He said that one time after he inquired about a topic, some users assured him that “Wendigoon will cover that in the next episode.” But, of course, he is Wendigoon, so then he has to solve the mystery without 4chan’s help so he doesn’t let them down. Since 4chan is anonymous, people don’t always know who is asking what question. But it’s literally just an anonymous message board,” he explained. Yeah, it’s an anonymous message board, and yeah, they can say some awful words. “What you have to understand about 4chan and sites like that is that it’s comedically vilified. Since his original conspiracy iceberg material originated on 4chan’s /x/ board, he frequently browsed the posts in which people discussed some of the topics on the iceberg. He told In The Know that he once encountered a photo of himself on a board along with a note instructing viewers not to attack him, which he found remarkably endearing. The general consensus is ‘this is the first time we’ve been mentioned in a non-negative light.’” “So then I come along, and I’m like, ‘Isn’t this neat?’ And it’s like the first time an outsider has talked about these theories … without demonizing them. But whenever refers to anonymous conspiracy theory stuff, it’s always as a way to target and vilify ,” Isaiah said. “‘Conspiracy theory’ is a bad word in normal conversation. 4chan has been justly criticized for its failure to moderate hateful rhetoric, but for those who are willing to navigate around that side of the site, there’s more there. The worst of the worst are the ones who make headlines, and rightly so. Like any other social media site, there are people posting in good faith and in bad faith. He spends a lot of time on 4chan - a message board site that has been tied to so many negative events that one might assume it’s best to stay far away from it to keep conspiracies from “going real-life” - but Isaiah has found a surprisingly charming community there. This is what I love doing,” Isaiah said, dodging swear words not because his video might get demonetized, but because he’s a Christian. Doing that stuff, I’m like … this is my stuff. “In research for one video, I had to find a link about a term that was mentioned on a 4chan thread in 2014, go to the Wayback Machine, copy that link, then translate the text from binary. He does all of his own research and treats each conspiracy like a puzzle that he must solve. Once he got below the surface of the iceberg and past well-known theories like the Denver airport and the moon landing, his mission to understand the topics within the iceberg required a lot more than a simple Google search. He seems more like a Sunday School teacher than a YouTuber who specializes in horror, but he is both.Īs critics warn against the potential dangers of even the most outlandish conspiracies, Isaiah handles them with care - or rather, he holds them at arm’s length, dispenses them while leaning back in his chair and speaking casually, and treats them like ridiculous little campfire tales. There, his upbeat demeanor and southern Appalachian accent stand out. He has cemented himself as one of the most authoritative forces In a corner of the internet dominated by spooky voiceovers and dramatic visuals from channels like Nick Crowley and Nexpo. In fact, over the course of the interview, Isaiah expressed gratitude (and disbelief) regarding his success half a dozen times.
“Someone pointed out to me … there was a video where I’m like, ‘I’m so thankful for 3,000 subscribers.’ And I still am … it has been insane to see, to the point where it’s kind of a system shock,” he said of his humble beginnings and newfound fame. The channel exceeded the expectations he set for himself as a college student studying biology and hoping to dabble in YouTube on the side. Now he’s just shy of a million fans and has an agent. In early videos, he celebrated a number of milestones - having his channel monetized, scoring a few hundred subscribers and so on. It took more than a year to complete, but what is perhaps more impressive is the way his channel has skyrocketed to popularity now that it is finished.
#Conspiracy iceberg wendigoon series#
Isaiah’s 21-part video series breaking down a massive 10-level iceberg from 4chan has garnered more than 16.5 million views. As the graphic goes deeper, so do the topics until they become less known (and often darker).ĭecode and demystify Gen Z's latest online slang terms with In The Know's new glossary. At the top are the best-known, simple topics. An iceberg chart is a graphic used to break down elements of a certain topic in the same way we think of literal icebergs - a little visible on the surface, but a massive amount underneath. Some of the posts he’s best known for are from his “ iceberg” series. In fact, in an interview with In The Know, Isaiah said that he considers his videos to be “internet campfire stories.”
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