Vanity Fair UK - 11.2019

AGE 26

GENRE Beauty

FIRST POST January 7, 2007

SUBSCRIBERS 793,563

YouTube, for all its imperfection,

has been a vital outlet for many in the

LGBTQ+ community; to connect,

commune, console, and encourage. Jai,

whose channel features makeup

and hair makeovers with a good dose

of comedy, is one of the more

prominent voices in that chorus. He’s

had his channel since 2008, making

him a veteran’s veteran, and his videos

have been viewed more than

94 million times. Jai has flourished on

YouTube, even if YouTube hasn’t

always offered sturdy infrastructure to

queer creators. Despite YouTube’s

public expressions of pride, many queer

creators say—and a pending

lawsuit alleges—the company has

quietly restricted their content.

MILES Jai

AGE 43

GENRE Spirituality

FIRST POST September 2013

SUBSCRIBERS 151,000

For those seeking some kind of

cosmic solace on their journey

through YouTube—isn’t everyone?—

Ashbaugh is here to help. Using

astrology and tarot, he gives his viewers

lengthy forecasts for each month,

indicating what joys and obstacles

could await them. Whether or not

you believe in all this stuff, Ashbaugh’s

videos have an undeniable allure.

Maybe it’s the way he so plainly states

what could be viewed (by some!)

as out there and woo-woo. Or it could

be how pleasingly thorough Ashbaugh

is in his predictions. Whatever the

reason, his is a calm and rejuvenating

niche on a platform that so

often feels sick with stress and noise.

NICHOLAS Ashbaugh

VANITY FAIR 127