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h3h3Productions

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h3h3Productions
h3h3Productions channel logo
YouTube information
Channel
Created by
Years active2011–2020
Genres
Subscribers5.79 million[1]
Total views1.36 billion[1]
100,000 subscribers2015
1,000,000 subscribers2016
Last updated: November 11, 2024

h3h3Productions is a YouTube channel created and hosted by Ethan and Hila Klein, an American-Israeli husband-and-wife duo. Their content consists of reaction videos and sketch comedy in which they satirize internet culture. The H3 Podcast is their current podcast channel that has been running since 2017, with the h3h3Productions channel now defunct, with its final video posted on August 5, 2020.[2]

History

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h3h3Productions is a YouTube channel launched in 2011 by Ethan and Hila Klein, an American and Israeli husband and wife duo.[3] The primary format of videos uploaded to the channel involve the Kleins' critique and commentary reaction videos, with clips of a source video intermixed with commentary and absurd, a style which has been described as a cross between the works of comedy duo Tim & Eric and the comedic series Mystery Science Theater 3000.[4]

The channel has gained a reputation for critiquing internet trends and a range of online personalities[5] and several YouTube policies.[6][7][8] The Kleins have reacted to several online controversies, many of which result from poorly received, offensive commentary and prank videos which they host on their YouTube channel.[6][9] The Kleins have been noted for criticizing YouTube channels that entice young viewers to participate in online gambling related to the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, mainly by trading skins for real-world currency.[10]

Controversies and lawsuits

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Allegations against The Wall Street Journal

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h3h3Productions, alongside several other channels, supported YouTube personality PewDiePie amid a 2017 controversy over jokes about Nazis in one of his videos from January.[11] On February 14, The Wall Street Journal ran a story about PewDiePie's previous references to Adolf Hitler, which brought nine other videos into the debate and elicited frequent discussions on whether media took them out of context.[12] When YouTube subsequently released tools to allow advertisers to avoid offensive videos, Ethan claimed that the tools were overly broad and negatively affected unrelated content, including his own channel.[13]

One of the authors of the Wall Street Journal piece, Jack Nicas, wrote another article on March 24 claiming YouTube did not go far enough to prevent advertising from displaying on videos that might contain racist content. Ethan accused the report of being written selectively to maximize outrage. The article showed a Coca-Cola advert playing on a video of the white supremacist country song "Alabama Nigger" by American musical group Trashy White Band.[14] Upon seeing that the video was not contributing to the uploader's income, Ethan alleged that Nicas had used an altered screenshot. Hours later, he was informed that the video was indeed monetized, but on behalf of a copyright claim rather than at the choice or to the benefit of the uploader. He withdrew his accusation in response, and The Wall Street Journal released a statement that it stood by the authenticity of the screenshots.[15][9][16]

Hosseinzadeh v. Klein

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In April 2016, Matt Hosseinzadeh, an American YouTube personality who goes by "MattHossZone" and "Bold Guy", filed a civil action against the Kleins for copyright infringement in a video on the h3h3Productions channel.[17][18] Hosseinzadeh claims that he initially contacted the Kleins "to politely ask them to remove [his] content from their video" but that they refused. His lawyer claimed that the video used more than 70% of his work "while contributing nothing substantive to it".[19][20]

After a video on this was released by h3h3Productions the following month, fellow YouTuber Philip DeFranco started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help raise money for the Kleins' legal fees, citing the need to protect fair use on YouTube.[21] On May 26, 2016, the Kleins announced that the $130,000 raised would go into an escrow account called the "Fair Use Protection Account" (FUPA), overseen by law firm Morrison & Lee LLP and to be used to help people defend fair use.[22]

The Kleins won the lawsuit, with U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest ruling that their commentary video constituted "fair use as a matter of law" and describing it as "quintessential comment and criticism".[23][24] The case is the first of its kind to receive a judgment; while not legally binding across the United States, it provided a significant and persuasive argument to be cited in future cases relating to fair use on YouTube.[25]

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In May 2021, the company Triller sued Ethan and Hila Klein, alleging the pair had pirated the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight on their H3 Podcast.[26] Despite attempts to settle, the Kleins faced additional legal actions as the feud intensified. Ryan Kavanaugh, co-founder of Triller, filed a separate defamation lawsuit, accusing Ethan of spreading false claims and maliciously targeting him through various platforms. The accusations included promoting damaging articles, creating a website comparing Kavanaugh to Harvey Weinstein, and allegedly paying Wikipedia editors to tarnish Kavanaugh’s online reputation. [27][28]

The lawsuits became a focal point of discussion on the H3 Podcast, where Ethan Klein publicly criticized Kavanaugh’s motives, framing the legal battle as an attempt to suppress free speech.[29][30][31] As of August 2024, the parties have reached a settlement, but the terms have not been publicly disclosed.[32]

Nominations

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Year Ceremony Category Work Result Refs
2017 Streamy Awards Comedy h3h3Productions Nominated [33]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About h3h3Productions". YouTube.
  2. ^ h3h3Productions (August 5, 2020). Becoming THE ZUCC (ft idubbbz). Retrieved July 22, 2024 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Pellot, Emerald (June 11, 2021). "Who is Ethan Klein? The YouTuber is best known for h3h3 productions". In The Know. Yahoo Inc. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Rich, Jacob (February 25, 2016). "Why the world needs h3h3Productions". The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on February 26, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  5. ^ Klima, Jeff (July 31, 2015). "Is h3h3 Productions the Most Negative Channel on YouTube?". New Media Rockstars. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Hathaway, Jay (February 11, 2016). "The Latest YouTuber Controversy Reveals Facebook's Looming Video-Theft Problem". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  7. ^ Tamburro, Paul (December 16, 2015). "h3h3productions Exposes Facebook's Awful Approach to Stolen Videos". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  8. ^ Freeman, Meagan (September 15, 2015). "h3h3 Productions, Ethan Klein Creates Hilarious Videos and Huge Controversies". Social News Daily. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Colombo, Charlotte. "How controversial influencer Ethan Klein rose to fame, from feuds and Frenemies to being banned from YouTube for a week". Insider Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  10. ^ "h3h3productions Exposes the Dark Side of CS:GO Gambling". Gameranx. July 4, 2016. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  11. ^ Markum, Jeff (February 16, 2017). "PewDiePie just responded to claims of anti-Semitism on YouTube and it's pretty intense". Thought Catalog. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  12. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (March 24, 2017). "The PewDiePie Fiasco, One Month Later". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  13. ^ Sloane, Garett (March 30, 2017). "As YouTube tinkers with ad formula, its stars see their videos lose money". Advertising Age. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  14. ^ Trashy White Band – Alabama Nigger, 1984, retrieved February 15, 2023
  15. ^ Kuchera, Ben (April 6, 2017). "How a YouTuber's failed Wall Street Journal attack fed the right-wing hate machine". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  16. ^ Tenbarge, Kat (May 23, 2020). "YouTubers are reporting that Old Spice dropped its sponsorship of h3h3's Ethan Klein amid a brewing troll war with Keemstar". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  17. ^ Gerckens, Kelsey (June 2, 2021). "YouTuber Star From Ventura Fighting Copyright Infringement Lawsuit". KEYT-TV. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Foxx, Chris (August 24, 2017). "YouTube stars win fair use legal battle". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  19. ^ Spangler, Todd (May 27, 2016). "Legal Fund for YouTube's H3H3 Raises More Than $145,000 to Fight MattHoss Copyright Lawsuit". Variety. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  20. ^ "YouTube stars Matt Hoss, h3h3 in copyright battle over 'Bold Guy'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  21. ^ Mooney, Paula (May 26, 2016). "YouTube War: Philip DeFranco's GoFundMe Raises $60,000 As 'Bold Guy' Matt 'Hoss' Sues Ethan And Hila Of H3H3". Inquisitr. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  22. ^ Chan, Melissa (May 27, 2016). "This YouTube Star Got Sued, Raised $130,000, and Wants to Change the Site Forever". Time. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  23. ^ Ha, Anthony (August 24, 2017). "Judge sides with YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein in copyright lawsuit". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  24. ^ "Docket for Hosseinzadeh v. Klein". CourtListener.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  25. ^ Graves, Franklin (August 23, 2017). "YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein Win Copyright Case, Court Says h3h3Productions' Use Of Video Is Fair Use". Tubefilter. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  26. ^ Cullins, Ashley (January 14, 2022). "Triller's Suit Against Podcasters Over "Troll" Reviews Tossed by Judge". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  27. ^ ""Harvey Weinstein?": Ryan Kavanaugh trolled as Ethan Klein drama intensifies over 3rd lawsuit".
  28. ^ Kavanaugh, Ryan (November 30, 2021). "The Dark Side of the Power of Social Media - CSQ | C-Suite Quarterly". CSQ | C-Suite Quarterly - The Voice of the C-Suite. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  29. ^ technology; Education, Communication (December 2, 2021). ""This is legal harassment:" Podcaster Ethan Klein sued yet again, this time for defamation". InvenGlobal. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  30. ^ "H3H3 claims Triller founder Ryan Kavanaugh needs to "get a life" amid new lawsuit". Dexerto. July 31, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  31. ^ Gardner, Eriq (November 30, 2021). "Ryan Kavanaugh's New Mind Bender: When Is a Lawsuit Not a Lawsuit?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  32. ^ "NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT" (PDF).
  33. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (August 22, 2017). "The 7th Annual Streamy Awards: Rihanna, The Rock and Ryan Reynolds Among The Nominees". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
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