Shane Dawson responds to criticism following Jake Paul ‘Sociopath’ video
Popular YouTuber Shane Dawson has responded to criticisms following the latest episode of his docuseries covering social media star Jake Paul, where he teases the idea that many YouTubers could have Antisocial Personality Disorder.
In the video, Dawson visits with therapist and YouTuber Kati Morton, who discusses the textbook symptoms of sociopaths.
The video was edited much like a horror film, with disturbing music and dramatic cuts to YouTubers and celebrities exhibiting ‘sociopathic behavior.’
Dawson himself stated in the video that he was ‘100% NOT insinuating’ that any of the people shown were sociopaths – but his message didn’t put audiences at ease.
Fans of Dawson and Paul alike took to Twitter to express their concerns over the matter, stating that Dawson’s handling of the mental disorder unfairly stigmatized those who have it.
ok I stan @shanedawson but this new series creates a dangerous dynamic of unqualified people wrongly diagnosing mental disorders & dehumanizing & stigmatizing people with mental disorders. Take this as entertainment & nothing more
— jesse saint john (@jessesaintjohn) September 28, 2018
While Dawson expressed that he understood fans’ issue with the video, he likewise defended himself, citing sociopaths’ lack of empathy and emotion.
- Read More: Are your favorite YouTubers sociopaths? Shane Dawson’s latest docuseries explores the possibility
“People with severe antisocial personality disorders don’t have empathy and don’t care,” he wrote in a Tweet responding to criticism. “At all. So, for anyone to be offended is so confusing to me, considering they actually literally don’t care. Like. At all. And it’s something that is rarely even discussed and it can affect lives.”
He then went on to state that he felt he was helping spread awareness of the condition, and cited the world’s dangerous environment of shootings and sexual assaults.
While Dawson’s series over Paul was already under massive scrutiny, this latest episode further fuels the fire – and gives the video itself more attention. ‘The Dark Side of Jake Paul’ is currently at the #2 trending spot on YouTube, and boasts over 12 million views, vying to usurp Dawon’s previous projects over Jeffree Star and TanaCon.