Seven Times Alex Elmslie Told It Like It Is

No one tells it like Alex.

For the past few years, Alex Elmslie has been commenting on the best and the worst the internet has to offer. He’s called out some of the most shocking and unpleasant moments in online video, offering up a brutally honest take on some of YouTube’s most controversial creators. Not many have the ability to do this, and we appreciate Alex’s blunt takes. That’s why we felt it was time to share with you a few of our favourite videos of his.

Here they are, seven times Alex Elmslie told it like it is!

Logan Paul’s Vine videos

Look, we mourned Vine as much as the next person, but those videos from Logan Paul make us feel less bad about the site’s shutdown. From that car Vine to poorly-placed music, sex offences and racism, they’re all just plain bad, aren’t they? When the video you’re making causes Jake Paul of all people to pull an uncomfortable face, it’s probably best to not put it online…

Alex’s commentary makes these videos slightly more bearable, although we’re still cringing just a bit.

When he told boasters what we’re all thinking

In Alex’s own words, “Everyone has an awful life,” and #EverybodyEatsChickenNuggets. Whatever life people portray on the likes of Instagram or Twitter, at the the end of the day we’re all human. We have good days and bad days, and as great as our lives can look through the snapshots we post online, chances are they’re balanced out by just as many – if not more – bad days we simply don’t share.

When he talked through a sugar daddy video

Do you want a sugar daddy? If you haven’t had your daily dose of sarcasm, this video should fill your quota.

Whilst the original video is nothing but uncomfortable, Alex’s ongoing commentary allows us to laugh at how unbearably uncomfortable it is to watch someone kiss their sugar daddy whilst he’s in a business meeting. So many of the comments made are exactly what we are thinking. “How are you gonna carry on doing the challenge if you eat him?” certainly managed to give us a giggle.

When he called out biphobia

It’s 2020, so how is bipobia still this bad, because “I have gay friends” isn’t a valid argument anymore, is it? Although, clearly to some, those who identify as bisexual are “not real people. We’re just made up fictional characters”. Still loving an ex-boyfriend who isn’t real sure is a tough situation to be in! Thankfully, Alex was there to point how how badly the girl in this video handled being called out and the painful follow-up videos she posted after the fact.

(“Look, I kissed a girl!” doesn’t mean you aren’t biphobic.)

That one McDonald’s video

This wasn’t the only video responding to Old White‘s… Uh… questionable McDonald’s video, but is sure was one of the most spot on.

From Oli’s watch being blurred out to the sponsorship likely paying more than a McDonald’s worker’s daily wage, not to mention his false excitement over EVERYTHING, we found there were more things wrong than right about this upload. (Making a McFlurry really isn’t that exciting!) Anybody who has ever worked in fast food can confirm this is not an accurate portrayal, as Alex rightfully points out.

When he discussed the current climate on YouTube

An open and frank discussion about how YouTube cracked down on the darker corners of the site and how it continues to impact the monetisation of videos for other creators. Can it find a balance of preventing child exploitation while still allowing creators who follow the rules to make a living? Should YouTube be contacting creators directly about such changes? One thing’s for sure, multiple streams of revenue have never been more important.

None of us liked Musical.ly

Sure, we love TikTok now, but going back to its Musical.ly days, we perhaps weren’t such big fans, something Alex summarises fairly well in this video. It was the same formula every single time and it was frankly painful to watch.

“Just another part of the internet I never want to see ever again.” We honestly couldn’t agree more!

So there you have it…

Seven times Alex Elmslie told it like it is. What do you think of our list? Do you have other highlights you would have included? Be sure to send us a tweet at @TenEightyUK and let us know! Who knows, we might write up another of these in the future.

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