Yes Theory
{{short description|American YouTube channel}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Fanpov|date=January 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2021}}
}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = Yes Theory
| website = {{URL|https://yestheory.com/}}
| logo = Yes_Theory.png
| channel_handle = YesTheory
| years_active = 2015–present
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| silver_year = 2016
| silver_button = yes
| gold_year = 2018
| gold_button = yes
| subscribers = 9.3 million
| views = 1.15 billion
| network = [http://www.verticalnetworks.com/ Vertical Network]
| stats_update = December 18, 2024
| pseudonym = Project 30
Generation Y Not
}}
Yes Theory is a Canadian digital media brand built around a YouTube channel founded by Thomas Brag, Ammar Kandil, Matt Dahlia (formerly Matt Dajer), and Derin Emre. Originally founded as Generation Y Not, Yes Theory first gained national media attention in November 2015 with their message of inclusivity in the wake of terror attacks in Beirut and Paris.CBC News. (November 16, 2015). [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/beirut-paris-montreal-act-of-love-1.3321446 Terror attacks inspire a made-in-Montreal 'act of love']. CBC News. They have been featured in a range of national and international media.Byrne, A. (February 5, 2019). [https://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/travel/watch-irish-girl-gets-taken-13957294 Irish girl gets taken on last minute dream trip to Japan by YouTube stars]. Irish Mirror.Collier, Hatty. [https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pranksters-blag-joy-ride-in-bling-goldplated-ferrari-owned-by-world-champion-kickboxer-riyadh-a3394596.html “Pranksters Blag Joyride in Bling Gold-Plated Ferrari Owned by World Champion Kickboxer Riyadh Al-Azzawi.”] Evening Standard, November 14, 2016.Barnes, B. (September 30, 2018). [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/business/media/elisabeth-murdoch-vertical-networks.html With a Murdoch in Charge, a Start-Up Leads the Way on Mobile Video]. The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2019
Their content has been praised as experiencing foreign cultures in "a fresh and authentic way"Randall, D. (July 20, 2019). [https://mensvariety.com/watch-yes-theory/ Why Everyone Should Watch “Yes Theory” On YouTube], Men's Variety and "consistently radiating positivity and promote living life with an open mind, exactly what YouTube and the world needs."Kikaon, T. (Sep 2018). [http://culture.affinitymagazine.us/yes-theory-is-changing-the-world-and-heres-why/ Yes Theory Is Changing the World and Here’s Why.] Affinity. The Yes Theory brand revolves around the group's mantra of "Seek Discomfort", a phrase also featured in the group's clothing brand, and through their second channel with 816,000 subscribers.
Background
Thomas Brag was born on July 9, 1993, in Paris, France, to Swedish parents. He received his BA degree from McGill University, where he majored in entrepreneurship. He also spent a semester at Draper University and later interviewed its founder, the billionaire venture capital investor Tim Draper.{{Cite episode |title=I asked THIS Billionaire for $1 MILLION DOLLARS |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=023NcazhBmI |access-date=2022-03-31 |series=Yes Theory |first=Thomas |last=Brag |network=YouTube |date=2017-09-14}} Before YouTube, Brag would make short skits with his second cousin, Warrick Rhode, when they got to see each other. This gave him the skills necessary to make and edit YouTube videos.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
Matt Dahlia (born Matt Dajer) was born on March 28, 1992, in New York City, and grew up in Paris, France, Greenwich, Connecticut, and Perm, Russia. He also has connections to Puerto Rico on his father's side. Dahlia obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from McGill University in 2014.{{Cite web |title=The Yes Theory explores the upside of discomfort |url=https://mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/s/1762/news/interior.aspx?sid=1762&gid=2&pgid=2000 |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=mcgillnews.mcgill.ca |language=en}} Dahlia announced in a YouTube video on February 25, 2021, that he no longer plans to appear in the group's episodes but continues to work on the brand.{{Citation|title=I'm Leaving YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRjISzJPsuk|language=en|access-date=2021-11-21}}{{Cite web |last=Yes Theory |date=October 30, 2023 |title=a new chapter |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd9or9hVpAw |access-date=December 5, 2023 |website=YouTube |quote=Event starts at 5:00. "And so, to celebrate our origin story and to mark the beginning of our goodbye and final trip with Matt, starting with this video, we'll then go on to some incredible destinations around the globe together."}} He also wrote the Yes Theory book, Talk to Strangers, which was published on December 3, 2023.{{Citation |title=I'm Leaving YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRjISzJPsuk |language=en |access-date=2022-04-04}}{{cite web|url=https://www.yestheorybook.com/|title=Talk to Strangers: The Yes Theory Story|access-date=November 18, 2023}} Dahlia has since appeared in five videos on YouTube in Montreal, Turkmenistan, and China, in order to "celebrate Yes Theory's origin story and to mark the beginning of Yes Theory's goodbye... with Matt". As of 2024, Dahlia has officially left the group.
Ammar Kandil was born on April 28, 1994, in Sadat City, Egypt, and spent his early life there. He enrolled in the African Leadership Academy in South Africa. In 2011, during the Egyptian revolution, he studied at Quest University on a scholarship.Krass, P., & Krass, P. (October 2, 2018). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/petekrasspiersonkrass/2018/10/02/to-improve-his-mental-health-yes-theory-co-founder-seeks-discomfort-and-gets-a-boost-from-will-smith/#71115a41aa02 To Improve His Mental Health, Yes Theory Co-Founder Seeks Discomfort] (And A Boost From Will Smith). Forbes.
In 2021, he gained Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship, making him a dual citizen.{{Citation|title=I Bought a $150,000 Passport that can Travel the World|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn_BfMJfhYQ|language=en|access-date=2021-11-21}} A Saint Kitts and Nevis passport allows him to travel visa-free to over 150 countries{{Citation|title=Surprising Ammar To Celebrate His New Passport|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVPTUMlOugY|language=en|access-date=2021-11-21}} and avoid Egypt’s compulsory military draft for men aged 18 to 30.
Derin Emre was born in Istanbul, Turkey{{Cite web |title=I've Kept You to Myself |url=https://www.instituteoftime.com/kept |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=INSTITUTE OF TIME |language=en-US}} and co-founded Yes Theory, initially taking the role of cameraman. He left Yes Theory in 2017 because of a passport issue but occasionally visits the team and has been featured in videos since.{{Cite web|url=http://www.endemolshine.us/|title=Endemol Shine North America|website=www.endemolshine.us|language=en|access-date=October 17, 2019}}
Staffan Taylor is from Stockholm, Sweden and first appeared in the Yes Theory video "2 Strangers Swap Lives Across the World for 72hrs!!" where he swapped lives with Alex from Austin, Texas. Staffan became an official member of the group in 2023 in the video "I took a stranger to the world's most beautiful country" and got a chance to speak at the group's first ever live event.
The Yes Theory team has expanded since its inception, introducing a team of editors: Tristan Kevitch, Thomas “Tommy” Dajer (Matt's brother), Bryce Perry, Cameron “Cam” Peddle and Diezeval “Dez” Mandl. Eric Tabach was also featured as a member before taking a leave to attend The Juilliard School in 2022. The brand additionally employs a team to manage their Seek Discomfort clothing and merchandise brand. Other past guest hosts include former roommates Roberto Ortiz and Perry Grone.
As of 2024, Cory Martin, Yes Theory’s main videographer, who has been featured in many of their videos, has taken a more active role in front of the camera as well.
History
The group first began in Montreal, Quebec when Brag and Dahlia became friends after meeting as part of a business consulting group for McGill students.Dunlop, M. (July 21, 2015). [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-web-series-project-30-reaches-more-than-200k-views-1.3162625 Montreal web series Project 30 reaches more than 200K views] Project 30 series aims to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone". CBC News. Yes Theory began as a series of challenges organized by Dahlia and Brag with help from Kandil and Emre (though Kandil would quickly become a third primary face of the brand), filmed in Montreal in the summer of 2015. The project was named "Project 30” in reference to the group doing thirty things in thirty days they had never done before. They came into contact with Ammar at a party after he told Thomas his plans of climbing the Pyramids of Giza. Derin was the last to join the group that summer. Each challenge was designed to push the group outside of their comfort zone.[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-web-series-project-30-reaches-more-than-200k-views-1.3162625 Montreal web series Project 30 reaches more than 200K views] Project 30 series aims to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone". CBC News. To exemplify this, the entire group all moved in together to a friend’s one bedroom apartment for the duration of the project despite all having only met days before (with the exception of Brag and Dahlia). By the end of the month, the group had around 2,000 subscribers. Their name at the time was 'Generation Y Not'.
Near the end of 2015, the group received an offer to relocate to Venice, California, and be paid to make videos by Snapchat subsidiary Vertical Networks. As part of one of their first stunts, they successfully approached the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, for a Christmas card, which they sold for charity with proceeds going to Syrian refugees. Trudeau commented at the time "great stuff around diversity".CBC News. "Justin Trudeau Poses for Generation Y Not's Christmas Card." CBC News, December 23, 2015. After their success and viral hit, Yes Theory was awarded a budget to make their first 30 videos. In January 2016, the group travelled to the Caribbean to continue their media endeavors.
In May 2016, the group moved to Venice, California, after being signed to Vertical Networks,{{clarify|date=March 2022}} to a house they often referred to as the '506' and featured heavily in their videos, and they changed their name to 'Yes Theory'.{{When|date=March 2021}} The group stayed at the 506 until late 2018 when they relocated after finding out the house would be demolished. The next{{when|date=March 2022}} 'Yes House' was located nearby in Venice and acted as a “home base” of sorts for Yes Theory until late 2023.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} As of 2024, Brag, Kandil, Staffan Taylor and Thomas “Tommy” Dajer are relocating/ have relocated to Paris, France, and have teased plans for Yes House Paris in the video “I Finally Skydived over the Pyramids”. Kandil is also said to be "spending lots of his time" in Copenhagen, Denmark.{{Cite web |last=Yes Theory |title=May 29, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfxxtnUbODQ |website=YouTube |quote=Event occurs at 10:43. "Well I think we all felt to varying degrees like our chapter in LA had ended. Tommy, whose mom is French, moved to Paris even before I did and Ammar is enjoying the new freedom that his passport has given him to spend most of his time this year close by in Copenhagen."}}
On November 24, 2019, Yes Theory and Seek Discomfort announced that it had sponsored Anders Hofman who went on to be the subject in their first ever feature-length documentary titled Project Iceman. The film captured Hoffman’s attempt to become the first human to complete a long-distance triathlon in Antarctica and was directed by Kandil.
YouTube and film
After moving to Venice, California, they went on a series of international trips.{{Clarify timeframe|date=March 2021}} They gained media attention in London by welcoming British people at Heathrow Airport with hugs, described in the press as "truly heartwarming".{{Cite web |last=Barrie |first=Joshua |date=2016-10-03 |title=Foreigners welcome Brits at Heathrow with hugs – and it's truly heartwarming |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/foreigners-welcome-brits-heathrow-hugs-8969189 |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=mirror |language=en}}
Other activities they have embarked on include taking an Irish girl on a last minute trip to Japan, who said of the experience "they try to connect to people around the world and let them know that they're not alone and bring people together".{{Cite web |last=Byrne |first=Andrew |date=2019-02-05 |title=Watch: Irish girl given amazing last minute trip to Japan by YouTube stars |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/travel/watch-irish-girl-gets-taken-13957294 |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=Irish Mirror |language=en}}
In September 2018, their challenge to get American actor and media personality Will Smith to bungee jump from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon was taken up by Smith.{{Cite news|date=2018-09-26|title=Will Smith does helicopter bungee jump|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-45649129|access-date=2020-07-20}}
In October 2018, they orchestrated a viral stunt of what appeared to be Justin Bieber eating a burrito sideways.{{Cite news|url=https://www.today.com/food/does-justin-bieber-know-how-eat-burrito-see-viral-photo-t140723|title=Does Justin Bieber not know how to eat a burrito? Viral photo sparks debate|last=Wida|first=Erica|date=October 26, 2018|work=Today}} In reality, the group flew a Justin Bieber look-alike named Brad Sousa to Los Angeles and fabricated the entire scene as a prank.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6In7UtyXY|title=We Fooled the Internet w/ Fake Justin Bieber Burrito Photo|last=Theory|first=Yes|date=October 28, 2018|website=Youtube}}Mensah, D. (October 26, 2018). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45989883 'Justin Bieber's burrito' and other foods eaten 'wrong'.] BBC News. It was Yes Theory's friend Conor who posted the video to the subreddit {{notatypo|'r/mildlyinfuriating'}}.
In February 2019, they released Frozen Alive, a feature-length documentary about endurance athlete Wim Hof. This followed a visit to Poland where they spent four days with Hof, learned his methods, and ascended a mountain, all while bare-chested and bare-legged in temperatures as low as {{Convert|-20|C|F}}, as an endurance feat.Rosenblum, C., & Chaudry, S. (February 2, 2019). Frozen Alive. Retrieved July 24, 2019, from https://www.colinandsamir.com/frozen-alive {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723155343/https://www.colinandsamir.com/frozen-alive |date=2019-07-23 }}{{cite news |title=Watch Time on YouTube |url=https://youtubestorm.com/smart-ways-to-increase-the-watch-time-on-youtube}} This was their first long-form documentary.
In September 2019, they released The Lost Pyramid, a feature-length documentary about their adventure through the Guatemalan jungle to visit El Mirador and climb the previously unrecorded La Danta pyramid.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mt8aNy1M00|title=Finding the Lost Largest Pyramid in the World|publisher=Yes Theory|website=youtube.com|date=September 15, 2019|access-date=December 7, 2019}}
In September 2020, Ammar released his autobiographical documentary Free Child in partnership with Google.{{Citation |title=Free Child - Yes Theory Short Film With Google |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB8yZ_Ymzpg |language=en |access-date=2022-12-12}}
In December 2022, they released Project Iceman, a feature-length documentary about Anders Hofman attempting to complete the first Ironman Triathlon in Antarctica, with the aim of proving that "limitations are only perceptions", Hofman states.{{Cite news |title=Project Iceman: Antarctica's first triathlon |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/triathlon/54530301 |access-date=2022-12-12}} This is the first of their films to be released in theaters, with nine red carpet premiers spanning eight cities, before being released to the public in the United States on December 4, 2022.{{Cite web |title=Project Iceman Film |url=https://www.theicemanfilm.com/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=www.theicemanfilm.com}} After turning down a $1.25 million investment offer in order to maintain creative direction over the film,{{Citation |title=the plan after walking away from a $1,250,000 deal with a streamer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7oPEt67gOM |language=en |access-date=2022-12-12}} they chose to fund the project themselves in partnership with their community known as the “Yes Fam”.
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Award !Category !Result !{{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| 2021
| First Person | {{won}} |{{Cite web|url=https://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/11th-annual-nominees|title=11th Annual Winners|publisher=Streamy Awards|accessdate=18 December 2021}} |
| 2022
| First Person | {{Nominated}} |{{Cite web|url=https://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/12th-annual-nominees|title=12TH ANNUAL WINNERS|publisher=Streamy Awards|accessdate=5 December 2022}} |
| 2023
| Editing | {{won}} |{{Cite web|url=https://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/13th-annual-nominees|title=13TH ANNUAL WINNERS|publisher=Streamy Awards|accessdate=29 August 2023}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.YesTheory.com}}
{{Streamy Awards Winners CSS}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Internet|United States}}
Category:Vlogs-related YouTube channels
Category:YouTube channels launched in 2014