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I know we've talked some about access and barriers to entry in BookTube, particularly about why BookTube is so white, but I'm not sure we've fully contended with the privilege that is often seen at the very top-- the correlation between wealth and the biggest channels.
I know we can't know everything about someone's circumstances from their BookTube, but this is why nuance is needed when we talk about consumerism and access and success in this community. In any community, it's worth asking who is most supported and who finds most success.
If we were to look at that pattern in BookTube, I think we'd notice a bunch of rich white girls at the top and we kind of dance around the rich part? And then buy into the discourse that if you just work real hard and have a winning personality, that is the recipe for success.
This is not saying rich people can't make videos or anything so basic. Just that we should be able to acknowledge and discuss how privilege shapes a community.
I think it means something if you look at our biggest channels and see generational wealth, oil company rich, never needs to work a day in their life rich. It should at least allow us think more clearly about what barriers to entry really are: time, equipment, access to books...
But also barriers include: seeing yourself reflected in a community, the ability to mess up and get second chances, the privilege of having the space, physical and mental, for hobbies. We don't talk about that enough.
And as creators, we should all be better about acknowledging our privileges! Because money can be a taboo topic, there is this air of "I'm just like you!!" that runs rampant in the community when it is decidedly not the case, especially up at the top.
If you ask me, BookTube has been historically bad at contending with consumerism, sponsorships, access to publishing, and the correlation between privilege and who can afford to absorb getting "cancelled" all while experiencing very few consequences or bouncing back with ease.
We like to pretend that whiteness and wealth and heterosexuality have nothing to do with the shape of our community. We like to pretend that the books we can individually buy have nothing to do with community, even as we ~make community around the books we can buy~
And those of us with the most are happy to make even more off the clicks, engagement, support and dollars of those of us with the least, and are happy to leave any semblance of accountability to a community at the door.
I'm over it.
I'm over it.
