What if your childhood was not just lived, but broadcast? That’s exactly what happened to Evan Lee , better known as EvanTube , one of YouTube’s first child stars.
It all began in October 2011, with a playful video of Evan describing clay Angry Birds figures his father had sculpted. “Yellow Bird goes super fast,” Evan said in a small voice, before picking up White Bird and adding, “He looks like a lemon when he dies.” The video, which Jared Lee — Evan’s dad — filmed and uploaded, was the beginning of something none of them expected.
That one upload eventually racked up 11 million views. Within weeks, toy companies started contacting the Lees. Soon after, Evan was regularly reviewing Lego sets, Nerf blasters, Star Wars toys, and more on the family’s growing YouTube channel.
Their second viral hit came that Christmas, when Evan thanked viewers while surrounded by an avalanche of Angry Birds merchandise. He ended the video with: “Happy New Year. Please subscribe.” According to The New York Times, that video has since been viewed nearly 13 million times.
From there, the numbers — and opportunities — skyrocketed.
By 2013, a comedic sketch video featuring Evan bringing a giant gummy worm to school was published in collaboration with Vat19. It became the channel’s most-watched upload, with 146 million views. YouTube ad revenue followed fast. As per The Times, in some months, the channel was pulling in up to $100,000 from Google ads alone.
The earnings didn’t just buy new toys. The Lee family used the money to open trust funds, college savings accounts, Roth IRAs, and even bought a $3 million house with seven bathrooms and three Teslas in the driveway. Jared, who had been working as a freelance videographer, became a full-time YouTube producer. Evan’s mother, Alisa, helped offscreen with scripting and logistics.
But the channel wasn’t always fun and games.
“Kids would come up to me and say ‘EvanTube? That’s so cringe,’” Evan told The New York Times. As he entered middle school, classmates' mockery and online hate chipped away at his enthusiasm. “People would say, ‘Your parents are using you for money.’ That definitely made me feel sad. Like, sad-angry,” he told The Times.
It wasn’t just peers. Commenters online accused his parents of exploitation. But Jared and Alisa were careful. They avoided embarrassing their children on camera, never filmed them crying, and refused to daily vlog. Jared told The Times that they wanted to “protect our kids’ dignity.”
Eventually, Evan began opting out of toy reviews altogether. He told The New York Times that while he appreciated the opportunities YouTube brought, he started saying “no” more often, especially during his teen years. Instead of filming, he spent more time in his room, pursuing music and hanging out with friends.
The family content, however, continued. Evan’s sister, Jillian, emerged as a YouTube personality in her own right. Alisa appeared in videos as “MommyTube.” Evan occasionally returned for skits, family games, and reaction content.
Today, Evan is a college freshman at Loyola Marymount University, studying business. He told The New York Times that the YouTube revenue helped fund his education, something he feels grateful for. But he also reflected on the complexity of earning money as a child: “Eventually, I realized there is no way we would have made that much money unless my parents were involved,” he said. “But if I was removed from the equation, there wouldn’t be a star.” When asked by The Times if it was all worth it, Evan paused. “Honestly, I think so,” he told them. “We never went too far. And I got to grow up with my family.”
It all began in October 2011, with a playful video of Evan describing clay Angry Birds figures his father had sculpted. “Yellow Bird goes super fast,” Evan said in a small voice, before picking up White Bird and adding, “He looks like a lemon when he dies.” The video, which Jared Lee — Evan’s dad — filmed and uploaded, was the beginning of something none of them expected.
That one upload eventually racked up 11 million views. Within weeks, toy companies started contacting the Lees. Soon after, Evan was regularly reviewing Lego sets, Nerf blasters, Star Wars toys, and more on the family’s growing YouTube channel.
Their second viral hit came that Christmas, when Evan thanked viewers while surrounded by an avalanche of Angry Birds merchandise. He ended the video with: “Happy New Year. Please subscribe.” According to The New York Times, that video has since been viewed nearly 13 million times.
From there, the numbers — and opportunities — skyrocketed.
By 2013, a comedic sketch video featuring Evan bringing a giant gummy worm to school was published in collaboration with Vat19. It became the channel’s most-watched upload, with 146 million views. YouTube ad revenue followed fast. As per The Times, in some months, the channel was pulling in up to $100,000 from Google ads alone.
The earnings didn’t just buy new toys. The Lee family used the money to open trust funds, college savings accounts, Roth IRAs, and even bought a $3 million house with seven bathrooms and three Teslas in the driveway. Jared, who had been working as a freelance videographer, became a full-time YouTube producer. Evan’s mother, Alisa, helped offscreen with scripting and logistics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGWHJ1iyanC/?hl=en&img_index=1 https://www.instagram.com/p/DGWHJ1iyanC/?hl=en&img_index=1
But the channel wasn’t always fun and games.
“Kids would come up to me and say ‘EvanTube? That’s so cringe,’” Evan told The New York Times. As he entered middle school, classmates' mockery and online hate chipped away at his enthusiasm. “People would say, ‘Your parents are using you for money.’ That definitely made me feel sad. Like, sad-angry,” he told The Times.
It wasn’t just peers. Commenters online accused his parents of exploitation. But Jared and Alisa were careful. They avoided embarrassing their children on camera, never filmed them crying, and refused to daily vlog. Jared told The Times that they wanted to “protect our kids’ dignity.”
Eventually, Evan began opting out of toy reviews altogether. He told The New York Times that while he appreciated the opportunities YouTube brought, he started saying “no” more often, especially during his teen years. Instead of filming, he spent more time in his room, pursuing music and hanging out with friends.
The family content, however, continued. Evan’s sister, Jillian, emerged as a YouTube personality in her own right. Alisa appeared in videos as “MommyTube.” Evan occasionally returned for skits, family games, and reaction content.
Today, Evan is a college freshman at Loyola Marymount University, studying business. He told The New York Times that the YouTube revenue helped fund his education, something he feels grateful for. But he also reflected on the complexity of earning money as a child: “Eventually, I realized there is no way we would have made that much money unless my parents were involved,” he said. “But if I was removed from the equation, there wouldn’t be a star.” When asked by The Times if it was all worth it, Evan paused. “Honestly, I think so,” he told them. “We never went too far. And I got to grow up with my family.”
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