Born in Ohio, YouTuber Darren Watkins has swept the media by storm with his wild antics.
Watkins channel iShowSpeed, better known as Speed for short, is one of the fastest growing YouTube channels ever, amassing 13 million subscribers and just recently hitting 1 billion views. Speed’s growth has been tremendous, garnering 1.3 million subscribers and an astounding 110 million views in the month of November alone.
Known for his constant out-of-pocket attitude, such as barking and asking internet personality Ashkaash what they would do if they were the last two people on Earth, Speed has gained an immense cross-platform following.
Speed has gone viral on many platforms aside from YouTube due to his fans creating and sharing videos, further boosting his fame. His immense popularity doesn’t even take into consideration one of the most shocking facts: Speed is only 17 years old.
Starting Youtube at just 15-years-old, Speed has managed to build an audience primarily composed of young males, which is significant considering his eccentric content. Ditching standard video formats, Speed has adopted the Twitch-style video making, streaming multiple times a week to his millions of fans. Through live streaming, Speed has fostered a sense of community, which builds as the virtual audience watches his antics together as if they were watching him perform live on stage.
His content is a performance. Speed is known for his crazy, absurd reaction videos. Between randomly barking to screaming, the shock factor of Speed’s personality is what attracts the attention of the audience. His viewers watch him behave in the antithesis of mannerly conventions of life people are taught to follow.
Despite his loony personality, many influencers and celebrities are still willing to collaborate with him, including people like KSI and Lil Nas X. With no all-encompassing definition to describe Speed’s content, his fanbase watches him in hopes of witnessing his next unhinged antic.
While his content has mostly been miscellaneous in nature, Speed has recently found a timely theme: soccer. While the United States’ soccer presence is quite marginal in comparison to its other sports, Speed’s timing could not have been better due to the rise in popularity of the sport accompanying the 2022 World Cup.
Speed has tapped into a brand new market of viewers by creating videos about the world’s most popular sport. Never losing his trademark craziness, Speed plays video games like FIFA and even flew to England to play in the Sidemen Charity football match, one of YouTube’s largest annual philanthropic events. Between his funny pronunciations of players’ names and his undying love for Christiano Ronaldo, Speed has become one of the most famous soccer content creators.
However, this is all calculated. Some say Speed plays an elaborate character that never breaks. It’s evident that he is exaggerating at points, but the audience doesn’t mind since it produces a laugh. Whether he is raging at Talking Ben or completely whiffing a penalty kick in a video, Speed makes a fool of himself on purpose. This exaggerated character is what has sparked such rapid growth.
Junior Armaan Bhagwat has also seen Speed and his work. “I think Speed uses his natural personality to attract views and he doesn’t just put on an act,” Bhagwat stated. “Speed wouldn’t have been able to drop bangers like ‘World Cup’ and ‘Ronaldo (SEWY),’ without pure, god-gifted talent,” Bhagwat continued.
An added layer to Speed’s popularity is his latest song, “World Cup,” which was released right before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Speed’s song is popular for its comedy, and he has once again published what some consider musical perfection. “World Cup” perfectly encapsulates the essence of Speed that allowed him to rise to popularity in the first place. The song’s music video has gained 36 million views in just four weeks.
Senior Aaron Ingram has been a long-time fan of Speed’s videos and musical endeavors. “Speed has been my day one. He’s a role model for all young people everywhere and motivates me to better myself every day,” Ingram exclaimed. “His songs are lyrical masterpieces; ‘Shake, Pt. 2’ was even on my Spotify Wrapped,” Ingram stated.
To his viewers, Speed’s funny content provides a sense of relief. Speed is a comedic destresser to individuals who may be facing lots of pressure, especially his main audience of teenage boys. He does all the wild things that are not regarded as socially acceptable for boys as they mature.
“Speed has replenished my depleted soul and his streams bring my spirits up. I thank Speed for all he has done for making my life better, helping me reach a higher state of tranquility,” Ingram concluded.
Speed has had a profound impact on his fans all while still a teenager. With many students at Pleasant Valley older than him, Speed is a testament to the possibilities available to young people in this growing age of the internet. With some dedication and hardwork, success can be found.
Not yet old enough to vote or buy a lottery ticket, Speed has won the YouTube lottery with his signature shake and bounce. Speed keeps rolling out these extremely popular live-streams, yelling his signature phrases “Are you serious right now bro,” and “sewy,” as his popularity continues to explode— all from his parents basement.
