Content Creators: From Pranks to Tragedy

Throughout the years, there have been numerous instances of people attempting dangerous stunts or engaging in reckless behavior in pursuit of online fame. While some of these stunts may seem harmless, they can often have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. Here are some examples of YouTubers who faced severe repercussions for their actions.

In 2017, a popular Spanish Youtuber with over a million subscribers  known as RESET, took the filling out of an Oreo cookie and replaced it with toothpaste. He then gave the cookie to a homeless man, claiming that it would help clean teeth. However, the online community was outraged by the prank and a petition was created to have Reset's channel deleted which gained over 125,000 signatures. Things only got worse for ReSet when the homeless man’s daughter saw the backlash on the internet and decided to take legal action against the YouTuber. In court, Judge Rose Aragones found him guilty of violating the homeless man's moral integrity, and sentenced him to 15 months in prison. 

In February 2022, Saucy and Honey, who had 25,000 subscribers at the time, posted a video titled 24-Hour Overnight Challenge in Target. In the video, the two hid in a Target Store after it closed and filmed themselves walking around the store before walking out in the morning claiming that they had been there all night. However, the video caught the attention of the West Whiteland Police who saw the video and arrested Johnson Larose and Charlotte Fisher, the couple behind the Saucy and Honey channel. Not only was the challenge exposed as fake using security camera footage that showed the two leaving at 3 A.M, but they were also charged with criminal trespassing and conspiracy. As a result, Saucy and Honey are now facing up to seven years in prison for their actions. 

In 2008, 17 year old Asia Leeshawn Ferguson was riding the Batman Ride at the Six Flags Amusement Park when his hat flew off his head. After getting off the ride, he scaled two fences and entered a restricted area in an attempt to retrieve his hat. As he reached his hat the Batman Ride came barely towards him at 50 miles per hour and ended up decapitating him instantly. 

Next, in 2013, 22-year old Kyle Lee Stocking and his five friends saw a rope swing stunt on YouTube and wanted to recreate it. Everything was fine but there was one fatal thing that they didn't check properly. The length of the rope was longer than the drop-down, so when Kyle jumped, he plummeted straight into the ground killing him instantly.  

When Sam Ballard was 19, he swallowed a slug after being dared to by some friends, but the slug ended up giving him rat lungworm disease, which caused him to fall into a coma for 420 days. When woke up, he was paralyzed, had seizures all the time, and was unable to speak or eat without the help of a tube. And sadly, eight years later, he passed away.

In 2014, Gary Anderson who was a very religious man was telling a story to some coworkers, and right when he said the words, "God is Good", he suddenly collapsed in a pool of blood. It turns out that a construction worker had dropped his tape measure from a 50-story building, and it was falling at 140 miles per hour, it struck Gary in the head killing him instantly.

These examples serve as a reminder that seeking online fame through dangerous stunts can have severe and sometimes fatal consequences. It is important to prioritize safety and think twice before attempting any potentially dangerous activities.