Does It Help To 'Be' Attractive To Be Successful On Youtube? (The Problem With This Question)

[Toby Hill]

(First Thread, how scary) *Edited by staff*

The question is often posed in the community “Does It help to ‘be’ attractive to be successful on youtube’.

Now certainly this question is posed to those like vloggers or musicians or makeup tutorial channels as opposed to most gaming or animation channels. Its aimed at those who’s faces can be seen.

At first glance when you look at the british vlogging community you see lots of attractive people, guys and girls who are doing well on Youtube and you can’t help but think. “I’m not surprised they are doing so well, they are so nice to look at”.

However I’m going to ask you all to look at it from this angle. Look at the problem with the question. The part the requires us to ‘be’ attractive to become successful.

My view is that of “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” Beauty and attractiveness is not something you can ‘be’ its something that the beholders (you) assign to another person/ thing. So to ask if it helps to ‘be’ attractive is kind of nonsensical in my view. People can’t ‘be’ attractive as a matter of fact, rather everyone is attractive and unattractive to different people. That said I wouldn’t say this without suggesting an alternative explanation as to why all our favourite vloggers seem to be just so damed sexy!

Certainly in the thumbnail (a visual medium) you can play to the current 'generic norms' of attractiveness. Show off your fringe, show of your smile, show off whatever you think looks sexy. This will get people to click on your video I’m sure. This is a factor, and it’s fine that it is, thats human nature, we like looking at nice things. However that said given the current algorithm of Youtube. Your thumbnail will only be seen by lots of people if the video itself has a good watch time. The best watch times come from click through rates. That means if someone is watching your video and they find it interesting or want to watch something related and they then click through to another video, your video will then get a better watch time and then be more likely to appear through searches. So yes while the thumbnail is entirely about looks ultimately it requires a fully watched video with good click through rates to surface through the sea of competing videos. Furthermore when someone begins to watch your video it becomes a whole other story

Unlike thumbnails videos are not just visual mediums. You have to listen to them as well and sometimes people will say things that disgust you or turn you off. Other times they might make a statement you agree with and you begin to connect to that person. To explain he phenomena that everyone you watch on Youtube is somewhat attractive think of it this way.

You see someone in a video, they may look attractive but make terrible content or say things that you disagree with. You don’t comment or at the least you certainly don’t subscribe and they never hear about the experience that you had. Or you find them unattractive and they make bad content and you do the same thing. On the other end of the spectrum you watch a video and you find someone unattractive or attractive but most importantly you find the content interesting. That or they say things you can relate too. You may comment or you subscribe or you keep watching. You might let them know how good they are. The ones you find attractive you comment on occasion to let them know and the wired thing is with many of the ones that before you where not to fussed about, because of the way the present themselves and the way you can relate to what they say you almost decide that they are now attractive to you. Just in a different way.

(I promise I am arriving at the point)

Lots of these youtube personalities have their content shared because it is good content but ultimately the opinion you have on their attractiveness is something that can change as you watch them. If the content is good you might decide that they are. The people who don’t like them or don’t find them attractive or don’t want to see any more will simply leave and for the most part not comment about it (it’s quicker and easier to just leave). However a portion of the ones who stay will comment and let them know that they are good or attractive. Fans of their channel will discuss and agree that they both find these people to some extent attractive or at the least a good youtuber and as more people watch, more people will have the option to decide that for themselves.

To me people who are successful on youtube are not so because they 'are’ attractive (because as I said at the beginning I don’t think someone can ‘be’ attractive in a factual kind of way)
, but rather being attractive is a bi product of being successful. It’s a bi product of having more people look at you who make that assessment. In a way this also means being unattractive is a bi product of being successful. Your content is shared because it is good. People watch and then they make the assessment of attractiveness. And that my friends is my current thinking on this. Your youtube celebrites that you watch are no more attractive than other people, just more people share your opinion that they are or are not because their face has been put out there for the world to see.

So after a long read pause.

Go have a biscuit.

Come back and let me know what you think. Good points, bad points, other opinions? Is this a refreshing new angle or am I talking out of my a**e? I really want to know peoples opinions on this. The main point I want to convey out of all of this is my belief that ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Anyways, let me know your thoughts?

Much Love <3

 

[TheBatteryChicken]

You want to a successfully vlogger, make content that panders to the white middle class kids. Don't try do anything else, the audience won't be able to understand it.

 

[MrThomsen]

Skimmed through your text.

Of cause it helps to be attractive, it would by definition be an extra trait. The real question you might wan't to ask is whether or not, the fact of being attractive can be a bigger trait than good content.

My view is that of “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” Beauty and attractiveness is not something you can ‘be’ its something that the beholders (you) assign to another person/ thing. So to ask if it helps to ‘be’ attractive is kind of nonsensical in my view. People can’t ‘be’ attractive as a matter of fact, rather everyone is attractive and unattractive to different people.

This is not entirely true, we have, as a matter of fact, been able do define what is attractive and what is not. Of cause people will be attracted to different things, but there are general rules to how a face is put together, that certainly garners the affection from other people. So beauty (beautiful) and attractiveness (attractive) is certainly something you can ‘be’.

But to be more on your point. Yes, some (if not much) of the attractiveness that embodies famous and successful people are the fact that they are famous/successful. I will agree to that

 

[Toby Hill]

we have, as a matter of fact, been able do define what is attractive and what is not. Of cause people will be attracted to different things, but there are general rules to how a face is put together, that certainly garners the affection from other people. So beauty (beautiful) and attractiveness (attractive) is certainly something you can ‘be’.

Okay I am finding this a difficult point to manoeuvre round

You are right that there are general statistics on what more people prefer, things like facial symmetry for example. In that sense you could say, because the majority find it attractive therefore that is attractive.

However I feel like I still have a problem with it, and that the beauty is in the eye of the beholder way of thinking still bears much more strongly.

These traits that majorities prefer are still only majorities and not everyone. At its core it's still an opinion based thing.

Even if more people find a particular trait more attractive than not, it still doesn't make the people who don't have that trait unattractive as a matter of fact. They'll just be attractive to different people (to less people, but I don't feel that means less attractive).

So when the question asks us if it helps to be attractive, I say it's nonsensical because unless everyone would find you attractive then you can't be. People might say you are attractive and then others may disagree (even 'if' they where to agree on specific traits) They may go, "Yeah he's got a good jawline but his hair looks terrible" for example.

I understand, you are right in that yes there are traits that the majority find attractive but it doesn't sway the argument to much for me because it is still an opinion based thing.

Furthermore if face symmetry and a strong jawline (For example) are what we are saying is attractive here then the question becomes "Does it help to have a symmetrical face and strong jawline to become a successful You tuber" To me the answer is still no because videos are more than just visual, they require your ears and attention and no one is going to stick around if the content is bad or if you say or do something that disgusts people for example (unless that's what they are looking for)

You could argue that having a strong jawline and symmetrical face is a contributor to making up good content as part of the aesthetics, but I feel by comparison to the rest of the video, to the rest of the content it is fractional. Also while many of these traits are globally accepted some of them are a cultural thing as well. People in certain areas of the world find general things like fringes or wide hips attractive and people in other areas of the world may find those things gross or just not be bothered by them. Point is Youtube is a global platform, as far as I am aware it is in most places where they have access to the internet and thus widening the verity of people with different likes and dislikes.

I do understand what you are saying, and thats why I've tried really hard to address this as well as I can. Do you see what I am saying or am I making no sense at all?

 

[MrThomsen]

Furthermore if face symmetry and a strong jawline (For example) are what we are saying is attractive here then the question becomes "Does it help to have a symmetrical face and strong jawline to become a successful You tuber" To me the answer is still no because videos are more than just visual, they require your ears and attention and no one is going to stick around if the content is bad or if you say or do something that disgusts people for example (unless that's what they are looking for)

The problem is here that you're not really asking if it helps, but that if it's more important to be attractive than having good content. By asking if it helps to be attractive you must take the stand that the content would be the same, but one person be attractive and the other not. It is then my stand, that it will indeed help to be attractive (Whatever that would mean to different people).

 

[Toby Hill]

The problem is here that you're not really asking if it helps, but that if it's more important to be attractive than having good content.

Okay I see what you re saying here but then here

By asking if it helps to be attractive you must take the stand that the content would be the same, but one person be attractive and the other not. It is then my stand, that it will indeed help to be attractive

I'm lost again a little because that's still a perspective based thing. Even if it was put to a vote and 100 people had to decide (between 2 videos of different people) and 80 people said one person is more attractive and 20 said the other person was that doesn't mean either of them are unattractive or attractive as a matter of fact. It's an opinion based thing. Based on who's watching and what they think. Right?

 

[TheSuperFunArt]

yes, I think being attractive does help, also if you look different and have a unique face or look. people don't like to subscribe to common looking people, they are looking to subscribe for people who look different so its easier to remember.
if you think you look common then you should maybe try something different such as wearing a hat in your videos or you can brand yourself with what you wear and act.

always try to look your best... i think these are the unwritten rules of youtube.

me, i am not an attractive person, i also look comon like any other person who wears the hijab. but i looked at myself and I said the people who look like me on youtube (who wear hijab) they all do fashion and hijab tutorial videos, however i wasnt intrested with fashion and had a greate intrest in art. I havent seen someone who looks like me that does art, so people look at me as being different so they want to sub... i dunno thats my story, might be different with someone else.

it's all about finding the gap in the market.

 

[Toby Hill]

See I feel this is the main point I am trying to tackle here because it really upsets me to hear people say things like this.

me, i am not an attractive person

You are partially correct and partially incorrect with this statement. You are not attractive.... to some people. You are also attractive... to other people. You may not find yourself attractive but there will be people who find you attractive in life. Thats just a fact and I find it hard to believe that someone has gone through a fully lived life, encountering other people and not had either one thought about them. Its a perspective based thing. You are Attractive to people and you are also unattractive to people. Which is why I find it nonsensical to ask if you can 'be' attractive, because what is attractive to some is unattractive to others.

Do you see what I am saying?

 

[Adam_Fitz]

Id say it could help but without good enough content you wont get too far

 

[Molitor]

Attractiveness has always mattered when it comes to content creators. All the way back to the 60s. Sure, the Beatles make great music but they would've died poor in Liverpool if they weren't so darn cute!