Michel Foucault’s concept of power/knowledge explains how institutions historically controlled knowledge. In the digital age, new epistemic structures have emerged, where YouTubers, representing diverse voices, appear to democratize knowledge and influence public beliefs. However, this study argues that YouTube clickbait comedians, through sensational tactics designed to maximize clicks and views, reinforce the concentration of power within platforms that control visibility and monetization. Their algorithm-driven and commercially oriented systems reproduce what Guy Debord termed the “society of the spectacle,” turning humor into spectacle and encouraging escapism at the expense of meaningful social critique. This study pursues two primary research objectives: first, to examine how YouTube’s algorithmic governance structures epistemic visibility; and second, to investigate the emergence of the clickbait comedian as a new epistemic authority in the digital public sphere. A mixed-method analysis, including quantitative content analysis and qualitative critical investigation of the top 15 YouTube channels using data from the vidIQ platform, reveals three central findings. First, algorithm-aligned humor emerges as a dominant communicative form, structured around engagement optimization, sensationalism, and affective immediacy. Second, visibility and symbolic power are increasingly concentrated, favoring creators who internalize platform logics and adapt their content to algorithmic incentives. Third, the transformation of humor into spectacle generates significant epistemic consequences: authority shifts from institutional expertise to algorithmically amplified performativity, reshaping public discourse and redefining credibility within the digital sphere. Policymakers, educators, and the public must be vigilant about the impact of algorithms and capitalist interests on the digital episteme.