Colleen Ballinger critics say YouTuber’s remade videos show racist content

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Colleen Ballinger is coming under fire again this time for old videos of her in Yellowface and a parody of Beyonc. (Eric Charbonneau / Invision / Associated Press)

YouTube personality Colleen Ballinger is facing a new wave of criticism after an old video of her Miranda Sings character performing a Beyonc song resurfaced on Wednesday and went viral.

The unlisted video remains on her Miranda Sings YouTube channel, titled “Single Ladies”, and is a parody of Beyonc’s 2008 hit single. Although the video is dated February 2018, it is unclear when or where the performance took place.

In the video, Ballinger’s forehead and cheeks are smeared with a dark substance. She and two backup dancers wear outfits meant to mimic Beyonc’s black leotards from the “Single Ladies” music video.

“I’m gonna need someone to explain the black on her face,” tweeted fellow YouTube and social media personality Paige Christie, who was the first to share a snippet of the video on Wednesday morning.

Read more: Colleen Ballinger denies underage ‘grooming’ claims while singing song

The videos add to a growing list of allegations against the ‘Haters Back Off’ actor, including accusations of grooming his underage fans for work, alleged sex jokes with minors in a group chat and other inappropriate behavior with fans. After weeks of silence, Ballinger responded last week with a song in which she played ukulele and dismissed the claims as “toxic gossip.” The video sparked outrage from critics and fans, commenting that his address came off as callous, poking fun at their grievances.

YouTuber Joshua David Evans, who was married to Ballinger from 2015 to 2016 after dating for seven years, also agreed with the critics, tweeting from Ballinger, This behavior was my reality every time I spoke and was not d agreement with his actions and rhetoric in 2009-2016. … I was gaslighted too.

Read more: Colleen Ballinger’s ‘gaslit’ ex-husband speaks out as YouTuber denies grooming claims

Christie suggested that the recently redone “Single Ladies” video could have been part of Ballinger’s 2010 London tour, citing Ballinger’s 2018 book, “My Diarrhe,” which includes a QR code that leads to the video of the performance.

The story continues

“Not only did you disrespect Beyonc but also the entire black community,” tweeted black activist Hamdia Ahmed.

“What’s the joke here? What’s the punchline? That a white woman is making fun of a black woman?” tweeted comedian Randolph Terrance. “That’s what Blackface is, a mockery.”

Several users on Twitter, however, suggested that Ballinger’s face paint was actually green and had been used for an earlier performance as Elphaba from the musical “Wicked.”

Christie tweeted a separate video that accuses Ballinger of editing her videos to remove racist content, including a “Talk Dirty to Me” parody in which she appears in yellow, wearing an Asian outfit with a fan, speaking with a faint East Asian accent. .

Videos circulating in recent days include other parodies of Ballinger, such as a remake of PSY’s Korean pop hit “Gangnam Style,” in which she speaks in gibberish, peppered with stereotypical Japanese words, such as “sudoku” and “Tamagotchi.” .

Other parody videos include a re-enactment of the history of Thanksgiving and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, where Ballinger dresses up as a Native American Squanto, with a feathered headdress, also speaking gibberish.

Read more: Review: ‘Haters Back Off’ Features Miranda Sings’ Fun Origin Story

A representative for Ballinger did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Since she started posting videos of her Miranda Sings persona in 2009, Ballinger has tapped into the hate she received online and channeled it into her over-the-top diva persona. She conceived Miranda as a selfish satire of an internet personality who sings badly and has bad comic taste.

Ballinger’s fanbase grew over the next five years, thanks to his videos and live performances on tour. Her career hit a high point in 2016 when Netflix allowed her to develop a two-season series, Haters Back Off based on her Miranda character.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

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