Shane Dawson

Shane Dawson, a famous Youtuber who has made a career out of making videos on youtube, has recently begun an investigative series where he deep dives into the lives of celebrities, uncovering secrets and sharing their lives with his audience. His first set of episodes was on Jeffree Star, a famous makeup artist who has been called out numerous times for using problematic and racist language on social media.

Shane did a 5 part series in which he looked into Jeffries life, makeup career, and his past in an attempt to humanize the celebrity and show audiences a seemingly "different" side of the star. The problem, however, is he never seemed to address Jeffree's blatantly racist comments, nor does Jeffree make a genuine apology and/or try to educate himself on why his behavior was so problematic. Shane gave a rich, famous makeup artist a platform he did not need and allowed Jeffree to bury his mistakes instead of own up to them.

This behavior perpetrates white supremacy and justifies racism by ignoring a blatant issue. Shane is not immune to controversy, either. In 2014 he apologized for videos he made a year or two prior where he is in blackface. As one of the most popular Youtube stars in the history of the site, Shane has contributed to the symbolic annihilation and oppression of people of color. Although Shane has apologized and seemed to move on, he allows Jeffree Star to continue to hide from valid criticism. This shines a light into the toxic and whitewashed nature of celebrity life in the media and shows that white men are above reproach.