The Neurosis of Cat Valentine

An overanalysis of Ariana Grande, Cat Valentine, and everyone caught in the blast.
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Edited by CJ The X & Ben From Canada
Twitter: / benchinapen
KZbin: / sparkocean

[@cjthex]

One solitary extraneous note: several times in this video I sarcastically refer to Cat’s difficulty in participating in standard social convention as “inhuman”, when in reality I think the naivety and earnestness of the character are extremely human, and speak to the confusion and baselessness we all feel on some level. We’re all trying to behave like those around us, navigating pleasure and pain to varying degrees of sophistication, and often just barely managing to express ourselves, all the while hoping desperately that we are Human-ing correctly. Everything I said about Cat’s character are distillations of things that are universal to us, and the directness of her behaviour is only striking because we spend so much effort disguising and dressing up our basest humanity. Cat reads as “inhuman” precisely because she is so authentically human. I feel the need to put this in writing due to the subtext of neuro-divergency that revealed itself to me in the late stages of this video’s completion. Also on that note, her "stupidity” doesn’t factor into a neuro-divergent reading of the character. Only her relationships with stimulus, self expression and social convention. Stupidity is a symptom of watching Ben Shapiro videos, not neuro-divergency. I personally was just more relating to the character on a dissociative and addictive level. Anyways that’s me talking on behalf of my loved ones on the spectrum. If you’re autistic, I love you. If you’re not, go fuck yourself. Fuck yourself right to hell. ps. don’t get in the habit of expecting social equity disclaimers from me i do what i want

[@alessa.]

"Stupidity is a symptom of watching Ben Shapiro videos" yes

[@colonyofrats4193]

My autistic arse appreciates your love 💕💕💕

[@izzy3120]

@@alessa. pretty sure its the other way around

[@sophiathedandilioness]

I'm really happy you said this and I feel wonderfully represented as I watch you speak on this topic. As someone above me in the comments so perfectly expressed "my autistic arse appreciates your love 💕"

[@clarence5211]

thank you for having the bravery to tell allistics to fuck off it warms my heart

[@randomperson5408]

Some one said the most unrealistic part of victorius was that its a art high-school full of straight people

[@goon_ass1675]

as someone who goes to an art high school i can back this up edit: as someone who transferred out of said art high school i can still back this up

[@toastlover555]

AINT no way jade is straight

[@Parasolhyena]

At least there was Burf, he was bi.

[@afoolishfopdoodle3284]

I'm quite sure that Robbie was heavily implied to not be straight

[@mabelccr1000]

As someone who goes to a performing arts hs I can confirm it's rare to find a straight person like 95% is gay

[@Blue_Avatar]

People thinking that "not being friends" equals "absolute hatred" is so annoying. I remember people saying "Jeanette DRAGGED Ariana in her new book" and then I read it and Jeanette just said things like "we were different. She was rich and I was the breadwinner for my family. We couldn't relate to each other" and I was like "that's NOT dragging wtf"

[@starrycharacter]

It's the urge to pin to female celebrities against each other for me like I'm sure both of them hold no bad blood towards each other they're just two different people with very different personalities and backgrounds not everyone you work with has to be your friend and even if they are your friend they don't have to stay your friend that doesn't mean you become Arch enemies it just means they're not part of your life or maybe not part of your life in the same way

[@TristanCannon1]

It's infantilizing too. She was almost 30 at that point and obviously looking back with enough maturity to get why they were never close. It says a lot that people reduce it to high school mean girl drama.

[@trianglemoebius]

​@@starrycharacter Frankly it's not even just female celebrities, I've seen plenty of examples where people cannot fathom two male celebrities just not caring about each other, or having vaguely critical opinions, it's just expressed differently. A lot of the "beef" between male musical artists is either drama between their fans that they're not involved in, or no drama at all as one just said something akin to "I never really listened to this other guy." I think it's a symptom of a wider aspect of celebrity culture, which is that people *want* drama. Celebrities are most 'interesting' when they're at each other's throats, or when their fans are fighting - so fans of celebrity culture want their to be drama to the point of creating it out of nothing if need be.

[@JimCullen]

Yeah for sure it's worse for women, but I've seen the same thing play out with Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of the MythBusters. They were quite famously not friends, but always had enormous professional respect for one another. That didn't stop people blowing it out of proportion and saying that they couldn't stand each other etc.

[@CJ-qg7de]

She implied Ariana was the one who didn't let her direct on Sam and Cat. When she said a "big star" said they would quit the show if they let her direct an episode, did u think it was Goomer or something

[@CreoTan]

Honestly the worst part about Cat's character was in how deeply she was fetishized. Her ND traits were flanderized and taken advantage of to put her in fetishy situations and to lean into the "dumb sexy baby" character trope. It's legitimately one of the most awful intersections of ableism and misogyny bc the appeal hinges entirely on the ability to manipulate and take advantage of a girl or woman.

[@sabrinabroadnax3933]

Dan Schneider did that a lot with the nickelodeon girls but when they stopped looking like girls and started looking like adults thats when they slowly got cut from nick and another younger looking star was their gradual fill in case and point zoey 10, victorious and sam and cat

[@sabrinabroadnax3933]

Victoria was on zoey 101 at 12 and by time the show ended no more than loke 16 probably but jamie started looking older and had a kid (not why the show ended) not too long after victorious aires and cast ariana and she is baby faced and over time she "outshines" victoria in popularity and appeal so they market that more and she winds up with sam and cat but by the time she did that show she was looking more like an adult its honestly a little creepy how perverted they were even down to shows that aired

[@MelenaSoleil]

I'm glad you can see that. I also hate how when it comes to "mental illness" and diagnosis, the LAZY diagnosis is just to immediately label someone as bipolar which I heard in another video describing why Cat behaves that way. A practitioner who is ACTUALLY WELL TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED doesn't IMMEDIATELY diagnose bipolar cuz that's just the easy thing to do. The best thing to do would be to observe for a good while, compare behaviors against different possibilities of diagnoses, your own experiences and most importantly the diagnosis should take a considerable amount of TIME. Because imo Cat displays signs of chronic (possibly violent) early childhood sex*ual abuse. Nobody ever goes to that first tho which I find interesting because ABUSE of infants and children whether sex*ual, emotional or otherwise is EXTREMELY PREVALENT! WHY ignore the very STRONG possibility that MOST ppl with disordered behaviors are actually suffering from PTSD due to some form of early childhood abuse? 🤔

[@kaitlynvera8706]

@@MelenaSoleil to be fair to that person, the show in the first episodes explicitly calls her bipolar through other characters, they tell Tori she is bipolar. The representation is abhorrent as all mental health in media is and the creator definitely shouldn’t have continued to use the label throughout the video, but Victorious explicitly labels her with it, which is its own conversation

[@onemillionpercent]

this.

[@starryicarus372]

The line “Jennette McCurdy was also nominated for that award. She didnt show up. Would you?” Made me so incredibly sad and it rlly puts you into her perspective, that anytime she was pitted against ariana, she wouldnt win because of the industry and the general populations bias

[@djr-crowe]

That line hit deep.

[@ZephyrinSkies]

That award was essentially a popularity contest, so yeah that is the point. Not that it makes the situation any less tragic.

[@teallineart8805]

I‘m just happy Jennette got out of that toxic ass environment. It was literal hell for her.

[@diamonje]

Well, Ariana is much more talented and has drive to sing in the industry. Remember how Jennette was forced into acting? If she had the drive to improve her abilities and perform then it'd be a different story but she just wanted to be free from her mother. Which she got. The industry has nothing to do with Ariana being more talented and driven than Jennette. Jennette's problem was not Ariana, it was the industry itself compiled on top of her mother's abuse.

[@ZephyrinSkies]

@@diamonje Good point. While no one was blaming Ariana for outdoing her, it's worth highlighting the problem is the industry for putting her in that situation she didn't want to be in rather than Ariana's success.

[@RyanAston]

"and then Tori sings another fucking song"

[@dorothyallspice1862]

That's it. That's Victorious. That's the whole show.

[@melon7514]

lol

[@whydoesriverdalesucknow4675]

For some reason i never liked Tori. It was too much about her. Well its her show but damn

[@cranberryrosebud]

@@whydoesriverdalesucknow4675 I feel the same. I have absolutely nothing wrong with Victoria Justice, but Tori in the show never really worked for me. I think it's a case of the story feeling like it was written for the character, rather than a story that just happens to have her as the main character - she wins all the competitions, is always the one being chosen, always saves the day, the show's about her songs/performances, despite the other characters clearly being talented enough to attend the same school. When she gets something, it never feels earned, it feels like she's getting it just because she's Tori, the main character, when the others are filled with so much personality, and following their arcs and stories more closely would be quite entertaining, but it always feels dragged back to Tori for the sake of it. That's just how I feel, I'm sure some people like her character, and that's completely fine, it's just something I've noticed, and since then it's always distracted me.

[@kylisetrevino8085]

This is the comment I’ve been waiting for 🤣🤣🤣

[@jinxthelesbian]

"She gets so high on relief from her suffering that she forgets that the cause of her suffering has not yet gone away" is such a raw line I can't believe it was used to refer to a nickelodeon ariana grande character getting a bug stuck on her ear

[@rovaughncampbell3062]

Lol

[@franknfurter5336]

this is the first comment I saw before watching the video

[@electricbaby7315]

another interesting thing i noticed about cat's shift is her wardrobe. in the first season when she was just a typical teenage girl who was kind of dumb & neurotic sometimes, so she wore pretty typical late 2000s/early 2010s teenage girl clothes. she wore short shorts/skirts, tank tops and t-shirts with necklaces and rings and the like. in short, clothes that a teenage girl who liked feminine things would wear during that time. however, as the show progressed and her character became more childlike and her brain shifted from dumb teen to young child, she began to wear clothes that were more similar to something a young girl would wear. she started wearing more pink, her clothes had more frills and ruffles, her skirts became longer, her accessories became less like something a teen or adult would wear (like the statement jewelry she wore in s1) and she started to favor bows and some simple jewelry, like things a young child would like to wear. idk if this means anything, but it was something i noticed

[@turbulentbeauty]

Interesting observation. Based on some of the things that came up and her aversion to "dirty" things, it's possible to interpret this as a trauma response after some type of harassment or abuse when she was younger. ND people are more often targeted by predatory people so it does seem possible.

[@MooseShower]

I wish the show didn’t put her in such fetishized scenes because I love the lore here, but the shows she’s in really cater to loli enjoyers

[@Itchy__]

@@MooseShower True, loli enjoyers transcend borders and artistic mediums. Which is sad because Cat is very interesting as just being Cat. Someday sex appeal won't be the expectation for all female characters in media, or I hope at least

[@avourrito1819]

They don't even dress her in lolita wardrobes (that fantasy victorian doll-like outfits), they immediately put her in the loli category. Straight to infantilization. Bright coloured fabrics with many patterns of flowers or little doodles. Frills for the purpose of twirling or fabric so light it can blow away with the wind

[@hannahjoseph2264]

Ik this comment is old now but Ariana has actually said that in S1 she wore those duller/more regular clothes and things, but she didn't really like to and actually really liked pastels and brighter colors, she just didn't think it would look good because of her hair color, and didn't know how to dress with her newly dyed bright red hair. She said that her wardrobe evolved as she got the hang of pairing colors with her hair because they looked better than she thought they would. I also wanted go mention that the cast of victorious actually had a lot of control over their wardrobe. If you notice, tori doesn't ever really wear a skirt or dress because Victoria Justice prefers pants and shorts. Avan also said that Beck's main wardrobe came from his personal style.

[@assailant8722]

My interpretation of the whole "Cat punching Tori" thing wasn't that she was stupid enough to believe it was a genuine request: rather she was mad enough to WANT to punch her, and then kinda sarcastically played dumb. Granted, that was my interpretation when I watched as a kid. I haven't seen it in forever.

[@wompppwompwomppp]

same!

[@trapadvisor]

@@wompppwompwomppp even the greatest minds of our generation couldn’t compile the profound comment you made. Says so much with so little.

[@AgentsOfNothing]

See, my interpretation wasn't that she thought Tori was telling her to punch her, but that she was mad and thought that statement was Tori giving her permission lol

[@PGOuma]

See!! I have this head canon about Cat that some of it is an act or that she plays it up to let out her dark side, knowing people won't get too mad at her because... "Oh that's just Cat being her ditzy self"

[@user-qv2qf1jk5o]

@@trapadvisor unironically, yes

[@Kay-kg6ny]

Ok "He noticed our genders!" is fucking brilliant.

[@clearlynotchloe2714]

and i can’t even explain why

[@BernardoPatino]

she's gotta have a fifth eye or something. based and genderpilled.

[@pixelmotor]

@@clearlynotchloe2714 This may be me taking it too seriously but I think that it's as funny as it is to me because it implies that without an understanding of social cues gender would be irrelevant which... I already kind of agree with to begin with

[@pixelmotor]

@@clearlynotchloe2714 Like she's stating something that's still ahead of its time nearly ten years later in the ditziest possible way. I think the only performance I could even begin to compare to Ariana's performance of Cat is Evanna Lynch's performance of Luna Lovegood

[@Lexi-wi4it]

@@pixelmotor I totally agree with that! I feel like whenever someone's trying to create a truly unique character, they strip away society's expectations and generally accepted norms, and in doing so they create a character that thinks for themselves outside of society - which usually ends up being ahead of its time. I feel like whenever we remove ourselves from the society we currently reside in and see things through our own unique perspective, we create more meaningful expressions of what the world should be like rather than what it's like right now. I hope that makes sense.

[@swededontknow]

I LOST MY FUCKING MIND HEARING YOU REFER TO ANDRE AS THE BLACK- THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE HIS ARCHETYPE AND IT'S SAD BUT FUNNY AS HELL

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

I was so taken aback. Like yes. But no. But exactly!

[@Gloomdrake]

Andre is cool, he deserved better

[@Isa_Reynard]

I FUCKING SCREAMED AT THAT TOO, GLAD I WASNT THE ONLY ONE WHO FELT THAT. Elated then sad on how true his character is written. :(

[@sookiez1269]

ISTG THAT WAS HIS ONLY ARCHTYPE

[@SaikolaM]

I paused the video at that exact point to look for this comment I- Also I will forever be mad about the fact that Tori and Andre never dated for that exact reason

[@avabergren5820]

i LOVE that Liz's actual personality makes jade a realistic (yet exaggerated) teenage version of her

[@llcourt]

That’s scary. The theater teacher at my high school was the same way and had five favorites that he casted for everything no matter what and would hang out with them and give them As in class. He got fired.

[@burpie3258]

that is so gross

[@briclare]

same… except english teacher who directed the plays

[@chiphadzuwamwale3184]

"You have a BLACK." Took me smooth out😂💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 They might aswell have named him Token😂

[@willarroz6703]

Atleast they chose wisely and didn’t just choose anyone (that man is a special talent) … representation mattered at that audition .

[@jamieyoung9206]

Oh he’s hip too, he’s like swaggered out

[@xenopyxis]

In South Park one character is named Token Black

[@sleepyclowns]

@@xenopyxis yes, we are aware love

[@laetitiapohl138]

LLOLLLLLLL

[@KhadijaMbowe]

How dare you look this good in a black turtle neck.

[@hamianagrande]

hi

[@Thatcuntbih46]

Queen Khadija

[@lizziemailord9524]

He's summoning the gayness of Marnie

[@olivermaclean5897]

@@hamianagrande hi

[@RoseInTheWeeds]

It's all about the full look. Holding an eternally half finished glass of wine is the accessory choice that brings it all together.

[@hellogoditsmesara3569]

I always thought I irrationally hated Cat but now I realize I didn’t hate her I subconsciously recognized her as cruel caricature making fun of neurodivergent people and I hated that

[@Honeyin2013]

That’s kinda how I felt about Cat. At a certain point her character didn’t feel like real person, but just a fun little thing the writers made

[@mammoneymelon]

omg SAME. watching this i realized that the annoying thing about her is that she acts similar to how i do/did - and it's meant to be made fun of. enough people were making fun of me irl lmao

[@SpecialBlanket]

opposite here, I relate :p

[@kawaii33366]

​@@SpecialBlanketI felt bad for relating cause idk if im autistic or not but I gain pleasure from acting like her lol

[@scubatuba1083]

Bro she’s not a caricature of neurodivergent people she’s basically the equivalent to the dumb blonde stereotype. The common nerd/dork stereotype I could see being more of a caricature of neurovergent people. Maybe like sinjinn…I’m not saying neurodivergent people are like that but that’s how most ignorant people think of them to be

[@vaehtay]

I like to imagine that, in the scene where Cat punches Tori, Cat WAS already angry with Tori, but saw the “if I were you, I’d punch me…” as an invitation to act on her impulses.

[@cierrarenea]

my mind literally can’t put it together that Cat Valentine is Ariana Grande

[@Jose-jf4ej]

Plastic surgery

[@h_oneylemon]

^^^

[@IroWithinStars]

@@Jose-jf4ej lmao no they aren't so different bc of that It's just a matter of attitude and presentation

[@Jose-jf4ej]

Ow 😅

[@r.9602]

@@IroWithinStars look it up, she definitely did plastic surgery

[@pharosorpheus6105]

Cat Valentine throughout the series (to me, at least) quite literally feels like a neurodivergent person learning that she doesn't need to mask around her friends

[@R34G4N]

yes! she becomes more and more herself

[@Lildeadthing420]

ok i like this

[@naomikidane5473]

What I aspire and hope to be

[@kitkat3188]

I always thought that friend group was toxic and tore her down and she just learned to not care. I thought it was fitting the series finale was them being called out

[@sarroumarbeu6810]

Yup...now that I'm older I finally understand why I loved her so much

[@zinniebug7555]

I listened to the audiobook of "I'm glad my mom died" and it was chilling. Beautifully written, but chilling.

[@kbarrell0324]

Very heartbreaking

[@cupcakies222]

i found the book in target a few months ago, and fell in love with it. a lot of people are quick to write off celebrity memoirs as attempts to rake in cash and revive careers, but this was just a work of art. she truly does have a way with words. the entire thing is just weird to think about. she loved to write as a child but her mother prevented it, and now so many years later she's finally picking up the pen again for her. it was just. an experience 😭

[@arambles1]

it is incredibly horrible and sad but somehow it is also deeply funny in a way that is nearly impossible to achieve. it's a real work of art.

[@Daelyah]

I vibe with that title. Guess I got a new book to read! (I went NC, last year, with the egg donor who started my abandonment issues when she left me lost and isolated in Kansas, when I was six...so there's plenty of rage and pain, there.) I feel heartbroken for a fellow writer being held back from writing, though, because of a controlling parent. Even though I've never followed Jennette, before, I hope she's flourishing, nowadays.

[@carnifex423]

it’s kind of unbelievable how horrible this character would’ve been on screen if it was played by anyone else. extremely well played, ariana

[@caitlingill]

You could say the same about Jade

[@luciagil97]

It’s rly well cast 😭

[@feev4571]

I never even realized how relatively normal she started out.... I only noticed that the baby voice got much more intense

[@kaylakusman2098]

SAME

[@noemilita1354]

@@khenbornagain my thoughts exactly

[@zatrat5696]

Same I was like tf

[@SEGASister]

It gets very obvious if you binge it.

[@teallineart8805]

It was for fetishization reasons.

[@valaur3]

Cat is just so clearly nuerodivergent coded, the way she masks, camoflages, her sensitivity to stimuli, the dopamine hungry way that adhd people feel like they have to fill their impulses, the lack of subtlety. Ironically the more Ariana reveals that Cat is masking the more real the character fighting to socialize and connect with other people underneath feels.

[@starkid4299]

agreed lol

[@Ulyssa12]

Yuuuuup

[@GINSHOTGUN]

Agreed

[@wildhearses]

I totally thought she seemed like she was autistic coded- and via nature or nurture autistic afab people tend to mask or at least *try* to mask better and often get misdiagnosed- often have executive function issues which can lead to impulsivity (I think adhd might be a comorbidity) ... I haven't seen this show but she seems like such a more interesting and more developed character than your run of the mill "robot brainiac" or person who seems kind of neurotypical passing but also is a genius.

[@fruitmoth17]

As someone with adhd I felt this

[@sweet_bruiser5144]

I'm autistic and Cat's physical reaction to intense emotion (circuit board overload) is honestly incredibly relatable. I just wish things like stimming in response to emotions you cannot process wasn't always portrayed as funny and was shown as normal.

[@moonsigil]

Well, it's not normal.

[@sweet_bruiser5144]

@@moonsigil Thanks. What I mean to say is that it is normal for millions of people around the world, although not the majority of the population.

[@Daelyah]

​@@moonsigilWell, fuck normal, then!

[@averyeml]

I’m here from the Quinton Reviews 8 hour part 2 monstrosity and somehow you putting 2010 Cat up against 2014 Cat is more striking and horrifying than anything I’ve ever seen in my life. If a real person devolved this over 4 years you’d be screaming for brain doctors to be saving this poor, broken person. The voice changes too are crazy, I forgot how different season 1 Cat sounded!

[@autumn7809]

I saw someone say they read it as a neurodivergent person learning she doesn't need to mask around her friends and I like that a lot more

[@phleughbotomy4324]

@@autumn7809 i can definitely see that, and i love it

[@burpie3258]

Same!

[@miahoward8392]

cat saying “i joined a prison gang!!!!!” is like if “:D” were a person

[@kklolmeh1194]

I know right! It made me feel funny

[@witchassbitch3]

I’m not gonna lie if I was ever in prison and I actually made it into a prison gang I’d be just as excited/proud of myself 😂

[@teresazetuna]

no Cat *IS* :D as a person

[@expensivemagic4754]

YES

[@cats602]

I am the 999th like

[@femininegremlin]

"neurodivergent people already know this but there's a big difference between following social procedure naturally and attempting to behave as one might act" I wasn't expecting a video about cat valentine to teach me something about myself wow

[@femininegremlin]

@@NicoEm !! It's something I've been trying so hard to explain to people but never knew how

[@turner15]

I’ve been read.

[@masonmysliwy8879]

Yeah, same.

[@Spicy_Spores]

holy shit this is me ;w;

[@KaitlinGaspar]

i’m just confused is there really such a thing as following social procedures naturally? i don’t know anything else but trying too hard and critically analyzing every interaction in order to understand what happened

[@tankissed]

The section about Jennette hits different after the release of her book. Cj ahead of the curve as always the points they brought up about her are literally the same ones people r bringing up now. This video is so phenomenal omg

[@navijam6155]

They had to turn leon, ariana, and liz down in the mixes because they were all better vocally than victoria justice. Not saying victoria justice is bad or untalented, just unfortunately surrounded by very talented broadway stars.

[@p.enelope]

i know i’m very late but oh my god as an 8 year old buying the victorious CDs i was FUMING that they removed ari, leon, and everyone else from shut up and dance, amongst a handful of other songs. that shit irritated the fuck outta me even though i did enjoy tori’s voice as much as everyone else’s.

[@kikitwinstar3209]

"She tasted God and now everything else tastes like the absence of bliss" is too raw of a fucking line to be from a videoessay about a Disney Channel TV show.

[@liamross340]

ah yes but just profound enough for a nickelodeon video essay

[@blumoo9938]

@@liamross340 • right, its just perfect for a Nickelodeon show! Disney Channel however.....

[@pinkypurpler]

@skhooter 29:52

[@honorhonzialip.409]

“You have a black” can we talk about how that’s all he was there for despite being probably the most talented person in the cast alongside Ariana? He was never important and never got a story unless it had to do with one of the other bland member (like having a crush on jade who is incredibly overrated) or his grandmother who was a byproduct of white writers using racist stereotypes to garner chuckles

[@rrrrssss156]

yeah like his voice and character was literally one of my favorites other than cat. i was wondering why victorious wasnt about him and cat cause i thought they had more potential.

[@nyrah_maee]

me a jade simp: *offended*

[@Moony1568]

While I don’t appreciate the roast against Jade, I 100% agree with you. I’m black as well and it always bothered me how he never had any real traits other than “nice.” Being nice is fine but compared to the wacky traits of the rest of the cast, he is the most wasted and forgettable. It sucks.

[@sara_daria2]

Lmfao he was my favourite character as a kid

[@kalisophia6400]

yup.

[@Tsochar]

1:05:35 hearing Jade as an adult speaking in a condescending voice does things to me that I am not equipped to deal with right now

[@yuarentlucky]

I am in love with Jade, and Liz as a whole, she's just so pretty and she was my lesbian awakening.

[@amazingspiderlad]

I think something that really shows just how mistreated Jeanette McCurdy was is the fact that Sam and Cat wasn't the show that was originally planned. The original plan was for Sam to have her own show where she was working as a school guidance counsellor. Jeanette was going to have her own show but then they decided to turn it into Sam and Cat.

[@brenben10]

cat is so clearly neurodivergent. the writes probably took neurodivergent tendencies and multiplied it 1000 fold for cat. At the time of the show's running, mental health and neurodivergency was just never talked about it, it was extremely taboo. therefor, cat was just seen as stupid and dumb. her friends treated her as such and she was just there for comedic effect

[@AZ-ty7ub]

Agreed and tbh I with he wouldnt refer to her as stupid so much ):

[@moonlites2028]

For real, personally I resonate strongly with her "ding dong" thing. I too, impulsively narrate sounds when they happen.

[@yezenia9830]

I honestly think she was just written to be stupid and dumb. Dan Schneider is no visionary

[@sunshineeee]

@@yezenia9830 He’s not, and that’s why it’s really ableist, as all they see her as is idiotic. Society loves associating what isn’t neurotypical as “cringey”, “dumb”, “stupid”, etc. Anything outside of that is ripe for a joke and mockery in their eyes. He took neurodivergent behaviors/tendencies and ramped them up to ten, and then called her stupid across multiple seasons of multiple shows for it.

[@yezenia9830]

@@sunshineeee good answer. A really shitty thing to do. And kids can't recognise what's going on :/

[@jjjellysss]

Saw a tweet today that said "I’m genderless. I’m full of gender. I’m a malewife. I’m a biblically accurate angel. I’m a pop idol. I’m the fourth incarnation of god. I’m a convicted criminal. I can never die" And that's the energy I feel radiating from every one of your videos

[@thatsdisco]

how could you say something so true

[@rileym7519]

Lmao tru

[@menelik6635]

I vibe with that

[@GINSHOTGUN]

That's just so true

[@alexandrac6177]

It sounds like something written for and by this channel

[@MirrorSurfer]

"Cut up your drugs, cuddle your stuffed animals, pour some saki, wish misfortune on your enemies, evade your taxes, and don't forget to floss." ...The kids are gonna be alright.

[@pinkyoilers]

cat HAS kissed robbie more than once! remember that episode where robbie and trina kiss for a play or something and robbie is obsessed with trina and cat is like "it was an acting kiss! it meant nothing!" and to prove her point she kisses robbie? also i want a video about robbie's psychology because that boy also has shit going on

[@mychemicalshazam]

“They noticed our gender” might be the funniest thing anyone has ever said

[@NoaWatchVideo]

There’s a trans meme there but I’m not funny enough to make it

[@pinklizard1589]

@@NoaWatchVideo I think I might've come up with one (maybe I'm not that funny either): *nb people when there's a gender-nuetral bathroom* (the point meme idk which one but that one with the books??? I have no clue what it's called: They noticed our gender or an alternative maybe *people who use they/them when they see they instead of he/she* : Oh look they noticed out gender I have no clue if these are good because I am also not funny enough to make memes so this is an attempt /pos /gen /nm

[@incoherentbutfunctional3723]

I highly recommend making (more) autistic trans friends, because all mine (including myself??) have certainly said similar stuff.

[@mercedes6076]

Not if you’re not cis. Then I’d imagine you would get excited at someone correctly noticing your gender and say it fairly often 🏳️‍🌈💖🏳️‍⚧️

[@art-is-awen8842]

@@NoaWatchVideo finally being gendered correctly as a trans person like

[@JackHoward]

I got an ad in the middle of you saying "don't fucking interrupt me" and I hope that was intentional. I'm 25 mins into this video about a show I've never watched and I'm utterly compelled. You're my absolute fav.

[@aluminiumcan8566]

i got an ad just as he said "don't fucking interrupt me" and i think thats beautiful

[@anjaaa79]

It was definitely intentional.

[@lyricallyfaight]

I also got the add as the dont interrupt me monologue was happening 😂😂😂

[@lodewijk.]

Jack! Fancy seeing you here

[@migsy1]

I got one too!

[@ignorant1126]

I see alot of AutiHD in Cat's character. She's got hyperactivity, the inability to manage volume when speaking, a habit of jumping topics, addictive traits and the irritability of ADHD (or at least my experience with it) Whereas there's also the fact that she masks her own behaviour to try to act like others and takes things literally, being unable to tell when a person is being metaphorical/telling a joke, all pretty distinct traits of Austism Then there's the extreme emotional reactions, rejection sensitivity and dominating conversations with her interests, symptoms that overlap between the two disorders Her stupidy though makes this a really insulting stereotype. A person with ADHD won't be constantly bouncing around since they know that's very inappropriate in certain circumstances, and a person with Autism will tend to have sensory issues (which I don't see in her character).Honestly the fact that they turn her into a kid or even a pet that can be easily disciplined is hard to watch with this context

[@Maddox_Clayne]

I know it's not related to Cat or Ariana, but Jennete's choice in "Strong Independent Woman" to cast Maria Bamford as the mother is, in my eyes, perfect. Bamford (a comedienne and voice actress who struggles with mental illness) is able to navigate her role to be that character more realistically, and in a way that (to me) feels like it's relatable to the experience of EDs without being disrespectful.

[@beeflysaway]

the fact that this is 90 minutes long has me screaming. in an awe-struck way

[@someone16234]

Me before watching this video: ‘almost an hour and a half about an outdated nickalodian show??!?!!!?’ Me after finishing this video: ‘wait why isn’t this longer’

[@zainabmejja9936]

I know! That's a whole movie I watched! Which I almost never have any time for 😂

[@thatonegirludontknow]

I started watching before bed without looking at the time, I got 30 minutes into it before pausing and I was shocked to see how much there is to go!! I’ll sleep for now LOL

[@GINSHOTGUN]

@@someone16234 Sameee

[@temiadio6800]

@Rayna Carraway same I noticed that they hadn't posted for a while so I was like 'ooh,' and clicked

[@Diana-le7oh]

You've convinced me that Ariana Grande is a better actor than she is a singer, wow.

[@BybeeBunnie]

I didn’t know it was possible but here we are 😳

[@Diana-le7oh]

I think Cat is my favorite character from this cinematic universe or at least tied with Sam.

[@tarc3957]

If I ever make a movie or TV show I absolutely want Ariana Grande in it. Out of curiosity. I just want to see if she could/would go back to acting if given the opportunity

[@partysuvius]

@Keke Nwoye i really do enjoy her talents, her music genre just isn’t my thing and I’m okay with that. I really am gonna look forward to her return to acting because she’s definitely a talented actress.

[@Diana-le7oh]

She's a great singer. But I love her acting so much.

[@chickenpermission6969]

i wish i could just give jeanette mccurdy a big hug, she deserves it

[@cecilia7932]

5:53 I interpret this scene as Cat actually being really mad and using her perceived stupidity as a shield to get to punch her supposed friend in the face. I'm not sure if the scene was intended this way (probably not) but that's how I see it

[@eliasmg9144]

I read it as her being mad but either too stupid or naive to know that what tori said was metaphorical

[@krisnapier9399]

His words are a hurricane and I can't exactly keep up with processing all of them yet I still understand what's he's saying? All that to say this is the perfect thing to watch at 1am when you've only seen 10 episodes of Victorious

[@kurasuta3715]

We all live the same life, huh

[@Isa_Reynard]

Nice to know we are all in the same mental wavelength when it comes to this

[@moonsaer]

Im scared, why can I understand every single word he says and why is my mind performing and analysing so many thoughts at once anx why do i like it. I think I know why but typing is hard so let my rant end here. Toodloo strangers

[@Wtrgrl-kk4py]

I even watched it at 1,5x speed 😳.. Now I wonder how I've manged to keep up 😂

[@IceFire1800]

@@moonsaer your brain plays catchup with the words that wash over your ears. listening to a fast speaker is the same as speedreading

[@morningivy]

Yes, Ariana Grande's current homelessness and lack of relevance is a cautionary tale to us all.

[@newusernamesaidwhat]

Huh?

[@tonicaulfield294]

@@newusernamesaidwhat don't you know? she was spotted on the streets of los angeles just this morning

[@tovi3280]

@@newusernamesaidwhat what’s your question

[@newusernamesaidwhat]

@@tonicaulfield294 this comment was before the video lol I was just so confused

[@simyeosa]

the amount of hate in the likes.. what did she do to your fucking donuts?😅

[@Fishfriend001]

As someone with adhd her character hits hard, especially the propensity for addiction and difficulty with social cues. I mean yeah it’s exaggerated a lot, but the novelty and stimulation seeking is relatable. The disregard for consequences in favor of immediate gratification. The zoning out. The difficulty in understanding her emotions, difficulty with emotional regulation! People with adhd also tend to have rejection sensitivity disorder, the scene where Cat couldn’t take criticism hit hard because that’s a huge indicator of RSD. It’s interesting that sometimes she seems more aware and then later more ditzy, because I’ve surprised people in the past with how mature I can suddenly be when a lot of the time I act “childish” because I’m sensory seeking. And the “peaking” and being twitchy when she’s emotional seems like stimming which people with neurodivergence tend to do more often

[@not_annapease7689]

I’ve never thought of cat valentine as more than comedic relief. I never realized how good of an actor you have to be and how much thought Ariana put into her character. The part that has me shook was the way victorious ended. Sinjin was always the character that was filler for bullying. Nothing more. That monologue made me pause the video and think for a long time. How the “ego” of the characters was the whole show. When they realized it, the show ended. That made me think about all the times they broke the fourth wall and recognized that it was a tv show. Most tv shows don’t do that. It drives me crazy. I’ve seen this show countless times. I grew up with this show. I never noticed any of the times that they talked about background characters or even the last episode, now that it’s laid out in front of me, I feel like it’s been there the whole time. I know it wasn’t the main focus of the video, but I just wanted to say that it blew my mind.

[@altofmoleperson]

WHY DID I WATCH A ONE HOUR 22 MINUTE DISSERTATION ON CAT VALENTINE, WATCHING THIS VIDEO IS LIKE HAVING AN ADHD SPIRAL AND I LOVE IT

[@amaianita]

I've watched this 10 times since the vid came out this is an adhd spiral indeed

[@visibleconfusion782]

It lowkey feels like the same high I get from watching a max0r video

[@sarapasss]

haha i feel the same way, and hello my fellow enby friend!

[@altofmoleperson]

@@sarapasss A fellow enby! Hello there!

[@jenniferm7695]

Omg yes. I didn't know what it was that has made me watch this like 3 times.

[@jm-bn9sy]

the “ariana grande fading out of fame” jokes make me giggle so hard

[@KaterynaM_UA]

As a person who found out about her existence not so long ago with very little understanding what is she famous for except the long ponytail and a blue dress from some red carpet I genuinely couldn't tell if it was a joke or not before this comment. Guessed bc of the context but wasn't sure. xD

[@Lena-xy8id]

@@KaterynaM_UA just a pop star

[@dave-tf8ov]

@@KaterynaM_UA she is the best singer of this gen

[@beaaaaaan6919]

@@dave-tf8ov oof not even close

[@tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds]

@@beaaaaaan6919 who is it then?

[@teapotsoup2851]

Cj pointing out the musical audio recording talent of ariana grande is what twigged me to notice the skill level of the lead of a band I recently saw at a concert, he was getting the sound guy to change small things between the first few songs and that was super neat to be able to appreciate

[@wastelanderone]

I am both too old and too British to have watched any of these shows or even really recognise Ariana Grande as a celebrity, but holy shit, when I was like, 14 or 15 I was almost EXACTLY like Cat Valentine. Right down to the brain checking out lmao

[@wastelanderone]

I am diagnosed with both autism and ADHD for what its worth, it's often a fuckin trip

[@mammoneymelon]

she is so auDHD coded it's ridiculous

[@staggbones]

i feel like her ditzy disconnectedness is a result of the constant trauma she experiences at home. She's very much constantly in a state of dissociation.

[@Fluffybunniii]

She’s also very neurodivergent. I relate to her honestly.

[@annaslone5501]

@@Fluffybunniii same

[@maisiemaise5505]

especially with that criminal brother character

[@gabrielambriz5640]

Shruggers are unironically the creepiest and cleverest bit of world building ever. Still thinking about them.

[@mentallyunstable1926]

imagine being like a shy kid who doesn't like to talk in class and some popular kid goes up to you and calls you a shrugger

[@marieremelie6716]

@@mentallyunstable1926 if I didn’t know what that is I’d think it’s a slur

[@luuuuux_]

@@mentallyunstable1926 why am I seeing you literally everywhere?

[@ifuckedyourdad709]

@@marieremelie6716 IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE DUDE-

[@desireeiaiza3958]

What does that word mean?

[@Statick107]

If I had a nickle for every time i've watched a multi hour video essay about Victorious, i'd have 3 nickles. Which isn't a lot, but it's crazy how many i've watched.

[@ResettisReplicas]

There isn’t really anything odd about punching your friend for seducing your boyfriend. IDK why they play it like Kat’s being weird.

[@ilovepiedoyou2]

“she gets so high on the relief of her suffering, she forgets that the cause of her suffering is still there” don’t we all

[@polarbearsss]

honestly, the "shruggers" are extremely real. at least in high school it feels like- there will be like 4 people in a class that talk and you will never hear anyone elses voice and when you do its a shock.

[@CrystalRoseOfficial]

Or maybe that’s just how you view them cuz you think you’re the main character

[@auroraramirez967]

@@CrystalRoseOfficial As the quiet girl who never spoke in class, it’s true. In some classes that I had there was always this one little group who were always so talkative and nobody else would really say anything because a lot of us were shy.

[@citrus7745]

@@auroraramirez967 i was the quiet weird girl so yes everything you said is so fucking true. im still quiet now but i've opened up more and am definitely the main character of my life now but back in high school each class had its own group of main character students who it was always about once you stepped in the room. the silent kids only existed when they werent in class that day or if they stopped talking long enough for us to say something.

[@jaybee27D]

@@auroraramirez967 Yeah it's definitely something I noticed how I could be in one class and talk back and forth with the teacher and other students more than the rest of the class, and then walk to my next class and it would just have such a distinctly different vibe that I totally switched modes and just sat silently all class watching other students fill the protagonist role. Interesting how life seems to imitate art like that sometimes

[@hamilcross]

it’s much more apparent when you go to an arts high school (as someone who went to an arts high school) lol the teachers made their favorites apparent and it honestly put me off of pursuing what i went there for

[@teralynrosepilgrim7561]

At 24:51 when he said, "You'll learn not to f***** interrupt me," an ad started playing. It was too brilliant not to be intentional.

[@jvnxiie2441]

Oh 100%

[@aarishowton8037]

This video essay made me deeply aware that I am fundamentally the real-person version of Cat Valentine. Thanks to my family’s financial support but general distance in my life, I’m pretty uniquely able to function like a fictional character. I also have very severe anxiety and ADHD which often involves severe depression, which I got sick of, so I’m consciously more hedonistic and more aggressively reject discomfort than any real person I’ve ever met or heard of. This video essay also made me realize I’m actually super, super autistic when I thought I was just a little. So like. Even though you didn’t really talk about it, there’s probably something up with Cat.

[@danieladelodun9547]

26:40 "She get's so high on the relief from her suffering, that she forgets that the cause of her suffering hasn't yet gone away."

[@ruthielalastor2209]

How dare CJ the X narrate my life like this. 😂

[@heatherlee2967]

A raw line

[@hyakinthoskouros4650]

I felt that

[@pjs5950]

"she gets so high on the relief from her suffering that she forgets that the cause of her suffering has not yet gone away" damn i felt that

[@TorchicLovesYou]

fr deep asf

[@user-zk8jp3gz6c]

@@TorchicLovesYou i’m 14 and this is deep 😭😓😓😓😥😥😥😰😰😰

[@sarroumarbeu6810]

The call out 😭

[@coconxtgirl3938]

@@user-zk8jp3gz6c so funny I’m laughing so hard ahahahaha omg hahahaha lolololol 😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣😁😃😐😐😐

[@Danyrdzlds]

Why did I read this comment at the moment he said it 😱

[@inferiorinferno8859]

As someone on the spectrum, I actually experienced that moment when Cat though Tori was asking to be punched in the face as a young kid several times. Some kids took advantage of me thinking differently, and almost deliberately seemed to set me up with making these kind of requests so they could beat me afterwards. Like this pair of sisters, I was under the impression the eldest wanted me to put chewing gum in her little sister's hair and that her little sister was fine with it as she was giggling in front of me when her older sister made the request. I did it because I was under the impression her eldest sister was daring me to do so in a truth or dare kind of way, and then was subsequently punched in the face. Another girl who I wanted to befriend as we had a mutual friend group when we were kids had set me up to be beaten by a small group of kids in a similar manner as she made me call them over. Why they beat me up for it, I still have no idea. It's because of this that I have trust issues, and always question why people want me to do or say something specific.

[@sofia4391]

ngl im really mostly watching this because of the way you speak and the absolute hilarity of the wine glass and wine bottle you wave around as you intricately explain your theories in a way that feels drunk but like, high functioning drunk??? This was just incredible

[@louizas.7114]

23:36 "Her offering is useless, but boy is she happy to provide it." I felt that

[@Bruh-eq1km]

This video made me realize why I always identified so strongly with the "weird" characters. It also made me realize that seeing how these neurodivergent-coded characters were treated on TV growing up made me tolerate, expect, and accept that treatment from people IRL.

[@lawrencelord9777]

Damn.

[@esabelllewis2042]

oh... huh

[@Trollestiatumblur]

Yeah, growing up neurodivergent and seeing only two things about you: you’re either a super genius prodigy, or you’re completely incompetent and used as a tool for NT people to feel better about themselves for tolerating the “crippled kid.” And looking back, I see so many ND coded characters and I just.... don’t like how I feel when seeing them (to be more accurate, seeing how others treat them because the story is never actually centered around us).

[@EveningRose_BigRed]

yes, like her getting so much joy from saying hello is something I relate to. Every morning I just love to see my teachers and say "hELLO!"

[@CL-je6sv]

@@Trollestiatumblur Yep. A lot of the time, the "joke" or humor is literally just neurodivergent people being themselves, while the neurotypical characters look down on them and laugh at their absurdity, or try to teach them to be "normal". (Sorry if I sound bitter, I just have a lot of experience with being treated like this IRL)

[@pinkyoilers]

"cat valentine is autistic" I said to myself one day and now youtube has sent this video to me so i can feel validated in that statement

[@possumqveen6939]

I wish he had gone over the breakfast club parody episode cuz being a child watching that episode having not even heard of the breakfast club was the most batshit confusing fever dream of an experience

[@Ash-nx6le]

Yes such a fever dream episode holy fuck

[@senselesslibraa]

fr!!

[@Cloudpup]

HOLY SHIT YES i had this same experience until i watched Breakfast Club. To me that episode still feels like the weirdest and most unhinged one in the entire series

[@katam7299]

same i was so confused

[@Ava-km7tl]

The most insane episode was definitely April Fools Day

[@shan8130]

The “Tori sings a song or something” bit made me giggle at first and by the 10th time you said it i was SCREAMING

[@RoseInTheWeeds]

tori sings another FUCKIN' song

[@abiireyes7503]

I was looking for this.💀

[@halcyon_echo42]

The cadence and tone as well as the near obsession on subject matter in your videos is incredibly entertaining. Also seeing where all the cast members have gone since & that Ariana, Elizabeth, & Bobbie are still friends was heartwarming.

[@kopfschmerzentablette]

I have rewatched this video about 500 times because the clarity and sophistication of the argument is a major source of comfort for my autistic trauma-wracked brain and I have only today noticed the blink-and-you'll-miss-it mouthfeel joke. Now I feel less bad about obsessively rewatching it!

[@bluebird889]

they caught me so off gaurd with "you have a black"💀

[@leonswifee]

Same I was like "A BLACK????"

[@katiee315]

Same ☝

[@matcanary]

andré was more like a chameleon with no real archetype but a passionate musician that was liked by everybody

[@bre474]

Same I had to pause

[@thaliaayangla7492]

NO LITERALLY I WAS LIKE IS HE BLACK😭😭

[@dice.brain.]

You using natural lighting is the most unhinged flex of this video

[@eternalconfusion6226]

At first I thought "but why??" And then I realized it's now 18:18 (haha) and I never opened the windows and I've spent the whole day in darkness... Wow... :P

[@raveroulette361]

as a spicy brain haver, i honestly relate to Cat in so many ways. i can genuinely see myself in her sometimes. im glad to see a video talking lightly about her. ive always been a social outcast due to my neurodivergency. seeing cat be free, and weird as her authentic self, and watching her friends love her for it, makes me so happy! Cat honestly helped me to learn how to unmask and find my own chosen family. to find friends who will love me for being weird. and im glad to say, i did find those people! it took me nearly 18 years, but i found them. and i couldnt be happier. thank you to Cat Valentine for being your truest self. and thank you CJ for making this video, and being so kind and genuine.

[@ZephyrinSkies]

It's unsettling and confronting how much I saw myself in how you talked about Cat's need for stimulus and curiosity feeding into her shopping addiction. I honestly wasn't looking at it that directly until hearing you articulate it.

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

okay youtube i finally watched the guy with painted on cat whiskers admire ariana grande on an academic level for an hour or so

[@warmfood8186]

🤣🤣🤣

[@menelik6635]

good.

[@yesthatisababytoucan.youre6983]

SO DID I, KZbin! Please release my cat I miss her 😭

[@treblegames84]

Cat Valentine by script is a poor representation of Neurodivergence Ariana tried her hardest to make it ok but you can see Dan Scheinider"s view was to make fun of this obviously Neurodivergent character

[@inviotb]

Hard agree, some of the “jokes” they make about her just bring me back to ableist family members who didn’t understand my neurodivergence. It feels kind of icky

[@vicki5322]

dan schneider's shows in general were quite mean spirited in their writing, it's good ariana did so well and made the character universally loved (watching this video i realized my autistic ass relates to cat in a LOT of ways)

[@oscarwilde3670]

@@zatrat5696 Regardless of whether or not you think she's neurodivergent, she definitely has neurodivergent traits and the show definitely makes fun of them

[@ciarancooper394]

I think all of Scheinider's work is like that. Cruel in the script, but heavily filtered by talented actors until it's something kids find silly.

[@zatrat5696]

@@oscarwilde3670 hmm meh

[@YourPenguinFriendMilo]

I am coming to the realization I am very much like Cat, and I act (more so in the past, but still today) a lot like her. Watching this video analysis has shed light on so many things I have experienced in my life: neurodivergency/autisim, truama, substance abuse and toxic/manipulative peers. I am also bad with socialization in general, but watching this has been quite insightful. Thank you, CJ, as always I enjoyed the video and your in depth analysis

[@shiraso7706]

it's kinda fuuny seeing ariana as kat being upset that her bf was stolen by victoria with what wie know today lol

[@kurootsuki3326]

this feels like it was recorded during a manic episode and im here for it

[@kellymcphaul2793]

Seriously what is happening lol

[@saurora5615]

every CJ the X video feels like that

[@nikkilately]

I felt his every emotion

[@samlamson6370]

Same though. I relate.

[@methyod]

literally had a shoutout to snorting drugs 3 minutes in, it's not rly a mystery what's going on here. i am definitely here for it tho lol

[@sydneydunaway5618]

I’m glad you touched on jennette mccurdy’s trauma, really enjoy her podcast and projects. Sometimes I think about how she’s ashamed of almost everything she ever acted in and get deeply sad for this person I’ve never met. You talking so enthusiastically about something she was apart of-even tangentially-definitely brightened my day.

[@nickie2483]

This is wow

[@joli1320]

I just made this connection after rewatching, but Cat's conflicting feelings towards Robbie like ties directly into the pirate thing. He clearly did something that traumatized her so much that pirates alone are a huge trigger for her, but she still likes him cuz other than this incident (or maybe incidents?) he's mostly a good friend. So her brain likely bounces around a lot between disgust towards him for the trauma he inflicted but also feelings for him for the friendship he displays. Added onto the ND undertones, where social cues are hard to pick up on and sometimes you question if the trauma you faced really happened the way you remember or if your brain is twisting it to be worse than it was and could likely have just been caused by miscommunication and misinterpreted intentions, causing you to doubt your own trauma while srill being triggered by things that remind you of said trauma (is this an ND thing? I don't really know but I'm leaving it lol) and it's no wonder her brain struggles so hard to rationalize her feelings towards him. Especially given that her friends clearly know about the pirate thing, since Jade directly asks him about it, but despite that one mention no one seems to think any less of Robbie and I can see it leading her to wonder if what he did was really so bad if no one else seems to think it was bad enough to unfriend him or even give more than a slap on the wrist over.

[@Postostix]

Her downfall was super sad like as a kid I thought they were just doing that to make her more funny but I realize they didn't have to change her character at all she was already super funny and quirky

[@aj6971]

everytime you do a video im so surprised by how interested i become in a subject ive literally never thought about before

[@virtualboyscout4416]

ALL FAX NO PRINTER

[@zainabmejja9936]

RIGHT??!

[@mugdhatewari]

Frr

[@GINSHOTGUN]

S A M E

[@shadowbunny7892]

On the contrary I'm always shocked at how there is a single other person that spends this amount of time thinking about the same things I do

[@VioletOwlz]

The Jennette McCurdy part of this video was incredible and I hope everyone stayed for it

[@ca-ke9493]

Freaking amazing

[@brob9601]

ok i know im 2 years late, but (approx. 37 min in) that tiny little mouse side tangent was the cutest thing then immediately followed by straight rhyming bars all while talking about the plot hole of the show i obsessed over as a kid???? definitely subscribing for the chance youll be back! edit: ...w-wh-what the alsfldahfoafo i watched that show so many damn times and never fully conceptualized that was the ending?!?! are you kidding me?? I have the most distant memory of being utterly devastated when i finished the show for the first time, but i dont remember why... i wonder if i blocked it out from the inability to accept that ending as a 6th grader with nonexistent self regulation skills lol

[@SkeleSukei]

I weirdly relate to Cat. I was neurodivergent and unaware, and in high school I started to behave really oddly. I adopted a more childlike attitude in hopes of endearing myself to others, which I now do subconsciously despite breaking the habit. My voice changes without my notice, I act louder and emote more, I ask questions with obvious answers and space out a lot more. I’ve now realised that’s just what I’m like when I’m happy and I’m not masking. It’s such a stark change from my usual personality that it really sticks out, I almost feel like a different person when I’m happy and safe. Looking back, I even have some similar ticks, like gesturing a lot and saying “Yay!” or “Hi~” in that sing-song manner. I guess seeing it portrayed makes me happy, even if technically I’m being made fun of.

[@dae8665]

I wish the subject of her brother had been brought up, 'cause it is mentioned that Cat would hide in the closet in order to live. Meaning she and other members of her family clearly feared for their lives because of her brother. Also when Jade needed 12 gallons of blood for a play, Cat gets her brother to provide the blood and then is horrified when Jade says she meant to get fake blood. Because somehow Cat's brother produced 12 gallons of real blood in a short amount of time. Cat's hair colour is even caused by her brother smashing a vase on her head, and since Cat liked the colour of the red blood so much, she permanently changed it. It's directly stated that Cat's brother is a danger to himself and others, and is often hospitalized and handcuffed to his bed. And then medicated. I think the fear of ending up like her brother might also cause Cat to try and conform to societal norms. But the fact that she can easily fall prey to others' bad intentions or her own need to feel good inside, leads her to make bad decisions like her brother does. Or like, Cat had to be more upbeat and cheery because her parents are horrified by their son and Cat tries to be the "good one" so they aren't worried as much by having two neuro-divergent children. if that makes sense.

[@m_milos]

If it means anything to you, Cat's brother appears as a character in Henry Danger. He's a bigger villain in the show and is played by Ariana Grande's brother Frankie

[@floweyfangirl69420]

@@m_milos is it confirmed, tho?

[@miglek9613]

This would also explain the gradual deterioration of Cat's normalcy in character, trauma can literally fry your brain, especially for those who are neurodivergent in the first place. I am deeply bothered by how relatable Cat is

[@krsentai]

@@floweyfangirl69420 It’s repeatedly alluded to through Goomer’s association with Frankie’s character (Frankini), knowing him through his sister in California and in one episode explicitly tying it into a running gag about “a musical about Cats”.

[@elleofmusic]

yo, WHAT?! That's so dark?!?! Holy shit…

[@danielcastenskiold6730]

"Victorious notoriously denied closure to its chorus, despite its glorious, laborious teen-oriented succuss performing for us. Sometimes I write sentences just in hopes for god to kill me" is such a mood

[@heatherlee2967]

OMG that line was a mood

[@chinaworldtour6665]

I didn't like watching Victorious or Sam and Cat growing up because I always got really frustrated with the way that Cat was treated. Now it's 10 years later and I found out I am autistic and I realize my frustration was from how much I related to Cat's social struggles.

[@cordeliafrese3456]

i had a weird moment in college where i spent a few weeks sitting in a corner of the library and watching this show instead of doing homework, notably despite never having seen a single episode in my childhood. i always found cat very comforting, and the way you put it at around 16:06 explains it well. she is so disconnected from everyone else around her, and so often when she talks it just seems like this desperate attempt to be a part of and connect with the social world around her, but she can’t do it. the nice thing about it though is that she’s so ditzy that it doesn’t bother her. she exists in tandem with the social world she exists in, and yet she is totally disconnected. some of this is definitely a very familiar feeling for a lot of neurodivergent people, and even though she fully existed to be laughed at, seeing this feeling portrayed at all, even somewhat cruelly, is weirdly comforting. maybe it shouldn’t be. still, it was nice to hear you put it into words.

[@bekkahboodles]

What I'm taking away is that Cat is an ADHD-coded character taken to the absolute extremes for the sake of comedy. Unfortunately, her neurodivergence is the joke. About what I'd expect from Nickelodeon.

[@sunshineeee]

Essentially, but I think she is more coded for ASD, but probably has ADHD as a comorbidity. Either way it’s unsurprising for Nickelodeon to be ableist

[@pbj4142]

That's what I was thinking! I've been diagnosed with ADHD for a while and she has so many symptoms. I definitely think she has combined hyperactive and inattentive ADHD but definitely to the extremes.

[@WhaleManMan]

Ah yes the famous controversial writer, Nickelodeon.

[@lesbiangoddess290]

@@pbj4142 you know with that description, I really need to go and check it out with a doctor.

[@SmooshGoo]

@@WhaleManMan LMFAO

[@user-fm9gd8sp2j]

you must be fun at parties. no, like actually. i just imagine everyone sitting around you and u go off about victorious 😭

[@bewilderbeastie8899]

That scene from B99 where Gina is surrounded by psychologists and she describes herself as the Paris of people.

[@mj-kd9uz]

i’d actually give anything to have a friend like that? why is discussing theories on the psychological issues of victorious characters so interesting?

[@jordaneyassu7043]

@@bewilderbeastie8899 my favorite scene ever lmaoo

[@sarroumarbeu6810]

He'd be so fun omg 😭😭😭 i wanna go to one 😔😔😔

[@ninetailscosmicfox5585]

I'm neurodivergent, dissociative, and a pothead. It's admittedly really hard for me to not identify with Kat.

[@mantaraywizard]

this hit harder than it should have really. as an adhd maybe-autistic person (waiting on that screening appointment) i found her more relatable than I would have (i never watched the show). The bibble plotlne hit harder than i expected. I get a lot of quick lived food addictions that are intense and all consuming and even with the shows dramatisation of it... its probably one of the most accurate parts about it. i cant stand disney shows in general because i hate the laugh track and the singing but cat valentine is a new fav oops.

[@lithiumkid]

it’s a nickelodeon show

[@nana8135]

❤

[@saffrith]

"Her offering is useless but boy is she happy to provide it. Because the curiosity and lust for new experiences and eagerness to imitate people around her both speak to a deeper more animalistic impulse" I am autistic and I was watching this while drawing. I tuned in and got really confused/scared because I thought you were describing me and then realised this video is about Cat Valentine. Alsooo Cat's repetition of "hi" and imitating "ding dong" is 100% echolalia. I do this a lottt. I always used to great everyone with "hi" before talking because that was my blueprint to start a conversation even if I already had said it before.

[@IrvingIV]

"Echolalia" Thank you for excavating a word from the cavernous depths of my unconscious mind.

[@artsyebonyrose]

yesss agreed!! when she started doing the doorbell thing its so clearly echolalia, I do it too with the door or microwave or what other people say or stuff on tv/film etc etc

[@CL-je6sv]

The exact thing happened to me too lol. Also with the echolalia thing, I do this too, with doorbells and other small sounds. Didn't realize it was like a "thing" though.

[@Carlie_flower]

My kid and I both do this thing where we repeat our own words. She does it silently I do it when I'm alone. I found out it's called Palilalia. Lol whoops. My elderly friend repeats what other people say, silently, as you're saying it.

[@teagannam]

your analysis was spot-on, EXCEPT that Cat obviously avoided saying the “I’m a pirate and you’re my booty” line because of her Robbie-related pirate trauma

[@ImmortalHDizzle]

👁️👄👁️

[@faszkivan1]

i was honestly surprised he didn't make his point about that??

[@maddie5329]

Dude I’m legitimately shaking over this?? Also she specifically referred to the line as “dirty??” What did Robbie do to her man 💀

[@neuroatypicalkirby2]

i thought he did though? he played the clip of robbie trying to play pirates right after they sang that line

[@ON-rz4li]

@@neuroatypicalkirby2 he did lol

[@Matthew-cl6ny]

Your energy is so bizarre i love it. L from Death Note meets Joanne the scammer.

[@creepycrawlie]

as an autistic kid i loved cat the most bc she read as “an autistic teen who grew up to have friends”