Why the Internet Always Chooses One Person to Obsess Over

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Alex Cooper allegedly plans to expose Alex Earl's extreme substance abuse.

[00:00:05]Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you've probably heard that Alex Cooper and Alex Earl are feuding online, going back and forth with videos and comments.

[00:00:15]>> What?

[00:00:15]>> So, in case you missed it, Alex Earl just posted a video of herself pole dancing and captioned it, "Sorry, I've been busy filming all week." By filming, she means filming her reality TV show that's coming out later this year, which just further proves my theory that I don't think Alex Earl is going to fully address the drama between her and Alex.

[00:00:31]>> You ever notice the internet does this thing where it normally picks one person and suddenly everyone is talking about them? But the more I looked into it, the more I realized it's far from random.

[00:00:40]The internet doesn't just pick people, it tends to pick specific characters.

[00:00:44]And right now we're watching it happen again. And yeah, you know exactly where I'm heading right now, right? Let's talk about what happened with Alex Earl and Alex Cooper recently.

[00:00:52]>> understand the criticism of her interview style and her like not going deep enough with the questions and stuff. Like that was always my criticism of her, that she gets these really big guests and really big moments, but then leaves the audience wanting more after the interview. But like when Jessie Draper was on there recently after her divorce, I listened to it like because I want to hear from Jessie in that moment.

[00:01:10]And people act like calling her an ambulance chaser, as if these people are being pinned down and forced to speak to Alex Cooper, is crazy. Do you know how this like PR representatives or these people want them to go on Call Her Daddy. They ask Alex Cooper for them to come on Call Her Daddy so that she can interview them and they can tell their side of the story.

[00:01:28]>> So, here's the flow 101 to keep you in the know. Let's flow. Quick history here to paint the picture starting with Barstool, a media company owned and founded by Dave Portnoy. Years ago, under the Barstool umbrella was the podcast Call Her Daddy, which at the time was hosted by Sofia Franklin and Alex.

[00:01:42]>> To be very honest with you right now, it sounds a lot more complicated than it seemed to be at first because there's a history behind these two people, but that's exactly what we're going to talk about and try to break down this video and how it relates to the entire trend online where we pick one person and we dissect them frame by frame, which is getting a lot more widespread these days on the internet because there's so many comments right now under every single video. Everyone comments, everyone has their own opinion about the situation.

[00:02:06]Like, Alex Cooper canceled herself.

[00:02:08]Wait, why do people not like Alex Cooper? What did I miss? Why is everyone team Alex and not Alex? Alex has commented on Alex's video. Will remain sad for the storyline. Why is Alex Earl even famous? So, Alex Cooper is the problem. And this is probably the most classic way someone becomes the internet's main character because right now the example everyone seems to be talking about is the whole situation between Alex Earl and Alex Cooper. And if you missed it somehow, the short version of that is Alex Earl was working with Alex Cooper's podcast network.

[00:02:37]Everything looked normal for a while, and then suddenly Alex left. And the moment that happened, the internet started noticing all these tiny details and trying to piece together what actually went down.

[00:02:46]>> Uh-oh, I'm sucked into it. What you going to say, Corinna?

[00:02:51]What's the tea?

[00:02:52]>> [music] >> To be honest though, I really want to assert myself YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA. I'm like [ __ ] itching. I'm not going to. I'm going to sit back. I learned my lesson last time.

[00:03:04]I'm going to shut the [ __ ] up for the first time in a long [ __ ] time.

[00:03:08]But ho, Alex, no, I'm waiting here like this, [ __ ] I'm ruined for your girl.

[00:03:13]Drag her.

[00:03:15]>> The way she awaits the response from Alex is just super super interesting to watch. And I bet a lot of people, even as they don't have an active following on social media, did feel the itching and like the anticipation for the answer. This is just crazy to me because I'm not a big fan of these two. And what's so wild and annoying at the same time is that there's all this talk about whose team are you supporting or who's right and who's wrong.

[00:03:39]>> Guys, whose team are we on for the Alex Cooper Alex Earl drama? Personally, I'm on team Alex, the blonde one.

[00:03:44]>> If I remember correctly, they're both blonde, so why is he saying the blonde one? They're both blonde, okay. Anyway.

[00:03:49]>> I I think the other Alex is so out of line and so out of pocket. It's like so disgusting Um how she's handling this.

[00:03:56]>> Okay.

[00:03:57]>> Um now I get it.

[00:03:57]>> I'm talking about the American one. Um the one who does like social media. Like that's whose side I'm on.

[00:04:04]>> And it's like so wild. Whose team are you on? Like do you even care? I mean again, I said that before. A lot of people do care, but this is just so weird to me. Like how they care so much and how they're super invested in this situation, which is just so weird to think about as an average person who doesn't really follow these people. Like some say that this entire drama is a classic situation on the internet when people just get bored and decide to pick on someone. Like also recently people were losing their minds because Alex Earl was apparently hanging out with Ivanka Trump. Like some people are completely defending Alex Earl, while other people are defending the other Alex. Then there are a bunch of people who are just watching the whole thing from the side because it's entertaining.

[00:04:42]Situations like these will almost always be messy and confusing to many because there are two big creators like Alex Earl and Alex Cooper. They will both have their own following and support for each side. And it's always going to be difficult for anyone who doesn't really follow these creators to be in the zone and to really understand what's the point. And the most interesting part is that the internet and everyone on it will honestly forget the entire thing in about 2 weeks. Like that's the reality.

[00:05:05]Sometimes it might even feel like the biggest scandal in the world, but then suddenly after a couple of days everyone forgets it because there's a new main character to pick on. But as it turns out, drama isn't the only way someone becomes the main character.

[00:05:22]>> [music] >> I'm not sure that was Cody.

[00:05:27]>> Get ready with me to go to Korea.

[00:05:31]>> Wow.

[00:05:31]>> Korea.

[00:05:32]Like what? I'm going to Korea.

[00:05:36]>> [laughter] >> I'm not okay.

[00:05:37]>> Okay.

[00:05:38]>> This is not just any trip to Korea. This is an influencer brand trip with my brand. This is my brand trip with Point of View to celebrate the launch of Chilit. And I am literally so nervous.

[00:05:52]Like more nervous than him. And it's my own parents. So, this is my fit for the dinner.

[00:05:59]>> Really good color coordination, all perfect, looks good. I mean, let's take a closer look at Mikayla because she represents this other type of internet main character that doesn't really come from drama or chaos, but from energy.

[00:06:11]When she first blew up on TikTok, it was mainly because of how insanely fast and intense her makeup videos were. And guys, we're talking about full glam in like 10 minutes, strong Boston accent, obviously, barely making any stops for people to take the information in throughout the video. And at first, people saw her as a really skilled makeup creator. But over time, the internet kind of started turning that energy into a character because things started getting especially weird after her success on TikTok and all of the messy controversies that followed. What I mean by that is her entire mascara gate controversy or the most recent Hannah Montana event where people accused Mikayla of using filters because she looked totally different in real life during the event. And the reason the internet always seems to have her circulation so often is because there's always some kind of controversy around her. Just look at this.

[00:06:57]>> I have had this wig on for hours.

[00:07:12]>> This is how she looks in her own videos and photos. Very beautiful, right? But also very different from how she was photographed during the event. Like the photos and videos from the event, taken not on her camera, obviously, were super different. She looked very different in those. And that's what people really started getting mad about because is she actually using filters? In the makeup, it's so good.

[00:07:32]>> I really liked it.

[00:07:33]>> Like very different look, very different vibe. Like it's not just the shape of her face, obviously, it's very different, but it's also like the makeup. And of course, I almost forgot about my Kayla's divorce situation, which was yet another phase where everyone was going wild about her one single video.

[00:07:49]>> I want to start this video by saying I appreciate you and I love you.

[00:07:55]And you're going to want to sit down for this video.

[00:07:57]>> You're going to want to sit down. Just a quick note, I previously made a short about this entire Michaela situation and her divorce. So, if you want to watch it, I'll attach a link somewhere here in the corner. But, that video was more like my opinion and what I thought. I'm not going to comment on the situation a lot in this video because that's not the main point here. People start picking on every single word she says in her videos, especially such vulnerable ones like divorce video. I guess that's getting a bit too far.

[00:08:22]>> I am getting a divorce.

[00:08:23]Take a minute.

[00:08:25]I am getting a divorce. Cody and I love each other so much.

[00:08:31]We love each other so much. We would do literally anything for each other. I want you to know that.

[00:08:37]>> You would do literally everything. Like, it's very emotional and almost feels like she's forcing herself to say what she feels like she has to say. I'm not sure what I mean by that, actually. And some of the comments were like, "I didn't even sit down for my own divorce.

[00:08:49]I've always been a Michaela fan, but this was just weird. And to wait till golden hour to film it, too. Take a minute, take it in, like I'm the one getting a divorce. Nobody needed a minute, nor did they need to sit down."

[00:09:00]Like, people immediately started dissecting every single word of hers.

[00:09:04]Like, it immediately triggered people, which is insane to think about. And I guess this is how she wanted us to react to her video. It's just for fun. Again, the video found I really loved it.

[00:09:12]>> Before I start this video, I just want to say I love you and you need to sit down. You need to sit the hell down right now. So, grab a seat, do what you need to do, stop what you're doing, sit the hell down right now.

[00:09:26]>> Sit the hell down for this video.

[00:09:27]>> I know. Take it in. Take a minute.

[00:09:31]Breathe.

[00:09:32]In and out.

[00:09:33]>> They're not freaking out.

[00:09:35]>> Don't freak out.

[00:09:36]Calm down.

[00:09:38]Take a minute.

[00:09:40]>> [snorts] >> Cody and I getting a divorce.

[00:09:42]>> Okay. Okay, that was super needed.

[00:09:43]>> Okay, have you taken it in? I'm getting a divorce.

[00:09:48]>> Okay. Okay.

[00:09:49]>> You need to internalize that. Understand it, think about it, process it. It's happening. And I pray that you're still seated. I know it's hard for you guys.

[00:09:58]>> But that's probably how she wanted us to react to the video. That was That was a thing and I really loved the parties people made on this video. Like that was something crazy. A divorce announcement and a golden hour with a full beat is so funny to me. How she expected us to react to that's exactly what I'm thinking about. And some people were like, "Stop hating on Mikayla. She's going through a healing process and deserves respect, understanding, and support, not negativity or judgement."

[00:10:21]Which is true, right? It's kind of a positive note, you know, like into this conversation. And now let's talk about the third type of internet main character, the chaos storyline. And honestly, if there's one example that completely fits this idea, it's Lil Tay.

[00:10:34]And if you don't know who she is, it's probably because she's not in front and center in social media right now, but she used to be very well known before.

[00:10:40]If you've been on the internet long enough, you probably remember when she first blew up in 2018. And the whole thing already felt kind of unreal from the start, because she was this really young kid suddenly showing up online flashing stacks of cash, standing next to expensive cars, and yelling these wild lines into the camera like she was living some completely different life from everyone else. This is one of her older videos. She's about 12 years old here, I guess in that range. I'm not sure how old she is exactly, but that's her before. Let's watch it.

[00:11:08]>> Who's got a tougher security, your security team or or Danielle Bregoli's?

[00:11:14]>> You don't need to ask dumb ass questions. Can I ask you a question?

[00:11:16]>> Uh sure, go ahead.

[00:11:18]>> Why your mama make you so ugly?

[00:11:21]>> [music] >> Like that's That's harsh. That's like very harsh. The audacity, like the confidence the kid has. It's It's like something, wow. That was a surprise to many and that's why she went very viral.

[00:11:33]She was something new, I guess no one has ever done that before, or at least she was very young at that point. And at first, a lot of people did not know how to react to it because it wasn't just a normal influencer who's about like 30 years old making this kind of content.

[00:11:46]It was so over the top that the internet couldn't even tell if it was real or satire or something being staged behind the scenes because when you first look at it, it honestly feels unreal.

[00:11:56]>> Years ago, she went viral for making videos flexing how much money she had.

[00:12:00]>> was only 9 years old when these videos were going super viral.

[00:12:04]>> It's pretty much been confirmed that she was coached to make these videos.

[00:12:08]>> After years of inactivity, this was posted to her Instagram only announcing the passing of Little Tikes, but also of her brother.

[00:12:13]>> It shocked the world, but many people were skeptical of >> Things like this comment did not help either.

[00:12:18]>> Here, I'm Jesse Ryan says, "As someone who was at the scene, I can confirm that both were together when passing. Due to a car collision, the brother was driving. Local officials are speculating texting and driving being a cause.

[00:12:28]>> Wait. Other vehicle occupants were okay with minor injuries.

[00:12:31]>> Shortly after this comment was posted, he admitted that it was fake.

[00:12:34]>> This was posted on his Instagram story shortly after that either him or his team made the comment with the intention of getting clicks and views. After consideration, they decided to take it down.

[00:12:45]>> This is really controversial and this is really scary when someone tells that you're gone when in reality you're not.

[00:12:51]And then a couple of years later, she comes back and she's all alive, she's all good. And that's when things start getting a little more controversial when people start getting weird about her videos and how they seemed really staged. Like there were even reports and clips circulating online suggesting that she wasn't really acting on her own and that her family members, especially her brother, were involved in scripting and controlling what she was saying and doing in the videos. And once that idea entered the conversation, the whole thing stopped being about entertainment or funny videos to watch. It turned into this bigger conversation about whether this was actually a kid being used for internet fame or or a character created for views, you know what I mean? Then after all that, she suddenly disappears from the internet for years and there have been even discussions and announcements like we have just seen in the video on her Instagram of her passing away. Shocking, right? And then out of nowhere, years later, she comes back into the spotlight again and there were comments under one of her videos like, "I'm genuinely about to uninstall social media. This is actually so sad."

[00:13:48]And by this point, I guess a lot of people think of her as this very mysterious and controversial figure. And the funny thing is, this pattern doesn't just happen once in a while. It happens all the time on social media.

[00:13:59]>> So, James Charles has officially hired a former federal prosecutor in an attempt to bully and intimidate Hey. the person that he interviewed, Zach, into silence.

[00:14:10]He has also indicated that he's going to be publicly responding to the allegations very soon. So, I thought I could come on here and predict for you guys exactly what James is going to say.

[00:14:18]>> And the current 2025 scandal that James Charles is going through, I have gone through and chronicled all James Charles scandals.

[00:14:26]>> Okay, there's a chronicle of his scandals. So, it's not just one scandal, but there's always something happening around his figure. And that bugs me because it becomes more about the controversy, right? And his controversial stand on social media rather than his makeup content because he's officially a makeup artist and he makes makeup content online. But then, there's just so much controversy and everything and scandals that it actually starts overshadowing everything he does on his page. And people just follow him for like controversy and scandals and all that stuff. Maybe people don't follow him for it, but like people are interested in that gets him attention and views. And what's so interesting is that these moments feel very huge while they're happening. Like the entire internet is focused on this one person or situation. But then a week or a few later, everyone moves on and it's no longer as big as it seemed earlier, you know what I mean? Like one week it's this person and the next week is someone else completely.

[00:15:26]>> [music] [music] >> And as I'm about to close the case study section of this video, I want to talk about Madison Beer because she's one of those interesting case studies. Like she's not the kind of influencer who blows up once and disappears. She's more like someone the internet keeps re-using every few years. Like she first entered the online conversation super early, like back when Justin Bieber reposted her singing covers on YouTube and that alone already made her feel like an internet discovery story. But after that initial moment, she kind of stayed in this weird in-between space of being known but not constantly center stage.

[00:16:08]And then later on, she comes back into focus again but more so through her music era and social media presence. Her songs like Selfish and Reckless started circulating on TikTok and people weren't just hearing her name again. They were like re-contextualizing her as this really emotional aesthetic pop figure.

[00:16:25]And this is where the main character edits came into the picture because there were a lot of them, bro. Like we started seeing Madison Beer edits everywhere, all over TikTok, Instagram, everywhere. People were like, "I just know you're going to have that iconic hallway slow motion shot going to die, by the way. The Eiffel Tower turned off cuz you shine brighter." And what's kind of interesting is that none of this is tied to one specific bar or moment. It's more like the internet collectively goes, "Wait, we're obsessed with her again." And now, as we try to look at all these examples together, we start noticing that there's this really clear formula in how the internet works. Like if the internet almost always ends up choosing a main character and it doesn't really matter who. And once that person becomes the focus on the internet, every little thing they do feels bigger than it actually is because millions of people are reacting to it at the same time. But the funny thing is, this never lasts forever. Almost never, right?

[00:17:17]Almost never. Eventually people get bored. The internet just moves on to the next big person and the cycle begins again. And as my last point, I think the part that's kind of uncomfortable to me for everyone is that being ignored online is way worse than being canceled.

[00:17:32]Like the algorithm doesn't really differentiate a hate comment from the good comment, you know? It gives credit to both of them equally. And when you think about it like that, it kind of becomes clear that half of the people who end up making someone famous on the internet are not even the fans of them.

[00:17:46]They're are the people arguing about them, reacting to them, hating on them, like keeping the conversation around that person without even realizing it.

[00:17:53]And honestly, I guess even my videos are [clears throat] part of this game. So I guess next time you see the internet randomly obsessing over one specific person again and it feels like suddenly everyone is talking about them at the same time, just remember that it's not really as random as it actually looks on the surface, right? Because at the end of the day, we're the ones clicking, we're the ones reacting, we're the ones commenting on these videos, turning into main characters in the first place. Like let me know what you think down in the comments. I'm really curious to hear your opinion. Hit the like button if you actually enjoyed watching this video.

[00:18:24]Subscribe to my channel for more content like this. And I guess I'll see you in the next one. Bye.