C2- Online: KSI INCOMPLETE Flashcards
Context
-JJ Olantunji, better known as KSI, is a British (with Nigerian heritage) YouTuber, rapper, entrepreneur and boxer.
-KSI is the co-founder of British rap band The Sidemen. He is also the CEO of Misfits Boxing and co-owner of Prime Hydration, XIX Vodka and restaurant chain Sides. He also hold the ICB Cruiserweight Championship in professional boxing.
-KSI came to fame by uploading comedic gaming-commentary videos of the FIFA video game series. His video channel then diversified to include a vlog and comedy clips. As of August 2022, he has over 24m subscribers to his YouTube channel, and almost 6b video views across his channels.
-KSI is also a successful recording artist. His second album All Over the Place debuted at number one on the UK Album Chart.
Media Language
-KSI has been clever in anticipating internet trends of the past decade. Consider his ‘Let’s Play’ videos, comedy clips (with the Sidemen), prank videos, ‘diss tracks’ (songs that mock and insult other YouTubers).
-YouTubers operate quite differently to traditional celebrities. Instead of attracting fans with their beauty and luxurious lifestyles, influencers rely on two main qualities: authenticity and relatability.
-KSI has used the following YouTuber/influencer conventions that suggest these qualities by having:
-direct address to the camera, with a cheap, lo-fi production
-use of language associated with young urban men: slang mixed with street dialect and gaming/social media terms
-he regularly has guests- sometimes these are members of his own family (particularly his brother Deji) or other internet celebrities
-In earlier videos, they are based around banter between KSI and his brother. The language and humour are crude, but unpolished, and this adds to the authenticity.
-Finally, some of the humour borders on racist or homophobic, this adds to the ‘unpolished’ feel of the video.
-In recent years, KSI has produced media products in more mainstream genres: hip-hop albums, music videos and live sporting events that are produced using professional crew. He has also appeared as a guest on broadcast TV shows like The Big Narstie Show (which would fit with his ‘edgy’ comedy image), Celebrity Bake Off and even Blue Peter (which go against the image).
-Consider the numerous ‘old KSI’ videos, where the ‘new KSI’ rewatches his old material and reacts to them- often with embarrassment.
Representation
-KSI has become far more sensitive to the way he represents different social groups in his media products. As he said in interviews, he was 16 years old when he began posting video. He is now 31 years old and is more conscious of the impact he has on audiences. This could be seen as a kind of self-regulation.
-The ‘cocky, cool older brother’ persona could be seen as a combination of many traditionally masculine traits: highly competitive (sports and videogames); suspicious of femininity; motivated by success and victory; lack of compromise; ‘rude’ aand impolite humour; physical strength and endurance.
-KSI also represents a very positive portrayal of young, Black, British men. He failed his A levels, yet through hard work and innovation KSI has become a millionaire. Many of his fans describe him as being inspirational, and some have followed his example to become influencers themselves. His acronym stands for ‘Knowledge, Strength, Integrity’- and the way he seeks to manifest these values creates a very positive portrayal of young people (and their relationship with technology).
-His boxing career is another way he represents these positive values. He had never boced before, and the first fight with Joe Weller seemed more lika a scuffle that esclated- an example of stereotypical machismo. However, the commitment with which KSI trained (detailed in his videos), and subsequent victories showed his ambitiion rather than arrogance.
-Dedication that leads to success, from underdog to victor, is a traditional narrative in the sports movie genre, especially boxing dramas like Rocky.
-KSI has a very blunt, honest relationship with his fanbase, and often personally responds to comments they make about his media products.
-He has responsed to negative comments from fans about comments that have been perceived as sexist, homophobic or racist; iften he has apologised and thanked the audience for raising his awareness.
-Like many YouTubers, he knows the value of shocking, politically incorrect material for gaining hits on the site, and therefore popularity and success.
-The interactive nature of social media however means that shifts in cultural values, and phenomena like the MeToo or Black Lives Matter movements, are reflected in the comments of KSI’s audience.
-You may want to compare KSI’s early videos with more recent products- how could it be said that KSI has become more politically correct?
Media Industries
-KSI has moved from zero-budget videos made in his bedroom, to massive on-line sporting events (his fight with Joe Wellee had ore vierwers than the 2017 FA Cup Final).
-One way he has achieved success in the US market is by making content that is internationally resonant. His super-confidence/arrogance appeals to many young men, and then his ability to actually do what could be consdiered macho is seen by his fans as inspiring (and achieveable).
-By using a global platform like YouTube, but cultivating a distinct young, Black British voice, KSI achieves the model of ‘make local, distribute global’.
-His ‘beefs; with prominent American YouTubers also extends all the participants’ reach and notoriety and has further aided his success in the US. The fight with Logan Paul especially cemented this reputation.
-KSI’s recent album also features famous US artists like Lil Wayne.
-In interviews, Olantunji has been blunt about his materialist values. His content has always been designed to get hits on YouTube and he has produced whatever is on-trend in order to capiltaise on and, through sponsorships, monetise this.
-Though his most recent content has been based around his boxing and music careers, he uses these as a strategy to generate more sponsorships and sell his own merchandise. His website is completely devoted to these income streams.
