I felt like I couldn’t breathe, it felt like I was drowning.’ In 2018 Manny Gutierrez (aka Manny MUA) had the kind of life that anyone with a YouTube account could only dream of. Five million subscribers, his own cosmetics line and a contract as Maybelline’s first-ever male ambassador. In just four years he went from working behind the MAC counter to being mobbed by fans at meet-and-greet appearances. Until, one day, he hastily ‘liked’ a tweet that would seal his fate.
Thinking nothing of it, he carried on about his day. A few hours later, however, his entire career, reputation and sanity imploded.
His YouTube peers were quick to capitalise on his ruin, uploading videos analysing every aspect of his fall from grace. ‘RIP Manny MUA’s career’; ‘Manny MUA exposed’; ‘Is Manny MUA a social climber?’. His previously loyal fans voted with their fingers, and his subscriber count plummeted drastically. He didn’t know it yet, but Manny MUA had faced the most modern-day of public reckonings: he’d been ‘cancelled’.
How did the YouTube beauty community go from everyday makeup tutorials to this century’s version of the Salem witch trials? And what does it say about both us – the viewers – and them – the stars – that cancel culture exists in the first place?
The age of innocenceI’ve followed beauty YouTubers since 2009 and it wasn’t always like this.
Online tutorials started on the platform in 2006, with makeup artist Adrienne K Nelson’s ‘Look hot in 5 minutes or less’ video. With zero commentary, questionable royalty-free music and not a ring light in sight, it was a world away from the YouTube productions of today.
Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av Cosmopolitan - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av Cosmopolitan - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Marc Buckner
The Bachelor SA Season 2’s star is here to make you swoon. Find out why boss babes are ready to risk it all for this adventurous dog lover.
I Tested Positive For The Alzheimer's Gene At 26 Years Old
A DNA testing kit is like a crystal ball, but what if you don’t like what you see?
Basically No-One Has A 28-Day Menstrual Cycle
Brought to you by: the idea of a ‘normal’ period is a lie
For Those Times When You're Like, ‘I Love You, But You're Annoying...'
Coupledom can be hard!
How To Get Sh*t Done
Calling all procrastinators: sometimes getting started on a new project or goal can be the hardest part. Here’s how to stop putting it off and actually press go
Is Rage Bait Okay?
It has become the new engagement strategy for many brands. Companies bait their followers into engaging with their content around topics that cause outrage. But is this okay? Social -media strategists Talya Goldberg and Jabulile Dlamini -Qwesha share their views.
Is Cardio A Scam? And 7 Other Not-stupid Questions About Fitness Things
Thanks for calling 0800 -WTF- Is -This
Hold The Phone
Zozibini Tunzi is here to remind you all to Take. Up. Space. She’s rewriting the pageantry rulebook, and she wants you to join in (in a bath, wearing sparkly boots, because that’s just how we roll).
How To Tell It Like It Is *And Finally Get A Promotion*
Receiving constructive criticism on your work can be terrifying. But do it right and it can be a career game-changer.
What Makes A Compulsive Liar?
We all do it. Tell those lit t le white lies to ourselves, and others. But what about those for whom lying is a way of life? Catriona Harvey-Jenner investigates the rise of a new kind of scammer.
