Thanks for watching! This one is more of a rant than an essay. I think my next video will be more carefully researched so it'll probably take more time to make. THE ADDENDUM: I'm sorry Fantano, I don't even talk about you in this video but when I think about the "irony epidemic" your comment sections are basically what I think of. I also took those "thought terminating cliches" from a comment on his video response to Ethel's post, so thanks yawsanevruh1116. I've been informed that Ethel is pronounced eh-thul. Sorry Ethel! (says its like ee-thul again) My claim that fascism is not a coherent set of beliefs and that it's fundamentally contradictory is not one that is sourced by a work of academia. I based it on "Ur-Fascism" by Umberto Eco, in which he states fascists believe "The enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak". But there is a plethora of academic work supporting the idea that fascism can indeed be pinpointed into a set of identifiable ideals (Ur-Fascism even being one of them) so I recommend you do your own reading on this one. It's dawned on me that I failed to mention a crucial aspect of why I dislike irony and ironic humour in this video. It's the reason why I put Jreg in the video at all and I just realised this while typing this comment. But basically, I believe that believing is important to a functioning society, and that having strong ideals and beliefs will make you a better person. A centrist is not in fact a centrist, but rather someone who sees the status quo advantageous to them i.e. a conservative. It's just that the centrist is too cowardly to openly express their views. Jreg is correct in his rhetoric (not belief, because I don't think he actually believes in it) that centrism is corrosive to discourse. But what I think Jreg does is just another form of centrism, because masking your true intentions with irony and making it impossible for people to tell what you really believe in is just the same thing as centrism. That's why I think, while I think Jreg is a funny TH-cam entertainer, he fails severely as a political satirist, something I think he attempts to be. I also really like his personal channel, Greg Guevara. I think his videos on the subject of art are really good. So, please, believe as hard as you can, believe in SOMETHING. Don't hide your beliefs by drenching it in so much irony that people can't tell if you're serious anymore. That is a sub-symptom of the Irony Epidemic I failed to mention here.
it’s crazy how people can comment something they’re passionate about and it be reduced to them being too much or too annoying. “i ain’t reading allat” then just don’t. comment sections exist for a reason so people can COMMENT on things in the video. like imagine if someone responded like that to YOU when you’re trying to be sincere or educate people
i’m tired of the kids at school just mocking anyone that talks or puts effort in assignments, idc if i’m nerdy or an over achiever i genuinely enjoy these subjects and want to put myself into my work
@aubreebaker-bd8zp You're doing great work! You're learning what it's like to be invested and immerse yourself in these fields, which is a more valuable skill than, idk, doing the assignments with AI or whatever kids do nowadays
I noticed this a lot in high school, as someone who also enjoys school subjects and tries to do assignments sincerely. I had a fairly large friend group (one that I was kinda forced into), and the overarching sentiment they had was that putting effort into or having a genuine interest in academics. There were a great number of times where I felt like I couldn't connect with them because I did the cringe thing of being into school subjects instead of whatever drama that was currently happening (and they were drama kids, so there was plenty.) I'm now a college freshman with no real friends, and I've never felt happier. Sure, the work is harder, and I have to manage my time more efficiently, but I now have the luxury of enjoying my interests without fear. Obviously its lovely to connect with people based on your interests, but I've enjoyed being "out of the loop" and being in tune with myself, whatever that means.
yeah. there's this one person in our class (not sure whether they're neurodivergent but the people in my class avoid them like the plague) who really likes interacting with our professors. it's a beautiful thing, sure it may get tiring to only hear them, but they've got passion. today, our math professor proposed a question to the class (which nobody answered, not because we didn't know, but because it would be cringe or whatever), so this kid went to answer it. they seemed rather excited about it- speaking quickly, stumbling over their words, and coming across a few wrong answers before the correct one. and as you'd expect, everybody was laughing at them. i don't get why. i'm sure if i asked what was funny i'd get nothing but reluctance in response. however, if somebody who was more involved with the class had answered in a way that made it absolutely clear they were through with this math crap (they're not subtle), as they always do, they'd be met with respect. are we supposed to be miserable now? can i not find joy in learning? why does it have to be so boring? i've been able to mask the passion i have for the subjects i like, because i don't want to get laughed at you know, but i'm still very much an outcast. there's a whole nother rabbit hole there, in short, people ostracize me because they think i'm autistic. i'm not. i just find joy in getting my brain thinking.
im glad to have found sincere people. i like what Tyler the Creator says in CMIYGL, "they treated my nuance like it was a nuisance", try and avoid people like that
Yeah at the end of the day it's important to find people and make friends with people you vibe with. If people who are ironic and insincere all the time is that for someone I think that's fair but I find most people like that are toxic for other reasons too in the end
I appreciate this video alot. Ive talked to too many people who cling to irony as their only personality trait and are otherwise bricks and they are absolutely humorless ppl. You can crack a hundred jokes and most of them would go over their heads and they throw out jokes with no tact. Theres no point in irony when you have no wit and to have wit, you need to have some level of sincerity
Dostoevsky wrote in the 19th century "Besides, nowadays, almost all capable people are terribly afraid of being ridiculous, and are miserable because of it" "Yet, I didn't understand that she was intentionally disguising her feelings with sarcasm; that was usually the last resort of people who are timid and chaste of heart, whose souls have been coarsely and impudently invaded; and who, until the last moment, refuse to yield out of pride and are afraid to express their own feelings to you."
i think the irony epidemic has been a long time coming. back in 2013 my dad used to believe that bronies only existed because of sarcasm and irony, and perhaps there's a small amount of truth to that due to the fandom's origins on 4chan. thankfully he doesn't believe that stuff anymore and knows that i and many other fans genuinely love the show. and luckily i always knew sincerity was cooler than irony, and that is most certainly reflected in the fanbases that some of my works have gained.
You know what? Fuck it! I used to be so ashamed of liking MLP, especially the horror fanfics I'd always read/listen to. I know almost nobody will see this, but your comment made me feel a bit better about being "cringe". I'm abandoning that word, and let it be known, I'm a Pegasister! :3
I had a friendship that started down the toxic irony road. All our jokes were cynical and sarcastic. We had been friends for years but were both going through some shit. It was exhausting. Eventually we discussed the way we had been talking and decided to put it to rest. It was hard being genuine with each other at first, but I’m happy to say we are still friends, and how much better our friendship is because of it. There’s something really sad about shutting down the human parts of yourself. It will not help you hurt less. It will just trap you in hell.
Instead of saying “its not that deep” I prefer to say “this was heavy” like maybe I don't agree with the perspective of the analyser but I can appreciate that they have put more thought into something than I have. That's what I like about this video, and another youtube called Jessie Gender who is also pro art (she made a movie this year that I liked quite a bit too).
Yeah Jessie Gender is cool as fuck! And me too, even if I think someone is reading into something where there is nothing, I can appreciate the fact that they attempted to analyse it
really great video! being able to stop being consumed by irony whenever you start making art is v relatable, I found that the same thing happened to me when I started getting really into drawing excited to see what you upload next!! :3
@@CecilyRenns saw this reply as I was listening to sophmore slump callithump hehe, yeah I love stomach book!! you're the fourth one on yt to recognise my icon :O
There's a semi-frequent thread on /tg/ - Traditional Games called “/tg/ therapist” threads. It was more or less like confession threads, but instead of saying they like or do X or Y, it was people talking about their own personal problems with the hobby or hobbyists. Over time, it just became a therapy thread loosely related to Tabletop games. 4chan might not be ALL bad. 1d6chan especially has got some quality control and counts on general atmosphere and decency to create new articles.
yeah I definitely didn't want to shit on the whole website like so many people do, I'd be hypocritical, I mean Reddit has a ton of the same issues as 4chan on a broader basis but there are still good subreddits like how there are good 4chan boards
This is an excellent essay. Thanks for the enriching ideas. I recently attended a conference talk about 4Chan that discussed the political implications of irony in a similar way. It made a reference to Mexican Existentialist Jorge Portilla's concept of relajo, which seems in many respects to be a kind of response to a nihilistic worldview. I think there are many parallels with what you are saying here.
Abandon society, step into the healing rays of *The Wonderful 101* , let it's anti-cynicism purify your being and fill you with the love for altruistic self-respect that makes the world better for all.
I think your point about JReg would hold more weight a few years ago during the political satire era of his channel, when he had more Hitlerite PoliticalCompassMemes types in his community. The irony was being used to mask hate without the threat of consequences. Since then, his commentary on political irony has evolved into a more purposeful, comprehensive critique of centrists and other kinds of ideological groups. His sincere views have also become way more clear over time and thus, I feel that he has pretty effectively distanced himself.
Good point. That dude was unbearably annoying when he was popping off. Just gave me Sam Hyde vibes and could never tell where he stood. Glad that he's cleaned up recently
Thanks for watching! This one is more of a rant than an essay. I think my next video will be more carefully researched so it'll probably take more time to make.
THE ADDENDUM:
I'm sorry Fantano, I don't even talk about you in this video but when I think about the "irony epidemic" your comment sections are basically what I think of. I also took those "thought terminating cliches" from a comment on his video response to Ethel's post, so thanks yawsanevruh1116.
I've been informed that Ethel is pronounced eh-thul. Sorry Ethel! (says its like ee-thul again)
My claim that fascism is not a coherent set of beliefs and that it's fundamentally contradictory is not one that is sourced by a work of academia. I based it on "Ur-Fascism" by Umberto Eco, in which he states fascists believe "The enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak". But there is a plethora of academic work supporting the idea that fascism can indeed be pinpointed into a set of identifiable ideals (Ur-Fascism even being one of them) so I recommend you do your own reading on this one.
It's dawned on me that I failed to mention a crucial aspect of why I dislike irony and ironic humour in this video. It's the reason why I put Jreg in the video at all and I just realised this while typing this comment. But basically, I believe that believing is important to a functioning society, and that having strong ideals and beliefs will make you a better person. A centrist is not in fact a centrist, but rather someone who sees the status quo advantageous to them i.e. a conservative. It's just that the centrist is too cowardly to openly express their views. Jreg is correct in his rhetoric (not belief, because I don't think he actually believes in it) that centrism is corrosive to discourse. But what I think Jreg does is just another form of centrism, because masking your true intentions with irony and making it impossible for people to tell what you really believe in is just the same thing as centrism. That's why I think, while I think Jreg is a funny TH-cam entertainer, he fails severely as a political satirist, something I think he attempts to be.
I also really like his personal channel, Greg Guevara. I think his videos on the subject of art are really good.
So, please, believe as hard as you can, believe in SOMETHING. Don't hide your beliefs by drenching it in so much irony that people can't tell if you're serious anymore. That is a sub-symptom of the Irony Epidemic I failed to mention here.
it’s crazy how people can comment something they’re passionate about and it be reduced to them being too much or too annoying. “i ain’t reading allat” then just don’t. comment sections exist for a reason so people can COMMENT on things in the video. like imagine if someone responded like that to YOU when you’re trying to be sincere or educate people
@@guineapigsarekindafat4837 Trust me toby i don't have to imagine, I know what that's like haha (it kind of fuelled my desire to make this video)
time to be that one guy, i aint readin allat
(i completely agree with you)
There can a lot of strength in sharing your vulnerabilities
thought provoking as heck, subbed
i’m tired of the kids at school just mocking anyone that talks or puts effort in assignments, idc if i’m nerdy or an over achiever i genuinely enjoy these subjects and want to put myself into my work
@aubreebaker-bd8zp You're doing great work! You're learning what it's like to be invested and immerse yourself in these fields, which is a more valuable skill than, idk, doing the assignments with AI or whatever kids do nowadays
I noticed this a lot in high school, as someone who also enjoys school subjects and tries to do assignments sincerely. I had a fairly large friend group (one that I was kinda forced into), and the overarching sentiment they had was that putting effort into or having a genuine interest in academics. There were a great number of times where I felt like I couldn't connect with them because I did the cringe thing of being into school subjects instead of whatever drama that was currently happening (and they were drama kids, so there was plenty.)
I'm now a college freshman with no real friends, and I've never felt happier. Sure, the work is harder, and I have to manage my time more efficiently, but I now have the luxury of enjoying my interests without fear. Obviously its lovely to connect with people based on your interests, but I've enjoyed being "out of the loop" and being in tune with myself, whatever that means.
yeah. there's this one person in our class (not sure whether they're neurodivergent but the people in my class avoid them like the plague) who really likes interacting with our professors. it's a beautiful thing, sure it may get tiring to only hear them, but they've got passion. today, our math professor proposed a question to the class (which nobody answered, not because we didn't know, but because it would be cringe or whatever), so this kid went to answer it. they seemed rather excited about it- speaking quickly, stumbling over their words, and coming across a few wrong answers before the correct one. and as you'd expect, everybody was laughing at them. i don't get why. i'm sure if i asked what was funny i'd get nothing but reluctance in response. however, if somebody who was more involved with the class had answered in a way that made it absolutely clear they were through with this math crap (they're not subtle), as they always do, they'd be met with respect. are we supposed to be miserable now? can i not find joy in learning? why does it have to be so boring? i've been able to mask the passion i have for the subjects i like, because i don't want to get laughed at you know, but i'm still very much an outcast. there's a whole nother rabbit hole there, in short, people ostracize me because they think i'm autistic. i'm not. i just find joy in getting my brain thinking.
im glad to have found sincere people. i like what Tyler the Creator says in CMIYGL, "they treated my nuance like it was a nuisance", try and avoid people like that
Yeah at the end of the day it's important to find people and make friends with people you vibe with. If people who are ironic and insincere all the time is that for someone I think that's fair but I find most people like that are toxic for other reasons too in the end
@@CecilyRenns agreed
I appreciate this video alot.
Ive talked to too many people who cling to irony as their only personality trait and are otherwise bricks and they are absolutely humorless ppl. You can crack a hundred jokes and most of them would go over their heads and they throw out jokes with no tact. Theres no point in irony when you have no wit and to have wit, you need to have some level of sincerity
@nicanjil6909 Thank you nic!!! Yeah we all know a person or two like that lol
Dostoevsky wrote in the 19th century "Besides, nowadays, almost all capable people are terribly afraid of being ridiculous, and are miserable because of it"
"Yet, I didn't understand that she was intentionally disguising her feelings with sarcasm; that was usually the last resort of people who are timid and chaste of heart, whose souls have been coarsely and impudently invaded; and who, until the last moment, refuse to yield out of pride and are afraid to express their own feelings to you."
@@DavidMFBowie He was so fucking real when he wrote this!
i think the irony epidemic has been a long time coming. back in 2013 my dad used to believe that bronies only existed because of sarcasm and irony, and perhaps there's a small amount of truth to that due to the fandom's origins on 4chan. thankfully he doesn't believe that stuff anymore and knows that i and many other fans genuinely love the show. and luckily i always knew sincerity was cooler than irony, and that is most certainly reflected in the fanbases that some of my works have gained.
cringe
You know what? Fuck it! I used to be so ashamed of liking MLP, especially the horror fanfics I'd always read/listen to. I know almost nobody will see this, but your comment made me feel a bit better about being "cringe". I'm abandoning that word, and let it be known, I'm a Pegasister! :3
I had a friendship that started down the toxic irony road. All our jokes were cynical and sarcastic. We had been friends for years but were both going through some shit. It was exhausting. Eventually we discussed the way we had been talking and decided to put it to rest. It was hard being genuine with each other at first, but I’m happy to say we are still friends, and how much better our friendship is because of it. There’s something really sad about shutting down the human parts of yourself. It will not help you hurt less. It will just trap you in hell.
Instead of saying “its not that deep” I prefer to say “this was heavy” like maybe I don't agree with the perspective of the analyser but I can appreciate that they have put more thought into something than I have. That's what I like about this video, and another youtube called Jessie Gender who is also pro art (she made a movie this year that I liked quite a bit too).
Yeah Jessie Gender is cool as fuck! And me too, even if I think someone is reading into something where there is nothing, I can appreciate the fact that they attempted to analyse it
@@CecilyRennsand we can also criticise the quality of someone’s analysis too without being like they shouldn't have bothered.
really great video! being able to stop being consumed by irony whenever you start making art is v relatable, I found that the same thing happened to me when I started getting really into drawing
excited to see what you upload next!! :3
@@lainiwakuraz thank you so much! nice stummy book pfp :)
@@CecilyRenns saw this reply as I was listening to sophmore slump callithump hehe, yeah I love stomach book!! you're the fourth one on yt to recognise my icon :O
@@lainiwakuraz yeah vivi is a good friend of mine actually! love her music
There's a semi-frequent thread on /tg/ - Traditional Games called “/tg/ therapist” threads. It was more or less like confession threads, but instead of saying they like or do X or Y, it was people talking about their own personal problems with the hobby or hobbyists. Over time, it just became a therapy thread loosely related to Tabletop games.
4chan might not be ALL bad. 1d6chan especially has got some quality control and counts on general atmosphere and decency to create new articles.
yeah I definitely didn't want to shit on the whole website like so many people do, I'd be hypocritical, I mean Reddit has a ton of the same issues as 4chan on a broader basis but there are still good subreddits like how there are good 4chan boards
nothin like a new Cecily Renns™video and a shitty earl grey tea that is a year past expiry date
Dont die izzy
@@CecilyRenns i wont dieeeee
I enjoyed this video. Only ironically, of course.
This is an excellent essay. Thanks for the enriching ideas. I recently attended a conference talk about 4Chan that discussed the political implications of irony in a similar way. It made a reference to Mexican Existentialist Jorge Portilla's concept of relajo, which seems in many respects to be a kind of response to a nihilistic worldview. I think there are many parallels with what you are saying here.
That sounds super interesting, definitely going to look it up!
great job, nothing to say except that I think more people should see this video.
Thank you!
Glad to see you're doing well. I love video essays, I didn't even realize it was you when this came up until I checked the name.
@@Nagasakevideo Thank you so much!
BANGER video essay. Glad I got this in my recommended videos. Please continue to make more!
@@nly Thank you so much! I fear this one wasn't much of an essay haha
@@CecilyRenns video... lecture? Video... sermon? Whatever it is, it's good :D
I've been having fun with your midi pack for literal years so keep up the good work
@sebastianhama5624 Lmao thank you there's always someone who mentions my MIDIs. I should update it soon
Abandon society, step into the healing rays of *The Wonderful 101* , let it's anti-cynicism purify your being and fill you with the love for altruistic self-respect that makes the world better for all.
Amazing video! Thank you for this, this was extremely validating and articulated something I’ve been feeling but didn’t understand.
@bebo4663 Thank you! Yeah surprised this seem to be the first video about Ethel's post besides fantano's
I think your point about JReg would hold more weight a few years ago during the political satire era of his channel, when he had more Hitlerite PoliticalCompassMemes types in his community. The irony was being used to mask hate without the threat of consequences. Since then, his commentary on political irony has evolved into a more purposeful, comprehensive critique of centrists and other kinds of ideological groups. His sincere views have also become way more clear over time and thus, I feel that he has pretty effectively distanced himself.
This is totally fair! He has definitely come a long way and I do enjoy his current content right now more than his most popular old stuff.
Good point. That dude was unbearably annoying when he was popping off. Just gave me Sam Hyde vibes and could never tell where he stood. Glad that he's cleaned up recently
1:33 you read these out like a disappointed teacher reads the notes her students have been passing around 😭
This has given me a lot to think about.
My response: "I'm not watching allat"
Hey- this was so TRUE, we're way too irony filled lately
She's not wrong.
14:25 this is icekiller erasure 😭
NOOOOOO YOU'RE ONE OF THE FUCKING OG'S!!!
great hair very chunky cute panda face and Harry Potter glasses
delivery of the jokes needs a little work
the asian accent is top tho
video quality and messege is good
maybe get a greenscreen
waow based
too long
aint readin allat, cope
@@broidkanymore-zc4lt you shall never see the light of christ
@@CecilyRenns yap