Welcome back. SZA released a new album last week. The song that’s trending the most on TikTok? Not one of the 23 new tracks but the parody song “Big Boys” that she wrote as part of a recent SNL skit. Still counts as a win right?

And speaking of winners, we’re amped to announce that the winner of our giveaway is—Faye W.! Thanks to everyone who participated!

–Hannah Doyle

Jacksepticeye Raises $10 Million in "Thankmas" Charity Stream

In his 10th year of creating on YouTube, the gaming creator nearly crossed the $10 million mark in his annual fundraising–streaming hybrid extravaganza.

Thankmas is a holiday tradition Jacksepticeye and his community have participated in for the last five years. It features special guests—this year including Jack Black, Markiplier, Bella Poarch, and more—playing Christmas-themed games on a livestream to raise money for charity. More than 2 million people tuned in over the course of the 10-hour video this year.

Thankmas by the numbers:

2017: $260,000 for Save the Children

2018: $269,000 for Crisis Text Line

2019: $355,000 for Child's Play

2020: $4.7 million for Red Nose Day

2021: $7.7 million for New Story

And this year, Jacksepticeye is donating $9,417,884 to World Central Kitchen.

FYI: Jacksepticeye has added some 9 million subscribers since starting Thankmas. That, coupled with an increase in uploads and a more voracious post-pandemic audience, has allowed him to gain more traction for fundraising.

Big picture: The gaming community is among the most charitable creator groups. Gamers, including CoryxKenshin and Pokimane, were some of Jacksepticeye’s top donors, and creators like GameTheory and DrLupo have hosted similar charity events during the holidays. According to Twitch leaks, gaming creators can make over $2 million a year on Twitch alone, affording them the resources to participate in peer charity streams.

Our Take

‘Tis the season for giving back. And though creators collaborate with their community all year long, the holidays provide a unique opportunity to a) create a festive, all-for-one experience and b) link up for a cause that expands beyond a creator’s community to show how much they can impact the greater good.

Is TikTok on the Chopping Block?

U.S. lawmakers are pushing to ban the app in the U.S. on grounds that China could use TikTok to spy on Americans and censor content.

Sound familiar? Similar legislation was introduced by the Trump administration in 2020 but lost steam in a series of court battles.

This time around, it’s a bipartisan effort, with Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois at the helm.

That the new legislation has support across party lines makes it more powerful than earlier suggestions of a similar TikTok ban. But FYI, it’s unlikely to be voted on until after the new year.

Context: A separate bill was passed unanimously on Wednesday to ban TikTok from all government devices.

What happens if TikTok is actually banned?

A massive adverse reaction will likely ensue, mainly from creators and companies that have spent countless hours (and dollars) building their audiences.

• Last year, TikTok generated $4.6 billion in revenue, dollars that have certainly directly impacted brands’ sales.

• For example, Mattel reported a 116% increase in UNO sales from May 2019 to May 2020 after deploying influencers to promote the card game on TikTok.

Our Take

The TikTok ban is the will-they-won’t-they that never ceases to grab our attention. The app gets larger every year, having grown by more than 100 million worldwide users since 2021. A TikTok-less creator economy would be a massive shift for our industry—and if India’s year-long ban on the app is any indication, creators who share their work across other platforms can bounce back quicker than those who are only on TikTok.

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Cleo Abram Taps Simone Giertz for Epic YouTube Series

The two creators come from different parts of the internet—one’s a journalist, the other an inventor. But they came together this week for the conclusion of a two-part video series that documented their experience building a fusion reactor on Abram’s channel.

Why this works: Abram has 287k subscribers to Giertz’s 2.6 million. Together, the two nuclear fusion videos have received over 500,000 views—about 200k more than Abram’s usual tally.

Our Take

Collaborating with a creator larger than you isn’t always easy (audiences might not align, and sometimes the benefits aren’t one to one). But when done right, it can bring together like-minded fans to broaden their horizons.

🔥 Press Worthy

• You can now pick a thumbnail for YouTube Shorts on Android.

• OpenAI releases an email writing assistant.

• PJ Matlock and seven other creators were charged in a $100 million fraud case.

• Fresh returns to YouTube after six months off.

• Rebecca Zamolo launches a hot chocolate brand.

• Lexi Hensler starts a mental health brand, Hugz.

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