It’s amazing how much of an industry has been born from TikTok and Youtube.
The amount of money rolling in is astonishing.
But are all of these videos a good idea?
Is everybody having a good time making them?
Case in point…
Redditor Crafty-Appeal7248 wanted to discuss her experience and get some feedback. So naturally, she came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.
She asked:
“AITA for blasting Disney music?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“Hello I (16 Female) have an older brother (19 M[ale]) who’s one of those prank Youtubers and Tiktokers.”
“He’s been doing this kind of content since 2017 first on Youtube then expanding to Tiktok for shortform around 2020.”
“He’s decently popular with children and makes some pretty good money from it.”
“It’s annoying for me and I hate it.”
“As his little sister I’m constantly having a camera shoved in my face even when I’m busy.”
“He’s ‘pranked’ me by pretending to delete my school projects off of my laptop, throwing out my homework, study material and once fabricated a fake report card that he gave to my tech illiterate parents which got me grounded for a month even after I proved that my grades are good because they never go back on their punishments.”
“He has also come to my work to ‘surprise me’ and prank me which has gotten me in trouble with my manager until they moved me to working in the back and not up front with customers because he’d come in so much.”
“With my money I recently bought a Bluetooth speaker and whenever I see him with his stupid camera I blast whatever Disney music I can.”
“Let It Go, We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
“Anything I can because Disney is vicious with copyright and the footage is useless.”
“He’s tried talking to me before about it, usually on camera, to ‘work out our issue’ which means me stopping so that he can go back to making money off pranking me.”
“Because I’m apparently very popular with his audience.”
“He’s been slowly loosing views and followers which he is blaming me and my speaker for, my parents are taking his side as he’s providing for us and he’s the golden child.”
“So Reddit, AITA?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Many Redditors declared OP was NOT the A**hole.
“NTA. He is harassing you against your consent. If he can’t make views without harassing you, then he’s not really making the money himself is he?” ~ Mistress-DragonFlame
“This is an excellent stopgap measure.”
“It also needs to only be step one.”
“Step two is that OP’s brother needs to stop perpetuating this cancerous type of internet content altogether.”
“If you’re going to command a legion of child fans, be a Jimmy Donaldson if anything, not a Jake Paul.” ~ intripletime
“Tell your parents you can’t go back on a punishment either. NTA.” ~ myglasswasbigger
“This is the way.”
“Remember that report card prank and subsequent punishment.”
“You love and respect your wonderful parents and are following in their footsteps and tradition.”
“It’s tough love and it hurts you to do it… but you must follow through out of love for your brother.” ~ JolyonFolkett
“Working out your issues means letting him do whatever he wants no matter how you feel. NTA.”
“Keep it up.”
“He has no right to your privacy nor to make money from bullying you and almost getting you fired.” ~ babcock27
“You have a massively dysfunctional family if your 19-year-old brother’s TikToks are ‘providing’ for your family.”
“Your parents suck, and your brother sucks.”
“As soon as you’re 18, find a way to move out and be on your own.” ~ scheming_daemons
OP had a response…
“I am, I have my job so I can save money and I have some friends who also want to move out at 18 and we plan to find an apartment to live in together.”
“My parents are trying their best, they’re immigrants and me and my brother are first generation, before his channel our family struggled a lot so they see his pranks as something to endure so that we don’t return to how we where before.”
“My brother sucks, my parents are doing their best even if it’s misguided.”
Reddit continued…
“Based on your other comments, it sounds to me like the pranks are something for you to endure— and not them.”
“If your parents are off limits and yet they continue to reap the benefits of your brother’s success, then you have every right to be off limits as well.”
“This isn’t something that is applying equally to your parents, and it’s unreasonable for it to be something that you solely bare the burden of.”
“Keep blasting that music, and protect that speaker!” ~ shakeitoof
“You are awesome OP!!! Very creative too.”
“That’s an amazing solution. Please keep doing it.”
“I’m not trying to speak badly of your brother, but he’s been downright cruel to you, got you grounded and got you in trouble at work.”
“At this point, he is making you an unwilling participant and this has to stop.”
“And it should with your solution (at least I hope). Keep blastin’ it OP.”
“You got this!” ~ sammiewhammy
“I’m sorry but just because your parents are not the ones doing the pranking doesn’t mean they are not involved.”
“They are enabling your brothers abusive behaviour and they are just as bad for letting it happen.”
“Their primary concern should be protecting their children.”
“They are not protecting you.” ~ Zealousideal_Dot_261
“Document everything and tell your parents if he doesn’t leave you alone you will tell social media the truth about them.”
“Make sure you secretly record this and give it to someone you trust just to be safe.”
“Ask your parents why they don’t care about you?”
“Ask them why they let you be abused in your own home where you’re supposed to feel safe?”
“Ask them what kind of parents do this to their own child?”
“They’ve already showed you they don’t care about you at all.”
“They only care about money.”
“Your brother is abusive, those are not pranks.”
“I think you should release your story on social media and tell people to stop watching those videos because you never consented and tell everyone the truth about how you’re being treated.” ~ rainbow_mak3r
“They absolutely are not doing their best.”
“They treat you completely unfairly on our abusing you all.”
“Your brother being the provider for the family and them allowing him to harm you so that they financially gain and actively trying to prevent you from being able to protect yourself is them abusing you.” ~ JCBashBash
“Considering he is making his money off of pranking you and you are the draw on his channel and without the prank videos he makes of you that get him views I would advise you to see legal counsel and sue him for the profit he has made off of those videos prancing you that he made without your consent.” ~ RandomPersonOfTheDay
“NTA. Sounds like your brother should start pranking your parents, since they are so tolerant of his pranks for the sake of money.”
“Win, win situation: fresh content, more views, followers, etc.” ~ GentleInk
“NTA. These aren’t pranks.”
“I don’t know why this trend is still going on.”
“Pranks are supposed to be funny for everyone involved.”
“What he’s doing is bullying and making money off of it.”
“Your solution is actually way more mature than anything I would have come up with.” ~ idreaminwords
“NTA – He’s harassing you and your parents are enabling him, and actively punishing you for his antics.”
“Keep the Disney playing.” ~ CrimsonKnight_004
“NTA. I would report him to YouTube and TikTok for violating the privacy of a minor (you) and publishing videos of them without consent.”
“Hopefully he’ll get banned and has to find a proper job..
“TikTok needs to die a quick and painful death anyways, but that’s another story for another day.” ~ Exxtender
“Yes! Though maybe OP’s parent’s consent would override? No idea.”
“Obviously a ‘NO’ from the actual person being filmed should carry more weight, but legal, moral, and right do not always align.”
“I have seen exactly one thing interesting enough to bother with TikTok.”
“A series of videos detailing how a woman discovered a secret room in her parent’s home of 4 years, broke through the wall, and found doomsday supplies that a later update confirmed the previous owner also had no idea was there.”
“NTA.” ~ maddiep81
“NTA. He’s filming you without your consent at the expense of your schooling, work and wrongful punishment from your parents.”
“Don’t be surprised if he does something to the speaker.”
“Besides those are good songs and a harmless way to make his footage useless.”
“Obviously you should start your own channel since it seems you’re the reason he’s popular but that’s up to you.” ~ Lexicon444
“NTA. He’s exploiting you by constantly harassing you and making a profit from you without giving you anything in return.”
“It’s actually hilarious that he’s admitted you are a huge driver of his success because he’s put himself in a terrible bargaining position.”
“Tell him that you’ll allow him to film you again if he gives you 50% of the business.”
“Half of the profits plus half of the creative decisions, so you will have to agree in advance about where, when, and how he can film you.”
“If he doesn’t agree, then I guess he has to figure out how to be successful on his own without relying on his little sister.” ~ fizzbangwhiz
OP had a quick note….
“Edit: Please stop telling me to ‘expose’ him or make a callout post and exposing him.”
“I don’t and will not make a permanent social media account anywhere so that isn’t possible.”
Well OP, Reddit is with you and concerned for you.
You have to do what you have to do to protect your image.
Although, it may not be a bad idea to get yourself a cut of the profits.
Good luck.