By Jenna Clark
YouTube star Chris Klemens’ humor is sure to give you a good laugh during this stressful week of midterms.
From his channel’s start approximately four years ago, Klemens has amassed over 345,000 subscribers, with his most popular videos being “Interviewing Jake Paul’s Neighbors,” “Spending $4,134 At The NYC Kylie Jenner Shop” and “Strangers Read My Hate Comments.”
At the beginning of his YouTube career, he made viral challenge videos such as “The Baby Food Challenge” as well as prank videos such as “One Direction Calls Fans Prank.” Klemens’ self-deprecating sense of humor is relatable to the teenagers and young adults that comprise his audience. One can sense his humorous style in the first minute of each video with his famous catch phrase: “Welcome back to the dysfunction that is my channel.”
From the start of his YouTube career, Klemens’ videos have been unique due to his incorporation of strangers. Most of his channel’s videos are part of his “On The Street” series in which he interviews strangers in New York City or Los Angeles and has them do crazy things or react to viral videos, musicians, photos or even to his own videos. Any man-on-the-street style video you can think of, Klemens has most likely made it.
The spontaneity of talking to strangers and the unscripted format of his videos usually result in an interesting time. Klemens’ videos resonate with viewers because they can relate to them and enjoy watching a young adult try to make a living by making YouTube videos. Klemens often collaborates with other creators in his videos for a series which he calls “YouTubers Go Outside.”
Other YouTube creators featured on his channel include Andrew Lowe, Amy Ordman and Alexis G. Zall, to name a few. The videos in this series are essentially the same ones that he usually makes, but feature one or two more YouTube creators that his audience is familiar with.
In addition to these interview style videos, Klemens occasionally makes “STORYTIME” videos as well as “#ASKChris” videos which are videos where Klemens responds to questions he receives from viewers on social media.
Klemens also makes videos for his second channel “MoreChrisK.” In contrast to the “more formal” interviewing strangers videos on his main channel, the videos on this second channel are more relaxed and often vlog style. Fans gravitate towards these more laidback videos as they feel that they are on the same level with one of their favorite creators because he lives a normal life just like they do.
Klemens makes the type of videos that one can watch for hours before realizing that they have not moved from their computer. Klemens also sells merchandise, such as hats and shirts, which he comedically self-promotes at the beginning of all of his videos. In addition to YouTube, Klemens is also active on social media platforms.