In my opinion, anyway. Overly Sarcastic Productions is an educational YouTube channel that covers topics like history, mythology, and tropes in entertainment, and they’re a great joy to watch. They offer the facts intermingled with often-snarky commentary (if you’ve analyzed history or writing, you know it’s well-deserved) and visual presentations you’ll want to stop and read. Sometimes for the info, and sometimes for the sass.
This is one of those discover-your-niche-for-yourself situations, but to start you off, may I suggest History-Makers: Iceland’s #1 Menace, Snorri Sturluson, Miscellaneous Myths: Pride Tales, and/or Trope Talk: Noodle Incidents? This Trope Talk delighted me especially by featuring Leverage as a primary example; identifying beloved stories in the explanation or the background clips is part of the fun! If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, you’ll find it works as an example for a truly shocking number of elements. The narrative kind, not bending. (And a good example, which not all of them are. Often the trope is as relevant for the ways it’s crashed and burned as the ways it’s been done well. And everything in between – the video on time travel is a good example of this.)
History and mythology, meanwhile, have a lot of “ugh, this guy again,” and “this guy” is frequently Murder. The narrators share our exasperation. And parts of those subjects that aren’t “ugh, murder”! As a treat. Honestly, I can’t believe I haven’t covered this channel yet – they’ve been a cornerstone of my edutainment for years.
