No one on YouTube does commentary quite like content creator D’Angelo Wallace. With his enticing titles, great sense of humor and impressively detailed videos, he’s made a big splash on the platform in recent months.
Wallace’s videos are innovative and entertaining, with topics ranging from Kim Kardashian’s playroom to bad Super Bowl commercials. His channel is also filled with more serious content, including two videos on the harmful behavior of armchair psychologist Shallon Lester.
The most popular videos on his channel are the ones in a three-part series where Wallace analyzes the actions of the main actors in a YouTube scandal coined “dramageddon 2.” With over 23 million views combined, the series showcases Wallace’s ability to encourage his audience to think critically.
The first video in the series is about Jeffree Star, a well-known beauty YouTuber with his own makeup company. Star is no stranger to controversy, but he has faced few consequences for his past actions, which include saying the N-word and making other racist comments. In the video, Wallace inserts clips from Star’s 2017 apology video, titled “RACISM,” and expertly dissects the ways Star deflects from genuinely apologizing for his actions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdGWdWE7-k8
Some viewers might have accepted Star’s original apology at face value. However, Wallace points out that though Star claims he is sorry for the words he said in his past, he never explicitly states, “I am sorry for being racist.” Wallace also notes how Star turned off the comments on his apology video, indicating to viewers that the makeup mogul is unwilling to hear valid criticism from the people he hurt with his past actions.
One of the best parts of the Star video is the visibly appealing timeline Wallace created, which takes viewers from the 2017 apology video to the current-day drama Star is involved in. Wallace uses this timeline to pinpoint every single lie Star has told over the last three years. Two of the items on the timeline are speculations made by Wallace, but the rest of the events are backed up by proof provided in the video. By making a cohesive and chronological list of events, Wallace is able to demonstrate Star’s pattern of dishonesty and taint Star’s credibility.
The second video in the series is an exposé on YouTuber Shane Dawson. It covers extremely serious topics, including racism and predatory behaviors. Wallace provides viewers with appropriate trigger warnings throughout the video. It’s impressive how Wallace is able to handle such sensitive topics in a way that is both delicate and bluntly honest. His true skill and dedication as a creator shines throughout the 73-minute runtime.
The Dawson video currently has over 13 million views, making it the most-watched video in the three-part series. In it, Wallace makes serious claims and backs them up with hard evidence. Whenever Wallace offers his personal opinions throughout the video, he makes sure to indicate that they’re separate from the actual facts he presents. This can help viewers by providing them with a clear understanding of what is fact and what is commentary. Though this is a minor detail, it’s not something every commentary YouTuber does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2WBythSGoQ
Once again, Wallace compiles clips from Dawson’s old content and uses them to indicate a harmful pattern of behavior. The reason why it was so important for Wallace to illuminate the trend is because it highlights the seriousness of Dawson’s actions. When old clips of famous YouTubers reappear, it can be easy for them to sweep the clips under the rug by claiming that the resurfaced videos are old, one-off incidents. However, by adding clips of Dawson’s conduct one after the other, Wallace’s collection is able to prove that Dawson has repeatedly engaged in a destructive manner.
By the end of the video, Wallace makes it impossible for viewers to ignore the glaring red flags that have been present in Dawson’s behavior over the last decade. It forces the audience to truly reflect on their past or current support of Dawson without making them feel ashamed about falling for his compassionate online persona.
The last video in the series is a more lighthearted one that analyzes the actions of beauty YouTuber Tati Westbrook. In 2019, she released a video titled “Bye Sister,” where she spread misinformation about fellow beauty YouTuber James Charles. Recently, in 2020, she released a second video titled “Breaking My Silence,” where she claims Star and Dawson manipulated her into posting the “Bye Sister” video. This video sent the internet into a frenzy, and Wallace had plenty to say about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HuJ5Kj_PPk
Wallace has a knack for uncovering lies and emotional manipulation, and that’s exactly what he did in his Westbrook video. He uses clips from Westbrook’s infamous “Bye Sister” video to discredit most of what she claims in “Breaking My Silence.” The “Bye Sister” video has been deleted from Westbrook’s channel, but has since been reuploaded by others on the platform.
Wallace calls out the “Bye Sister” video for what it was: a 40-minute James Charles hit piece. He wraps up the series by elaborating on the motives Westbrook, Dawson and Star each had for trying to ruin Charles’ career. While his theories may appear outlandish, the copious amounts of research and receipts he provides in his videos make it hard not to believe Wallace’s interpretation. Either way, he never declares his version of events as the truth. Instead, he leaves it up to the viewers to decide what they think.
Wallace did a fantastic job presenting this information in a detailed and entertaining way. What appeared to be frivolous drama had much darker undertones. In so many of Wallace’s videos, and especially in this three-part series, he manages to peel away superficial drama to get to the heart of the real problem.
His passion for the topics he provides commentary on is evident. The amount of dedication and hard work that goes into each and every one of his videos leads to an immersive viewing experience, showing the audience a whole new side of drama they might already know about. With such innovative and high-quality content, one thing is for sure: It should be exciting to see what Wallace is able to create in the future.
