Category: People

Smosh

Somehow, despite years of watching Smosh videos, I’ve yet to write a post about them! I’d say Smosh is a YouTube channel, but it’s actually three: there’s the main channel, for scripted content; Smosh Pit, for unscripted shenanigans; and Smosh Games, which, as the name implies, is all gaming! I mostly watch the latter two, but I fondly remember the main channel’s Every [Blank] Ever saga, and more recently, the Funeral Roasts in which one of them plays the “deceased” and their friends surprise them (and each other) with hilarious eulogies. There’s a lot of friendly ribbing, including a traditional counter-roast from the “dead”!

Smosh Pit definitely has a similar chaotic energy, with shows like Try Not To Laugh, Eat It Or Yeet It, and Beopardy! They also recently started a Culinary Crimes series, which aligns nicely with my interest in food videos. (So does Eat It Or Yeet It, but Culinary Crimes is collaborative and deductive, whereas Eat It Or Yeet It is more… ah, “hope you get something good, or the bad option isn’t too gross.”) I look forward to seeing them continue it!

Smosh Games, meanwhile, features a mix of board, card, and video games, often with a twist. The Board AF videos remind me of TableTop! Which I really need to rewatch.

Regardless of which Smosh channel you favor, you’ll find them all to be hilarious and hilariously creative.

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B. Dylan Hollis

Last week I talked about Tasting History. Now for a more specific niche: baking recipes from the 1900’s through the 1980’s. This niche is occupied by B. Dylan Hollis, who posts to both TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Naturally, these videos are much shorter than Tasting History’s, but they pack a lot of wit into their brief duration as Dylan blitzes through the cooking process (with no small amount of judgement at the creative decisions involved) and then reacts to the final product! Forever my favorite is Pinto Bean Cake, which I may or may not have memorized by now, and I had enough trouble picking one other example that you get three: Lime Jello Fudge, Prune Whip, and Secret Cornbread! The absurdity of the concepts alone is amusing, but add to it Dylan’s commentary and the fact that some of them are actually good, and you have an ideal recipe for entertainment. (Some are also hilariously bad. Dylan’s face is priceless either way.)

He also does some long-form videos, the longest of which is Food for the Gods, in which he also goes into his process of taking vague vintage recipes and refining them into something specific and replicable for his cookbook, Baking Yesteryear! Where the shorts are super chaotic and packed with wit, the longer videos are calmer and more informational. I happen to like both!

Also, he plays jazz piano. A man of many talents, truly.

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Tasting History

One of my favorite YouTube channels is Tasting History with Max Miller. Each video features a different historical recipe, how to make it, Max’s thoughts on how it turns out, and a history segment centered around an ingredient, the era, a specific event… it depends on the recipe!

The mrouzia episode, for instance, stars the origins of the tagine as a cooking vessel. This one in particular imparts so much secondhand excitement, because Max went to Morocco recently and got to explore the culture himself, and you can definitely tell!

That said, all of his episodes are witty and passionate and a joy to watch. Another favorite is Byzantine Honey Fritters, which is mostly about Byzantine food culture, but also features one of my favorite fun facts ever: “[S]ince the majority of Constantinople’s water supply came from far off, they had to do some pretty fancy engineering in order to keep the city watered should the city ever be besieged. And the city was besieged… thirty-four times.” Talk about a smart investment!

Now those both sound fantastic, but not every recipe turns out that well. Like Ancient Roman Jellyfish. The food did not seem pleasant, but the history segment featured the Black Banquet, which I found fascinating!

While I especially loved these three, there are years of videos to choose from, and a Tasting History cookbook if you want to try some recipes yourself. (Side note: the cookbook is organized by parts of the world and then chronologically, which makes so much sense, I love it!) Regardless, if you’re a fan of food, history, and/or food history, I highly recommend giving this channel a shot!

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Thomas Sanders… and Friends!

Yep, Thomas Sanders has a second channel. I meant to mention it in the previous post about him, but that was long enough on its own, so I figured I’d just split them into two separate weeks instead. There’s certainly no shortage of content!

Thomas Sanders and Friends is where Thomas posts most of his unscripted content, which is usually — and I’m sure this is a shock — in collaboration with his awesome friends. There’s also compilations of his TikTok shorts, so if you want some fast-paced goofy humor, check out that playlist here.

They play a variety of games on this channel, from Voices of Unreason, where they make up voices for fans’ artwork, to Twister With A Twist, to Real or Fake? with both anime and superheroes. Alright, technically some of those were released on the first channel before this one was made, but any further content along the same lines would be released on this second channel, so I’m counting it.

They also have some other miscellaneous adventures (see the playlist: Awkward Adventures), like Thomas learning to make pasta, going without added sugar for a month, and trying out sensory deprivation tanks (with friends participating, of course, especially on that last one).

All in all, it’s a lot of fun, and between the two channels there should be something for everyone!

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Thomas Sanders

Back in late December when I was gushing about MALINDA, I mentioned that the prince in her music video “Don’t Make Me” is played by Thomas Sanders, “who’s also awesome and should probably get a post of his own at some point.” Well, it took four months to come back around to that little promise, but here we are!

Thomas Sanders is an adorkable YouTube creator (and also formerly Vine, RIP) with an eclectic repertoire of content. I can’t recall which particular song introduced me to his work, but it was definitely his music I found first. That facet of his art is a mix between parodies and mash-ups, like the incredible Friends On The Other Side – Disney Villains Mash-Up, and original songs, my favorite of which is probably Recipe For Me.

Granted, there are a few other songs that would be contenders for that title if they weren’t part of a different talking point: Sanders Sides, an ongoing series featuring… well, Thomas talking to himself, if we’re being honest. But that’s an oversimplification — what Thomas has done is taken different aspects of his personality and turned them into distinctive characters of their own, namely Logic, Morality, the Prince (who represents Creativity), and Anxiety. These characters and Thomas himself then debate various topics together. For instance, A New Year of Lying To Myself has the whole gang questioning the practicality of New Year’s resolutions… in song! If you’re looking for a sampler, that’s the episode you want– it’s got all five of them, and it’s early enough to avoid spoilers, since Sanders Sides has actual inter-episode continuity and dynamic character arcs over the course of the series. (Fair warning, the comments sections are a minefield of spoilers, so you might want to avoid them on the first watch.) You can also, obviously, just start at the beginning of the playlist, which I’ll link to here. Make sure to stick around for the end cards!

I think Sanders Sides is intriguing in large part because it’s a brilliant balance of goofy, quippy fun and meaningful messages. Among other things, several episodes provide tips for managing anxiety, there’s an entire video dedicated to dealing with intrusive thoughts (which is understandably darker than the others, just a warning), and others with discourse on everything from originality as a creator to the balance between the mind and the heart. It’s touching and thought-provoking, but with the right amount of humor to still be lighthearted, and a pace that somehow blends the two perfectly.

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MALINDA

If you haven’t heard of Malinda Kathleen Reese, then you, my friend, are missing out. Who is she? Well…

Malinda runs two YouTube channels, one of which is MALINDA (hence why the post’s title is in all caps). This channel has a wide range of fantastic music, all of which I’d highly recommend (even the stuff I haven’t heard yet; I’m sure it’s great) but there are a few in particular that stand out as examples. First, there’s how I was introduced to her content: “Don’t Make Me,” a music video with excellent acting and choreography about a newly-wedded princess whose prince betrays her. The prince is played by Thomas Sanders, who’s also awesome and should probably get a post of his own at some point.

A more solemn selection is the song she wrote about quarantine, featuring her likewise talented parents, or, for something light and fun, you could check out “The Song of the Puffin.” In addition to a hilariously random song about puffins, this video includes some of the process of creating the song, which I found fascinating. It was a group effort with her fans, so an unorthodox means of songwriting for sure, but lots of fun to follow along with through the first 5 or 6 minutes of the video. (If you just want to listen to the song part, well, your loss, but the time signature for that is 6:07.)

And then there’s Malinda’s other channel, Twisted Translations (formerly known as Translator Fails), where she runs the script for the video through Google Translate too many times and presents the resulting madness. A good one is the Google Translate Explains How To Vote video from this September. The election may be over, but the translator fails will never cease to be amusing. She also does Google Translate songs, like “You’re Welcome” from Moana, which can lead to some interesting alternate lyrics. You’ll see what I mean.

While those translations are the meat of the channel’s content, what really sells it is her performance, with Google Translate Malinda’s over-the-top confidence in the nonsense being articulated while Real Malinda listens, providing a series of confused and downright exasperated reactions that resonate with my soul.

I could fangirl further about how awesome Malinda is, but, honestly, just– just go watch her videos, people; her work needs no further pitch than that.

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Some Happy Quotes

This will be a short post, but hopefully you find it a meaningful one. I keep a document of various quotes that I find meaningful, and today I’ve chosen four to share with you, of the happier, motivational variety.

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.” -Dalai Lama

“No one has ever changed the world by doing what the world told them to do.” -Eddy Zhong

“Listen to the mustn’ts, child, listen to the don’ts, listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts, listen to the never haves. Then listen close to me — anything can happen, child, anything can be.” -Shel Silverstein

“The only thing that’s ordinary about any of you is whatever you’re willing to believe is ordinary. The rest is magic.” -Dr. Roger Billings

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Shakespeare’s Obituary

In my English class, we did a biography unit on authors, and, as an introduction, we had to research William Shakespeare (if you don’t know who that is, just wait, you will). We were to accumulate our information into an obituary for him. The following is mine:

William Shakespeare, a man of many words and unparalleled imagination, a man who wrote over three dozen plays and inspired millions, has tragically died on this April 23, 1616, in his hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon.

On April 23, 1564, the 6th year of Queen Elizabeth I’s rule, Mary and John Shakespeare gave birth to a son. When young William was but 5, his father, who was both a glove maker and a produce trader, was elected as the mayor of their little town, Stratford, which lay upon the Avon River.

Whilst we don’t know all that much about Shakespeare’s school years, since no surviving records of his report cards and the like have been discovered, we can discern a few facts from his work. Studies show that his school experiences may have influenced The Merry Wives of Windsor, and thanks to the era, we know that he studied Latin, since much of the schoolwork of the day was actually in Latin.

At age 12, his father’s financial situation went downhill, never to recover. It is also agreed that he may have discontinued his education when he was roughly 13 to help his father in the shop, quite possibly because of their sinking financial position. For William himself, however, probably the most interesting parts of his teen years were his marriage at 18 and the birth of his first child, Suzanna, at 19. Shakespeare went on to have 2 more kids, twins, just two years after Suzanna’s birth.

We aren’t entirely certain what he did in these first years of his adulthood, but within a decade he had started writing. The young poet made a name for himself in the capital, and when King James I inherited the crown in 1603, he officially made Shakespeare one of the “King’s Men,” a great honor.

Over the course of his career, he wrote many plays, including:

  • Romeo and Juliet (produced 1591-96?)
  • King John (produced 1594-96?)
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream (produced 1596?)
  • The Merchant of Venice (produced 1596-97?)
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor (produced 1598-99?)
  • Much Ado About Nothing (produced 1598-99?)
  • Henry V (produced 1598-99)
  • Julius Caesar (produced 1599)
  • Hamlet (produced 1599-1601?)
  • Twelfth Night; or, What You Will (produced 1601-02?)
  • Othello (produced 1602-03?)
  • Macbeth (produced 1602-06)
  • King Lear (produced 1605)
  • Coriolanus (produced 1607-10?)
  • The Tempest (produced 1610-11?)
  • The Winter’s Tale (produced 1611?)

Especially in the last few years of his career, his plotlines darkened and clear connections could be made between his personal life and his characters. This was particularly noticeable in Hamlet, King Lear and The Tempest.

    Shakespeare’s work was popular during his life, and even more so after his death. He continues to be an inspiration to generations, a god of the literary world, immortally ingrained in our minds and lives.

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AsapSCIENCE

Yeah, I’m talking about another YouTube channel. Sorry, not sorry. At least this one is educational! Well, my kind of educational, meaning random interesting facts. AsapSCIENCE produces a few different types of videos. Mostly, I watch the What If (and other question based) videos and songs, but there are also the other illustrated science videos and The Lab.

The What If videos include What if The World Went Vegetarian? and its counter, What If You Only Ate Meat? Not all of their question based videos had “What If” in the title. An example of this is Can Plants Think? All of these have drawings to accompany the script. Other scripted videos don’t have questions in the title, like How To Learn Faster and the Amazing Facts collection (part 1 here).

They also have an interesting song selection, such as The Periodic Table Song (which was actually my introduction to AsapSCIENCE), The Science Love Song, and Science Wars, in case you want a science-y Star Wars medley cover, because why not? I would include some links to The Lab videos, but I haven’t actually watched any of those.

They have another channel, Greg and Mitch, where they have more real life activities and less script, like their video How To Eat Bugs, where they made food out of bugs and tried it. This video is actually a companion to one of the AsapSCIENCE question based videos, Should We All Be Eating Insects?

Most of their videos aren’t specifically funny, but I find them amusing anyhow, possibly because of the illustrations. More importantly, I find their work interesting, since random facts and statistics are my kind of thing, and, as a writer, What If questions are always important. It’s interesting to see What If questions actually being answered scientifically, whereas most of us just ask them because they’re amusing to ponder.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rhett And Link

Who? Rhett and Link are YouTubers. They’re best known for the daily talk show, Good Mythical Morning, where they either learn about, or, more often, try different things, mostly food. They frequently try foods blindfolded or just without being told what they’re eating and then have to guess what it is. Some examples are Whole Foods vs. 99 Cent Store, Blind Fast Food Sub Sandwich Taste Test, The Blind Chicken Nugget Taste Test, and, one of my favorites, The Ultimate Water Taste Test.

They do “International” taste tests (International BBQ Taste Test here) where they taste something from one of the countries highlighted on their map, and then not only have to guess where it’s from, but throw a dart at that place on the map. The darts are scored on how close they are to the correct answer, and the player with the lowest score wins (like golf).

Other times, they’re testing assorted “Hacks” (Crazy Airplane Cocktail Hacks). Sometimes they have guests on the show, such as Feel & Squeal Challenge ft. Hank Green, The What If? Game ft. Daniel Radcliffe, Duo or Don’t-O ft. SMOSH, and Christmas Song Challenge ft. Jack Black.

Not only do they have a talk show, they also do skits and music videos! Some skits are The Puzzle, BFF’s, and Campin’. Their music videos include My OCD, the Graduation Song, BFF (not to be confused with the skit BFF‘s), Tough Decisions (A Whale Is Gonna Die), and Just Being Honest, just to name a few. They’ve also started a thing called SongBiscuits where they write a song with a fellow musician and then perform it. One of my favorites of these is the Cat’s 9 Lives Song. You can find the video where they write and perform it here and the animated song here.

As great as their talk show is, I prefer their music, mostly for timing, since their show is usually somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes, whereas their songs seem to cap at 5. But whichever you’re watching, they’re still light-hearted and silly.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail