Heya, folks. New essay up on Substack, check it out if you're interested. This one's a little more personal; some contemplations on the act of driving a car and what's going to be lost when we all stop doing it. link: thebarkingyears.substack.com/p/a-premature-eulogy-…
Hiya, folks. New video out on 28 Years Later and Bone Temple analyzing the underlying themes that stood out to me. Seems like the algo is intent on killing this one in the cradle again, so if you lot have the time and inclination, give it a look and even a like/comment if you're feeling it. I often feel like my stuff just isn't very "legible" to the algorithm but we have to press on now don't we? Anyways, thanks for the support and hopefully I'll be coming back with something new for you soon.
Finally got around to writing the essay that I originally wanted to write about 28 Years Later last year. I'm glad that I waited though, since Bone Temple gives copious supporting evidence for everything that I wanted to say about the first film. Check it out if you like, though I think this one will end up being a video if you feel like waiting around for it. thebarkingyears.substack.com/p/28-years-later-the-…
If there’s anything that Stranger Things could be said to truly be about, it would have to be nerd culture. All of the important characters are considered to be freaks and losers by their peers but we the audience are meant to understand that, really, they are superior to all the normal people because, rather than defining themselves by the trivial and mundane identity markers like their jobs or their roles as a husbands or mothers, they have forged their identities around the consumption of or participation in various pop culture properties and fandoms: D&D, pop music, movies, video games, and so on.
In the world of the show, this makes them losers and freaks, but in the world of today, it just makes them normal, which is ironic since so much of the show is about how being normal is bad and lame. And I guess that is the greatest irony of the show is that it the way that it works is by encouraging the normies of today to look back on and look down on the normies of 1985 or whatever *for being normies*.
Nearly a year ago, I posted a video so controversial and unpopular that shortly after putting it up, I unlisted it because I was concerned that it might be killing my channel analytics. Then I kind of forgot about it. But recently, I went back and watched that video...and I really like it, particularly the latter half. I think it's one of the better things that I've written for this channel, and regardless of how it's received, I want it to be back out into the world, even if only as a middle finger to the algorithm. So without further ado, I present my long-deferred defense of Avatar.
Ayo, what's up guys? I'm trying to be more consistent about putting stuff up on my substack. This time it's an essay about the political Left's latest attempt to thread the apparently exceptionally tricky needle which is NOT alienating massive swathes of young men, and why it is going to fail yet again. If straight unfiltered political stuff isn't your jam, no worries, probably the next thing I put up will be back to media analysis. Anyway, here's the link: open.substack.com/pub/thebarkingyears/p/when-it-co…
While I'm in this posting frenzy, I listened to a conversation with some pretty savvy youtubers talking about how to grow a channel and they mentioned that making your videos more immediately recognizable to the people who like your content is a pretty important strategy, so I've been rethinking my thumbnails. I like my current logo A LOT, but maybe it's not the most visibly distinct thing. So what do you guys think of these options. Any fans or do you prefer the original?
The Barking Years
Heya, folks. New essay up on Substack, check it out if you're interested. This one's a little more personal; some contemplations on the act of driving a car and what's going to be lost when we all stop doing it.
link: thebarkingyears.substack.com/p/a-premature-eulogy-…
2 months ago | [YT] | 14
View 2 replies
The Barking Years
Hiya, folks. New video out on 28 Years Later and Bone Temple analyzing the underlying themes that stood out to me. Seems like the algo is intent on killing this one in the cradle again, so if you lot have the time and inclination, give it a look and even a like/comment if you're feeling it. I often feel like my stuff just isn't very "legible" to the algorithm but we have to press on now don't we? Anyways, thanks for the support and hopefully I'll be coming back with something new for you soon.
2 months ago | [YT] | 11
View 0 replies
The Barking Years
Finally got around to writing the essay that I originally wanted to write about 28 Years Later last year. I'm glad that I waited though, since Bone Temple gives copious supporting evidence for everything that I wanted to say about the first film. Check it out if you like, though I think this one will end up being a video if you feel like waiting around for it.
thebarkingyears.substack.com/p/28-years-later-the-…
2 months ago | [YT] | 17
View 1 reply
The Barking Years
Heyo, guys. New article out! This one is basically my "here's the last thing I ever want to have to say on this subject" essay.
open.substack.com/pub/thebarkingyears/p/bullsht-an…
Next one is going to be an analysis of the 28 Years Later saga up to this point--that one may become a video.
4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 10
View 3 replies
The Barking Years
Heyo, folks. New article out. This one's been brewing in the back of my mind for a while. Might not be everyone's thing, but check it out if you like.
thebarkingyears.substack.com/p/but-have-you-tried-…
4 months ago | [YT] | 15
View 3 replies
The Barking Years
New article out. Stranger Things is wrapping up and it inspired me to think back on the series, what went wrong and what might have gone right.
open.substack.com/pub/thebarkingyears/p/stranger-t…
5 months ago | [YT] | 12
View 3 replies
The Barking Years
If there’s anything that Stranger Things could be said to truly be about, it would have to be nerd culture. All of the important characters are considered to be freaks and losers by their peers but we the audience are meant to understand that, really, they are superior to all the normal people because, rather than defining themselves by the trivial and mundane identity markers like their jobs or their roles as a husbands or mothers, they have forged their identities around the consumption of or participation in various pop culture properties and fandoms: D&D, pop music, movies, video games, and so on.
In the world of the show, this makes them losers and freaks, but in the world of today, it just makes them normal, which is ironic since so much of the show is about how being normal is bad and lame. And I guess that is the greatest irony of the show is that it the way that it works is by encouraging the normies of today to look back on and look down on the normies of 1985 or whatever *for being normies*.
5 months ago | [YT] | 10
View 9 replies
The Barking Years
Nearly a year ago, I posted a video so controversial and unpopular that shortly after putting it up, I unlisted it because I was concerned that it might be killing my channel analytics. Then I kind of forgot about it. But recently, I went back and watched that video...and I really like it, particularly the latter half. I think it's one of the better things that I've written for this channel, and regardless of how it's received, I want it to be back out into the world, even if only as a middle finger to the algorithm. So without further ado, I present my long-deferred defense of Avatar.
5 months ago | [YT] | 12
View 3 replies
The Barking Years
Ayo, what's up guys? I'm trying to be more consistent about putting stuff up on my substack. This time it's an essay about the political Left's latest attempt to thread the apparently exceptionally tricky needle which is NOT alienating massive swathes of young men, and why it is going to fail yet again. If straight unfiltered political stuff isn't your jam, no worries, probably the next thing I put up will be back to media analysis. Anyway, here's the link:
open.substack.com/pub/thebarkingyears/p/when-it-co…
5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 13
View 5 replies
The Barking Years
While I'm in this posting frenzy, I listened to a conversation with some pretty savvy youtubers talking about how to grow a channel and they mentioned that making your videos more immediately recognizable to the people who like your content is a pretty important strategy, so I've been rethinking my thumbnails. I like my current logo A LOT, but maybe it's not the most visibly distinct thing. So what do you guys think of these options. Any fans or do you prefer the original?
6 months ago | [YT] | 4
View 6 replies
Load more