The Fine Brothers aren’t reacting too well to the presence of other videos in the same vein. They’re taking on everyone, up to and including Ellen Degeneres.
Fine Brothers Entertainment is a very successful YouTube production studio. Their primary content is based around the concept of taking other people’s work — videos, games, et cetera — and then showing it to groups of people in order to film their reactions. The “Elders React” and “Kids React” series have helped build their channel to nearly 14 million subscribers. But it’s their recent announcement of “React World” that has everyone talking right now. They’re calling it “a huge step for the entire global media industry,” and are humbled by “the impact it’s had on the world.”
Their success has inspired them to try and trademark the word “react.” But don’t worry, it gets even more absurd. Although they continue to claim that “no one can copyright reaction videos,” they’re trying very hard to do just that. Numerous other channels have even received YouTube copyright takedowns because of their efforts.
It’s not hard to see how trademarking “react” is a ludicrous proposition, but The Fine Brothers seem to have forgotten a couple of very important details.
First of all, “reaction” footage has been around since Art Linklater started querying kids on a radio show that began in 1945. Perhaps they can be forgiven, seeing as they weren’t even born when someone first had the idea? Linklater did however bring it to TV, then Bill Cosby followed suit. Marc Summers did a show with a multitude of segments putting people in weird situations for their reactions on What Would You Do? for Nickelodeon.
But even more specifically, internet reaction videos have been going viral since at least 2007, when late night band The Roots reacted to an infamous grossout video that I beg you to avoid watching yourself at all costs.
Needless to say, Fine Brothers Entertainment has overstepped by quite a margin. The internet is not happy with them, and their subscribers have begun to drop at a rate that — if maintained — would leave them with none at all within just a few months. Popular YouTubers have been anything but reticent about their disapproval. Cr1TiKaL, Boogie2998, and Dunkey have all joined the internet at large in telling those YouTube brothers that their actions are anything but “Fine.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YxPvZome2M&feature=youtu.be
If you’re interested in just how far they’d like to go to make themselves the owners of widespread internet memes, check this list out. Just… “try not to smile or laugh™” when you do.
Follow Nate Church @Get2Church on Twitter for the latest news in gaming and technology, and snarky opinions on both.
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