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h3h3Productions

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h3h3Productions
File:H3h3productions logo.png
Personal information
Born
  • Ethan Edward Klein
  • Hila Hakmon
Nationality
  • American
  • Israeli
Websitewww.h3h3productions.com
YouTube information
Also known ash3h3
Channel
Years active2013–present
Genres
Subscribers2.5 million[1]
Total views330 million[1]
NetworkOmnia Media
Associated acts
100,000 subscribers2015
1,000,000 subscribers2016
Last updated: November 1, 2016

h3h3Productions (shortened to h3h3) is an Israeli-American comedy YouTube channel produced by husband-and-wife team Ethan and Hila Klein.[2][3] Their content mostly consists of sketch comedy and reaction videos. As of November 2016, the group has over 2.5 million subscribers and more than 300 million views.[4]

Early life

Ethan Edward Klein (born June 24, 1985) was born in San Diego, California to an Ashkenazi Jewish family. He grew up in Ventura, California, where he attended Buena High School.[5] Ethan studied English Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz from 2004 to 2009. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2009, and was placed on the Dean's Honors List. He worked as a marketing executive in Israel, firstly as Content Manager at Webpals from 2010 to 2013, and then as Head of Marketing for Tracy PMI from 2013.

Hila Klein (née Hakmon, Template:Lang-he; born December 12, 1987) was born and raised in Holon, Israel to a Sephardic Jewish family. While serving as a soldier in the Israeli military, she met Ethan Klein who was visiting Jerusalem at the time on his Birthright Israel trip.[6] She went to art school back in Israel. The couple married in 2012.[7]

They released their first reaction video of the video poem "Girls Who Read" in November 2013; at the time the couple lived together in Israel.[2] In April 2015, the Kleins moved to the United States. They initially resided in New York City,[8] but moved to Los Angeles in August 2016.[9]

The couple have collaborated with other YouTube personalities, including: Filthy Frank, JonTron, TheRyanJayShow, PewDiePie, and iDubbbzTV.[10][11][12] From October 2015 until August 2016, Hila Klein had worked as a producer on JonTronShow.[9][13][14]

YouTube career

Main channel

The main form of content on the channel is the "h3h3 reaction video". More involved than traditional reaction videos, these consist 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 television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.[2]

The channel has gained a reputation for criticizing certain Internet trends and personalities,[15] including the Fine Brothers, the Fullscreen network, Sam Pepper, and copyright infringement on Facebook, as well as the policies of YouTube itself.[16][17][18] Often the pair will comment on or participate in online controversies, for instance with SoFloAntonio or LeafyIsHere.[16][19] The pair have also commented on issues involving copyright infringement, censorship, and the doctrine of fair use, as it relates to their content.[20][21][22]

The channel's most popular video is "VAPE NATION", a parody of vaping culture. As of November 1, 2016, the video has over 11 million views.[23] Many memes and inside jokes sprouting from their videos are shared within the fan community, including vaping, beanies, Papa John's Pizza, "dunnie dolls" (referring to comedian Jeff Dunham), Fupa, and the "chub and tuck." Personalities covered in reaction videos, such as DJ Khaled, Ethan Bradberry, John Sakars, and soaper Ryan Jaunzemis, are often hailed within the community as "living memes." On July 15, by winning a Hot 97 contest, Ethan met DJ Khaled and showed him a series of videos, including "The DJ Khaled Documentary".[24] The channel released a short documentary on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gambling, which involves trading skins for real-world currency. The channel criticized several YouTubers for attempting to attract young viewers to their gambling websites.[25]

The channel joined the Freedom! network after leaving Collective Digital Studio in August 2015, however as of 2016 it is now a part of the Omnia Media network.

From late 2015 the channel's viewership increased, due to frequent exposure on Reddit and in January 2016 Reddit's "/r/videos" community named it "YouTube channel of the Year".[26]

Second channel

The couple ran a secondary channel named Ethan and Hila (YouTube user h2h2productions)[27] from August 2014 to August 2016, where they would release simpler reaction videos and vlogs multiple times a week. On July 29, 2016, Ethan Klein announced that due to the stress of maintaining both channels, all future videos would be on their main channel and Ethan and Hila itself no longer active.[28] The channel's last video was on Goat Simulator on August 7, 2016.[29]

Notable guests

Rudy "Hugh Mungus" Pantoja

In 2016, in Seattle, Washington's city hall, after showing his support in an interview for the construction of a new police station, a man named Rudy Pantoja was confronted by activist Zarna Joshi.[30] Joshi asked Pantoja for his name, to which he facetiously replied that he was "Hugh Mungus"; Joshi then verbally accused Pantoja of sexual harassment before police officers and city hall security guards intervened.[31][32]

After Ethan and Hila reacted to the Joshi's uploaded video of the incident on August 31, 2016, Ethan interviewed Pantoja and uploaded a video of the interview on September 13.[33] In the interview, Pantoja revealed that he supported the police station because his daughter was helped by Seattle police to find treatment for her addictions.[30] Additionally, Pantoja noted that he had invited Joshi to meet and make amends, which she refused.[30]

Ken Bone

On 27 October 2016, "Interview with Ken Bone" was released.[34] Kenneth Bone had become an internet celebrity after his appearance in the second presidential debate leading up to the United States presidential election, 2016. During the interview, Bone, who had been an undecided voter at the time of the debate, said that he had made up his mind about who he would vote for, but did not reveal who it was during the show, instead encouraging viewers to make their own mind up. Referring to another recent notable guest, Ethan Klein asked Bone if he would support people voting for a "HughMungus/Bone" write-in ticket, to which Bone said yes, if it would get people out to vote.

Controversies

Hosseinzadeh v. Klein

Matthew "Matt" Hosseinzadeh (known on YouTube as MattHossZone and nicknamed Bold Guy), the subject of a reaction video on Ethan and Hila's second channel filed a civil action against them in late April 2016, alleging copyright infringement. Hosseinzadeh claims that he initially contacted the Kleins "to politely ask them to remove my content from their video," but that they refused. Hosseinzadeh's lawyer, Tim Bukher, claims that the video used more than 70% of his work "while contributing nothing substantive to it."[35][36]

After a video on this was released by h3h3Productions the following month, fellow YouTube personality Philip DeFranco started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help raise money for their legal fees, citing the need to protect fair use on YouTube.[37] The fundraiser has so far raised almost $170,000, receiving large donations from notable individuals including the Fine Brothers, Markus "Notch" Persson, PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Justin Roiland, and Garry Newman. The Kleins are being represented by Ryan Morrison, commonly known as the "Video Game Attorney", and Michael Lee of Morrison & Lee LLP in the lawsuit.[38]

On May 26, 2016, Ethan and Hila announced that the funds raised will go into an escrow account called the "Fair Use Protection Account" (FUPA), overseen by Morrison & Lee LLP to be used to help people defend fair use.[39] On June 27, 2016, Lee announced on Twitter that he had filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.[40]

References

  1. ^ a b "About h3h3Productions". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c Rich, Jacob (February 25, 2016). "Why the world needs h3h3 Productions". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  3. ^ h3h3 Productions (June 7, 2016). WE FINALLY KISS (WOW 18+ ONLY). YouTube. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  4. ^ "h3h3productions YouTube Stats, Channel Statistics - Socialblade.com". socialblade.com. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  5. ^ KEYT. "YouTuber Star From Ventura Fighting Copyright Infringement Lawsuit". KEYT. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  6. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td7TvlveSEE
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxBSF8WQf4
  8. ^ Klein, Hila (April 22, 2015). "Cya Israel". Twitter. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Goodbye New York". August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  10. ^ h3h3 Productions (September 19, 2015). "JonTron and Ethan share a Papa John Pizza". Retrieved February 26, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ h3h3 Productions (October 5, 2015). "Feeding the Homeless – h3h3 reaction video". Retrieved February 26, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ The Greatest YouTuber of ALL TIME -- h3h3 reaction video, June 5, 2016, retrieved June 18, 2016 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  13. ^ "IamA -- We are h3h3productions! We make comedy videos on YouTube. Ask us anything! • /r/IAmA". reddit. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  14. ^ JonTronShow (October 31, 2015), Titanic: The Legend Goes On - JonTron, retrieved March 3, 2016
  15. ^ Klima, Jeff (July 31, 2015). "Is h3h3 Productions the Most Negative Channel on YouTube?". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Hathaway, Jay (February 11, 2016). "The Latest YouTuber Controversy Reveals Facebook's Looming Video-Theft Problem". New York. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  17. ^ Tamburro, Paul (December 16, 2015). "h3h3productions Exposes Facebook's Awful Approach to Stolen Videos". Crave Online. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  18. ^ Freeman, Meagan (September 15, 2015). "h3h3 Productions, Ethan Klein Creates Hilarious Videos and Huge Controversies". Social News Daily. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  19. ^ h3h3p (March 20, 2016). "THE LEAFY RANT". Retrieved May 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ h3h3Prod (December 15, 2015). "THE FACEBOOK SCAM". Retrieved May 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ h3h3prod (August 4, 2015). "CENSORSHIP ON YOUTUBE". Retrieved May 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ h3h3P (August 5, 2015). "CENSORSHIP ON YOUTUBE: PART TWO". Retrieved May 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ h3h3 Productions (March 21, 2016). VAPE NATION. YouTube. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  24. ^ Asarch, Steven (July 16, 2016). "Two Internet Legends Finally Meet: H3H3 Productions And DJ Khaled". Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  25. ^ "h3h3productions Exposes the Dark Side of CS:GO Gambling". July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  26. ^ Morgan, Tom (January 5, 2016). "h3h3 Productions crowned best YouTube channel by Reddit". Tube Chum. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  27. ^ "Official YouTube channel of Ethan and Hila". Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  28. ^ "Ethan Klein on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  29. ^ Ethan and Hila (August 7, 2016), I want to be a GOAT so bad!!, retrieved October 11, 2016
  30. ^ a b c Hicks, William (September 14, 2016). "Hugh Mungus Breaks His Silence". Heat Street. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  31. ^ Hathaway, Jay (September 7, 2016). "Who is Hugh Mungus, and why is he suddenly a meme?". The Daily Dot. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  32. ^ Hicks, William (August 22, 2016). "Guy Says His Name Is "Hugh Mungus," BLM Activist Cries Sexual Harassment". Heat Street. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  33. ^ "Interview with HUGH MUNGUS!". YouTube. September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  34. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWPxoj9CrsE
  35. ^ Spangler, Todd (May 27, 2016). "Legal Fund for YouTube's H3H3 Raises More Than $145,000 to Fight MattHoss Copyright Lawsuit". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  36. ^ "YouTube stars Matt Hoss, h3h3 in copyright battle over 'Bold Guy' - NY Daily News". www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  37. ^ "YouTube War: Philip DeFranco's GoFundMe Raises $60,000 As 'Bold Guy' Matt 'Hoss' Sues Ethan And Hila Of H3H3". The Inquisitr News. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  38. ^ Eordogh, Fruzsina. "Popular YouTubers H3H3 Productions Prepare To Defend Fair Use in Lawsuit". Forbes. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  39. ^ Chan, Melissa. "This YouTube Star Got Sued, Raised $130,000, and Wants to Change the Site Forever". TIME.com. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  40. ^ "Michael Lee on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
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