SUSPICIOUS: Famous social media influencer Shane Dawson uncovered three conspiracy theories involving human trafficking and the popular company Chuck E. Cheese.
By Clare O’Brien, Staff Writer
On February 11, 2019, viewers of all ages opened their devices to YouTube, where they uncovered the newest highly anticipated, Shane Dawson video. His new video, “Investigating Conspiracies with Shane Dawson,” features Dawson and his cameraman and co-editor, Andrew Siwicki attempting to understand and test three conspiracy theories. They intertwine the three stories at vital moments, enticing the viewer to continue watching. Consisting of over an hour and a half of film, Dawson’s video has been referred to as a movie by fans and other creators on the YouTube platform.
Dawson and Siwicki dive deep into theories in order to inform the public of the dangers they could be surrounded by, conveyed by the few second clips and Dawson’s signature catch phrase, “Don’t believe everything you see.” The video showcases Dawson, Siwicki, and Ryland Adams in Chuck E. Cheese in order to address one of Dawson’s top theories. Dawson reveals a theory he noticed as a child: Chuck E. Cheese recycles their pizza. This rumor surfaced due to the slices being differently sized, the lines of their pizza never adding up, and the pizzas never creating a proper circle. Chuck E. Cheese responded to the video by denying this theory, and rumors spread, the company asked Dawson to remove his video, which he declined to do. The video also focused on voice simulation where people can take a “sample sentence and create a digital version of [a person’s] voice.” This idea was created by “Adobe Voco” and had the capability to copy a person’s voice with alarming accuracy. Due to the danger this could cause, the company decided not to release it to the public, but other apps have created similar resources. Dawson and his friend group tested this theory with the app “Lyrebird” and found that with more advanced technology, this could cause serious problems and start a war or destroy an average person’s life.
The third theory Dawson researched was the case of Brittani Louise Taylor. Taylor was catfished on an online dating website and engaged in a relationship with an abusive man, Milos Mihajlovic. Taylor and Mihajlovic’s relationship moved at a rapid pace, as they got married and had a child. The environment became increasingly hostile and eventually, she left him and filed for a restraining order as she feared for her and her son’s lives. The police and many other professionals she spoke to believe that Mihajlovic’s plan was to sell both Taylor and their son into human trafficking. While the interview between Taylor and Dawson was being shown, Dawson displayed several images of records from the court. He also showed videos Taylor and Mihajlovic created together, blurring out Mihajlovic’s face throughout. However, in the final minutes of the film, Dawson wrote, “I decided to blur Milos face to protect his privacy. But since he chose to hurt and cheat on my friend. And chose to publicly date a YouTuber…I changed my mind,” and then proceeded to display all the images and clips used throughout the video and unblurred Milos’ face in each one.
Dawson gained almost eight million views in sixteen hours and over 22 million in one week. Taylor responded to the video, claiming that it was time for Dawson and Siwicki to move on to Netflix as their content reached a level that exceeded the YouTube platform. Dawson continues to show his fans the amount of effort he is willing to put into his content and the incredible work ethic he possesses. He continues to inform his fan base of now over 20 million people, of the everyday horrors of the world, such as human trafficking, and how no one is immune. The videos he creates remain true to his character, as he continues to entertain and influence people on a larger scale than many other YouTube creators.