Jus Reign
Jasmeet Singh | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Born |
Jasmeet Singh November 4, 1989 Guelph, Ontario, Canada |
YouTube information | |
Channel | JusReign |
Years active | 2009–present |
Genre | Comedy |
Subscribers |
780,551 (November 2016) |
Total views |
118.5 million (November 2016) |
Jasmeet Singh (born November 4, 1988), professionally known as JusReign, is a Canadian Sikh comedian, YouTube personality, and one of Much Digital Studios' original creators.[1] His comedic videos and pop culture parodies propelled him to internet fame, and since 2009 he has amassed more than 750,000 YouTube subscribers,[2] nearly a billion loops on Vine[3] and one of the largest followings on Snapchat in Canada.[4]
Early life
Jasmeet Singh was raised in Scarbrough, Ontario[5] in a Sikh family.[6] He attended the University of Guelph, where he originally studied to become a doctor to appease his parents' wishes.[7] Eventually, the sketches Singh was creating on the side went viral and his parents accepted that their son had found success.[8]
Career
Singh’s upbringing and his South-Asian roots have provided material for his viral videos. Most of his work contains pop culture parodies, while others provide commentary on race, and his struggles with racism.[9]
Singh posted his first YouTube video in 2009, and today, he has earned more than 750,000 YouTube subscribers.[10] Singh is also one of Much Digital Studios' original creators, among a roster of various other online influencers.[11]
Singh appeared in two movies in 2015, one of which was filmed in India.[12] Also in 2015, he was the red carpet correspondent for the Much Music Video Awards.[13]
In June 2016 Singh was featured as a guest writer in 24 Hours Toronto's daily city snapshot "The Six in Toronto", highlighting hot spots to eat and hang out in Toronto.[14] In summer 2016 Singh was included in The Bay St. Bull's "Power 50" list of most influential Canadians for his entrepreneurial skills and online notoriety.[15] On June 19, 2016 he co-hosted the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards Red Carpet, speaking to stars like Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds) and Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf).[16]
Jus Reign made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in a creator edition of the show's Mean Tweets" segment in June 2016.[17]
Controversy
On Monday, February 22, 2016 Singh was forced to remove his turban at an airport in San Francisco, before boarding a flight to Toronto.[18][19][20] Singh, who has a Sikh background, wears a turban for religious reasons.[21][22]
After being told to either remove his turban or book another flight, Singh complied, removing his turban in a private room.[23] After completing the security check, Singh asked if security officials could provide him with a mirror so he could reapply his turban in private. But TSA agents refused, suggesting he walk across the terminal to a public restroom — his head still uncovered — and use a mirror there.[24][25] Singh noted the experience was an embarrassing and sensitive ordeal, and that a simple fix, like adding a mirror to the private screening area, would have been more respectful.[26]
The incident led to backlash on Twitter and garnered international headlines in Cosmopolitan India,[27] Seventeen,[28] NY Daily News,[29] and BBC Asia.[30] While a TSA spokeperson made a statement explaining the screening processes for religious garments, they did not apologize directly for the incident with Jus Reign. After the incident, Jus Reign took his frustration over the issue over social media, which sparked a media outrage over TSA racial profiling in general.[31]
Works
Awards
- Sikh Heritage Award (2016: Awarded Outstanding Member of Sikh)[32]
- Shorty Awards (2015: Nominee YouTube Comedian of the Year)[33]
- Playback Magazine's 5 To Watch (2015)[34]
- Streamy Award (2016: Nominated for Best Collaboration)[35]
- Next Media Award (2016: YouTuber Of The Year)[36]
References
- ↑ Cummins, Julianna. "Jus Reign selected for Sundance-YouTube program". Playback Magazine. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ↑ "Bay St. Bull Power 50-Jus Reign: Youtuber, Comedian, Much Music Digital Studios creator". Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ "JUS REIGN 8TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS Finalist in YOUTUBE COMEDIAN". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ↑ "Jus Reign". Much.com. Much. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ Dart, Chris. "THow three local comics found global fame". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Carrington, Julian. "The comedy ceiling: Toronto's comics of colour are ready for their close-up". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Bhandari, Aparita. "From University of Guelph YouTube sensations to Punjabi movie stars". Guelph Mercury Tribune. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Sufrin, Jon. "Q&A: Jasmeet Singh, the biggest GTA celebrity you've never heard of (unless you've heard of Jus Reign)". Toronto Life. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ Sufrin, Jon. "Q&A: Jasmeet Singh, the biggest GTA celebrity you've never heard of (unless you've heard of Jus Reign)". Toronto Life. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ "Bay St. Bull Power 50-Jus Reign: Youtuber, Comedian, Much Music Digital Studios creator". Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Cummins, Julianna. "Jus Reign selected for Sundance-YouTube program". Playback Magazine. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ↑ http://torontolife.com/city/qa-jasmeet-singh-jus-reign-youtube-vine/
- ↑ Yeung, Lisa. "Just A Few Of The Times Jus Reign Owned The 2015 MMVA Red Carpet". Huffington Post.
- ↑ Reign, Jus. "THE SIX: Jus Reign makes his pix". 24 Hours Toronto. 24 Hours Toronto.
- ↑ "Bay St. Bull Power 50-Jus Reign: Youtuber, Comedian, Much Music Digital Studios creator". Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ↑ Stevenson, Jane. "MMVAs: The best sound bites from the red carpet". Toronto Sun. Toronto Sun.
- ↑ Kimmel, Jimmy. "Mean Tweets - Creator Edition". YouTube.
- ↑ Krishnan, Manisha. "Toronto YouTube Star Jus Reign Was Forced to Remove His Turban at a California Airport". Vice News.
- ↑ Kilkenny, Carmel. "Jus Reign forced to remove his turban at airport". CBC Radio Canada International.
- ↑ Green, Jason. "No mirror available for Sikh comedian Jasmeet Singh, aka Jus Reign, during private airport screening". Mercury News San Francisco.
- ↑ "Canadian comedian asked to remove turban at U.S. airport". CTV News.
- ↑ Varagur, Krithika. "Why Are Airports Still So Clueless About Respecting Sikhs?". The Huffington Post.
- ↑ "Canadian YouTube star Jus Reign forced to remove turban to board flight". CBC News.
- ↑ KAI-HWA WANG, FRANCES. "Sikh-Canadian Comedian Says He Was Forced to Remove Turban at San Francisco Airport". NBC News.
- ↑ Joshi, Sonam. "Sikh YouTube star JusReign asked to remove his turban at San Francisco airport". Mashable.
- ↑ "TSA Agents Force Sikh Man To Remove Turban, Make Him Walk Across The Terminal To Put It Back On". ThinkProgress.
- ↑ Mubarak, Salva. "Indian-Canadian YouTuber JusReign was Asked to Walk Across the Airport Without His Turban After a Security Check". Cosmopolitan India.
- ↑ Devoe, Noelle. "Youtube Star JusReign Calls Out TSA After Being Forced to Remove His Turban at the Airport". Seventeen.
- ↑ Good, Dan. "Sikh comedian Jasmeet Singh says airport security made him take off his turban". NY Daily News.
- ↑ "JusReign talks about being asked to remove his turban".
- ↑ Jenkins, Jack. "TSA Agents Force Sikh Man To Remove Turban, Make Him Walk Across The Terminal To Put It Back On". Think Progress.
- ↑ "Brampton celebrates Sikh Heritage Month". The Asian Connections.
- ↑ "Jus Reign". Shorty Awards.
- ↑ Cummins, Julianna. "Playback's 5 to Watch: Jasmeet Singh". Playback Online.
- ↑ "5th Annual Winners and Nominees". Streamy Awards.
- ↑ Archer, Lucas. "Meet Our Digital Influencer of the Week & YouTuber of the Year: Jus Reign!". Next Media.