Jason Nash is a 50 year old man born in Boston, Massachusetts. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
He performs as an extra in an opening scene of Season 6 of House M.D., a rain drenched man delivering a subpoena leaning out of a van yelling: ‘Under title 18 of United States Code section 1350. Genocide, crimes against humanity and torture.’
He also voice acts in Season 28 of the Simpsons: ‘I finally took that spin class with Miranda. I was sweating so friggin’ hard.’
But if you know of this man, it is not from these cameos, or even his early days on the LA stand up circuit. It is because of Vine, but more importantly, because of YouTube and his role in David Dobrik’s infamous Vlogs Suad videos–videos that dominated the YouTube scene from around 2017 to 2022.
These snappily strung together videos centered around the eventful lives of David Dobrik and his close friends as they fooled around with pranks, alcohol and other more questionable antics in LA and beyond.
It was always remarkable, and a central shtick, that Jason Nash, then a man in his mid-40s, was an integral link in a solid friendship group of 20-something year olds.
Previously married with a son, he was making his income frolicking around with a group of rising internet superstars–becoming one himself. Yes, his age and appearance were routinely used as fodder for ridicule by the group–but he was fundamental to the social chemistry that propped up their success.
David Dobrik and Jason Nash even hosted a podcast together, Views, which, along with regular YouTube uploads, slowly stopped production after a cocktail of controversies from David and the group at large.
For brevity, we will not do a deep dive into the content that was produced by the so called Vlog Squad or the series of allegations and controversies that eventually led to their demise1.
Today, we acknowledge the world of Jason Nash since that demise, and what it might mean.
Exchanging gifts for money
At the height of their popularity, David, Jason and other members of the Vlog Squad made hundreds of thousands, in fact millions, of dollars.
Through YouTube’s Partner Programme, illustrious sponsorship deals with Seatgeek and other brands, as well as merchandise, their content easily and alluringly reflected their accumulation of wealth: new houses, new cars, new clothes, generous donations and gifts… they built lives underlined by affluence that most people cannot conceive or dream of–all by recording and sharing a version of their lives online.
While some members of the group are still doing well financially, it is clear that for Jason Nash in particular, the once unstoppable flow of wealth has halted.
For a little while now, there has been much shaming and conversation around how Jason Nash has chosen to fill the financial hole that he was left with after his golden era as a member of the Vlog Squad.
For many, many, hours a day, Jason Nash takes to TikTok to livestream, asking (more commoly referred to as beggining) his loyal viewers for gifts. He ‘battles’ with other TikTok users to see who can amass the most gifts first.
These gifts, which when sent, become animations of hats, glasses, roses and fireworks that momentarily fill the screen, eventually equate to money.
For a non-digital native, and perhaps even for many of us who grew up with an understanding of the link between monetization and content creation, fully grasping the logistics and scale of how these virtual gifts could lead to wealth is difficult.
A quick break down:
Viewers buy TikTok Coins with real money. These coins can be exchanged for virtual gifts which are then given to their creator of choice. TikTok converts the gifts into Diamonds, which can finally be exchanged for real money by the creator.
TikTok's Diamonds are worth 50% of the value of coins. So, if one of your followers gifts you something worth 1,000 coins, that equals 500 Diamonds, currently worth $25. However, TikTok retains 50% of what you earn, so when you cash in your 500 Diamonds, TikTok will actually pay you $12.50 (Source).
Needless to say, it would take a lot of gifts for Jason Nash to even come close to the level of income he may have been pulling in previously. A reddit post from 5 years ago estimates that, considering the amount of views Jason’s videos garnered, he may have earned a of a minimum of $40k a month through YouTube’s Partner Programme. This was on an average month, before brand deals and other commercial ventures such as merchandising.
How likely is it that Jason is receiving gifts worth 1,000 coins or more? One can assume most commonly gifted are the cheaper options, perhaps Thumbs Up! at 5 coins–the converted 2.5 Diamonds equalling out at about 12 cents.
Begging and deserving
If I open my TikTok one more time to seeing him begging for roses on my Live For You page, I’m calling CPS. Have you seen your kids? […] And also, when they go to school, are their friends like ‘hey I saw your dad, like, begging […]’. […] Like I just don’t get it. Every single time I’ve opened my phone, Jason Nash is on Live begging for money.
–Tana Mongeau via TikTok
Watching Jason’s streams, we can see that there are viewers who are especially generous. There are certain individuals who act as moderators in the live chats, helping to pull in as many additional gifts as possible, determined to support Jason.
Is it pity or genuine care? Is it the desire to catch the end of a shooting star, or maybe the urge to join the beginning of a new one?
It would be more pleasant and kind to imagine that the people who support Jason, those that spend their time, money and energy to benefit him, are doing so out of some sense of community, togetherness and love. Giving back some of the value they may have once received from him at the height of his popularity.
Do individuals that send gifts also donate loose change to people on the street?
When society calls people without homes beggars, they do so demeaningly. Those forced as a last resort to ask strangers for money are consistently traumatised and re-traumatised, then degraded anew by the casual use of what is so much more than a word.
The use of the word beggar helps people delineate themselves from an individual without access to capital, as though it could never be them–as though we aren’t always a series of small events away from joining those most harmed by an unfair and unsustainable system.
People call Jason Nash a beggar because they can’t believe the formerly wealthy, high-functioning, middle aged white man with years of experience as an entertainer would lower himself to asking strangers for money. How shameful to not do more meaningful, aspirational work. If done consistently enough, he will be back to his former glory, to success, in no time.
Some calling Jason Nash a beggar with a smile on their face may be ashamed to direct the same ridicule to a woman asking for help to pay for a hostel after weeks on the street. There is some kind of dilution of the word when directed at Jason Nash, making clear the chasm that remains between the anonymous woman in need and the 50 year old internet celebrity: a man who is known, housed, warm and fed.
Please refer to this article by Vulture for an important breakdown of the serious issues that we must bear in mind.