what i do find fairly unfortunate is that the way youtube rewards quality content is a bit biased towards the success of things like gaming channels
it's hard to create something like an awesome animation or live-action series and actually make a decent payoff, which turns a lot people that could make really nice work away
Maybe marketing as a skill is worth something, but CaptainSparkles just isn't talented enough to deserve that much money. Even his highlights aren't anything special. If for entertainment achievement, why not give it to an actor, or producer? Or if you don't want to start with people who presumably have money, what about a notable improv comedian? It is seriously hard not only to step up on a stage, thinking on your feet, without the ability to edit out the unfunny, but also to have the guts to appear in front of a live audience. Versus sitting in a chair, playing Minecraft, and basically asking for money at the end of every video.
because people value different things! there's a market for this kind of stuff and that's why it's successful. people are really passionate about both creating this kind of content and consuming it. that's absolutely a good reason for people to invest, there's actual profit to be made, and it supports something that lets talented individuals create the content they enjoy creating and lets their audience continue to enjoy it.
