The Curious Case of Josh Paler Lin
YouTube âcelebrityâ Josh Paler Lin is known for his incredibly great and funny âprankâ videos like âTransexual Pick Up Guys Prank" and "Giving Hugs With A Bonerâ. These videos amass views that measure in hundreds of thousands. Lin is another in a long line of awful shit-people who have managed to make a career out of the internet by not doing anything. Lin is currently represented by Generation YM, who promises to help you âBuild a strong digital enterprise so you can focus on your passionâ
Back in December, Lin uploaded a video titled âHow Does A Homeless Man Spend $100â. The video went viral, amassing 34 million views at the time of this post.Â
In the video, Lin hands 100.00 in cash to Thomas, a homeless man, to see what he does with Linâs money. Thomas walks into a liquor store (sacrĂ© bleu!) and exits with.. wait for it.. Food! Talk about a shyamalan twist! Lin approaches Thomas and gives him some additional money for âinspiring himâ. The end result is saccharine and leaves the viewer with a warm fuzzy feeling knowing there is still some good left in the world.
Exploitative âphilanthrofitâ videos like this are extremely popular for reasons beyond comprehension. YouTube is awash in a sea of âsocial experimentâ videos that pull and tug at the heartstrings. Titles like âWe Gave A Homeless Guy Our Leftoversâ or âStealing Money From A Homeless Guyâ made by clean cut 20 somethings with swoopy haircuts on the brink of a burgeoning vine career.
I feel like I shouldnât have to point out how utterly fucking bizarre and morally bankrupt youâd have to be to point a camera at individuals who are completely destitute and broken and request that they dance and perform for likes and revines but here we are. Its 2015 and everything is gross.
So thatâs it, right? All is well and right and good. Thomas got the money and doesnât have to worry about anything anymore. Josh got his YouTube subscriptions and so what if his video is monetized, he did some good out of the kindness of his heart. Hold up.Â
An IndieGogo campaign was set up in Thomasâ name by Josh and his manager, self described âSocial Mastermindâ at Generation YM, Keith McElwain. At the time of this writing the campaign has reached a whopping $145,692 but the donators have become restless.Â
I donated $ over 2 months ago. When is Thomas going to get his fresh start? Why would they keep him on the street while there is this much money in the coffers. Donât donate I feel this is a scam
most amazing con job ever!
I have requested a refund of my donation as this showed a different recipient than was indicated and several things now appear very suspicious about this campaign.
This site offers no support or recourse and apparently allows just anyone to âclaimâ their campaign is legit. I have sent two communications that
requested a refund from the campaign owner that have not been responded to âŠ
And why wonât Josh respond to anyone???
I now believe this is a scam.
Here is a Daily Mail article where the brother of Thomas claims the entire thing is a hoax. Here is another. And one more.
In this video, the owner of the YouTube account HomelessLivesMatter approaches an apparently intoxicated Josh Paler Lin at a YouTube convention called Playlist Live. Lin, surrounded by a rowdy entourage, is asked about the IndieGogo campaign. After sputtering for a few minutes, a member of Linâs group shuts the interviewer down.Â
Recently on Facebook, Josh has been detailing an apparent visit from Thomasâ father, who he hasnât seen in quite some time. I guess it would be interesting if it werenât so blatantly exploitative.
Lin continues to insist everything is on the up and up. And why wouldnât he? It would seem Lin has perfected a formula for monetizing his viewerâs compassion and its working like gangbusters. His latest video, âHomeless Man Xmas Surprise Makeoverâ, uploaded a month ago, shows Thomas in a new suit. Gotta give the people more of what they want.Â
There is no indication if or when the IndieGogo money will go to Thomas, or if Lin plans to also donate the proceeds from original monetized video to him.Â
In summation: we live in a toilet world and everything is garbage.