Let’s play Who Wants to Be an HC Millionaire!
Who is the most popular celeb among U.S. teenagers?
A) Jennifer Lawrence B) Betty White C) YouTube comedy duo Smosh D) Steve Carell
And the answer is… C), Smosh! Wait, what?
Variety magazine surveyed 1,500 Americans age 13-18 and found that the top five most influential figures are all YouTube stars. In order, Smosh, The Fine Bros., PewDiePie, KSI and Ryan Higa topped the charts. The first celebrity on the list is Paul Walker, who died in a car accident last year (In case you were wondering where the celebs of our little poll fall in the rankings, Lawrence is 7th, Carell is 10th and White is 12th).
The teens were asked a “battery of questions assessing how 20 well-known personalities stacked up in terms of approachability, authenticity and other criteria considered aspects of their overall influence.”
10 of the 20 were English-speaking YouTube stars with lots of subscribers, and the other 10 were some of the most well-known mainstream celebrities.
According to head researcher Jeetendr Sehdev's findings, “YouTubers were judged to be more engaging, extraordinary and relatable than mainstream stars, who were rated as being smarter and more reliable. In terms of sex appeal, the two types of celebs finished just about even.”
In their feedback, teens expressed an appreciation for the Youtubers’ intimacy, authenticity, “sense of humor, lack of filter and risk-taking spirit.” Those traits stand in sharp contrast to the heavily controlled and strategically maintained personalities of traditional celebs.
Who do you like more, collegiettes: red-carpet regulars or YouTube sensations?
