If you’ve spent any amount of time on the gaming side of YouTube, you may have heard of a group known as “FaZe Clan.”
Put simply, it’s a professional esports team, and it’s arguably one of the most famous gaming groups online—in part because of its members’ dominating social media presence. FaZe Clan is made up of many social influencers, all of whom have only helped to contribute to the brand’s recognition.
Brian Awadis, better known by his YouTube channel name, FaZe Rug, is the group’s biggest name. The co-owner of FaZe Clan boasts nearly 30 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
But despite the connection to esports, Awadis’ channel doesn’t feature gaming content as often as you may think. Instead, a typical FaZe Rug video focuses on a variety of challenges, pranks and vlogging about his adventures—though not all of those things may be appropriate for younger audiences.
In many videos, Awadis simply enjoys games, challenges and conversations with his friends. And when he chooses to prank them, it’s all in good fun.
Awadis sometimes gives away gifts and money to others. He even used the money he’s earned from YouTube to allow his parents to retire. And in a similar vein, he often builds an inflatable water park in his backyard each summer; but rather than enjoying it himself, he invites his nephew over so the boy can explore it for his birthday.
The channel’s ultimate goal is to provide a brief respite from problems that viewers may be facing in life, according to the channel’s description.
The content concerns on FaZe Rug span several different areas.
A bit of sexual content appears. In one prank video, Awadis shows his father a video of a woman modeling revealing lingerie, and we watch that video alongside him. We hear a few references to sex, and we occasionally see shirtless men as well as women in bikinis.
Some other content concerns turn up too. In a video where he tries the last meals of death row inmates, for instance, Awadis briefly summarizes the horrific crimes the men committed.
Some of the content on the channel involves supernatural elements. In many videos, Awadis intentionally enters places rumored to be haunted and engages in pop culture myths to try to talk to spirits and demons. While exploring a sewer system, Awadis alleges that he hears a “satanic ritual.”
A couple of videos reference drugs. One popular prank video sees Awadis tricking his mother into thinking a bag of salt is actually a bag of cocaine. In another video, he pranks his friends into thinking he’s started smoking cigarettes.
Profanity includes the f-word and s-word, which are sometimes censored, but not always. We also hear “h—” and “d–n.” God’s name is occasionally misused.
Additionally, some moments on the channel can seem a bit vain or money-focused. The channel’s most viewed post is a music video by Awadis, in which he raps about all the fancy brands he can afford. Some videos are based on buying a lot of expensive items. On a similar note, for a sponsored segment, Awadis recommends his audience to use a sports betting app.
As we’ve slowly built our YouTube review section on Plugged In, it’s become evident to us that certain types of content simply work better than others on the platform. And while that YouTube zeitgeist evolves over time, the topic du jour might be summarized under the heading, “Zany, over-the-top challenges,” a genre of video we find frequently on Awadis’ channel (among many others we’ve reviewed).
These challenge-centric channels often collect millions of subscribers, and it’s not hard to see why: These YouTubers are generally goofy and charismatic; the challenges are ridiculous; and there’s usually a whole lot of money flying around, whether it’s in actual cash or in the video’s on-screen assets. And those factors often procure millions of interested teens, too.
But therein lies the potential problem for many families. Despite a zany, high-energy vibe that appeals to a younger demographic, a lot of the content on these channels is aimed at a more mature audience. FaZe Rug isn’t the worst we’ve seen in terms of that adult material, but there’s still quite a bit that conscientious parents will find inappropriate for children: crude language, a few sexual moments and Awadis’ dabbling in the supernatural.
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’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
