[I watch a lot of YouTube. It’s the first thing I select when I turn on the TV, seeing what new material has been added. YouTube may feel overwhelming considering how much is there (and how much is just sooooo bad). So, I thought I’d share the Good Stuff I found this past year, posted in 4 parts.]
As a general rule, I am not a fan of Fleetwood Mac. 70s-era AOR leaves me limp (see: Steely Dan). An exception is “The Chain,” which somehow fucking rules. I can’t recall where I heard it specifically this past year (it may have been in Our Flag Means Death), but I wanted to learn more, and this 10-minute explanation of how it got made scratched that itch.
A lot has been said about Everyone Everywhere All at Once, but this video, exploring the non-toxic masculinity of Waymond, provided a fresh take I hadn’t heard elsewhere.
Another worthwhile re-framing of masculinity comes from Like Stories of Old.
“The Bear” was among my favorite television shows of the past year. This video is the first in a series by a professional chef explaining how it compares with his experiences, providing an eye-opening appreciation of what it takes to run a restaurant.
Tim Rogers creates and criticizes video games with an unmatched level of depth, rigor, and, well, poetry. And length. This year’s entry, about a Japanese game from the mid-90s that was never released in English, and centers on a boy’s month in the countryside, clocks in at over 6 hours. But! It’s consumable in chunks, and you’ll be rewarded by Tim’s insight. Of personal interest are dissections of game design choices. If you’re into such dissections, I even more strongly recommend Tim’s exegesis of Tokimeki Memorial, a high school simulator that is a marvel of game, narrative, and interaction design.
In our household, we were fans of the TV show “My Name is Earl.” Somehow, the algorithm showcased this recent conversation with Jason Lee, and clicking in, I dug his affability, charm, and ease.