A Conversation with Jay Yeon
IMAGE: velvet_roomy
With over 1 million subscribers and counting Jay Yeon has become one of YouTube's most popular creators. Over the years Jay's channel Jaykeeout has become known for its social experiments and street interviews that aim spread awareness of various social issues and spread good vibes throughout Korea and the world. We recently had the pleasure to chat with Jay about his growing career as a Youtuber, his brand VWVB, why it's so important for him to spread good vibes and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on his channel.
E&W: Hi Jay, it’s been quite a while. How are you and how have you been?
Jay: I’m trying to survive through COVID-19. I’m trying to do my best in all my projects including my YouTube channel and my brand.
E&W: Your channel Jaykeeout is famous for its unique content comprising of social experiments and interviews. Could you tell us what the inspiration behind Jaykeeout was, and what you set out to achieve through the channel?
Jay: My channel [Jaykeeout] is all about spreading good vibes and was inspired by the time I spent in living in Canada. When I came back to Korea, I missed having a diverse community of people around me.
I wanted to find a way to tell people in Korea about my experiences in Canada––I had a really diverse group of friends from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I found that when I simply told people about what I experienced, they were shocked by the way people did things in another country and how it was so different from how people do things at home.
From these conversations, I realized that discrimination is rooted in and created from one’s lack of exposure to other cultures or experiences. I wanted to do my part to break down cultural, social, and societal barriers by introducing people in Korea to different cultures, as well as exposing Korean culture to people from overseas.
I thought the best way I could show that everyone has different opinions and views on the world was by conducting street interviews, social experiments, and creating mini-documentaries. Through this type of content, I am able to expose my viewers to various types of people and their cultures. I also wanted to show people that accepting and respecting differences is important.
E&W: You’ve conducted street interviews on a variety of topics. Which topic has been your favorite thus far, and what topics do you hope to cover in the future?
Jay: One street interview I’ve done that has really stuck with me is when I asked Koreans if they knew what their mothers wanted to become before getting married and having kids.
In Korea, once a couple gets married, traditionally the husband is typically the one who goes out to work while the wife becomes a housewife. When I asked people this question most people stated that they only knew what their fathers wanted to do but did not know what their mother’s dreams and aspirations were.
It was almost as if a light went off in their heads. Obviously, their mothers had dreams for the future, but due to societal expectations such as getting married, those dreams were pushed aside. I really enjoy creating “aha” moments, making my interviewee think about something they may never have thought of before, and have that realization.
E&W: Could you tell us about some of your most memorable or crazy encounters with people while conducting street interviews and social experiments?
Jay: I don’t really have an example of a crazy experience, but one thing that really amazes me is that every time I do a social experiment, it feels very heartwarming. Before I start an experiment, I do worry that there will be someone who might get angry, but everyone ends up being helpful and understanding for each experiment I do.
E&W: How was it transitioning from Canada to Korea?
Jay: I went to Canada during the 9th grade, so coming back to Korea later in life wasn’t a difficult transition. There was not much culture shock as I consider myself to be more Korean than Canadian. That being said, my experience of living in both Korea and Canada allowed me to look at cultural differences in a more understanding way.
In turn, it made it easier for me to come up with ideas for my street interviews and social experiments.
E&W: You recently reached over one million subscribers, congratulations! How did you feel after reaching this milestone?
Jay: To be honest, I didn’t really care about my numbers before hitting the one million milestone. However, after reaching one million subscribers, I felt like I should be more responsible in terms of the type of content I make. I also thought I should be more thoughtful, I should learn more, study more, and be more respectful as I am now influencing over one million people.
E&W: What has Jaykeeout taught you about yourself and the world around you?
Jay: One reason I do Jaykeeout is to learn and to educate myself. When I did my social experiment with you, I learned a lot about people with disabilities and the experiences of wheelchair users. Throughout my journey on Jaykeeout, I’ve learned a lot of different lessons, and I’m going to continue to learn more.
E&W: How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact your channel and creative process, and how did you adapt to this new normal?
JAY: When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, I tried not to go out on the streets even though that’s what my channel is all about. I’ve had to become more creative with the types of content I make and conduct my interviews inside while practicing social distancing.
I’ve found that the content I’ve shot inside has garnered fewer views than my usual content. However, now that Korea has begun its recovery from COVID, I plan to get back out there and create my content in the safest manner as possible.
E&W: In the United States, YouTube has become one of the most lucrative platforms for young creatives. Would you say this is the same for South Korea?
Jay: Yes, a lot of people have become interested in this field of work. Many people are becoming successful through it. I see many new faces popping up on the platform every day, which I feel is a good thing because the platform has given them an outlet to be creative.
On the other hand, there are some people who jump on the platform and do silly things that give the title of “YouTuber”, negative connotations. Regardless, I think YouTube an amazing platform for people to express creativity and earn money in a responsible way.
E&W: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while being a YouTuber?
Jay: The biggest challenge for me is finding the balance between creating the content I want and the content that people like to watch.
E&W: You’ve launched an apparel brand named VWVB that sells hoodies, shirts, and caps. What inspired you to launch a label, and do you plan to expand it beyond the current product range?
Jay: I want to do a lot of things. I want to make videos, take pictures, create art, design furniture, open up a cafe, etc while I’m still young. The best way for me to hone all these ideas was to create a brand––because brands can do anything. I thought the easiest and most effective way for me to show people my love for fashion and my brand was to create a clothing line.
In the future, I want to do a lot more projects that are fun and spread good vibes, much like the slogan of my channel. For example, if I were to make a video about stray dogs, I’d release a hoodie and donate a portion of those earnings to a dog shelter.
Jay Wearing VWVB
E&W: What would you like to achieve in the next five years?
Jay: I want to see more people wearing and using my products as well as create more socially conscious videos that go viral and spread awareness at the same time.
E&W: Speaking of socially conscious videos, you recently did a video that aimed to spread awareness of the BLM movement and the death of George Floyd in the US. Why was it so important for you to spread awareness about these issues in Korea?
Jay: First of all, I wanted to show that I care. As Korea is not a multicultural country, people are not as exposed to other cultures and struggles of other races.
I felt it was important that I gave people an “aha moment” to let them know what was going on and to think carefully about all the information they are getting from the media.
Secondly, I wanted to encourage other content creators to use their platforms to spread awareness of global issues.
E&W: What is one thing you would like your fans and subscribers to know about you?
Jay: I want my fans to know that although I’m not perfect, I want to spread good vibes and spread awareness. If my fans are willing to help me out by spreading good vibes, I’d be really happy.
