The Problem With 'Video Essays'

In the wake of controversies surrounding creators like Sunnyv2 and iilluminaughtii, we need to have a conversation. What is this video essay/commentary space? How can creators and audiences alike become more conscious with regards to their participation?

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edited by danae o.!

00:00 introduction
02:18 youtube
05:23 the attention economy
11:50 integrity (yeah)

Music:
Phobia by Soundridemusic
Link to Video: • Tense Cinematic N...

Pinely video: How SunnyV2 Ruined Video Essays

Bibliography

Steve Jones (2004). “Jackson steps out as 'Damita Jo'”. USA TODAY.

Claudio Celis Bueno (2016). “The Attention Economy: Labour, Time and Power in Cognitive Capitalism”

Karl Marx (1867). “Das Kapital, Vol. 1”

Other clips (not credited on screen)

The Simpsons - “Krusty Gets Kancelled”

Weezer - “Pork And Beans” music video Weezer - Pork And Beans (Closed Captioned)

[elliotsangestevez]

i want to be clear that i talk about "productive" vs "unproductive" at the end in the sense of producing capital in some sort of way, not in the sense of producing something of use in any context i.e. "productive knowledge" being types of knowledge that can be acted on to benefit subjects in a situation

[Black_pearl_adrift]

Remember when a video essay was a visual rendition of an essay? Like with structure, flow and logic? Now it’s mostly commentary videos with an essay tone

[jonferngut]

the problem with YT commentary is that your average Joe with some editing skills is now able to pass as an authority on sociology, psychology, history, sociopolitics, etc. My favorite commentators are those who assume there are problematic trends after watching 3 tiktoks of some dude doing something and pull a 30-min video out of it.

[FairyBogFather]

we need to get this shit peer-reviewed now lmao

[haphuongnguyen]

"Retiring isn't not producing anything, is not being bothered or dictated by productivity"
That is a nice sentiment to walk away with.

[annaselbdritt]

my favourite video essay about a subject completely foreign to me, is the ones about women's figure skating by Fran - the thumb nail says "No sport for grown women", and the video is titled "What is Happening to Women's Figure Skating? | An Essay | PART 1"

I know (knew?) NOTHING about figure skating, but it was such an enlightening watch, I really recommend it!

[zg]

Three major types of long form video creation: 1. The content farm 2. The jenny nicholson where you just post twice a year 3. The medium where it’s every week or two but they do numbers.

[natatatm]

I'm really glad you used the phrase "actively listening" in regard to video essays. From what I've seen (and do myself) a lot of people put them on while they go about their day, which is a totally valid way to consume that content. However, we've reached a point on YouTube where people who aren't doing the research and taking the time to craft a really good essay can still mirror its aesthetics and if one has it on as background noise they might not take the time to actively dissect whether that content should be taken seriously. Which could lead to being subconsciously influenced by bad takes because our brain has come to identify the characteristics of a "good video essay, " regardless of whether the content actually holds up under scrutiny. Idk, I guess I've been trying to be a lot more aware of that recently, especially as more and more creators have holes poked in their channels that I missed because I wasn't paying close enough attention.

Edit to say I wrote this before you mentioned this in your video, proving the multitasking point 😅 💀

[fjbz]

The problem is they simultaneously appeal to the lowest common denominator and disguise themselves as more dignified than that. Not just in terms of subject but also presentation and substance.

Edit: Apologies for being the cliche liked comment by someone who hasn’t even watched the video yet

[GTaichou]

I think part of why a lot of these documentary videos can come out "flat", as you describe, is kind of an unfortunate feature of how we keep knowledge...
1. Academic resources are often obscure
2. If they are available, often require specific group membership OR paid fees
3. Academic records are incredibly difficult to parse if you are not PART of academia - I would honestly guess that they could technically be linguistically qualified as their own unique dialect

Which leaves what's available to the public to be broad generalizations of a concept, and by virtue of click-based media telephone, often grossly inaccurate compared to its source(s).

I feel the same about thin information, but I also really feel for folks because *I* struggle to find good information in these years 2020+

[chris_troiano]

You’ve got a great point about hyper-specific topics. It connects to your points about content creation as a job, I think. Maybe it’s my bias/trauma as an academic, but I am only motivated to write and create when I feel like I discovered something that no one else has noticed. If I were to do YouTube as a job, that would be unsustainable.

[joojimaikeru]

uh i edited this as a joke and then forgot what i said originally so you’re getting this

[Aranock]

An important thing for me and for understanding my work is that its art, and that creating that art is work as you said. I dont want it to just be consumed I want it to be engaged with, and there's always that struggle against the platforms encouragement of this passive labour as it were of getting people to consume but not engage.

[margauxw]

This issue to me is that these video essays are not peer reviewed and its so easy for folks to tout themselves as an expert when they really are not.

[TheZatzman]

Great video! Shout out to Danae for the editing. The balance of trying not to monetize every aspect of my life vs relaxing and doing things for myself is something I struggle with. Finding the joy in the little things and not viewing everything through a monetary lense is what I strive for.

[Scarshadow]

I think something important to remember is that YouTube is a social media app first and foremost. The main goal has never been about genuinely educating people (that's more of a third or fourth goal because of how easily accessible it is for the general public) - the main goal has always been to get as many eyes glued to a screen as possible to be entertained by randomly made videos and clips.
Entertainment and being addicted to constant engagement online is what YouTube was built for (albeit YouTube in it's early days was way more different, and people weren't on there for psudeo-factual analysis videos - they were there to watch a guy film himself in at a zoo and watch funny comedy sketches).

[JonoSSD]

The problem with commentary is, at least imo, when they stop covering stuff and start looking for stuff to cover.
It might seem like the same thing, but those who look for problems will find them, even if it's only problems in their own mind.

Bad actors aside, nobody can rid their work from their biases, as they shape who we are as people. You can try to keep yourself in check and minimize them, you can disclose your background and what your biases might be, but you can never be 100% impartial. So not acting like you're the arbiter of truth is essential to any essay work. Which is something I think many commentary channels don't do very well, especially as they get older, bigger, easy topics dry out and the all-seeing algorithm demands consistency.

Also, of course, power corrupts. No matter how small the amount is, as people who had to work with supervisors, shift leaders, HOAs and the like everywhere can attest: it doesn't take much for people to believe they can do anything and get away with it.

[youweremymuse]

Video essays are so stale nowadays. The Kardashians will do something and then the next day there will be 10 30min videos about how it all connects to some deep sociological problem, then they'll quote Marx or Bell Hooks to make them seem intellectual and it's all the same thesis regurgitated over and over again. I have a feeling all the good video essays are on nebula now.

[guy-slkr]

Yes hit me with some commentary commentary!

[evilcaptainred]

You put to words what I’ve been noticing—- active and critical listening/ watching is CRITICAL. That’s part of how you can tell the difference