Sorry for the big rant [...]
One thing you seem to miss is that up until the OF drama iDubbbz was always a winner. Or at least seen as a winner. This really inflated Ian's ego, and while he could make a self deprecating joke - like in the response to Leafy's shot at his receding hairline, he just took a shaving machine and made it even more receding - it was still a win.
The OF controversy was the tipping point of his career as iDubbbz, that took a shape of a slippery slope.
And all of that thanks to Anus! Of course, it was his decision, but his will was already eroded by the narcissistic bitch at his time. Before that, he had enough authority over her to even stop her from going to an e-whore meetup.
Anus herself mentioned that she needs to be kept on a leash. But she poisoned his mind too much. Instead of preventing her retarded actions, he just agrees sheepishly now.
But back to the downfall. Not only edgy comedy was being stomped out by YT, his dumb as rock wife suddenly wanted to rub elbows with leftists and breadtubers. Despite his content being apolitical up to this point (the Overtone's Window panned to the left significantly in just few years, so using slurs like gay retard or nigger faggot would be more associated with the right at the time, they weren't when he used them), he went on a tour pledging his alliance with the left and apologizing for everything he has done before, pretty much alienating not only anyone on the right of the far left, but more significantly all of the fans of his previous work.
During the interview his recollection of a fan shouting nigger in his presence (or whatever the interaction was) always amuses me, as every fandom has some detached from life individuals. Meeting one, extrapolating and generalizing the rest of his fans from it seems also detached from life IMHO. And honestly it's even funnier now, because Ian called him a basement dweller, only to literally become one in just few short years.
The allegory of Filthy Frank jumping ship to his music career as Joji, while overused, is still on point. Ian wanted his career as iDubbbz to pivot towards documentaries. While the first one featuring Airsoft Fatty was a great success, the second with Dax Flame wasn't as interesting to his remaining audience - those who were either new to his character or decided to stick around and give him a chance.
Until the Sam Hyde incident, the third and final documentary, when the Jomha Curse finally reared it's ugly head.
After few years of hindsight and accounting the interactions that followed, it is clear that Ian wanted to punk Sam. To score a win once again, this time against a figure that pretty much symbolized everything he was before the OF incident and everything he was against at that time.
But instead of a win, Ian only sacrificed the remnants of his career, boosting Sam into relevancy. As Sam was someone who started with edgy comedy - just as Ian - but unlike him, Sam stayed true to his path, despite loosing career opportunities along the way.
While the Sam's Fishtank experiment was a success during the events, I'd wager the Sam vs Ian drama only helped Sam.
And Ian? Ian was a broken man. But decided on hosting Creator Clash. I could write a post mortem on CC, but I've rambled enough.
TL;DR:
it seems that God himself is against Mr. Johma.
Taking Anus as his wife has put a Sword of Damocles above his head.
