More than 5,000 Twitter comments and questions about the image were posted about Paytas, whose content many have said appears to be designed to be controversial merely to get reactions and drive engagement. Newsweek reached out to Paytas through Instagram for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Paytas’ content is a guilty pleasure for some, who watch the videos of her antics, such as marrying a cardboard cut out of Brad Pitt or eating a whole pizza on her kitchen floor. Here’s a look at the creator behind the content.
Who is Trisha Paytas?
Paytas created her “blndsundoll4mj” in January 2007, making it one of the oldest and longest-running channels on the platform. Her original videos featured Paytas in a bright orange tan acting out different characters like a vlogger, rapper or comedian. Her channel slowly started to grow, gaining notoriety for her antics and sometimes outrageous behavior.
In the about section on her channel, she openly compares herself to Andy Kaufman, one of the first comedians to apply subversive humor that made the audience question its factual legitimacy.
In an interview with Business Insider in 2015, Paytas said that she thought “trolling videos were what (her) channel was all about” and that she was “dumbing (her)self down” for the camera. Many of her videos have her sitting down on her kitchen floor and talking about her day, sometimes for hours at a time.
By 2015, Paytas had managed to pull in 1.6 million subscribers and had started posting music videos to her channel. Her “Fat Chicks” music video has more than 12 million views and is one of her most popular videos. In total, she’s released 41 music videos, some with high production value while others are closer to memes, like her love letter to O.J. Simpson.
During the course of her online career, she’s also managed to spring up in traditional media. From 2006 to 2017, she appeared as herself on television 47 times on shows like My Strange Addiction, Dr. Phil and Celebrity Big Brother.
This last year has been a full one for Paytas. She released a video in February discussing her time with ex-boyfriend Jason Nash and claiming David Dobrik “manipulated” her. She also claimed that Brandon Calvillo, a member of Dobrik’s group the Vlog Squad, was dating an underage girl, which he denied. In May, some on Twitter tried to “cancel” her after her public feuds with YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klien of h3h3 productions and Nikocado Avocado. Then in October, Paytas released a video claiming to be “trans (female to male),” although she also said she identifies with her birth sex as a female, saying that gender is “just a feeling,” and says “I identify with men better.” She receiving thousands of messages and dislikes in response.
The California-born vlogger also has a Patreon account under the name Trisha Tarantino in which she posts sexually suggestive content for those who subscribe.
