YouTubers may come and go, but some of them stick around for a long time.
That’s the case with Jordan Maron, the man behind YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He’s been on the platform since 2010—longer than the game that would launch him into YouTube stardom has been released.
The game? Minecraft.
At this point, we probably don’t need to explain the bestselling video game of all time to you. But when the game took off following its release in 2011, it took channels like CaptainSparklez with it.
The channel is most famous for its Minecraft music videos: parodies and original songs alike based in the world of Minecraft. In fact, one such song, “Take Back the Night,” which was a collaboration between Maron and YouTuber TryHardNinja, debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
Maron’s channel still primarily features Minecraft content. However, uploads also include songs involving other games, reactions and some vlogs.
CaptainSparklez often collaborates with other YouTube contributors. And unlike many other YouTubers who might try to gain an audience through extreme and explosive reactions, Maron typically stays quite calm and realistic with his audience. His demeanor is almost always cheerful and friendly, and many of his fans are likewise kind.
Maron is a board member for GameChanger Charity, a group dedicated to providing funding and gaming consoles to children in hospitals as a way to comfort them during their stays.
Much of CaptainSparklez’ content is based around Minecraft, though he also has played other games on his channel, such as Terraria, Fortnite and Call of Duty. Those games can contain content issues of their own, which means that for parents who feel the Call of Duty games are not suitable for their kids, this channel won’t be, either.
In addition, CaptainSparklez swears in his videos, frequently taking God’s name in vain (including instances that are followed by “d–n”). He also uses lighter swears like “h—” and “a–.” Other videos use heavier language, including the s-word, “p-ss” and “d–k.” And other players may type foul or crude language in chat, such as the f-word.
Viewers will hear the occasional sexual joke or reference. In one series, for instance, Maron plays a modded Minecraft campaign in which he must seduce and have sex with various characters. (The end goal is simply a black screen with the word “censored” on it.) An animation of such an encounter includes Maron’s character being drugged, and the female character is seen in her underwear. A couple jokes may reference sex, sometimes unintentionally.
Maron also reacts to a subreddit called “50/50,” in which players click on links that will take them either to something nice or something gross or disturbing, including bodily harm or death. While Maron’s “losses” won’t appear on screen, his descriptions and reactions will.
The CaptainSparklez channel has been around for 13 years, and Maron’s been playing Minecraft for nearly that long, too. That could very well mean that the channel is as old as or older than the very people watching his content. And given the channel’s often adult content, that’s an issue.
Maron is very friendly with his audience, which will certainly keep people coming back. With that in mind, viewers should weigh some of the channel’s content issues against the channel’s fun to make sure those are issues they’re willing to take on.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
