Youtube personality MKBHD is in some hot water for his recently released Panels app. It’s a $50 per year (introductory price) subscription for wallpapers. You might be thinking, “Who actually pays for digital wallpapers?” And you’d be right! I personally don’t remember ever paying for a piece of art to adorn the background on my laptop or smartphone. Pictures of Kpop girl group members are very free on the Googles.
That’s what the hubbub is about: MKBHD is daring to charge money for something that people think should be free. Lament all we want about the devaluation of the arts, but you simply cannot force people into paying customers. Do people care about supporting their favorite music artists? Clearly not: give me millions of songs available to stream at any moment for a low monthly subscription. Would you pay to watch your favorite Youtube channels? I at least pay for YouTube premium.
Obviously, MKBHD is free to make an app and charge however much he wants. The complainers aren’t likely to be customers anyways. Whether or not there will be enough customers for a $50 per year wallpaper app? The capitalistic mechanism will sort it out soon enough.
What is surprising to read on the Reddits is people saying mean personal things about MKBHD. He’s out of touch! He’s greedy! His reviews are just shilling for the big tech companies! I think this is all plain jealousy. Here’s a guy making millions of dollars doing Youtube videos, and also happens to own a few material things in the six figures of dollars. MKBHD has reached escape velocity into being rich. He’s no longer the humble everyman that you and I can relate with. You either die a hero, or live long enough for people to see you as an asshole.
Same thing happened to automotive YouTuber Doug DeMuro. Soon as he sold his car auction website for tens of millions, he crossed the threshold into rich asshole-dom in the eyes of some fans. All of the sudden, his car reviews are no longer entertaining. And his opinions are “out of touch.”
It’s not really about the wallpaper app. It’s a reflection to those who did not chase their dreams to success. So when the guy that did messes up, well then, time to knock him down a peg.
ACC.