I live in LA. Two times I was amidst a famous YouTube celebrity and had no idea.

Their cover was blown the same way each time, by children probably between 9 and 13.

It looked like a celebrity run in from an episode of I Love Lucy.

I really try to stay current in order to stay relevant, but both those times really illustrated the futility of such a pursuit:

1. There's YouTube celebrities.

2. They are just as legitimate as any other celebrity.

3. Children don't seem to distinguish or rank celebrities based on their medium.

4. YouTube is much closer to pop music; there's some mass appeal that has nothing to do with how clever or sophisticated it is.

YouTube is similar to MTV in the 80s in terms of appeal and sophistication. Thats why anybody who is big there will not be considered a "real" celeb by people who dont have a clue. But dont be surprised when you see the channel DisneyCarToys advertising the new Disney movie (they already do). The amount of influence these channels have is inmense. Most people dont get it (including so called smart business people). Media as we know it will not exist in 5 years.

I live in LA too and my girlfriend is a frequent guest on a huge Youtube channel.

The majority of people who recognize her are kids from Sunday school. It's hilarious and their parents have no idea what's going on.

Im always interested in networking with YouTube influencers. Your gf have a website/social profile?