Part of the issue is that Ballinger happens to have real singing chops: She went to college for vocal performance, and — before making it big on YouTube — had some success as a singer. So when the character she is playing smears lipstick on her mouth and buttons a tidy Oxford, she's making fun of people who dare to pursue a thing they are passionate about. It seems sort of cruel, like she's vacationing in a land of talentless nobodies while relishing the opportunity to mock them.Some people see what Ballinger has done with this character as a way to champion a "do what you love no matter what anyone else says" ethos. Fans of the web series have called Miranda a " champion for the oddball inside of us ."Maybe in more adept hands, Haters Back Off might have been a beacon series for the uncool kids, à la Napoleon Dynamite or even Parks and Recreation. But between the out-of-work uncle, the cans of Vienna sausages, and an overall dreary palette that seems to hint that middle America is somehow low-class, Haters Back Off lacks the heart of other series treading the same themes. Instead, it's winking at the watcher and asking: Isn't this all so pathetic?Which is not to say that Haters Back Off doesn't have high notes: As Patrick, Erik Stocklin is a vision of lovelorn geekdom. Angela Kinsey, who has not been around nearly enough since her days on The Office, also puts on an almost painfully sincere show as the eager-to-please mother with fibromyalgia.But the difference between their characters and Miranda's is empathy — and without more of it, I'm not sure this series hits its mark. Haters Back Off largely preys on the pitiful. It’s also somewhat strange that YouTube has produced a work so acidly insincere. Today, it seems that YouTube stars — Lilly Singh and Patrick Starrr come to mind — traffic in honesty and acceptance. The video-sharing site seemingly rewards those who are vulnerable and encouraging.When it comes down to it, Haters Back Off is neither honest nor accepting. The character scolds those who dare to have confidence, which is just not cool. Yes, haters should back off.But in this series, the victim is just a bully in disguise.Haters Back Off premieres on Netflix October 14.