‘Charlie Is So Cool Like’: Authenticity, Popularity and Inclusive Masculinity on YouTube

On the world’s most utilised video-sharing social n etworking site, YouTube, Charlie McDonnell ( Charlieissocoollike ), Dan Howell ( Danisnotonfire ), and Jack and Finn Harries ( JacksGap ) are Britain’s most popular video-bloggers (vlogge rs). With more than two million regular subscribers to each of their channels, alon g with millions of casual viewers, they represent a new form of authentic online celebrity. These young men, whose YouTube careers began as teenagers, do not espouse a tradit ional form of masculinity; they are not sporty, macho, or even expressly concerned with bei ng perceived as heterosexual. Instead, they present a softer masculinity, eschewing the ho mophobia, misogyny, and aggression attributed to boys of previous generations. These b ehaviours are theorised using Anderson’s Inclusive Masculinity Theory. Drawing on analysis o f 115 video-blogs (vlogs), along with an in-depth interview with Charlie McDonnell, this art icle examines how these young men developed and exhibit their inclusive masculinities and attitudes, which we postulate are a reflection of dominant youth culture. Keywords: authenticity, celebrity, inclusive mascul inity, popularity, vlogging, YouTube