From vernacularized commercialism to kidbait: Toy review videos on YouTube and the problematics of the mash-up genre

"This article focuses on reviews, in particular vernacular reviews, of which toy reviews constitute one particular subgroup, and is informed by two main research interests. First, given that reviewing toys has developed into a widespread phenomenon on YouTube, we want to understand what kinds of strategies and methods content creators apply when “reviewing” toys on their channels. Second, the fact that the primary audience of these videos are children implies that consequences are of high importance for media education policies, especially when considered alongside the fact that small children’s use of YouTube has been constantly increasing. Understanding what “reviewing” is all about requires conceptualization of the genre. We thus have formulated the following research questions: How do popular online video channels constitute and apply the concept of “reviewing” and what are the most important genre characteristics of toy reviews on YouTube? How can we in theoretical terms describe toy reviewing as a phenomenon of vernacular reviewing; what implications does targeting child audiences have? Three central discussions provide useful contexts for understanding “toy reviewing”, namely, first, the condition of children’s commercialized culture, second, reviewing as part of vernacularity, and, third, the “exploitation genre” of kidbait. Reviewing of toys will be embedded in these contexts before proceeding to an analysis of YouTube toy review channels." (Author, 238)