 170 00:11:26,060 --> 00:11:30,769 these platforms for you to continue discussing it and we're going to invite 171 00:11:30,769 --> 00:11:35,930 the people who, you know, you want to see represented!" Which is awesome. But race 172 00:11:35,930 --> 00:11:42,500 and Y: Representation specifically has... has kind of, I hope, opened up that conversation 173 00:11:42,500 --> 00:11:46,730 more, or at least brought awareness to it more. Especially with online media, because 174 00:11:46,730 --> 00:11:54,079 it's such... It's a more accessible platform than TV, than film, that it is 175 00:11:54,079 --> 00:11:59,389 Y: easier to have diversity and representation on online media, but we still 176 00:11:59,389 --> 00:12:02,570 don't often see it at these bigger conventions and 177 00:12:02,570 --> 00:12:07,370 and these panels, so at least VidCon taking that initiative to having 178 00:12:07,370 --> 00:12:12,260 Y: that, is great to see! P: You're saying all the things that I want to say so, I will add 179 00:12:12,260 --> 00:12:15,769 P: to it [Y: Yeah.] And I will add to it by saying that, you know, outside of VidCon, 180 00:12:15,769 --> 00:12:20,959 there's often a response to racial representation in media that if we have 181 00:12:20,959 --> 00:12:25,490 like one person of this color or one person of this identity type 182 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:31,040 that's all you need! We've done it. We've fulfilled our "diversity requirements". And 183 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,810 P: I heard a couple people around VidCon talking about how there was a lot of 184 00:12:35,810 --> 00:12:40,670 race and representation at VidCon both in the literally named Race and Representation 185 00:12:40,670 --> 00:12:46,910 panels, the discussing diversity panel... There was a YouTube and Represent-Asian 186 00:12:46,910 --> 00:12:47,990 P: panel... [Y: Mm-hmm] 187 00:12:47,990 --> 00:12:53,029 P: Yes! So I heard some people make-- remarking about how there seemed to be a lot of that and 188 00:12:53,029 --> 00:12:58,130 my immediate response thought to that is, "Unless there are so many people who are 189 00:12:58,130 --> 00:13:02,449 people of color on every other panel that the Race and Representation panel, you 190 00:13:02,449 --> 00:13:04,459 have nobody left to put on there-- 191 00:13:04,459 --> 00:13:09,690 we still need it!" It seems like a lot, but only because up until now we've had 192 00:13:09,690 --> 00:13:14,880 P: little to nothing. [Y: Yeah] My self-designed track of panels at YouTube [*VidCon] was like: 193 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:19,650 social justice / disabilities / race and representation track, 194 00:13:19,650 --> 00:13:23,610 there were like 200 and some panels that were available... Specifically the ones that I 195 00:13:23,610 --> 00:13:26,970 P: Chose? Had most of the diversity! 196 00:13:26,970 --> 00:13:30,810 Y: Yeah! That-- I was thinking about that, too, because I think the panels I specifically 197 00:13:30,810 --> 00:13:33,900 chose were catered toward or had a lot of diversity. 198 00:13:34,410 --> 00:13:40,020 Y: I mean, for me, I'm like, "Great! There is more diversity!" But overall it's-- there, 199 00:13:40,020 --> 00:13:41,820 obviously there's still work to be done 200 00:13:41,820 --> 00:13:45,330 P: Yeah. Which is why, one of the reasons why I really like the fact that, even though I 201 00:13:45,330 --> 00:13:50,550 myself do not enjoy attending the Maine State panels i love the fact that the 202 00:13:50,550 --> 00:13:53,610 P: Main Stage is where the Race & Representation panel happens [Y: Yeah] because it 203 00:13:53,610 --> 00:13:58,440 should be! That should be the place where the teenie-boppers who are going to see their white 204 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:03,180 celebrities that they scream over before Race and Representation and after Race and Representation 205 00:14:03,180 --> 00:14:06,720 station might sit through a service station here and some shit 206 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:11,700 I want that to happen! So kudos to you, VidCon, for keeping that up. 207 00:14:11,700 --> 00:14:16,740 I really appreciate it so those are all things i wanted to have our are various 208 00:14:16,740 --> 00:14:19,740 shared about. Do you want to chip in anything else? 209 00:14:19,740 --> 00:14:22,220 Y: Uhh, I think I'm good! No. 210 00:14:22,220 --> 00:14:27,060 P: Thank you so much for doing this collab with me! [Y: Yeah, Thank you!] You're in LA for a while now, 211 00:14:27,060 --> 00:14:28,350 Y: Yes! I am. P: So we should do more stuff together! 212 00:14:28,350 --> 00:14:29,750 Y: Yes! P: Yaaay! 213 00:14:29,750 --> 00:14:35,240 P: YouTube friends! Y: YouTube friends. P: if you liked this video, please be sure to share it so that other people 214 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:40,760 can see it. Let me know what you thought about our responses to these things in 215 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,090 the comments below, or tell me anything that matters to you because I want to 216 00:14:44,090 --> 00:14:48,050 know what matters to you. And then how do i wrap this thing up? 217 00:14:48,050 --> 00:14:49,290 Paul: What do I say at the end? [music gets louder] 218 00:14:49,290 --> 00:14:50,050 Yolanda: Tomorrow 219 00:14:50,050 --> 00:14:51,270 will be even better! 220 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,400 Paul: Yeah, it will! [music gets loudest, ends]