I generally dislike basically everybody in the "Youtube Smart Person Who Tells You Information For 10-30 Minutes" sphere for various reasons (Tom Scott and 3Blue1Brown are the least aggravating for me as they're pretty good at staying in their lane), but by far the funniest (and most aggravating) part of their whole project is when they get onto China or the USSR in the middle of a video that doesn't immediately seem like it would be about that, and it just turns into a whole spiel like: "The totalitarian regime of China/USSR is well-known for their extensive censorship and the iron hand they have on the media, with many human rights abuses. According to recent estimates, the gulag system murdered 50 quintillion people under Stalin's terror alone, and not a single person was allowed to speak their mind. If you were the first to stop clapping during a Stalin speech, you would be executed. Anyway, as I was saying, this new flavour of ice cream was invented in the USSR in 1976..."

Like, wow, you're really doing a great job with that Bill Gates grant money.

[–] BelieveRevolt@hexbear.net 49 points 1 year ago

Kurzgesagt has to be the worst one, especially their so-true "We'll totally fix climate change, guys!" video. They're also literally funded by Bill Gates.

[–] StellarTabi@hexbear.net 28 points 1 year ago

protip: it's only whataboutism if you're mentioning bad things the USA does.

[–] privatized_sun@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Tom Scott

neoliberal NPC who thinks 'rich people should build more nice fountains, wow!"

you're really doing a great job with that Bill Gates grant money.

https://redsails.org/on-anthony-bourdain/

a celebrity is “only” an A- or B-lister, until they are inspired to put aside childish things, as Obama said during his inauguration, quoting scripture. This celebrity then throws themselves into the world of humanitarian-branded, progressive-looking activism, generally three-letter State Department-connected NGOs which have been described more accurately as “the human rights-imperialism racket.” This celebrity then transcends mere stardom and becomes someone to whom we should look for not only entertainment, but moral and political guidance.

every neoliberal micro-celeb is a wannabee imperialist propagandist

[–] FourteenEyes@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago

tbh I agree with Tom Scott on that video to the degree that Jeff Bezos unveiling a big vanity art project completely free and open to the public would be a slightly better use of his money than launching his own ass into space

[–] GreenTeaRedFlag@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Rich people should build more fountains though. That's a statement that doesn't even contradict the idea that rich people shouldn't exist. They do, and they should be building fountains until we eliminate them. I would also say it's not even liberal especially, but definitely not neo liberal. Throughout human history, where there are wealthy people they are financing public works and art to show off their wealth. They make gardens and parks and statues and temples to raise their prestige, as well as support something they like. Part of the reason most American cities look like shit is because all space was either administered by the government with the lowest possible budget and any spending that wasn't functionally essential(and quite a lot that was) got treated as a sin, or it was used by businesses. Vanity projects should be theater companies and artworks, not space flights and warehouses full of cars.

[–] Dessa@hexbear.net 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Museums full of cars, otoh...

[–] GreenTeaRedFlag@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly? Marginally better. Oil and gas aren't being wasted on them and more people can enjoy them.

[–] Dessa@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

Even if we somehow moved to a transit-centric world, that history ought to still be there, like going to look at old WW2 fighter planes.

[–] tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago

It's impressive the opportunities for any media to devolve into that sort of propaganda. I was reading about micro-studios around the world on some totally innocuous seeming home decor site. The first half had tiny but beautiful Japanese studios with luxury amenities, other similar ones, then the second half was all supposed warehouses of cages that poor people live in in China, in 6x8 metal wire framed boxes basically, and other horrible conditions like that, it was odd as the site was basically HGTV vibes up until that.

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

SmarterEveryDay is also one of those guys who makes his kids call him sir

[–] GnastyGnuts@hexbear.net 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That's one of the absolute worst vibes.

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 12 points 1 year ago

A truly rancid vibe

[–] tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The more I learn about different parents, I really think I had a miracle up-bringing, my parents didn't even realize they raised me and my siblings nearly entirely on leftist revolutionary vibes, bless them <3

[–] nohaybanda@hexbear.net 18 points 1 year ago

I quit watching after that video came out. Fuck that guy.

[–] Dalek@hexbear.net 8 points 1 year ago

I think the conspiracy lot (Bright Inside, Voyager etc) need to take a break..