It's not about depression, it's about this culture of perfection. There's an episode on black mirror that's kinda about this, that one with the wedding. People share fake smiles and fake happiness on social media all the time, it's ok to be sad sometimes, it's ok to not feel satisfied with your life. When you fake happiness, you surrender and accept everything wrong about the world and about you.
I feel like it could be about media in general. You have these artificial people with artificial smiles, and they push this image onto everyone else. When you don't adhere, people bring you down for it, and bad publicity is hard to recover from, hence why he couldn't smile even when he tried because of the metal spikes. But that's just my theory.
Wrong, it's not about depression or culture of perfection, it's about conformistm and nonconformism, shortly. Also black mirror sucks. It's also about foolish consumers and conformists like you with their foolish podtexts.
Suppressing the flaws around you, basically a stab to your feelings. No wonder I felt internally depressed, I betrayed my feelings and I was exposed to the consequences of nature. It led me to more negative influences in my life, much like letting leeches suck you dry because you felt like removing them but you don't give a damn. Update 2 mins after this reply: I only managed to get up and keep moving with less bad influences only because I trusted my feelings and got rid of the main influence. The school I was in was like fake, everyone would ask but then they don't want the thing I'm offering them. Then the teachers, following such a strict policy that they couldn't care less to send someone into detention for just talking. The teachers literally give you a warning to go to detention for the most stupidest reason ever, usually for just expressing ourselves. No wonder everyone looked happy but depressed inside. Update 21 mins after post: So I left the school, the big leech itself, a private school taking my family's money.
As someone dealing with depression, this is very accurate, everyone always tells you to "turn that frown upside down" and they quit talking to you because you can't smile. Lots of respect for Alek Wasilewski
I remember seeing this in middle school and thinking it was the edgiest, deepest thing. A decade later, I'm watching it again, but I don't think this means half what I thought it meant. If only a society was as simple as smiling, or doing any ONE thing, just to get by.
i remember watching this when i was 8 or 9 or so i thought that while everyone looked really discomforting and eerie-especially the one getting executed, when we get a shot of the side of his body-the way he complacently stood in that fucked up room with those fucked up things that had so much power over him and smiled got to me the glamourless blood coming from this character whose emotions were the most relatable thing in the entire video was too much i passed out afterwards, i thought the way everyone looked and behaved in this was disgusting to the point where i couldn't bear to look at or even think of this animation at all-and it's exactly the thought that these animated characters that were designed to be uncanny were, in fact, things that had enough power over my mind that they could have me-a kid who still dreamed of and hoped to both make beautiful and do great things-twisting into unconsciousness from how discomforting they were that was just fascinatingly repulsive what unbelievable power i hope to replicate this kind of effect some day
This is how I felt when I was 6-7 and was being abused by my mom's boyfriend and he would always tell me to smile when I was looking depressed because of the abuse I had to endure it is sad to watch but an interesting video and thank you to the creator and top15s for bringing me here!
My fav flash of all time! Gives me goosebumps every time... truly an inspiration... never stop your dark Nihilistic style... there's not many who can pull off serious satire in short animation form... you are a rare talented artist!
Kawał dobrej roboty ;) Właśnie sobie przypomniałem o tym arcydziele, bo widziałem to chyba z 8 lat temu na JoeMonsterze, chyba przez ten czas zapomniałem o narodowości autora i właśnie miałem pod koniec lekkie zdziwko. Szacun
I asked the creator on Twitter about the weird lump on the main character's head, apparently it's to imply that he's deffected in some way from the others (that or something happened to him)
I think I know what he meant when Alexander created this. I knew a group of preppy kids who thought they could no wrong, even to the point to were it was almost psychotic. They were always "happy " with themselves and thought others should be as well. Even when they did the wrong thing.
@LethalRain9 these were kids I grew up with. After going to college and I learned psych, I found out what made them that way. These were the kids put on pedestals by teachers and parents. A lot of kids are good at sports or get good grades, but these types fall into the category that creates narcissists. Of course, there are those few who just might be nieve or are just fallowing along. But this form of promoting a child is most of what's happening. These types then don't realize or refuse to accept how much they may be hurting others. They were out right taught this is how it is, so they have no ability to see it any different. This in no way makes them victims, just a bad pattern that continues.
Me interpretation: this is an allegory for being "fake". Not just people not being themselves to impress somebody but when it's actually required. Many jobs and schools have a rule that you must have a "good attitude". In other words "pretend you are happy even when when you aren't". Negative emotions like fear, sadness and anger are unacceptable. But it is natural to have these feelings so you must bottle them up inside and never express them. The figures on the pannel are all smiling, they are the ones in charge and each fits a specific stereotype; the jock, the slut, the nerd. But life is not that simple. The trick is that it has to appear that simple. I've been to classes and seminars that say "remember to smile" and there are posters that say "it takes more muscles to frown then it does to smile" . In other words "pretend to be someone you're not and people will like you". We don't know why the defendant is frowning, but it is natural to feel sad sometimes. But the panel doesn't care. They give him the order to "smile" and kill him when he finds he can't. In the end they are reviled to be e emotionless robots. A metaphor of sacrificing emotions. This video is a different spin on the "Be yourself" moral. Be yourself or you will lose yourself. Either by dying from judgement or becoming an unfeeling robot
Zawsze miło zobaczyć rodzimą produkcję na tak wysokim poziomie :D Tak btw, trafiłam tu dzięki rekomendacji kanału top 15s. Brawo i oby więcej takich animacji!
God damn I find this Super deep? Like the way I interpret this is like this is what someone with depression goes through everyday, like they are going through SO much pain just to try to even look remotely okay. And it’s so weird, because even with the slightest smile they instantly look okay and perfectly happy.
Finding this was a bit of a grind. Thanks to Wee Lass Reacts here on youtube for referencing this in their reaction to episode 4 of The Amazing Digital Circus!
That portrays clearly, to me, the fake happiness industry in our world. No matter how badly you can be hurt, you gotta fake a happy face in order to be accepted. No one likes people in trouble. In the end, as in the video, there were not human, but a product of industry too.
So I think it stands for how mental diseases are so misunderstood by people of this time Edit: like people just say “hey just do the simple thing of stopping it” (in this case, telling a person who’s depressed “hey, just be happy”
I think this is about social anxiety. The main character is pressured into being happy and socialize by his friends, but he has difficulty expressing himself, so his friends lightly berate him, not knowing how critical it is for him. He tries faking it, but can't convince them thus resulting in even more pressuring. That breaks him completely thus falling into a pit of social exilement, while they just forget about him and keep going with their overly extrovertial lives (thus the party). The animation is how the main character dramatizes the experience. Also, the robot faces on the "friends" represent *valueless* smiles, not real and honest, viewed again by the main character.
I think I understand what this is trying to show. People who has large metal issues always are forced to fit in and fake smile. This mini movie really shows the pressure they are under it feels as if someone is shooting you with arrows. He is put in front of people and failed meaning "He can't fit in." He can't keep fake smiling.
God this is so true -- an artistic exagerration of course, but still an accurate point. When I'm out walking around, I ALWAYS get people I don't even know bitching at me to smile. It's like for fucksakes, leave me alone, I'll smile when I goddamn have something to smile about. It's not like I'm a depressed person -- I just have a naturally pouty mouth. Can't help the way my face is shaped. Jeez.
I remember seeing this 8 years ago on Newgrounds when I was in the 2nd-3rd grade. This strongly disturbed me at the time, thinking that the animator just wanted to make a sick video with no message or purpose. I completely understand it now and I'm glad I found this again. Great job.
For me, I understood it as system (political, judicial, educational, etc.), that works not to be effective, but works in the way to make regular people come to terms with inconvenience. For example, North Korea, where you can't complain about political regime because you can simply go to jail for it. Or, if talk about western society - cult of superproductivity, when you can't relax too much, because everybody will blame you as "lazy", "weak", and "unambitious".
Np. nieposłusznego pracownika korporacji który za niesubordynację został zdegradowany i próbuje za wszelką cenę się ratować, ale niestety już jest dla niego za późno. Jego zwolnienie z pracy jest już tylko kwestią czasu co symbolizują ostatnie szpikulce bez litości i z tym tytułowym uśmiechem wbijane w jego ciało.
That dood moves more naturally than me... Props to you! I wish I could animate. As soon as I can I will try to join the creators of horror! And hopefully be as good as you
It reminds me of darker times and darker games like Postal 1, Manhunt 1/2 , Cry of Fear .. damn it has this sound of darkness and pain , paired with eternal tears and screams. I love it.
It's crucial for the whole circle. It's about nonconformism and conformism. Incubators (women) will give birth to new meat and circle will continue. Humans are programmed automatons really.
tough tough tough one, this one. How many get killed in the name of justice, protection of freedom, "self-defence", "god & Co", love, etc etc..all good happysmileyfacesthings, right? right??How much differenceness can a people handle? questions..uncomforteable questions..Cool animation, thumbs up!
Oh wow, this is just goosebumps-inducing chilling. Rather intense statement. On the technical side, it's some sharp animation, too. But now I seriously need to watch something cheerful. o_o;
me at first: wtf is happening to their faces? shows guy in chair: oh hello me oh now I'm being punctured by spikes. wtf is going on. no. don't party. I'm dead. stop.
This Emoji Movie trailer looks great.
Herman 111 smiler portrayed by smile!
Mr. Friendship haha
Like number 200
HE’S MAKING THE WRONG FACE!
....well.
It's not about depression, it's about this culture of perfection.
There's an episode on black mirror that's kinda about this, that one with the wedding.
People share fake smiles and fake happiness on social media all the time, it's ok to be sad sometimes, it's ok to not feel satisfied with your life. When you fake happiness, you surrender and accept everything wrong about the world and about you.
I was forced to watch that for a school project. It was pretty distressing, considering China is halfway there to that already.
I feel like it could be about media in general. You have these artificial people with artificial smiles, and they push this image onto everyone else. When you don't adhere, people bring you down for it, and bad publicity is hard to recover from, hence why he couldn't smile even when he tried because of the metal spikes. But that's just my theory.
@@hypsin0 Sad....
Wrong, it's not about depression or culture of perfection, it's about conformistm and nonconformism, shortly.
Also black mirror sucks. It's also about foolish consumers and conformists like you with their foolish podtexts.
Suppressing the flaws around you, basically a stab to your feelings.
No wonder I felt internally depressed, I betrayed my feelings and I was exposed to the consequences of nature. It led me to more negative influences in my life, much like letting leeches suck you dry because you felt like removing them but you don't give a damn.
Update 2 mins after this reply: I only managed to get up and keep moving with less bad influences only because I trusted my feelings and got rid of the main influence. The school I was in was like fake, everyone would ask but then they don't want the thing I'm offering them. Then the teachers, following such a strict policy that they couldn't care less to send someone into detention for just talking. The teachers literally give you a warning to go to detention for the most stupidest reason ever, usually for just expressing ourselves. No wonder everyone looked happy but depressed inside.
Update 21 mins after post: So I left the school, the big leech itself, a private school taking my family's money.
all the comments...and no one realized they were robots. An amazing video. Thank you!
Not Given I realized
i have realized, just thought it shouldn't be mentioned
Not Given I did
i was shocked at first but died at the ending
Perfect representation of this sick , western world.
As someone dealing with depression, this is very accurate, everyone always tells you to "turn that frown upside down" and they quit talking to you because you can't smile. Lots of respect for Alek Wasilewski
Hope you are okay .
Sick flash videos and games like this helped me get through highschool over 10 years ago.
And NewGrounds is just as amazing as it ever was :)
"You have to smile more!" - Society
Eduardo Mucino smile, says society. Yet they're still gonna mash you to oblivion.
Emo teens: Never!
Screw smiling
This is so distressing but so good
ur crepy
I agree! It was very well done but the content was very distressing.
I remember seeing this in middle school and thinking it was the edgiest, deepest thing. A decade later, I'm watching it again, but I don't think this means half what I thought it meant.
If only a society was as simple as smiling, or doing any ONE thing, just to get by.
I remember watching this on new grounds in like 2003. Could not sleep tonight wondering if it was still out there.
i remember watching this when i was 8 or 9 or so
i thought that while everyone looked really discomforting and eerie-especially the one getting executed, when we get a shot of the side of his body-the way he complacently stood in that fucked up room with those fucked up things that had so much power over him and smiled got to me
the glamourless blood coming from this character whose emotions were the most relatable thing in the entire video was too much
i passed out
afterwards, i thought the way everyone looked and behaved in this was disgusting to the point where i couldn't bear to look at or even think of this animation at all-and it's exactly the thought that these animated characters that were designed to be uncanny were, in fact, things that had enough power over my mind that they could have me-a kid who still dreamed of and hoped to both make beautiful and do great things-twisting into unconsciousness from how discomforting they were that was just fascinatingly repulsive
what unbelievable power
i hope to replicate this kind of effect some day
This is how I felt when I was 6-7 and was being abused by my mom's boyfriend and he would always tell me to smile when I was looking depressed because of the abuse I had to endure it is sad to watch but an interesting video and thank you to the creator and top15s for bringing me here!
Hi. I hope you are okay.
The new way to treat Depression! It'll be sure to work this time!
My fav flash of all time! Gives me goosebumps every time... truly an inspiration... never stop your dark Nihilistic style... there's not many who can pull off serious satire in short animation form... you are a rare talented artist!
Kawał dobrej roboty ;) Właśnie sobie przypomniałem o tym arcydziele, bo widziałem to chyba z 8 lat temu na JoeMonsterze, chyba przez ten czas zapomniałem o narodowości autora i właśnie miałem pod koniec lekkie zdziwko. Szacun
I asked the creator on Twitter about the weird lump on the main character's head, apparently it's to imply that he's deffected in some way from the others (that or something happened to him)
I think I know what he meant when Alexander created this. I knew a group of preppy kids who thought they could no wrong, even to the point to were it was almost psychotic. They were always "happy " with themselves and thought others should be as well. Even when they did the wrong thing.
Name them
@LethalRain9 these were kids I grew up with. After going to college and I learned psych, I found out what made them that way. These were the kids put on pedestals by teachers and parents. A lot of kids are good at sports or get good grades, but these types fall into the category that creates narcissists. Of course, there are those few who just might be nieve or are just fallowing along. But this form of promoting a child is most of what's happening. These types then don't realize or refuse to accept how much they may be hurting others. They were out right taught this is how it is, so they have no ability to see it any different. This in no way makes them victims, just a bad pattern that continues.
Me interpretation: this is an allegory for being "fake". Not just people not being themselves to impress somebody but when it's actually required. Many jobs and schools have a rule that you must have a "good attitude". In other words "pretend you are happy even when when you aren't". Negative emotions like fear, sadness and anger are unacceptable. But it is natural to have these feelings so you must bottle them up inside and never express them. The figures on the pannel are all smiling, they are the ones in charge and each fits a specific stereotype; the jock, the slut, the nerd. But life is not that simple. The trick is that it has to appear that simple. I've been to classes and seminars that say "remember to smile" and there are posters that say "it takes more muscles to frown then it does to smile" . In other words "pretend to be someone you're not and people will like you". We don't know why the defendant is frowning, but it is natural to feel sad sometimes. But the panel doesn't care. They give him the order to "smile" and kill him when he finds he can't. In the end they are reviled to be e emotionless robots. A metaphor of sacrificing emotions. This video is a different spin on the "Be yourself" moral. Be yourself or you will lose yourself. Either by dying from judgement or becoming an unfeeling robot
After it ends, Mk Ultra may go down in history as the creepiest thing human beings have ever done to each other.
I miss the old internet
I’m here from the David Firth playlist.
You think this is an analogy to depression? That's how I interpreted it
I think is more like a critic about how we judge others just because they don't smile, without considering what kind of pain they have in their soul.
true
Kai Kazel couldn’t have said that better
Alex Wasilewski is now my favorite animator.
Great music to this one.
Absolutely brilliant.
Thanks for sharing it!
I absolutely agree with you
This is, I have no words... Thank you.
Zawsze miło zobaczyć rodzimą produkcję na tak wysokim poziomie :D Tak btw, trafiłam tu dzięki rekomendacji kanału top 15s. Brawo i oby więcej takich animacji!
anyone here bcus of david firth?
He c c yea
Anti Weeb yep
Perhaps
Yes
Mhm
This video has been selected by our channel as one of the best "Deep" videos in TH-cam. Thanks for uploading it.
Regards,
BestofYTchannel
God damn I find this Super deep? Like the way I interpret this is like this is what someone with depression goes through everyday, like they are going through SO much pain just to try to even look remotely okay. And it’s so weird, because even with the slightest smile they instantly look okay and perfectly happy.
Finding this was a bit of a grind.
Thanks to Wee Lass Reacts here on youtube for referencing this in their reaction to episode 4 of The Amazing Digital Circus!
this is the essence of flash-horror.
lol the ending tho 😂😂
I first saw this in 2009, time flies.
Newgrounds did soooo much. This thing was really infulential to me. Thx for the upload.
TH-cam was a dark place before our saviour annoying orange
This Reminds me of my childhood The same thing happened to me When I was just a young Lad
Ta końcówka, jest taka nie bez powodu. Pokazuje pewną ludzką cechę zwaną obojętnością.:)
So, orgy or dance party? Also, the second smile came on screen I would take the end of the spike off and Jeff the Killer it to save my skin.
I remember watching this as a kid and getting scarred
Thanks for the memories
That portrays clearly, to me, the fake happiness industry in our world. No matter how badly you can be hurt, you gotta fake a happy face in order to be accepted. No one likes people in trouble. In the end, as in the video, there were not human, but a product of industry too.
So I think it stands for how mental diseases are so misunderstood by people of this time
Edit: like people just say “hey just do the simple thing of stopping it” (in this case, telling a person who’s depressed “hey, just be happy”
2006 the peak of these types of animations
COME ON EVERYPONY SMILE SMILE SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Legendary Pokemon Collector Fill mah heart up with sunshine sunshine
A brony... don't say. Your under arrest!
OH SHIT I GOT FLASHBACKS
But yet very true
The Legendary Pokemon Collector *WTF*
@1aceraussie
The band is "Godspeed You! Black Emperor", however I cannot recall the track. 8(
I think this is about social anxiety. The main character is pressured into being happy and socialize by his friends, but he has difficulty expressing himself, so his friends lightly berate him, not knowing how critical it is for him. He tries faking it, but can't convince them thus resulting in even more pressuring. That breaks him completely thus falling into a pit of social exilement, while they just forget about him and keep going with their overly extrovertial lives (thus the party). The animation is how the main character dramatizes the experience. Also, the robot faces on the "friends" represent *valueless* smiles, not real and honest, viewed again by the main character.
This deserves more likes
The fact that, one of those robots had their shirts as " Sexy Bitch "
For some reason, I love this
I think I understand what this is trying to show. People who has large metal issues always are forced to fit in and fake smile. This mini movie really shows the pressure they are under it feels as if someone is shooting you with arrows. He is put in front of people and failed meaning "He can't fit in." He can't keep fake smiling.
Masterpiece. Шедевр.
Funniest thing I've watch since my cat died.
This is how I feel
One of the first animations I ever saw on Newgrounds
wonderful i love this
If you smiled at the end, you lost.
I lost The Game...
Everyone's saying Top 15's but I'm here from David Firth's Twitter.
Dylan C Ayy, me too
Bird up, fish down. Awww snapz...
I GOT AN IHOP AD BEFORE THIS XD
God this is so true -- an artistic exagerration of course, but still an accurate point.
When I'm out walking around, I ALWAYS get people I don't even know bitching at me to smile. It's like for fucksakes, leave me alone, I'll smile when I goddamn have something to smile about. It's not like I'm a depressed person -- I just have a naturally pouty mouth.
Can't help the way my face is shaped. Jeez.
"Smile like your life depends on it."
I remember seeing this 8 years ago on Newgrounds when I was in the 2nd-3rd grade. This strongly disturbed me at the time, thinking that the animator just wanted to make a sick video with no message or purpose. I completely understand it now and I'm glad I found this again. Great job.
2019 boys nearly 13 years later
Prawdy się naćpał. Nie zawracaj sobie tym głowy, to najniebezpieczniejszy narkotyk.
For me, I understood it as system (political, judicial, educational, etc.), that works not to be effective, but works in the way to make regular people come to terms with inconvenience. For example, North Korea, where you can't complain about political regime because you can simply go to jail for it. Or, if talk about western society - cult of superproductivity, when you can't relax too much, because everybody will blame you as "lazy", "weak", and "unambitious".
Scares the hell outta me to this day
Np. nieposłusznego pracownika korporacji który za niesubordynację został zdegradowany i próbuje za wszelką cenę się ratować, ale niestety już jest dla niego za późno. Jego zwolnienie z pracy jest już tylko kwestią czasu co symbolizują ostatnie szpikulce bez litości i z tym tytułowym uśmiechem wbijane w jego ciało.
That dood moves more naturally than me...
Props to you! I wish I could animate. As soon as I can I will try to join the creators of horror! And hopefully be as good as you
Just put a smile on that face....
Smile! ! 😀😀😀😳
Smile. Just smile.
This is great.
Po części właśnie o to chodzi, ale na ogół film ma charakter humorystyczny ze względu na końcówkę wywołującą uśmiech na twarzy oglądającego :D
It reminds me of darker times and darker games like Postal 1, Manhunt 1/2 , Cry of Fear .. damn it has this sound of darkness and pain , paired with eternal tears and screams. I love it.
i saw this when i was about 8 years old and it still fucking freaks me out
Naprawdę dobra robota...
Świetny film
the end.....was that supposed to be robots doing it or something?
It looks like they are...
RiioT Gaming idk its krazyman
@Adam Ben Aziza Fuck your jokes
Ask your parents
It's crucial for the whole circle. It's about nonconformism and conformism. Incubators (women) will give birth to new meat and circle will continue. Humans are programmed automatons really.
This always makes me think of the 'BeKind' brigade.
I could see this in Saw anyone els?
This is quite under appreciated as an animation.
damn, the nostalgia
tough tough tough one, this one. How many get killed in the name of justice, protection of freedom, "self-defence", "god & Co", love, etc etc..all good happysmileyfacesthings, right? right??How much differenceness can a people handle? questions..uncomforteable questions..Cool animation, thumbs up!
Very much agree with you
Alek's stuff has always been awesome.
Woah, I actually saw this before clicking on the link from top 15s.
Oh wow, this is just goosebumps-inducing chilling. Rather intense statement.
On the technical side, it's some sharp animation, too.
But now I seriously need to watch something cheerful. o_o;
Have you done that?
Person: *dies*
Dudes: look at the time its dance time
Smile! :)
When you're at George B. Swift,And Mr.Watson keeps saying positive thinking matters
Accurate
It’s a better version of American Idol !!! 😁
This video so beautifully represents toxic positivity.
Szkoda że ja jestem rocznikiem 94 i jestem w 3 technikum, ładnie żeś przeskoczył kilka lat :)
Gratulacje inteligencji
Jesus Christ
Why does he have to live in a world where you have to be forced to smile
You do, too.
Maybe he lives in North Korea.
every one remember to be happy and smile :)
I think its a good way to put being diffrent and being hurt by others because you can't be like others :(
thats true!! AMAZING!
Невероятно атмосферно
me at first: wtf is happening to their faces?
shows guy in chair: oh hello me
oh now I'm being punctured by spikes.
wtf is going on. no. don't party. I'm dead. stop.
I can relate to this
The people kinda remind me of Madness grunts.
Same
This was years ahead of it's time.. or I'm just late.
Glad you added last sentence. Definately last one. Nothing is ahead of it's time.
Człowieku własnie przedstawiłeś mój pogląd na cały ten pieprzony świat. Dziękuje.