Neoliberalism: From Ronald Reagan to the Gig Economy | Tom Nicholas Tom Nicholas 2024-10-18 | Neoliberalism: From Ronald Reagan to the Gig Economy | Tom Nicholas
How AI Theft is Killing Free Speech Tom Nicholas 2024-10-01 | Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasFind out more about my feature-length documentary Boomers: go.nebula.tv/boomers?ref=tomnicholasAI Theft. Many have assumed it's been taking place for some time. But now we have proof. What effect will it have on our ability to learn about and debate the world around us?Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 AI Theft is Taking Over01:36 An AI Company Stole My Work08:50 How the Internet Changed the News17:27 The AI News Revolution26:11 The Death of Independent Media?28:27 Boomers Update!Watch this video on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-ai-theft-is-killing-free-speech?ref=tomnicholas*Bibliography*Find a bibliography for this video here: patreon.com/posts/video-how-ai-is-113155437*Blurb*I recently discovered that 18 of my videos had been stolen to train the AI models of a handful of big tech companies including Anthropic, Apple and Nvidia. Obviously, this was mildly annoyingA lot has been said about the moral and legal repercussions of such Ai data scraping. But, I wanted to explore the potential impact it might have on our political and cultural discourse and debate.How will a world in which any form of journalistic, political, or critical expression can be sucked up by an AI model and repurposed effect the basic economics of our media sphere?Support my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
Ive made a feature film. Heres how to watch it. Tom Nicholas 2024-09-18 | Find out more about *Boomers*, while getting 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula, at go.nebula.tv/boomers?ref=tomnicholasStay tuned for the trailer very, very soon!
I went UNDERCOVER with JUST STOP OIL Tom Nicholas 2024-08-21 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my Nebula-exclusive class "How to Research Like a PhD Student": nebula.tv/how-to-research-like-a-phd-student?ref=tomnicholasA video about Just Stop Oil.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.Research by Jon Nash.*Chapters*00:00 Teaser03:00 A Day Out in London06:52 Who are Just Stop Oil?13:18 Waiting for the Activists17:03 Just Stop Oil's Theory of Change24:27 The Activists Arrive27:28 What's it like to perform a JSO Action?30:39 The Big Event33:28 Just Stop Oil's Critics41:00 The Police Arrive45:08 The UK's Crackdown on Political Activism53:06 The Activists are Arrested55:21 Does Just Stop Oil's Activism Work?59:34 A Special Announcement*Blurb*Just Stop Oil are a group of climate activists based in the UK. They came to international prominence in October 2022 when two of their activists threw soup over Van Gogh's Sunflowers.I recently got in touch with JSO to ask if they'd be willing to sit down for an interview about their tactics. They offered me one better: the chance to follow along as they pulled off a controversial plot to break the glass casing surrounding Magna Carta.Along the way, we'll explore where the group came from, what their goals are, and whether controversial, disruptive activism can really bring about meaningful action on the climate crisis.Support my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
How Britain Became a Poor Country Tom Nicholas 2024-07-01 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my Nebula-exclusive class "How to Research Like a PhD Student": nebula.tv/how-to-research-like-a-phd-student?ref=tomnicholasA video about how Britain kinda fell apart.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 Introduction02:36 David Cameron's Cuts Cuts Cuts11:43 The Brexit Boys22:53 Covid & Consequences33:55 Keir Starmer, or, David Cameron Mk II36:42 A Very Exciting Announcement!*Blurb*Britain kinda sucks now. Over the past 14 years, it's become a poorer, nastier and far less hopeful place. As the country prepares to head to the polls in the 2024 general election, I thought I'd review exactly how we got here.This is the story of how the British Conservative Party under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak subjected the UK to a series of unhinged free-market experiments which ate away at the very foundations of British economic, social and political life.This is the story of how Britain became a poor country.Support my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
I Investigated Why British Cities Keep Going Bankrupt Tom Nicholas 2024-05-17 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my Nebula-exclusive feature about the making of this documentary: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-the-british-cities-road-trip-a-bonus-feature?ref=tomnicholasA video about why British cities are running out of cash.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 British Cities are Going Bankrupt01:46 Act I: Birmingham Goes Bust12:10 Act II: A Brief Guide to UK Local Government28:17 Act III: Deceptive Decentralisation35:06 Epilogue: Community Wealth Building*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/104406583*Blurb*British cities are going bankrupt. What was once an exceptionally rare event has become a regular occurance as six city, borough or county councils have announced they've run out of cash over the past two years.In order to find out why, Tom Nicholas sets off on a four-day road trip around the UK to unpick how local government in the UK works, and how local councils might be empowered to become more sustainable in the future.Support my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
How Disposable Vapes Explain U.S.-China Tensions Tom Nicholas 2024-03-17 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my Nebula-exclusive class "How To Research Like a PhD Student": nebula.tv/how-to-research-like-a-phd-student?ref=tomnicholasA video about the rise of Elf Bars and what it tells us about growing tensions between China and the US.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 Remember Juul?02:23 The Fall of Juul08:49 Elf Bar, Temu, Huawei, Shein13:18 How Rich Countries Stay(ed) Rich21:20 China Has Entered the Chat30:41 The Rise of Elf Bar Globalisation33:19 Help Us Make More Videos*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-vape-o-of-100555796Disposable vapes have taken over. In just two short years, Elf Bar, Lost Mary and their various competitors have become a ubiquitous part of modern life.In doing so, disposable devices have all but entirely displaced pod-based vapes like the Juul.While many have noted the environmental impact of rechargeable devices being supplanted by single-use ones, there's been less discussion of the geopolitical aspect to this switch.Because, the fall of Juul and the rise of disposable vapes in its place not only marks a move from a pod-based vaping market to a disposable one, but from an American-owned vaping industry to a Chinese-owned one.In this second installment of my Vape-o-nomics trilogy, we're looking at what all this can reveal about the globalisation, geopolitics and growing tensions between China and the West.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-vapeonomics-the-explosive-geopolitics-of-elf-barsSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
Vape-o-nomics: Why Everything is Addictive Now Tom Nicholas 2024-01-28 | Watch this video ad-free over on my premium streaming service Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-vapeonomics-why-everything-is-addictive-nowA video about disposable vapes, and how addiction became the goal of every single company on the planet.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 Disposable Vapes Have Taken Over01:51 A History of the World in 100 Objects04:23 This Vape is Really Moreish07:28 Limbic Capitalism09:27 Addictive By Design13:18 Insulin & Evergreening17:00 The Razor and Blade Model22:12 ...as a Service27:00 Get 'em While They're Young30:40 Picking and Choosing*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-vape-o-why-97372475Disposable vapes have taken over. In just two short years, Elf Bar, Lost Mary and their various competitors have become a ubiquitous part of modern life.The popularity of these devices among children and young people has led many governments to ban (or consider banning) them. But, I want to look beyond the minutiae of vaping legislation and instead ask what it is about our society that has led these devices to prosper.This video is the first in a three-part mini-series I'm working on which uses the rise of disposable vapes as a jumping-off point to explore various trends and tensions within contemporary capitalism.In this first episode: we're looking at addiction, and how companies across our economy have begun to borrow tricks from the vaping industry to design consumer choice out of the system.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-vapeonomics-why-everything-is-addictive-nowSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
Why YouTubers Hold Microphones Now Tom Nicholas 2023-12-17 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my Nebula-exclusive class "How To Research Like a PhD Student": nebula.tv/how-to-research-like-a-phd-student?ref=tomnicholasA video about the rise of YouTubers holding microphones, and what this can tell us about the future of the platform.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 YouTubers All Hold Microphones Now05:49 I, YouTuber15:27 PragerU and the Politics of Style26:54 Casey Neistat and the Rise of Internet Ugly36:39 Why YouTubers Hold Microphones Now56:33 Epilogue*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-why-hold-94835669Over the past year, a new trend has been sweeping YouTube: holding microphones. On one level, this might seem like a fairly silly little trend; but it can actually tell us a huge amount about some of the underlying tensions which exist beneath the site and where it is headed in the future.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-why-youtubers-hold-microphones-nowSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
Britains New Prison Ships Tom Nicholas 2023-10-29 | Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Be well informed. Download the free Ground News app at https://ground.news/tomnicholasA video about anti-refugee rhetoric, Bibby Stockholm and the crisis in the UK's asylum system.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 Bibby Stockholm02:40 A Brief History of Prison Ships04:34 Accommodation or Detention?09:26 Small Boats and Big Hotels15:23 A Problem in Search of a Solution24:46 Prison Ship Spectacle30:54 Media Bias*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-britains-91869720In Spring 2023, the British Government announced it had commandeered a floating barge called Bibby Stockholm to use as housing for asylum seekers. Human rights groups have called it a "floating prison". Here's the truth.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula, here: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-britains-new-prison-shipsSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitch: http://twitch.tv/tom_nicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
The Rise (and Fall) of Patreon Tom Nicholas 2023-10-01 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my new Nebula class "How to Research Like a PhD Student": nebula.tv/how-to-research-like-a-phd-student?ref=tomnicholasA video about Patreon. Its rise, and ongoing fall...Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 Patreon in Crisis04:04 Jack Conte and the Birth of Patreon08:28 Enter the Venture Capital Investors11:36 Making a Monopoly14:08 10X Growth and Increased Fees18:30 Patreon-1922:17 Stagnation23:59 Patreon's Whales27:15 The Enshittification of Patreon33:52 Payout Problems*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-rise-and-90135596For ten years now, Patreon has been at the core of the creator economy. Since it was founded by Jack Conte in 2013, it has enabled huge swathes of YouTubers, podcasters, illustrators and other content creators to derive an income from their work, to expand their budgets and to be more ambitious in the work they produce.But, recently, it's found itself in a bit of trouble. After experiencing mind-boggling levels of growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has since hit a patch of stagnation. And, with venture capital investors looking to recoup over $400 million in investment, that's going to be a problem.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula at nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-the-rise-and-fall-of-patreonSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
Griftonomics: Why Scams are Everywhere Now Tom Nicholas 2023-07-31 | Go to hensonshaving.com/tomnicholas and enter "TOMNICHOLAS" at checkout to get 100 free blades with your purchase.A video about how "passive income" money-making schemes took over the internet, and the world.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00:00 AI Money-Makers00:08:00 1. Work Sucks, I Know00:24:40 2. The Grift Gets Wider00:40:50 3. The Rent is Too Damn High00:59:54 4. Grifts All The Way Up01:14:29 5. Picks & Shovels01:34:59 6. Temporarily Embarrassed Billionaires01:42:12 Henson Shaving01:44:39 Thanks for Watching!*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-why-scams-86916304Grifts and scams have taken over. Everywhere you look online, gurus are offering quick and easy ways to make money. Social media feeds and the YouTube homepage are dominated by "passive income" strategies which promise a sure-fire path to financial freedom.At the same time, there has been a rise in anti-grifter content too. Creators including Coffeezilla, Dan Olson, Münecat and Mike Winnet have all dedicated time in recent years to highlighting that making easy money online can actually be a little more difficult than these gurus like to suggest.Whether you're a financial freedom seeker or a sceptic, it's clear that grifters and scammers are the zeitgeist.But, while these schemes might initially seem somewhat low-rent marginal, they actually take influence from some of the most successful businesses in the world. And, not in a good way.This is the story of how grifts and scams took over not just the internet, but the world.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula at nebula.tv/tomnicholasSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyMusic from Epidemic Sound
The British Monarchys Popularity Problem Tom Nicholas 2023-05-04 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch my new Nebula class "How to Research Like a PhD Student": nebula.tv/how-to-research-like-a-phd-student?ref=tomnicholasA video about how the British Monarchy developed a popularity problem. And how King Charles might be about to make it worse...Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 King Charles' Sudden Popularity03:38 Queen Victoria and the Rise of Democracy08:02 The Birth of the Royal Family12:01 How to Research Like a PhD Student14:25 Victoria in Mourning17:07 The Republican Surge20:51 Typhoid Saves the Day23:22 Will King Charles' Popularity Last?BibliographyYou can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-british-82511427With the coronation of Charles III just around the corner, I thought I'd celebrate in the only way I know how: by creating a mini-series of videos telling the stories of various rebels, radicals and republicans throughout the centuries who have tried (with varying degrees of success) to consign the British crown to history.In this second episode of what I'm calling "Treason Fest 2023", we're looking at how the British Monarchy became obsessed with maintaining its own popularity, how that obsession almost brought-down the institution under Queen Victoria and how King Charles might similarly place it at risk.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula at nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-the-british-monarchys-popularity-problemSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty
The British Monarchys Biggest Hater Tom Nicholas 2023-04-23 | The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare https://skl.sh/tomnicholas04238For a limited time (now through April 30, 2023), Skillshare is offering 40% off your first year of membership - one of their best offers out there! https://skl.sh/tomnicholas40A video about that time when Britain abolished its monarchy; a celebration (of sorts) to tie in with the coronation of Charles III.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.Chapters00:00 The Brits Who Hate the King05:03 Thomas Paine10:29 Common Sense & the American Revolutiohn14:45 Rights of Man and the Pamphlet Wars18:46 The Trial of Thomas Paine21:01 Britain’s Almost-Revolution23:12 Skillshare!25:06 King Charles Goes to FranceBibliographyYou can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-british-81941214With the coronation of Charles III just around the corner, I thought I'd celebrate in the only way I know how: by creating a mini-series of videos telling the stories of various rebels, radicals and republicans throughout the centuries who have tried (with varying degrees of success) to consign the British crown to history.In this first episode of what I'm calling "Treason Fest 2023", we're looking at the one time that Britain has successfully ridded itself of its royal family. Buckle-up for the story of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution.Watch this video ad-free on Nebula at nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-the-british-monarchys-biggest-haterSupport my work on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasTwitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#Coronation #KingCharles #Britain
When Britain Abolished its Monarchy Tom Nicholas 2023-04-14 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: http://go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch Abigail Thorn’s The Prince on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/philosophytube-the-prince?ref=tomnicholasA video about that time when Britain abolished its monarchy; a celebration (of sorts) to tie in with the coronation of Charles III.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.Chapters00:00 The Coronation of King Charles III04:12 Charles I & The Divine Right of Kings10:15 The English Revolution14:45 To [Redacted] a King16:59 The Prince, Induction & Nebula19:50 The Commonwealth of England22:20 Oliver Cromwell: Lord Protector25:09 The Restoration (or, the Return of the King)27:32 Forgetting the Commonwealth30:02 King Charles' Fake CrownBibliographyYou can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-britain-81523023Some Copy About this Video for the YouTube AlgorithmWith the coronation of Charles III just around the corner, I thought I'd celebrate in the only way I know how: by creating a mini-series of videos telling the stories of various rebels, radicals and republicans throughout the centuries who have tried (with varying degrees of success) to consign the British crown to history.In this first episode of what I'm calling "Treason Fest 2023", we're looking at the one time that Britain has successfully ridded itself of its royal family. Buckle-up for the story of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution.Support the channel on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasThanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#Coronation #KingCharlesIII #Britain
Energy Privatisation is Bankrupting Britain Tom Nicholas 2023-02-25 | Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: http://go.nebula.tv/tomnicholasWatch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-how-energy-privatization-bankrupted-britainA video about the energy crisis, privatization and profiteering.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*0:00 The Energy Crisis in the UK05:42 Part 1: Maggie Thatcher, Energy Snatcher12:53 Part 2: Supply Guys22:37 Part 3. The Generation Game28:19 Nebula!31:25 Part 4: Poles, Pipes & Proft38:28 Part 5: Price Wars46:17 Part 6: The Case for Nationalisation*Bibliography*You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/bibliography-how-79283222*Some Copy About this Video for the YouTube Algorithm*Britain is in crisis. A cost of living crisis. And, in particular, an energy crisis. Since 2020, the typical UK energy bill has risen by 400%. And many are having to choose between heating and eating.Some of this is the result of global oil prices which have spiked since the beginning of 2022. But, much of it is the result of much longer-term trends which and, in turn, the product of a radical experiment the country undertook starting in the 1980s.Under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher (and, later, John Major), the UK began selling-off the entirety of its energy infrastructure to the private investors. Beginning with British Gas in the 1986 and continuing with the electricity supply industry in the 1990s, every part of the UK’s energy supply system has been handed over to corporations whose primary motivation is the accumulation of profit.This is the story of how energy privatisation bankrupted Britain.Support the channel on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#EnergyCrisis #Privatization #TomNicholas
Monopoly is Anti-Landlord Propaganda Tom Nicholas 2022-12-16 | Sign up to Morning Brew for free today: morningbrewdaily.com/tomnicholasWatch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-how-capitalism-stole-monopolyA video about Monopoly, landlords, propaganda and one of the most devious acts of intellectual property fraud of all time.Written, presented and directed by Tom Nicholas.Edited by Georgia Burrows.*Chapters*00:00 Monopoly: A Story of Board Game Propaganda05:17 Part One: Lizzie vs. the Landlords06:33 Part One (a): The Slightly Weird Economics of Henry George14:44 Part One (Redux): Lizzie vs. the Landlords18:39 Part Two: Open-Sourcing Monopoly24:06 Part Three: The Man Who Stole Monopoly29:50 Part Four: The Monopoly Monopoly37:44 Part Five: Lizzie's Legacy*Bibliography*You can find an annotated bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: patreon.com/posts/video-how-stole-76009569*Some Copy About this Video for the YouTube Algorithm*Monopoly is very likely the most popular commercial board game of all time, having sold more than 275 million copies since it was first retreated in 1935. Come the holidays, families and friendship groups worldwide will around their dining room tables and do their best to bankrupt one another. Until, that is, someone inevitably snaps and flips the board.Monopoly and its associated iconography including “Mr. Monopoly” (or Rich Uncle Pennybags as he was once officially called), the “Go” corner, “Go to Jail” and “Boardwalk” (or “Mayfair” in the UK edition) is iconic. And, those icons are often presented as a celebration of contemporary capitalism; such as when they’re used in the regular McDonalds Monopoly partnership.But, what if I was to tell you that what we today know as Monopoly was actually created as a critique of capitalism rather than as a celebration of it? That Monopoly was in fact designed as an ingenious piece of anti-landlord propaganda?In this video, we’re going to explore how an activist from Oregon called Lizzie Magie was inspired by the economic and political theories of Henry George to create The Landlord’s Game. And how a salesman called Charles Darrow got rich by stealing her invention.Support the channel on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfTikTok: tiktok.com/@tom_nicholasPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of GettyBoard Images courtesy Thomas Forsyth: landlordsgame.info#Monopoly #BoardGames #Propaganda
How The Media Promotes Transphobia Tom Nicholas 2022-10-14 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-how-the-media-promotes-transphobiaA video about transphobia, the British media’s obsession with the so-called “trans debate” and What is a Woman? by Matt Walsh and The Daily Wire.Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.Editing and music by Neil Farrell.*Chapters*00:00 Introduction: Transphobia in the Media01:14 1. What is a Woman?13:22 CuriosityStream & Nebula16:09 2. The "Trans Debate" in the UK29:38 3. How to Make Hate Sound Respectable43:16 4. Re-Humanising the Trans Debate*Bibliography*You can find an annotated bibliography for this video on my website, here: tomnicholas.com/2022/10/how-the-media-promotes-transphobia*Some Copy About this Video for the YouTube Algorithm*The so-called “trans debate” has come to dominate the news media.In America, right-wing provocateurs at outlets such as Fox News and The Daily Wire release constant attacks on trans women, trans men and non-binary people. In the UK, this trend is even more widespread, with many outlets which describe themselves as “impartial” or even “liberal” similarly filling airtime and column inches with spurious “debates” about trans rights and healthcare.But, how does the more openly cruel and hateful transphobia that is more prevalent in the US compare with the supposedly more “polite”, “respectable” transphobia which cloaks the anti-trans moral panic in the UK?In this month’s video, we take a look at a bunch of interviews which have been conducted by mainstream journalists with senior British politicians over the past 18 months and compare them with excerpts from What is a Woman?, the provocative transphobic pseudo-documentary presented by Matt Walsh and released by The Daily Wire earlier this year.In doing so, hopefully we can uncover something about the dangers of the so-called “trans debate” and what journalists and right-wing politicians are really trying to achieve with this current obsession with questions about the definition of womanhood.Support the channel on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#Transphobia #WhatIsAWoman #TomNicholas
How Landlords Ruined Everything Tom Nicholas 2022-09-27 | Support Shelter's vital work protecting renters from bad landlords by sponsoring me to run the London Marathon at http://tinyurl.com/tomsmarathonWatch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-how-landlords-ruined-everythingA video about the housing crisis and how landlords ruined everything.*Chapters*00:00 1. The Room05:26 A. A Guided Tour07:05 2. Landlord Tetris10:41 B. The Empty Building12:47 3. Boiling Point15:50 C. So, I'm Running the London Marathon16:59 4. Shelter19:33 D. 1,000 MilesSupport the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#HousingCrisis #Landlords #Rent
Elon Musk Can’t Save Free Speech Tom Nicholas 2022-07-29 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-why-elon-musk-couldnt-save-free-speechA video about Elon Musk, Twitter, Free Speech, the "Marketplace of Ideas" and Content Moderation on Social Media.*Chapters*00:00 Introduction: Elon Musk is (Not) Buying Twitter06:49 1. The Problem with Free Speech19:53 Curiosity Stream & Nebula22:17 2. The Origins of the Public Sphere (or, the "Marketplace of Ideas")33:25 3. When Debate Went Online43:42 4. Censorship & Social Media58:19 5. Why Elon Would Have Failed*Bibliography*You can find an annotated bibliography for this video on my website, here: tomnicholas.com/2022/07/why-elon-musk-couldnt-save-free-speech*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month’s video, we’re looking at Elon Musk’s attempted (and now seemingly aborted) purchase of Twitter.In April 2022, Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion. His stated goals were two-fold: Firstly, to rid the social media network of bots and other fake accounts. Secondly, to ensure Twitter was doing all it could to protect “free speech” on its service.Over the past six months, Musk has joined the legions of activists on the political right who bemoan what they see as an overly-stringent approach to content moderation (or what they usually describe as “censorship") on Twitter. They claim that this is stifling public discourse and taking away users’ rights to freedom of speech and expression.But what would a Muskian Twitter actually have looked like? Could he have seen-through his plans for securing “free speech” on the platform? Or is it all a little bit more complicated than that.Join me as we take a dive into the ways in which discussions around freedom of speech tend to fail, the history of the so-called “marketplace of ideas” and what all of this might mean for how we look back on the attempt by Elon Musk to buy Twitter.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#ElonMusk #Twitter #FreeSpeech
Think Tanks: How Fake Experts Shape the News Tom Nicholas 2022-05-13 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-think-tanks-how-fake-experts-shape-the-newsA video about how billionaire-funded right-wing “think tanks” such as the Heritage Foundation, Adam Smith Institute, Manhattan Institute and Institute of Economic Affairs manipulate the news to spread their propaganda.*Chapters*0:00 Think Tanks & Propaganda in the Media00:37 1. Privatising the Moon09:10 Curiosity Stream & Nebula11:32 2. A Brief History of Think Tanks24:53 3. How Think Tanks Shape the News37:22 4. Moonshot Politics*Bibliography*You can find an annotated bibliography for this video on my website, here: tomnicholas.com/2022/05/think-tanks-how-fake-experts-shape-the-news*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month’s video, we’re looking at how the political right uses a network of fake research institutes and experts to shape the news.Organisations such as the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the Institute of Economic Affairs have the appearance of respected, academic institutions. But are they really? Well... no.Funded by large corporations (including the climate denialists at big oil and tobacco companies) and super-rich libertarians such as Charles Koch and Betsy DeVos, these organisations are little more than propaganda fronts which exist solely to produce “research” which furthers the agendas of their funders.Often referred to as “think tanks”, these organisations have had a number of key successes in influencing our collective political discourse over recent years: debates surrounding “Critical Race Theory”, immigration policy and the UK’s process of leaving the European Union have all been significantly influenced by these groups.But, where did these organisations come from? How did they gain such a stranglehold on our politics? And how can we be more astute in spotting their tactics?Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#thinktanks #mediabias #tomnicholas
How Big Pharma is Extending the Pandemic Tom Nicholas 2022-03-11 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tomnicholas-how-big-pharma-is-extending-the-pandemicA video about COVID-19 vaccines, variants and Big Pharma profiteering.*Chapters*0:00 Why Isn't the Pandemic Over Yet?12:55 1. Why Vaccines Aren't Enough20:10 2. How (Not) To Vaccinate the World35:14 Curiosity Stream & Nebula37:13 3. How Rich Countries Stole the World's Vaccines54:57 4. How Patents Enable Big Pharma Profiteering01:09:23 5. The Fight for a People's Vaccine01:16:40 6. Life After COVID?*Bibliography*You can find an annotated bibliography for this video on my website, here: tomnicholas.com/2022/03/how-big-pharma-is-extending-the-pandemic*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*It’s now been more than two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and over one year since the announcement of the Pfizer vaccine (the first COVID-19 vaccine, developed in collaboration with the German company BioNTech). Given all that we know about the disease, how to treat it and how to prevent it, you’d have thought we’d be much closer to defeating it, right?But… no. COVID-19 variants have continued to emerge (most recently the Omicron variant) and, across the world, we continue to see periodic surges in infections. Why?There are several reasons. But, chief among them has been the attempts of large pharmaceutical companies (such as Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca) who own the rights to COVID vaccines to make the most of the pandemic by making as much money from it as possible.In today’s video, we’ll be looking at how “Big Pharma” (along with its allies in the governments of wealthy countries) has been withholding vaccines from “developing” countries, leading to what the head of the World Health Organization has called a state of “vaccine apartheid”.And, we’ll consider how, in leaving large portions of the world’s population unvaccinated, this is allowing new variants to emerge and thus extending the pandemic.Support the channel on Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comSelect footage courtesy of Getty#covid #vaccines #tomnicholas
The Metaverse: A Guide to the Future of Capitalism Tom Nicholas 2021-12-19 | Holiday Deal! Go to https://Surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 83% off a 2 year plan plus 4 extra months for free!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-metaverse-a-guide-to-the-future-of-capitalismA video about The Metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook and the future of capitalism.*Chapters*00:00 Mark Zuckerberg04:08 1. YouTuber Burnout10:27 2. Platform Capitalism15:07 Surfshark Spot16:41 3. The Bare Extractive Minimum22:15 4. Monopoly Men29:16 5. Into the Metaverse*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month’s video, we’re looking at “the metaverse”. This October, Facebook (since renamed Meta), released a video presentation titled “The Metaverse and How We’ll Build It Together” to serve as the keynote for the social media company’s annual Oculus Connect conference. The presentation saw Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announce the company’s ambitions to build “the metaverse”, a proposed evolution of the internet in which Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies enable us to interact in more immersive ways.To be able to engage in debates surrounding “the metaverse”, however, it’s first important to have a decent grasp of how big tech has already reshaped the economic structure around which our society is built: capitalism. We therefore go on a trip through the history of what Nick Srnicek calls “platform capitalism” to consider how technology companies such as Facebook (or, Meta), Amazon, Twitter, Apple, Microsoft and even the Roblox Corporation have fundamentally changed the world in which we live—and what this might reveal about the intentions behind this proposed shift to “the metaverse”.This video is, in some regards, a spiritual successor to my video about Tesla CEO Elon Musk (The Fake Futurism of Elon Musk), as well as my more recent video about the science YouTube channel Veritasium and their partnership with Waymo (the successor to the Google Self-Driving Car Project). It picks up similar themes of techno futurism and the partial futures offered to us by our new tech overlords, and asks who those futures will really serve.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#metaverse #Facebook #TomNicholas
Veritasium: A Story of YouTube Propaganda Tom Nicholas 2021-10-20 | Go to https://surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 83% off a 2 year plan plus 3 extra months for free!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-veritasium-a-story-of-youtube-propagandaA video about Veritasium, Science YouTube, misinformation and Why You Should Want Driverless Cars On Roads Now (or maybe not).*Chapters*00:00 Veritasium: A Story of YouTube Propaganda00:40 1. Driverless Cars08:07 2. YouTubers for Sale14:58 Surfshark Spot16:52 3. Veritasium vs. the Technophobes24:54 4. Lying With Statistics34:15 5. Misinformation by Omission45:22 6. The Limited Futures of youTube Propaganda*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month's video, we're looking at a video by Veritasium. One of the biggest science channels (or, indeed, educational channels) on the YouTube platform, Veritasium makes videos which aim to challenge our preconceptions about physics, science and the world more broadly.In July 2021, they released a video called "Why You Should Want Driverless Cars On Roads Now". The video was supposedly an attempt to explain the current capabilities of self-driving cars. The channel's host, Derek Muller, argues enthusiastically that autonomous vehicles are far safer than their human alternatives and have the potential to both save lives and greatly improve contemporary urban life.Nevertheless, the video was sponsored by Waymo (the successor to Google's self-driving car project), filmed in the backseat of one of Waymo's "Waymo One" ride-sharing vehicles and heavily featured Waymo staff throughout. In this, it is part of a growing trend of videos in which companies, billionaires and elite institutions using sponsorship deals with supposedly educational YouTubers to spread what is in practice little more than corporate propaganda.In this video, I use Veritasium's sponsorship deal with Waymo as a case study in the extent to which a creator signing up to one of these sponsorship deals results in them compromising the editorial content of their videos to the point where education becomes misinformation.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#veritasium #propaganda #tomnicholas
The Problem with YouTuber Boxing 🥊 Tom Nicholas 2021-08-26 | Go to https://Surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 83% off a 2 year plan plus 3 extra months for free!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-problem-with-youtuber-boxingA video about Logan Paul, Jake Paul, YouTube boxing and the pursuit of redemption.*Chapters*0:00 Logan Paul & Jake Paul Boxing Call-Out01:36 1. YouTuber Boxing07:38 2. More Than Just a Game13:00 3. The Boxing Story21:02 Surfshark VPN Spot22:46 4. Lads Who Landscape32:06 5. Respectability on the Ropes42:35 6. Whose Story is it Anyway?*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*The past few years have seen the rise of a strange phenomenon in the form of YouTuber Boxing. Where Joe Weller vs KSI and even KSI vs Logan Paul felt strange and new, the recent Social Gloves (or YouTubers vs TikTokers) event suggested that the embrace of the sweet science of bruising by influencers and other online creators might be here to stay.Few have embraced the trend more than the Paul brothers, Logan & Jake, however. Since losing to KSI, Logan has gone on to fight Floyd Mayweather whilst Jake has taken on Deji, AnEsonGib, Nate Robinson and Ben Askren. Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley is sure to similarly draw huge crowds to watch online.In this video, I try to unpick the Jake Paul and Logan Paul's pivot to boxing as an act of story telling—in particular an attempt to draw upon a well-established set of tropes from the boxing film genre (including titles such as Rocky, Creed, Million Dollar Baby, Raging Bull, The Fighter and Cinderella Man) to help pave their road to redemption.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#jakepaul #loganpaul #boxing
How Countries Were INVENTED Tom Nicholas 2021-06-24 | Go to http://Surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 83% off a 2-year plan and 3 extra months for free!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-how-countries-were-inventedA video about countries, maps and borders; where they came from and where they might be going in the future.* Chapters*0:00 Countries! Maps! Borders!02:09 1. What is a Country?09:27 2. The Slow Growth of the State15:23 Surfshark VPN Spot16:59 3. The Invention of Nations24:52 4. A World Without Countries?*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month's video, we're exploring the origins of countries. What is a country? What was the first country? And how did the particular model of country which dominates in the present day, the nation-state, come to be so widely accepted as the organising principle for human politics and governance?We're going to be taking a deep dive into the scholarship on states, nations and nationalism from the earliest states in Mesopotamia and Xin Dynasty China, through the emergence of the imagined community of the nation following the French Revolution and the American War of Independence during the 19th century and into the present day.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#countries #maps #borders
Jordan Peterson doesn’t understand George Orwell Tom Nicholas 2021-04-24 | Go to http://Surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 83% off a 2-year plan and 3 extra months for free. Protect yourself online today!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-jordan-peterson-doesnt-understand-george-orwellA video about Jordan Peterson, George Orwell and the dystopian world of 1984.* Chapters*0:00 Our Orwellian Present01:24 1. Jordan Peterson: Orwell Fan05:33 2. Orwell and Peterson after the Cold War11:53 3. The Politics of George Orwell18:31 Surfshark VPN Spot20:13 4. Rethinking 198429:05 5. Jordan Peterson and the Decline of "Western Culture"*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month's video, we're looking at the work of both Jordan B. Peterson (author of Maps of Meaning, 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order) and George Orwell (author of 1984, Animal Farm and Homage to Catalonia).Professor Peterson has a video on his YouTube channel titled "On Free Thought and Speech in London" in which, inspired by seeing a statue of Orwell, he suggests that one of the aspects which separated the capitalist west from the communist east during the Cold War was an ability for journalists to "say what they think".Taking this as a starting point, I seek to dig into uses (and abuses) of George Orwell's work by Peterson and the political right more broadly. Through contextualising Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm within Orwell's own life, I seek to draw out the deep critiques of Peterson's beloved "Western culture" which are contained within those books.Towards the end, I also consider whether 1984 might provide an interesting lens for unpacking Peterson's own work and the Cold War view of the world which underlies it.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com/#JordanPeterson #BeyondOrder #GeorgeOrwell
Johnny Harris: A Story of YouTube Propaganda Tom Nicholas 2021-03-12 | Go to http://Surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 83% off a 2-year plan and 3 extra months for free. Protect yourself online today!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-johnny-harris-a-story-of-youtube-propagandaA story about Johnny Harris, propaganda and misinformation on YouTube.*Chapters*0:00 Introduction0:40 1. A Journalist Who Hates the News03:48 2. "How China Became So Powerful"08:31 3. The World Economic Forum, the Davos Summit and the "Great Reset"15:40 Surfshark VPN Spot17:19 4. Brand Deals, Sponsorships and Misinformation22:44 5. From Journalism to Propaganda29:13 6. The Golden Age of Misinformation*Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month's video, we're looking at a couple of videos by journalist Johnny Harris (Vox Borders), particularly a recent video by Harris called "How China Became So Powerful", which was produced in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF). I use the story of Johnny Harris' partnership with the WEF as a jumping-off point for discussing the growing tide of propaganda and misinformation on social media sites such as YouTube.In particular, I'm interested in using the example of Harris as a means of discussing the various dangers of independent journalism coming into contact with the so-called "influencer economy" and how this might leave such journalism open to distortion by bad actors.Along the way, we also touch upon what the shady activities of the World Economic Forum (organisers of the annual Davos Summit in which Heads of State meet with representatives from some of the richest corporations in the world) and their current initiative the "Great Reset", which has been jumped upon by conspiracy theorists but is actually a vague attempt to rebrand capitalism as being able to solve inequality and the climate emergency (rather than being their cause).We also very briefly touch upon the notions of "shareholder capitalism" and "stakeholder capitalism" which Harris discusses in his "How China Became So Powerful" before considering what Harris' partnership with the World Economic Forum might have in common with attempts by the Chinese Government to spread its own propaganda on this platform.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com/#johnnyharris #propaganda #tomnicholas
CANCEL CULTURE: Whos Afraid of the Online Mob? Tom Nicholas 2021-02-06 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-cancel-culture-who-s-afraid-of-the-online-mobA video about Cancel Culture and "mobs".*Chapters*0:00 The Canceling of Tom Nicholas01:01 1. Introduction07:12 The Apology09:20 2. The Birth of the Mob16:50 The Livestream19:43 3. The Madness of Crowds28:09 Things Escalate29:26 4. Online Mobs and Public Shaming36:55 The Book Deal39:45 5. The Mob and the Individual47:20 Thanks!*Credits*Thanks to all the amazing creators who contributed bits to this video!Commenters:Commenter 1: @HeyItsVadim Commenter 2: @ThoughtSlime Commenter 3: @WereInHell Commenter 4: @LackingSaint Commenter 5: @SecondThought Commenter 6: @jordanatheresa Commenter 7: @JohntheDuncan Commenter 8: @WhatsSoGreatAboutThat Commenter 9: @JonTheLitCritGuy Livestream Host: @TheSerfsTV / @TheSerfTimes Publisher: @SophiefromMars *Some Copy about the Video for the YouTube Algorithm*In this month's video, we're looking at cancel culture (or call-out culture or "public shaming" depending on your preference). In 2015, the pop-psychology writer Jon Ronson published a book called "So You've Been Publicly Shamed", which argued that the contemporary internet (Twitter most of all) had become an increasingly hostile place on which users would frequently gather together to ruin the lives of those with which they disagreed. Since then, this idea (which has since come to be referred to as "cancel culture") has gained popularity, with the media dedicating countless screen hours and column inches to worrying about the "online mob".Concerns about cancel culture reached fever pitch in 2020. It was the year which both saw the publication of the "Harper's letter" and J.K. Rowling receiving backlash for doubling-down on her problematic rhetoric.As ever, we're going to be taking the longer view, considering what these contemporary fears about woke "Twitter mobs" might inherit from historical fears about physical ones.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com/#cancelculture #canceling #tomnicholas
Taxing the Rich is Good, Actually #Shorts Tom Nicholas 2020-12-27 | For decades, politicians have asked us to put our faith in "trickle-down" economics, telling us that tax cuts for the super rich encourage economic growth and job creation.A new study by researchers from the London School of Economics and King's College London which investigated the effects of 50-years-worth of lowering taxes on the super rich, however, shows that, whilst slashing taxes on the 1% consistently increases income inequality in favour of millionaires and billionaires, it has NEVER created jobs or boosted the economy for anyone else.What this shows is that "trickle down" economics may have been good politics for figures such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Donald Trump, but it has never been good economics. Perhaps it's about time to tax the rich then.A video by Tom Nicholas.#shorts #politics #tomnicholasSupport the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com
SH!TPOSTING: The Art of the Internet Tom Nicholas 2020-12-06 | Go to http://Surfshark.deals/tomnicholas and use code TOMNICHOLAS to get 84% off a 2-year plan and 4 extra months for free!Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-sh-tposting-the-art-of-the-internetA video about the artform known as shitposting.Timestamps:0:00 The Art of Shitposting01:47 Introduction04:41 What is Shitposting?09:48 Surfshark11:32 The Art of the Shitpost19:12 Shitposting Cultures28:33 Dada and Doomscrolling35:31 Jo Swinson, Squirrel Killer42:48 ConclusionsIn this month's video, I (Tom Nicholas), take a look at shitposting. In particular, I consider what we might learn about how shitposting works and what its appeal is through comparing it to some historical predecessors from music and art history.We'll be looking at the work of Marcel Duchamp, Dada and the experimental composer John Cage to consider what their work might have in common with Pepe the Frog, Dat Boi and Simpsonwave.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#internetculture #art #tomnicholas
A Brief History of the Culture Wars Tom Nicholas 2020-10-29 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-a-brief-history-of-the-culture-warsA history and analysis of the Culture Wars.Timestamps:0:00 Prelude to Culture War01:21 1. Introduction09:01 The 1960s: Rise of the Counterculture12:27 2. Meet the Culture Warriors19:28 The 1970s: The Orthodox Fightback22:46 3. The Ammunition34:26 The 1980s & 1990s: All Out War37:19 4. "Making Things Political"44:29 The Present Day: Regroup and Revival46:49 5. The "Culture War" and the "Class War"In this month's episode of What The Theory?, I (Tom Nicholas) look at the "Culture Wars", combining a historical overview of some of the key events that have been central to this supposed cultural conflict with a critical examination of what distinguishes the culture wars from "conventional" politics.We'll look at how the progressive movements of the 1960s (including the New Left, the Civil Rights Movement, the Free Speech Movement, the early LGBT rights movement and second-wave feminism) blasted cracks in the conservative conformity of the 1950s, consider the rise of neoconservatism and the Christian Right in the United States in the 1970s and the arguments surrounding art and music in the same country in the late 1980s.We'll also look at more recent cultural fractures such as those surrounding Black Lives Matter, statues being torn down and the political right's current war on "wokeness", "identity politics" and critical race theory, as well as other debates which have been reignited in the United States following the election of Donald Trump and which have been imported to the United Kingdom following the Brexit referendum.At the same time, we'll also look at why it is that "culture war" antagonisms often feel so irreconcilable and what separates the "culture war" mode of politics from both the "class war" mode and more liberal, idealist understandings of politics.It's a long one, but my goal was to make the best "culture wars explained" video that I could. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#culturewars #culturewar #tomnicholas
The Myth of a Free Press: Media Bias Explained Tom Nicholas 2020-09-13 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-myth-of-a-free-press-media-bias-explainedA video about mainstream media bias.Timestamps:00:00 "Fake News"01:20 Introduction04:34 The "Migrant Crisis" and the "Migrant Caravan"07:28 Anatomy of a News Report11:53 Media and Representation19:37 Manufacturing Consent31:51 Inside the Consent Factory48:26 Worthy and Unworthy Victims52:59 ConclusionsLink to the BBC Newsnight report: youtube.com/watch?v=PbPLrDcItQUIn this month's episode of What the Theory?, I (Tom Nicholas) look at media bias and "fake news" primarily through the lens of Manufacturing Consent by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky and the work of Stuart Hall on representation and the media.We're going to put the corporate media under the spotlight in order to consider how media ownership leads to bias in the media which favours the richest and most powerful in our society.As a case study, we're going to take a look at a news report which aired as part of the BBC's flagship news and current affairs programme BBC Newsnight. The report focuses on the "migrant crisis" and the current English Channel crossings. We're going to consider how BBC News has framed these Channel crossings, what response the report wants us to have to them and what aspects of the way in which our media works might have informed this.It's a long one, but my goal was to create the ultimate media bias crash course. Hopefully, I've not done too badly on that front.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#mediabias #chomsky #manufacturingconsent
The Fake Futurism of Elon Musk Tom Nicholas 2020-08-09 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-fake-futurism-of-elon-muskA video about Elon Musk and the future.Timestamps:0:00 SpaceX Mars01:49 Introduction05:35 Tesla, Ford and A Tale of Two Cars08:53 Futurism13:00 The Slow Cancellation of the Future17:53 Back to the Future21:31 Muskian Futurism for Whom?There's perhaps already a distinct "Elon Musk Video Essay" genre here on YouTube. Hopefully, though, this takes a different approach to those which are already out there.Rather than focussing on I take a look at why Elon Musk has become such a revered figure in recent years and why so many people have embraced Elon Musk's Loop, Tesla, Hyperloop, Spacex, Mars Mission, Neuralink and other projects.Drawing partly on the work of Mark Fisher and Franco "Bifo" Birardi, I consider how human perceptions of the future (at least in the advanced capitalist nations) have changed over time. In particular, I'm interested in how Elon Musk's rise might be read as a response to what Birardi and Fisher refer to as the "Slow Cancellation of the Future" during the ascendency of neoliberalism (or neoliberal capitalism) in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.I also argue that Elon Musk might have more than a little in common with figures in the political sphere such as Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC) and "The Squad", Jeremy Corbyn etc. who have also recently sought to break from the status quo and invited us to imagine bold new futures.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#ElonMusk #SpaceX #Neuralink
How to Spot a (Potential) Fasc!st Tom Nicholas 2020-07-19 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-how-to-spot-a-potential-fascistAn introduction to The Authoritarian Personality study.Timestamps:0:00 Fascisticus Potentialicus01:51 Introduction05:07 Defining Fascism / Ur-Fascism07:03 Antisemitism and Ethnocentrism11:31 Fascism, Conservatism and Religion16:09 The Authoritarian Personality23:18 ConclusionsThis month's episode of What the Theory? is an introduction to the Authoritarian Personality study, carried out by T.W. Adorno (a key member of the "Frankfurt School" and central force in the development of Critical Theory), Else Frenkel-Brunswick, Daniel J. Levinson and R. Nevitt Sanford at the University of California, Berkeley in 1950.Following the end of World War 2, these four psychologists were interested in finding out what had motivated so many supposedly ordinary citizens in Germany (and elsewhere in Europe) to participate in the awful designs of the fascist regimes that had taken hold there.Eventually, they laid out what they called The Authoritarian Personality, a set of personality traits which they argued might make some people more susceptible to fascist ideology than others.This is what they found out...Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#Fascism #Authoritarianism #FrankfurtSchool
Whiteness: WTF? White Privilege and the Invisible Race Tom Nicholas 2020-06-23 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-whiteness-wtf-white-privilege-and-the-invisible-raceAn introduction to Whiteness, Race, and White Privilege.Timestamps:0:00 Whiteness02:45 The Invention of Race07:34 Whiteness is (in)visible12:27 White Privilege19:00 White $uprem@cy25:00 ConclusionsIn this month's episode of What the Theory?, we're taking a look at whiteness. We'll be looking at how Anglo-American culture generally frames whiteness as invisible and white people as "the norm" or "the default". This often allows white people to view ourselves as race-less in a manner unafforded to Black people, Indigenous people and people of colour. It also allows us to ignore the ways in which whiteness structures our lives and our complicity in racist structures.We'll be taking a look at numerous different approaches to foregrounding and critically discussing whiteness, some of it drawing on the academic field of Critical Whiteness Studies, and some of it drawing on the broader field of Critical Race Theory. We'll look at some commonly discussed concepts surrounding whiteness including white privilege, white guilt and white fragility as outlined in the work of Peggy McIntosh and Robin Diangelo as well as taking a brief look at the "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" workshop devised by Jane Elliot. Then, we'll proceed to consider some more critical takes on whiteness as developed by scholars including Sara Ahmed and Charles W. Mills.As mentioned in the video, I'm going to donate any ad revenue that this video generates to The Free Black University Fund which is working to support decolonisation efforts in UK Universities and to more generally support Black scholars. If you'd like to join me in supporting their work then you can do so here: uk.gofundme.com/f/the-free-black-universitySelect ReferencesAhmed, Sara. "Declarations of Whiteness: The Non-Performativity of Anti-Racism." borderlands 3, no. 4 (2004). http://www.borderlands.net.au/vol3no2_2004/ahmed_declarations.htm.Diangelo, Robin. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. Boston: Beacon Press, 2018.Du Bois, W.E.B. Black Reconstruction in America. New York: The Free Press, 1998. 1935.Dyer, Richard. White. London: Routledge, 1997.Hartigan Jr., John. Odd Tribes: Toward a Cultural Analysis of White People. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005.Ignatin, Noel. "Letter to Progressive Labor." In Revolutionary Youth & the New Working Class: The Praxis Papers, the Port Authority Statement, the Rym Documents and Other Lost Writings of SDS, edited by Carl Davidson, 148-63. Pittsburgh: Changemaker Publications, 2011.McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Peace and Freedom, July/August 1989 1989, 10-12.Mills, Charles W. "Racial Exploitation and the Wages of Whiteness." In What White Looks Like: African American Philosophers on the Whiteness Question, edited by George Yancy, 25-54. London: Routledge, 2004.———. "White Supremacy as Sociopolitical System: A Philosophical Perspective." In White Out: The Continuing Significance of Racism, edited by Ashley “Woody” Doane and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, 35-48. London: Routledge, 2003.Saini, Angela. Superior: The Return of Race Science. London: 4th Estate, 2019.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: http://twitter.com/tom_nicholasInstagram: http://instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com
The Neoliberal Economics of Animal Crossing Tom Nicholas 2020-05-26 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-neoliberal-economics-of-animal-crossingAnimal Crossing: New Horizons has well and truly captured the zeitgeist. In a world of lockdown, quarantine and shelter-in-place, Tom Nook, Isabelle, Timmy and Tommy, the Able Sisters and whatever neighbours you've managed to attract to your island have, if you're anything like me, provided an important escape.In this Animal Crossing video essay, I (Tom Nicholas) dig into the economics of Animal Crossing. In particular, I look at Turnips and the Stork Market and how these reflect real-world trends towards financialisation and neoliberalism in economics (if you want to read more about this then Stolen: How to Save the World from Financialisation (Grace Blakeley) is well worth a read).Of course, a lot has been said and written about the politics of Animal Crossing (which might be somewhat surprising given that it is a game nominally meant for children...). While I've seen a lot of "Tom Nook is good" and "Tom Nook is bad" videos dissecting the predatory lending practices of Nook Inc, however, I've not seen much about the Stork Market and Turnips which, to my mind, are one of the most interesting aspects to the game.So, if you're a fan of Animal Crossing, hopefully you'll come away from this video essay with some knowledge of political economy, financialisation and neoliberalism. And, if you're a politics and economics buff, maybe you'll come away wanting to play Animal Crossing. Or maybe it'll fall weirdly between the gaps, haha!Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from videvo.netIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: twitter.com/Tom_NicholasInstagram: instagram.com/tomnicholaswtfWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#AnimalCrossing #acnh #NintendoSwitch
How the War on Terror shaped Harry Potter Tom Nicholas 2020-05-08 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-how-the-war-on-terror-shaped-harry-potterA lot has been said and written about the politics of Harry Potter in recent years. Comparisons between Donald Trump and Voldemort, for instance, have become somewhat tiresome. In these attempts to draw on the wizarding world of Harry Potter as a lens through which to view contemporary politics, however, the actual political commentary which exists in the series by JK Rowling (particularly following The Order of the Phoenix) gets lost a little.In this Harry Potter video essay, then, I (Tom Nicholas) seek to recontextualise the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione within the societal context in which these books and films were written and released: that of the War on Terror. For, the latter books, not only including The Order of the Phoenix but also The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows contain some very direct parodying of the "war on terror" and, in particular, the responses of the UK government and US government to the increased threat of terrorism after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon building on 9/11.In particular, in characters such as Delores Umbridge and Rufus Scrimgeour, JK Rowling uses the Harry Potter books to parody laws such as the USA Patriot Act which allows the US Government the ability to spy on its own citizens with greater ease.Where Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is often given the credit for making the Harry Potter films "darker", then, in this video essay, I argue that it is in the later books and films that the series really grows up.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: @Tom_NicholasInstagram: @TomNicholasWTFPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.com#HarryPotter #PatriotAct #Authoritarianism
Psychoanalysis: WTF? Sigmund Freud and the Oedipus Complex Explained | Tom Nicholas Tom Nicholas 2020-04-17 | The first 1000 people who click the link in the description will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: https://skl.sh/tomnicholasThis video was sponsored by Skillshare.Developed by the Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis argues that the human mind contains within it three opposing forces, the superego, the ego and the id. Through the interpretation of dreams, Freud believed that we could access repressed thoughts, feelings and traumas which we like to think we have purged ourselves of but which, in fact, remain in our unconscious mind.Todd Phillips' Joker (2019) is not a high-minded conflict between good and evil like many other comic book to film adaptations but a psychological drama focusing on a marginalised working-class man suffering from mental ill health. This makes it a useful object of study for exploring a school of psychiatric thought known as psychoanalytic theory or psychoanalysis.In today's episode of What the Theory?, I use Joker (which stars Joaquin Pheonix and Robert De Niro) in order to introduce some of the key concepts of psychoanalytic theory and psychoanalysis. As well as Freud, I also take a brief look at the work of Jacques Lacan and Slavoj Žižek (although I hope to cover these more extensively in a future episode of What the Theory?).We'll be taking a look at Freud's "topographical" model of the mind (consisting of the preconscious, conscious and unconscious mind) as well as his model of personality (consisting of the superego, ego and id) as well as the Oedipus Complex.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: @Tom_NicholasInstagram: @TomNicholasWTFPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: http://www.tomnicholas.comStock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from videvo.netAdditional stock footage provided by Videezy, downloaded from http://www.videezy.com#Freud #Psychoanalysis #Joker
Why is Academic Writing so Boring? Tom Nicholas 2020-03-27 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-why-is-academic-writing-so-boringAcademic books and journal articles can be pretty boring. Academic writing is often highly complex, uses lengthy sentences and endless amounts of specialist terminology.In today's video, which brings together both my What the Theory? series and Essay Tips series, I take a look at why this might be the case.Drawing on articles by Steven Pinker, Judith Butler and many other scholars, I dive into the debate over academic writing styles to ask whether academics are simply being self-indulgent when they sit down to write essays, academic papers, books and journal articles or whether there might be a good reason for their work not always being wholly accessible to a general audience.Following on from this, I then take a look at the politics of style to consider whether, sometimes, the use of complex and hard-to-understand language might be necessary to critique the society and culture around us.Support the channel on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities, as well as video essays and more, then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: @Tom_NicholasInstagram: @TomNicholasWTFPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: [www.tomnicholas.com](http://www.tomnicholas.com/)Music CreditsRhodesia by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org#academicwriting #university #philosophy
The Weird British-American Setting of Sex Education (Netflix) Tom Nicholas 2020-02-28 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-weird-british-american-setting-of-sex-education-netflixSex Education Season Two landed on Netflix recently. The show, which follows teenager Otis Milburn (played by Asa Butterfield) as he sets up a clandestine sex therapy clinic in his high school has been a hit both in the UK and the US. But the show's aesthetic, which borrows heavily from the high school comedies of John Hughes (such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club), has caused some confusion. Faced with English accents yet American-style lockers, jackets and landscapes, many of the show's viewers have found themselves asking: where is Sex Education set?In this week's video essay, I set out to explore this very question. Rather than merely picking through the show frame by frame in order to highlight each and every geographical incongruity, however, I instead seek to ask what this mashing together of British and American culture does to our experience of watching Sex Education.Primarily, I take a look at the show through the lens of reader-response theory and, in particular, the concept of the "intended reader" as articulated by Wolfgang Iser to consider whether Sex Education was created with specifically to be watched by an American audience or whether the cultural dominance of the USA in the present day and the success of films such as Mean Girls, High School Musical, Heathers and many more has simply encouraged us to view the American high school experience as a kind of universal school experience.Finally, I consider how Sex Education's setting might impact upon its ability to comment upon the state of sex and relationships education in the present day.Support me to make more videos like this on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasIf you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: @Tom_NicholasInstagram: @TomNicholasWTFPatreon: http://patreon.com/tomnicholasWebsite: www.tomnicholas.com#sexeducation #netflix #sexeducationnetflix
The Frankfurt School: From a Failed Revolution to Critical Theory | Tom Nicholas Tom Nicholas 2020-02-07 | Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/tom-nicholas-the-frankfurt-school-from-a-failed-revolution-to-critical-theoryThe Frankfurt School get mentioned a lot on this website. Alongside being celebrated for their contributions to philosophy, sociology and political science, however, Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse and the various other scholars who worked at what was (and is) officially known as the Institute for Social Research, are the target of a lot of vitriol.Commentators on the political right including Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro will often invoke the Frankfurt School as a group of intellectual bogey men and the progenitors of political correctness, cultural marxism, postmodernism or whatever else they seek to porn scorn on that day.In today's episode of What the Theory?, I seek to provide some insight into what the Frankfurt School actually was (and is). Beginning with the perceived failure of the German Revolution, I track the history of the Frankfurt School through formation, exile in the United States during the Second World War and up to the student revolts of May 1968.Alongside this institutional history, I also provide some insight into the work of the Frankfurt School, introducing ideas such as critical theory and the culture industry as well as touching on seminal texts such as Dialectic of Enlightenment, The Authoritarian Personality, One-Dimensional Man and more.If you'd like to support me to make more videos like this then I'd be very grateful if you'd check out my Patreon page at http://patreon.com/tomnicholasFurther ReadingGrand Hotel Abyss by Stuart JeffriesUS: amzn.to/2UwcjrUUK: amzn.to/2SmepYCCritical Theory: A Very Short Introduction by Stephen Eric BronnerUS: amzn.to/2SjEjfwUK: amzn.to/3b9GkDADialectic of Enlightenment by Theodor Adorno and Max HorkheimerUS: amzn.to/31t8h51UK: amzn.to/31xgbKD[The above are affiliate links. I receive a small kickback from anything you buy which, in turn, helps to support the channel.]If you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as video essays and more then do consider subscribing.Thanks for watching!Twitter: @Tom_NicholasWebsite: www.tomnicholas.com
