The most disliked video in YouTube's history is it's very own "YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls the Rewind." The video was released by the site on December 6, and it has more than 13 million dislikes as of this writing. The previous record holder of the most disliked video was Justin Bieber's "Baby" ft. Ludacris, released in 2010 with more than 9 million dislikes.
The "YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls the Rewind" has been criticized by many people even though it features hundreds of its biggest stars and celebrities. The video didn't include other creators in the platform, including Felix "Pewdiepie" Kjellberg, a gaming commentator and comedian, and vlogging duo and brothers Logan and Jake Paul.
The video starts with Will Smith overlooking a valley, and although it has more than 139 million views as of this writing, the "YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls the Rewind" still receives negative comments and constant backslash, with over 13 million dislikes. A lot of viewers downvote the video as it particularly failed to mention and feature some of the controversial creators and characters in YouTube, making the video unpopular. Some people also said the video is "cringe-worthy."
Creators who starred in it, such as Marques Brownlee, have addressed the controversy. He released a video on December 12 to talk about what's the problem with the YouTube Rewind. He said viewers see the video differently, while YouTube itself - who's in charge of making the video - sees in completely different.
A representative of YouTube also issued a statement to The Verge, noting their real "goal" is to dethrone Bieber's "Baby" being most disliked video in their platform. The rep said honest feedbacks suck, but they do appreciate and thank those who care. The rep also explained capturing YouTube's magic in a single video is like capturing lightning in a bottle, and they have learned that creating contents is hard.
The YouTube rewind was first presented back in 2011, and between that year until 2014, the videos released by the site featured funny memes, most influential creators, as well as biggest moments. However, things started to change in 2015, as the platform went from an amateur DIY platform to an entertainment staple. The changes became more noticeable in 2017 and continued until 2018 as it backed away from creators it previously highlighted.
YouTube Rewind is the culmination and celebration to highlight the most memorable moments happened on the site, but the community no longer feels included to the culture that YouTube wants to promote. And although it's unclear what will be the YouTube Rewind in the future, some people believed it's no longer a celebratory moment everyone looks forward to.
