The Downfall of David Dobrik

A short reflection on recent events

By Hannah Lundquist

TW: Mention of sexual assault, nonconsensual jokes/acts, victims, and consent.

I never thought I would see the day when David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad were completely canceled, but here we are. I have been watching Dobrik for as long as I can remember. His videos brought me so much joy when I was sad or lonely. I thought the pranks and jokes were hilarious, at least at the time, and so did everyone around me. I thought that everyone enjoyed his videos, and it was only recently that I found out I was very wrong. 

Dobrik started on Vine, the now-dead application that was heavily used, much like today’s TikTok. Originally from Slovakia and a DACA recipient, Dobrik made his mark on Vine in high school by producing engaging six-second videos that usually consisted of him and his friends doing things to make people laugh. After the Vine era, Dobrik made the switch to YouTube and became one of the most popular YouTubers. He made some of the first “vlogs” on YouTube, which are video blogs that follow the day-to-day life of a YouTuber. He monetized these vlogs by giving the name the “Vlog Squad” to himself and his friends. The Vlog Squad consisted of Viners, YouTubers, people Dobrik met in Los Angeles, and some of his hometown friends.

I enjoyed watching his videos until multiple victims came forward and began to share their stories—specifically in regard to the recent incident involving one of Dobrik’s Vlog Squad members, Dominykas Zeglaitis. With the nickname “Durte Dom,” he has a reputation for pursuing women when they are clearly uncomfortable with his actions. With the recent sexual assault allegations from victims who were in a Dobrik vlog from 2018 involving “Durte Dom,” I have taken a step back to take a look at what I am consuming on social media and who I am following or look up to. I find myself wondering how I could have missed all of the red flags in Dobrik’s videos. With the recent allegations, more videos have resurfaced, showing Dobrik joking after the incident that they were “going to jail.” That video has now been removed from his page. Aside from that incident, there were very clearly videos that displayed a lack of consent or showed people being made uncomfortable. 

Looking back, I wonder how I could have missed this or how I could have looked past something so big. I think a large part of this is the culture that has been promoted and cultivated by the YouTube community, specifically Dobrik, with nonconsensual pranks and jokes that very obviously cause discomfort to the people involved, and in more serious cases, long-lasting trauma. As a society, it seems like we have become desensitized to this toxic culture, one that is still very prevalent on YouTube. While other major influencers have been called out or canceled, it has taken a few years for Dobrik’s past to catch up with him. Now that this situation, one that has shocked me and other YouTube fans, has been brought to light, I think it is necessary to not only respect the victims by holding Dobrik accountable, but also to take a look at what and who we are consuming on a daily basis on various social media platforms.