If you add up the number of followers she has on the various social networks, you get an amount that far exceeds the size of the population in Israel.
That doesn't stop American YouTube star Trisha Fates from going crazy over our local version of "Big Brother."
"I follow 'Big Brother' Israel on Instagram and I love your version," says Feights, who boasts 5.4 million followers on her YouTube channel alone ("blndsundoll4mj") and an additional 6.4 million followers on her tiktok channel.
"I can only see short clips that are uploaded to YouTube from the show, but it's much more interesting than the American or British version."
Would you like to participate in the Israeli version of reality?
"I would love to! I am willing to learn Hebrew 24 hours a day to participate in the program. I would also be really happy to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest. But the most important thing for me is to know that I respect Israel and Israeli culture." And that's so wrong. "
Fates (33) knows what she's talking about.
Even before she participated in the 20th season of "Big Brother" Britain in 2017, which she left after 11 days, she was already a kind of mini-celebrity and no small network anchor who always provoked many reactions, positive and negative.
After appearances in several series, movies, podcasts and various shows, launching an album of covers, clips and singles - Fights is a very familiar name even for those who do not waste their time on YouTube.
Those who are more knowledgeable about the platform will argue with you if it is a "troll" or a person with good intentions who is simply not properly understood, but the videos she uploads, in which she expresses her opinion on explosive issues, often provoke arguments and anger among viewers, and are often discussed Also on gossip sites abroad.
"I was really happy to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest."
Trisha Fates, Photo: YouTube
Eliad!
Oh my god
Fates' connection to the Holy Land does not end with a fragmented viewing of the Israeli "Big Brother."
Tal Musari, Oren Hazan, and Tamir from "The Big Brother" are just some of the Israelis she follows. Israeli fiancée Moshe Hakmon ("Moses"). Although she knows almost no word in Hebrew, she performed the full text in the original language. Although it is difficult to understand all the words because of the heavy accent, it is safe to say that the result is satisfactory.
"The most important thing for me is for them to know that I respect Israel and Israeli culture. Sometimes I am accused of mocking religion when I upload videos about Judaism, which is so untrue."
Like all of her videos, the cover of "Your Quiet" garnered many reactions, but one particularly moved the star - Eliad Nahum himself, who responded to her in English and wrote: "Good work with the song and the Hebrew!", Which greatly pleased Feights, who wrote Lou back: "Eliad !! Or Mae Gad, I love you so much!".
"I was very excited to see the response," she says, after a failed attempt to conduct the interview in Hebrew ("I speak little Hebrew").
"I was embarrassed because I did not know how they would react to me in Israel and I did not ask him for permission to perform the cover. When I saw that he was enthusiastic I was very happy because I really like him, he is a very big celeb in my eyes. My hands on him. He's amazing. "
How did you even get to listen to Eliad's songs?
"I found him in Tiktok when I was looking for duets in Hebrew. I learned the song to impress my fiancé, but he told me my accent was not good, so I heard it over and over again. Moses explained to me what the words meant so I could understand what I was saying."
Do you get to hear Israeli music in general?
"I got to hear older songs, for example Dana International from the Eurovision Song Contest. I like her music but it's a bit old style. I also really like Neta Barzilai. I love Israeli culture, Judaism, everything related to it."
"People get upset that he served in the military."
Trisha and Moses, Photo: YouTube
Light in dark times
As mentioned, Eliad was not the only one to comment on the cover in Hebrew. The video with the set and the effects invested, which in a few days garnered about 150,000 views, received almost twice as many "Like" markings as "Like" and many reactions ranging from rage to insults.
As mentioned, this is not the first time her videos have been controversial.
When asked why she thinks viewers have reacted wickedly to her, and that the trend in which her videos get more "likes" than "likes" seems to have been going on for a long time, she claims she does not know why, but explains that she thinks people hang on to who she was in the past. variable.
"I had a lot of hatred in my heart, but I changed, and people are not willing to accept that," she says.
"For me it's okay, I always find light in dark times, and can be a living testimony to someone who has changed greatly. When I started to accept all this hatred towards me I realized I needed to change myself and become positive, and now I meditate, choose to feel good and feel good."
"I do not understand the conflict too much, but since I'm with Moses and we're talking about Israel, people are really upset about it."
If Fates really does not know what caused the waves of hatred towards her, or whether she prefers to keep the reasons modest, it is difficult to say, because scandals have been a smooth dose for a long time. Among other things, she declared that she identifies as transgender and feels like a gay man because she is "attracted to proud men and loves glam and glamor"; Who no longer identifies as a human being; Asked that many use body pronouns when talking about her; Made use of Blackface. She also declared that she had an identity disorder, and admitted that she had a constant need for attention. In an interview with Business Insider, she revealed that some of her more delusional videos were uploaded "just to get views", and also admitted that she sometimes portrays herself as "dumber than she really is" because she said people would not watch her if she was loyal to herself and who she was. .
But whatever they say about her, and she says herself whatever she wants, there are things that cannot be taken away from her, including the astonishing power of her in the depths of the global entertainment industry.
Fates has published 11 books (whose names, in free translation, range from "The History of My Insanity" to "101 Songs About My Ex"), a series of facial care products (received mixed reviews) and managed to document her full life, including loves, separations, conflicts , Binging and crying on the kitchen floor in countless videos, all packed into a cheerful, glamorous, giggling and good-natured personality that does not always materialize.
Loves Jewish guys
Moses, her 44-year-old Israeli fiancée, met Pates through his sister, Hila, who is married to the successful YouTuber Eitan Klein, a network star in his own right who produces podcasts that receive millions of views.
"I participated in their podcast and in the process the Corona closure began, because of which Brother Moses could not come," recalls Fates.
"They told me about him because they knew he was my tape recorder - I love Jewish guys - and then we decided to do the quarantine together, he and I, and nine months after we started dating - we got engaged."
Moses, who is present in many of her videos, seems to be the exact opposite of Fates - calm, quiet and peaceful.
"He never gets upset and that's what helps me relax," she laughs.
Celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Trisha Fates
Have you had a connection to Israel or Judaism before?
"I was always attracted to this culture and went out with Jews, but even if they were very interested they did not want to marry me because I was not Jewish, or they did not take me seriously when I said I was willing to convert. With Moses it was not a matter for discussion, he told me I was "You don't have to convert. In my eyes, Jews are a more respectful couple."
Are you still thinking of converting?
"I planned to convert but I do not know if I will make it before the wedding. We want to come to Israel in February or March. Moses is not really religious, I try to keep kosher in many cases but it is less than a year. I even wanted to fast on Yom Kippur, and he said he should not "There was no fasting. But his mother keeps kosher, and I love that concept."
I saw that you uploaded some videos in which you hold the Passover and Rosh Hashanah Seder.
"I went out with American Jews and they did not teach me anything about the holidays. The previous Rosh Hashanah was my first and I was really excited to celebrate it. People do not talk enough about the Jewish holidays, what a seder plate says, for me it's cooler than Easter because it's biblical." ".
Celebrating Seder night. Trisha Fates
When she got engaged, she received quite a few harsh reactions following the relationship with the Israeli guy.
"We had to block a lot of reactions for Palestine and against us," she shares. I get annoyed by this, by the fact that my wedding dress is designed by Galia Lahav, by the fact that he is Israeli, that he served in the army, but I get hatred in general, both from Jews who do not want me to convert and marry a Jew, and from full Jews who preach that I leave Jesus.
"I would like to move to Israel for at least a year, but Moses is not closed on that yet. In general we have no plans at the moment. This is my first time I will be in Israel, although my father was in Israel several times when he did trips with the Catholic Church. ".
"Type of certificate".
Eliad Nahum, Photo: Eran Levy
Eliad's side
Eliad Nahum had not known Trisha Fates before - not a real acquaintance, anyway, but only through ticking.
"Every song I uploaded in Hebrew to Tiktok received a duet from it," he says.
"She wrote to me that her friend is Israeli and that's how she learns Hebrew. It's nice, but I did not expect at all the crazy production of this clip. I was really surprised when I saw the photography and the costume of the marine creature in the clip."
Did you get comments from abroad?
"Yes, many commented on me on the song or came to hear the original following the Trisha clip.
I also released a few songs in English, which generally brought me a lot of audiences from abroad. I would say that my music is not detached from the American one. Even if you do not understand the language, the melodies and melody are very communicative with what is happening abroad. "
What did you think of the fact that a successful American YouTuber had uploaded a cover of your song?
"I think it's very brave to upload a song in Hebrew to a channel with millions of subscribers who all speak English, and another clip so invested that when I sent it to people they asked if she took scenes from a movie starring and pasted on the song. It moved me, it was such a confirmation for me I am told in Israel that I sing well in English and my music can work abroad as well. "I have now done a duet with an American singer named Rotimi, and this is the first time that an Israeli artist is hosted on an American album, usually the opposite."
I saw comments that suggested that the name of the song would translate better to "your inner peace" than "your silence", which sounds like "your silence".
"I was debating the question of how to read it in English, but it seemed to me that even in the sense of 'your silence' it fits. It was written during the Corona closure, and it's a kind of song of encouragement for me and my girlfriend. "Just a period, I'm with you." It got us down.