PHOSPHOR DIGITAL COVER
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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