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=== Other controversies ===
=== Other controversies ===
In December 2019, Ethan angered fans with his disparaging comments on [[K-pop|K-Pop]], while speaking to his wife Hila on a podcast. Ethan later apologized for, and retracted his comments in December 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Katzowitz|first=Josh|date=2019-12-09|title=Ethan Klein has declared war on K-pop—and K-pop fans|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/ethan-klein-k-pop-bts/|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-08|website=[[The Daily Dot]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Ethan Apologies To K-Pop Fans|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv-AweJTr94|language=en|access-date=2022-01-08}}</ref>

In January 2022, Ethan accused American [[Podcast|podcaster]] [[Joe Rogan]] of spreading [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy]]. In response, fans of Rogan claimed that Ethan could not criticize Rogan's stance on [[COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccines]] and health, because of Ethan's obesity developed from his publicly-disclosed unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sung|first=Morgan|date=2022-01-05|title=YouTuber Ethan Klein criticizes Joe Rogan for anti-vax stances|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/youtuber-ethan-klein-criticizes-joe-rogan-vaccine-misinformation-rcna10913|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-07|website=NBC News|language=en}}</ref>
In January 2022, Ethan accused American [[Podcast|podcaster]] [[Joe Rogan]] of spreading [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy]]. In response, fans of Rogan claimed that Ethan could not criticize Rogan's stance on [[COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccines]] and health, because of Ethan's obesity developed from his publicly-disclosed unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sung|first=Morgan|date=2022-01-05|title=YouTuber Ethan Klein criticizes Joe Rogan for anti-vax stances|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/youtuber-ethan-klein-criticizes-joe-rogan-vaccine-misinformation-rcna10913|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-07|website=NBC News|language=en}}</ref>



Revision as of 07:20, 16 January 2022

h3h3Productions
Channel logo
Children1
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2011–present
Genres
Subscribers6.33 million (h3h3Productions)
3.01 million (H3 Podcast)
Total views1.5 billion (h3h3Productions)
730 million (H3 Podcast)
100,000 subscribers2015
1,000,000 subscribers2016

Last updated: January 15, 2022

h3h3Productions is a YouTube channel hosted by Ethan Klein and Hila Klein, an Israeli-American husband and wife duo. The majority of their content consists of reaction videos and sketch comedy in which they satirize internet culture. The H3 Podcast is their related channel that has been running since 2017.

History

Ethan Klein in 2017
Ethan Klein in 2017

Overview

h3h3Productions was launched in 2011 by Ethan Klein and Hila Klein, an Israeli-American husband and wife duo.[1] The primary format of videos uploaded to the channel involves the Kleins providing critique and commentary in reaction videos, consisting of clips of a source video intermixed with commentary and absurd sketches, a style which has been described as a cross between the works of comedy duo Tim & Eric and the comedic series Mystery Science Theater 3000.[2]

The channel has gained a reputation for critiquing internet trends and a range of online personalities,[3] as well as several YouTube policies.[4][5][6] The pair have reacted to several online controversies, many of which concern poorly received prank videos posted to the site.[4] The Kleins have been noted for criticizing YouTube channels that entice young viewers to participate in online gambling related to the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, mainly by trading skins for real-world currency.[7]

The H3 Podcast and spin-offs

Following their streaming on Twitch, the Kleins moved their podcast to YouTube, creating the H3 Podcast in April 2017.[8] Its first episode aired on April 8, 2017, featuring Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick and Morty.[9] The podcast began with conversational interviews with notable internet personalities such as Pewdiepie, Post Malone and Jake Paul.[10][11]

The channel expanded its content with the introduction of new sub-series: H3 After Dark, an unscripted current affairs podcast co-hosted by the Kleins; Content Court, mock trial podcast judging controversial internet personalities; and Frenemies, a podcast discussing internet drama, co-hosted by YouTube personality Trisha Paytas.[12][13][14]

On the set of Frenemies, Ethan and Paytas' relationship was initially rocky, marked by several large clashes, but they began reconciling their differences in episodes with Dr Drew.[13] Several Frenemies episodes focused on sexual assault allegations surrounding David Dobrik and The Vlog Squad.[15] Totaling 42 episodes, Frenemies ended in June 2021 after Paytas voiced their disagreements with Ethan and the podcast's production.[16][17] While the podcast received praise for its openness regarding mental illness and was credited for helping break down the social stigma surrounding it,[18] Paytas' comments on Judaism and the Holocaust in particular have been criticized as ignorant and offensive.[19] Frenemies was briefly replaced with Families, which focused on Ethan's relationship with his parents, Gary and Donna.[20]

In September 2021, Leftovers, a left-leaning political podcast co-hosted by Hasan Piker and Ethan, was launched. Tubefilter reported that the first episode reached 1 million views a day after being published.[21]

The H3 Podcast has been one of the United States' highest ranking podcasts since late 2020. Edison Research ranked it 27th from mid-2019 to mid-2020, and 23rd in 2020 overall based on a number of statistics.[22][23] Media Monitors ranked the podcast 14th for the first quarter of 2021.[24] Radio Online has noted a surge in listenership in early 2021, presumably in large part due to attention the public disputes between Ethan and Paytas garnered surrounding Frenemies.[25]

Controversies and lawsuits

Allegations against The Wall Street Journal

h3h3Productions, alongside several other channels, supported YouTube personality PewDiePie amid a 2017 controversy over jokes about Nazis in one of his videos from January.[26] On February 14, The Wall Street Journal ran a story about PewDiePie's previous references to Adolf Hitler, which brought nine other videos into the debate and elicited frequent discussions on whether media took them out of context.[27] When YouTube subsequently released tools to allow advertisers to avoid offensive videos, Ethan claimed that the tools were overly broad and negatively affected unrelated content, including his own channel.[28]

One of the authors of the Wall Street Journal piece, Jack Nicas, wrote another article on March 24 claiming YouTube did not go far enough to prevent advertising from displaying on videos that might contain racist content. Ethan accused the report of being written selectively to maximize outrage. The article showed a Coca-Cola advert playing on a video of the white supremacist country song "Alabama Nigger" by American singer Johnny Rebel. Upon seeing that the video was not contributing to the uploader's income, Ethan alleged that Nicas had used an altered screenshot. Hours later, he was informed that the video was indeed monetized, but on behalf of a copyright claim rather than at the choice or to the benefit of the uploader. He withdrew his accusation in response, and The Wall Street Journal released a statement that it stood by the authenticity of the screenshots.[29][30][20][31]

Hosseinzadeh v. Klein

In April 2016, Matt Hosseinzadeh, an American YouTube personality who goes by "MattHossZone" and "Bold Guy", filed a civil action against the Kleins for copyright infringement.[32][33] Hosseinzadeh claims that he initially contacted the Kleins "to politely ask them to remove [his] content from their video" but that they refused. His lawyer claimed that the video used more than 70% of his work "while contributing nothing substantive to it".[34][35]

After a video on this was released by h3h3Productions the following month, fellow YouTuber Philip DeFranco started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help raise money for the Kleins' legal fees, citing the need to protect fair use on YouTube.[36] On May 26, 2016, the Kleins announced that the $130,000 raised will go into an escrow account called the "Fair Use Protection Account" (FUPA), overseen by law firm Morrison & Lee LLP and to be used to help people defend fair use.[37]

The Kleins won the lawsuit, with U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest ruling that their commentary video constituted "fair use as a matter of law" and describing it as "quintessential comment and criticism".[38][39] The case is the first of its kind to receive a judgment; while not legally binding across the United States, it provided a significant and persuasive argument to be cited in future cases relating to fair use on YouTube.[40]

Triller Fight Club II LLC v. The H3 Podcast

In May 2021, Triller's event company filed an updated lawsuit to the US District Court for the Central District of California against the H3 Podcast and the Kleins, seeking $50 million in damages. The lawsuit alleges copyright infringement in the podcast episode titled Jake Paul Fight Was a Disaster, which aired five days after the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight and featured knockout footage along with Ethan's commentary on the event.[41]

Other controversies

In January 2022, Ethan accused American podcaster Joe Rogan of spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy. In response, fans of Rogan claimed that Ethan could not criticize Rogan's stance on COVID-19 vaccines and health, because of Ethan's obesity developed from his publicly-disclosed unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise.[42]

Personal lives

Ethan, an American, and Hila, an Israeli, first met at the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in Israel in 2007; Ethan was on his Birthright Israel trip, while Hila was serving in the Israel Defense Forces.[43] They married in 2012.[44] During the early years of their YouTube career, they lived together in Israel.[2] They have a son named Theodore who was born in June 2019.[43][44][45]

Philanthropy

In April 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when 17 million people in the U.S. filed for unemployment within three weeks,[46] the Kleins announced they would be giving away $100,000 over 100 days. During those hundred days, the Kleins would send $500 to two people each day who shared their PayPal ID on a designated Twitter post. Ethan wrote, "There was a time when $500 would mean the difference between eating and starving for Hila and myself, [and] that's a situation I want to help as many people as possible avoid."[47]

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Work Result Refs
2017 Streamy Awards Comedy h3h3Productions Nominated [48]
2018 Best Podcast H3 Podcast Nominated [49]
2019 Nominated [50]
2020 Nominated [51]

References

  1. ^ "Who is Ethan Klein? The YouTuber is best known for h3h3 productions". Yahoo! News. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Rich, Jacob (February 25, 2016). "Why the world needs h3h3Productions". The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on February 26, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  3. ^ Klima, Jeff (July 31, 2015). "Is h3h3 Productions the Most Negative Channel on YouTube?". New Media Rockstars. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Hathaway, Jay (February 11, 2016). "The Latest YouTuber Controversy Reveals Facebook's Looming Video-Theft Problem". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  5. ^ Tamburro, Paul (December 16, 2015). "h3h3productions Exposes Facebook's Awful Approach to Stolen Videos". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  6. ^ Freeman, Meagan (September 15, 2015). "h3h3 Productions, Ethan Klein Creates Hilarious Videos and Huge Controversies". Social News Daily. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
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  13. ^ a b Earp, Joseph (April 13, 2021). "'Frenemies' Is The Most Unexpectedly Cathartic Podcast on the Internet". Junkee. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  14. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay (March 18, 2020). "The life and controversies of YouTuber Trisha Paytas, from claiming she has multiple personalities to identifying as 'a chicken nugget'". Insider. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
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  16. ^ Haylock, Zoe (June 9, 2021). "Trisha Paytas Announces Departure From Frenemies Podcast With H3's Ethan Klein". Vulture. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
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  18. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay (January 8, 2021). "A podcast hosted by 2 of YouTube's most controversial personalities is creating new conversations about mental health". Insider. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  19. ^ Fox, Mira (March 23, 2021). "If you're looking for a Passover anthem, this is…not it". The Forward. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
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  23. ^ "Edison Research Charts Top 50 U.S. Podcasts For 2020". All Access. February 9, 2021. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  24. ^ "Media Monitors First Quarter 2021 Podcast Rankings By Recall Topped By Joe Rogan, 'The Daily'". All Access. April 23, 2021. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
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  29. ^ Simonson, Joe (April 3, 2017). "YouTube Powerhouse H3H3 Retracts Video Accusing Wall Street Journal of Falsifying Evidence". Heat Street. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
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  31. ^ Tenbarge, Kat (May 23, 2020). "YouTubers are reporting that Old Spice dropped its sponsorship of h3h3's Ethan Klein amid a brewing troll war with Keemstar". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
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  41. ^ Asarch, Steven (May 13, 2021). "Triller is suing YouTuber Ethan Klein's podcast for $50 million, claiming he illegally distributed Jake Paul's fight". Insider. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  42. ^ Sung, Morgan (January 5, 2022). "YouTuber Ethan Klein criticizes Joe Rogan for anti-vax stances". NBC News. Retrieved January 7, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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  44. ^ a b Adhya, Arpita (May 28, 2021). "Who is Hila Klein's husband Ethan Klein? YouTuber couple learns about pregnancy live on H3 podcast". Meaww. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  45. ^ Weiss, Geoff (June 6, 2019). "H3h3Productions' Ethan And Hila Klein Give Birth To Baby Boy, Theodore". Tubefilter. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  46. ^ Cachero, Paulina (April 14, 2020). "Nearly three-quarters of Americans are feeling the financial toll of the coronavirus pandemic". Business Insider. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
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External links