This is probably a brain dump as much as anything, so consider yourself warned.
It’s not particularly exciting, nor amusing, nor creative, so lower your expectations.
It’s mostly just me thinking aloud for a couple minutes, dangerous though that might be.
I watched a short “rambling video” from one of the more venerable YouTubers (boogie2988) on my list of subscriptions this morning, in which he talked about not really knowing what sort of content to even try to create at this point. I realized that I didn’t have any solid answer about what he should create, but I did have some feedback on what he shouldn’t create … at least not if he wanted ME to watch. (Some of this blog entry repurposes my response to him)
In his video the remark he made that resonated most with me was about the need for “escape”. I’m finding that to be true even more with music than with YouTube content. Arguably my favorite band of the past 18-24 months decided to go political with their latest release this week and I found that I simply wasn’t interested. Good, bad, didn’t matter, I just wasn’t interested.
Nearly all sports are pretty much dead to me at this point, music is rapidly getting there. Gaming is a last bastion but even that requires careful selection.
If I want controversy all I have to do is go … pretty much anywhere. Social media, (ostensibly) legitimate media, or glance out my own window. I don’t have to go looking for it, it’s already everywhere
The value of YouTube — or any other recreational outlet — to me at this point is to be able to AVOID the madness that surrounds every facet of existence right now. There’s no shortage of any number of negative emotions, there’s no shortage of triggers for negative emotions. My closing remark was this piece of advice “Whatever you choose to create, I’d say: do something different. The negativity niches all are full up.”
If you know me at all, you know I’m not reluctant to engage in controversy.
I’m not an isolationist, there isn’t a Polyanna gene in my whole body, I don’t consistently ignore the world around me, micro or macro. But that’s the thing … I’m ALREADY acutely aware of the vast arrays of shitstorms , I don’t need to go looking for more of it. In order to function as best I can in the wars being fought currently and the ones I believe lie ahead, my downtime needs to separate me from the constant misery of reality, not immerse me in it. In the words of Full Metal Jacket’s Private Pyle “I *am* … in a world … of shit”. The last thing on Earth I want is to voluntarily add another 50 gallons to the cesspool I’m swimming in.
Battle fatigue, that’s the closest approximation I can think of. Is it really too much to ask for a little R&R away from the shelling? That when you can get off the front lines and get to the rear, at least a temporary approximation of normalcy and enjoyment are possible. Instead, it seems like the various relaxation niches — the collective USO if you will — have decided to take the approach of firing weapons, albeit largely loaded with blanks, at all hours just so there’s as little relief as possible.
Honestly, I’d love to be able to follow the advice I gave Boogie, to create something that counteracts the mess, even for a few minutes. Alas, I’m afraid, I got nothing. The best I can manage it seems is to limit myself to only the most necessary rants and raves, and I’m doing the best I can with that.
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