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Avoiding the Fate of the Most Disliked YouTube Video: Tips for Creators
Discover how to dodge becoming the next most disliked YouTube video. Learn from 2024’s biggest failures, refine your content strategy, and protect your channel’s reputation.
If you are a YouTube user and often browse YouTube, will you encounter some videos you particularly dislike? If I see a video that I don’t like, if it were me, I would want to click the YouTube “dislike” button! Or add a few comments to express my opinion. However, for users, this is nothing, just swipe away if you see something you don’t like, but for creators, if many users don’t like a video, the video will likely become the most disliked YouTube video overnight. Remember that Disney’s "Snow White" trailer received 2.1 million dislikes due to improper casting. And Justin Bieber’s "Baby" in 2010 still has 14 million dislikes. It seems that everyone dislikes this kind of video, but if a video receives a super large number of dislikes in a short period, it may cause users to lose trust in the blogger in a short period.
Videos that send wrong information and violate public values are likely to push the blogger himself to the cusp of the storm, so is there any way to avoid similar situations? This guide breaks down some of the most disliked YouTube videos in 2024 and shares some effective ways to avoid them, so you don't accidentally create content that users don't like.
Disney's "Snow White" trailer: one of the most disliked YouTube videos
After Disney released the "Snow White" trailer in early 2024, users responded particularly well. Many fans criticized the trailer for having unreasonable casting, such as the lead actress Rachel Zegler, who is obviously a Latina. This is entirely inconsistent with the image of Snow White in the original work, who has "skin as white as snow."
And the movie made major changes to the original story, such as canceling the "rescue" plot of the prince's character, and always emphasizing Snow White's independence and leadership. These adaptations are actually defined as over-catering to the orientation of "correct values" and deviating from the core spirit of the original work. So this trailer has also become the most unpopular video on YouTube. This is not only a problem with the film itself, but also reflects people's dissatisfaction with Hollywood's "remake culture".
For creators, what can we learn from this example? First of all, adaptations need to balance innovation and respect for tradition, and don't bend the facts. Secondly, you can also use tools like SocialBlade to help you monitor the most disliked YouTube video ratios in real time, so that you know how to avoid making videos that users don’t like in the future.
Justin Bieber's "Baby": the legacy of likes
Justin Bieber's "Baby" is another example of how small mistakes can have lasting effects. The 2010 video became a target for criticism, but for its repetitive lyrics and its role in the fan war between Bieber and his competitors.
Despite all the success Bieber has had as an artist, the video remains one of the most disliked YouTube videos and a source of negativity that he has struggled to shake off.
In 2024, Bieber's team quietly removed the video due to social media comments, which is a method many creators use as the fastest way to clean up outdated content on their channels.
This isn't because celebrities can't stand criticism, but rather to create a positive image and set an example.
So, creators need to review old videos through YouTube Studio regularly. Identify content with the highest rising disliked YouTube video ratios, and consider unlisting or editing problematic sections.
What do the most disliked YouTube videos of 2024 have in common?
Contrary to social culture and values
A previous advertisement released by Gillette, "We Believe: The Best Men Can Be", sparked controversy among many users. This advertisement is a response to the issue of "toxic masculinity" in the context of the #MeToo movement. The purpose of the advertisement is to call on men to reflect on and change some of the shortcomings of traditional men, such as sexual harassment, bullying, violence, and cultural expectations such as "men don't cry easily". Although this advertisement has been affirmed by some progressive groups, it has angered a large number of traditional male users, who believe that this advertisement has negatively portrayed the image of most men, and oversimplified and moralized this complex social issue.
The video released inappropriate information
Some bloggers may post content they hope will attract users to click and watch when making videos, but misleading titles and thumbnails may also make users uncomfortable. For example, on YouTube, a technology commentator made a video called "iPhone 16 feature leak!", but was angrily criticized by users because users found that the "leaked" information was fake. So the number of clicks and dislikes on this video also increased rapidly, causing the channel to lose 10% of its fans overnight.
Ignoring personal social responsibility
The "Blockout 2024" social media campaign that was launched during the Met Gala in May 2024 has caused a lot of controversy. The campaign was caused by a video released by beauty blogger and model Haley Kalil at the Met Gala event.
In the video, she wore a luxurious Marie Antoinette-style dress and lip-synced the line "Let them eat cake". This phenomenon was also seen as her indifference to social hardship. Because this video was released at a time when Israel's attack on Gaza attracted global attention, many netizens believed that her behavior lacked empathy and aroused everyone's anger.
So in response, users also began to collectively block and unfollow those celebrities and influencers who remained silent or were considered indifferent to the Gaza conflict.
The goal of this campaign is to reduce social media interactions with these public figures, reduce their income and influence, and force them to pay attention to and express their views on the humanitarian crisis.
Haley Kalil's video also became one of the least popular videos in the lifestyle category on YouTube in 2024. This also reflects that users' expectations of public figures in terms of social responsibility are gradually increasing.
What are some ways to convert "dislikes" into "likes"?
Test content on a small scale
If conditions permit, you can share your video with 10-20 trusted audiences before publishing it. And ask them targeted questions:
"Does the message conveyed by the video meet your expectations?"
"How do you feel when you see this video?"
Although your video does not need to be particularly good, at least do not cause users' anger.
Control the ratio of "dislikes"
A normal YouTube video "unlike" ratio should be maintained at 10%. For example, you can use TubeBuddy to track user emotions in real time. If you find that the number of "dislikes" given to your video by users has surged, please take action quickly:
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Change the video: You can delete the controversial clips in the video, but it is recommended that you do not delete all the content.
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Sincerely reply to netizens: You can respond to user criticism in top comments or community posts.
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Conduct A/B testing: Change the title and content of the video to see if the user's emotions change.
Make good use of YouTube's algorithm
YouTube's algorithm is determined by the user's viewing time and quality.
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Set the beginning of the video: Try to capture the user's interest in the first 15 seconds of the video (for example, "The truth about X").
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Interact more in the middle of the video: Interact more with the user in the content to keep the audience interested.
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Set a guide at the end of the video: attract the audience to continue to pay attention to the subsequent content and reduce their attention to the not-so-good content in the early stage.
Respond appropriately to negative messages
When Snow White sparked controversy due to casting errors, Disney's silence only exacerbated users' negative emotions. In contrast, Linus Tech Tips once sparked user dissatisfaction due to a misleading product article. However, after being criticized, they released a follow-up video titled "We Screwed Up - Why" to publicly point out the mistakes in the video and attach a plan to correct them. The final result was a 30% drop in the number of dislikes, and the trust relationship between users and bloggers was restored to its original state.
Avoid polarizing tropes
Don’t include too many political messages in your videos.
Say no to stereotypes: Like H&M’s 2024 holiday ad, it has been accused of perpetuating stereotypes, which brands shouldn’t do.
Avoid excessive following: Saturated challenges like “Let’s get spit on” are best not used too often, as users will get tired of them.
Tools to avoid your video becoming the most disliked YouTube video
| Tool | Use Case |
| SocialBlade | Track most disliked YouTube video ratios |
| Canva | Test thumbnail effectiveness pre-launch |
| Hootsuite | Schedule damage-control community posts |
| YouTube Studio | Audit and unlist outdated content |
What should you do when you encounter user dislikes and strong opposition?
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Pause your promotional activities: Stop all advertisements about the video to reduce exposure and popularity, and reduce user comments.
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Regularly analyze and give feedback: Sort the comments under the video by "most likes" to find out the not-so-good reviews.
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Reasonably publish an "apology statement": Sincerely respond to the unreasonable parts of the video and sincerely apologize to the users. Sincerity can move people's hearts.
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Update the original data: For example, modify the title, description, and tags to avoid the appearance of wrong information.
Conclusion
Avoiding your YouTube videos from being labeled as "most disliked" is not about saving yourself, but doing the right thing. For example, you can avoid pitfalls and build lasting loyalty with users by testing content in a small range in advance, respecting user evaluations, and analyzing data reasonably.
Are you ready to change your video content? First, you need to review the proportion of most disliked YouTube videos in your channel, and then use the various techniques in this guide. The "dislike" button does not mean that users don't like you, but it is to help you do better. Let's get started.
Want to earn more likes and followers on YouTube? Check out the posts below:
FAQs
Can YouTube creators still see dislikes?
The dislike count isn't publicly available to viewers, but creators can access the data within the Creator Studio, YouTube's central channel management hub. Keep an eye on your dislike metrics just as you would any other video performance statistics. Do your dislikes fluctuate across videos?
Does dislikes affect YouTube monetization?
One of the creators' most common questions is whether dislikes hurt their ability to make money. Luckily, they don't directly affect your earnings, but they can impact your channel's overall revenue in a few ways.
What's the most disliked song ever?
"Friday" has been widely described as the worst song ever recorded, attracting derision for its lyrical content and heavy use of Auto-Tune. The song became an Internet meme and the subject of multiple parodies and ridicule.
Why did YouTube become pink?
The gradual transition from red to pink in the YouTube progress bar reflects the platform's ongoing visual evolution. When playing a video, the progress bar now showcases a gradient tone that starts with YouTube's traditional red and fades to a lighter pink tone, adding a modernized look.
What is the most disliked thing on YouTube?
YouTube Rewind 2018 is the single most disliked video on YouTube, receiving over 19 million dislikes since its upload on December 6, 2018. YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind surpassed "Baby" to become the most-disliked YouTube video within a week of being uploaded.
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million views?
YouTube does not pay a fixed amount for 1 million views. The amount a creator earns for 1 million views varies greatly, but the average could be around $2,950. Factors like ad revenue, niche, and geography influence earnings per view.
Written by
Kimmy
Published on
May 7, 2025
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