My Reaction to Ren - Money Game Part 1 - 3 | THOSE VIOLINS GOT ME! I LOVE THIS!

[@RustySabita]

Which money game part is your favourite? Like, share and subscribe for three bags full of sheeps wool.

[@robmarar]

If you go to Ren's community page, you'll see a picture the awards he won for "Money Game 3" at the 2024 London Music Video Awards: 🏆Best Music Video,🏆 Best Director, 🏆Best Concept. Last year for "Hi Ren" at the International Music Awards held in France, he won a couple of awards, 🏆 Best Music Video, and 🏆some honorable mention award in directing or cinematography I really can't remember off hand, regardless everyone was happy.😂.

[@jonathanoneal3915]

Part 2 is my favorite to just listen to.

[@annaberkley7575]

@RustySabita part 3 is a whole movie. He put so much work into it. Won tons of awards. My fave of the three. By the way, Power is an awesome positive beat song.

[@annaberkley7575]

I listen to it every day before work.

[@carolschiffler6271]

Love them all, but part 2 completely blew me away the first time I heard it. So much reality and truth packed into just a few minutes. Really should be required listening starting in grade school (at least in America). It is hard to pick a favorite, though, because I like each of them for different reasons. I am really enjoying your Ren reactions!

[@nancymunroe3672]

Ren won 3 awards for Money Game 3. Best Music, Best Direction and Best Cinematography.

[@cathrinewitty6749]

Interesting fact : In 1833, Marcus Samuel decided to expand his London business. He already sold antiques but decided to try selling oriental seashells as well, capitalising on their popularity in the interior design industry at that time. The demand was so great that he began importing the shells from the Far East, laying the foundations for an import-export business that would ultimately become one of the world’s leading energy companies. It was his sons in the 1880’s that expanded into oil and Shell Oil became what it is known for today. Ren is so clever with how he uses his knowledge and adapts them to his lyrics.

[@DavidLindes]

Thank you so much for sharing this bit of history, and how it so clearly connects.

[@ReinetteSwart]

Oh my gosh. Thank you for this info.

[@RustySabita]

@cathrinewitty6749 Thank you for the information. I didn't know that at all. It feels like he is throwing pure shade at the shell company now. Genius

[@walkerig1]

Rarer than a Diamond is a reference to how De Beers works. They literally buy up all the stocks and diamond mines in order to make diamonds rarer than they actually are. Then they pay for people to say how much they desire diamonds, the songs "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend" with Marilyn Monroe singing it. Was sponsored by De Beers. Same with Eartha Kit singing "Diamonds are forever" De Beers sponsored their product placement in the Films.

[@jamiemacdonald6899]

Yip diamonds aren't actually rare. So apt that Ren chose to reference them as a rare commodity in this track.

[@iamsquatty]

Ren out here spittin straight facts 😊 his song "crucify your culture " is in the same vein as the money game trilogy, its worth checking out too 😁💜

[@RustySabita]

Yeah, that was mentioned the other day. I'll try to add that next time I listen to Ren 😊

[@nancymunroe3672]

It's NOT ONLY politicians. It's all human nature. Unless we are capable of restraining ourselves.

[@davemick7216]

"People are people, so why should it be, you and I get along so awfully?" - Depeche Mode

[@stugolightly1983]

Just got the line in money game 1 “ turns a child into a killer with his finger in the trigger of a money game”. Foreshadowing Jimmy in number 3. Wow.

[@RustySabita]

Yeah, that line. I didn't notice. Great foreshadowing

[@richardpalermo9020]

DeBeers did it with diamonds which are not rare but I remember reading that they have a huge supply of diamonds.

[@AnneBiebrich]

That's Ren playing firstren also wrote and composed all music for piano and strings

[@bonnievonbraun6276]

Silly boi . . . that's a big bite of Ren to digest. Very brave of you.😀 Thanks Rusty!

[@RustySabita]

Haha, yeah, it was a big bite. Took some time to chew through it haha

[@Codex7777]

You missed the juxtaposition of the silver spoon idiom, with the expression 'chasing the dragon. "Heating up a silver spoon and then chasing the dragon" is one of the best lines in the whole series. He's so clever with words and such a poet with it. :)

[@rogerstarkey5390]

Choosing a favourite is almost like choosing a favourite child. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

[@alancraig782]

That gun clicking at the end always sends shivers down my spine... The string section and lyrics from 40 years on his hard too.

[@robmarar]

Here's my take; along with factual statements made by Ren & others, on the messaging & performative aspects of Money Game Parts 1,2 & 3. Hope this helps.✌ Part 1: & 3 are in a similar format to Ren's Tale of Jenny & Screen & Hi Ren, which can be considered live performance pieces that are shot in 1 take.🤯 Ren has commented that this was his first attempt at this style of one take video production & it took them over 160 takes to get this shot right; being it was their 1st time, especially with all the choreography & music involved. In essence, Ren is introducing everyone to all the hypocrisy in the west & the seeds that have been sown around the world that created this money game & how we all live blind to it daily, with a metaphorical money bag tied around our heads. 💰🤑💰Ren portrays the character of Judge, jury & executioner for those who are blinded by the money game & the corruption that steams from the greed of all involved in it. He even draws eyes on the bagman to help him see his own errors & that of society's. When Ren attempts to carry out the final death sentence, the bagman's eyes reflect back to Ren his own complacency in the MG, 🎶"hook" (Hold the mirror to ourselves, we're all part of this old money game). The ending carries a double meaning, 1) like a Buddhist Monk, Ren burns himself in effigy as protest & 2) This act of burning represents how we are all, as a society, just dooming ourselves in the end. Like Ren's lyrics convey🎶 (As the world turns, the whole world burns). Part 2: is a studio recording with Ren & his videographer Samuel Perry-Falvey creating an artistic LYRIC VIDEO to assist in the messaging/storytelling. Pt.2 shows the money game through the narrower lens of corporate greed & government corruption & its effects on our present day society.🔥🔥I won't get to descriptive here, but it's much less abstract in its presentation & easier to absorb & decipher as an audience member.😁 Part 3: Is Ren's magnum opus, once again returning to his one shot live performance format with Samuel Perry-Falvey behind the lens, but this time on a grander scale then anything they've attempted to date. Ren has even stated that this video in scale & technicality was his most ambitious project yet. Ren wraps up this trilogy telling us the life story of a single fictional character named "Jimmy" who was raised from birth in the money game mentality & therefore tightening the focus even more on the MG. Instead of just singing the hook "Point the mirror at ourselves, we're all part of this old money game" he chooses to bring the mirror to life & show us through the life of Jimmy's & everyone around him who have their own money bags tied around there heads, exactly where the pursuit of the MG leads. 🤯🤯 Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber shared Money Game 3 on his Instagram and said Ren is one of the best storytellers he has seen in a very long time. Film maker Jonathan Hiller was blown away by the story, as well as the cinematography & choreography Ren & Sam created. By the end of the video Jonathan say's "This is the genius of Ren, by the end of the video his art transcends into a spiritual realm. Ren's use of negative space is captivating making MG3 utterly transformative". Cheers bruv, 🍻.

[@bonnievonbraun6276]

Whoa! That's a pretty thorough breakdown 😅

[@robmarar]

@@bonnievonbraun6276 LOL thank you but truthfully, I had saved it on my computer the last time I commented on a reaction that covered all 3 MG's in one video, so it was just a simple copy and past🤭.😉.

[@kellyt5341]

I know you copy and pasted it but it is still a great summary and breakdown(when you originally wrote it up). I should remember to copy and store this reply for the next time we do this...😂

[@jamiemacdonald6899]

For me drawing the eyes on signifies; now you see. Now the faceless masses can see the self-immolation the money game creates for us all.

[@AnneBiebrich]

I think when Jimmy's father died he got pissed off because he knew that now he will never hear his Dad say "i'm proud of you, Son", which was why he kept pushing and pushing in the first place !......all for his Dad's approval

[@debrashrider4062]

In the UK "getting pissed" means getting Very Drunk and can be applied to doing a long roll on drugs.

[@rudyb.]

Let’s hope Ren stays Independent & never sells out. I enjoyed your trilogy reaction here. Good job!

[@Jenniferannes]

The lemons thing was from House of Usher. Money game 2 came out a couple of years before that, When Ren saw it he posted in his instagam stories something like holy shit it money game but with lemons

[@RustySabita]

@@Jenniferannes lmao yes that was it! Thank you. That was bugging me!

[@DavidLindes]

thanks! Had never watched the show, but just found the clip, and yeah, wow... the parallels would be wild, if they weren't just based on a standard script of capitalism. 😭 Gonna have to listen again to Bigg Villanous's song now, too, though (which probably none of you have heard of?)

[@johnkuhl8280]

Buddies fucking genius

[@tjh5716]

I really enjoyed your reaction. Picked up on the concept early on. I would contend that no other person or band has created anything like this. The visuals are amazing. mG3 have done many awards. This is poetry.

[@lafatte24]

I think part of what makes these songs so compelling is they condense the whole political climate in a way that is very accessible to everyone

[@Bob-wv7ed]

Brilliance meets brilliants! Great reaction. Love how your mind works as will Ren. He watches these by the way. You should go straight to Crucify your Culture before all the other ones you’ll be told to do next. CYC is less known but deep and well constructed as all of REN’s art is. lol. Anyway, have fun, and I look forward to sharing your REN journey. Buckle up it’s a long way down the rabbit hole Alice!

[@Shiroar]

Oh rain rain rain rain… Ren gave us a little history lesson in part one (while pointing the mirror at himself) and follows it up with an economics class in part 2. It takes a very clever and flexible mind to break down a complex topic in a way that everyone can understand it. To then do it using a well known nursery rhyme? And in the form of rap? Ren is a genius. And then came part 3 where Ren shows us what Sam and him are capable of with a bigger budget. No wonder they won multiple awards for the video! The first time I saw it during the premiere I just sat in shocked silence afterwards and the only coherent thought I could think was that if Netflix doesn’t give this master storyteller his own show, they’re fools 😂

[@dunny2000]

Excellent reaction. Clear, concise and thoroughly enjoyable. The bags on the head are meant to remove individual identities and show everyone as players in the money game. Ren, as the narrator, keeps his identity to the viewer. The key in money Game Part 1 is the drawing of the eyes on the hostage which allows him to “see” what he is a part of. Ren is about to make him pay for his transgressions when the realization hits that he is as guilty as his hostage. He must pay instead. Brilliant. Thank you, I’m looking forward to The Tales Of Jenny And Screech (full 13 minute Official Music Video) as I think you will be blown away.

[@cathrinewitty6749]

Money game 3 is a 3 hour movie in 9 minutes. It shows you what Ren can do with a budget and even then by music video standards Ren’s budget would be meager compared to others in the industry. Also take into account that MG3 was shot in just 2 takes, the only reason it’s wasn’t in one was because they had to move the mic from his lapel to the tie and waterproof it for the last part. So they made a cut when the camera pans behind the wheelchair, they then only had one shot at getting the rain part right as Ren only had 1 suit and they didn’t have time for it to dry out and try again. You can see why Ren and Samuel have won multiple awards for it and I hate to say it puts most other more expensive music videos to shame.

[@annaberkley7575]

This man and his trilogies. Oh emmm gee. He's so amazing at singing, playing, acting, rapping, and getting a message across. I love the way his music and storytelling just draw you in. A true modern bard.

[@RustySabita]

Modern Bard is a great way to put it!

[@johnkuhl8280]

That fucking ran the cold piece of work

[@staceysmith4868]

You had one helluva ride on this one, just like the rest of us. It is so bloody powerful, so bloody poignant... and your reaction certainly did this trilogy justice. Thank you!

[@robingayle68]

Wow ❤ Great reaction! You seem to be on the same wavelength as Ren😊 I see MG1 as the historical side of the money game, MG2 as the political side and finally MG3 as the literal individual story of the money game. MG3 literally turns a saint into a sinner and a child into a killer. The lyric stating "point the mirror at your self" is an actual mirror. The lyric "as the world turns the whole world burns" is a literal turning globe. And (my personal favorite) the lyric "rain rain rain rain rain😂" is actual rain 🌧️ there's more there there too ❤️ no wonder mg3 has won awards ❤

[@RustySabita]

That probably the Welsh in us. We're all a hivemind, haha. It would be a crime if this song didn't win awards!

[@mikemedrano8579]

Props on getting the reference in Hi Ren back to this. She sells sea shells... New sub and stoked to see some more Ren. He's all over the place. It really is extraordinary.

[@saltydroog854]

If you really want to see what he's capable of in terms of rhyme schemes and flow variations, check out his video for "Hunger". It's short, just barely 3 minutes. But it's dope AF

[@scottmoore3534]

The bag over your head is a money bag and that's all that you're seeing

[@Codex7777]

If you rewind a little, after pausing, you won't miss anything. :) Also, you don't need to explain, or break down, every line. Much of it is self-explanatory and expressed beautifully in the song. Even more so, as his lines often 'flow' into each other, so cutting them up can lose that flow, the poetry, even the essence of the song. All just suggestions and observations. I enjoy your reactions, so feel free to ignore all the above if you so desire. I've 'liked' all your Ren reactions so far, so your obviously doing a lot more than just 'something right', as I can be a harsh critic at times. I annoy myself sometimes, lol. :)

[@dave.james007]

♥️ looking forward to the next 😊 power

[@sunshynff]

Great reaction and commentary, love when reactors do all three together!! Fun fact on your question about the end of MG1, now I can't confirm this, it's just a hunch, but a pretty strong one, but if you google, or already know, the album art for the 1993 self titled debut album of Rage Against The Machine, you might know where I'm going. If not, google Thich Quang Duc, he's the South Vietnamese Buddhist monk that did what's known as "self immolation" in 1963, to protest the new regime's outlawing of all religions except Catholicism, and the killing of 6 monks and 3 civilians 2 days prior by govt thugs. The Pulitzer winning photo became an international symbol for peaceful resistance. Ren is a big RATM fan, he references Zack and the band in several songs, I believe inferring he set himself on fire was a nod to the band, and Quang Duc himself.

[@RustySabita]

@sunshynff That's a pretty deep cultural reference on 2 levels. Very clever. Glad your enjoy the reaction. 🤘🙌🙏

[@jamaykapranion1130]

Brilliant reaction 💛

[@bravenewozzy]

Nice, you nailed Part3 , one minute into Part2...

[@helenjarvis7755]

Politicians have also turned the nhs into a political football Ren had a long time to consider how money and greed have probably been behind the complete absence of help for people with conditions like his. People who are ignored for decades and sometimes don't make it He is aware that his treatments which were very expensive are out of reach for the majority

[@fangirl6115]

A fantastic trilogy. Thanks for the triple Rusty ❤

[@sampanther8854]

Always love hearing Ren 😍 thanks for sharing he's a priceless treasure 👍❤️🤘

[@DavidLindes]

39:36 - I find it amusing that you said this immediately after the one cut in the video. :) [source: having watched the behind-the-scenes/making-of video they did for it.]

[@TR1P0DL1F3]

I kinda see part 3 as a dark reimagining of Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chaplin. I think he even references it with the "heating up the silver spoon" line.

[@helenjarvis7755]

Ren pins the Lyrics at the top of comments on the Original video fyi very occasionally they are missing I checked MG1 they are available The cc's are dreadful! Hope this helps

[@piplevett4783]

Another great reaction. You did a brilliant job of interpreting MG3. Im a fan

[@Kibashino2]

LESSS GOOO

[@EarthyBlendPOV]

Enjoyed the heck outta this! Thanks!

[@garysherwin3316]

Blind to the money game the hood looks like the money emoji

[@rogerstarkey5390]

The"Mr President" sequence was written Peak Trump "Build the Wall"

[@Irmelinis]

Incredibly good reaction! Nice to see you doing all parts in one video. My favourite is MG 1, I think that song and video gives you so much to think about, so much to figure out. And it's beautifully shot in all its simplicity. Just genius.

[@katram343]

Thank you ❤

[@debrashrider4062]

Enjoyed your Reaction to this trilogy! Will be returning often to experience more in the future.

[@ananalboreeni]

Great reactions 👏🏽👏🏽 Just a note 7:50 it wasn't nor will much calmer .... before the internet you didn't know what's going on, but the world that loud since ever, just you were not allowed to hear Appreciate your work 🙏🏽

[@lightsourcejourneys]

Good video! Now you should check out Ten’s video “Eden”. It came out about a week after money game 3 and is almost like an unofficial money game 4.

[@noorieiversen]

You should check out Platos allegory of the cave. Enlightenment is like being freed from a blindfold and shackles, the shadow turns to light. ❤

[@corbelius6]

Take it on Mate!

[@3dwardmurph913]

The green eyed monster money is all you can see

[@dave.james007]

💰

[@saltydroog854]

I like the concept of the sea shells, as that's something that only has value because we are told they have value. And that relates well to the modern generation's obsession with Gucci, Nike, Balenciaga, etc, etc. But where it loses me is with oil. Oil is tangible. Oil has real value. No one buys oils because they were unduly influenced to do so. We buy it because we need it to get around, to hear our home, to cook...So I kinda feel like there is a logical bait and switch. A hypothetical scenario that makes sense: our obsession with "sea shells" and then an attempt to draw equivalency to oil. Because oil is the hip neo-pseudo-intellectual thing to hate. In reality, I see this as the better parallel to the sea shells. Hating oil is the Gucci bag of the pseudo intellectual.

[@ratmackay]

It's not a bait and switch, it's a brief history lesson on what Shell Oil company actually did. They started out selling sea shells and ended up selling oil...much like many other companies start out with one thing and then sell something completely unrelated to make massive amounts of money...like Ball going from making tin cans and mason jars to freaking rockets.

[@valeriedonaghy701]

Great reaction ❤

[@VivBrodock]

"rarer then a diamond" is such a good double see diamonds aren't rare however the De Beers diamond company has a near monopoly of the sale of diamonds to jewlers, they have warehouses full of them, and if those were to be stolen from the value of diamonds would plummet because they would lose their artificial scarcity

[@margaretpickholtz8772]

I don’t really get part one either, the gas can thing when he went and poured it on himself, perhaps it represents that he is part of the game as well so he would deserve the burn as much as another. The guitarist by the way was the lead guitarist from the Big Push, group Ren was in during their busking days in Brighton. Romain ….? I believe he is from France.

[@adam.4487]

Is the King ever consulted at all from parliament? Or is the King now just a figure head?

[@annaberkley7575]

2:10 these subtitles tho.....

[@not12h8another]

❤2🤘

[@renejensen7799]

Selling sea sheels on the sea shore, thats basicly how Shell oil was build..

[@Tricknologyinc]

17:28 wasn't about the partisan sides. It said point the mirror at ourselves... (THE CONSUMERS!) WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS MONEY GAME! 30:29 I LOVE this analysis!!! I felt it watching them, but not to put it into words. The hood was definitely pinned on the peons. But on another level is THIS character, in the bag of his father, learning his "crafts" to be able to pretend that they aren't in the bag. But like it said earlier, we're ALL THE SAME. WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS MONEY GAME... Consumers, Predators, Vultures (surrogate predation). YES! I forgot as a kid, he was wearing the hood. I don't think any of us ever really get out of the hood. We just dream and scheme from inside it until we're in the box, urn, or ground.

[@rogerstarkey5390]

Its the ONLY Way to watch the Trilogy.

[@nancymunroe3672]

Just for your information and convenience, the subtitles are pretty much worthless. Ren lists his actual lyrics in the comments of his songs.

[@3dwardmurph913]

How does 1000 people react to this and not 1 person get the money bag over the head ....BLINDED BY GREED

[@saltydroog854]

I think these songs are good, and entertaining. But I don't buy into this pseudointellectual anti-capitalist bullshit. I find it all very naïve and so freshman-in-college. It's kinda cringe. These characteristics that are being attributed to capitalism are just characteristics of mankind. There is no system that is free from them, but no other system allows us the freedom to thrive on our own and mitigate how they effect us. That being said, I like the song, I like that story telling...in an idealistic vacuum not contained by reality.

[@LoutTsu]

Ren isn't an anti-capitalist. And he also isn't suggesting we should get rid of borders. He's not being that literal or specific - songs aren't the format for that.He is talking about how humans have ideas, manifest them into the way society functions and treat them like laws of nature that can't be changed. People feel helpless because as individuals we don't have solutions or means to solve societal problems, but when we cooperate we can. But we have to gore a few sacred cows, keep the things that work and try new ways forward. He talks and writes about these topics in his interviews, on his live streams and his socials. I wouldn't consider a song "cringe" or sophomoric because it falls short as a dissertation. I appreciate having songs about something more than broken hearts, sex and bling. All brilliantly written, composed and performed, as we like!

[@saltydroog854]

I had never seen part 3, and it's certainly a powerful story, about an anecdote. But there is more bait and switch. This idea that we shouldn't take more than we need, or that there shouldn't be borders, is the biggest load of bollocks ever. I cannot think of anything more fascist than a person that decides they want to limit themselves to their needs, insisting that I do the same. And borders are VERY tangible. We all have a right to govern ourselves. That doesn't mean one single giant democracy, because that would be the tyranny of the majority. That means small clusters of like minded people deciding how they govern themselves. That means borders are where one set of ideas end and another begin. To deny borders, is the ultimate conquest. It's the ultimate colonization. These are not the ideas of the morally righteous. They are the ideas of the pseudo intellectual fascist. Sorry to be political, but it's impossible to separate these messages from the song. This is very much a political song...with a very narrow minded self-righteous totalitarian message, masked by a subterfuge of peace and love. I'm actually quite disappointed in Ren. Because this isn't brooding or deep. It's just Marxist pamphlet dribble.

[@debrashrider4062]

You are a very funny man! Thank you for your comment. I enjoyed the humor!