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35 votes
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Internet sleuths want to track down this mystery pop song. They only have seventeen seconds of it.
28 votes -
Rethinking the ‘gay best friend’
28 votes -
Tom Cardy and Brian David Gilbert - Beautiful Mind (2023)
26 votes -
SOPHIE has died
26 votes -
What makes a video essay good?
Youtube channels like CGP Grey, Kurzgesagt, Vsauce and Nerdwriter are all incredibly popular. They bring up interesting topics, explain them fairly well, and have high production quality. But to...
Youtube channels like CGP Grey, Kurzgesagt, Vsauce and Nerdwriter are all incredibly popular. They bring up interesting topics, explain them fairly well, and have high production quality. But to me, something is missing. I'm not sure how to formulate my criticism, since it has nothing to do with the quality of their videos.
It feels like the mentioned channels lack depth. They give off an uncomfortable "pop-science" vibe. Pop-science isn't wrong, I have nothing against it. But they feel too "poppy". They provide sources, but the commentary is directed to people who don't read. They don't dare to use precise words, in case the audience won't understand them. I get the feeling that they make their videos for the lowest common denominator: persons who doesn't read, persons who can't google and persons who want to make no effort to actually learn.
I'd feel bad to only mention bad examples, so here is a list of high-effort video-creators with (in my eyes) good content:
Lindsay Ellis: Long-form film reviews that actually go into the details.
Every Frame a Painting: Very high-quality analyses of film directors and their styles.
3Blue1Brown: Beautifully animated math visualizations explaining multiple areas of mathematics.
Captain Disillusion: Critically debunking and deconstructing fake videos.
Historia Civilis: In-depth historical videos about Rome.
Bliss Foster: A hidden gem, with only 1000 subscribers, analysing runway shows.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on what makes a good video essay. I'd also really like some suggestions for more creators to follow.
26 votes -
NY Times 2023 Faces Quiz
25 votes -
Rebecca Black - Friday (10yr Anniversity Remix) (2021)
21 votes -
I don’t want to be the strong female lead
21 votes -
Taylor Swift adds fifteen songs to ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ with surprise release ‘The Anthology’
20 votes -
Tracing the roots of pop culture transphobia
20 votes -
Cosmo Sheldrake - Stop The Music (2024)
17 votes -
ABBA's holographic dancing queens have had a tangible impact, adding over £320 million of money, money, money to London's economy in its first year
17 votes -
GUNSHIP - Empress of the Damned (feat. Lights) (2023)
17 votes -
Taylor Swift - Folklore (2020)
16 votes -
Kirk Drift: "Womanizer" Captain Kirk and false memories of pop culture
16 votes -
Daði Freyr - I'm Not Bitter (2024)
15 votes -
Pomplamoose ft. Sarah Dugas - Sweet Dreams + White Stripes Mashup (2019)
15 votes -
Justin Timberlake: Tiny Desk Concert (2024)
14 votes -
Britney Spears' conservatorship nightmare: How the pop star's father and a team of lawyers seized control of her life - and have held on to it for thirteen years
14 votes -
Battle Royale, revisited
13 votes -
Palestinian pop singer Bashar Murad is hoping to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest and bring “a Palestinian voice to the main stage”
12 votes -
Has modern pop music lost its generational aspect?
"Generational" might not be the correct word. What I mean is that pop1 music from the 20th century transitioned from one style to another in a way where decades could have pretty distinctive...
"Generational" might not be the correct word. What I mean is that pop1 music from the 20th century transitioned from one style to another in a way where decades could have pretty distinctive sounds. 50s music was different than 60s was different than 70s was different than 80s. What I'm wondering: what is your perspective on pop music style change from 2000s to 2010s to today?2 Has it changed or does it sound the same as it did 10-20 years ago?
The reason I ask is that I listened to a pop station recently and it seems barely different than when I was in high school pre-2010. Taylor Swift is still incredibly popular, and listening casually to other songs, I had no guess on what year they were actually produced. It could have been 2012 or it could have been last year. I don't know if I'm just getting old and I've lost my ability to keep up on the nuance of current trends or if it's that pop music has stagnated the same way Hollywood movies have - art that is analyzed and meticulously designed to appeal to the widest audience possible.
[1] - I'm defining "pop" as Billboard Top 40 or equivalent.
[2] - I think this only applies to "pop" songs. I haven't noticed the same trend in sub genres such as country, rap, latin, or metal. I am also sure the extent of style variation over time depends on the country.
12 votes -
Astana - Favorite Daughter (2022)
12 votes -
Brian David Gilbert & Louie Zong - Breezy Slide (2022)
12 votes -
Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al (1986)
12 votes -
Making toilet paper moonshine
12 votes -
Taylor Swift plans to re-record her back catalog to regain control of her masters
12 votes -
Lizzo: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (2019)
12 votes -
Lil Dicky - Earth (2019)
12 votes -
K.Flay - Hustler (2023)
11 votes -
Daði Freyr – Bitte (2023)
11 votes -
Ten essential synth-pop albums
11 votes -
Rick Astley on his Glastonbury debut and those Foo Fighters rumours
11 votes -
Swedish singer Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest – only the second performer to take the prize twice
11 votes -
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
11 votes -
Brian David Gilbert - i wish that i could wear hats (2022)
11 votes -
We lied to you and we'll do it again
11 votes -
Pop group ABBA have teased a major announcement for next week, as fans await their first new music in thirty-nine years
11 votes -
Pub Choir - 1500 strangers sing Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" (2019)
11 votes -
A deep dive into K-pop
11 votes -
Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters (2020)
11 votes -
The most popular songs today are sadder than they were fifty years ago: can cultural evolution explain this negative turn?
11 votes -
Taylor Swift - You Need To Calm Down (2019)
11 votes -
Yunomi - Jellyfish (feat. Roller Girl) (2018)
11 votes -
Why you should be skeptical of the latest nutrition headlines
11 votes -
M83 - Run Into Flowers (2003)
11 votes -
Aurora – Some Type Of Skin (2024)
10 votes -
Windows95man – No Rules! (2024)
10 votes -
Masayoshi Takanaka — Blue Lagoon (Hunpluged version) (2022)
10 votes