Four Video Essayists That You’ll Watch Until 4AM
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good video essay. There’s nothing better than watching smart, charismatic people talk about well-researched topics; you get to both feel smart and entertained, and oftentimes the subject matter is poignant and/or wild enough that you have some discussion starters and “fun facts” to bring up with your friends later on. At least, I hope my friends think the facts are fun. Nobody’s told me otherwise yet, so we can only hope.
Either way, I have a habit of totally wrecking my sleep schedule by diving into rabbit hole after rabbit hole watching videos from the following creators, so I figured I’d give them some of the credit they deserve. Without further ado, here are four YouTubers worth getting insomnia over:
MelinaPendulum
Princess makes videos essays geared around comics, fantasy, anime, and social issues, and she does so in the most refreshing way. Gone is the era of nitpicking angry fans screaming at a camera about plot holes for ten minutes and calling it a day, so much so that the audience is left to wonder if they enjoy anything at all; Princess’ videos are a far cry from that, with her genuine affection and enthusiasm for elements of the media she’s deconstructing shining through at almost all times. However, she absolutely does not shy away from taking a critical lens to that which deserves criticism. Princess is brilliant, and uses emotional smarts in tandem with academia to make well-rounded, engaging videos that make you question a lot of the ideas and tropes you see perpetuated in media, particularly in fandom. Plus, her backgrounds are super fun to look at!
Suggested first videos:
Breaking Down True Womanhood & Black Girlhood in Media
Empire and Imperialism in Children’s Cartoons — a super light topic
Khadija Mbowe
Khadija is the video essayist I’ve gotten into most recently on this list, and the person who inspired it! Khadija makes videos about a variety of sociological topics, particularly as they relate to marginalized groups, pop culture, and the internet. They’re overflowing with warmth in a way that makes you want to watch video after video — Khadija describes themselves as a “cool, fun, Millennial Aunty”, and they absolutely live up to every word of that. Their ability to both treat serious topics with the gravitas they deserve while also not leaving the audience feeling totally adrift and hopeless is pretty amazing; but why tell you when I can just show you?
Suggested first videos:
Izzzyzzz
Izzy is a great person to go to if you want to learn about Internet controversies (particularly from the late aughts and early 2010s), the art world, and, naturally, Garfield. They have stellar, eye catching makeup and digital art skills that bring a unique visual element to each video, and their voice and manner of speaking somehow makes you feel at times both as though you’re listening to an academic giving a lecture and to a close friend letting you in on an interesting rumor circulating around town. Izzy manages to sit in that spot between commentary and video essay YouTube, where you’re learning about interesting drama but also about how that drama fits into larger narratives within society at large; it’s a win-win for everybody!
Suggested first videos:
Yhara Zayd
Menyhara makes video essays about film and television, and she comes off as the type of creator who is incredibly cool but won’t make you feel uncool for it (unless you’re James Franco or something, in which case you deserve it). The “oh, you haven’t already watched every movie? What a disappointment” attitude often feels omnipresent in film criticism spaces — Menyhara avoids that deftly, and is great at talking about film in a way that doesn’t leave the viewer feeling talked down to or left out. This sort of rejection of gatekeeping reads as a theme on her channel. Two common subjects of her videos are horror and coming-of-age media for teenage girls, and it’s incredibly refreshing (and part of what really drew me into her channel) to see these genres looked at with the thoughtful, artistic eye they deserve as opposed to the dismissive hand-wave that they typically are given by critics.
Suggested first videos:
Holes & The Prison-Industrial Complex
