JAMES CHARLES: Blatant plagiarism or clever marketing ploy?

Image: Netbuzz.com

By Oisín Bradley. were calling Charles out in his own comments section, with one comJames Charles is no stranger menting “James, your new color to controversy on YouTube, block sweaters look like Teddy and the last few months Fresh rip offs.” have proved no different as It didn’t take long for Ethan he has been accused of steal- himself to get involved. ing the design of his new Sisters “I know we didn’t invent colApparel brand from podcast orblocking but I’m having a hard mogul H3H3’s wife Hila Klein time with the new James Charles and her company Teddy Fresh. merch, it’s the same exact

Charles, 21, was wearing design as Hila’s. Combined with the new designs for his mer- the fact that his audience is so chandise in recent uploads huge, many people will assume to his YouTube and TikTok he designed it and start accusing accounts, and the design of his us of plagarism. What do you think?” colour-blocked hoodies with his Klein also talked of the possibility catchphrase ‘Sisters’ drew plenty of of Charles 22.7 million strong fanbase ire on social media. believing the design is his own,

It didn’t take long for and turning on Teddy Fresh fans to draw compari- for ‘copying’ the design sons between Hila’s from Charles. clothing com- There are many pany and the questions from make-up art- viewers of both ist’s merch. Even Charles’ own fans James Charles is back in the YouTube spotlight, warring with fellow stars H3H3 leaving fans hooked on the drama. creators, however it all stems back to one big question:

WIN

Pitchers & P za

For You + 5 Friends! A table will be reserved for you on a day of your choice

Did James Charles intentionally steal the design from H3H3’s company, or is he being unfairly singled out as a villain?

For me, I believe this story is too convenient for both parties. H3H3 boasts 12.36 million subscribers across their four channels, while James Charles has 22.7 million subscribers on his YouTube channel alone.

These creators both create very different forms of content, with the former renowned for his podcasts and the latter uploading makeup tutorials. Thus, both have largely differing demographics. Having this drama surrounding their names only brings their names into conversations and puts them front and centre of YouTube ‘drama’ shows.

You only need to look at the Google searches for ‘Teddy Fresh’ over the last while to see that they have risen notably since this drama surfaced to see its benefit. Both creators have gained massively from this controversy and H3H3 is still using it to gain traction and YouTube views on Twitter.

To suggest that either of these massive creators are completely clueless in this debacle and are not savvy businessmen would be naïve. Since the dawn of time and the introduction of payment by YouTube to its creators, said creators have been drawn into public clashes to keep their names in the consciousness of viewers, and more importantly the recommended box.

By Rachel Garvey

The recent transition into a Level Three lockdown for the Covid-19 pandemic has altered a lot of people’s routines in relation to work and educational endeavours. Lectures have moved to online platforms with NUI Galway’s library is open to accommodate the students with the books they’ll need for their studies, but there will be a safety measures in place to prevent any congregation for everyone’s safety. Due to the fact that we all have to remain indoors while we study as opposed to going to a lecture hall, a lot of us are thinking about other things to keep us sane while we remain at home. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Netflix and chill (alone)

Netflix recently added a variety of movies to their evergrowing list and a lot of them are horrors. Halloween is lurking just around the corner so Netflix has taken it in its stride to add a variety of frightening flicks for us to watch to get us in the mood for spooky season. Halloween, Friday the 13thand House at the End of the Street are some examples of what’s waiting for you.

House decorating

As said previously, Halloween is lurking just around the corner and even though it won’t be the same as every other year previous, there are still some people out there who will stop at nothing from not letting this pandemic break their Halloween spirit. Why don’t you decorate the house with pumpkin lights and spiderwebs and hanging ghost decorations? Not only is it enjoyable, but you can get creative with your decorating. Surveying your masterpiece at the end is always worth it.

From the earlier days of KSI vs GudJohnDaniel, to recent clashes between Shane Dawson and Tati Westbrook, ‘beef’ has always been flavour of the month on YouTube, and while there is usually a genuine nature to these incidents, it’s doubtless that they have benefits for all involved.

For these two it’s no different. There may be some genuine resentment there, and it would come as no surprise if James Charles made the decision to copy the design to get as much time in the limelight as possible. While these types of drama may become tiring for some viewers, it encapsulates the masses, therefore there is no doubt that they

Guidebook for the recently appointed introverts

are here to stay. great time to catch up on any pending college work, and perhaps doing a little extra. There is no better feeling than catching up on college work, whether it’s finishing that essay or looking over your notes or doing a little extra reading.

Cooking/baking

At the start of lockdown, a lot of individuals took to baking at home, making their own bread etc. Devil’s Food Mix have released a new Halloween recipe for chocolate cupcakes and they must be on everyone’s shopping list. They are perfect for this spooky season! Get creative and make something you’ve never made before, have fun with it! It’s all about trying new things and seeing what works for you, and who doesn’t like baking?

Game night

A lot of students who have recently moved to Galway are now staying with housemates who they have never met before. Why not instigate a game night once or twice a week; games like Monopoly, Cards against Humanity, Charades or any other game you can think of. A quick warning though in regards to the game Monopoly-it does destroy friendships. Be prepared for major competition!

Tea night

A lot of new students are away from home and this might be for the first time they have lived away from home and because of this year’s pandemic people’s mental health can be at stake. We never truly know what some people are going through, and a lot of people do suffer in silence. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit down and talk with somebody about how you’re feeling over a nice cup of tea or coffee at home. We all need to look after one another in these times of uncertainty.