The Daily Dot is celebrating Woman Crush Wednesday, better known as #WCW on Twitter and Instagram, by highlighting female creators on YouTube whose work we admire.
I distinctly remember the first time I watched the webseriesAdult Wednesday Addams. It was right when the first episode was released, and a mere 15 seconds into the video, I turned to my boss—who has actually seen every YouTube video ever created—and said, “You have to watch this right this minute. This webseries is going to be a hit.”
So who is the genius responsible for moving everyone’s favorite gothic heroine from her parents’ haunted mansion to the smoothie-obsessed streets of Los Angeles?
You can thank Melissa Hunter for that.
An actor, writer, and comedian, Hunter began creating content on YouTube long before her series gained viral fame. A graduate of Northwestern University’s theater program, Hunter has portrayed roles in both traditional media—like shorts Let’s Get Laid! and The Morning After—as well as appearing frequently on Lorne Michaels’ digital network Above Average. She’s an active member of L.A.’s Upright Citizen Brigade and is currently developing a pilot presentation for NBC, after finishing as a finalist for NBC Playground. This could put her on the map as the next Tina Fey, so pay attention.In between her many pursuits, Hunter also managed to create one of YouTube’s most popular webseries. Adult Wednesday Addams answers the question every Addams Family fan has always wondered: What would Wednesday Addams—the girl who could instill more fear in a single glance than a WWE wrestler in a lifetime—grow up to be? We all had our guesses: mortician, taxidermist, Medieval literature professor. But a resident of Los Angeles? You can’t help but love it. Through the eyes of Wednesday Addams, Hunter hilariously exposes just how ridiculous the lifestyle of Los Angeles can be.
The last episode of the second season comes out today. In just seven episodes, this season alone has accumulated 8.5 million views and been praised by such publications as Marie Claire, People, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Nylon. There is nothing that makes me more satisfyingly proud than when an original, creative, worthwhile series is given its due praise. Every episode is worthwhile, but her recent episode “Wednesday vs. Catcallers” stands out from the pack in its comedic handling of the hot topic issue of street harassment.
Through her series, Hunter has become a major influencer, paving a path for female comedians on the platform. Though YouTube is technically available to everyone, it’s still exceedingly rare to see a female-led webseries gain mainstream media recognition. Woman want to see themselves reflected in the digital media they consume, and that’s why Melissa Hunter is so important to YouTube.Now the big question is: When and where will Wednesday Addams be joining us again for season 3?
Screengrab via melissahunter/YouTube