From Viral Stunts to Children's Empire: the Complete Timeline of the Blippi Video

An essential feature on From Viral Stunts to Children's Empire: the Complete Timeline of the Blippi Video, featuring in-depth facts.

In February 2013, the electronic music producer Baauer saw his track "Harlem Shake" explode into a worldwide video craze. Millions of creators uploaded 30-second clips following a strict formula: one person dancing alone in a crowd until the bass drop, followed by sudden cuts to wild, chaotic group dancing. Stevin John decided to publish his own version.

Uploaded to his domain, the Steezy Grossman rendition followed the standard setup before taking a shocking turn. When the bass dropped, the camera cut to John perched above a companion lying naked on the floor. John proceeded to forcefully defecate onto his friend. The video concluded with a brief, frenzied dance routine before fading to black.

By 2014, John had completely abandoned the Steezy Grossman persona. Seeing his two-year-old nephew watching low-budget, poorly edited toddler videos on YouTube, John saw an enormous business void. He designed the high-contrast orange-and-blue costume, created the energetic persona of Blippi, and uploaded his first educational video in January 2014. Within five years, Blippi amassed over 5.5 billion views and 10 million subscribers, becoming a ubiquitous household fixture for families worldwide.

The past caught up with the franchise on February 14, 2019, when BuzzFeed News published a thorough report identifying Stevin John as the creator and performer of the 2013 clip. Newsweek and entertainment outlets picked up the story within hours. Facing immediate brand fallout, John delivered an unambiguous written apology to BuzzFeed News:

"At the time, I thought this sort of thing was funny, but really it was just stupid and tasteless, and I regret having ever made it," John stated. "I've grown up a lot since then, and I hope people can see my character today through the positive work I do."