LOS ANGELES, CA – In a stunning display of digital contrition last Tuesday, lifestyle influencer Jake Blaze, 22, uploaded a 14-minute apology video after facing backlash for filling the historic Pershing Square fountain with 5,000 gallons of lime gelatin for a “prank” video. The video, titled “Reflecting On My Actions,” featured Blaze in a stark, black-and-white filter, sighing heavily and promising to “do the work to be a better content creator and human.”
However, by Wednesday morning, the heartfelt mea culpa had vanished from his channel. The sudden removal came just hours after the platform, YouVid, flagged the video for “discussion of regulated goods and harmful acts” due to Blaze repeatedly mentioning the brand of gelatin he used, effectively demonetizing it. Blaze’s apology for his actions, it turned out, was no longer profitable.
“An unmonetized apology just doesn’t feel genuine,” Blaze explained in a now-deleted post on his Instagram story. “My journey of personal growth is valuable, and that value should be recognized by the algorithm. If my emotional labor isn’t worthy of at least a pre-roll ad for a mobile game, then what’s the point of even feeling remorse? It’s like the platform is invalidating my feelings.”
Blaze’s manager, Brenda Maxwell, confirmed they are “pivoting” their crisis management strategy. “The apology market is oversaturated. Frankly, it has a low ROI,” Maxwell stated while sipping an oat milk latte. “We’re in talks with several gelatin companies to sponsor a ‘Redemption Tour’ instead. It’s about owning your narrative. And if you can get a 15% commission on bulk powder sales while you’re at it, that’s just synergy.” As for the future, Blaze is reportedly planning a new video, tentatively titled “I’m Back & I’m Sorry (That You Missed This Epic New Merch Drop).”