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| The German YouTuber Emerging as the Voice of a Generation | The German YouTuber Emerging as the Voice of a Generation |
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| AACHEN, Germany — The shooter in last week’s attack on a synagogue in eastern Germany filmed his rampage and uploaded the live feed to Twitch, a video game-streaming platform. Rather than explain why the man had escaped the authorities’ notice, however, the country’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, the country’s interior minister, suggested monitoring the country’s video gamers. | AACHEN, Germany — The shooter in last week’s attack on a synagogue in eastern Germany filmed his rampage and uploaded the live feed to Twitch, a video game-streaming platform. Rather than explain why the man had escaped the authorities’ notice, however, the country’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, the country’s interior minister, suggested monitoring the country’s video gamers. |
| This prompted an outraged response from one of the most trenchant and widely followed critics of Germany’s political establishment, a 27-year-old, blue-haired YouTuber known only by his nom de plume, Rezo. “How can you repeatedly screw up your job so badly?,” he asked of Mr. Seehofer, adding: “He and his crew are so unbelievably incompetent.” | This prompted an outraged response from one of the most trenchant and widely followed critics of Germany’s political establishment, a 27-year-old, blue-haired YouTuber known only by his nom de plume, Rezo. “How can you repeatedly screw up your job so badly?,” he asked of Mr. Seehofer, adding: “He and his crew are so unbelievably incompetent.” |
| His response over his Twitter account — which is celebrated by his legions of fans and carefully watched by the traditional news media — included language not fit to print and a warning: “Enlighten your parents and grandparents so that no one votes for this party.” | His response over his Twitter account — which is celebrated by his legions of fans and carefully watched by the traditional news media — included language not fit to print and a warning: “Enlighten your parents and grandparents so that no one votes for this party.” |
| It was not the first time that Rezo had lit into Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. Five months ago, he burst into the German mainstream with a 55-minute carefully written YouTube polemic telling his followers not to vote for Merkel’s conservative party in the elections for the European Parliament. | It was not the first time that Rezo had lit into Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. Five months ago, he burst into the German mainstream with a 55-minute carefully written YouTube polemic telling his followers not to vote for Merkel’s conservative party in the elections for the European Parliament. |
| Like Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist, or Emma González and David Hogg, gun control activists in the United States, Rezo has become symbolic of a younger generation finding effective ways to make itself heard both to its peers and to the establishment. (He conceals his real name because he has received death threats.) | |
| “He has become a prominent symbol (or symptom) of change, and also a representative of a politicized younger generation, the likes of which we haven’t seen in Germany for a long time,” Andreas Dörner, a professor of media studies at the Philipps-University Marburg, wrote in an email. | “He has become a prominent symbol (or symptom) of change, and also a representative of a politicized younger generation, the likes of which we haven’t seen in Germany for a long time,” Andreas Dörner, a professor of media studies at the Philipps-University Marburg, wrote in an email. |
| The son of Lutheran pastors, Rezo has millions of followers on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Since May, when his clip attacking the governing parties was watched 15 million times in just 10 days (a record for a nonmusical clip in Germany), the mainstream press has been running down his door. | The son of Lutheran pastors, Rezo has millions of followers on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Since May, when his clip attacking the governing parties was watched 15 million times in just 10 days (a record for a nonmusical clip in Germany), the mainstream press has been running down his door. |
| In the process, he has been made a spokesman for a generation that seemed — especially before the recent climate protests — to be content sitting out the public debate. | In the process, he has been made a spokesman for a generation that seemed — especially before the recent climate protests — to be content sitting out the public debate. |
| But nothing like this explosion could have been foreseen when he sat down to research his famous political takedown video in early May. | But nothing like this explosion could have been foreseen when he sat down to research his famous political takedown video in early May. |
| “A more-than-50-mintue video on YouTube about political parties?” he said with a laugh in an interview in a cafe in Aachen, in far western Germany. “People from the scene, who know YouTube well, did not think it would get many clicks.” | “A more-than-50-mintue video on YouTube about political parties?” he said with a laugh in an interview in a cafe in Aachen, in far western Germany. “People from the scene, who know YouTube well, did not think it would get many clicks.” |
| Back then, Rezo was known for his innovative music videos, which often featured him singing or playing guitar. He had opened up a second channel just for fun, less carefully produced videos, where he could be seen joking with his famous YouTube friends, often engaged in silly games or competitions, all aimed at garnering easy laughs and clicks. | Back then, Rezo was known for his innovative music videos, which often featured him singing or playing guitar. He had opened up a second channel just for fun, less carefully produced videos, where he could be seen joking with his famous YouTube friends, often engaged in silly games or competitions, all aimed at garnering easy laughs and clicks. |
| Trust in the conventional news media is still high in Germany, with 83 percent of young people saying they believe news from newspapers, TV or radio over that coming from the internet, according to a 2016 study. Few German mainstream politicians have wide social media followings. Most people experience their politicians through televised discussion panels on public television. | Trust in the conventional news media is still high in Germany, with 83 percent of young people saying they believe news from newspapers, TV or radio over that coming from the internet, according to a 2016 study. Few German mainstream politicians have wide social media followings. Most people experience their politicians through televised discussion panels on public television. |
| But that might be changing. With his video, Rezo was able to bypass the public media’s role as gatekeepers for public political discourse, alarming many in the establishment. | But that might be changing. With his video, Rezo was able to bypass the public media’s role as gatekeepers for public political discourse, alarming many in the establishment. |
| While legacy news is still trusted, an increasing number of young people turn to YouTube first. In fact, YouTube is the most popular online destination in Germany, far surpassing Google, WhatsApp and Facebook for people between the ages of 13 and 19. | While legacy news is still trusted, an increasing number of young people turn to YouTube first. In fact, YouTube is the most popular online destination in Germany, far surpassing Google, WhatsApp and Facebook for people between the ages of 13 and 19. |
| Tilo Jung, the only independent YouTube journalist with credentials to the Bundespressekonferenz, the German equivalent of the White House press corps, helped Rezo with some of the research for his video. He says he, for one, was not surprised at its success. | Tilo Jung, the only independent YouTube journalist with credentials to the Bundespressekonferenz, the German equivalent of the White House press corps, helped Rezo with some of the research for his video. He says he, for one, was not surprised at its success. |
| “The number of people watching a two-hour nuanced political interview all the way to the end is astounding,” said Mr. Jung, who posts uncut interviews, podcasts and news conferences on his channel. | “The number of people watching a two-hour nuanced political interview all the way to the end is astounding,” said Mr. Jung, who posts uncut interviews, podcasts and news conferences on his channel. |
| Professor Barbara Pfetsch, who studies communication theory and media effects at the Free University Berlin, says Rezo’s use of language is critical to his success. | Professor Barbara Pfetsch, who studies communication theory and media effects at the Free University Berlin, says Rezo’s use of language is critical to his success. |
| “His language is so clear and graphic, as if translated into the language of the target audience,” she said. “It works across age barriers and educational barriers,” she said. | “His language is so clear and graphic, as if translated into the language of the target audience,” she said. “It works across age barriers and educational barriers,” she said. |
| Rezo attributes that skill to his upbringing, which he said made him a skilled debater. | Rezo attributes that skill to his upbringing, which he said made him a skilled debater. |
| “In my childhood home we always had big discussions around the kitchen table,” he said. “There was always a big and positive culture of discussion.” It is a skill he clearly relishes. | “In my childhood home we always had big discussions around the kitchen table,” he said. “There was always a big and positive culture of discussion.” It is a skill he clearly relishes. |
| “In the field of mathematics it is the most noble thing you can do: to deduce, with the fewest number of steps, a thing unambiguously,” he said. | “In the field of mathematics it is the most noble thing you can do: to deduce, with the fewest number of steps, a thing unambiguously,” he said. |
| Rezo’s undeniable talent for oral argument, his on-screen charisma and clear and youth-friendly language (a particular vernacular that uses English words and phrases at key points), is only part of his success. | Rezo’s undeniable talent for oral argument, his on-screen charisma and clear and youth-friendly language (a particular vernacular that uses English words and phrases at key points), is only part of his success. |
| Besides having talent, Rezo is a perfectionist who spends most weekends and most evenings working and has taken only one vacation in the last three years. For his polemic against the government, he recorded each sentence several times and picked the best take, with the musical flow of the text in mind. “It’s a whole different level,” he said. | Besides having talent, Rezo is a perfectionist who spends most weekends and most evenings working and has taken only one vacation in the last three years. For his polemic against the government, he recorded each sentence several times and picked the best take, with the musical flow of the text in mind. “It’s a whole different level,” he said. |
| Rezo’s success has led the establishment parties to try to emulate his voice. The Christian Social Union, the party of Mr. Seehofer, the interior minister, launched CSYOU, a channel featuring a peroxide blond host, plenty of quick cuts and conservative commentary. It has been widely slammed by the German YouTube community. | Rezo’s success has led the establishment parties to try to emulate his voice. The Christian Social Union, the party of Mr. Seehofer, the interior minister, launched CSYOU, a channel featuring a peroxide blond host, plenty of quick cuts and conservative commentary. It has been widely slammed by the German YouTube community. |
| “The YouTube scene and Rezo stand in for a bigger phenomenon: what the establishment, whether it is political parties, unions, churches — and people from the older generation generally — don’t understand, is the cultural dimension of the internet,” said Kevin Kühnert, 30, who heads the youth wing of the Social Democratic Party. | “The YouTube scene and Rezo stand in for a bigger phenomenon: what the establishment, whether it is political parties, unions, churches — and people from the older generation generally — don’t understand, is the cultural dimension of the internet,” said Kevin Kühnert, 30, who heads the youth wing of the Social Democratic Party. |
| Since his rise to political stardom, Rezo has helped the youth climate movement, given interviews and commented on both the government and the mainstream press. But months after being featured on the cover of newsmagazines and being discussed on TV panels, Rezo remains devoted to his YouTube channels, music and fun. | Since his rise to political stardom, Rezo has helped the youth climate movement, given interviews and commented on both the government and the mainstream press. But months after being featured on the cover of newsmagazines and being discussed on TV panels, Rezo remains devoted to his YouTube channels, music and fun. |
| When he does want to talk politics though, he usually turns to Twitter. | When he does want to talk politics though, he usually turns to Twitter. |
| “I like that I can show my serious side there and that I can communicate with serious people,” he said. | “I like that I can show my serious side there and that I can communicate with serious people,” he said. |