Gleam Team

greenergrass
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I generally like Zoe - I don't watch all of her videos because they don't all appeal to me, but she's always seemed like a pretty genuinely nice person, and I don't agree with how the media and others sometimes like to paint her (and the rest of the gleamers) as horrible people. When I saw some people complaining about the calendar, I assume it couldn't be all that bad and people were just exaggerating. I watched JaackMaates' video of the calender fully expecting to be annoyed at him for being a jerk about it (I'd only seen a couple of his videos before, and they'd been one's where he'd seemed pretty unfair and pretentious. I've now watched a few more of his videos, and while he's still a bit of an ass sometimes, I've found a lot more respect for him overall).

But holy shit, what a complete scam of a calendar! I have no idea how anyone on her team could have let this happen. Are any of her fans actually defending this? I haven't looked around that much, so I'm genuinely asking. I still don't hate Zoe and still think she is overall still a good person, but I think she probably needs a bit of a reality check right now. I don't agree with anyone sending pure hate or anything, but I hope she (and others in similar situations to her) see some of the more constructive criticism and use it to do better in the future.

Also, I'm contradicting myself now but, at the end of the day I know she is a millionaire who doesn't need my sympathy, but I can't help feeling a bit bad when things that youtubers I watch (even semi-regularly) put out get a lot of backlash, even if they deserve it. Maybe it's because I know the face behind the product, and it's not some faceless organization? I don't know, does anyone feel this sometimes? Maybe it's just my second-hand embarrassment? Obviously more of my sympathy goes to the consumers.
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alittledizzy
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whatdoiknow wrote: Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:59 pmBut holy shit, what a complete scam of a calendar! I have no idea how anyone on her team could have let this happen.
I agree with your whole post, just snipping this bit out for the sake of space. That was really my main reaction too: how? Who thought it was a good idea? And the best I can think is that someone on either her team or the Boots retail team really wanted to push the envelope of how wide that profit margin could be and based on her previous solid sales just assumed that they could get away with it.

I like Zoe generally too, I don't think she's a bad person. But I really hope between this and Hello World she's had some cold water splashed on her face to wake her up about needing to have some quality control over what her name is being put on.
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alch
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Honestly, most of the stuff in Zoe's advent calendar could be bought at a crappy dollar store. I don't know why there were only twelve days when the items were all cheap enough to fill the full 24 (or 25? idk i'm jewish advent calendar aren't my thing) days.
50 pounds is what, $65? There's no way that's a fair price for a few cookie cutters, candles, stickers, and a bag of glitter. I want to echo the thoughts of everyone else here that doesn't understand who on her team let this happen. I mean, I understand wanting to make a profit but that's just insane. Half this stuff isn't even really Zoella-branded, it's just generic party favor crap.
citizen_erased
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whatdoiknow wrote: Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:59 pm But holy shit, what a complete scam of a calendar! I have no idea how anyone on her team could have let this happen. Are any of her fans actually defending this? I haven't looked around that much, so I'm genuinely asking.
I did see one video where a girl did an unboxing and claimed to be really happy with the whole thing. Though honestly, she came across to me as a very fake person who struggled at times to find the positive twist but will like everything Zoella does by default because she wants to be like Zoe. But that might've just been me because I also just came from the JaackMaate video so I was still in shock mode.

Overall though, I pretty much only see complaints. The calendar has an average 2 star rating on the Boots website and although I had only a quick glance through the comments I didn't see any positive ones.

I agree with what's said here that between this and the Hello World thing she's learning a lesson about quality control. I kind of doubt it though, honestly.
greenergrass
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alittledizzy wrote: Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:03 pm I agree with your whole post, just snipping this bit out for the sake of space. That was really my main reaction too: how? Who thought it was a good idea? And the best I can think is that someone on either her team or the Boots retail team really wanted to push the envelope of how wide that profit margin could be and based on her previous solid sales just assumed that they could get away with it.

I like Zoe generally too, I don't think she's a bad person. But I really hope between this and Hello World she's had some cold water splashed on her face to wake her up about needing to have some quality control over what her name is being put on.
I think you're right that her team might have been seeing how far they can push it. I wonder if the negatives (for both the calendar and Hello World) are enough to outweigh any fans blindly throwing praise their way, so that Zoe and her team (and other gleamers) will actually hear the negatives loudly enough for them to make a change. I worry slightly that some of the fans will try to shout loudly over any negatives because 'their fav can do no wrong'. (Of course, the whole 'fav can do no wrong' thing is visible in a lot more serious situations that this, such as with the whole deppy/felix thing, but that's going off topic now...)
citizen_erased wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:08 am I did see one video where a girl did an unboxing and claimed to be really happy with the whole thing. Though honestly, she came across to me as a very fake person who struggled at times to find the positive twist but will like everything Zoella does by default because she wants to be like Zoe. But that might've just been me because I also just came from the JaackMaate video so I was still in shock mode.

Overall though, I pretty much only see complaints. The calendar has an average 2 star rating on the Boots website and although I had only a quick glance through the comments I didn't see any positive ones.

I agree with what's said here that between this and the Hello World thing she's learning a lesson about quality control. I kind of doubt it though, honestly.

Do you happen to have a link to the video? If not, no worries.

But that's interesting to note that you haven't seen any positive comments. Maybe they will learn a lesson though. I wonder if it'll be brought up by Zoe in any vlogs, but I doubt that. I think if anything they'll just quietly push it under the rug and hopefully do better in the future.
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Catallena
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If you wanna see a nice 12 Days Of Christmas calendar done right, look at the one Benefit has. I'm pretty sure it sells out quickly very year. And there's nothing real fancy like full size products involved. Just mini versions of 12 of their best and most popular products for like £35. No crap like glitter, cookie cutters and stickers. When you see something like that or just about every beauty calender on the market rn that's about the same price or cheaper, it makes the Zoella one look even worse.
citizen_erased wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:08 am
whatdoiknow wrote: Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:59 pm But holy shit, what a complete scam of a calendar! I have no idea how anyone on her team could have let this happen. Are any of her fans actually defending this? I haven't looked around that much, so I'm genuinely asking.
I did see one video where a girl did an unboxing and claimed to be really happy with the whole thing. Though honestly, she came across to me as a very fake person who struggled at times to find the positive twist but will like everything Zoella does by default because she wants to be like Zoe. But that might've just been me because I also just came from the JaackMaate video so I was still in shock mode.

Overall though, I pretty much only see complaints. The calendar has an average 2 star rating on the Boots website and although I had only a quick glance through the comments I didn't see any positive ones.

I agree with what's said here that between this and the Hello World thing she's learning a lesson about quality control. I kind of doubt it though, honestly.
Was it the review from the Eltoria girl? Definitely a Zoella clone. Although that one cracked me up even more than JaackMaate's did at some points just because of how hard she tried to find the positive in those things. OMG IT'S A PEN THAT'S ESSENTIAL FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE CHRISTMAS CARDS AND YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T GET A CHEAPER PEN ELSEWHERE.
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alch
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Catallena wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:49 am Was it the review from the Eltoria girl? Definitely a Zoella clone. Although that one cracked me up even more than JaackMaate's did at some points just because of how hard she tried to find the positive in those things. OMG IT'S A PEN THAT'S ESSENTIAL FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE CHRISTMAS CARDS AND YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T GET A CHEAPER PEN ELSEWHERE.
Honestly even she couldn't find the positive in everything which is even more surprising, like she actually admitted there should be more stickers and that it might be a little too pricey
citizen_erased
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whatdoiknow wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:02 am Do you happen to have a link to the video? If not, no worries.

But that's interesting to note that you haven't seen any positive comments. Maybe they will learn a lesson though. I wonder if it'll be brought up by Zoe in any vlogs, but I doubt that. I think if anything they'll just quietly push it under the rug and hopefully do better in the future.
I do have a link! Went through my youtube history to find it for you (which is always a disaster, because it shows how much time I waste watching stupid bts videos, which, oh god, what am I doing with my life)


alch wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:21 am
Catallena wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:49 am Was it the review from the Eltoria girl? Definitely a Zoella clone. Although that one cracked me up even more than JaackMaate's did at some points just because of how hard she tried to find the positive in those things. OMG IT'S A PEN THAT'S ESSENTIAL FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE CHRISTMAS CARDS AND YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T GET A CHEAPER PEN ELSEWHERE.
Honestly even she couldn't find the positive in everything which is even more surprising, like she actually admitted there should be more stickers and that it might be a little too pricey
Yep, it was her. I don't know her otherwise, her video was in my recommendations after I watched the JaackMaate one, but she definitely came across to me as a Zoella-wannabe. I had so much hope for her when the disappointment over the confetti and stickers came but then she was so positive about the candles and loving everything and I was just sitting there like ??? Excuse me?!?!?
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My aunt bought me the l'occitane beauty calendar a few years back (I think it was £40 that year) and it did have some of the same crap as Zoe's (I got a bag of gitter and a cookie cutter). However it was a 24 day calendar so a few duff items didn't seem that bad when you got 18-20 mini products too. When your charging £50 and it's only a 12 day calendar there really is no room for cheap filler gifts they should have all been actual zoella products.

I did have a glance at the calendar reviews and the only positive ones seem to be super fans (and a few that were inaccurately advising you got two full size candles when I think one of the them was only a mini candle).
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Birdie
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Is this a joke? Oh my god. I thought it couldn't be that bad and went to watch JaackMaate's video and now I'm just pissed. No matter how much you love Zoella, how can you not be disappointed when you fork out £50 and get a bunch of cheap crap. Zoella has her own beauty line, how is it possible that there's literally just one of her actual products in that thing? And £50 is so much money as well. They really couldn't put in some actual mini products? Like, overall this calendar looks like it would be okay for £15. This is such an insane scam and seeing how her target audience are young girls who won't have a lot of allowance money, this is disgusting. Between this and her ghostwriting scandal I have to say I still think she's a nice person but she doesn't seem to care much about authenticity or giving her young fans their money's worth anymore.
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missemma
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I saw the Jaackmaate video and it led me onto this which links into the gleam team, honestly this guy is saying everything i feel about most of the gleam team tbh
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greenergrass
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citizen_erased wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:07 am I do have a link! Went through my youtube history to find it for you (which is always a disaster, because it shows how much time I waste watching stupid bts videos, which, oh god, what am I doing with my life)
Thanks! This was hard to watch. The girl was trying so hard to be positive that it was just awkward.
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alittledizzy
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lmao poundland going in for the hard burn
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alittledizzy wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:25 pm lmao poundland going in for the hard burn
Amazing. Honestly A+ marketing.
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Ablissa
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alittledizzy wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:25 pm lmao poundland going in for the hard burn
Wow, this is amazing. I hope Zoe sees this :lol:

I don't hate Zoe, by the way @thread. I just don't care about her at all, I think there are better beauty vloggers out there, and I have little respect for her after the ghostwriting thing. I'm in shock, though. Surely she has management of some kind. I could understand one person screwing up, but this calendar must have involved SEVERAL. HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
malday
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I don't watch her, or follow her or her boyfriend or brother, so i'm indifferent, but this is going around on twitter
They are really old tweets and people do mature and change (for the better hopefully), but some of those are really :shock:
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Catallena
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malday wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:51 pm I don't watch her, or follow her or her boyfriend or brother, so i'm indifferent, but this is going around on twitter
They are really old tweets and people do mature and change (for the better hopefully), but some of those are really :shock:
Yikes at some of these in contrast to her sweet demure personality on camera buuuuut I'm not in favor of people digging up things written years ago. People doing that don't care about any issues, they just want internet points. (But the way she throws fatty around makes me wonder how much trash she talkes behind the back of her chummy Louise...)

Anyway, I'm here to share my amusement at some stans staying delusional and my signature always being relevant.
SHE'S TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING!!! poor zoe gonna starve to death if she doesn't sell those calendars :(
Where do I even start on this little thread of tweets? I honestly do not know.

As long as there are people like this around and the general public that watches her videos stays blissfully unaware, she'll get through this controversy just like she did with the ghost writing thing.

lmao @ the excellent tea from Poundland btw :')
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missemma
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Trying to make a living? Has that fan even seen their mansion, wow. Some people really are delusional. I don't get why fans of youtubers/artists/bands etc think it's wrong to criticise or say something negative, not everything is all rainbows and sunshine, calling people out when you think it is wrong is fine, as long as you aren't throwing derogatory statements around with it.
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alittledizzy
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I actually kind of appreciate jaackmaate dismissing the old tweets. I am not the keenest on people trying to roast Dan or Phil today for shit they said years ago that isn't reflective of their behavior now. The tweets definitely paint Zoe as a teenage mean girl but teenagers lacking empathy because they're still emotionally maturing isn't new, I'd be more bothered if those were recent.
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Zoe actually talks about the advent calendar pricing at the end of her vlog posted today. I can never get YouTube links to work on here but here's the URL (go to 33 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5TPOKoE1_M

What do you think? TBH I'm far from convinced by her excuse...does she really have NOTHING to do with the end pricing, not even knowing what it is before it goes on sale??
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DatCog wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:17 pm Zoe actually talks about the advent calendar pricing at the end of her vlog posted today. I can never get YouTube links to work on here but here's the URL (go to 33 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5TPOKoE1_M

What do you think? TBH I'm far from convinced by her excuse...does she really have NOTHING to do with the end pricing, not even knowing what it is before it goes on sale??
I agree, I'm not super convinced either. I get that she doesn't get to control every aspect, and I absolutely believe that, as she said, this was not her intention and she didn't want this to happen. But as this is her brand and her product and it's her name on it at the end, she can and should take more responsibility for the end product.

I saw someone on Twitter (don't know who, it only popped up because hank green liked it) say that youtuber products are also more expensive because they can't buy the sheer bulk of products that large companies do so the prices don't get lowered as much. Which, yes, I understand if you're a 'regular' youtuber with your own shop or whatever, but Zoella's products are in a whole different range (literally), what with being sold in actual mainstream stores in the whole country and all.

I get that this situation is more complicated than we know, because of all the parties and contracts involved etc etc. But I do still think that since this is Zoella's brand and her name, she should claim more responsibility instead of just saying "I can't help it". Like, yes? You can? Start renegotiating or move to a different company? Start your own company? If you really care that much about your fans and you're really that upset by what's happening, then get on it and start using your influence. Start getting involved in more than just the creative part and start partaking in the business side of things more as well. Saying "I'm sure the company is taking it into account" is the laziest excuse imo.

Also finally, full offense, but how do you work on something for a year and then end up putting in confetti :rofl:
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Catallena
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missemma wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:22 pm Trying to make a living? Has that fan even seen their mansion, wow. Some people really are delusional. I don't get why fans of youtubers/artists/bands etc think it's wrong to criticise or say something negative, not everything is all rainbows and sunshine, calling people out when you think it is wrong is fine, as long as you aren't throwing derogatory statements around with it.
Starving to death in a mansion is still starving to death. :( :( :(
citizen_erased wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 11:21 pm
DatCog wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:17 pm Zoe actually talks about the advent calendar pricing at the end of her vlog posted today. I can never get YouTube links to work on here but here's the URL (go to 33 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5TPOKoE1_M

What do you think? TBH I'm far from convinced by her excuse...does she really have NOTHING to do with the end pricing, not even knowing what it is before it goes on sale??
I agree, I'm not super convinced either. I get that she doesn't get to control every aspect, and I absolutely believe that, as she said, this was not her intention and she didn't want this to happen. But as this is her brand and her product and it's her name on it at the end, she can and should take more responsibility for the end product.

I saw someone on Twitter (don't know who, it only popped up because hank green liked it) say that youtuber products are also more expensive because they can't buy the sheer bulk of products that large companies do so the prices don't get lowered as much. Which, yes, I understand if you're a 'regular' youtuber with your own shop or whatever, but Zoella's products are in a whole different range (literally), what with being sold in actual mainstream stores in the whole country and all.

I get that this situation is more complicated than we know, because of all the parties and contracts involved etc etc. But I do still think that since this is Zoella's brand and her name, she should claim more responsibility instead of just saying "I can't help it". Like, yes? You can? Start renegotiating or move to a different company? Start your own company? If you really care that much about your fans and you're really that upset by what's happening, then get on it and start using your influence. Start getting involved in more than just the creative part and start partaking in the business side of things more as well. Saying "I'm sure the company is taking it into account" is the laziest excuse imo.

Also finally, full offense, but how do you work on something for a year and then end up putting in confetti :rofl:
Exactly this. Of course with YouTuber merch being pretty small scale it's gonna end up being more expensive, but that in no way excuses a badly designed expensive calendar filled with wholesale shit that in some cases has been 'customized'. If you as a Creator let something like this happen to the audience you claim to love so much, you're shit. Hop of the project instead of happily promoting it like there's nothing wrong. I really don't think she cares tbh.

And I'm rolling my eyes a bit at Hank Green's liking of tweets that defend thing like this. I swear ever since that Internet Creators Guild thing he has become weirdly defensive of the shitty choices his 'friends' make. Not everyone is out to get the YouTube community or whatever dude.. some YouTubers need to be called out. Including Zoella.
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readingmama
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That video was a tidy little bit of pass the buck bullshit. At least she didn't attempt any fake tears( or really any emotion?)

I do understand that there are teams and layers and lots of decisions involved in any product launch and I do think that whole Gleam crew is particularly vulnerable to criticism right now after the Hello World mess but really at the end of the day its her brand and her reputation and her responsibility.

There's only so many times that you can say something like" if you knew me you'd know that this is not what I stand for" before your actions call you a liar.
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Yeah Zoe's explanation didn't garner a drop of sympathy from me. In fact it kind of made me angry. She doesn't get to make money selling companies the right to use her name on their products and then pretend what they produce and charge is none of her business. The only reason her name is worth anything is because it attracts her fanbase and she has an obligation to ensure it's not being used to exploit them.

So even if I give her the benefit of the doubt and believe she didn't have a clue what this would retail at (which I'm not convinced by anyway) I still think it's on her. When she decided she'd rather fill a calendar with cheap tat than her actual beauty products (like most fans were probably expecting when they bought it) she had an obligation to check with Boots that the retail price would reflect the low quality of the contents.

If she didn't bother checking and Boots then decided on their own to use her name to rip off her fans for their own profit margins she needs to take responsibility for the fact she let them use her name without checking this or making any effort to protect her fanbase from capital greed.
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It's good that she addressed it.
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