it’s always a good day to enjoy #content. yes I’m sure it’s radicalised some people and I sure do waste a lot of time on it but there is a lot to like about Youtube… the instructional videos… the music… the random knowledge… the straight up art…. the parasocial relationships… the expanding your knowledge of your hobbies… when people take orchestral scores so you can see all the music as you go along…. so here are some of our fave videos as an archive!

Shanti

When I was 19 I was very into the ultra-dramatic music video for Indian indie darling Prateek Kuhad’s cold/mess. (Spoiler: the cold/mess relationship doesn’t end well). This is a happier video set to outtakes, which a lovely rhythm of flashes from processing film, and I watch it when I want to remember how nice it is to be walking in and out of a room which contains someone you love.  – Shanti

I have forced a LOT of people to watch this incredible, fully felted stop motion about the history of spinning around the world. I think it’s an advertisement for an electric spinning wheel of some kind, but it is really two minutes of pure joy which makes me feel connected to spinners of all traditions past and present. The animator does other ASMR-type felted kitchen scenes, but the music and scene of this one are absolute perfection. If you’re even the tiniest bit open to learning to make string, you should watch it, and if you’re wearing clothing made of twisted fibres right now (which you are, unless you’re wearing a PVC raincoat with leather underneath) you should also watch it. – Shanti

I feel a weird shame about using YouTube fitness videos at least once or twice a week, which mostly consist of perfectly toned white women in sports bras doing movements to extremely bizarre copyright free music (the crux of my most-used core workout video has a song with the refrain “beat it like a dead horse/beat it like a drum). Other videos have couples where the woman does an easy version; like the “A Woman’s Touch” cleaning service or “Hire A Hubby” handy person, I believe that these creators should be charged a fine for setting feminism back. This video is an exception: yes, it’s a toned white woman, but there is no music AND the stretches always make my legs feel amazing, I truly could not recommend more.

OK I mentioned this in my music post but this early Beths/Sports Team music video is perfectly absurd and I think a great entry point if you are new to the Beths. Also the first time I experienced the thrill of watching a music video in a park I’ve been to (specifically the park where I learned to rollerblade when I was 15).

The video essay genre is oversaturated but if you don’t have time/inclination/are scared of paywalls and don’t want to read this oral history of Mamma Mia 2 you should watch this video essay because it is very stupid and fun. Bonus: a review of Mamma Mia 2 written by baby Shanti in 2018. I learned so many dance moves after watching this movie :’)

Not to simp for my employer but this is an absolutely exquisite short documentary about an Aotearoa icon. Worth it just to see Lynley Dodd read out words she’s collected and make animal noises.

Shreyas

I have a bookmark folder in my browser called ‘Vids’ that I’ve maintained since ~2012 so I thought I’d revisit that for this post. Needless to say the majority of videos are what would be considered ‘Shorts’ these days, for example:

Behold, a video uploaded in 2007 in 144p and all its glory. It has it all – a channel that uploads random gaming clips with hundreds of views but has a clip with over 7 million views. The algorithm at work I guess.

Unlimited data internet plans weren’t exactly a thing until ~2014 when fibre also started rolling out in New Zealand, so you couldn’t really watch hours upon hours of high quality YouTube videos (most were still pretty low quality).

Some other classics:

(This raises a lot of questions really)

My ‘Liked’ videos on YouTube at the time of writing consists of 81 videos. It consists mostly of live music videos (often ones where I think the live performance is better than the studio version) and instructional videos (e.g. how to rebuild a Shimano 9 speed derailleur, maintaining balance on skis, 80% of photography basics in 10 minutes).

Some other types of videos in this list, however:

Yes it’s an advertisement, but the interspersing of footage of MVDP’s father and grandfather and the editing is pretty top notch

One of my favourite parts is when he loads the puzzle – Shreyas

I would like to note that I sent Shreyas this video and I have fully watched it multiple times because it is just that riveting. Kicked me off on a mini sudoku phase and I would get hardcore into the flowstate to finish the sudoku before doing university work. – Shanti