Good Week, Bad Week: KSI nominated for music award, Hype House Netflix show under fire

With content houses like the Hype House and Society Las Vegas both under fire, along with creators KSI and Dream finding success with their endeavors, there has been plenty to talk about in the influencer world this week.

These days, countless influencers are launching different projects and ventures, but it’s inevitable that some will find great success and others will be met with backlash.

With MrBeast releasing his new Dream-inspired burger and KSI making leaps and bounds in his music career, it’s clear that creators have been hard at work on new projects. But the past week hasn’t been a great one for every influencer.

Good Week: KSI gets nominated for a BRIT Award

KSI is more than a YouTube star. This content creator has risen from his roots as a FIFA player to become a professional boxer and a music industry giant. The influencer-turned-rapper has birthed a slew of original songs with features from such greats as Lil Pump, Rick Ross and even Waka Flocka Flame — and now, his hard work is being rewarded with a nomination at the 2021 BRIT Awards.

KSI appeared on the Late Late Show with James Corden to react to his nomination for British Single with Mastercard, and it’s safe to say that he wasn’t expecting it, at all.

“I couldn’t believe it,” KSI laughed. “I was literally just like, ‘Really? Why?’ Obviously, I’ve been doing alright with the music, but I think it’s cool that I got acknowledged for an award. For ‘Lighter,’ the song did really well, and it’s mad how much I’ve progressed in music.”

It’s always refreshing to see a hard-working YouTuber get their due, and KSI is no exception. While he’s going up against other stars like Dua Lipa, a nomination alone is a huge step forward into the mainstream for one of YouTube’s biggest personalities.

Bad Week: Netflix users threaten to cancel subscriptions over Hype House show

While the Hype House was once one of the biggest content organizations on the net, it has since fallen out of the public eye after losing some of its most prominent stars — but it seems the group is coming back to the limelight in a big way.

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This week, Netflix announced that it will be streaming a reality show centered around the Hype House, which will feature such creators as Chase Hudson, Thomas Petrou, and even some influencers who aren’t exactly in the House like Nikita Dragun.

Unfortunately, this news didn’t go over well with viewers, who were quick to slam the platform for hosting a TikTok reality show and canceling other beloved series… but it doesn’t look like the Hype House members are too bothered by the hate.

YouTube star Nikita Dragun clapped back at the backlash in a pointed Instagram story, claiming that the show might surprise viewers who are expecting an otherwise shallow venture.

“Everyone had a lot to say about the Netflix show, and that’s fine, but I just feel like, at the end of the day, you can’t get mad at people for winning and succeeding, and if you do, you’re literally just a hater,” she said.

Thomas Petrou had a similar take on the matter — but for now, it looks like all we can do is watch and wait to see if the series actually lives up to the ‘Hype’ or not.

Bad week: Jeff Wittek “blackmailer” denies $40k ransom for David Dobrik accident footage

YouTuber Jeff Wittek claimed he was blackmailed to the tune of $40,000 to conceal footage of a stunt for David Dobrik’s Vlog Squad that turned into a near-fatal encounter.

He almost died when a dangerous excavator stunt orchestrated by David Dobrik went horribly wrong. A doctor confirmed it could have cut his right eye in half and potentially even killed him.

After publishing the second part of his YouTube documentary series about his story, Wittek told Drama Alert that he needed to push out the video because he was getting blackmailed for the footage and didn’t want his “life-altering story” controlled by other people.

Among the group of vloggers who witnessed the accident, there was a family friend who also took a video and was asking for $40,000, according to Drama Alert.

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Soon after, someone named Wendy Pope appeared to have been asking for money for the video in screenshots spread online, but accounts apparently belonging to her denied blackmail and insisted that Wittek “tell the truth.”

Good Week: Dream collaborates with MrBeast burger to get his own menu item

Dream and MrBeast are two of YouTube’s most popular influencers… so it makes perfect sense that they would come together for a culinary combination that impressed the net’s most famed food critic.

On April 26, Dream revealed that he’d gotten his very own burger at MrBeast’s fast food restaurant chain, MrBeast Burger. The ‘Dream Burger’ is stuffed to bursting with two beef patties, pickles, bacon, and avocado — a perfect fit for the guac lovers out there.

Thus far, the burger has been met with largely positive reviews, with even the likes of ReviewBrah giving it an 8 out of 10. That’s nothing to sneeze at!

If you want to try the Dream Burger for yourself, the new item is available at all 600 MrBeast Burger locations around the country for a price of $6.99.

Bad Week: Society Las Vegas accused of using racial slurs

On April 30, TikToker Taraswrld uploaded a video in which she claimed members of content house Society Las Vegas used racial slurs in songs while on a party bus with her.

Shortly after, the house posted to their official Instagram account that they “have been made aware of an accusation and will take appropriate action.” Member Karina Prieto also uploaded a TikTok where she claimed she doesn’t say that word in any context.

She then announced that she had made the decision to leave the house, saying she felt “disappointed” that her fellow house members hadn’t spoken up at the time.

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Cole Beckham went on to make a video in which he apologized and said he was the one who was using racial slurs on the party bus, saying the girls were not at fault. He also alleged that some elements of Tara’s story were false.

Whether there will be any more changes to the lineup of Society Las Vegas is yet to be seen, as the backlash continues.

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With many of these stories still ongoing, there is the potential for more backlash against content houses like Society Las Vegas and Hype House in the coming week.