YouTube Content Crackdown Sees South Park ‘Lets Plays’ Demonetised

South Park: Fractured But Whole Demonestisation

South Park: The Fractured But Whole has been released and so far the reviews give it a distinct ‘meh’. Despite this, it was bound to be a game in which ‘let play’ YouTubers were bound to latch onto.

If there was going to be any controversy, however, one would not have expected it to have initially come from YouTube.

Apparently, however, those part 1 videos that have cropped up may never see a part 2 as YouTube has cracked down and has started demonetising all South Park Fractured But Whole videos.

YouTube, has in recent months been significant reevaluating how its content is presented. Specifically, it has been making efforts to ensure that its advertisers do not appear before or during any video they may not want to be associated with.

There is, to a degree, a logic to this, particularly with the more controversial content and commentators on the site.

Initial concerns over this were raised a few months ago and it seems that the fears have been founded. South Park is too controversial for it to be monetized on YouTube.

Why are they all being demonetised?

Well, a simple review of South Park as a whole should give you a good idea why. It is, after all a show that basks in offending people. Beyond that point, however, YouTube is quite sensitive these days about the content it hosts.

More recently you had the whole Pewdiepie ‘antisemitism/racism’ scandal which, although not a major factor, was certainly a high-profile occurrence.

I think, put simply, South Park is too hot to hold for YouTube these days.

You will doubtlessly see ‘lets plays’ of it, but the report via Polygon suggests they are all being arbitrarily demonetised.

I have a friend who generates a significant portion of his income from YouTube and he says that there are unwritten rules you need to abide by these days to ensure you stay monetised.

I am told directly that these include:

• No guns or gun imagery.
• No nudity (including even the hint of a nipple).
• Racist comments are a major no-no.
• Over vulgarity is a minefield.
• Cigarette usage is getting questioned.

Put simply, there’s not much of that South Park doesn’t tick the box for.

What do you think? Is YouTube getting a little oversensitive? Is this a knee-jerk from years of not monitoring content or indeed is such monitoring an improvement for the video hosting site? Let us know in the comments!