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No Dignity for the Living or the Dead

1/12/2018

60 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

If you weren’t aware of Logan Paul before, you may have heard of him over the past week or so, after the extremely popular vlogger committed a major, international indiscretion.  Public outrage led the 22-year-old YouTube star to apologize for his one-time disrespect of the dead, but shouldn’t we also be conflicted about his ongoing treatment of the living?     
 
Paul started posting videos to YouTube at age ten and became famous through the internet video sharing service Vine.  By 2014, he had more than 3.1 million social media followers, which led him to leave Ohio State University and pursue an entertainment career in Los Angeles.  His ‘edgy’ YouTube channel now has over 15 million subscribers, including many teens, who Paul refers to as his “Logang.”
 
Paul is more than just a hugely popular YouTube star, however.  He has appeared in TV shows including Law & Order and Weird Loners, starred in The Thinning, a YouTube Red movie, and written a screenplay for an adult comedy called Airplane Mode.  He also has a clothing line called “Maverick,” the name of which closely captures Paul’s brand of irreverent humor and moral indifference.
 
A few weeks ago, Paul was in Japan, trying to stir up some interesting content for his vlog.  One day he and his companions hiked into Aokigahara, a 12-square mile tract of woods near Mt. Fuji that is commonly known as “Japan’s suicide forest,” as it unfortunately has become one of the most popular places in the world for people to go to take their own life.  Signs in the forest even urge those contemplating suicide to consider their families and to seek professional counsel.
 
Given that Paul’s vlogs typically involve human interaction with unsuspecting participants, it’s odd that the group would film in an uninhabited forest, but the encounter that ensued probably explains the choice:  Paul and his companions came across the body of a man who had hanged himself from a tree.
 
It’s difficult for most of us to know how we would respond to such a discovery; however, Paul’s reaction was not one that most people found acceptable.  With little appreciation for the situation’s gravity, the crew filmed the victim close-up, only blurring his face.  What’s more, “Paul is even seen laughing and cracking jokes about the deceased man."  For instance, when one of the crew members acted squeamish, Paul quipped: “You never stand next to a dead guy?" 
 
On December 31, he posted the video to YouTube and titled it “We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest.”  Public criticism was swift and severe.  Paul’s initial response to the backlash was to claim he was trying to help:  “I intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention.”
 
Most people, however, didn’t buy his defense.  So, less than 24 hours after posting the “suicide” video, Paul took it down.  He has since offered a 1:45 minute apology titled “So Sorry” in which he appears much more contrite.  After expressing special remorse for the victim and his family, he offers:

“I’ve made a huge mistake.  I don’t expect to be forgiven.  I’m just here to apologize.  I’m ashamed of myself.  I’m disappointed in myself, and I promise to be better.  I will be better.”
 

Despite the ‘mea culpa,’ Paul has continued to experience backlash for his actions, including severe media criticism and a threatened lawsuit from Maverick Apparel, which claims mistaken consumer associations with Paul’s ‘Maverick’ brand have already cost the company $4 million.  Even more devastating, YouTube has dropped Paul from its Google Preferred Program, meaning that while he can still post to the platform, his videos will no longer be marked for advertisers as high-quality content.
 
Popular opinion is that Paul has gotten what he deserves for making light of a problem as serious as suicide, for disrespecting an individual who took his own life, and for adding to the hurt of the victim’s family.  While that public censure is good, it begs the question: Why aren’t people equally offended by Paul’s continual abuse of the living?
 
If you’re familiar with the vlogger’s work, you probably already know what I mean.  If not, just peruse his YouTube channel.  Or, the rest of Paul’s visit in Japan provides many specific examples.  For instance, when he first arrived in Tokyo, he stuck his head out the window of a black limousine and shouted to anyone who might hear, “Hello, everybody.  I’m just a blond white boy from Ohio here to cause trouble in your country.”
 
Paul then proceeded to buy a dead fish and a squid tentacle at a fish market, which he waived in the faces of by-passers and plastered against the outside of a restaurant window.  He eventual abandoned the foul items atop the trunk of a taxi as it drove away.

Or, to see a broader sample of Paul’s irreverent acts, checkout his 2017 year-in-review video.  In this retrospective, Paul cites many of his most notable ‘accomplishments’ of the past year, for instance:
  • Shipped roommate Evan to Paris in a bag
  • Officiated a wedding (Does he have credentials for doing so?)
  • Faked his own death
  • Had the Secret Service arrest his brother Jake
  • Filled his brother’s pool with slime
  • Got arrested by Italian police
  • Use a crane to take a ride down his new street
  • Surfed down the street on a Christmas tree

In addition, Paul is no stranger to sexually explicit content.  One of his video posts titled “Stole My Brother’s Girlfriend” begins with him getting kicked out of a retail store because he “got naked” in one of the aisles and ends with a young female companion sporting a scarf made of condom packs.  Paul also produced and starred in a music video called “No Handlebars” that featured the lyrics “I’ve been cyclin’ on your chick” and the refrain “I can ride your girl with no handlebars."
 
Logan Paul has said his goal is to become “the biggest entertainer on the planet.”  It’s unfortunate that he’s chosen to pursue that goal at the expense of others’ dignity.  Yes, deriding a suicide victim was abhorrent, but so are many of the other things he does like objectifying women and crudely treating people as means to more YouTube views.  Paul is a talented young man with considerable potential, but unless he completely recreates his ‘product’ and treats both the dead and the living with respect, he will always be guilty of “Single-Minded Marketing.”


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60 Comments
Joe Naguski
1/13/2018 10:48:53 am

I agree that Logan Paul is guilty of "single-minded marketing". The sad thing to me is that he continues to GAIN subscribers on YouTube and his fan-base (mainly kids) continues to defend him even after he himself has said not to. Before the video was taken down it was viewed by over 6 million people and a majority of people actually liked the video, which is insane. I also think YouTube itself is equally guilty in this. YouTube let the video go to the top of their trending page and allowed it to stay until Logan took it down even though it clearly violated their guidelines. Logan is a "star" for YouTube and this is most likely just a speed bump for him.

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Haven Shaffer
1/13/2018 05:44:13 pm

I am continuously appalled at what Logan Paul continues to upload and says on a daily basis. His video and behavior in Japan was HIGHLY inappropriate, and very cruel. His daily behavior and content is like I said, highly inappropriate, and many people (especially children and young teens) are very supportive and make light of it in any way that they can. It is also very disturbing to know that the majority of his subscribers are very supportive and ready to defend his actions and behavior when needed. I will never understand how these people don't look at what he did and immediately freak out and stop supporting Paul, I mean what does it take for people to realize how wrong his actions were? Why is his content seen as appropriate and entertaining to most people? Although Paul came out with an "So Sorry" apology video, I don't think he truly means it. Paul went to the lengths of trying to defend his video on the platform of "suicide awareness" and if Paul would've been truly sorry, he wouldn't have even tried to defend his actions. Paul hasn't taken any action to change his content on any of his platforms, and I would be very surprised if he did. I completely agree with the "single- minded marketing" category that Dr. Hagenbuch put him in. I'd like to put him in the mindless category, but unfortunately his stakehodlers are too entertained and supportive of/ by his content.

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Daniel Goonewardene
1/13/2018 09:26:40 pm

Paul's action were most certainly wrong regardless of what his intent. One thing I think is worth noting however is that people deal with death in different ways. Death can be a very scary thing and when faced with it people will often become uncomfortable. Paul received criticism for his joking behavior around the dead man and while I do believe that it was disrespectful I also believe that people deal with death in different ways including humor. This obviously does not justify his actions. The worst part which I believe deserved the most criticism is that he decided to upload the video anyway in a way that was very flashy "clickbait" esque. At that point it very ,much seems that he was looking for views with an exciting and daunting title. It is important to look past this event into the future as Paul moves forward in his career. He has a large following, many of which are youth who are easily influenced by him. The example he sets for his targeted audience is inappropriate and does not uphold societal values. It does however create stakeholder value, earning Paul a place in the single minded category of marketing.

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Abigail Poh
1/13/2018 09:56:19 pm

I think that Logan Paul is guilty of having a "Single-Minded" marketing approach. This is not only evident in his Suicide Forest video, but he has made other videos in Japan, where he visits a temple, a sacred place and acts in a manner that is extremely disruptive, and disrespectful, even with many people paying their respects, or praying around him. In one of his videos, he was even asked by the Japanese authorities to exit the premises due to his behavior. He titles these videos in such a manner that causes people to be curious to see what he actually did, or to know the outcome of the videos, but in the long run, what it actually does is that it generates a steady income for him. In short, this actually causes him to fall under the category of having a single minded marketing approach.

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Caleb Weaver
1/14/2018 03:32:17 pm

I think that the internet is at an interesting place right now. The influence that it holds over people is terrifying. The younger population is growing especially fond of YouTube and the different "YouTube stars" that are building a big fan base. Logan Paul has a huge opportunity to market to over 15 million subscribers. I believe this one mistake that he made can cripple his effectiveness with his subscribers, but he still has a huge target market. What he did was completely wrong and awful, don't get me wrong, but I still believe the internet will eat up his videos and give him the publicity that he wants. His marketing tactic is an interesting one, and I believe that it definitely falls under "Single-Minded". He has a huge following, but a lot of the stuff that he posts on his channel isn't healthy material. He is narrow-minded, and has not done a good job of marketing his product to everyone. Morally, he has made a few mistakes, and by fixing them he might have a better chance of reaching a greater population.

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Daniel Logan
1/14/2018 06:02:33 pm

After reading this article, I have become increasingly more upset with Logan Paul. I find myself asking the question: Why would he do such a thing? I am someone who enjoys watching YouTube content that is funny but family-friendly. My newfound understanding of Paul's channel has lead me to the conclusion that he does not respect others and only cares about himself and his popularity with his dedicated followers. I do not believe his statement saying that he "intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention." I believe that after he received the deserved backlash, he made the statement to try and reduce the criticism and scorn he was receiving. His lack of moral ethics is shown by him posting the video in the first place. Before he uploaded the video he had the chance to delete it, he had the chance to not make light of a very serious issue in today's world and disrespect the victim and his family. Instead, Logan selfishly decided to post it to gain views just like every one of his other videos. With Logan Paul's popularity, his outreach is incredibly large and his influence on his fans is immense. I am sure that Paul regrets his decision to post the video that so many of his young followers watched and wishes that he could turn back the clock. I am, however, not so sure that his apology was truly heartfelt and done for the "right" reason.

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Kraze D'Andre
1/14/2018 09:44:43 pm

I don't fully agree that this is all that much of a problem. For one, there are people out there doing far worse, making him moderate on the spectrum. Even for some of the bigger names in youtubing, he isn't in as much trouble as he could be. Take pewdiepie, for example, who says whatever he wants and has gotten in major trouble for it.
Secondly, I don't see any harm in any of the antics listed in this article. Perhaps if he damaged public property, that could be a problem, but in no way do I see this as disrespecting the living. Lastly, the song mentioned "no handlebars" resembles modern rap and hip-hop, which often contains lyrical content with disses, often about "your girl" being in a dis or comparison. I would argue that his song parodies this style of lyrical content, which is an intelligent thing to do, especially in comedy.
Overall, I wouldn't consider this to be as big an issue as described.

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Sarah Eby
1/14/2018 10:59:15 pm

I completely agree that Logan Paul is guilty of "Single-Minded" marketing. I feel that his recent video in Japan is extremely unacceptable and that he deserves consequences for his actions. However, this is not the first time he has posted morally inappropriate content on the internet, and some people are treating it as so. I think that this means that Logan is not the only one to blame in this situation. Although it was his content and his idea, his millions of subscribers had no issues when he posted equally offensive content in the past, and it was never a nationally recognized issue. Logan was simply trying to create a video for his fans who have supported his similar behaviors in the past. That does not make it okay, but it does make it seem like his recent video controversy was blown a bit out of proportion and I find it a bit confusing as to why his behaviors are all of a sudden such a huge issue when they were not in the past. But I definitely agree that Logan Paul's marketing is "single-minded" and his recent video was completely unacceptable.

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Alexandra Chea
1/15/2018 12:57:27 am

I totally agree with the fact that the Logan Paul situation was a single minded problem. I am a big fan of watching youtubers and at one point was a follower of Logan Paul. However, gradually there were more and more instances that kept coming up and eventually i decided to unfollow him. I was personally so disappointed that someone would do such a thing and only could wonder why. It's sad to see that even though this situation happened, it is only bringing more attention to his name and more money to his pockets. His views are rising on the older videos and i am not sure if they have been demonetized or not but if they haven't, he is making some serious money probably from just people checking out his content to find out who he is. Reports have come out where it is said that youtube has supposedly punished him. He made a bad decision and now his reputation is paying for it. I am however interested to see if he will make a comeback of some sort and how that will all work out. Hopefully things will get better and youtubers won't take their job for granted any more but only time will tell.

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Lauren Mast
1/15/2018 11:04:35 am

The Logan Paul situation was very much a single minded problem. While claiming to have the intention of bringing awareness to suicide and suicide prevention, Logan Paul just brought attention to himself. I have heard from other sources that his apology, while seeming sincere and contrite, also continued to advertise for his clothing line and continue to promote his videos, rather than focusing specifically on his mistake and taking responsibility for his actions. Rather than focusing on making his mistake correct, he decided to continue promoting his line and content. I would be interested in seeing whether or not he tries to make a comeback on YouTube, and how that would be received by viewers and media alike.

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Roman Wagner
1/15/2018 03:03:30 pm

I also believe that Logan Paul is only worried about getting his own fame and fortune through immature and "single minded marketing". Honestly before hearing about this video and reading this article I did not know much about Logan Paul, but after watching this video and reading this article about his defamation of human life and the acts that the performs I am increasingly disgusted with his behavior and morals. I am not totally sure if I believe his apology, I think he might just be acting and apologizing due to the social criticism he is facing. He is obviously just trying to build his popularity through his outrageous behavior and videos, and even though I disagree with his ethics and morals, he has done a good job accomplishing his goal by compiling millions of subscribers on youtube. I think it will be interesting to see if Logan can make a comeback and earn back the respect and support of his viewers and subscribers.

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Corinne Mahoney
1/15/2018 04:48:06 pm

There’s stories about people using their platforms for good, and then there’s stories about people like Logan Paul. Paul used his large fanbase as a way to get more views and likes. Instead of spreading awareness about real issues, he spreads awareness about himself. In posting a video that exploited a deceased man’s privacy, Paul’s actions were truly mindless. No one benefited from this video- not the deceased man, not the deceased man’s family, not Youtube, and not even Paul himself. Paul’s intentions may have been to get more views and popularity to his channel, and while the video did in fact receive LOTS of attention, none of it was good for him. The backlash this video received will drastically impact Paul’s career, perhaps even finally end his “reign” of the kingdom of Youtube. But something like this was bound to happen to Paul eventually. While some of his Youtube videos are in good fun, many are not. With such blatant disregard and continual disrespect for others, it’s a wonder Paul hasn’t been called out for his actions already. The fact that he has so many loyal followers, however, is rather alarming. These people, many of them young teens, continue to support Paul no matter what horrible things he does and posts. Paul’s actions should be appalling to them, not acceptable! With so many young people looking up to him, Paul needs to be a better role model.

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Donovan Varney
1/15/2018 07:15:33 pm

YouTube was a great platform that many people would use to upload things like tutorials on how to change your oil, how to make cool art crafts, or videos on video games. Once people like Logan Paul and other vloggers (not all vloggers) found the "untapped" social platform to be easy to generate views and ad revenue from. However, with so many people active posters on the site, its hard to find people to stay on your channel, and as a result, people such as Logan Paul do very extreme things. Not even ten years ago, videos of people doing the cinnamon challenge (trying to eat a whole spoonful of cinnamon without spewing it out on the camera) were considered to be daring attempts. Now its things like buying fish parts and waving them at people, and mocking the hanging body of someone who had committed suicide. Logan Paul, although not the only personal at fault but most certainly the most popular, needs to mature and realize the severity of his actions. It's a good thing that society as a whole is retaliating, because maybe this will be the turning point in his career and he will be more mature and responsible with his content.

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Mary Solomin
1/15/2018 07:51:25 pm

After reading this article about Logan Paul, I was quite disturbed about his insensitiveness toward deceased people that must have been in great turmoil in their last hours of life. Also, the justification he gave to excuse his actions was not only inaccurate, but also proved that he did not find anything wrong with his video. I understand when bloggers and vloggers try to be humorous and gain more followers through hilarious vines, but I do not understand it when they are trying to be funny at the expense of others; primarily people in whose country they were guests. Also, being the greatest entertainer in the world in no way means pulling dangerous pranks on others. For instance, faking his own death might seem funny to him, but I'm sure his family would not be as thrilled. Or shipping his roommate off to Paris in a bag? Is that even legal? Lastly, I do not feel that his apology was true or sincere. If it were true and he sincerely believed that he had been wrong in this situation, then he would not have posted the video in the first place. I feel he only apologized to not lose subscribers and followers, and to salvage some reputation. I definitely agree that his decision to make this vlog and then post it was single-minded, perhaps even mindless.

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Nicole Ulmer
1/15/2018 09:35:00 pm

Logan Paul's use of "single minded marketing" is disturbing to me on so many levels, and upsets many throughout the country on multiple of his videos. His lack of care or regret for posting such a video was upsetting, and he simply cared due to the fact that he was receiving so much criticism on the video. If he hadn't received such a reaction, he probably would not have cared or even taken the video down. His target market is generally a younger audience, which is also disturbing. As someone who has a younger sister that watches many youtube videos from people just like Logan Paul, it worries me, and i'm sure many people across the country, about the content that children are watching, including sexual content all the way to in-appropriation of different cultures. Youtube is such a powerful and widely used source of marketing, and if youtube had not done anything about Logan Paul's behavior, I am sure that their company would have taken a hit as well. Logan Paul's video was single-minded simply due to the fact that he not only showed no respect for Japanese culture and families/friends of suicide victims, but he also showed little respect for the companies he is associated with, such as youtube or even the brand maverick.

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Nicolas Kane
1/16/2018 12:11:58 am

Logan Paul appalled thousands, if not millions with this video. I believe that suicide, is not something to be joked about, or to make light of. The fact that he was willing to not only make, but share this video with the public is a reflection of his character. All that he wanted from this video was to gain more of a following, but this time he crossed the line. He took it one step too far, and his ambition for more fame got the best of him. In making this video he showed a blatant disregard for those that have been effected by suicide. This video was a great example of single minded marketing. He didn't apologize for the video until thousands of people criticized him for making it. Even then, he made money off of the video of him apologizing. If he hadn't received such scrutiny for the video, it doesn't seem like he would even have apologized for it. Along with all this, his target audience is geared towards a younger crowd, meaning that this making light of suicide was being promoted by the making and posting of this video. Young children are very easily influenced, and so this video was very dangerous. Logan Paul had a duty to his followers and fans, and he failed them.

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Kevin Cook
1/16/2018 09:47:04 am

I can recall Logan Paul's earlier videos, especially from his time on Vine, and can sadly but definitely say this isn't surprising to me at all. Sadly as well, though, is the fact that his fans also feed on the disrespect that is shown. Logan Paul attracts to a younger demographic, and they've grown up with sarcasm, disrespect, and a lack of care for true issues. Filming the body of a deceased person and making jokes about it, especially with the fact that it was suicide, is of one of the highest forms of disrespect I've seen, both to the emotional health of the man prior, as well as to his family. The "Logang" may have thought it was funny because they've become attracted to that edginess, disrespect, and carelessness toward what really matters. It seems to me that almost everyone nowadays is attempting to gain more "fans" if you will, and will go to whatever lengths possible to do so.

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Gerry Cassel
1/16/2018 10:50:02 am

After a brief examination of Logan Paul's youtube channel, it is readily apparent that Paul's intentions are to boost his popularity by any means necessary. His single-minded approach to marketing his youtube campaign is truly disappointing, as he has many staunch followers that actively support and admire Paul. Although Paul's content has been questionable in the past, his actions within the Japanese suicide forest should be subject to serious condemnation. In speculation, Paul should be permanently banned from Youtube.

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Esteban
1/27/2018 12:08:45 am

It does not surprise me that someone like Logan Paul uploaded such an insensitive, disruptive, and disrespectful video. Do not get me wrong. I am not saying that it did not shock me, because it did. What I am trying to explain is that people like Logan Paul do not really care about the repercussions of their actions or words. He has never made a video upholding social or moral values. His only motivation has always been making money and getting more views. He makes offensive comments about suicide and ignores how sensitive of a subject suicide is, all in the name of being more famous. This is an example of single-minded marketing. People with this kind of power should be more aware of the impact their videos have. Hopefully, he learned from this mistake and this will set a precedent for what he posts in the future.

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Emily Warren
1/29/2018 07:03:52 pm

I think that it is incredibly disheartening that this is where YouTube has come. People seem desperate to gain followers and attention and will do so in the most extreme ways. It is almost as if we have come to a place where our own fame and relevance are more important than another person's life. It is sad that so often someone else's life is discredited in order for someone else to get attention on social media. I think as a society we need to reexamine the attention we give to people like Logan Paul who disregard the sanctity and value of human life.

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Katie Kramer
1/30/2018 07:34:28 pm

Prior to hearing about the backlash on this heartless and tactless video, I had seen some of Paul’s video content. I have always seen him as a sad and sorry excuse for an “entertainer” as he likes to label himself. Paul is a shellfish, arrogant, crude bully who preys on the mistreatment of others for video content. It is no surprise to me that he would exploit something as sad and heartbreaking as suicide simply for views. What breaks my heart even more is the influence that he has over so many young children. Paul is looked up to, his viewers see his extreme success and associate it with his behavior, which only leads to them attempting to emulate it. I truly hope this incident is not one that is simply forgotten in a few weeks. In my opinion Paul’s apology was hollow and fake, and he deserves to suffer greater repercussions for his disgusting behavior.

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Jason Kreske
1/31/2018 01:32:08 pm

Logan Paul does a good job of marketing himself as an entertainer, using numerous different media outlets to get his work and content out for the world to see. He, along with a few other big name social media stars, gave the network Vine the popularity it had before Twitter shut it down. Paul stretched the boundaries of content that social media stars could portray in their videos and movies which definitely created value but the content itself did not uphold ethical values. The video where he made fun of a suicidal person hurt his image and took away from his value as a star on youtube, making that marketing decision a mindless one.

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Malik Downey
1/31/2018 06:56:02 pm

I never understood the appeal on this guy, but he seems to have a mass following; the majority being teens/pre-teens. When so many kids look up to him for his "entertaining" content, you would think he would use his platform to be a positive image for society. Thinking about the steps taken to post the controversial video: recording, editing, passing on to management, uploading, etc.. he definitely knew what he was doing and wanted to exploit the culture of Japan/the man. I don't see him bouncing back from this situation and hope he actually learned a lesson from all of this.

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Haripriya Gopal
1/31/2018 09:50:04 pm

I personally don't know too much about Logan Paul and his videos prior to 2017 but reading this post just made feel disgusted about some of his topics. When he did a video on someone who was dead that's when I knew about him and I thought it was rude and demeaning. Also, the way he acted in Japan was horrible and I really dont understand why people would find the funny because you are making fun of someone's culture. I don't think he realized that one video could literally change everything. I think when he apoligized, it was sincere but at the same time why would anyone take a video of a dead corpse in the first place?

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mansour
2/1/2018 02:12:51 am

I definitely agree that Paul's behaviour in Japan was very disrespectful. There is no excuse to joke around next to people who gave up their lives. However, Peoples behaviour next to the dead could very interesting because death itself is a very scary thing just thinking about it is enough. So, imagine being around dead people. In this situation, some people's behaviour could very different some could people could just stay quiet or being emotionally involved or trying to be humour. The video does not justify Paul and what kind of person he is. His videos are very joyful, entertaining, and encouraging. He is a young youtube that does what he loves for a living and people support him.

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Jordan
2/1/2018 01:54:43 pm

I think that it is actually pretty concerning that someone who has so many followers/subscribers acts in the manner that Paul does. For one thing, it goes to show what a lot of people consider to be entertaining despite the fact that it is not contributing anything positive to society. Additionally, with so many followers being so young, Paul would be able to influence the viewers and those viewers may begin to think that some of the things that he says and does would be considered socially acceptable despite the opposite being true. I do realize that he is young and very successful, so maybe he is still figuring things out. However, that really would not be an excuse as to why he should put out content as stated in the article. He may be doing a good job at marketing himself, but he is not someone that I would consider to be a role model to society and his younger audience.

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Nicole P.
2/1/2018 02:02:53 pm

It is disappointing to know that Logan is not the first, nor the last to do something (stupid) for the sake of views, 'likes' and followers. A lot of these YouTube stars are indeed engaging in single-minded marketing because they want 'fame' at any cost. As an individual who has traveled abroad, I find it highly important to find the 'do's and don'ts' of another culture, especially knowing that places like the suicide forest or similar places do indeed exist. I feel that most people wouldn't even consider going to a place like that while traveling. Logan knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish on this trip, but wasn't prepared for the fierce backlash that came with it. The simple fact is that if he is willing to disrespect the dead, he probably has low standards for his treatment of the living. In my opinion, Logan ultimately made a mindless decision because he did hurt his own brand and has lowered the value of everything that includes him.

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Bonnie S.
2/1/2018 06:48:57 pm

I think this was definitely a wake up call for Logan. Because he has such a big following on social media he needs to rebrand who he is and start becoming more aware about sensitive subjects such as suicide. There are many other influencers on social media platforms that are creating content similar to Logan's which is concerning because they are more worried about the number of views and likes they have. Many of their followers/fans are young kids and teens that look up to them which is why they have a social obligation to put out content that will set good examples. I hope that this incident will not only wake up Logan but also other influencers out there with a high following and motivate them to create positive content.

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Grace Hatakeyama
2/1/2018 07:39:17 pm

Logan Paul's excuse of a definition for entertainment has gotten him into deep trouble. As I recently went to Japan during this break, I was reminded of Japan's respect for each other as a united country. The level of respect from person to person is very different to the independent values some hold in the United States. Logan Paul's arrogant behavior caused much disturbance to the peaceful culture of Japan with his public stunts and disrespect. The incident in the suicide forest was just another action to prove his immaturity and shallow motivations. His intentions to just post things to get views and money is very temporary, and will fail soon. As discussed in the article, YouTube has already revoked his qualification as a premier content creator. In the direction that he is going, it will not be long before his act is up.

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Jetse De Haas
2/1/2018 08:09:27 pm

Logan Paul is a massive youtuber and social media star, with millions of followers over all platforms available today, such as snapchat, instagram and more. His massive fame stems from posting daring videos of his life in youtube everyday and therefore I was not surprised about him filming this. Overall, he market's himself as a crazy guy that does daring stuff, and although this video of the suicide victim in the forest is not something to film, his youtube views come from him videotaping events that happen in his life. Social backlash was bound to come, and at least I'm glad that this guy apologized for his mistake.

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Sheila
2/1/2018 08:14:37 pm

I have never heard of Logan Paul until now. My first impression from reading this blog is that he is an inconsiderate idiot. It is so disrespectful what he did. Yes, everyone has different reactions to severe circumstances, like a dead human but no one would ever have the first reaction to film that situation. Common sense would be to call for help.

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Raymart
2/1/2018 08:42:06 pm

I feel that Logan Paul had it coming. He was so disruptive when he went to Japan. I get that he is a youtube sensation and he is trying to be entertaining as possible but there are limits you have to take into account. Especially Japan is known to have a very behave and quiet society. A person like him disrupts this practice. In his entire trip he showed disrespect like leaving a squid and a dead fish on a taxi. I really didn't like that he was so insensitive to even upload that video. He didn't only ruined his career but he also ruined his image.

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Jonathan Drory
2/1/2018 08:58:14 pm

I am relived that he apologized because he took his job one step further and now he is paying the price. I mentioned before how it is insane that technology and social media are taking over our lives as well as how in these days you can drop out of college and make money out of social media. Person such as Logan who his main business is social media needs to be more cautious with his posts and videos not to hurt other people.

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Price Keogh
2/1/2018 09:09:10 pm

Before reading this blog, I did not know who Logan Paul was. However, after reading this post and his unethical/screwed up decision of putting a man who committed suicide on his channel, I was very appalled. Although he does have a very large fan base, his decision to post such a disrespectful and inconsiderate video harmed his reputation and his popularity amongst society. Therefore, his marketing technique would be single-minded, as he did not think about who this would affect and the harm it would cause.

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Yanling
2/1/2018 09:20:38 pm

I watched some of his videos on Youtube and some videos actually bring negative influences to the society. His videos successfully attract lots of viewers and he is doing great on self marketing. However, as one of the famous stars on Youtube, his behaviors bring negative influences in the society. Logan Paul posted a new video "suicide: be here tomorrow" recently to let the society to address the suicide issue after he was blamed by lots of people. His new video is a good start for him and for the society because he has the power to influence people in a positive way. I hope he can keep posting these positive videos to bring values to society.

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Richard S.
2/1/2018 09:23:43 pm

I have never watched Logan Paul on YouTube, but I am familiar with his massive following. Really, Logan could’ve avoided this fiasco completely with a little sane thought, but he was thinking of “edgy” content and a title that would earn him the most views. Anyone with any shred of decency would realize that perhaps acting in this behavior around a topic as serious as suicide is in Japan (or anywhere for that matter, but specifically Japan), would not be a great idea. I disagree with the Single-minded rating for Logan Paul, I think this qualifies as being “Mindless” because it did not uphold societal values, nor create stakeholder value for Logan in the end.

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Yacoub Atshan
2/1/2018 10:58:15 pm

I think our society has become so fast paced and so driven by social media that people feel like it's a competition to get as much attention as possible. There are way too many people leaving school, work, etc in hopes that they become a big social media superstar and when there is so much competition, a Youtuber would naturally be looking for ways to set themselves apart or have the most hyped video out there. There is no more actual value in the content that is being delivered nowadays. People on Youtube will have dramatic titles in their videos or use attractive men or women to grab the attention of people scrolling through hundreds of videos in order to set themselves apart and get the views over other. What Logan Paul did with this situation was the same idea. He could have created value and delivered a real message about suicide prevention and instead he took the wrong route in hopes of views. Anyone on Youtube who saw a big star like Logan Paul and saw the Title of the video or the icon would immediately be interested but the attention he received was not what he was expecting. It was a very mindless mistake and a desperate way to try and get attention.

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Marc T.
2/1/2018 11:13:14 pm

You made a fair point about Jake Paul neither respecting the deceased nor the living through his career choices. Plenty of negative attention was brought to him after the Suicide Forest incident, and I believe that not enough attention has been brought to the other outrageous acts that he has been performing up until this point. Unfortunately, going against societal values is one of the reasons his content is attractive to the younger generation, and prior to the suicide video, there was relatively minimal backlash aimed against him. Even his other video in Japan where he went around shoving dead fish near strangers’ faces had a mostly positive reception before the aforementioned video, and it seems that the whole debacle will only bring more attention to him as a celebrity and increase the size of his audience in the long run.

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Yang Wen
2/1/2018 11:26:09 pm

I heard about Logan Paul from another famous Youtuber Pewdiepie. And in one of video of Pewdiepie he talked about the video about the dead body. Personally, I did agree with the author, and also Pewdiepie, Logan did this because he doesn't have the awareness of respect and focusing only on having more thumbs up and subscribers. Our society has grown so fast that made this Youtube thing alter its original purpose, which is to entertain people, instead, it became a battlefield for some of the channel hosts to do whatever it takes to increase their reputation.

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James Fang
2/1/2018 11:55:56 pm

Logan Paul is one of those Youtubers that have lost their sense of humanity. I remember reading one article that stated how he no longer see's people as people but instead he only sees them as props. He states how every time he picks up his camera he captures everything for his vlogs. I understand how he could have done such an insensitive thing such as uploading a video walking through the suicide forest with such ease. What I don't understand is how he is able to look through the footage and edit the video making sure that the audience sees the body. To lose this sense of humanity makes me wonder how people with such influence over other people can abuse it so easily.

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Leilani L.
2/2/2018 12:19:05 am

I rarely watch YouTube so I never heard of Logan Paul before, but I came across many articles with the controversy of Logan Paul in the past recent weeks. This blog helped me understand what he did in Japan. He disrespects Japan, but not just that, he also disrespects anyone around him throughout his whole YouTube career. From reading different articles about what happened in Japan, Logan Paul has a persona of aggressively trying to become “the biggest entertainer on the planet,” but what does that mean when you hurt others in the process? His insubordination towards the Japanese culture made a huge impact on America. Many people might think that Americans all act the way he did, such as forcefully pushing a dead fish into random strangers faces, then dropping the fish on the trunk of a random taxi, or purposely wanting to cause “trouble” for entertainment. When one enters a different country, one must act accordingly to the culture and respect the difference. But for Paul, he did the opposite. Entering into a suicide forest, then making fun of a person who killed himself? Depression is not a laughing matter, and especially if someone kills themselves, they suffered pain throughout their life, and doesn’t need any more pain after death. This is single-minded marketing due to the fact that society does not agree with Paul’s entertainment, but he is famous due to his publicity, so he helps his stockholders make money.

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AIQI CHEN
2/2/2018 12:25:04 am

No Dignity for the Living or the Dead

Death is a rather sensitive matter to discuss. It raises many emotions not only to the bereaved but also to strangers who did not know the diseased. In the blog, the sensitive matter of human dignity is discussed. Logan Paul is a talented young man who has a large following of teenagers and young adults who look up to him. His reactions and behavior portray the gravity of the situation. In a broader perspective it shows of how the basic values of respect and compassion that ought to be instilled in the children and teenagers are a long way to reality. Life is precious and acknowledging this is paramount and especially for such a person of his stature, emphasizing it would create a big impact. Logan in his daily activities has shown little or no value attached to life.

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Nika Green
2/2/2018 12:32:16 am

It is obvious to see that from Logan's disrespectful and irresponsible use of his internet fame, he is acting in a way that only benefits himself and does not lead to any positive social impact. It is a scary thing to think how today's youngest generation is tuning into sites such as YouTube in order to be entertained and gain insight on the newest trends and information. I believe strongly that influencers such as Logan Paul, who have such large followings on big social media sites, have a responsibility to provide the young viewers of today with a responsible role model. You cannot be ignorant to the fact that actions posted on social media may influence viewer's perspectives. It is a very dangerous thing to joke about any form of death especially suicide. It is, under no circumstance ever, acceptable to joke about such a serious matter as suicide especially in the eyes of young viewers like today. I feel as though Logan got off easy with this punishment. It is vital that social influencers today take responsibility on a greater social level.

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Jing Ding
2/2/2018 01:26:15 am

I agree that Logan Paul is simple minded. As a pubic figure with legions of fans, Logan Paul has extremely broad social influence. In any event, He supposed to be more careful to his behaviors and what he says. Logan Paul should not take video about victim. He has no respect, no regard for anyone’s feelings. Suicide is not a joke. I believe that people who suicide in suicide forest did not want anyone to know about it. Also, he should not post this video on YouTube. YouTube also should take the responsibility. YouTube should not let the video to the top of their trending page.

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Nathalie W.
2/2/2018 01:57:53 am

This article proves how a social disruption can affect a business and society on a large scale. Socially, Logan Paul's fans, who would also be considered his consumer audience didn't react well to his video. And as a result, many fans unsubscribed to his channel and stopped watching his videos. Logan's clothing brand also suffered greatly from the negative attention. If I was corporate partner or investor, I would not want to associate with or support a client that brings any bad reputation to the partnership or company. Internationally, Logan Paul disrespected the country, the people (living and deceased), and the culture of Japan by invading the privacy of the individuals in the forest.

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Matt Campos
2/2/2018 02:33:21 am

Logan Paul was an up and coming super star. He started on youtube, got really popular, appeared on TV shows and was in line to be the next big stars. But attention, good or bad, did not matter to him and the way he put himself out there became very unethical. He gave himself value trying to become the biggest entertainer in the world and being very popular, but majority of his audience did not agree with his types of actions. They were very childish, immature, insensitive, and reckless. Logan Paul is now famous, but not how he imagined.

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Garrett F
2/8/2018 06:55:43 pm

Society loves to laugh and is a cornerstone for Youtube stars like Logan Paul to gain attention and views on their videos. Logan gained popularity by doing immature, stupid actions that made his viewers laugh. As he rose to popularity his antics continued to get bolder and bolder until he crossed a line with his Japanese forrest video. Up until this video Logan promoted himself well in the sense that he was able to keep a consistent fanbase and subscribers by making them laugh daily. He also managed to draw them in really well with short and intriguing video titles to intrigue the viewer and make them click on the video to learn more. I applaud Logan for apologizing, yet even after he apologized and faced massive scrutiny he continues to show how unethical and immature he really is by making disturbing YouTube videos, like a recent one where he tazes rats. Overall, I hope people learn from Logan's example about building themselves up to fame with dignity and having some moral standards.

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Yvonne Chen
2/10/2018 02:25:13 am

In my opinion, I think this is mindless rather than single-minded because he couldn't make money from his youtube channel and clothing line anymore. His acts in Japan showed his ignorant and disrespect to the Japanese culture. His viewers are mostly teenagers so I think this is even worse because some of his subscribers might not have the ability to tell what he've done is right or wrong. As an public figure, he should be more careful with what he had said and done.

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Suji Kolli
2/22/2018 03:54:17 pm

I think Logan Paul is guilty of "single-minded marketing". People don't kill themselves for fun, they were probably going through something they couldn't handle anymore and showing that on social media is very disrespectful to the Japanese culture and also to the man who hanged himself. Also, making fun of someone who killed himself is shameless because it takes a lot of courage to decide to end someone's life and its not something to get entertained by.

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Aini Song
2/22/2018 08:30:55 pm

Paul is a social media star who post video on Youtube. After I watched his video I think he is so crazy to act in his videos. Even though he wants to be famous by posing the crazy video, he can not disrespect the person who gave up the life. He used the camera to record that person, this video become the trouble for his life, so I think this is a very mindless marketing. Paul can not use this method to make himself become popular, and this behavior will never help him increase the positive affective in the society. He is a person who wants to bring happiness for people, but this time he is totally wrong. This is a lesson for him to become a real meaning star.

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Gaby
2/23/2018 05:40:34 pm

Being that I have never heard of Logan Paul I was extremely disgusted by the way he acted about someone’s death. He should have not gone there in the first place at it is a place where people go because they are sad, depressed, or lost. He is completely mindless and does not look at others or care about how it affects other people. He should not be a star and he is getting what he deserves.

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Tabitha Adel
3/8/2018 02:08:06 am

Being someone who enjoys watching YouTubers, it does not surprise me that Logan Paul stooped to such a level in the beginning of this year. I really appreciate you bringing up his treatment of the living as his actions have from the inception of his fame, been based on objectifying women and creating a ruckus. Though I do not dispute the fact that thousands of (admittedly young) people find his work entertaining and therefore his work creates stakeholder value, had it been up to me, I would have labeled his work more on the border towards 'mindless marketing' seeing that much of his work creates poor stakeholder value, to a point that there is no real contribution. Perhaps the fame of Logan Paul (and those like him) merely raises more questions about what our society finds valuable enough to exchange time and money for, it is a good thing to see more people aware of the damage he is causing to the entertainment industry.











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Caroline Wyatt
3/10/2018 02:33:11 pm

I definitely agree that Logan Paul is guilty of being single-minded. Paul constantly gets views from being outrageously disrespectful and selfish. Paul is a part of an influencer-collective called Team 10. Most of the members of Team 10 live in a house in Los Angeles together. Paul's fans are known for causing riots and public disturbances outside of Paul's house, which is disruptive to the lives of his neighbors. Paul does not pay his neighbors any mind though, only doing what he wants so that he can get views and money. It is so disturbing that this kind of behavior is becoming normalized and adopted by his younger viewers.

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Suwei Yang
3/11/2018 10:57:19 pm

After reading this article, I had a better understanding of the relationship between Logan Paul’s behaviors and the idea of mindful marketing. Logan Paul is known as the crazy guy who can do anything just for views. Although he denies this claim for multiple times, his behavior reveals all, especially his disrespectful reaction towards the suicide victim in his Japan vlog. I agree with the article that Logan Paul is a creative and talented entertainer. However, he really should think about his impacts towards the society, and focus on societal values in his work.

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Chris Palmer
3/12/2018 04:40:48 pm

What Logan Paul does on an everyday basis is totally unacceptable. I have seen some of his Youtube videos, and some of his brother's, and both of them completely lack respect for those around them. They definitely fall under the "Single Minded Marketing" category because they only have themselves in mind. What is crazy to me is the punishment that Logan Paul received. It seems as if the punishment was not even close to the crime that he committed, and I think that Youtube was warranted to punish him much worse than they did.

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Karen Lieng
3/12/2018 06:58:13 pm

I agree that Logan Paul’s incident is single-minded marketing. I remember seeing the video on YouTube when it first came out and I was so disgusted by the way Logan chose to exploit a man who just committed suicide. He used that man to receive views, which ultimately made him money. I believe his apology was made it even worse because it seemed so artificial and saying “#logang out” shows me how disrespectful he is. He received millions of views from those two videos though. Even though his intentions are absurd and demeaning, his single-minded marketing was effective. Logan was only thinking about how he can get people to watch his videos and from it, he received millions because people were interested enough to click on those two videos. It shocks me how much damage he caused because he is such a big public figure and he was very selfish in doing anything possible to receive views.

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Priscila
3/13/2018 12:03:10 am

I remember when this came to light a few months ago. I for one am not a fan of watching youtubers especially ones like Logan Paul. I understand the craze of watching entertaining videos but there is nothing I find more terrible than irrelevant disturbing jokes. Paul's single minded marketing strategy has cost him his whole career. Also not to mention 4 million dollars. I am pleased to know that his fall has opened the eyes of many that what he does as "funny" really isn't. With his popularity he could've made a difference. Overall, I really appreciate how this article brought me to understand who is Logan and why we need to watch out for individuals like him.

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Vanessa Rivas
3/13/2018 12:17:13 am

I agree that what Logan Paul did was single-minded. Unfortunately, Logan Paul has a strong following, and he has not used it for something that can make a positive impact on society. Instead, he is using his status and a platform like YouTube as a way to promote this disrespectful and obnoxious behavior which is idolized by many. It is appalling that his single-minded marketing was successful and he still garnered so many views at the expense of someone else’s life. I think it is also disturbing that there are people who are okay with this and idolize this sort of behavior and for some, it is becoming a norm.

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Hailey
3/13/2018 02:41:51 am

So great to read such a well written rebuke of Logan Paul. It’s incredible, and slightly terrifying, that over the course of this scandal over the Japanese Suicide Forest video his channel actually grew. The fact that he gained subscribers from this is so worrying to me. So many people were calling him out for this video being in poor taste and incredibly disrespectful, but apparently not everyone thought so because his audience grew. It is mentioned that his subscriber base is young, but you would hope that even young adults (and kids) would realize how wrong his method of seeking attention is and not choose to support it. I completely agree with the statement that he needs to “recreate his ‘product’” in order to not be Single-Minded.

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Claire link
9/18/2021 04:33:11 am

it's good to remind people when they do the wrong thing

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