Tag: youtube

The Social Aspect of Reaction Videos: Fostering Community and Shared Experience

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In the digital age, few trends have captured audience attention quite like reaction content. From YouTube to TikTok, creators are finding success by simply reacting to other people’s content. This phenomenon, while not new, has exploded into mainstream entertainment, raising questions about our evolving media consumption habits and the nature of content creation itself.

The Origins and Appeal of Reaction Videos

Reaction videos have been around since the early days of YouTube, with one of the earliest viral examples being reactions to the infamous “2 Girls 1 Cup” video in 2007. The concept is simple: creators film themselves reacting to various media, from music videos and movie trailers to viral clips and news events. But what drives the popularity of this seemingly basic format?

  1. The Social Aspect of Solitary Viewing

One primary reason for the popularity of reaction videos is the sense of shared experience they provide. In an era where streaming services and on-demand content have made entertainment increasingly solitary, reaction videos offer a simulacrum of watching with friends.

As one commenter noted, “It turns out, a lot of people don’t actually enjoy consuming media alone. I’m in that group. I like watching TV and movies with other people, specifically people I like. For me, entertainment is an experience best shared.”

This sentiment echoes a broader trend in media consumption. The era of appointment viewing, where everyone watched the same show at the same time and discussed it the next day, has largely passed. Reaction videos fill this void, providing a sense of community and shared experience in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

  1. Combating Loneliness in the Digital Age

Building on the social aspect, reaction videos also serve as a balm for the loneliness that can come with modern digital life. As one observer put it, “People don’t have friends. That’s the biggest reason by far. And to a large extent, that cannot be their fault; it’s a problem with the culture.”

Reaction creators often build parasocial relationships with their audiences, becoming virtual friends who share in the excitement, laughter, or shock of experiencing new content. For viewers who may feel isolated, these parasocial interactions can provide a sense of connection and belonging.

  1. Diverse Perspectives and Open-Mindedness

Another appeal of reaction videos is the opportunity they provide to see content through different eyes. As one commenter noted, “It’s also good because it allows people to get a different full perspective on something… It’s always good to be open-minded.”

By watching multiple reactions to the same piece of content, viewers can expose themselves to diverse opinions and interpretations. This can be particularly valuable for controversial or complex topics, helping viewers challenge their own preconceptions and consider alternative viewpoints.

  1. Discovery and Curation

In the vast sea of online content, reaction videos can serve as a form of curation. As one supporter of reaction content pointed out, “There are dozens of interesting channels I found exclusively through reaction content. Otherwise, I would not have known about their existence.”

Reactors often serve as tastemakers, introducing their audiences to new creators, songs, or shows they might not have discovered otherwise. This can be especially valuable in niche interests or subcultures where word-of-mouth discovery is crucial.

The Controversy Surrounding Reaction Content

Despite its popularity, reaction content is not without its critics. The genre has faced numerous controversies and criticisms, particularly around issues of copyright and originality.

  1. Copyright Concerns

One of the primary criticisms of reaction videos is that they often use copyrighted material without permission. While many creators argue that their videos fall under fair use due to the addition of commentary and transformation of the original work, the legal landscape remains murky.

Some original content creators feel that reactors are profiting unfairly from their work. As one commenter suggested, “I wish YouTube would make it so if you made a video using some other YouTuber’s content, your video would only be seen as a feature on the main video and to get to the reaction you’d have to click through to whoever has a reaction.”

  1. Lack of Original Content

Critics often argue that reaction videos represent a lack of creativity, with reactors simply piggybacking on the success of others. As one detractor put it, “The problem with YouTube is people aren’t creating content because they have good ideas; they’re creating content for the sake of creating content.”

This criticism is particularly pointed when reactors provide little substantive commentary or insight, essentially re-uploading others’ content with minimal transformation.

  1. Attention Economy and Clickbait

The reaction video format has been accused of contributing to the broader issues of clickbait and the attention economy on platforms like YouTube. As one observer noted, “Current generations have the attention span of a goldfish so need things to be FLASHY, say OMG WTF!, or have the creator looking stupid and shocked in the thumbnail.”

This race for attention can lead to exaggerated reactions and sensationalized thumbnails, potentially detracting from more substantive content.

The Future of Reaction Content

Despite the controversies, reaction content shows no signs of slowing down. As the format evolves, we’re likely to see increased collaboration between original creators and reactors, legal clarifications around fair use in the digital age, diversification into new areas such as live reactions to events, and quality improvements as reactors strive to provide more insightful commentary and higher production values.

The Mirror of Modern Media Consumption

Reaction videos, for all their controversy, serve as a mirror reflecting our changing relationship with media and each other. They speak to our desire for connection in an increasingly disconnected world, our hunger for diverse perspectives in a polarized landscape, and our struggle to navigate the overwhelming abundance of content available at our fingertips.

As we continue to grapple with the implications of our digital media landscape, reaction videos will likely remain a significant part of the conversation. Whether viewed as a creative new form of commentary or a symptom of diminishing attention spans, they undeniably represent a key aspect of how we consume and interact with media in the 21st century.

The challenge moving forward will be to balance the undeniable appeal and potential benefits of reaction content with the need to respect original creators and maintain a diverse, vibrant media ecosystem. As viewers, creators, and platforms navigate this balance, the evolution of reaction content will continue to provide fascinating insights into our digital culture and the future of entertainment.

The Complexities of Modern Content Creation

The reaction video phenomenon is more than just a trend; it’s a reflection of the complexities inherent in modern content creation and consumption. It highlights the blurring lines between creator and consumer, the challenges of copyright in the digital age, and the evolving nature of social interaction in online spaces.

On one hand, reaction videos can be seen as a natural evolution of media criticism and commentary, providing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives. They can introduce audiences to new content, foster a sense of community, and encourage critical thinking about the media we consume.

On the other hand, the proliferation of reaction content raises valid concerns about originality, intellectual property rights, and the potential for a feedback loop of increasingly superficial content. The ease with which reaction videos can be produced may disincentivize the creation of original, high-quality content.

As we move forward, it’s crucial that we continue to examine and discuss the implications of reaction content. Platforms may need to develop more nuanced policies around fair use and content attribution. Creators may need to find ways to add more value through their reactions, perhaps through deeper analysis or by connecting disparate pieces of content in innovative ways.

Ultimately, the reaction video trend is neither inherently good nor bad. Like any form of media, its value depends on how it’s created and consumed. As viewers, we have the power to shape this landscape by supporting thoughtful, engaging reaction content that adds genuine value to the conversation.

In the end, reaction videos are a testament to our innate desire to share experiences, even in the digital realm. They remind us that even as our media consumption becomes more personalized and fragmented, we still crave connection and shared understanding. As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, reaction videos will likely continue to evolve, reflecting our changing relationship with media and with each other.

Types of Jokes

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Non-sequitur

It does not follow. Non-sequiturs are one of the most common type of joke. They rely on setting up an expectation and going in another direction. That shock and relief from the misdirection makes the funny.

Blue

Blue or risqué jokes are vulgar, dark, or morbid, and are often associated with non-sequiturs as they are often used for a shock value. Sometimes comedians are described as “blue” but it’s more useful to describe their jokes as blue. Not every single joke from a comedian is blue, although some say the failure to work clean or even one vulgar word or statement taints the entire set (and the comedian is therefore labelled as blue).

Hyperbolic

Hyperbolic jokes or exaggerations are about extremes to ridiculous proportions. It sparks an imagination of an absurd scenario that is funny, creates a caricature of reality, or mocks in a way that highlights some odd feature. The exaggeration is a game that the audience is in on.

Ironic 

Ironic jokes rely on mocking and the audience knowing it. There can be an underlying critique, like satire or parody, or it can be character-based or have some sort of message. It subverts expectation and breaks what is typical of reality.

Wordplay

Wordplay is another common joke form. It relies on colorful metaphors, analogies, or double-entendres. The classic pun, that relies on different meanings of a word, is a common example. Others rely on missing information, broken assumptions, or other linguistic play.

Self-deprecating

Self-deprecating jokes rely on the comic putting themselves down and embracing humiliation. But this builds a rapport with the audience. They are laughing with you because you humbled yourself and put yourself down. There is a connection with the audience built.

Esoteric

Esoteric jokes rely on some privileged knowledge or nuance. Part of the humor is that you are in the know and in the club and understand the joke. It can be pretentious or highbrow, but it can also be in virtue of a loyal fanbase. Fans of a particular comic can know certain things about that comic that others do not, like a good friend, and that itself can be funny.

Surreal

Surreal jokes or self-referential jokes transcend common sense or norms, and it is often absurd and outrageous. They can be difficult to execute because it is difficult to get the audience onboard. They can be meta or self-referential jokes (a “call back), or they can mock and break the traditional joke form and that itself can be funny.

Physical

Physical humor is the most natural form of humor. Children are primitively in tune with this form of humor and it relies on bodily gestures, volume, and facial expressions. It conveys and universal language and communicates a message to everybody. More sophisticated forms have nuanced expressions within contexts as a further form of communication or it can even create imagery through impressions or acting.

Dangers of the “red pill”

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First, it relies on a facile understanding of evolutionary psychology. The references to alphas and betas and how primitive species behaved in order to explain current social phenomenon of dating culture and female behavior: it’s too simplistic. The analogy can be made here is to homeopathic medicine having a too simplistic understanding of pathology. I could explain women wanting a financial stable partner in terms of primitive species relying on the alpha male for food and shelter in the same way I could explain pancreatic cancer in terms of my chi being out of line. Both explanations are unfalsifiable, ad hoc, and have little explanatory power; yet they have intuitive appeal because it fits with a narrative (viz. red pills: a misogynistic one; homeopathic medicine: a pseudo-scientific one).

Second, the narrative of the red pill is misogynistic. This is a term thrown around and poorly defined, but the general idea is the denigration of women. What is puzzling about the Red Pill is that it treats men as the victim. This obviously resonates with young men who have been rejected or feel an entitlement to the attention of women. In other words, the Red Pill victim mentality assumes that there is a shift in the natural order of power and men ought to be in a higher position than women. The resentment and envy originate from a place of perceived injustice: women seem to have it easy in society and dominate men. Using the flawed story above, the Red Pill approach reinforces this narrative and a story about women’s place in society.

Third, it’s a bad self-help approach. It takes victims and claims to empower them with knowledge. It seeks to guide its members to succeed in the narrative they concoct. It takes vulnerable people – full of resentment, anger, and ignorance – and it spoon-feeds them an answer they want: it’s not your fault, it’s society’s fault, it’s women’s fault… It’s a twisted sense of empowerment and community akin to cults.

Craig Ferguson: the Professional Unprofessional

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Craig Ferguson is unpretentious. Why use an adjective in the negative to describe him? Why not say “authentic,” “humble,” or “genuine?” He’s certainly all those things, but I want to emphasize the point that he defies the norms of late-night television, and deliberately trims all the neat lacing of an outward television persona. Another post might look closely at the form of his show in general: the absurd elements and what makes the show so special. Here, instead, I want to focus on the person, Craig Ferguson, and abstract away to the idea of being unpretentious.

We can draw a connection to being unpretentious in our own lives: our professional sides, and the double life we lead in the professional world. We change the way to speak, act, and show ourselves in order to present our professional selves in the best light. Television hosts must do the same, but, for Craig Ferguson, his approach, particularly with his guests, is to be unpretentious and instead just focus on building a relationship with his guest. Unlike other talk shows, his guest is not merely a client promoting their project in exchange for more viewers, nor is his guest subject to the host’s particular TV persona.

Craig Ferguson is essentially relation: he shifts the focus to the other and is empathetic to the point of forgetting to worry about how he looks and how he comes off to the gaze of the audience. The relationship he builds with the guest is the performance. The key to making the conversation with his guests interesting is that he’s genuinely interested in his guest. He asks engaging questions that are not superficial. It can get intimate, inappropriate, or indecent – all the things you’re not supposed to do in the professional world – but it is interesting.

Professional relationships are superficial and risk adverse, and thereby mostly uninteresting. As a professional, you cannot get intimate because it risks offending the other party or creating an uncomfortable environment: all elements that are not conducive to business, transactions, or a work relationship. Even the jokes in a professional context are sterile, forced, and disingenuous. The professional world is so concerned with optics, maintaining power, and looking competent that it creates an air of pretention and self-aggrandizement. Put differently, it’s about selling an image instead of meaningful interactions. There are boundaries to stay within because it is the superficial where we can all comfortably interact – this universality of professionalism, from the lens of comedy, is trite and hackneyed.

Notice how Craig Ferguson shifts all the attention and focus to the guest instead of trying to focus on maintaining his professional façade. He is free from boundaries, and he is free to explore all the uncomfortable areas for humor and an interesting conversation. He might end up looking foolish, incompetent, or weak, but this is the risk he takes in being unpretentious.

John Mulaney and Comedic Storytelling

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Stories are powerful for connection, teaching, and stepping into someone’s point of view. Throughout histories and cultures, storytelling has had different functions, forms, and medium. We’ll be exploring the intersection between comedy and storytelling through the comedian John Mulaney.

Voice

Comedy voice is a bit of an elusive term, but we can begin to describe it with reference to the Greek word “ethos,” meaning something like character or a particular set of values identifiable to a person. For John Mulaney, his ethos is a refined character with an almost century old, vaudevillian energy that doesn’t belong in this era. His suit and his transatlantic tone in his voice gives a sense of displacement for the audience: he doesn’t belong in this world, and he projects that persona into his comedy. This is the seed of instant connection with the audience: everybody feels confused, flustered, and displaced in the world at times. Yet John Mulaney does not carry himself as the disheveled, unattractive outcast. His speech has the rhythm of a professional and his manner of speaking is polished, almost like written theatre. He personifies two ends: ourselves in the world sees us – put together with a façade of manners and conduct – and the way we are in private – clumsy, awkward, and trying our best to navigate the world. This is John Mulaney’s point of entry and the way of connecting with the audience.

Technique

There are some notable techniques particular to John Mulaney. The structure of his story begins with a benign topic or some average occurrence in his life, then it starts to build up. Note that the source of comedy is in the absurd. The story turns into something weird about life or how his personal social faux pas. He points out how absurd things are in a couple of ways. For one, he provides commentary in the form of a relatable observation which breaks the fourth wall. Every step or pause, he wants to sprinkle in how absurd and weird the particular occurrence is. He points out to the audience to the tension within all of us between our professional and personal selves: he uses overblown, exaggerated impressions of people, he uses descriptive, flowery adjectives, and he uses his tone and gestures to paint a picture of an absurd scene. Notice also that he’s fundamentally self-deprecating to further relate to the audience. Any witty mocking of others is always couched in lowering himself first.

Effectiveness

The difference between the politician telling a story and the comedian telling the story is that the politician has to instill a sense of confidence and capability in the audience; the comedian, however, can show foolishness and weakness, and this arguably makes the comedian more genuine and authentic. The core vulnerability and humility in the comedian gets the audience on their side: once the audience is on their side, they can add “tags” or throwaway jokes or push for something more self-laudatory only because the audience acknowledges the comedian is, by their own title, a clown, a jester, a licensed fool. However, much like the politician, the comedian has insights, observations, and can serve as an advisor, as is the Shakespearean fool. John Mulaney is the modern court jester and a master storyteller.

Conan O’Brien and Universal Humor

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There is a lot that is unique about Conan, but some notable aspects of his career are his longevity and global reach. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. He’s Harvard educated, knows his history, wrote on The Simpsons, stumbled into Late Night, and has been in the game for a long time and he keeps going, growing, and expanding. From Korea to podcasts, he’s a case study of someone who made a career of silliness.

Play and silliness is universal. You might call it corny, hacky, or lame. But he taps into the universal silliness that’s cross-cultural and perhaps cross-historical. His vaudeville-like physical humor is childlike and pure. However, he is witty and smart. He’s a professional who works hard and plays harder. He is sarcastic and he has a jaded, dark side to him. He knows all the tools of a good stand-up comedian in virtue of his vast experience. Yet what is remarkable about Conan is his willingness to be silly.

Silliness can be thought of as intentionally looking like a fool. We all do it from a young age and it can be seen among other higher-order primates. It’s playing a role, acting stupid, or being the outlandish clown. It displays an invitation to play and jest with others, and it’s the most basic form of interpersonal entertainment. Silliness can function as a signal to others that you aren’t looking to be combative, you want to neutralize the situation, and you want to engage in play. It’s a form of conflict resolution and social bonding, but it can also be inappropriate in certain social circumstances. For instance, it might be a faux pas to be overly silly at a funeral because the sacred and the solemn should not be undercut by the silly.

Some people might not find silliness funny per se. However, arguably all humor is an evolution of this primitive notion of silliness and play. We might look for more sophisticated forms of humor in the form of wit, wordplay, or deep observations; however, a carefully constructed joke is still a form of silliness. The silliness might deal with topics of the absurd and the ironic, but it still points out the silliness.

What is notable about Conan’s silliness is that it is mainly self-directed, thus, self-deprecating. Contrast this with the “cool” stand-up comedian that takes themselves too seriously to be self-deprecating: there’s a pretense and superiority that is at the opposite end of silliness — such people seem to be communicating socially exclusionary behavior and keeps others at arm’s length. Silliness brings people in. It brings everybody in to share in the joke of his foolish clown act.

A Law Student’s Guide to Online Classes

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I’m a law student doing the whole school online during a pandemic. I am going to give you some tips. This isn’t going to be the Linkedin, I worked 80 hours, ran 3 marathons with my intermittent fasting children, and finally achieved my dreams being the CEO of middle management. We get it: just say you can’t find any meaning in your life and you regret your choices, like the rest of us. Stop shoving your 5 AM cold showers down my throat; I know you’re sleepy and uncomfortable. If you’re just starting school, you’ll be nervous about how things will be. How am I supposed to skip class and get drunk for fun when there are no classes to skip and you drink to… feel something, anything?

Schedules: this time, pretend you’re a CEO, and you’re your own personal assistant. Your personal assistant has to schedule everything you have to get done in the day and push you onto the next task. Mr. President, you can’t spend half an hour on the toilet scrolling through your phone. This isn’t easy. You have to audit your time and see where you’re hemorrhaging minutes. Then recalibrate and schedule again. But don’t overdo it. You know, live a little. Find the structure that’s just right, goldilocks. And you’ll be on your way to not feeling the existential dread your own psyche.

Next, the fundamentals: sleep, food, exercise… Anybody tries to take these away from you, I give you permission to vomit in their stupid face. Stop fetishizing all-nighters. It’s like being a boxer proving how hard they can get punched in the head – it’s hit and not get hit. I’ve been there. I mismanage my time and procrastinate because I have issues with motivation. Prioritize sleep, practice some sleep hygiene, stop treating sleep like it’s Keyser Soze. Diet and exercise are also key. Take a walk, eat carrot, try not eating Doritos dipped in cream cheese, no matter how much you hate yourself. Pick up some other good habits too: journaling, meditating, or defunding the police and eating the rich.

Work spaces. You’re going be sitting all day, so get yourself a nice chair and a desk to sit at. This way you can be productive while you mute and turn off the camera of your zoom meeting, and get some actual work done. Make sure you have a dual monitor. If you work on a laptop: don’t. Personally, I’ve had more monitors than I’ve had lovers, and I fully intend to keep it that way.

The final step is one even I, whose been social distancing for about the last 10 years, still struggle with: you have to find ways to be social. Now, don’t break social distancing protocols. Call your friends, go for a walk, or make helpful videos that are a thinly veiled guise for your mental breakdown that, frankly, was overdue.