YouTube star KSI lashes out at fans pirating his film ‘Laid in America’
Warning: The YouTube video above contains A LOT of profanity.
LOS ANGELES -- You "piece of shit" is not normally something YouTubers would call their fans.
But in a recent video, British digital influencer KSI did just that as he lashed out at people for pirating Laid in America, his first feature film, which debuted a few weeks ago.
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In the video -- titled "We Need To Talk," the YouTuber, whose real name is Olajide “JJ” Olatunji, starts off by yelling: "Stop pirating the fucking movie!”
The rest of the roughly seven-minute video is also littered with profanity.
“So many people have downloaded this movie illegally, it’s actually disgusting ... It’s not a YouTube video,” he says. “I’ve done thousands of videos — all free, all free, man — and then the one time we have to pay a little bit of money to watch this thing ... everyone’s just like, ‘Oh, no, fuck that.'”
He then suggests people may be pirating it because he’s a “black guy doing alright for himself.” However, he says: “I’m not the only one that made this movie. There were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that made this movie."
Though YouTubers are known for being candid with their viewers in their vlogs, it is rare for them to attack their fanbases, since much of their income and popularity depends on viewership.
Since uploading the rant on Oct. 10, the video has amassed 1.9 million views. KSI has a whopping 14.8 million subscribers.
The film — marketed as a mix of "sex, stupidity and fun for a millennial audience" — follows exchange students Duncan (KSI) and Jack (YouTuber Caspar Lee) on their last night in United States as they try to lose their virginities with the girls of their dreams.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group distributed the film in the U.S., UK, Ireland and Latin America.
The film’s producers — Max Gottlieb (The Fun Group) and Adam Margules (Angry Adam Productions) — handled distribution for the rest of the world.
It was released on digital platforms on Sept. 27 and on DVD and Blu-Ray on Oct. 4.
This is KSI's feature film debut. Lee — who has 6.5 million YouTube subscribers — starred in a similar buddy comedy in 2015 alongside YouTuber Joe Sugg called Joe and Caspar Hit the Road.
Lee has not publicly commented on KSI's video rant.
Representatives for the film and the YouTubers did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment.
Topics YouTube
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
