Impersonators and fake accounts are not new to social media and online entertainment.
But this one is different: a TikTok impersonator has actually gathered viewer numbers as massive as the original person they are mimicking, capturing the internet community's interest.
The popular YouTuber IShowSpeed, with over 20 million followers across various platforms, is facing an unexpected competitor as an impersonator on TikTok reaps massive viewership by restreaming his old content.
An Impersonator's Rise to Fame
The impersonator's rapid rise to fame on TikTok brings to light the complex dynamics between influencer culture and imitation in the digital age.
As Dexerto reports, this mysterious account has succeeded in drawing over 18,000 concurrent viewers during their broadcasts, a feat that has raised eyebrows across the online community.
While this number pales in comparison to IShowSpeed's usual YouTube viewership, it is a remarkable "achievement" for someone reuploading old videos.
Stealing Streams
IShowSpeed's meteoric rise in the world of streamer stardom has inadvertently led to the emergence of counterfeit accounts attempting to ride the coattails of his fame.
Surprisingly, Speed's weird behaviors, such as barking into the microphone, yelling loudly, and thrashing his PC setup out of gaming rage, actually resonate with a lot of people and sell really well to most audiences.
Now this phenomenon of people stealing influencer streams is not unique to IShowSpeed, as influencers from various domains often find their images exploited by copycat accounts that repost old content.
However, this particular TikTok impersonator has taken the imitation game to a new level with an astonishing viewership, emphasizing the intriguing allure of imitating established online personalities.
On August 19, a fan account dedicated to IShowSpeed reported the impersonator's activity on TikTok.
The impersonator was drawing in thousands of viewers by rebroadcasting old Videos-On-Demmand, particularly a video of IShowSpeed engrossed in playing Roblox.
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An IShowSpeed Impersonator on TikTok is currently streaming an Old Livestream VOD to 18,000+ concurrent viewers…😮 pic.twitter.com/3gNZM1NuDi
— IShowSpeed Reports (@IShowReports) August 20, 2023
Viewers React
While opinions among IShowSpeed's fanbase remain mixed regarding the restreams, with some considering them advantageous for expanding his brand, others display an odd respect for the impersonator's audacity. "Respect the hustle bro; he might be making bag," a user commented.
Currently, there are at least two TikTok accounts dedicated to restreaming IShowSpeed's content, each attracting over 2,000 viewers, Dexerto reports.
Despite this surge in imitative content, IShowSpeed has remained mum on the issue, leaving fans and observers to wonder whether he plans to address the situation.
The Latest on IShowSpeed
This is not the first time IShowSpeed has made headlines in recent weeks. The streamer inadvertently grabbed international attention when he accidentally revealed explicit content during a live broadcast due to a wardrobe malfunction.
Notably, YouTube, a platform known for its stringent policy enforcement, did not ban or suspend IShowSpeed, as TMZ reports.
While the video did violate the platform's policies against explicit content, TMZ was assured that Speed is fine to continue uploading to YouTube.
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