By: Alexandria McLean | @itbalexandria

With 2.75 million subscribers, Canada is proud to claim Matthew Santoro as our own YouTube celebrity.  Former content consumer, Matthew has shifted to the role of a content creator by posting weekly videos. His weekly videos are both educational and comedic. Counting down ten things each week, Matthew’s video titles include “The 10 WEIRDEST Dinosaurs You Never Knew Existed” and “10 Fictional Places That Actually EXIST”.

In the least year alone, Matthew’s audience has grown from thirty thousand subscribers to 2.75 million subscribers! The Magazine got the chance to sit down with Matthew Santoro to talk first joining YouTube, and to create an interesting fact list of our own!

 

The Magazine: What made you first start making YouTube videos?

Matthew: In 2010, I started watching various YouTubers. After watching them for a while, I realized that these weren’t people making one off videos. These were people making weekly, bi-weekly or sometimes even daily videos. They had gathered an online audience, and they had fans, and they were Internet famous. I just thought that was an amazing thing. What really turned me on to it was that these are just regular people who are making videos from their apartments in some cases. That really intrigued me. My whole life I have always enjoyed being a goofball and entertaining people, so I thought you know this is my chance to do this and if they can do it, I can do it. So I started doing it. So, just over four years later, here I am with YouTube as my full time job.

The Magazine: How did you come up with the idea to post lists of interesting and shocking facts? 

Matthew: I have sort have always done lists. I always enjoyed that format. I think it’s a format that is easily digestible. People understand it and know what they are getting into. What made me just get into it was that it is just a nice clean way of presenting information. 

The Magazine: We thought could make our own list, 10 Interesting Facts about Matthew Santoro?

Matthew: Okay, we can do this!

Favourite movie? Get The To The Greek

Favourite thing from Tim Horton’s? Turkey sausage breakfast wrap

Favourite winter sport? Hockey

Favourite hockey team? Not a sports guy, but Toronto Maple Leafs

Most embarrassing song you have on your iTunes? Toxic by Britney Spears

Favourite colour?  Red

Favourite food? Chicken fingers and fries

Favourite type of music? Rap

Favourite TV Show? Breaking Bad

Best concert you have been to? Kid Cudi in Toronto featuring Big Sean

The Magazine: You will be showcasing a video on Sunday here at Buffer Festival that features YouTubers Rhett and Link. What can fans expect from that?

Matthew: How did you know that? Ahaha! I will be premiering a video. It will be number 10 of my 50 Amazing Facts series, and Rhett and Link will be alternating reading the facts with myself.

The Magazine: What has been the most surreal moment for you so far?

Matthew: The biggest thing that happened to me through my YouTube career that really made me go wow actually had nothing to do with being on YouTube itself. It was actually this year. I was at the Just For Laughs Festival and this was the first year they invited YouTubers to be a part of the event and were kind of bringing traditional comedians with online people together. I met Russell Peters at a party, and he knew who I was before I met him. I met him and he stood back and said, “Hey, it’s the list guy!” He took a Instagram picture with me and everything! He gave me his number and we are going to be working together in the future, which is super exciting. That is the biggest thing that comes to mind. That was the moment when I was like “Wow, a lot more people watch YouTube videos then you might realize. Even famous people!” When somebody I have always watched and looked up to and thought was hilarious knew who I was and watched my content…that just blew my mind.

The Magazine: Your 100^th video was a massive collaboration. If you had to pick one YouTuber to make a real full-length collaboration with, who would it be?

Matthew: One person? Oh boy. Actually, my first thought would be Epic Meal Time only because I have always wanted to work with them and they are Canadian boys. I think it would be a great mix. That would be the male side of it. If I had to choose a female, Jenna Marbles.

Thanks Matthew!

Matthew will be premiering an all-new video featuring YouTube stars Rhett and Link at Buffer Festival. If you cannot make it to the event, expect to see it on his channel soon.

(Photo Credit: Matthew Santoro)