What happened to Bethany Mota, the OG lifestyle influencer?

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
In 2009, a young 13-year-old uploadeda hall video sharing items she bought
from the mall, like from Mac Cosmetics.
From there, the teen exploded inpopularity building a large fan base
of pre-teen and teen girls, whichled her to grow to over 9 million
subscribers by 2015, only six yearsafter she started her channel.

(00:21):
From there, she went on to partnerwith a large fashion retailer to
create her own line of clothing touringacross the states and internationally,
competing and hosting reality TV shows,releasing music, and even a book.
Is this the Modern LifestyleInfluencer Blueprint?
Welcome to Rewind Time.
This episode, Bethany Motor,AKA Mac, Barbie oh seven.

(00:45):
I
can't hear you.
Welcome to Rewind Time, a YouTube historypodcast where we examine noteworthy
YouTubers, their channels, and the videosthat made them part of YouTube history.
I'm here with YouTuber, Lucy Liven.
Hello.
And my name is Max, and I'm someone whohas not seen much YouTube, if any at all.

(01:07):
How are you going, Lucy?
I'm going, I'm going.
Good.
I'm
booked and busy.
Booked and busy, which
is, you know, always nice to be.
I, as I'm sure our topic of todaywas extremely booked and busy
for a large period of her career.
Yeah.
You're gonna be
doing some travel content,uh, in the near future?
Yes, yes.
Including actually this week to Yes.
Some extent.

(01:27):
Yeah.
You wanna say where you're
going?
Yeah, I'm going, um, just to a, a beach.
I'm going on my work retreat.
For those of you who don't know, I am aYouTuber, as Max said in the beginning,
but I'm also part-time in corporate, soI, yeah, and we have our, our work retreat
this week, which will be really nice.
We book like a little.
A nice Airbnb up in the kindof northern beaches of Sydney.

(01:51):
And we go there and we do like teamplanning and things like that, but
we also, you know, relax, go to anice lunch, have some wine, do yoga.
It's a, it's a good time.
It is a good time.
I'm excited.
I'm very jealous.
Yes.
And then after that I am also, I'mback for like a few days and then
I'm also going away, so, we'll, butwe'll talk about that next week.

(02:11):
You know, I'm not gonna, notgonna blow my content load.
Right.
Wow.
Okay.
Yeah.
How, how have
you been?
Yeah, how's your I'mdoing, I'm doing well.
I'm fine.
Um, yeah.
I'm just jealous to some extentof your jet setting lifestyle.
Oh.
But at the same time, I'm.
Very much in a, I'm in a a no travelyear, as you've heard a bunch of times.

(02:34):
Yes.
You know, I'm sort of tryingto, uh, do a, you know, like
the COVID Stay at home campaign,but, uh, of my own accord in 2025
Uhhuh.
Um,
but yeah, I'm doing well.
Do you wanna get intotoday's topic, which is Yeah.
M Barbie oh seven.
What episode are we on, by the way?
We're on episode 18.

(02:55):
Wow.
Yeah.
Our podcast is now legal.
Mm. Mm Much like Bo Burnham was whenKaty Perry, uh, solicited, made that
really tasteful show YouTube live.
Um, but yeah, we're doing Bethany Modatoday, Mac Barbie oh seven mm-hmm.
A beauty YouTuber, and for a periodbetween around 2013 to 2016, the number

(03:16):
one beauty YouTuber on the platform.
It's
interesting, they call her i, I,her nickname is Mac Barbie oh seven.
So she is a beauty YouTuber, but Iwould say she's a lifestyle YouTuber.
If we're.
If we're arguing semantics.
Okay.
I think well surely not to get intoit, but aren't all beauty YouTubers
eventually lifestyle YouTubers?
To an extent.

(03:36):
Uh,
I mean
in terms of the popular ones, I knowthere are some niche girlies who
are product focused, but I mean,
well we did Michelle Farn and I wouldsay Michelle Farn is a beauty influencer
through and through and kind of iseven still now, like her content is
primarily beauty focused, whereas Bethanykind of, did, you know, hair, what?
I suppose hair is inside beauty, but she'sdone like outfit and, you know what I

(03:59):
mean, like back to school kind of stuff.
She's done course.
So Michelle had
done back to school.
Yeah.
Anyway, I, okay, well, semantics.
This is,
let's, did you watch BethanyMotor is what I wanna get at?
I actually didn't.
Okay.
Which I have been marinating andruminating on as to why I didn't, because
as I was watching these videos with you.
I, I was aware of her.

(04:21):
I mean, I feel like that's this entirepodcast I'm aware of pretty much
everyone we talk about just because,you know, YouTube is a community as
we see there will be some collabs andeveryone kind of knows each other.
It's quite tight knit, especially inthose like 2012 to like 2017 years.
So I knew of Bethany Motor,but I didn't watch her.
I wasn't subscribed to her.
And as I was watching the videos Iwas like, this is exactly the type of

(04:44):
content that Teenage Lucy would like.
And I'm not, we can discuss.
Do you think it
is though?
Because for you, for those of the,for those of you listening that
Dunno, Bethany Mo is quite youngin terms of people we've covered.
Mm-hmm.
She was born in 1995, soshe is, I believe 29 now.
Yeah.
So it's almost 10 years youngerthan a lot of the OG YouTubers.

(05:05):
Yes, we have covered.
And do you think it was a case that youbeing a similar age to her, like if you
are looking for sort of a big sistertype content creator, a girl that's.
Spinning distance of your age.
It's like she's not reallyan authority in that sense.
I,
I think so, because when I thinkabout what YouTube as I was watching
in like 2012, which is probably, Imean, I was on YouTube since like

(05:29):
2009, like watching videos on YouTube.
But I think when I started, you know,regularly going into my sub box and had
my YouTube, as I've subscribed to mymemories are, um, Zoella, SY Button,
Ingrid Nielsen, like all of theselifestyle in fashion and beauty creators
who now are in their mid thirties.
Yep.
And I'm still watching them, but like,they're still, I guess in an, to me,

(05:53):
I guess they're still aspirational orthey're in a different stage of life.
Like when I was in high school, theywere, you know, young adults and
buying an apartment because theywere like millionaire YouTubers.
Um, and you know, they're going,traveling and doing all these
things that I wasn't able to yet.
Now I'm still watching alot of, they still can't
do that now, buying an apartment that is,
well, I think if you're being asuccessful early YouTuber, you are.

(06:14):
Maybe, but, but that isstill aspirational, right?
Like, oh my gosh, the dream.
Yeah, of course.
To be, you know, a really successful23-year-old and now I'm watching them
and they're, you know, having, they'regetting married, they're having kids.
So they're also still in a stageof life that I'm not quite in yet.
But, so Bethany would've been inbasically the same stage of life as me

(06:35):
Cool.
For the whole
time.
I think that's why
I think that makes sense to me.
I think that's
why, yeah.
I don't think I was watching YouTuberswho were like the same age as me.
It's a interesting sort of like, it'salmost like when you, you watch a
professional sport and you see thenew players and they're like 10 years
younger than you, and you're like, wow,I am never gonna make it as an athlete.

(06:56):
That's like when you seesuccessful YouTubers who are
the same or younger than you.
Yeah.
Anyway, I
have not seen or heard of anything.
Bethany Mo before we, uh, startedseries, you weren't aware of
series Mark Barbi seven series, noseries, and I don't even remember
if we have seen her in this point.
I have a suspicion maybe there'sbeen a reference, but I think
she might have come up, butnot, not in a major, in way.

(07:19):
There's one video
we'll talk about where I thinkmaybe she appeared, but we
didn't recognize it at the time.
But yeah, like Michelle far, this was,uh, a series of watches where, um,
there was a lot of niche beauty, productdiscussion and knowledge that you share.
That of course, completelywent over my head.
I know you kept wantingto be like, okay, cool.

(07:40):
I feel like I get the vibe of this video.
We can go for it.
But I'm like, no.
Wait, what, what lip gloss is she using?
Yeah.
Okay.
Well,
I will.
So for this first video andthe video on her channel, it's
literally called first video.
Then it's like an emoticon, smiley face.
Mac and Sephora Hall.
Mm-hmm.
And she was Mac Barbieoh seven at this point.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and it was uploaded in June, 2009.

(08:00):
And she is delivering it in herbedroom like you would to a webcam,
uh, like the old school vlogging style.
And it's literally just a hall video.
Mm-hmm.
About what she bought at Mac and Sephora.
And I've got the full list here.
She put it in her description.
Yes.
If you wanna take a peek.
Yes.
So for those of you who arefamiliar with the kind of early

(08:24):
beauty online beauty community
Mm.
Mac was the brand.
It was like, and I remember being14 and being like, oh my gosh.
Like stuff from Mac, like, my mom boughtme makeup from Mac for like Christmas, and
I'd get like, you know, a lipstick and aneyeshadow and like a mascara, and I'd be
like, oh my gosh, I'm, I'm a beauty girly.
Why did they have this reputation?

(08:45):
Um, I honestly, so Mac.
Historically is a likeprofessional makeup artist company.
So compared to like other departmentstore or Sephora brands, Mac is like,
oh, this is what the professionals use.
Like this is like high quality makeup.
It's not like makeup for Normies.
Like, I don't know, like it is.
But that, that's their brandpositioning is like the professional.

(09:07):
They have the, it's
the, the prosumer of the makeup world.
Yes.
Or it was
Exactly.
And they have like Mac Pro, whichthey, they're special stores you
can go to that have different stuff.
They also, um, have likethe MAC Pro programs.
If you're a professional makeupartist, you can get like 30% off there.
Like it's, it's an industry, a beautyindustry, well respected and all the
professionals that use them on moviesets and things like that, they use Mac.

(09:29):
So.
If you're like a real
beauty
girly, you get the
the professional stuff.
Is that marketing though orare the products actually good?
No, the products are actually good.
They had a Yeah, I know, I know.
I imagine they'reserviceable, but like know.
But what I'm, what I'm saying isare they paying for this placement?
Is this a marketing effort forthem to be positioned this way?
No, they

(09:49):
genuinely were really good, like reallygood products that everyone really loved.
There probably was a period where theybecame less pro and more consumer as
like their consumer reputation continuedto grow and they became more popular.
They used to be in like magazines, sothey'd be like, oh this is really cool
makeup store you can go to called Mac.
'cause they weren't in department stores.
They were like standalonestores you had to go to.

(10:12):
But then they started retellingin department stores and things
like that and you could justeasily go get, um, go get Mac.
And there was a period where I think,and this is just my opinion, if you
guys didn't know beauties, I. Beauty,fashion, lifestyle is actually my
space that I make content about.
So I'm very across this.
But there sort of was a period probably inthe last 10 years where Mac, well hasn't

(10:34):
been as popular for a myriad of reasons.
Um, they have been purchasedby, I don't know when, but
they'll purchase by Estee Lauder.
So people, you know, there's somestuff going on there where people were
sort of like certain favorite productsthey discontinued, things like that.
Um, 1994 is when EsteeLauder took 51% control.
Yeah.
Um, so quite a bit before MacBarbie oh seven was on the stage.

(10:57):
Okay.
Quite a bit
before, but I would say you were seeingkind of in that the mid two thousands.
Anyway, we don't need to go into thefull history of Mac, but as of only just
recently, like the last couple of months,I feel like Mac has started picking up
in popularity again and like trendingon TikTok, which it hasn't as of yet.
Mac is back.
Mac is back.
They're saying Mac is back.
They're saying
Mac is back.

(11:17):
Um, shout out to Elizabeth C on TikTok.
She's an Australian.
Beauty creator, and she's been makingall this content about Mac stuff, and
it inspired me to like, pull out my oldMac shadows that I had in my drawer.
Anyway, Mac was it so,
well, Bethany, Mo well, tell me aboutthese Mac products because, and I
will say, uh, for a, at this point,14 slash 13-year-old girl, she's 13.

(11:39):
Yeah.
Uh, this hall, there's a lot of product.
It is.
I was watching this and yeah.
This is a pretty, it, it's a lot.
And I think we also need to contextuallybe, like Mac at the time was fancy.
It's not drugstore.
It's not the typical thing thata 13-year-old would be buying.
It would be, again, like me, somethingthat maybe your mum would get for you

(11:59):
as like a birthday or Christmas present.
Yes.
But she's, and this is a trend
throughout all of these early videos.
Yes.
There is a lot of product.
Yes.
And it's not necessarily, uh.
The amount of product is because she'sbeing gifted it as far as I can tell.
'cause she's still a smallcreator at this point.
And gifting is not,this is her first video.
And so the ecosystem it is now, she's
got a couple of Mac eyeshadow.

(12:21):
So she's got the Stars androckets eyeshadow in the pan.
And then all the, all the glitterseyeshadow, which is really famous.
Eyeshadow in the pot, so not in thepropane smile dazzle glass, um, well
dressed powder blush, a 2 39 eyeshaded brush, a 2 24 blended brush.
The Mac Eye shaded brushesare really famous actually.
I mean, there's lots of Macproduct that's famous, but the
brushes are particularly famous.

(12:41):
So people used to be like, oh, I'musing my Mac 2, 2 4, and everyone
would just know what that is.
Um, she's using the Mineralized SkinFinish Natural, which is a great product.
I've used it.
Fantastic.
And the Zoom Lash Mascara and ZoomBlack, but that was a sample size that
she got 'cause she had a code to use it.
Um, and then she has somestuff from Sephora as well.
It's quite, it's quiteexpensive for a 13-year-old.

(13:03):
It's quite, uh, a. I don't wanna, andit's not, I mean, excessive, I'm, I'm
conscious of like, 'cause this could belike she saved up all her birthday money
or we, we don't know contextually how she
Yeah.
It's more just an observation potentiallythat, um, compared to some of the,
sorry, once again me, someone who'sseen one YouTube video is like smash,

(13:26):
but compared to where Michelle Farnstarted, she was comparatively older,
but I think there was more emphasis onlike drugstore and cheaper products.
Yes.
Yeah.
Uh, from the get go.
Yeah.
And we do learn in hindsightfrom a, a later video of Bethany
reacting to her early content.
She was like, at this point I wasliterally not even into makeup.

(13:47):
Like,
yeah, that was strange.
She said, I don't knowif I believe that though.
I mean, why would I, why would you know?
Why would she exaggerate that?
Because.
Um,
I don't know, maybe it's like shewasn't into makeup, but she said
something later in another earlyvideo where she was like, I decided
that I wanted to get into makeup.
Like, she made a decisionthat that was gonna be her new
hobby, like in a decisive way.

(14:09):
And in this first video, she'stalking about how, and I assume this
is where her nickname comes from.
She guys a spoiler alert.
Bethany Moot loves Twitter.
We're gonna, she talksabout Twitter a lot.
She seems to love Twitter.
For like a decade.
But she is talking aboutconversing with other beauty kind
of community girlies on Twitter.

(14:30):
And she's saying she's referencingpeople's usernames and being like, oh,
this person said that all the glitters eyeshow was really good, so I got it as well.
'cause I want to try it.
So there is that sense of like,she's been interacting with the
beauty community online, which Ithink is actually quite, quite cute.
It, it is reminiscent to me of like mebeing on live journal and stuff like that.
Not that I was commenting 'cause Iwas a child, but she also, I'd go

(14:52):
through the forums and learn things.
She mentions, she's like, ohguys, sorry, I'm being quiet.
I'm tired.
And then we learn later, she'slike, oh, I was not tired.
I was scared that my family would overhearmy, uh, like voiceover and come in and
like stop me from making a YouTube video.
Uh, because we see like throughthis selection of early videos

(15:14):
that we watch, they're all mostlyshot in the bedroom and they're.
More halls, or we do likea, a, what's in my bag?
An iconic format.
Yeah.
But you were making a, acomment, we were watching that.
It's interesting to do a what'sin my bag as a, as a 14-year-old,
which I don't really understand.
Okay.
The the new, I'm like,well, yeah, you have a bag.

(15:35):
Yeah.
I mean, I, what's the deal?
I
also had a, I mean, and I keep beinglike me, but I'm, I'm trying to
think back to my 14-year-old self.
I also had a bag.
But I think there is a difference becauseAustralians, we have school uniforms and
school bags that are just the uniform bag.
Like everyone has the samebackpack or sports bag or whatever.
But I suppose if you go to anon-uniform school, which actually

(15:56):
sidebar, Bethany does not actuallygo to school, to my understanding.
She's homeschooled.
She is homeschooled.
So, uh, for most of her schooling.
Okay,
so maybe she wasn't quite yet.
I'm not entirely sure about thehomeschooling timeline, but,
uh, she, I'm actually comingacross such a stats note.
Uh, she went to, uh, like public school.
Mm. Between their.

(16:17):
Grades three and four.
Sorry.
Three and six.
Okay.
And then after that she, okay,so went back to homeschool in
part, due to her being bullied.
Oh, sad.
I mean, I knew that, but still sad.
But as you, as you were,
but so, okay.
So she was homeschooled at this time then?
I believe so, yes.
Okay.
Right.
So I guess it was just jarringto me because I was like, as

(16:38):
a 14-year-old, I didn't have ahandbag that I used on the daily.
I would maybe have like a small bag thatif I like, you know, went out on the
weekend or something, I could put mystuff in my little, my little handbag.
But it's just funny because it'sa very like adult thing I think
to have, like, this is what's inmy handbag that I use every day.
And it's like, Bethany, you are at home.
You are homeschooled.
But it's, it's cute, it's charming.

(16:59):
It, it also gives, 'cause we haveto remember, this is 2009, there
was already what's in my bag,content and things like that from.
Like older adult, you know, orolder teenagers or adult women.
So she's just doing a trend, butI, I thought it was very charming.
It actually has a lot of candy in it.
She's like
useful as a teenage girl.
She, she has a lot
of lifesavers and then shehas some like airheads or

(17:20):
something, and I was like, queen.
Um, she does showcase her room andmakeup collection around this era.
This is crazy.
Into the videos.
Yeah.
And it's interesting that the makeupcollection video has an FTC like
disclaimer In the description.
In the description.
Yeah.
Which
I'm not sure, I don't think she wentback and put it in because none of the,

(17:41):
some of the other videos don't have it.
Mm-hmm.
But it's literally, sheand I wrote it down.
She's like, dear FTC, noneof the companies mentioned
in this video are paying me.
Um, but she has her makeup collectionin what I would describe as a toolbox.
It is a toolbox.
And she references, oh, I only really gotinto makeup like eight months ago, which
is when she uploaded her first video.

(18:02):
Uh, and yeah.
What did you think of the extentof the collection at this point?
I thought it was so impressive.
I am, I, I, I wonder 'cause I waslooking at her Wikipedia page and at
this point, apparently some brands, andI don't know exactly when, it's hard to
pinpoint, but brands did send her giftcards to be like, go buy some makeup
from us, or coupons and things like that.

(18:23):
So this, this is anextensive makeup collection.
It, I actually think rivals or isprobably more makeup than I currently own.
And I am an adult, 27-year-oldwoman who makes beauty content,
like, as part of my livelihood.
Um, and I think she hasmore makeup than me.
Do you think you, you knowhow much makeup I have?
You probably have more cosmetics,but makeup, I think she has more.

(18:48):
I have a lot of skincare,
but yeah, she had like 30 eyelinersand I was like, okay, I have
like four May, maybe I have five.
I don't know.
But I was just like, holy cow.
There's like 20 eye she apart.
This is like a OG, beauty guru genesis.
Like this is the ancient text.
I feel like this should be in some typeof museum for a makeup collection video.

(19:09):
It's wild work.
And she like opens every time sheopened a drawer, I would do a loud gasp
because I was like, wow, that is so muchmakeup for a 14-year-old not to police.
Like at this point, I thinkwhen I was around 15 was when I
started getting into to makeup.
Um, not to police her 'causelike if this is your hobby and
whatever, but it's just a lot.

(19:29):
And I'm someone who, if you anyone'swatched any of my YouTube videos, I
have done like makeup declutter contentand I've talked about, I. You know,
while I like having variety and it'smy interest of mine, there's only so
much makeup you can use on one face.
Um, and there's no way thatshe was ever gonna use all that
makeup, but it's like impressive.
I do wonder how much of it wasmaybe gifted to her, or, it's not

(19:52):
clear, but she is pretty clear aboutwhen she's working with a brand
or when brands send things to her.
But in a collection context, it's abit hard to, you know, 'cause you're
not gonna stop as you, you know,pan over every single thing and
be like, oh, this was sent to me.
This wasn't, this was sent to me.
This wasn't, you kind of justare doing a collection video.
I know.
What did you think ofthe, the collection video?

(20:13):
I liked
the, um, efficiency of storagethat I thought was cool.
Oh yeah.
Because there wasn't like.
Uh, I feel from her that shewas like, well, I have to have
like this, this really cutesymakeup storage, uh, facility.
She was like, no, I'mgoing for efficiency.
I'm getting a commercial toolbox.
It has all of thesedrawers and various things.

(20:34):
I'm gonna cram all
I think's pretty cutesy.
I think for the time thiswould be considered like
pretty, her room is like nice.
Uh, oh.
Yeah.
We talk about the room tour,but, um, the, the toolbox itself,
it is a toolbox, you know?
Yeah.
She has a very cute room.
I feel like if I was, you know, ifI went to a friend's house and their

(20:56):
room looked like that, I'd be like,oh, what does your dad do for work?
Like,
especially with the makeup collection.
Uh,
yes.
I mean, I feel like I didhave experiences like that.
I'd go to a friend's house for, you know,after school for a play date or for a
sleepover and I'd be like, Hey, so whydoes your house have a cinema in it?
Hey, so why do you have like a roomthat's like larger than my house?

(21:20):
Did you, is there, is there a boys equip?
Surely there's boys equivalent to that.
Well, yes,
of course.
Like you go to a, a classmates' houseand they have a lift, you know, like,
yeah,
my house didn't have a lift.
No, I didn't even didn't havea second story of being honest.
I went to
someone's house once and theyhad a glass bridge that connected
the two parts of their home.
That's
like a final destination death.
Yeah.
That's like a, the menu kind of.

(21:43):
You, you're going, I don'tknow, knives, outhouse.
So Bethany early videos.
Now, as you know, as it goes with re onetime, mark, the first bingo square off,
there are privated videos from this era.
Because Bethany has said later on,she's basically like, classically, I
am embarrassed by some of this content.

(22:03):
Mm.
We watched some of the re-uploadedcontent, thanks to, I believe it's
Bethany Motor translated, whichwas an effort to put her content
into Russian back in the day.
Yeah.
Confusingly featured other beauty gurus.
So occasionally I would put one onand it was just a different woman.
It was
my life as Ava.
Okay.
It was a completely different woman.
Yeah.

(22:23):
Ava Gutowski.
Yep.
Um, you know, literally my life is,you don't know what that means yet.
I dunno what that is.
Well, some people will know.
Um, one of these videos was, uh,the Nicki Minaj makeup tutorial.
Hey.
Uh, which does begin with avery innocent but misfortunate.
Uh, since my skin is kind of light,we need to achieve a deeper skin tone.

(22:47):
She gets out her, her coastalsense, I believe it is
foundation and a mm-hmm shade.
Several shades darker than her own.
And she's like, that's all right.
We're gonna fix it guys.
Don't worry.
This is, we're gonnaachieve the Nicki Mina look.
And I'm like, which is, do question mark?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I understand why she privated this one.
I would, I would also private,this one think's the right choice.

(23:07):
Yeah.
I think it's the right choice.
I
don't think, there's certainlynothing malicious, you know, you
know,
funnily enough, I thinkscale of things, there
are other YouTubers who we discuss Yeah.
Who do like, also do like NickiMinaj parodies, et cetera.
And I would say it is maliciousand they should know better because
they're like fully adults, um,who should understand things.
But she, yeah.

(23:29):
Yeah.
Unfortunate.
Yeah.
Unfortunate for Bethany,but she's clearly private.
I don't think she, she standsbehind her, her choice of, um.
Makeup technique.
Yeah.
Some other stuff we watched was, um, hergiveaway series that she would do for
Christmas, and she would basically goto her subscribers and say, do like a
very convoluted entry process of like,commenting on various videos following me.

(23:53):
It would be like four minutes long herexplaining insanely long disclaimer.
Uh, and then she would getinto what the giveaway was.
And I I, you loved these videos.
I was expecting like, youknow, she's a popular YouTuber.
I was like, oh, it's gonnabe something really nice.
But then she would just pull somethingup like gloves, h and m and it
would have the price tag on it,and it would literally be like $3.

(24:15):
Okay.
I feel like you are being, Iknow what you mean, but at this
point she's still a teenage girl.
Like she genuinely thinksthese things are cute, I think.
Yeah.
But bro, I could go to the storeand buy my own gloves, but,
but when you're 15, you'rejust like, the postage
on that is more than the gosh is cute.
There's, I get, I get thatit's from the YouTuber.
Yeah.
But it's like.
Okay.
I think you need, I feel okay.
I'm defensive of this where I'm like,I think if I was 14 and, you know,

(24:39):
another 14-year-old is like, I'mdoing a giveaway and she's picking
out things that 14-year-old girlslike, which is just random shit from
h and m and like little, you know,hats with cheetah print, like Yeah.
Cat ears.
She's picking up bows, like littlemetallic bows and Yeah, it's just candles.
It's very,
uh, very bricka.
Brack.
Very,

(25:00):
yeah.
Filler, very, I love shopping.
Yeah.
Like, uh, I mean, that'sher, that's her brand.
Yeah.
At this
point, the two big ticket items in thevideos we watched, one was a, a pair of
beets by Dre Solo headphones in white.
Okay.
Yeah.
And she was like, I don't wanna gopink, because what if a boy wins this?
And I was like, Hmm.
Boy watching this channel, youprobably wouldn't mind pink.

(25:21):
Uh, but then she's also like,what if a girl doesn't like pink?
And I'm like, oh, okay.
She's so progressive.
What
a thoughtful queen.
Yeah.
She loves her fans.
She loves her motivators.
That's the fan name by the way.
And then she
also, one of the things was, uh, shehad multiple pairs of nerd glasses,
which I didn't know about, but they'relike prescription less big black

(25:42):
frame glasses with like a little bowor other sort of decoration on them.
Yeah, I had a
pair,
yeah.
Allegedly.
Yeah.
But I've never seen them.
I
had, well no, I don't havethem now, but I had a pair.
They were Hello Kitty.
Once though they had the little hellokitty whiskers on the side and a little
red bow and they were prescription less.
And I had them, you were justlike, who would have this?
And I'm like, me ateenage girl, obviously.

(26:03):
Um, so can't hate.
Also shout out the Remington cooling wand.
Curl curling wand.
Sorry.
Curling wand was another item that
Yeah.
Uh, looked like it had a high stickerprice than the stuff around it.
Um,
I think Remington's onlyabout like 40 to 80.
Yeah.
I don't think it's
not an air wrap.

(26:23):
No, but the Okay.
Air wraps didn't exist.
Let the girl live.
Okay.
Um, she did a custom build builder bear.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's nice.
Um, but people, I think it's cute.
Sorry.
People have a lot of nostalgia forthese giveaway series and a lot of
the earlier privated videos, becauseyou see on Bethany's like current
socials, there's always someone in thecomments being like, Bethany, I'm so

(26:45):
nostalgic for these earlier videos.
Can you please like unprivate them?
Like I miss them.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, which is similar to like some ofthe other YouTubers we've, uh, covered
who privated their earlier stuff.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, so, and this stuff, I'ma bit more mixed on why she.
Took it down because
it's not, it

(27:06):
seems incredibly harmless.
It,
yeah.
So this, I think I did mention it in aprevious episode where I talked about
Alicia Marie, who is in a similarcategory to Bethany Mo, but just kind
of came along a little bit later.
Um, but we probably willcover her at some point.
But, uh, Alicia Mariedid something similar.
Um, 'cause Alicia Marie's still veryactive on, you know, socials and things

(27:28):
like that, where she had all of thisstuff private and then I think it was
like after her birthday or something,she unprivate them and was like, as
a gift to you guys, I'm Unprivate allof this, like, old content where she
was doing like back to school stuffwhen she was like 25, et cetera.
'cause people liked them andthey're nostalgic for them.
So I, I, but I don't know, I mean,I, I do kind of mostly stand with

(27:50):
YouTubers in terms of it's yourcontent, it's your image online.
You can private or havepublic what you want.
But I do, I also am similar toyou in that I'm kind of like, I'm.
I mean, I get it's, I guessit's embarrassing maybe.
Or you feel that, I
mean, yeah, everyone's gonna beself-critical of their content.
I mean, I'm, I'm critical of my contentthat I put out in like 2016 or something.

(28:12):
Yeah, that was like nearly 10 years ago.
I'm like a completely different,you know, I'm way different
now and how I do my videos.
I mean, I hope so, butI, I don't private it.
'cause I'm like, well that'swhat I was like, I was a child.
So like, that's fine.
Like, I'm not embarrassed by it.
You were a 20-year-old child?
I was 16 or 17.
I think I was 17 or 18 whenI started doing YouTube.

(28:33):
Wow.
It was
just after, just afterhigh school I think.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
I didn't think this was, uh, until later.
But I mean, 18 is an adult,but you know what I mean.
I'm like, I'm a baby.
Yeah.
To me.
And so I'm kind of like, I wouldn'tfilm my videos like that now,
and maybe I'm a bit embarrassedby them, but I'm just like.
I don't feel shame about the factthat I was as I was as a child.

(28:55):
So I, I feel like these YouTubers shouldfeel the same way, but equally, I don't
have 9 million eyes on my channel.
No.
So I might feel differently if, youknow, I was dealing with that level of
scrutiny and eyeballs, as I've said withother creators that we've talked about.
Um, but yeah, kind
of
random,
dunno why, um, moving on, no explanation.
So by like 2013 is where sheovertakes Michelle thn as number

(29:18):
one YouTube beauty creator.
And I know we've been focused mostly onproduct and the early style of videos, but
this more this, sorry, this number one.
Phase and indeed later on in her career, Ido think we should discuss, uh, Bethany's
like personality and mannerisms on camera,because I do think that becomes more of

(29:42):
the like, focus and appeal of her content.
Yeah.
Actually may have even been more of thefocus or appeal to begin with, to be
honest, because she is someone who isI think a very, like positive mm-hmm.
And affirming, uh, personality.
Yep.
She is basically, there's noedge to any of the content.

(30:02):
Mm-hmm.
Um, super
family friendly.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Um, there, Liz, you know, there'sno swears uh, there's no sort of
edginess that has been, uh, obviouslyin vogue with a lot of early 2010s,
late two thousands of YouTubers.
Mm-hmm.
Um, what do you sort ofget, uh, in terms of.
Feelings from watchingBethany's onscreen persona?

(30:25):
Yeah, I mean, we'll discuss kindof the commercial success she has.
'cause it's sort of from this era onwardsis where we start to see that really those
really big opportunities with commercialbrains and things coming her way.
Um, yeah, she's theblueprint for influencer.
Like, I think when influencerculture started to become something

(30:47):
worth parroting and mocking,'cause it was like everyone kind
of knew what a YouTuber looks like.
I'm not saying this in a maliciousway, but like someone like Bethany
Moto, where it's like, Hey guys,welcome back to my channel today
we're gonna be doing a fun, like diy.
Like when people do thatparody, it's like, this is
kind of what they're parodying.
It's very family friendly.
She's super upbeat, superpositive, no bad vibes at all.

(31:10):
Um, she's so endearing.
I, I'm again shocked 'cause I hadn'tseen her content, but I was like,
wow, she's so cute and so charming.
Very affable.
I don't know, I'm, I don'tknow why I'm surprised.
'cause like obviously she's reallypopular, but sometimes there
are popular creators where I'mlike, I don't get the appeal.
Well, I, I
don't think there's a shortage of beautygurus who are not that, uh, even from

(31:33):
my lens understanding of the sector.
Yes.
Uh, yeah.
Yeah.
I know there are some we woulddescribe as, uh, potentially evil.
Um, yeah,
well it's just a, it's that earlyYouTube, it's very wholesome, I think
is, is the term we're looking for.
And, you know, if I were a parentand I had like a young child and
they wanted to watch YouTube content,I would have no reservations about

(31:54):
them watching Bethany's content.
'cause it's very, even like when she'sreferencing things where it's like,
oh, like sometimes you know, your tummyhurts, but then like you feel better
the next day and isn't that great?
Like, it's just, do you know what I mean?
It's so like even when she's touching on.
Struggles that, you know, teenagersor children would be dealing with.
It's, it's very, um, it's alwayskept very light, very fun.

(32:16):
She's kind of gives like Annie where she'slike, the sun will come out tomorrow.
Like sometimes I have a bad day,but then I remember tomorrow is
gonna be there and then I can getStarbucks and it's gonna be all good.
And I'm like, sleigh deeper.
I think
that's what the nostalgicappeal is for a lot of viewers.
Yeah.
And how they miss these videos becausethey are so like affirming and it's
like if you have a, a bad day at yourcomputer job as a 29-year-old woman, you

(32:40):
wanna watch the videos of the girl thatyou watched when you were 13, you know?
Oh yeah, a hundred percent.
Exactly.
I get it.
Um, by the end of 2013, so our beginningof our, um, king Bethany era, she
gets her own fashion line at, and I'mgonna take a shot of this Apostol,

(33:00):
I think that's it.
Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
Which is like a, a mallmall brand in the US.
And North America.
I think
it's like an Abercrombie and Fich.
A Hollister.
Okay.
It's like that kind of thing.
Or like Forever 21 if it'smore, it's word for it.
I've never heard of
it, but Oh
yeah, I, I know what it is.
Okay.
I don't think it'saround anymore, but Yeah.
Yeah.
Nothing, nothing on her channel about it.

(33:21):
Uh, so I think it
was private.
Like we, we couldn't finda video where she's like,
here's my line, here's
my collection with Aeropostle.
This is the stuff.
Um, I, I don't even think itwas just one collection though.
Like, I think she did it for like ayear and maybe did multiple collections
or something like that, because shelater on talks about the experience
and says that it was really positiveand she really enjoyed it, you know,

(33:42):
because people were like, oh, did younot actually like the stuff you made?
It was a assumptions type of video.
So people were sending in questionsabout the line, but she was like,
no, I really liked everything I did.
I felt really proud of it.
Yeah, it was really good.
And she references
in that, that she was in the roomwith like all of the, you know,
like product engineers, marketingmanagers, like all the adults who
really were like the people likemaking the decisions on the collection

(34:04):
and she was like literally a child.
Yeah.
So, uh, I don't think that shehad much say in the matter.
Well, um, but I think what
they were probably using her more asa face, but also like as a creative
consultant because she is very muchconsidered a taste maker for teenagers.
Yeah.
She's got 9 million subscribers.

(34:26):
You know, when she is being like,guys cut off shorts and tie dye.
Singlets are so in for summer, there'slike a lot of children who are gonna
be like, well I love my girl Bethany.
We agree on the same thing,so I'm gonna do that as well.
Like when you, the influencermarket wasn't as saturated, so
her influence I think was actuallylike, shouldn't be understated in

(34:46):
terms of how many teen girls andalso it's like teen girl culture.
So if, you know, she has a say there's 9million subscribers if like half a million
of them go out and start wearing thingsthat she's wearing and they're the cute
cool girls at their school, you know?
Yeah.
She's influencing from,
from a marketing perspective,incredibly valuable.

(35:07):
Yeah.
Valuable.
But, uh, yeah, in terms of.
Her being able to tell the, the,the boffins I'm at the fashion
line, what they're gonna make.
I'm sure she was
being guided.
Yeah.
Like I think it was probably acase of we wanna do six different
graphic t-shirts, which is
the cool one.
Yeah.
Which is the, or like whichones, you know, would you do,
or we wanna do a summer dress,what print would you put on it?

(35:29):
Yeah.
Like things like that.
I, I mean, I don't know, but I wouldbe really interested to know more
about what that process was like.
'cause that would be like a really earlyinfluencer collaboration of that scale.
Yes.
Yeah.
Um, so she's a pioneer in that sense.
She also, around this time, is flownout for like international events
and will be for the next few years.

(35:49):
And there's some vlog content that isresults from, you know, these trips.
We watched one where she went toHong Kong, I believe in around 2013.
Yes.
You grew up in Hong Kong?
I did.
So how did you sort of rateher Hong Kong experience?
This vlog was so chaotic.
I, I think she maybe said there weregonna be other vlogs or, I don't know.

(36:11):
But she, I mean she certainly did the,the whistle stop tour of Hong Kong.
She went to the market, which is reallypopular for, you know, buying knockoffs
and bricka brack, which she clearly loves.
Um, she went to the harbor,she went on the star ferry.
She went to the peak.
You know, if you're only spending afew days in Hong Kong, um, amidst your

(36:31):
other work engagements, I'm like, yeah,that's a whistle stop tour of Hong Kong.
The vlog itself is like so chaotic.
It has no thread through itto make really any sense.
I really like a travel, I dolove a travel vlog, and I was
like, what's going on here?
Like, there's no context.
Like how did you find it?
I think it's more, and Bethany'scontent never sort of expands like

(36:53):
much of YouTube to fulfill, sorry.
It never like goes to like the 40minute long No, like long form.
She always keeps it within likethe OG 10 minute or less runtime.
Yeah.
So it's kind of hard, like whatcan you really do in seven minutes?
This blog is minutes, I thinkthree and a half minutes long.
Oh, there you go.
Three and a half.
So,
but I guess it's like, to me it kindof gives like, oh, she's like, oh,
I should make a vlog while I'm thereand then maybe didn't actually have

(37:16):
that much time to like do a vlog.
It.
It's cute, it's fun.
But I was just like, you know, it'skind of like, Hey guys, day one, I'm
in Hong Kong and we're at the ladiesmarkets, and then she shows some clip
the ladies market, but then doesn'tbe like, yeah, this is what I bought.
Like this is what I did, orhow I found it Does the job.
It does the
job.
You know, sometimes we're
teleporting to like day threeand she like, we have no
talking segments of, okay.
I don't know.
I'm not trying to be critical.

(37:37):
I just thought it was, it was a chaoticand charming early vlog from someone
who I, she doesn't normally do vlogs.
It's not her normal thing.
No.
So
clearly she was like, oh, I'mgoing on this exciting trip.
I have to vlog it for my audience.
We did watch the reason she wasthere speaking at the Social
Media matters conference.
Which, uh, they booked her, Ithink, expecting her to be among a

(38:01):
lineup of other, like talking heads.
And they have a, a panelist whois like doing the questions like
an mc, but the audience, and theyacknowledge this in between screams.
Once they were like, Bethany will be atthe conference, all of these tickets,
they said 1500 in the first hour afterthe announcement were just bought.
And it's all like teen girls.
And she comes out and they scream,she says something, they scream

(38:25):
and it's like four or five minutesbefore you get, it's like a question.
The post doesn't
know how I think.
And even Bethany herself, I think shemust know of her popularity, but she, I
think has said in previous interviews,she's like, oh, I'm gonna Hong Kong,
like, who watches me in Hong Kong?
Um, like, I think she's surprised by the,
yeah.
You don't think so?
Look, honestly, I'm like, Ithink she's basically like, I.

(38:50):
This is the point of the panel, right?
It's for me to be on stage andthe fans to get to scream and
do stuff like, but I think they
didn't quite, yeah, I mean theyacknowledge in the talk that they're
like, oh, you have so many fans here.
Like they knew she was popular andyou're, they're booking a, a popular
YouTube 'cause you need to have like akeynote speaker or person at your thing.
But I think they didn't quiteimagine they'd, she'd have like

(39:11):
quite the, the rabid fan base, Iguess is what I'm trying to say.
Like, I think they didn't knowshe was such a get when they,
they booked her, but she's verypopular, suffering from success.
The screaming is so funny.
Like everything she saysand she's like, Hey guys.
And they're like, ah.
And she's like, I love you guys.
And they're like yelling and interrupting.
Um, yeah, it's like theyhadn't, I don't think.

(39:33):
Was it the tone of the eventto be like a fan event?
Or was it meant to be moreof like a conferencey thing?
Because I know, know, I think it'snot meant to be, uh, it's not meant
to be like a fan thing becausethe, the host seems really like,
sort of annoyed by the screaming.
I'm like, bro, you got a girlwhose audience is predominantly
like teens and pre-teens andlike allowed them to all come.

(39:54):
It's not like it's an 18 conference.
It would be like you booked,
it would be like if you booked onedirection to headline a music festival,
or it'd be like one directionpanel show at South by Southwest.
And it's like all these fucking, all theselike marketing boffins being like, oh,
watch the appeal of the, the teen band.
And then it's like girls arethere, obviously just to scream.
Yeah.
Um, anyway, it's scary.
Similar, similar era.
They fly her out to Japan to goto the YouTube space, which is

(40:16):
a thing that apparently existed.
We've talked about YouTube space.
LA
Yeah, I think we have the, I don't knowabout Tokyo, but there is one there.
They have
one.
I think they have one here.
Sydney still?
I,
I, I think so.
Okay.
Wait, can we, we'll look it up later.
Can we Google it?
Um, but anyway, she goes to Japan and uh,it's like an outfit of the day style vlog.

(40:37):
How did you feel about, uh, these outfits?
It is summer, so it's not like they'relike crazy fits, but she's basically
like, here's what I wore in Harajuku.
Well, I mean, every day is,here's what I wore in Harajuku.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
As, okay.
I feel it's, I Do you thinkit's weird or how do you feel?

(40:57):
I think this is the first time in thisseries so far we've watched a YouTuber
who does like my kind of content,like we are the same genre of You're a
child of Bethany Moto.
Well, I mean, we werekind of the same age, but.
You know what I mean?
Like, we've not watched girlsdoing like outfit of the week.
Okay, well
I don't watch, watch content becauseyou don't watch my content either.

(41:19):
Watch content.
So how do I feel?
I don't really feelany type of way because
I felt like, I was like, oh, thisis like, like I've done this video.
I've done a, what I wore inJapan video as well, but I did
it, you know, 10 years later.
'cause it's a, it's a formatthat just is evergreen.
Um, so I thought it was cute.
I liked her outfits.
It, it's very cute.
And again, it's like early YouTube, soit, it, it's hard for me because I'm

(41:42):
like, I make this kind of content now.
So my brain is kindalike, why is it so short?
Or like, why, why is she not like talkingabout the outfit or like dah dah dah dah.
Like, it's kind of not how you woulddo it in a modern version, but for
the 2014 or 2015 when it is, I'm like,oh yeah, this, this is very cute.
Um, and the outfits are the kindof things that I was wearing
when I was in high school.
You had
a Brandy Melville White tee.

(42:03):
I did not have a BrandyMelville White tee.
We didn't have Brandy Melville Australia.
Oh, we haven't now, but not, and I'm not.
You know, it's Brandy Melville.
You not a fan.
I, I, uh, when
I learn of Brandy Melville from a podcast.
Right.
And it was by like adult womenand because of like the first
name, last name type of the brand.
And I am Australian, soI'd never heard of it.

(42:25):
I thought it was like a Tommy Hilfiger.
Like Ralph Lauren.
Oh, I thought it was like adepartment store, Lux brand.
No, and of course that's when, whenwe went to the US and you were like,
this is the Brandy Melville on x,like the famous Brandy Melville.
And I looked at it and it was justlike a teen shop of like fast fashion.
It's like Cotton on.
I was like, what is going on?

(42:45):
Like what?
I thought it was gonna be like therow, like, so that's my branding model.
That's their, that's their branding power.
Yeah.
That you were just like,
and they're like, oh, you like they onlydo one size 'cause it's for rich skinnies.
Yeah.
Well, exact.
That's what the, that'swhat all the rich brands do.
No, it's like the fastfashion version of that.
So I thought that was funny.

(43:05):
You know,
it's Italian.
Really?
Yeah.
It's
an Italian brand.
No, I didn't know that.
Yeah.
Crazy.
Right?
'cause it's like Americana.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Anyway,
um, other things in the Japanvlog, uh, as I mentioned
earlier, our YouTube crossover.
This is the video becauseRyan Heger is in this vlog.
Yeah.
They are dinner together, um, with abunch of either entourage or assorted

(43:29):
Ze list YouTubers we didn't recognize.
Okay.
They might not be Ze list.
We just didn't recognize them.
But there's a
group of them and I'm like, Ithink we watched a Ryan Heger
Japan vlog when we did that episode
and Bethany was in it.
Yeah.
But we just didn't,didn't clock who she was.
Mm-hmm.
Um, so it was cool to see Ryan there.
Shout out Ryan Heer.
Take that off.
Is he, is he on the, on the bingo?
Well, OG YouTuber appears.

(43:51):
Okay.
So I guess we'll count him.
Yeah.
Should we, we Max made a bingo card.
I am gonna be running a bingoformally, uh, going forward.
Okay.
Um, now that I have enough, uh, also just.
Maybe like the first like, okay fora Bethany Motor video is that she
films a squat toilet and is like,oh my God, I just peed in that.

(44:12):
And I was like talking about piss Bethany.
Oh my god.
I
know.
Crazy.
Oh my God.
She's been doing like minion costume DIYs.
Yeah.
And like, you know, summerback to school outfits.
And then she's like, I just test in there.
Don't tell how you this girl.
Um, okay, cool.
So we're now in like BethanyMotor King era and she goes
on a Dancing With the Stars.

(44:33):
Mm.
Which is kind of a, a bigmainstream crossover moment.
Um, I'm sure many of the viewersof dancing the with the stars
we're like, who is this woman?
Given that they're like,probably mean age of 50.
But she did pretty well.
You know, I think this was the
first, oh, I could be wrong.
This was the first season whereDancing with the Stars started
incorporating like internet personalitiesand they've continued doing it.

(44:56):
Alex Earl, who's a huge TikTok, isset to go on the current season of
Dancing With the Stars in the us.
She's caused Junior girl?
Yes.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Um, not
Alex Cooper?
No.
Daddy Yang.
Daddy Yang, other Alex.
Okay.
But they, they have done quitea few influences on Dancing With
the Stars over, over the years.

(45:18):
Mm. Um, and it's a pretty successfulway to get a young audience into Dancing
With the Stars, which is a format, whichis pretty, pretty, was pretty tired.
I mean, I actually reallyliked Dancing With the Stars.
You watched some of the dancers.
Yes.
How would you rate her skill?
She's so good.
There you go.
She's so good.
And I
didn't, I was watching it.
And so there's a thing with Dancingwith the Stars, where when they
get, you know, these celebritieson people, like it's unfair to get.

(45:42):
Celebrities on who have a dance backgroundor for example, like sometimes they
have singers on and they've had to dochoreography and people are like, well
this isn't really like, because it'smeant to be an amateur paired with a pro.
Yeah.
Like an amateur dancer who is acelebrity paired with a pro dancer.
And so some people are like, well,they're not really amateur dancers
because you know, they actuallyhave a background dance or they
danced in school or whatever.

(46:02):
But so I thought watching Bethany, Iwas like, oh, she must have a background
in dance 'cause she's really good.
But she doesn't apparently, althoughyou found on Wikipedia that maybe
she took like one dance lessonwhen she was No, it's literally
like, she's like, I took dancinglessons briefly in one year of school.
Yeah.
So I would say that'snot a dance background.
No.
But she did really welland she came fourth.
Yep.
So she made was eliminated10th she to finals.

(46:22):
She
mm-hmm.
Yeah.
So she's really good.
Um, she was paid with Derek if, Imean, mean means anything to anyone
who watches Dancing with the Stars,which actually meant something to me.
I don't even watch Dancing Withthe Stars like religiously.
I just kinda like tunein every now and then.
But she's paid with Derek andYeah, they did really well.
She's really good.
And she slice.
I, I, yeah,
shout out.
I, if I were watching that seasonat the time, I would be like,

(46:44):
I'd be rooting for Bethany.
I'd be like my queen.
Um, they put her on a YouTube fan festticket two years in a row, 20 14, 20 15.
And that means that she doescome to Australia, which is where
one of the, there we go again.
Best stops for both years.
Uh, in 2014, we watched her comeand the host was one of them.

(47:07):
Anyway, the other I didn't recognizeit was a Ma Compton who is apparently
a, uh, a Australian radio personalitywho's on some sort of drive show at
some point, guys, we are, we are tooyoung to have listened to the radio,
but I'm sure if you are at an Australianradio head, Maz means something to you.
But they bring her around andfans are giving her pineapples,

(47:29):
which I thought was quite funny.
Yeah, I don't know.
I have no idea.
It's what that's about completely.
But it's very cute.
The, the host seems really confused.
But Bethany seems to sort ofknow what's going on, but yeah.
Yeah.
She
really just goes with the flow in theselive events because as we know from like,
not amateur, but uh, non-broadcast live,uh, events, they can be a bit shambolic.

(47:53):
YouTube especially, doesn't have a,a great precedent of, uh, managing
live events well, as we know fromthe brief and infamous YouTube live.
Uh, but she comes back the following year.
Wait, and she also goes to,
are you gonna talk about theylike throw stuff at them,
huh?
When she's on stage, they throwsomething at the, the host.

(48:14):
Oh yeah.
Okay.
And he gets like, hit in the face.
Okay.
Yeah.
There are people throwing things on stage,but that's kind of par for the course.
But she's a pro, like the
host is kind of like shocked, I guess.
'cause Yeah.
I think that until now they'venot had this behavioral reaction.
Yeah.
Because obviously Bethany at this pointis their big ticket, like headliner.
YouTube, you know, Fanfest, she's
the final person

(48:34):
with Bethany Moto, like, youknow, she's the person you bring
out at the end of Coachella.
It's, it's Beth Cella, um,for YouTube Fanfest and also
Chloe Morello brings her out, which issomething Yes, I know, know who that is.
You told me about 'cause Yeah,of course she's didn't know who
she was, but she's on stage.
She's the
Bethany Motor of Australia, potentially.
There we go.
Kind of, not really, but she's,yeah, she's a famous Australian

(48:55):
beauty YouTuber and influencer.
Um, but I think it's very funny thatthey, he's, they're throwing stuff
at this man and he's like, kind offreaking out and Bethany like, kind of
intercepts it and grabs it and she'slike, guys, I love you, but like,
let's not throw things anymore, guys.
Like, she's handling it like a pro.
'cause she's done a fewof these events by now.
So she's, yeah.
The one
I was mentioning before is,uh, the following year she

(49:18):
goes to the fan fest in Mumbai.
And they, uh, prompt her.
She comes in it whatshe describes as Sari.
Uh, it's
not Sari.
There you go.
It's, it's Indian.
Oh, that call, like traditional dress.
Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
Uh, and they're like,wow, you're in Mumbai.
Like you love India.
Why don't you show us how much you love,uh, India by doing a Bollywood dance.

(49:42):
Yeah.
They're
like, you just wore on Dancingwith the Stars and you did so
well, you're a great dancer.
Why don't you do a Bollywood
dance?
And she proceeds to do a Bollywooddance, uh, with two other,
uh, I think content creators.
Yeah.
And two, two professional dancers.
It's
Sam Sway, I think that's howyou pronounce his last name.
And Kurt.
Oh, Kurt Hug.
Hugo Schneider.
Yeah.

(50:03):
So diabolical to do this.
So funny.
Um, and the dance
is pretty good.
Um, we learn later when they watch itat the Fan Fest Australia that year.
Yeah.
Uh, that she only had an hour.
Notice that this was gonna happen,and I'm kind of like, if I were in her
position, number one beauty YouTuber atYouTube Fan Fest, I certainly would've

(50:24):
been like, yeah, I'm, I'm not doing that.
Yeah.
Or like, Hey, I would havedone this if you gave me like,
no more than an hour.
I, I would never have done it.
Oh, well, hey, maybe that'swhy you're not a YouTuber.
Yeah, I would do it.
I I would do it.
You would do it.
If they asked me, okay, if I am thetop beauty YouTuber, I have millions of
subscribers, I'm the big ticket item.

(50:45):
And they say, we would really loveto do a dance number for you because
you're coming to India and youjust did a dancing reality TV show.
Will you do a dance number?
I would be like, oh, you know,show me the creative, show me the
concept, but yeah, let's do it.
Mm-hmm.
If they came to me an hour before andsaid, Hey, we have this random costume
for you, and we also want you to do adance thing, we're just gonna quickly

(51:05):
run you through the, the eight count.
I'd be like, oh, probs not.
But Bethany, again, she's sopositive, she's a go-getter.
And she just said, yeah, let's do it.
And she does it.
I think.
So best case scenario is you do aperfunctory Bollywood dance, right?
But worst case scenario is you endup like do a leaper and immortalized

(51:26):
doing a really terrible danceon stage at a live event in, but
Indian native dress, if you're doing
it in good faith, and like also ifshe's been put up to it, I don't
think, it's not like it's her tourthat she's organized and she's
like, I'm gonna do a dance routine.
Or you know, if you are a certain malemakeup YouTuber and you're like, I'm
gonna go on my tour that I organize andrather than just doing makeup and q and

(51:48):
a stuff, I'm gonna sing several musicalnumbers, which is a thing that we'll
talk about later, um, in another episode.
Um, that's where you can belike, okay, that's kind of cringe
'cause it's like your choice.
But she, she was requested to do it.
So I think she felt that she washonoring the request of YouTube India.
I dunno.

(52:08):
I think it, it, it's fine.
It's clearly, you can tellwith the context that she
only had an hour to learn it.
That it's a bit, um, what, howwould you, what's the word?
Well,
I'm not, I'm not a dancer.
I thought it was fine.
She
does a great job, but you can justtell there's like a, you know, there's
a, there's a look in everyone's eyeswhere they're looking at each other
being like, and do we go over here now?
Or like, are we about to start now?
'cause they've only runit like twice, presumably.

(52:31):
But she slays it's just very random.
She, she slays
because of Fanfest and Bethany being inAustralia, we get the, the live debut
of Reny, which is the duo of Troy Sivan.
Shout out Troy Australian legend.
Yeah.
With, uh, Bethany Mo.
And it seems like they must have hadsome sort of online, back and forth

(52:53):
prior to this because, or they justdebuted the name Trey, ironically.
Are you?
'cause they're basicallylike, we are Trey.
Yeah.
Are you, are you aware, isthis the first time you've
encountered a YouTube ship name?
Mm, I think on the pod.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
So everyone, this was like the YouTubeshipping era 'cause it's Troy Sivan.
Everyone was shippingTroy Sivan with everyone.

(53:14):
Tyler Oakley Con Franta.
I think even Zoe.
I didn't find any Troy Sivan.
Bethany.
No.
We tried to look it up'cause we were like, surely
maybe this was thething, but no it wasn't.
So it seems like they werejust doing it as like a, a bit
also a guy is like, you wereshipping Troy Savon with a woman.
You have rocks for brain mate,even in this era, have bad

(53:37):
news for you.
I have such bad news for you.
Look at, look at my man.
Like, no, let's be realistic.
You, you do not know the depths ofFanfic and shipping culture and the
amount of gay, like young gay men beingshipped with women, female YouTubers.
Like yeah, maybe
I, I am like Captain Hindsight here,but like Zoe Fanfic, it's not like,

(53:59):
it's not, it's not like he was.
Presenting as a young hetero boy.
And he was literally a, wasn'the a basically a beauty YouTuber?
No.
At this stage she was, hewas not a beauty YouTuber.
Troy Sivan?
No.
What
was he?
He, I, he's like a, he justmakes videos in his room.
He's like a, a personality YouTube.
But he would
do makeup?
No, no, no.

(54:19):
Oh, sorry.
Yeah.
Okay.
So he was just, he'd just do likestory times or like challenges.
I don't know how to describe it to you.
'cause we haven't reallyseen it yet on the podcast.
But like, he came from, it'slike, I don't wanna say like
gay YouTube, but he does.
Okay.
So the, the No Arms challengefall routine featuring Troy Sivan.

(54:40):
He like does her makeup.
Right.
So I assumed that he did makeup orthe bit that he doesn't do makeup.
Yeah.
That's why.
So she did another video.
Bethany did another collab with Key andLawley from O2 L. I think that's right.
I think it's O2 L. We'llcover them eventually.
But he does her makeup and the entirebit is that like men don't know how to

(55:02):
do makeup ahahaha 'cause it's like funnybecause of gender roles, et cetera.
Right?
Whatever.
But so I think that's the bit here.
But the bit is also that he, he's behindher so he can't see what he's doing.
So it's gonna be bad.
Like no matter who, who does it.
It's a popular trend and peoplejust do it with boys 'cause it's
extra funny that they can't see.

(55:22):
And they also dunno how to do makeup.
Also, this one, I think Troy Sivanis like 15, like he's a child.
Um, I, when I looked at this videotitle, full routine, no arms challenge,
I thought that the video was going to be.
Bethany and Troy doing a trustfulexercise because I was like,

(55:43):
oh yeah, that's like, wow.
Is she, is she or he gonna drop her?
That's gonna be crazy.
What with
no arms?
Yeah.
I didn't really realize whatthe No Arms thing meant.
Uh, but the no Arms challenge, if youare not aware, is uh, I think where,
uh, one person presents to cameraand the other person behind them puts
their arms through that person's shirtand controls their arms for them.

(56:04):
In this case, it's Troy doing thearms and putting makeup on Bethany,
as she describes her routineand naturally it, it looks bad.
And that is comedic, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sorry, I'm just laughing becauseit's a, again, this is an example of
a trend that was like super popularon YouTube for a period of time.
So I'm just like, oh yeah.
The no arms challenge.
Like if you say the No Arms challengeto me, I know what it is, but it's

(56:26):
just funny that you, you, the, the fullroutine, 'cause they're doing full makeup.
But, um, also we call it autumn here.
If it's said autumn makeuproutine, you would know what
it is, but the full routine.
Gotcha.
Uh, and yeah, so Troy, Bethany, Reny,they appear together on stage at Fan Fest.
Mm-hmm.
And everyone, you know, goes yippee.

(56:48):
Uh, and I think that's kind of theend of their, their collaborations.
But briefly for that period, Renywas apparently something that
would make teenage girls scream.
Yeah.
We love a collab.
She does quite a few collabs actually.
I don't know if we're up to thatyet or if that comes a bit later.
I think it comes a bit later.
We are basically,
we can talk about it becausethis brings us around to 2016.

(57:09):
Uh, and she would later go on to havepeople, I think it actually is Zela
take over as number one beauty YouTuber.
Mm-hmm.
And also she does step back in termsof content uploads through this era.
Yeah.
One final thing from, uh, the numberone beauty YouTuber era we should talk
about is her interview with BarackObama, president of the United States.

(57:31):
How do you pronounce that
Bar Barack Obama.
Uh, but yeah, so, and I thinkwe spoke about potentially this
event from the perspective ofHank Green when he was there.
Yes.
And Tyler Oakley.
And Tyler Oakley.
Yes.
We've talked about Tyler Oakley somuch and we have not covered him yet.
He
is there.
Hank Green is there.
Other influencers are there.
It's an event where the WhiteHouse invites YouTubers to

(57:54):
basically talk to Obama about.
The idea is to discuss politicsand getting young people involved.
Mm-hmm.
But you get the sense everyonegets to ask one question.
Bethany does ask a pretty good question.
She's like, why should my youngaudience care about politics?
And, you know, we have been on therecord, we're fans of Obama, cool guy.
We love Obama,

(58:14):
but he doesn't, I got a crush on Obama.
Doesn't really understand theattention span of the average
YouTuber because he delivers somethinglike a four minutes long answer.
Uh, going from everything about, well,college is, uh, run by politicians,
so if you wanna go to college,you should care about politics.
But he, he basicallyspeaks the entire time.
And that's her one question.

(58:35):
Time up.
Uh, so I think he should haveprobably kept it snappy and been like,
wow,
you know, politics matters because itinfluences, you know, the standard of
living and everything you, uh, touchin your, you know, day-to-day life.
But no, Obama, he just wasn't madefor the, the content generation.
I thought, I thought it was fine.
I thought it was good.
I thought it, I think it'snice that they invite.

(58:57):
I, I do think it is funny that they'relike, you can ask one question and
they're like, thanks for coming.
Like
he does, uh, after college.
He's like, well, if you careabout the, the gays, the lesbians,
and the transgenders, and it'salmost like he just looked at,
he was like all these YouTubers.
He was like, oh yeah.
Look at all these gays.
If you care about them,you'll vote for the Democrats.
Yeah.

(59:17):
The way he said, we did have agiggle, just the way he said, instead
of being like the LGBT lgbtqiaa,he, he had a thought, he had to
think, he was like, whoare these people here?
He was like the lesbians, the transgender,the gays, the transgenders, lesbians,
and the transgenders.
Um,
but yeah, so she talks to Obama.
She would actually talk to Bidenover Zoom during COVID, so to.
Democrat Queen
presidents or presidential candidates?

(59:38):
Yeah, basically leadersof the Democrat Party.
Did I Justine
get to meet Obama?
I can't remember.
I feel like she should have.
She deserves it.
She
deserves it.
Friend of the pod.
I, Justine.
But yeah, you'd mentioned collabs.
So around 2016 and onwardsthrough the 2020s, there are a
lot of collabs on the channel.
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Oakley, who we just mentioned, shedoes something called Camp 17 with him.

(01:00:01):
Yeah.
Which is where choosememory unlocked for me.
Go and be the camp counselorsat a summer camp, which is
a great, like, product idea.
It's actually so smart.
And I had no about, I no idea about this.
You knew about it naturally.
When
can I go
to the
Aussie bro squad
Schoolies?
Well, we don't have summer camp here.
Yeah.
It's not an, it's not a thing inAustralia to do summer camp, and

(01:00:23):
I honestly think it should be.
It seems kind of lit. Yeah.
No, I mean, you wouldn'twanna go on summer camp.
Yeah.
I, I guess we just don'thave the, the equivalent.
Thing like we, people do like sportscamps and things like that on the school
holidays for, we say we're not children.
Not for six
weeks though.
No,
there's no like drop your kid offand then you are as a parent Yeah.
Are like free for six weeks.
It's the same as
like boarding school here islargely not a thing for people who

(01:00:47):
would normally be day students.
Yeah.
Like if you're a remote family, you canboard, but like if you live in the city
you are, you'd not go to boarding school.
And that's different in other countries.
Yeah.
But yeah, summer camp isa very American thing.
Um, you know, when Hot Americansummer, dunno not, not relatable to
us, but we just have school camp,which I think also Americans have Yeah.

(01:01:08):
It's like five days.
But it's like five days.
Yeah.
This the summer camp, you're like, oh.
So I can offload parental responsibilitiesto, to Tyler, cliff, Mo and Tyler.
You know, people, my kidactually respect, unlike me,
they're like hardworking parent.
And you tell me that I don't have toworry about it for like six weeks.
You can give it to theguy with the baby blue.
Uh, is it a, what's, what'sthe name of the thing?

(01:01:29):
The quiff is, is it Quiff or a quo?
Oh, you don't know.
Could, yeah, you don't know.
Anyway, but they just go, alright,drop, drop it off to them.
Um,
so yeah, she does the, the camp concept.
Um, you imagine getting to go to thatwould probably cost quite a bit of money.
It would
be so I. You, you would go on thatand be like, my parent loves me.
Yeah.
Like,

(01:01:50):
um, she also does some collabs, uh, with,uh, you'll, you'll know these names.
Janelle Par.
There we go from Pretty Little Lies.
Yes.
Um, this person, Ian
Lawley from O2 L,
um, yep.
This person
Lord DIY.
There you go.
Who we will cover.
Um, and this one, I do knowTruth or Dare with Logan Paul.

(01:02:11):
This video is crazy.
It feels very out of placeon her channel compared to
the others.
Yeah.
They do the intro and he andI haven't seen much Logan
Paul except in the modern day.
Um, but he is so like hyperactive.
It's like he's bouncing whenthey're like, sit down Logan.
Record the intro.
Yeah.
And he is like, he bringssuch a menacing energy.

(01:02:31):
He has
that crazy haircut as well, which is like.
How do you even describe it?
It's like, it's like someoneput, it's everyday, bro.
Okay.
It's like long, like bleach blondehair, like surfer dude hair.
And it's like you put a bowl on yourhead and then you blow dry whatever
is longer than the bowl upwards.
So he has like a flick,it's like a satellite.

(01:02:51):
It's crazy.
Basically the video they run around, uh,some sort of like home improvement slash
home goods or Bunnings
type store.
Yeah.
They're above, beyond doing littledares and messing with customers.
Um, I did think that there, there's onepart where Bethany, she tells a story
again with the ping where she was like,when I'm in Dubai, there was nowhere to

(01:03:12):
pee, so I peed in the dirt like a dog.
And I was like, whoa, okay.
That's kind of, it's funny thatlike risky, the sample size of
content we have, we just havelike multiple stories of Bethany,
like peeing in places, but yeah.
Um, yeah.
This video is, it's, it's not, not familyfriendly, but like Logan Paul obviously
is a bit more of a. I think where wesaid many parents would be happy for

(01:03:36):
their kid to be watching Bethany Moto.
I don't think as many parentswould be happy for their kid
to be watching Logan Paul.
He's a bit more, he's a bitmore naughty, you know, just
gives, it kind of gives, andthis is an invented scenario,
but you'll get the idea.
It gives, like when Charlie XCX goeson Sesame Street and you have like
children's characters interacting withlike an adult entertainer, and you're
like, Ooh, it is like two worlds collide.

(01:03:58):
Uh, it's kind of like that.
Um, yeah, it's,
he, he, his brand of humoris a lot more, uh, yeah.
I don't know if I should say naughty,but it's like, I mean, naughties in
the sense of like, kids being naughty,like they shouldn't be, they're pulling
pranks on members of the public, which,you know, are not, they're not evil,
but they're a little bit malicious.
Like you are interrupting people's daysand like causing slight distress to like.

(01:04:22):
People who will just try and dotheir shopping and things like that,
which is very not Bethany Motor,um, brand, but it's very funny.
I
have some more collabs here.
Any of them that stick out?
Yes.
With a mention
Nikki and Gabby.
Shout out
Nick and Gabby.
I dunno.
The twins,
the Merrill twins, the twins feel we havediscussed, but I dunno what they are.
They were in something and I remember,you know what it was, we definitely, they

(01:04:45):
did a collab with someone that we havecovered and then we went to their channel.
They are like still active and doinglike twin content still, I think
was the thing that surprised me.
But I think they are younger.
Question mark.
I'm not sure.
Anyway, maybe we'll cover theMerrill Twins at another point.
Um, it was not the key of Orum.
I see you Googling there.
They were not in the key ofum.

(01:05:05):
Hey, I was just trying to do
some fact checking.
Um, she also does acollab with Alicia Marie.
Yep.
Who is who I was referencing beforeschool, Alicia, who had all the, the
back to school videos that she didwhen she was in her mid twenties.
Um, yeah, she did a lot of.
Collab, this was the collab era ofYouTube generally, like it's just the
best way to cross pollinate audiences.

(01:05:27):
Um, obviously you collabing withBethany Moda probably one of the most
subscribed to girlies in your niches.
A good get.
And if you're an up and coming YouTuberwho has like really good engagement.
Um, which by the way, I will say peoplewere starting to leave comments sort
of from now onwards being like, oh,you can tell like Beth doesn't love
as YouTube as much as she used to,or like, oh, her views are dropping.

(01:05:49):
She's still getting like a millionviews plus on these videos.
She's not getting 5 million, butshe's still getting a million,
which is still a lot in my opinion,
as we know.
I want the old YouTuber.
Yeah.
Is there a B square for that?
And it will be the last comment on acreator's channel if they, you know,
make videos longer than one year.
Uh.

(01:06:10):
Back in this, uh, later era,she does start to do some
comedy, like sketch type videos.
Mm-hmm.
Like a bit of variety on thechannel, which is interesting.
Yeah.
And it's like, you know, white girl humor.
Like these are the types of people thatorder at Starbucks or like what are
things girls do before they go to bed?
Uh, and we watched a few of them, not, um,not our, one of our great comedic talents.

(01:06:31):
No,
there
you said it was like, it's relatable.
You reminded you of, uh, Buzzfeedstyle content at the time.
Yes.
This is so, like, there was an era ofBuzzfeed college humor videos, which I
think is what she's very inspired by.
Even actually one of the beginningtitle cards has the buzzfeed,
like swinging sign graphic.
I don't really know how to explainit, but people who will know

(01:06:53):
what I'm talking about will knowwhat I'm talking about there.
It's just a style of video whereit's like, girls would be like, boys
would be like me, be like, women
are from us, men are from, this is so
me when I. Me, IRL Like it'sjust, it's just that type of
content, which is very shareable.
'cause you can be like, ohmy God, me, I don't know.
It's not my favorite.

(01:07:13):
I, I get it though.
It's, it's cute.
See, it's appropriate to her channel.
It's not, she's, I think using itas well as a tool to continue to
pander to a family friendly audience.
But she's able to maybe inject a littlebit more of like, she's staying up late.
She is doing things 'cause 'causeshe's an adult woman at this point.
Yeah.
So yeah, it, it, she's followinga trend and it's performing.

(01:07:36):
She does a good job of executing on it.
I don't know.
It's fine.
There are two sort of, uh, outputs at thispoint besides the stuff we mentioned with
dancing and the Stars and the like, whereshe is either attempting or she flirts
with a crossover into sort of mainstream.
Artistic work.
Mm. The first is, uh, I Need Youright now, which was her debut single.

(01:08:00):
Mm-hmm.
In a video directed by one of theJonas Brothers, I believe Kevin Jonas.
I will check that now.
Um, what did you think of, whatdid you think of this single?
It was not followed up by moremusic, but getting a Jonas parting.
We, we had another song after
it
we did on the channel,but it wasn't giving
it's lead up to albums.

(01:08:21):
It's
certainly, she does a good job.
She has a nice voice at performingthe song that she is performing.
Yeah, I like that.
The video itself was what Iwould describe as a lyric video.
Yep.
It's not one that you'd normallyget a, a celeb director, but hey,

(01:08:42):
maybe they're friends, you know?
Ah, I couldn't find any reason howKevin Jonas knows Bethany Motor.
I think, I thought
he like produced, like,worked on the song.
Oh.
I feel like that makes more sense than.
Yeah,
yeah, it, it's fine.
It's like teen Disney pop kind of vibes.
I feel like that's, that's fair.
It's not bad.
No, it's just, it's just not,

(01:09:03):
she's no Addison Ray.
Oh, okay.
I mean, I'm just, yeah, it's, it's fine.
You can tell she's talked about itmultiple times where singing and
music was a real passion for her.
Um, she actually even said that shewanted to do music originally on her
channel, but then she was like, I didn'tthink anyone would wanna watch it.
And I was too shy, so I just starteddoing like, beauty and lifestyle content
instead, which, hey, maybe I should beginmy crossover into my musical cool career.

(01:09:30):
Um.
Okay, let's, let's park that idea.
And the other one is she, uh,releases a book and she promotes
this using her YouTube channel.
There's this big like,professional production trailer.
A woman, clearly not her, is ridinga motorcycle across the desert.
They're
doing stunts, they're doing wheelies.
It's really funny.
You
were like, they're wearing theAmerican apparel disco pants.

(01:09:53):
Yep, they are.
Which is apparently
a thing,
a touchstone of the 2010s.
A hundred percent.
Yeah.
I, I'd never heard or seen them,but I'll take your word for it.
They're famous.
Um, and yeah, the book is, uh, it'sinteresting, the promotional stuff
once again goes, uh, it emphasizes, uh,being bullied when she was homeschooled
and it's just like another YouTuberwith a, a bullying origin story.

(01:10:17):
And it's kind of interesting howgiven the small percentage of
people who are homeschooled and the.
Large percentage, but notlike everyone who is bullied.
Like we have seen multiple YouTuberswho were homeschooled and multiple
YouTubers who talk about how likebullying was a formative experience,
uh, in terms of why they either startedcreating YouTube or like influenced

(01:10:39):
the content they would go on to make.
Yeah.
I think if you don't have a, acommunity in your real life, I think the
introduction of online community throughYouTube and forums and things like that.
Like she was on Twitter talkingabout makeup with other girls and
they're not, they're not bullying her.
So I can see why many people weredriven to, I think that, but it's
interesting 'cause the YouTube commentculture of the time was very harsh.

(01:11:03):
Like they were full.
I would say normal comments werebullying people and it was accepted.
I, okay.
I think videos that go viral, likeif we're talking chocolate rain, yes.
But if we are talking teenagegirl stuff, not really like,
yes, there are negative comments.
Everyone gets hate comments orrude comments like all the time.
But if you are like.

(01:11:24):
Bethany Mo you are mostlygetting comments of people.
Like, and we would look back atthe comments and it would just
be things like, I love you.
Or like, that lip gloss isso cute, I wanna get it too.
Or like, oh my gosh, we havethe same top from Hollister.
Like, they're very wholesome.
Um, but yeah, I do think there issomething to be said for the fact
that a lot of YouTubers were maybe,uh, social outcasts or whatever.

(01:11:45):
I'm like, yeah,
like all our great artists, you know,
I think to be a YouTuber, youdo have to be a bit of a freak.
Correct.
Um, she in 2019 does aclassic YouTube video.
My boyfriend picks my outfits for a week.
But it is kind of interesting,and she talks about it in the
video, is that she actually hasn'tshowcased any of her personal life

(01:12:09):
for several years at this point
on her YouTube
channel.
Yes.
She says she's talked about iton Instagram, which, hey, this is
not an Instagram rewind podcast.
Yeah.
But yeah, it's her first.
Like,
this
is my boyfriend Yes.
Video.
And her
boyfriend is someonewith a Wikipedia article.
So his name, he's known as D Tricks.
Uh, and he is a dancer,like a choreographer.

(01:12:31):
He's a YouTuber.
He's one Emmy's.
There you go.
He's a,
he's a very, he's adecorated choreographer.
Yeah.
So naturally he is involved in,so you think you can dance and
other like YouTube, uh, sorry.
Other dance shows.
Mm. Uh, 'cause you know, it's,it's probably tough living being
a choreographer when you know, no,you think I made a good living.

(01:12:53):
I feel like it's kind of hardto make a living on dancing.
You know, I,
I, I actually don't know what thedeal is there, but he seems he's
got multiple awards and seems Yeah.
And he also has a channel with 3million subscribers on YouTube.
He was in
Smash the movie.
Yeah, he was in album in theChipmunks, the Squeak Wall.
Yeah.
Love.
Uh, so, you know, but anyway,he, he, I think in terms

(01:13:14):
of scales of success, okay.
This is a successful Oh, a hundred.
Yeah.
Hundred percent.
He has a Wikipedia
page.
I think it's more just like he hasa whole bunch of, um, like, uh,
different career trajectories owing to,
he's a multi hyphenate.
Yeah, sure.
We'll, we'll go with that.
Yeah.
Um, but Diet Tricks is in the video.
He picks the outfits and,uh, they're still together.

(01:13:37):
Uh, yeah.
As if you look at her current Instagram,and then obviously there is the, uh,
the pandemic and a natural sort of.
Fall off in uploads, which I thinkis understandable given the time.
But then I would say post COVID, thechannel is solidly in legacy mode.

(01:13:57):
We have a few uploads and theone we watched, and that was most
notable, I think is true, calledDrink Featuring RCL Beauty 1 0 1.
Mm-hmm.
Are you familiar with uh, RCL Beauty?
RCL?
Beauty is another Bethany Motor to mein that I definitely know who she is.
I haven't really watchedher content though.
Yeah.
And this is a format that you saidwas somewhat popular at a time.

(01:14:20):
So
Alicia Marie, I believe, and Laura,DIY, the lifestyle, Flo Girlies.
And by the way, they had like a fulllike girl gang like collab group and
there was like multiple falling outsand things of drama and stuff like that.
So we'll cover thateventually when we get there.
But this was a format that they weredoing because it was like a. I was
this family friendly YouTuber thatyou watch when you were a teenager.

(01:14:44):
And now I'm gonna tell you likethe behind the scenes of what I was
actually doing when I wasn't filming.
'cause you know, they're filmingback to school halls and like
stationary, DIY when they're like 25.
So they're actually being like, oh,I was actually going out partying
and I had this boyfriend and then Igot cheated on, so blah, blah blah.
So they're doing these truth or drinkvideos, which again, they're drinking,
which is not necessarily family friendly.

(01:15:05):
Um, advertisers.
Advertisers, they don't like, no, no, no,
no, no.
Um, so they do a truth or drinkvideo where they're talking
about like sexual experiences.
Um, maybe like unsavoryrelationship things.
Yeah, embarrassing moments that, you know.
Yeah.
You guys get the conceptof a truth or drink
like.
For someone who is, until this point,obviously very family friendly.

(01:15:28):
It is kind of crazy to have Bethanywhen it's like the, when was the last
time you had sex question come up?
She's like, well, I got laid last night.
And you're like, whoa.
Yeah.
Okay.
Diva.
Uh, and she has spoken about, um, how shelike struggled with her image when she
got older because she's like, I have aincredibly family friendly online persona.

(01:15:51):
Mm-hmm.
But I'm now like approaching 30 and I wantto showcase some of my like adult self.
I think that that is maybe why she'sbecome less active on this YouTube
channel because it just feels so tied tothe persona she created when she was 14.
Yeah.
I think 'cause Go on.
Oh, she spoke about how she mostlystruggled with it in that kind of period

(01:16:13):
where I would say she's probably at theheight of her popularity when she was in
her early twenties where she was like,I think she said something about how
she posted an Instagram picture of her
with cleavage.
Yeah.
Which had, which had like
cleavage in it.
And everyone was like,no, what are you doing?
And like, basicallycommenting like negatively.
And she was a bit like, well,okay, this is frustrating.
I
can't believe that you wouldpost something like this.

(01:16:35):
You were, you were aninspiration to not, to
not to laugh at the modesty girl.
Remember that happened to me.
Yes.
Is that what you were referencing?
Yeah, I posted an Instagrampicture which also had some cleave
a bit like this is what happens.
Like people just have thisimage of you in their head.
Because I would say most of my earlycontent was very family friendly.

(01:16:56):
Again, I'm very similar types.
It still is pretty family friendly.
I make some jokes.
Time podcast is
family friendly.
Yeah, we don't swear
us talking about multiple times.
Yeah.
I swear I should have said
you anyway.
Anyway.
But, um, there is like an elementwhere you're just like, I remember
receiving that comment being like,I don't remember when I signed up to
be like a modesty fashion creator.

(01:17:17):
Like, I show, I show honksall the time, question
mark.
It was also like all of thecriticism overwhelmingly, and
this is very tried, but it's likedirected at women as directed at
at women with different body types.
And some body types elicit morecriticism than others depending
on what they're wearing.
So like it's all, it's all like very.
Boring stuff, but naturally, like alot of people hold these views and so

(01:17:38):
when you publish on a public platform,you solicit these type of Yeah.
Engagement.
And it's a weird space for someone likeBethany to be in, in that kind of middle
period where she was saying though, Ithink in this video that she doesn't
really have the issue as much now.
Like, because she's like, well theycan't, like my audience has also grown up.
Like they're all around, you know,they're in their early twenties and things

(01:17:59):
now as well, so they kind of get it.
But at the time I think therewas that, that gap where she was,
you know, 23 and her audiencewas like 15 or 14, I think she
on just 'cause she's quite activeon Instagram and TikTok, she has
just worn down, uh, that audiencethat we're not interested because
her feed now, like because shestarted so young, she is only 29.

(01:18:21):
It's giving 29-year-old like IG batty.
Yeah.
Which is crazy 'causeyou see her like be, um.
Participate in the beauty and likestyling trends of 2009 onwards.
Yeah.
The 2010s.
And now you see her just being like a,a 2025 batty and it's like, oh yeah.
'cause she started so young.

(01:18:41):
Yeah.
Whereas like other YouTubers, uh, arejust obviously quite a bit older and,
uh, less interested in participatingin the, the trend of the day current.
Yeah.
Can you imagine if key ofawesome guy had like a, a busin,
like a mullet wearing her?
He did the Mark Zuckerberg.
He got the Mark Zuckerberg special.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, so I think, I think I,I, I understand where she was coming

(01:19:01):
from, but the, the truth of duringvideo I thought was quite charming.
She's still like, she's not like crazy.
There are some lifestyle YouTubersthat have kind of come out and
revealed that they were livinglike almost a double life.
Like who they were offline waslike a completely different person.
Like they were party animals or theywere doing drugs, or they were, you know,
engaging in like BDSM relationships.

(01:19:23):
That's like a thing that came out.
Yeah, it's crazy.
So they're being like, I wasmaking it back to school video on
a Monday and then on Thursday nightI was like going to my like adult.
I don't think we need to know,
I don't think we need to knowthat about our lifestyle creators.
Well,
no, but I think, but I thinkwhere they are now, they're
making TikTok content that is likemore adult and is more that way.
So they Oh yeah.
They're sort of doing like a reveal oflike, and I was still doing this like

(01:19:45):
five to 10 years ago, but like, youguys just didn't, just didn't know that.
It's very crazy.
Um, so those lifestyle, those, uh,reveals are kind of funny, but she's
still, she kind of is like, oh yeah,like I drink, but she's like, oh, I'm not
really, like, I don't really go out much.
Like I'd rather, you know, havefriends over to watch a movie.
So she's, she's not likea, she's not like a cooker.
No.
And she, she's not a crazy unit.

(01:20:05):
So she has been the host of a, a showcalled Follow Me on Crackle, which is a
reality competition show where, what is
crackle?
We don't need to get into it, but it's,uh, some sort of online streaming service.
It's like Tuby.
Yeah.
I don't know the whole thing's onYouTube, uh, if anyone's curious, but,
uh, basically aspiring influencerscompete in challenges to be crowned,

(01:20:27):
you know, the best Follow me, YouTube,follow me influencer of the day.
Yeah.
And there's been two seasons ofthat and she's one of the hosts.
Um, and apparently that seeminglymust be going quite well.
'cause the YouTube uploads, uh, I don'tthink there's been a video since 2022.
Oh, so they're not doing it anymore?
No, no, no.

(01:20:47):
She hasn't posted Oh.
On her personal channel.
But
follow me is still going
follow me.
I'm unsure.
Okay.
But there's been two seasons, so, okay.
Like the second season wasquite recent, so, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Cool.
She hasn't vanished or anythingand she's still public on
socials and things like that.
Yeah.
She doesn't post a lot though.
No, no.
Instagram.
She's not trying to bea poster a day girl.

(01:21:07):
Yeah.
She's still got a public presenceis what I'm trying to say.
Yeah, I imagine that.
Bethany, I, I would have to imaginethat she had all of that really early
YouTube success in like the YouTube boom,millions of views partner program existed.
I, I would imagine that Bethanydoesn't need to, to do work or, yeah.

(01:21:29):
Well, maybe, but see, a lot of YouTubeis what they do once they leave.
Um, and I've seen this, a couple ofthem is they do like brand consulting
or they do, oh, you know what I mean?
Like they, they'rebrought on to be a Yeah.
Like a social media consultant.
It's funny.
Mentioned that
because one of the hosts on the, uh,YouTube, oh my gosh, band Fest from
Australia, I believe it was 2014.

(01:21:49):
Was, uh, someone, if you're anAustralian listener, maybe you'll
know this, but it's, I believehe was Michael from Big Brother.
He's the guy with long red hair.
Okay.
And, uh, you might be thinking,where is Michael from?
Big Brother.
And I thought the same thing afterwatching this video, uh, all a
sudden the social's no longer public.
Uh, because, uh, Michael runs a,uh, marketing agency, uh, which

(01:22:11):
has a distinctly Australian flare.
And it's basically somethinglike Tim o knows marketing.
Michael knows brand, uh, is
Bevo.
'cause his name is Michael Beveridge.
Yeah.
So they're like,
he's, he's bevo, Bevo knows brand.
Yeah.
Bevo knows brand.
You
were tackled by that as we were Yeah.
Watching stuff last night.
Uh, it was just like.

(01:22:32):
A very micro niche Australiancelebrity from the 2010s, uh,
that I didn't think would crossover into YouTube in this podcast.
So
there you go.
The wide reaches of YouTube.
But, um, I don't know, I don'tknow what Bethany's up to
now, but I hope she's happy.
I think she, my thing
is though, yeah, and we, we shouldtalk about legacy of channel.
Mm-hmm.
And favorite video
I think that given her age, giventhe positive like relationship she

(01:22:56):
has with YouTube, as far as on thesurface, as far as we can tell mm-hmm.
Like there's not the sortof Why must I upload that?
Some creators go through the tail end.
Yeah, you're right.
She kind of,
she could just come back at anytime and be a lifestyle YouTuber.
I, I think like
she talks about in some of those finalvideos that are uploaded to the channel,
like why she's not been uploading.

(01:23:17):
Um, and I would say if we wereto do a tier list of like, or
to do a rating of ranking likeclassy YouTube, uh, responses, she
basically is just like, I just hadto step away, um, because she, she.
It gives a couple of different reasons.
Number one is she's like, when I'vehad breaks previously, it's because
I just was taking on too much.
I was doing other projects.

(01:23:37):
So, you know, her fashion line, herbook, her music, things like that.
She was like, I was doing otherprojects and I was trying to balance
them with my regular upload scheduleand that just wasn't feasible.
And then she also just says, there weretimes where I just was like not, I wasn't
inspired to make content and I justneed to step away from my mental health.
Um, because like she just needed a break.
And I'm just like, okay, sure.
Like, you know, as opposed to I hatecoming on here and uploading this

(01:24:01):
content and you guys, it doesn'tget views and it makes me depressed.
Like maybe she does feel thosethings, like we don't know.
But she doesn't express it in anytype of, uh, she doesn't seem to
hold any malice towards YouTube.
Yeah.
She just is kind of like, oh yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
It's just
refreshing.
Bethany Motor Was one of our numberone girls for three years or so.
So incredibly influential.
You imagine on subsequent beautyYouTubers and lifestyle YouTubers,

(01:24:25):
given she sort of has a hybrid approach,maybe pioneering that hybrid approach.
Uh, I think personality wise,the like family friendly
elements as something that.
Really pushed her to beincredibly successful.
Like if we look at the YouTubers nowthat have those like mega followings.
Mm. They do make content that haslike a, a four quadrant appeal.

(01:24:49):
I'm thinking the Mr. Beasts of the world.
Mm-hmm.
Like,
yeah.
There's stuff in there that is maybe abit spicier than the things Bethany was
doing early, but there's certainly likea, a real like brand decision that this
is going to be like G rated essentially.
Yeah.
Maybe not G maybe pg.
It's like pg.
Yeah.
They have, they have things gettingchopped up by blades and Yeah.
But
no actual people, you know?

(01:25:09):
Yeah.
There's no, they make references towardsdating, but it's never like, yeah.
It's like all conceptual, which is verylike how children think of like Yeah,
they talk dating but they don't talk sex.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They talk about like having a girlfriend.
Yeah.
But that's like a very likeprimary middle school concept
of like having a girlfriend.
It's never like actual, yeah.

(01:25:31):
It's very interesting.
But yeah.
Where Mr. Be scholars here atthis house, how do you feel about,
uh, Bethany?
I'm shocked that I hadn't seenher content before because it's
very, it's very weird to be Yeah.
Covering a YouTuber who, and I guessthis will happen more as we like go on
more and see like more modern styles ofYouTube content, but this is the first
YouTube we've seen so far where I'mlike, oh, this is like kind of what I do.

(01:25:54):
Or like, it's an earlierversion of the same like niche
that I currently operate in.
So I guess not to like me, IRL, youknow, Buzzfeed it, but I, I am yeah, more
familiar with the type of content and Ican see why she does that type of content
and why it performs, because that, that'slike, yeah, similar to what I do now, but
just a, you know, 20, 25 version of that.

(01:26:16):
Um, she's so endearing.
I think I remarked at some point duringour watch where I was like, I love her.
She's so cute.
She's so nice.
Um, it's very refreshing 'cause I, youknow, am full, I follow a lot of creators
now and there's just a lot of like.
Not like negativity, but there'sa lot of like hand ringing.
Like it's, it's, and I'm not sayingthat's a bad thing for people to be more

(01:26:38):
truthful and to be more human, but itis actually, I see why people want her
old videos to be unprivate because itis really comforting and calm and rosy.
Um, it, it's like the teenmagazines of yesteryear.
It has that.
Yeah,
that's a good pull.
It does remind me of that.
It's very like
big sister.
Yeah, very big sister of like, oh mygosh, like I got this cute new lip gloss.

(01:27:01):
It's very like, you know, it's thekind of thing where people try and
replicate now where it's like thatsitting down on FaceTime kind of feeling
where she's just, she's just sharing.
She's been like, well, I went to the malltoday and this is what I got and I think
it's gonna be really cute because I havethis in another color and dah, dah, dah.
And it's like, oh yeah,it just washes over you.
And I will actually alsoremark the earlier video.
She just does or don't have the stockmusic in the background and she's a

(01:27:22):
bit more quiet and subdued actuallydo have an ASMR type calming quality.
She's just kind of like very softspoken and like chatting through things.
Kind of slowly, she later on kindof does the whole like, Hey guys,
it's Bethany and it's a much moreanimated, modern YouTube talk.
But yeah, I can absolutely see why she hadnearly 10 million subscribers on YouTube

(01:27:45):
and why she had the popularity she did.
And I think if I was a little bityounger, um, I, I would've been one of
those 9 million people easily, easily.
You would've been a motivator.
I
would've been a motivator.
Swag.
Yeah.
A hundred percent.
And maybe I'm a motivator now.
I'm a new, I'm, I'mdefinitely a motivator.
We are motivators.
Yeah.
We, we both like Bethany.
Did you have a favoritevideo Of the ones we watched?

(01:28:06):
I think I liked maybe the Japan vlog.
Mm-hmm.
The most.
Yeah.
Um, but I also found the Logan Paulcollaboration the most watchable.
But is that 'cause you thoughtit was like funny 'cause it was
like a, it was like a crossover.
It was just so out of left field.

(01:28:27):
Yeah, it was very.
Uh, I found it a bit jarring.
I What was your
favorite?
I actually really liked theearly, early videos because they
have a nostalgia element for me.
' cause
like, having, not watched the videosbut nostalgic for the products
that are shown, or it's just for
the time period in terms of yet talkingabout the makeup collection video.
I, and also for you who didn't, foranyone who doesn't know, I obviously

(01:28:52):
do beauty content, but I also workedat a makeup retailer, so like, I, yeah,
like I have spent a lot of time aroundmakeup, so she was like talking through
products where I'm like, oh my gosh,I remember that being in the store
that I worked at and things like that.
Or just generally the, the makeupcollection video while kind of
unhinged for like a 14-year-oldto have that amount of makeup.
I was like, oh my gosh.
I remember that productbeing really big on blogs.

(01:29:15):
I used to read makeup blogs and
like forums.
We knew someone who ran a makeup blog.
Yes, we do.
Shout out.
Shout out to Tash.
Oh, okay.
Name
what?
Shout out to Tash friend of the show.
She's a public
presence.
Yeah.
Okay.
Mashala.
Wow, queen.
No.
Yeah, so, and like, that's somethingwe bonded over when we became friends,
is that like the old school, likeyou have a block spot where you are

(01:29:36):
posting videos or pictures of your, it'sliterally pictures of the product you
bought and then you're s watching it.
And it's like these really kindof, you know, unprofessional.
Like amateur, not TashTash took great photos.
But like, I, I also had a blog, um, fora period when I was younger where I'd be
like doing these like shitty swatches.
'cause I was really bad at it, but
it's charming.
All right.

(01:29:56):
Bethany Mo, I love you Beth Mo.
Thank you.
Beth, come on.
The pod motivators.
Lucy, what are yousubscribing to this week?
Ooh, can you go first?
I am subscribing to Addison Ray,unlike last week where I had a, a
very like, um, on like half-heartedsubscription to Gracie Abrams,
uh, the new Addison Ray album.

(01:30:18):
Gives Maine pop girl energy,uh, it's back to back bops.
Uh, you've all heard the singles.
The album is good.
I am definitely keen to see herwhen she comes to Australia.
Oh, uh, pending it costing like$500, but, uh, I think it's gonna
be a good show And yeah, I, I'ma racist is, uh, what a racist.

(01:30:41):
It's what a han is called.
I'm a racist.
I'm gonna sound bite that and wecan just play it in our episodes.
I don't think
she's endorsed her fan name, butwe are working on it, you know?
Yeah.
Okay.
I mean, I, I'm, I'm actually wearingthe top that Addison Ray wears
in her headphones on music video.
There you go.
The Intimacy
Me boat neck.
Wow.
Uh, yeah.

(01:31:01):
Affiliate link in the description.
Uh, yeah.
What are you subscribing to?
Uh, this week I am subscribing toa apparel company, most famous for
socks and underwear called Pear.
Mm.
P-A-I-R-E.
Um, I believe they're an Australian brand.
Um, I get a lot of ads for them on theirInstagram, like I get a lot of ads.
Um, so I have been influenced topurchase them for a long time.

(01:31:25):
They've really been cooking on thatlong, long haul, uh, advertising push.
And when I went to Melbourne,which I talked about,
Melbourne,
Melbourne, when I went to Melbourne,uh, they actually had a IRL store.
So I went in and, um.
Some stuff and I wanna shout outspecifically the two employees that
helped me at Pair Ally and Stella.

(01:31:45):
Shout out, shout out to Ally and Stella.
Shout.
Uh, they were so lovely, so friendly.
We had a good little chat.
Um, they gave me good advice aboutwhich pair they knew all their
product knowledge, they knew whichones had silk, which ones were
the, um, you know, uh, modal blend,which ones were the nylon blend.
I was like, these girls are on it.
Um, and I bought a pair of socks anda pair of underwear and they gave

(01:32:06):
me a pair of underwear for free aswell, which is really nice of them.
And the quality is really great so far.
Like TBD I'm in early days oftesting, but the socks are so
flush and comfy and nice quality.
Um, and I'm just in that era of my lifewhere I want nice underwear and socks.
It's the little things that make my day.

(01:32:27):
So.
You 40-year-old men from their childrenloving nice underwear and socks.
Uh,
no.
I, Hey, maybe it was juston the, the lifestyle theme.
I had to do some influencing, you know?
Yeah, no, a hundred percent.
Yeah.
No.
Hey, I like a nice underwear as well.
You do.
Um, that is it for thisepisode of Rewind Time.
Thank you to everyone who hascommented or left reviews on

(01:32:51):
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(01:33:14):
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Rems on your favorite YouTubers.
Just, uh,
casually don't even say you listen to it.
That's what I do.
I meet people and I go, have youheard the new podcast Rewind Time?
And I don't even admit that I'm the host.
Oh.

(01:33:34):
Uh, 'cause then it will tellme if they listen to it or not.
Yeah.
Oh, gorilla Marketing.
Exactly.
Um,
but yeah, if you, if you could pleaseshare, if you have been enjoying, that
would mean a lot to us because we'vegotten some really great feedback so far.
And I feel like, I feel likethere are people out there.
Okay.
Some of the feedback we've gotten,which has been very sweet and very
nice, has been like, oh my God, Ididn't know this podcast existed.

(01:33:55):
Like how good.
I love YouTube and I'm like, me too.
And that's why the podcastexists, so, and I'm
growing to love YouTube.
You're enjoying the YouTubemultiverse, aren't you?
I'm learning.
Okay.
But that's it for this week's episode,and we will see you next week.
Thank
you.
Bye.

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