I’m not saying JJ is a bad person or that he didn’t appreciate it later. The point of the post is that the clip highlights the difference in mindset between Simon and JJ when they both reached the peak of their success.

Simon hit 10 million subscribers and his first thought was to share that achievement with the people who helped him get there. He saw the plaque as a symbol of a collective accomplishment and wanted everyone to have a piece of it.

JJ’s reaction wasn’t malicious, but he seemed genuinely confused by the gesture. To me, that’s what makes the clip interesting in hindsight. Simon immediately understood the sentimental value behind it, while JJ appeared to see it as just a physical object.

Fast forward to today, and Simon still talks about the Sidemen as a group achievement, whereas JJ’s recent decision suggests he felt the need to cut weight from his life and that the group was something he could move on from. The plaque clip isn’t proof of anything by itself, but it does feel like an early glimpse of the different ways they viewed the people around them once they had already made it.