penguinz0

YouTube Channel Review

Long ago, in a distant land where information was provided by newspaper, people liked sharing their opinions through “Letters to the Editor.” And when one letter was published, a response could often result in more responses to the previous published opinion. Sometimes, this section would be the most popular part of the newspaper.

Well, with the Internet era, these letters aren’t nearly as popular as they once were—but the concept behind them still is. Some have even become famous for commenting on what others say or do. They gain large followings for their wit, insight or contributions regarding the source material.

Perhaps the most famous YouTube commentator in this vein is Charlie White Jr., the face of the YouTube channel penguinz0. Also known as MoistCr1TiKaL or just Cr1TiKaL, Charlie fills his channel with daily commentary on various videos that he finds or that his fans send him to watch. Sometimes, these clips are about fellow YouTubers and Internet drama. Other times, Charlie reviews movies and video games in his Moist Meter series, telling his audience his likes and dislikes about the entertainment and rating it on a percentage scale from zero to 100.

And in each video, penguinz0 jokes about the topics and provides his opinion on them.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Charlie is unafraid to call out people for doing things that are wrong or for being selfish. For example, penguinz0 shows a number of videos of men asking women out and refusing to accept when they’re declined—and though the content itself can get upsetting, it’s still a positive thing for Charlie to condemn, especially in front of his large audience.

In another video, he brings to light a Japanese game show that arguably tortured a man to attract viewers. And on a similar note, Charlie discusses some issues with TikTok, YouTube and the live-streaming site Twitch, especially noting how the organizations sometimes allegedly allow content that definitely goes against their own content standards.

Likewise, Charlie has a couple videos condemning false Christian teachers for attempting to use the religion for profit. While Charlie isn’t religious, he says the following: “I have nothing but respect for people that are religious. What I don’t have respect for are those Christian cult leaders that justify having five private airplanes that they take from peoples’ donations to the church.”

For those out of the loop on Internet issues, Charlie does a pretty fair job in explaining them. And though many of his comments can be inappropriate, Charlie does have a clever sense of humor that is likely the source of his audience.

CONTENT CONCERNS

While there are things on Charlie’s channel that we can commend, there’s also a whole bunch that will likely immediately disqualify it for your family, too.

Sexual references are common, from casual one-liner jokes to in-depth conversations that span the length of the whole video. We hear many discussions about pornography, masturbation, sex and more. Many videos reveal Charlie’s extensive collection of sex toys (the YouTuber is sponsored by a prominent adult shop). And in some videos, we can see men and women in revealing clothing.

There are some difficult topics on penguinz0. In one video, he discusses a TikTok creator who makes videos that use fake implied rape as a joke. In another, he calls out YouTube for allowing uploaded videos which included a creator torturing live animals. In yet another, he critiques the site for hosting pornography that’s uploaded under the guise of “education.” In other videos, Charlie discusses a man who has been caught trying to meet up with underaged children. We also learn of a disturbing trend that includes someone’s suicide being attached to videos.

Some content about Christianity makes an appearance, too. Charlie streams himself playing a couple of video games made about Christianity complete with some disrespectful moments. Charlie additionally watches and discusses some videos or sermons that contain fringe Christian teachers. And somewhat connected, Charlie sometimes discusses a running joke that he looks like Jesus.

Finally, bad language is very frequent, with almost every swear word our organization tracks used and uncensored. This includes misuses of God’s name as well as irreverent comments like “slap the holiness out of Jesus.”

Occasionally, penguinz0 makes a joke or two about drugs. Some of his earliest content is based around Call of Duty gameplay. (The game is rated M.)

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Were Plugged In to review YouTubers based on how friendly they seem, Charlie would probably be in the running for a top spot. His laid-back demeanor makes viewers feel like they could grab coffee with him. And because his content is primarily centered around him chatting with his audience, his personality is likely the biggest draw to the millions who are subscribed to him.

But Plugged In ultimately seeks to provide parents with the purely content-centric information they need in order to make educated decisions about what they do and don’t allow their families to watch. And when we view penguinz0 from that perspective, the content creator will probably be one of the hardest sells for families.