| Shane Dawson | |
|---|---|
Dawson at the Streamy Awards in 2010 |
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| Born | Shane Yaw July 19, 1988 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | YouTube video maker (actor, comedian) |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Sketch comedy, vlogging |
| Website | |
| www.shanedawsontv.com | |
Shane Dawson (born Shane Yaw; July 19, 1988)[1][2][3] is an American YouTube actor and comedian. Dawson is known for making comedy videos featuring many recurring characters (such as Shananay, Ned the Nerd, S. Deezy, Mom, and Aunt Hilda), impersonations (such as Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus and Sarah Palin), and spoofs of popular music videos and television shows. As of September 2011 his main YouTube channel is the fifth most subscribed channel of all time, behind Ray William Johnson, Nigahiga, Smosh, and Machinima.com.[4][5][6] Dawson has since expanded on YouTube by adding his second channel (twelfth most subscribed)[4] where he posts video blogs and the series "Ask Shane", which moved to his main channel February 26, 2011.[7]
Dawson's career began when he and several friends would turn in videos instead of homework in high school. Dawson's first videos on YouTube were old assignments that he turned in during high school.[8][9]
In November 2009, Dawson was featured on Attack of the Show![10] In 2010, Forbes magazine named him their 25th most famous web celebrity.[3]
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Dawson grew up in Long Beach, California, where he attended Lakewood High School.[11] Dawson has revealed in a video, that as a teenager he was over-weight and would get bullied a lot, as well as being beaten by his alcoholic father, who then abandoned the family. He has since lost 150 pounds. Shane has three dogs, Miley, Charlie, and Chocolate as well as two cats, Muffins and Snoop. They often appear in his videos. He used to work in Jenny Craig, Inc. along with his mother and brother, but was fired after he uploaded a video of himself pole dancing in the building he worked in. His mother, brother and about 6 other coworkers who appeared in the video also got fired after the company saw the video.[12] In a video he said he is a virgin, and plans to stay one until he is married as he believes strongly in sex after marriage.[13] Shane Dawson revealed in a video that he and an unknown female broke up from their relationship, which lasted about a year.[14] He decided to not release the female's identity in order to preserve her from getting negative criticism.
Dawson currently resides in Sherman Oaks, California.[15]
Dawson posts new videos on his main channel, ShaneDawsonTV, every Saturday and video blogs on his second channel, ShaneDawsonTV2, throughout the week.[16] Every Monday, posted on his second channel, he also has an "Ask Shane" webseries where he answers questions from his viewers. This series is similar to a previous web series, "Viewer Orgy Party", which currently only airs approximately once a month. His third YouTube channel, Shane, is where he posts unedited videos directly from his iPhone. He began using this channel in May, 2010. He has also begun a new series called "Shane and friends" on his main channel which he does once every month. This series includes him giving advice and talking as basically all his characters. Shane often collaborates with other YouTubers or appears in their videos, such as BrittaniLouiseTaylor, TheFineBros, JoeNationTV, and ijustine.
In August 2010, he announced that he was going to write a television pilot and post it on his main channel, featuring himself and his characters from previous videos, about him in high school.
On August 11, 2010, Dawson announced that he was in the making of a 30-minute pilot which he will call SD High. Previously, the funding he needed for the pilot was provided by digital media group Take180 after he helped them out with acting in their own videos.[17] The pilot is based on two previous videos which Dawson uploaded to his main channel recently. In his previous videos, the story centers around a teenage boy in school, and his interactions with the other characters. The pilot was due to be released towards the end of September 2010 on his main YouTube Channel, however Dawson later announced that he had been contacted by a television studio to produce the pilot for their TV channel(s).[18] According to Dawson, there is some uncertainty involving the pilot, however it may be a TV show in the future.[19] On March 26, 2011, Dawson uploaded a video to YouTube explaining to his audience that he's working with Happy Madison Productions, Sony Pictures, and some other YouTubers including TheFineBros and BrittaniLouiseTaylor to create the television show.[20] The video contains an explanation from Dawson about what he's working on, and a 'mock trailer', made up of clips from previous episodes on his YouTube channel, for the show. The pilot is currently in production.
Dawson will play a character named Binder in the upcoming feature-length horror film, Smiley (directed by YouTuber Michael Gallagher and produced by Level 10 Films) which has finished filming and is currently in post-production. It will be released in theaters and DVD in 2012.[21]
Dawson has been nominated for various awards.[22] On August 9, 2010, Dawson won the award for Choice Web Star at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. Although the category was not featured at the awards show, Dawson stated in a video that he posted to YouTube the next day that "It was just great to be nominated and at the show itself". The nominees for that category included fellow YouTubers Justine Ezarik, Charles Trippy, Lucas Cruikshank, best known for his Fred character, and singer Greyson Chance. Dawson was nominated for Choice Web Star in the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, but lost to Rebecca Black.
| Year | Category | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Best Vlogger | The Streamy Awards | Won |
| 2010 | Choice Web Star | Teen Choice Awards | Won |
| 2011 | Choice Web Star | Teen Choice Awards | Nominated |
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by machinima |
Top Subscribed Channel on YouTube ShaneDawsonTV Ranked fifth as of September 2011 |
Succeeded by Fred |
| Preceded by kevjumba |
Top Subscribed Channel on YouTube ShaneDawsonTV2 Ranked 12 as of September 2011 |
Succeeded by sxephil |
| Preceded by expertvillage |
Top Subscribed Channel on YouTube shane Ranked 49 as of September 2011 |
Succeeded by werevertumorro |