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DaddyOFive

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by WhisperToMe (talk | contribs) at 13:34, 15 August 2017 (The Loos article identifies them as being in Ijamsville, MD). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mike Martin
Personal information
Born
Michael Christopher Martin
NationalityAmerican
WebsiteDaddyOFive YouTube channel
YouTube information
Years active2015–present
Genre(s)Vlog, prank
Subscribers737,000+
Total views4.7 million+
100,000 subscribers
Last updated: July 9, 2017

DaddyOFive is a YouTube channel and online alias of Michael "Mike" Christopher Martin, which focused on daily vlogging and prank videos. The channel's videos featured Martin, his wife Heather Martin—also known by her online alias MommyOFive—and their children. In 2017, following claims that the parents were abusing their children in the prank videos, the channel became the center of a controversy, as many saw their content as extreme in nature.[2][3] Created in 2015, the channel achieved success earning up to 176 million video views and around 750,000 subscribers. However, after the aforementioned controversy, all videos on the channel were removed, and the Martins stopped producing videos on the channel, aside from a formal public apology video.[3]

History

Creation of channel and rise in popularity

The channel was created on August 13, 2015;[4] the channel's about page explains, "we as a FAMILY DECIDED to make this [YouTube] channel just for fun."[4] The channel focused on the Mike Martin, his wife Heather and their five children,[3] and the channel's success was mainly accredited to the pranks on family members, with pranks ranging from smashing the children's games consoles to putting the children up for adoption.[5] The channel accumulated around 750,000 subscribers and 176 million views, prior to Martin removing the videos from public viewing.[3] The Guardian and New York Magazine reported the videos were made private,[3][6] while Time and The Washington Post reported that the videos were deleted.[7][8]

Controversy and public response

The family became the center of abuse claims following these prank videos which became gradually more extreme, with YouTube personality Philip DeFranco releasing a series of videos covering the channel and sharing his distaste in the content they created,[3] where he focuses on a video involving ink being spilled, and one of the family's children being accused of making the mess.[2] DeFranco's first video covering the channel was uploaded on April 17, 2017,[9] and is credited by many news outlets for shining a light on the channel's perceived extreme content.[7][10][8] Andrew Griffin of The Independent wrote, "[DeFranco's] video was viewed more than three million times and brought widespread condemnation of the DaddyOFive channel."[10]

Since then it has been reported that two of the children have been removed from the parents custody following the prank videos,[10] and the creators have also issued a public apology for the videos, and state they are "a loving, close-knit family."[2]

Post-controversy status

On July 7, 2017, the DaddyOFive channel released a video showing text expressing that it is not a dead channel and asking viewers to subscribe to Heather's MommyOFive channel for new videos and updates.[11] As of July 9, 2017, the DaddyOFive and MommyOFive channel have around 730,000 subscribers and 4.7 million video views, and around 110,000 subscribers and 2.1 million video views, respectively.[4][12]

In August 2017 prosecutors from the Frederick County Circuit Court filed criminal charges against Michael and Heather Martin, with each person facing two counts of "neglect of a minor". There will be a plea hearing on September 11, 2017.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Loos, Kelsi. "Ijamsville couple behind 'DaddyOFive' videos charged with neglect". The Frederick News Post. Retrieved 2017-08-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "YouTube pranksters Daddyofive deny child abuse claims". Newsbeat. BBC. April 18, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Cresci, Elena (May 7, 2017). "Mean stream: how YouTube prank channel DaddyOFive enraged the internet". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "DaddyOFive — YouTube about page". YouTube. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  5. ^ "Mom who won custody of 'abused' DaddyoFive children speaks out". MailOnline. The Daily Mail. Retrieved June 7, 2017. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Dunphy, Rachel (April 28, 2017). "The Abusive 'Pranks' of YouTube Family Vloggers". Select All. New York Magazine. Retrieved July 9, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b Gajanan, Mahita (May 3, 2017). "YouTube Star DaddyOFive Loses Custody of 2 Children Shown in 'Prank' Videos". Time. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Ohlheiser, Abby (April 26, 2017). "The saga of a YouTube family who pulled disturbing pranks on their own kids". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  9. ^ DeFranco, Philip (April 17, 2017). WOW... We Need To Talk About This... The Philip DeFranco Show. YouTube. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Griffin, Andrew (May 2, 2017). "YouTube star Daddyofive loses custody of two children featured in 'prank' video, mother says". The Independent. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  11. ^ DaddyOFive channel UPDATE!!. DaddyOFive. YouTube. July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  12. ^ "MommyOFive — YouTube about page". YouTube. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
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