Brian David Gilbert
{{Short description|American YouTuber (born 1994)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = Brian David Gilbert
| image = File:Brian David Gilbert 2024 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Gilbert in 2024
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|01|29}}
| birth_place =
| education = Johns Hopkins University (2012–2016)
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- YouTuber
- comedian
- actor
- host
- musician
}}
| partner = Karen Han (engaged 2022)
| channel_handle = briandavidgilbert
| channel_display_name = brian david gilbert
| genre = {{hlist|Comedy|horror|music videos}}
| subscribers = 1.1 million
| subscriber_date = December 2024
| views = 132 million
| view_date = December 2024
| silver_button = yes
| gold_button = yes
| website = {{URL|https://www.briandavidgilbert.com/}}
| stats_ref_group = "BDG"
}}
Brian David Gilbert (born January 29, 1994), also known by his initials BDG, is an American YouTuber, comedian, actor, host, and musician. He worked at Polygon as a video producer from 2017 to 2020, where he hosted the web series Unraveled. Since leaving the publication, Gilbert has written, produced, and starred in horror, comedy, and music videos for his self-titled YouTube channel. He has also appeared in several Dropout productions, most prominently as the fact checker for the game show Um, Actually starting from its ninth season.
Life and career
Gilbert is from Baltimore. He was born on January 29, 1994, and has two older siblings, Patrick and Laura.{{Cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5B_HRBDwvg |title=My Autobiography |date=September 30, 2016 |last=Gilbert |first=Brian David |type=Video}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AauAyjBxaIQ |title=Siblings |date=August 31, 2016 |last=Gilbert |first=Brian David |type=Video |access-date=September 9, 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Gilbert |first1=Brian David |title=I am 29 now |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CoBlbd3Lb-r/?img_index=4 |website=Instagram |access-date=October 25, 2024 |date=January 29, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Han |first1=Karen |title=‼️ important announcement ‼️ : it is brian's birthday ♥️ happy birthday brian!!! |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C2sSERyxnlB/ |website=Instagram |access-date=October 25, 2024 |date=January 29, 2024}} Gilbert graduated from Johns Hopkins University's School of Arts and Sciences in 2016.{{Cite web |last=Goudreau |first=Claire |date=Winter 2023 |title=Brian David Gilbert wants to make big, weird things |url=https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2023/winter/brian-david-gilbert-interview/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=Johns Hopkins University}} The following year, Brian and Laura Gilbert and Jonah Scott released the comedy musical YouTube video {{nowrap|Stranger Sings}}, a backing track that syncs up with Stranger Things in place of the show's audio. It depicts the characters as a boy band and replaces the Demogorgon with the "Jazzman".{{Cite news |last=Farokhmanesh |first=Megan |date=October 23, 2017 |title=This Stranger Things backtrack reimagines the series as a comedy musical |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/23/16525152/stranger-things-backtrack-reimagines-comedy-musical |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=The Verge}}{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Julia |date=October 23, 2017 |title=Stranger Things' first season is made way better with a musical MST3K treatment |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/23/16522812/stranger-things-season-1-stranger-sings-musical-commentary |access-date=September 13, 2024 |website=Polygon |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913204526/https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/23/16522812/stranger-things-season-1-stranger-sings-musical-commentary |url-status=live }}
Brian David Gilbert became a Polygon.com video producer in late 2017. He gained popularity for Unraveled, a series of comedic video game deep dives, such as reviewing the 337 books that appear in Skyrim.{{Cite news |last=Stubby the Rocket |date=November 9, 2018 |title=What Are the Best Books in Skyrim? (There Are Only 5, Maybe?) |url=https://reactormag.com/what-are-the-best-books-in-skyrim/ |access-date=September 13, 2024 |work=Reactor}} At Pax East 2019, he performed a version of the PokéRap from the Pokémon series that he rewrote to include all 812 Pokémon at the time.{{Cite news |last=Fossett |first=Wyatt |date=April 8, 2019 |title=Polygon's Brian David Gilbert Creates the Perfect Pokemon Rap |url=https://www.twingalaxies.com/feed_details.php/4932/polygons-brian-david-gilbert-creates-the-perfect-pokemon-rap |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Twin Galaxies |archive-date=October 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241002105059/https://www.twingalaxies.com/feed_details.php/4932/polygons-brian-david-gilbert-creates-the-perfect-pokemon-rap |url-status=live }} After developing a fanbase on Polygon, Gilbert began to create his own content full-time.{{Cite news |last=Silberling |first=Amanda |date=December 31, 2022 |title=How we covered the creator economy in 2022 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/31/how-we-covered-the-creator-economy-in-2022/ |access-date=September 13, 2024 |work=TechCrunch |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913204526/https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/31/how-we-covered-the-creator-economy-in-2022/ |url-status=live }} He left the publication in late 2020 to pursue writing and voice acting, and started a Patreon for his own YouTube channel.
Gilbert began working with Karen Han when she was a film writer for Polygon. After leaving the publication, Han appeared in, filmed, and co-wrote many sketches on Gilbert's YouTube channel. The two, along with Laura and Scott, hosted the podcast Let's Make a Music. In October 2020, Gilbert and Han released a YouTube video titled Earn $20K EVERY MONTH by being your own boss, described by The A.V. Club as "one of the year's most unnerving horror movies".{{Cite web |last=Shoemaker |first=Alison |date=October 26, 2020 |title=Make $20K per month and find yourself in one of the year's most unnerving horror movies |url=https://www.avclub.com/make-20k-per-month-and-find-yourself-in-one-of-the-yea-1845485808 |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=AV Club |language=en-US |archive-date=September 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916071151/https://www.avclub.com/make-20k-per-month-and-find-yourself-in-one-of-the-yea-1845485808 |url-status=live }}
File:Brian David Gilbert dropped pizza.jpg
For Halloween 2021, Gilbert released a series (co-written by Jonah Scott) of monster-themed ABBA covers under the name {{nobr|AAAH!BBA}}.{{Cite news |last=McCarter |first=Reid |date=October 26, 2021 |title=ABBA gets monster mash-ed up with Halloween in covers performed by vampires, mummies, and more |url=https://www.avclub.com/abba-gets-monster-mash-ed-up-with-halloween-in-covers-p-1847936259 |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=The A.V. Club}} The series included a cover of "Lay All Your Love on Me" from the perspective of a vampire,{{Cite news |last=Diaz |first=Eric |date=October 25, 2021 |title=Vampire Performing an ABBA Song Is Perfect Halloween Silliness |url=https://nerdist.com/article/vampire-abba-cover-lay-all-your-love-on-me/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Nerdist}} "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" sung as Victor Frankenstein, "Money, Money, Money" as a mummy, "Under Attack" as an evil robot, and "S.O.S." as Captain Hook.{{Cite news |last=Lapierre |first=Megan |date=October 25, 2021 |title=It Turns Out ABBA's Music Is Actually Perfect for Halloween |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/it_turns_out_abbas_music_is_actually_perfect_for_halloween |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Exclaim!}} After a 2021 video in which he invented ice cream flavors, he collaborated with a Baltimore ice cream shop, The Charmery, on a limited-edition flavor.{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Christine |date=September 25, 2021 |title=The Charmery Launches New Flavor Collab with Video Producer Brian David Gilbert |url=https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/the-charmery-launches-new-flavor-collab-with-video-producer-brian-david-gilbert/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Baltimore Magazine |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906183534/https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/the-charmery-launches-new-flavor-collab-with-video-producer-brian-david-gilbert/ |url-status=live }}
In 2022, Gilbert released a 30-minute video explaining the American health insurance system. The video, titled A terrible guide to the terrible terminology of U.S. health insurance, was inspired by his experience losing health benefits from his Polygon job and continuing coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act until it expired. A podcast produced by Kaiser Health News called it "the best video about health insurance ever", and The New York Times said it was "silly, but useful", contrasting it with Gilbert's usual "geeky sense of humor".{{Cite news |last=Carrns |first=Ann |date=December 9, 2022 |title=A Guide to Signing Up for Health Coverage |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/09/your-money/cobra-affordable-health-insurance-marketplace.html |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}
Gilbert and Han announced their engagement in December 2022. At the time, they were writing a Netflix animated series and an Annapurna Interactive game.{{Cite news |last=Coulston |first=John Connor |date=December 10, 2022 |title=YouTube Star and Author Reveal Engagement |url=https://popculture.com/celebrity-couples/news/brian-david-gilbert-karen-han-youtube-star-author-reveal-engagement/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Popculture.com}}
Gilbert appeared in the 2023 animated series Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake as the Winter King, an alternate version of the Ice King.{{Cite news |last=Searle |first=Tyler B. |date=October 7, 2023 |title=The 10 Best 'Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake' Characters, Ranked |url=https://collider.com/best-adventure-time-fionna-and-cake-characters-ranked/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Collider |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207090242/https://collider.com/best-adventure-time-fionna-and-cake-characters-ranked/ |url-status=live }} The same year, he voiced a non-playable character in the video game Honkai: Star Rail;{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Brian David |date= |title=Acting |url=https://www.briandavidgilbert.com/acting |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=Brian David Gilbert |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906183534/https://www.briandavidgilbert.com/acting |url-status=live }} his role was uncredited, but fans recognized his voice.{{Cite web |last=Rowe |first=Willa |date=July 13, 2023 |title=Is Brian David Gilbert in 'Honkai: Star Rail'? An Investigation |url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/brian-david-gilbert-honkai-star-rail |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=Inverse |archive-date=November 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241101192946/https://www.inverse.com/gaming/brian-david-gilbert-honkai-star-rail |url-status=live }} In 2024, Gilbert became a cast member of two Dropout series: Um, Actually, on which he replaced Michael Saltzman as the fact checker for the ninth season, and Nobody Asked, a new science-entertainment series.{{cite web |last=Volk |first=Pete |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Um, Actually season 9 trailer has new host, same pedantic trivia hijinks |url=https://www.polygon.com/24063682/um-actually-season-9-trailer-new-host-fact-checker |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=Polygon |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613023951/https://www.polygon.com/24063682/um-actually-season-9-trailer-new-host-fact-checker |url-status=live }}{{cite web | last=Sheehan | first=Gavin | title=Dropout Announces New Experimental Comedy Series, Nobody Asked | website=Bleeding Cool News | date=November 16, 2024 | url=https://bleedingcool.com/tv/dropout-announces-new-experimental-comedy-series-nobody-asked/ | access-date=November 24, 2024 | archive-date=November 26, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126221713/https://bleedingcool.com/tv/dropout-announces-new-experimental-comedy-series-nobody-asked/ | url-status=live }} The same year, he and Han worked on a pitch for a children's puppet television series titled Outdoor Ed, releasing a pilot on Gilbert's YouTube channel.{{Cite news |last=Hein |first=Michael |date=October 3, 2024 |title=Brian David Gilbert Unveils Test Pilot for New Children's TV Show 'Outdoor Ed' |url=https://popculture.com/streaming/news/brian-david-gilbert-test-pilot-for-new-childrens-tv-show-outdoor-ed/ |access-date=February 28, 2024 |work=Popculture.com |archive-date=October 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004225223/https://popculture.com/streaming/news/brian-david-gilbert-test-pilot-for-new-childrens-tv-show-outdoor-ed/ |url-status=live }}
Style
Gilbert's YouTube videos include music videos, comedy sketches, and tutorials. His work combines comedy, horror, and music. He told Johns Hopkins Magazine in 2023: "When you boil it down, horror and comedy are essentially the same thing. They both require you to have your expectations reversed at some point. And I've always loved music." According to video game scholar Emma Vossen, Gilbert's videos about video games have involved leftist themes akin to BreadTube, such as a video analyzing whether Mario is able to retire, interlacing comedic elements with discussions of labour, household income, cost of living, and wealth inequality.{{Cite journal |last=Vossen |first=Emma |date=February 16, 2021 |title=Tom Nook, Capitalist or Comrade? |journal=Loading: The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association |volume=16 |issue=26 |pages=109–134 |doi=10.7202/1075266ar |doi-access=free}}
Filmography
=Film=
=Television=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 2023
|Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake |The Winter King (voice) |Episode: "The Winter King" |
=Web series=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 2017
|Dances Moving! |Instructor |Also creator, writer, composer | |
| 2018–2020
|Unraveled |Himself |Also creator, editor | |
| 2019
|Hargis |Episode: "Fantasy High Live in Brooklyn" | |
| 2021
|Miscellaneous voice |Episode 13 | |
| rowspan="2" |2022
|Himself |Episode: "A Villain and Their Real Estate Agent Tour Volcano Lairs" |
| Puppet History
|Himself |Episode: "The Defenestrations of Prague" |
| rowspan="2" |2023
|Dynamo Dream |General Caput | |
| Very Important People
|Professor Avery Goodman |Episode: "Professor Avery Goodman" | |
| rowspan="2" |2024
|Podium inspector |Episode: "Deja Vu" | |
| Dropout Presents
|Himself |Episode: "Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson" |
| 2024–present
|Um, Actually |Himself / Fact checker |12 episodes |
| 2024–2025
|Nobody Asked |Himself / Host |5 episodes |
=Short films=
= Gameography =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Voice role |
| 2018
| Initiate Pappas, Petersen |
| 2020
|Conspiracy Theorist | |
| 2021
| Kraken Academy!! | Player character, Mr. Whistler | |
| 2023
| Silvermane Guard | |
| 2023
| Phil Hill | |
| 2024
| Duck Detective: The Secret Salami | Freddy Frederson | {{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Matthew |date=May 23, 2024 |title=All Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Voice Actors |url=https://hardcoregamer.com/all-duck-detective-the-secret-salami-voice-actors/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=Hardcore Gamer}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{psrs|group=BDG}}
External links
{{commonscat}}
- {{IMDb name}}
- {{Twitch|briandavidgilbert}}
{{Dropout}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Brian David}}
Category:21st-century American journalists
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century American musicians
Category:American comedy YouTubers
Category:American male journalists
Category:American male video game actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American music YouTubers
Category:Comedians from Baltimore
Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni
Category:Male actors from Baltimore
Category:Musicians from Baltimore