YouTuber Shane Dawson finished his latest web series, “The Mind of Jake Paul” on Oct. 10. The eight-part saga delved into the inner workings of Jake Paul, a successful vlogger and social media figure. Its purpose was to dissect the controversies the young entrepreneur has faced, and try to make sense of his previous (and often dangerous) actions.

Dawson has made similar series with other YouTubers, such as Jeffree Star and Tana Mongeau. Before the first segment was even released, Dawson began to receive backlash from fans and the general public, who felt that Dawson used music and images that portray mental health as something to be afraid of. Many voiced these concerns by replying directly to Dawson’s Twitter, commenting that they were not comfortable with the way the subject was approached.

Dawson claims that “The Mind of Jake Paul” is a docuseries, as he did with his previous topics. However, after watching all eight videos, it is easy to see that what Dawson has created is not a documentary, but an overhyped set of interviews.

“The Mind of Jake Paul” has no ability to be a docuseries primarily because Dawson forms a close relationship with Paul, who would be his subject if it were a documentary. He not only inserts himself directly into the creation of each video, but mentions several times that he has a “softness” for Paul.

This connection is a serious conflict of interest. Dawson’s bias toward Paul jeopardizes the validity of the series. The purpose of documentaries is to provide an untainted view of a person, conflict, or piece of history. Dawson interacting with Paul and his peers creates a situation in which the narrative can be shifted away from the truth. How is the audience supposed to know that Dawson is not guiding the series to be sympathetic toward Paul?

I feel that Dawson uses the term “documentary” to sensationalize the content he is creating. It is his attempt to make the series more appealing to his viewers, despite not having any of the redeeming qualities of a documentary. These videos are simply one YouTuber trying to save the career of another, as were Dawson’s series with Mongeau and Star.

As for the content of the series, it was nothing mind blowing, and definitely one of Dawson’s weaker creations. The interviews with Paul’s ex, Alissa Violet, and Nic Crompton, former member of the YouTube group ran by Paul called “Team 10,” did nothing to provide a clear view on the issues that occurred with Paul. Each simply made timelines confusing and inconsistent. When asked about the physical abuse that Violet accuses Paul of, Crompton says it’s true. However, both Paul and his current girlfriend Erika Costell deny it ever happening. The conflicting sides were never resolved. This makes it difficult for audiences to decipher what parties are telling the truth.

Not only is “The Mind of Jake Paul” inconsistent, but was extremely oversold by Dawson. The trailer for the series made the saga out to be something that would be extremely dramatic and insightful. The first few videos tease that a psychologist is going to decide whether or not toward is a sociopath. Dawson did in fact bring in therapist Kati Morton, who specializes in eating disorders and self harm. However, all of the problematic actions Paul has performed have been mentioned before, making each video slightly redundant.

As “The Mind of Jake Paul” comes to a close, Dawson has announced that he will be taking a break from making content. Hopefully this break will allow his creative juices to flow once again and bring videos that are much more entertaining and well thought-out than his latest venture.

_Edited by Siena DeBolt | sdebolt@themaneater.com_