Confessions of a Catfishing YouTuber

Chapter Two: The idea

So, you remember that video about the fan fiction? Yeah, that's what started it. Or you can blame Joel. It was his idea. Kinda.

We were hanging out with a group of mates at his house. He was spouting off to his friend about how crazy some of the fans are. She didn't believe it, and he was trying to prove it. I should probably mention they had been drinking. It's not like anyone thought it through. It was a spur of the moment thing.

So, they started using her Twitter account to look through his mentions. She started talking to a couple of his followers, and that's when things went pretty far pretty fast. Those fans believed they were speaking to one of their own. They had no idea she actually knew Joel, or that he was reading everything over her shoulder. They opened up about things – well, the kind of things you should never tell a random stranger on the internet. You just don't know who you're talking to.

Joel found this all hilarious. He's messing about, making a game of it, telling his friend to encourage them and see what crazy fantasies they can get the girls to admit to. Talk to them about gnomes, he said. See if anyone's into a three-ways with Jonas. Even though we were having a laugh, I felt pretty uncomfortable. It felt like we were taking advantage of these people, somehow. Strange how quickly you can get over your misgivings when you want to.

So, Joel starts talking about how this would make great content for a video. You could make it into a game, he said. Like that game where you try to make the other person say a word, but you can't say it first. You should do it Dave, he says. You are always beating the fangirls off with a stick. I laughed it off, and we forgot about it.

Except, I that didn't.

The idea stuck with me. It wouldn't go away. Looking back, I think I was craving validation. I know it's a weak excuse.