YouTube king Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg is no stranger to drama. Following his major controversy over saying a racial slur in late 2017, the YouTuber is now in an ongoing battle with Bollywood label T-Series – and is even picking a fight with another top creator on the platform.
PewDiePie called out popular YouTuber Lilly Singh during an episode of ‘Pew News’ on December 9, criticizing her reaction to Forbe’s Top 10 list of 2018’s highest-earning YouTubers.
Singh posted a Tweet reacting to the news, noting the fact that there were no women on the list and claiming that she had even predicted this development in her Instagram post about last year’s article.
“Two years ago, it was almost even between male and female,” Singh wrote. “Last year it was just me, and this year there are no females at all. …I’m concerned the digital space is going to repeat the mistakes of ancient industries. Hope I’m wrong.”
2 years ago it was almost even between male & female, last year it was just me and this year there are no females at all. Something I predicted in my instagram caption last year. I'm concerned the digital space is going to repeat the mistakes of ancient industries. Hope I'm wrong https://t.co/VmoTMjywGK
— Lilly Singh (@IISuperwomanII) December 5, 2018
PewDiePie took issue with Singh’s Tweet, finding the idea that adsense would pay men and women differently “ridiculous.”
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“You don’t get paid more or less based on your gender,” Pewds argued. “Adsense pays the same way. If people want to subscribe to you, they do it because they enjoy your videos, not because of your gender. That’s ridiculous.”
The Swede went on to insult Lilly for her comments on the list, calling her a “crybaby” and an “idiot.”
“If you start complaining about this you sound like a crybaby and an idiot, which you are, Lilly Singh, in case you weren’t sure,” he continued.
Singh has since posted a series of Tweets further explaining her position on the matter, firmly holding that she isn’t merely upset that she didn’t make this year’s list, but is rather “pointing out a concerning cultural pattern” within the industry.