Phosphor Magazine, Digital - Ashley Alexander

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Ashley Alexander

ASHLEY ALEXANDER

Photography IRENE CHEN. Fashion JAIIN KANG.

I thought we would start off with

When I was in college, and I was

The style of your videos has

a fun little game of Would You

taking bio, chemistry, physics, and

evolved a lot from when you

Rather. Your first question is,

all those hard classes, I [realized

first started your channel. Did

would you rather be immortal or

that] I would rather have a more

you always have a vision of your

have the choice to be reincarnated

creative career, so I decided to try

videos in the style they are now,

as any animal of your choosing?

YouTube on the side. [I wanted

or did you have to experiment

I would probably choose to be

to] see if I could do [YouTube] as

through trial and error? How did

reincarnated as a red panda.

my job if I was able to grow [my

the current version of your videos

channel] in college. If it didn’t work

come to be?

Is that your favorite animal?

out, then I would just continue with

It definitely took a lot of trial and

It is.

my biology degree, and if it did,

error. When I first started YouTube,

I could do YouTube. I took a little

I did a lot of hauls, which was

Would you rather have a clone or a

bit of a risk, but I always had my

really popular back in the day.

personal robot for a day?

backup.

I don’t know that they’re super

I’m going to have to go [with a] clone because that would be crazy.

popular anymore now as much as It’s always nice to have something

they were at the time. [My videos

to fall back on when it comes

have] evolved more into vlogs and

Would you rather visit a country

to stuff like that. What did you

challenges here and there, which

you’ve always dreamed of visiting

originally want to do with your

I actually like to do the [most].

but only for a day, or live on your

biology degree, and what do you

I’m really happy that my channel

own private island but no one else

think you would be doing right

is mostly [vlogs] and lifestyle

would be allowed to visit?

now if you weren’t doing YouTube?

content, because that’s my favorite

I would probably visit a country I

When I first started college, I

content to make and to watch.

want to go to for a day, because if

was going to try to go to medical

It’s evolved a little bit, but at the

I’m alone, it’s not as fun.

school and potentially do either

same time, [I always] envisioned

ophthalmology or dermatology.

vlogging as being my main thing.

Which countries would you visit?

[They] were [the] top two

I’d probably go to Korea because

specialties that I was [really]

You were born in America, but

I’ve never been, or Thailand

interested in. I think if I didn’t do

your mother is also from Korea.

because Thai food is my favorite.

YouTube, I probably would be

What kind of exposure to Korean

grinding it out in medical school

culture did you have growing up,

right now if I got in.

and how did the two cultures

You started your YouTube channel, Ur Mom Ashley, while you

blend together?

were in college. What inspired you

If you’re going to be a doctor,

My mom moved to America when

to start a YouTube channel during

that’s a good seven to eight years

she was very young, so I feel

that period of your life?

of college.

like my mom has also grown up

I actually always wanted to do

For sure. I would still be in school

pretty Americanized in a sense.

YouTube. I grew up watching a lot

right now if I didn’t do YouTube.

My upbringing was definitely

of the beauty gurus, and [some

very [Americanized, growing] up

time around] 2013, [I started

I don’t think I like any profession

in the suburbs, but at the same

watching a lot of people like]

enough to go to school for eight

time, my mom has always made

Bethany Mota. I had always had

years, so if you did, kudos to you.

a good effort to cook us Korean

itin the back of my mind that it was

I did like school a lot, so I would be

food and involve us in the culture. I

something that I wanted to do.

able to tough it out.

remember watching a lot of K-pop

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[and] K-dramas as a young kid,

goal of mine is to share my life and

I would love to potentially restart

which is where she introduced me

have a place to look back on my

the podcast. Maybe next year.

to more Korean culture as well.

memories and the things that I’ve

I don’t know if it will be under

done. When I started YouTube,

the same name or [a] different

I mean, K-pop is all the rage these

one of my biggest goals was to hit

name. I’ve really [missed] having

days, so your mom was showing

a million subscribers. I feel like a

that super tight bond with my

you the trends before they

lot of YouTubers’ goal is to hit that

community that I feel like I had

happened.

milestone as well.

when I did the podcast, so maybe

She was ahead of her time. I

in the future, I’ll have another

remember listening to K-pop back

In addition to your YouTube

in 2006, so a long time ago.

channel, you started a podcast

podcast. We’ll see.

called Extra Dynamic in 2020.

Is there a message that you would

As a society, we’ve gotten

What made you want to branch

like people to take away from

better at showcasing different

out into creating a podcast?

watching your videos or listening

cultures and heritages, but of

I started the podcast over Covid

to your podcast?

course there’s always room for

when I had a little more time. I

I mostly just want people to [have]

improvement within that. What

thought it was the best way to

a good laugh or [feel] like they

do you hope to see in terms of

really connect with my audience

have more of a sense of optimism.

representation for Asian culture in

and talk to them in a different

Something that I love so much

the future?

way than I could in a YouTube

about YouTube, [podcasts], or

In recent years, I’ve seen a lot of

video. [I could go] a little deeper,

things like that is impacting the

changes in media representation in

longer, get into the nitty-gritty of

feeling that someone has when

Hollywood and on YouTube. [There

it, explain more of who I [was] and

they go throughout their day,

are] a lot more creators, actors,

random things about my life. Extra

whether they watch my videos

[and] people like that in the media

Dynamic, as a term, [came] from

to relax or just to enjoy [them].

world, which has been really, really

having my siblings in my videos.

Making them feel better or happier

awesome. A lot of my demographic

They would either be in the video

is really the main goal.

are Asian American girls, so it’s

with me or behind the camera, and

really cool to connect with them

I would say that my siblings [were]

What is something important

and hopefully be a role model. It’s a

there for extra dynamic. What it

people should know about you

different responsibility. [I want to]

means to me is that there’s a little

that they may not already know,

show people that [they] can do

extra pizzazz, a little extra fun, or

whether they’re a new viewer,

YouTube too. That’s my goal.

something extra. With the podcast,

an old viewer, or somewhere in

I wanted to go deeper with that

between?

Did you have any specific goals or

and share the extra dynamic with

Something that people wouldn’t

objectives in mind when you first

everyone more.

think about me is that internally, I

started your YouTube channel?

feel like I’m a very shy person. I’ve

Are those goals still the same

The quarantine was a perfect time

labeled myself as a shy person,

today, or have they changed over

to work on projects like that, plus

[even] growing up. I do YouTube,

time?

you get to go more into detail with

so most people [probably] think

My goals are still pretty similar to

a forty-minute podcast than you

[that I’m] extroverted [since]

this day. My main goal is to build

do in a ten-minute video. Do you

I’m talking to the camera. I’m

a community of people [who] all

have any other plans for the Extra

comfortable in front of the camera,

have similar interests. Another

Dynamic brand in the future?

and I think doing YouTube has

PHO S P HOR • ASHLEY A L EXA N DER

11

definitely made me more

YouTube has helped us really

How do you think that might

extroverted — or maybe I am

strengthen our bonds, especially

evolve in the future?

an extrovert now — but when I

with my siblings. Because of

From here on out, I think vertical

started out [on] YouTube, I was

YouTube, [we’re always] filming

videos are going to become

not an extrovert. Even if you feel

together, doing challenges

more and more popular. For me,

shy, if you want to do YouTube, it’s

together, traveling together, and

it definitely means I need to be

still totally doable, and you don’t

vlogging it. Just the act of doing

better about posting vertical

need to have a super big, loud

that has brought us much closer. [If

videos, which [is] hard for me as

personality to make it on there.

I didn’t have] a YouTube channel,

someone who’s so coded to do

I wouldn’t be like, “Oh, I’m [doinga

YouTube and long-form horizontal

You vlog a lot of your daily life.

let’s make] boba challenge.”

videos. With TikTok, though, there’s

How do you find a balance

Because of YouTube, I’ve had

not as high of a barrier to entry for

between the moments you share

the ability to do that and have

new creators, which is really cool.

on camera with your viewers and

fun with my siblings in that way,

It makes it more accessible for

those you keep private?

and it’s definitely made us a lot

more people.

That’s the question, even for me

closer. Even with my boyfriend, we

to this day. It’s still something

wouldn’t have met if we both didn’t

With 2023 coming to a close, what

that is pretty difficult to balance

do YouTube. It’s just crazy how

are you looking forward to in the

sometimes, but I feel like I’m

doing YouTube has cultivated a lot

remainder of the year or early

learning more and more with

of relationships for me.

next year, either personally or

trial and error how to balance it

professionally?

properly. Luckily, the people in

YouTube has changed a lot

I recently moved [in] with my sister,

my life that I film with are always

throughout the years, and the

so we’re living together now. I’m

super open to filming with me, and

things that made a creator

really excited to hang out with her

we always have a good time. I try

successful back then are very

more for the rest of the year. We

to pick and choose the moments

different from what they are

have a whole year lease, so who

I want to share. I can’t have

now. What do you think makes

knows? I’m really excited to film

every vulnerable moment online

someone a successful creator on

more with her, and it’s her first time

necessarily, but I try to film things

YouTube today?

living in New York [City], so getting

I think my viewers would enjoy

When I first started YouTube,

to show her around will be really

watching or [find] interesting. At

TikTok wasn’t even a thing, so you

cool. Other than that, I’m excited to

the same time, I try not to share

could really focus on horizontal

continue traveling. I have [another]

too much. It’s always a hard

videos only. Now, if you want

trip to Japan coming up very soon,

balance to figure out.

to be a successful creator, [you

so [I’m] doing some more research.

have] to prioritize both vertical

I’m trying to potentially work on a

You include your family and your

and horizontal videos if you can,

matcha brand, so we’re getting the

boyfriend in a lot of your vlogs.

which is a lot harder in a sense

research in, and I’m excited to work

How has doing YouTube with them

because it’s more to balance. I

on that, too.

impacted your relationship with

think [doing] vertical videos [and]

them? Are there any experiences

being on multiple platforms like

that doing YouTube with them

Instagram, TikTok, [and] YouTube

has allowed you to have that

[simultaneously] is what helps

you maybe wouldn’t have had

to make someone a successful

otherwise?

creator today.

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