Screenshots: Climate Grief

I disagree in the thought that taking artistic choices in his videos will make his videos less accessible. While yes, the absurdity can startle some less receptive individuals, by making it an artistic piece makes it more open to individuals than closed. In some ways by doing things like his adaptation of Judith Jarvis Thomson's “A Defence of Abortion" allows those who are not as philosophically interested or do not have access to all the literature a way to visualize the arguments in a more tangible way. By making it an artistic video instead of a pure educational literature, it makes it feel like he's showing you the debate rather than lecturing to you which lessens the risk of making the audience who disagree with him feel defensive and instead forces them to pay closer attention and pick a part his arguments more carefully. Of course, not everyone is going to like the aesthetic per nor will they always get the subtle care put in the scripts, costuming, and direction, but if they disagree with him and want to criticize his arguments, they have to pay a closer attention in order to form a disagreement making them more likely to think about the debate critically in a way they would not be forced to do in other forms of presentation. When you release content, you can never assume your one video or one article will change a person’s mind, but by making them think critically about your video or article, you stand a chance of planting little seeds into their mind that over time might make a more substantial change. So, for both Philosophy Tube’s and Contrapoint’s artistic choices, I think they are accomplishing this in a way they would not be able to before.

dear god if you would both please stop crinkling your candy wrappers so the rest of us can enjoy the absurdity. i'm beginning to regret my ticket purchase..

james chandler

I missed out on the advance preview unfortunately, but I'm very much looking forward to catching up this evening. A little off-topic, but would you consider covering the implications of the development of "Deepfakes" at some point? I'm in a STEM job myself and this particular advancement in technology could lead to some interesting-and worrying- implications on the idea of self and security. (I got my postcard the other day by the way, all my chums are rather jealous! TY x)

I appreciate the time for such a genuine and invested response! First off, let me apologize for the use of 'ridiculous' - it was just a *terrible* word choice. I meant it as 'wild', not to look down on them. A better word might be 'elaborate'. I wrote that comment off hand and I should've put more time into my word choice. They do look cool and they're fun, and there's nothing wrong with that. The costume for this one in particular actually does look really cool and I love it. Please don't take this as that I have an issue with over the aesthetics as a general thing; I don't, they're fun and expressive and can be very symbolic and artistic. I definitely understand what you're trying to say and you're probably right in most ways - I doubt I can argue very well against someone much smarter than me and with a degree in philosophy. But it is a bit unfair to accuse me of ignoring all the unique things you contribute and come up with, since that was the entire point of my original post. You DO break a lot of new ground, and I love that and everyone loves that. I couldn't name a single youtuber that could make or think up a video like 'YouTube: Art or Reality?' You mention this video isn't about climate deniers; I had no way of knowing that unfortunately since I can only see the screenshots. All I had to work with was the title 'climate grief' and the return of the arsonist, who last time was working against forced-birth proponents. My concern with the increased aesthetics is the worry that your messages won't spread 'as far to 'unwoke' people, as you could call them? A Peterson bro can get through 'Elon Musk' or 'Brexit', but is probably not going to want to watch your Peterson video or understand the important concepts you put out there or have his mind changed, because he'll click off once he sees your bare chest - even if that costume has thought put into it to further your point or work as an allegory or metaphor. It's the same worry I have with contrapoints. I know that's the Peterson bro's problem, not yours. "Bigots won't like you" isn't usually a good reason to change your behavior. But still, I'm just really worried about this rising tide of insane white supremacy and alt-rightism and I want your videos to be able to have as much chance as possible to stop or slow down the next potential guy on the path to becoming a shooter (or just the next UKIP voter). I think this is my worry / problem when it comes down to it - you're right in that taking influences and elements from other YouTubers is all over, and I have no problem with that. That's just art in general. So yeah, I guess my issue is not specifically the act of taking a few elements from Contra among all your own work and style, but that incorporating elements of that kind make your videos less accessible to the people who really, really need to internalize these concepts more than anyone else. I'm sorry for my comment having come across as hurtful. I genuinely love your work, your intelligence, your style, your art, your personality (at least for what I can know of it from a parasocial relationship, which you in fact first introduced me to!) I'm just scared and angry at how the world is going and I want stuff like yours to do as much mind-changing as possible.

Mikell

I get where you’re coming from, but I’m afraid I don’t quite see it the same way: I think you’re looking at the “theatrics” as extras, rather than different ways of putting the same point - like in this one the faux-documentary format encourages the audience to adopt a critical distance from the video which is then undercut by the fact that YouTube videos necessarily invite a little parasocial intimacy - in other words the video’s format forces you to do the exact thing Morton’s philosophy recommends, see yourself not as separate! You see the transformation from detached scientist to priest as a visual expression of that. Quill, the costumier, approached me with an offer to work on the video; I’m very pleased with the work they did and was happy to kick them some money, even as later drafts of the script moved away from using Odradek as a dramatic character and more into an educational presentation. We designed it to be a visual reflection of Morton’s ideas; the natural reasserting itself against the traditional, death and life in the same entity, unclear boundaries - it’s even called ‘Odradek,’ after Kafka. It’s genuinely a little hurtful to call that costume “ridiculous” when so much thought went into designing it and lighting it in such a way as to make it an expression of the ideas I wanted to communicate. It’s basically Morton’s book “Hyperobjects” visually represented. These things aren’t just there for the sake of it - they’re deliberate artistic choices. You’re getting Morton and Ryle and Parfit and “real philosophy” and you’re also getting them another way. I think if people find those elements distracting then maybe it’s because they have a preference for one style of learning, which is fine, but also the entire point of my channel is to try to get people to think differently? (Also the video doesn’t focus on climate deniers; I don’t mention a single one?) Marion mentioned “going back to normal,” but my first few years of videos used costumes and characters - like I said in my last one things only got more simple when I had no time and was in an abusive relationship. A lot of people found the channel then because it hit an algorithmic tipping point so that’s the style they associate me with, but when I started this style again I saw it as a return to form. I’ll absolutely cop to taking stylistic cues from other creators, no question, especially visual ones! I will say though that (maybe because it’s a visual medium) people tend to notice those things much faster than the original things I do, especially in the writing department - both cosmonaut videos were a blend of artistic, educational, and personal that nobody had ever done before (even though people said Part II was “less theatric” I actually see it as my MOST theatrical to date because I literally wrote it as a dramatic monologue); nobody had done an educational video as an ASMR meditation; nobody had done an educational video spliced with a movie review to make a point about epistemic pluralism, or a short film spliced with an educational monologue, or an educational video spliced with an interview that used multiple locations to make a point... It is a little upsetting when people are quick to notice the influences from elsewhere and not so much the work I put in to break new ground, especially now that smaller creators are coming up being influenced by me - there are people adopting my script formatting, my tactics of using literature and metaphor, even my speaking mannerisms! I think that’s fine, and I also notice they don’t get brought up on it, nor should they. There are even larger creators who’ve picked up writing cues from me in recent months to great success, and I think that’s fine. So yeah, like I say, I see where you’re coming from, but I just don’t see it the same way.

Philosophy Tube

Hey Olly, I love your stuff and I have for a long time. I'm not quite as high a seat on the hate train as Marion, but I do agree that your recent pivot to basically just be ContraPoints has been kinda disappointing. You had a very particular charm about you, one that's all your own. You have plenty unique about you and lots of your own style to show without having to get into ridiculous complicated costumes and light up your sets the same way Contra does. Obviously, if you genuinely prefer doing that and are having fun with that, then by all means keep doing it. But I do wish you'd at least still do an actual philosophy video once in a while. Videos like "Will security ever go back to normal?" or "The ethics of self driving cars" were genuinely interesting and especially enjoyable coming from you and your perspective, and sometimes I just want a break from every video being about all the terrible human beings around us like Peterson, Shapiro, and climate deniers.

Mikell

Art! Bloody return key. 😂

Daryl Hodge

That's not ALL he does. The last video was pretty much Olly monologuing in front of a camera for half an hour. It was all one shot! Personally i think he's pretty spellbinding theatrics or not... And i bet the theatrics get people to watch who otherwise wouldn't. People who need to hear deradicalising messages! Anyway, keep making

Daryl Hodge

Olly . . . You're losing me. I get the idea of incorporating SOME theatrics, given your background. But the theatrics are interfering with the message . . . tne content. I stop listening. I'm no longer getting through an entire video. I go back . . . start again , , , nothin'. I'm starin' at your eye make-up or a snake . . . wonderin' how long it took you to apply someting. I see a new video, and . . . I'm not not clickin' on you any more. It's only $2.00 a month, I remind myself. You do . . . did good stuff. Can you go back to normal? Hearing what you were about is now covered in . . . grease paint.

Downer reminder that the activists who were arrested at Standing Rock are still awaiting trial outcomes from trumped-up charges based on one specific blockade being set on fire with a couple also having disarmed someone sneaking up on the protestors with an automatic rifle. DAPL is still being built and draped across indigenous lands. There is still time to stop the absurd straw-grasping off the ultra-rich.

L

This is so funny. “Climate grief” is about the best description of the overwhelming sadness climate change makes me feel. Can’t wait for the video!

Blaire Frei

Holy molly! As a former chemical and environment engineer I can tell this one seems promising (euphemism inside). Shaun cameo? Sign me in!

Raphael Dordeins

this looks like its going to be so amazing!!!!

So excited for this one!

Abby Cohen

Holy crap this is amazing

Bardia

Heckity that first Odradek shot is 🔥

Freya Holmér

Odradek is giving me SO much 'Doctor Who Reoccurring Character' vibes, it's *PERFECT*. n_n They're ethereal and compelling af! Also, SUPER glad you're making sure to cover indigenous points of view in this video... I think that if anything is gonna save this planet, it'll be an alliance between them, the scientists, and the Left: in which various indigenous groups and First Nation folk, in tandem with efforts of decolonization, are given the space and attention to lead environmental regeneration efforts. They've been watching natural patterns change around the globe and trying to warn people for *generations*, they'll know what's up!