James Somerton
James Somerton | |||||||
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| YouTube information | |||||||
| Channel | |||||||
| Years active | 2011 - 2023 | ||||||
| Subscribers | 250,000 | ||||||
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| Updated 29 December 2023 | |||||||
James Somerton is a Canadian former YouTuber who made video essays covering LGBT literature and media.
His YouTube channel had over 300,000 subscribers at its peak. On 3 December 2023, YouTuber Hbomberguy released a video entitled Plagiarism and You(Tube), in which he accused Somerton of expansive plagiarism, appropriating content from various other queer writers and content creators.[1][2][3] The Celluloid Closet, a 1995 film based on the book of the same name by Vito Russo, and Tinker Belles and Evil Queens, a 2000 book by Sean Griffin, were among the work Somerton was accused of plagiarizing, in part or in whole, across at least 26 of Somerton's videos.[1][4]
In addition to the plagiarism accusations, another YouTuber, Todd in the Shadows, released a video soon after Hbomberguy where he accused Somerton of regularly lying and spreading misinformation and dubious claims in his videos. Examples included unfounded assertions such as Nazi Germany inventing aesthetics or claims about the supposed connection between gay pornography and the origins of Skype.[1][2]
In response to the exposure of his actions, Somerton temporarily removed many of his YouTube video essays, deactivated his Patreon account, and eventually removed all content from his YouTube page and personal social media accounts. He also removed his website for his film studio, Telos, which was criticized for raising funds without producing any films.[4]
Somerton later released an apology video, which was widely criticized.[5] In his video, Somerton said he would continue his career and re-opened his Patreon account without notifying his patrons. This raised concerns about individuals being charged without their knowledge.[5] Somerton removed the apology video a few hours after it was uploaded.[5]
The aftermath of Hbomberguy's video saw a significant decline in Somerton's online presence. He lost over 70,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel within a month of the accusations.[better source needed] Since the removal of his apology video, Somerton has not made any further public statements, and his public social media accounts remain either devoid of content or disabled.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Alter, Rebecca (2023-12-22). "Hbomberguy Didn't Want to Make That 4-Hour Plagiarism Video". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Marshall, Cass (2023-12-06). "Hbomberguy's 4-hour YouTube video about plagiarism set social media abuzz". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ↑ "A YouTuber was accused of plagiarism. His apology highlighted a larger issue among creators". NBC News. December 21, 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hansford, Amelia (2023-12-14). "Hbomberguy on James Somerton, plagiarism and queer erasure in THAT viral video essay". PinkNews. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "James Somerton: Apology Video, Plagiarism Response & Patreon Drama Explained". Yahoo Entertainment. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
External links[edit]
- Plagiarism and You(Tube) by Hbomberguy
- I Fact-Checked The Worst Video Essayist On YouTube by Todd in the Shadows
This article "James Somerton" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:James Somerton. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- Use Canadian English from December 2023
- Video essayists
- Pseudohistorians
- Canadian gay writers
- Canadian YouTubers
- LGBT YouTubers
- People involved in plagiarism controversies
- YouTube channels launched in 2011
- YouTube controversies
- 21st-century Canadian LGBT people
- YouTube channels closed in 2023
- YouTubers who make LGBT-related content
