Not long after being punished for uploading a callous video of a suicide victim in Japan, YouTuber Logan Paul is back online with a new video about suicide prevention.
The disgraced vlogger returned to YouTube with a PR-manufactured video about suicide
Not long after being punished for uploading a callous video of a suicide victim in Japan, YouTuber Logan Paul is back online with a new video about suicide prevention.
We'll give credit where credit is due: It's a well-produced video that tackles a very serious mental health issue. But if you also find that it comes off as a disingenuous attempt at damage control, well, you're not alone.
If you need a refresher, here's the backstory on the Logal Paul YouTube controversy. At the end of December, Paul and his buddies went to Japan to film several episodes of his daily video series. On New Year's Eve, Paul published the second-to-last video in his Japan series what was meant to be a camping excursion in the "haunted" Aokigahara forest, a notorious location for suicides. Instead of camping, Paul and his crew found a real-life suicide victim. After initially panicking, they proceeded to film the body and crack jokes and then upload the footage.
READ ALSO: Man commits suicide after attacking wife with machete
The backlash was swift and extreme. Paul lost deals with YouTube, was criticized by major celebrities, and after two apologies, was essentially forced off the internet for the better part of a month. If you want to catch up, here's Men's Health's complete timeline of the entire scandal.
Paul returned to YouTube on Wednesday with a seemingly heartfelt video comprised of multiple interviews with survivors of suicide attempts and mental health professionals. The video opens with suicide survivor Kevin Hynes telling his story, then segues into Paul's explanation of what he's trying to do in the series.
"Kevin Hines was 19 when he jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge," Paul says. "He is one of the many incredible people I've been grateful to met over the last three weeks as I aim to further understand the complexities surrounding suicide."
Taken completely out of context, the video itself is pretty good. Paul tells Hines' story and conducts an extensive interview with Dr. John Draper, the director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In another segment of the video, Paul explains to his followers many of whom are young people the five things they can do to help someone who may be considering suicide.
"I know I've made mistakes, and I know I've let people down, but what happens when you're given an opportunity to make a difference in the world?" Paul says. "It's time to learn from the past and get as I get better and grow as a human being. I'm here to have a hard conversation so that those who are suffering can have easier ones… I know while I'm not able to solve the problem by myself, I want to be a part of the solution."
Paul also said he's pledging to donate $1,000,000 to various suicide prevention charities; the first $250,000 will go to Draper's NSPL.
That's all well and good, but the video is also very obviously the product of a professional PR campaign to rehabilitate the star's image a point that did not go unnoticed by some of Paul's peers.
"Hey @LoganPaul, first off thank you for your video on suicide awareness," Jimmy Wong, another prominent vlogger tweeted. "Trust, we are grateful you used your platform to teach your audience about an important issue, but let's take a step back here, and look behind the PR team that made this."
In an impassioned Twitter threat, Wong attested that Paul's behavior in Aokigahara was just an extreme end-point to a career filled with discriminatory, predatory, abusive, and inappropriate behavior toward strangers. (Take, for instance, this earlier video in Paul's Japan series, where he and friends accosted strangers in a real-life game of Pokemon Go.)
"I'm putting you on the spot @LoganPaul if you are truly changing, then it should show in every video you make from here on out," Wong continued. "It DOES NOT END with a well timed PR piece, where you wash your face and hands in slow-mo, have a new haircut, and speak with a somber affectation."
YouTube personality Casey Neistat weighed in, too. ".@LoganPaul has a long way to go and people are right to continue to question his motives, but today's video was a thoughtful first step," he tweeted. "Hopefully this is part of a true effort to move on from sensationalist content."
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Odd Enough: Logan Paul seems to think a suicide awareness video will make up for his stupidity
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
