Prologue

It started in March with a series of online videos. 

The video stars were an eclectic crowd. From obscure academics to Oscar-winning actors, manicured teenagers to ruffled octogenarians, conservative trad wives to outrageous drag queens. They didn’t have much in common and the subjects they discussed ranged far and wide too. Career advice, cat memes, celebrity bloopers, conspiracy theories, makeup tips, political manifestos, scientific discoveries, and religious sermons. They were all fair game. 

In fact, the only obvious thing the videos seemed to have in common was that they were completely free to watch. No ads. No sign-ups. No delays. Of course, that made them incredibly popular. Many even went viral. 

Just as planned.