WATCH: $15M-a-Year YouTube Celebrity Posts ‘Death to All Jews’ Video
Image by YouTube
A YouTube celebrity known as PewDiePie is being forced to apologize after posting a clip in which two Indian men are seen dancing while holding up a sign that reads to “Death to All Jews.”
“I am sorry. I didn’t think they would actually do it. I feel partially responsible,” said the Swedish PewDiePie (real name Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg). Kjellberg paid the two men via the Web site Fiverr to hoist the sign, saying that he was curious to see if they’d do it.
Kjellberg, who reportedly earned $15 million last year, said that he has no animus toward Jews, and that it was mere harmless needling.
“I’m not anti-Semitic, or whatever it’s called… It was a funny meme,” he said. “I swear I love Jews. I love ‘em.”
It’s not the first time he’s gotten into trouble for being perceived as insensitive (even the first in this month). Two weeks ago, he came under fire after appearing to utter the ‘n-word’ in a separate video.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $325,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
