Why are these YouTubers so damn likeable?
By: Gabriela Rodrigues
Tags: Life, Culture, YouTube, Instagram, Social Media

Why are these YouTubers so damn likeable?

Damon Dominique and Kelly Stamps are the 20-something Youtube viewer’s dream

@thekellystamps

I grew up watching Youtube, and in the beginning (around 10 years ago) it seemed like a completely different platform than what it is today. Videos were rawer and often times unedited, creators barely made any money and Youtube was not the ad-friendly money-making powerhouse it is now.

Now it has become more mainstream to be a Youtuber, or an “influencer” and for many, it ceased to be a hobby and grew into a full-time job offering creators the prospect of high earnings, schedule flexibility, and the chance to be their own boss.

Although some things have no doubt improved with time, others seemed to be dimmed along the way. The main one being: authenticity.

When a creative space turns into a highly profitable opportunity it is only natural that a lot more creators pop up who are in it solely for the money.

More and more of Youtube feels like an advertisement team’s dream, instead of a creative world filled with distinct personalities. Many creators feel almost robotic at times and the magic of watching sincere and original content seems, although not completely lost, much harder to find.

Still, every once in awhile you come across a creator that will make you remember why you forsake your TV in favor of Youtube in the first place. I present to you a tiny selection of the ones I fell in love with in the past few months.

1. Kelly Stamps

She’s meshy.

Although only recently blowing up on Youtube, it’s safe to say Kelly can already be considered a full-on influencer, seeing that my tiramisu consumption has sky-rocketed ever since finding her in my Youtube suggestions a couple of months ago.

@thekellystamps

A few seconds in watching your first video of her, you might be fooled by her monotone voice and dry sense of humor, but not for long. Ashley from the popular bestdressed channel described it perfectly when she referred to Kelly as the Aubrey Plaza of Youtube. Seemed quite fitting to me: witty and endearing with a hint of weirdness, in the best possible way.

Likeability Factors: She’s unapologetically herself and more self-assured than I think I could ever aspire to be. Most importantly, she feels very honest, straightforward, and undisturbed by what her audience may or may not think of her.

A compelling storyteller who flirts with the idea of minimalist living, she is also a self-proclaimed introvert, which makes it even more remarkable to see her performing K-Pop dances in the middle of a NY square. Miss Stamps is, for me, the definition of a box of tricks.

@thekellystamps

Some of the best videos to watch include:

I just walked out of a date

How I remain unbothered

I blessed new yorkers with a free kpop performance

2. Damon Dominique

Crème de la crème

My ultimate favorite human to watch on Youtube has got to be, the one and only Damon Dominique. He seems to look at the world through colorful lenses and notice the beauty and charm of mundane aspects of life. He’s fascinated about people, life, beautiful buildings and perhaps most of all, Paris, the city he calls home (for now, anyway).

@damondominique

His “Dating with Damon” series is, for me, one of the highlights of his channel. It details his dating adventures and the hilarious aspects of 21st-century dating. It genuinely feels like you’re listening to a friend, which is the same kind of feeling you get listening to the “Red Wine Talks”, in which he sits down with a guest, drinks red wine (even in Summer, my kind of guy) and chats about a myriad of topics, from love and friendship to the fear of rejection and the beauty of aging.

Perhaps what I most love about Damon are his rants about societal pressures and the fact that he seems to truly believe that people shouldn’t be put in boxes. He inspires people to try new things, learn about other cultures, and just experience the world without being stuck on how you are “supposed” to live your life.

Warning: After watching his videos for long enough, you will find yourself invariably daydreaming of a new life in Paris. If it were not for the dire global circumstances we all find ourselves in right now, I suspect you could already find me at Les Deux Magots holding a baguette and being snarky to passersby. Nice haircut conard…

You will also get enough 90s and early 00s R&B song suggestions to last a lifetime (even if you didn’t ask for them).

Likeability factors: People love the way he views life, his philosophical rants, and language-related videos. But more than that, as with Kelly Stamps, it's his personality that really gets you hooked. His videos leave you in a good mood and hype you up until the next Thursday when he will (most likely) post.

Paris, just give the man a visa, will you?

@damondominique

Some of the best videos to watch include:

Sex, Drugs, & Other Taboo Topics The World Is Too Afraid To Talk About | Netherlands documentary

Dating with Dominique series

Red Wine Talks series

(honestly, just watch all of them…)

Overall what made me fall in love with these people is the fact that they seem to be true to themselves, to authentically enjoy the process of creating and the fact that they show off their real personalities and not an edited version of what they think others will be drawn to.

Although well thought out video ideas and skillful edits are always very much appreciated, nothing seems to beat charisma and a genuine personality.