SH!TPOSTING: The Art of the Internet

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thanks for watching! If you’d like to support me to make more videos like this, I’d be super grateful if you’d check out my Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholas

[@アンドリュースジェイク]

This was a really great video

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

@@アンドリュースジェイク Shut up otaku

[@アンドリュースジェイク]

@@jacobrzeszewski6527 Who you calling otaku, weeb.

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

@@アンドリュースジェイク Your the one subscribed to a bunch of vtubers!

[@アンドリュースジェイク]

@@jacobrzeszewski6527 well, you have a 200 video playlist of vocaloid

[@noalowenstein6741]

so sad to hear about the passing of sir lawrence slavetradercolonialism. im glad he's left his business in the capable hands of his son neo slavetradercolonialism

[@marchi.fleming]

Thank you for highlighting that one, I was trying to come up with something clever but brain is just making empty dusty farts yet this morning 👍🏼

[@Isoroku25]

It’s far past time that the decrepit and outdated thinking of families like the Slavetradercolonialisms to cede the stage to more nimble and innovative entrepreneurs like Coltanmining Privatemilitarycompany, Looksnew Stillthesame, and Wagetheft Unionbuster. These fresh new faces are going to use their innovation and vigor to solve all of the social problems bequeathed to us by the likes of the Slavetradercolonialisms and the Stripminerubberplantations

[@snowstrobe]

I laid a wreath at his statue...

[@belegl.7721]

I'm sure his close friend -Sir- CITIZEN Nigel Piss will be devastated.

[@QueerPolitics]

@@Isoroku25 surely.

[@LittleBlackFoxInali]

I finally feel validated for my drunken rants about how meme culture and shitposting are actually the modern successors of Dadaism from 4 years ago

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Glad to have provided you with a bit of validation!

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

I agree

[@NorroTaku]

expect shit post are fun and dadaism is ultra toxic nowadays only pretentious normans prerentong to understand and due to the fact that no real dadaism is left there are only pretenders left

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

@@NorroTaku I only read your first sentence, and have to say you got it exactly backwards my man

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

@@NorroTaku not only does Dadaism embrace "fun", it's like the only same response to an ultra toxic environment or system

[@Ryebread06]

Ah, I see that Tom is finally putting that PhD to good use

[@WhichDoctor1]

Kappa

[@eruno_]

pogchamp

[@Deadlyish]

TBH this is a far better way to advance academic dialogue than writing (or shitposting) esoteric niche articles for paywalled academic journals that will only ever be read by a handful of insiders and have no meaningful impact on the public.

[@benbookworm]

@@Deadlyish which is exactly why some academics like Steven Levitt have turned to podcasts that are listened to by millions instead of writing articles that are cited by 5 people.

[@soulmechanics7946]

.

[@rivereuphrates8103]

Yes Mr. Tom Nicholas i did find this video very "poggers," thank you

[@Tom_Nicholas]

I'm glad!

[@rivereuphrates8103]

@@Tom_Nicholas oh wow you actually replied lol! Really love your work Tom, thank you for putting these together with such care and craft. Looking forward to the next one.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thanks, glad you've been enjoying some of the stuff I put out!

[@vintheguy]

@@Tom_Nicholas You video is very based Even red pilled; dare I say

[@kutubali8169]

@@Tom_Nicholas American blue film

[@blackeyedolive]

You can’t just cut off the JC quote there: “Until I die there will be sounds. And they will continue following my death. One need not worry about the future of music.”

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Yeah, as much as it would have been nice to include the whole thing, the last bit kinda sent it off topic a little bit for what I wanted to draw on the quote for!

[@blackeyedolive]

@@Tom_Nicholas yeah, on second thought, that’s true

[@fionafiona1146]

But Rafael is dead, nature might not be surpassed by art! I had to do a presentation on the pantheon (including the Latin on the graves included), including that first mention of said artist death being equivocated with death of the craft.

[@foxgloved8922]

I’m seeing a lot of parallels between what’s being discussed here and what is discussed in PlasticPills’ video “Anti-Capitalist Art” - in the end he proposes that while art that was intended to disrupt has routinely been commodified and sold for huge sums of money, memes might be the future medium of challenging the status quo given that that meme culture incorporates hyper specific cultural signifiers and changes so quickly that attempts to monetize it generally fall flat.

[@jkRatbird]

Thanks for leading me to PlasticPills! Anything talking about the connection between art and politics is porn for me right now. If you (or anyone) got any more recommendations on the subject of art vs capitalism and co-option I'd appreciate it greatly!

[@tinfoil6626]

The hatred of mainstreaming memes is also a form of anti-cultural appropriation, the critique they gave to "normies" is the same critique marginalised group give to white people taking their cultural items

[@marreco6347]

Except that corporations a while ago realized they dont need to catch up to meme culture, they can just boost their own memes with money. Art has never, nor will ever, defeat any political system on it's own.

[@williambrasky3891]

@@marreco6347 Damn, you beat me to it. Memes will not set you free. It's important to remember why we call memes, "meams." As coined, a meme is described as an element of culture spread from individual to individual. The goal of all propoganda/ advertising is eerily similar to that definition.

[@SplotPublishing]

Putting your own generation's art on a pedestal and believing it is so new that this time, THIS TIME, we'll do it boys! LOL Every generation thinks that. It's not THAT rapidly changing. And your generation, like all the others, will age. This too will become just a part of the larger cultural environment, and your grandkids will laugh at how you thought you were accomplishing something. BTW, people are ALREADY monetizing them. "Falling flat" for whom, exactly? Oh, your crew of angry and disaffected meme makers don't think those things are cool? You know who doesn't give a shit? The people making money off them. Sorry for the negativity, it's just, when you've been around for a while, you start realizing you've heard all this before, and it starts to chaffe.

[@kickinit7881]

what a fantastic analysis, never expected the garbage dumps i post on my instagram at 3am to have historical transgressive ties and dadaist tendencies thanks tom

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Haha, very pleased to have provided you with an excuse to do some more of that insta shitposting.

[@crunchylettuce5446]

Instashits, if you will

[@donniejefferson9554]

The main message that I'm getting from this is that someday the most stuck up people in our society will go to an opera house and, instead of the expect music being played, there will just be a Rick Astley recording played before everyone is told to go home. They will stand and cheer as they have been hit with one of the greatest pieces of art ever created.

[@clairemacphee4273]

if someone told me this had already happened at nuit blanche or some modern art museum, i wouldn't even be surprised

[@cosmoreverb3977]

I didn't realize Tom Nicholas saying poggers was something I needed to hear

[@Akumasama]

It was, in fact, quite poggers.

[@50-50_Grind]

Next he'll say "Gnibnobs", "Knartings" or "Jingbams" What? You don't know what those mean? Pfft, you must be a normie!

[@steveurkelfromgoosebumps1965]

Honestly. It's what we all needed in these dire times

[@janefkrbtt]

@@50-50_Grind your age is showing.

[@50-50_Grind]

@@janefkrbtt I'm 42.

[@unlearningeconomics9021]

One of the many great things about your channel is the fact that you bring a genuine entusiasm and a willingness to do serious analysis in an age of shitposting and detached irony. Nice video!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thank you, I appreciate you saying so! I think TheLitCritGuy (whose channel is fantastic) refers to this as “sincereposting”, which I quite like!

[@Visplight]

You should examine the "Storm Area 51" meetup event for "when shitposting goes offline."

[@Tom_Nicholas]

I do wonder what it was like for the people that actually turned up. I imagine it just being really awkward, haha...

[@nickapvikes]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4uad2l7gbRgnrM

[@Kfroguar]

@@Tom_Nicholas Amanda of Swell Entertainment went, IIRC. It was mostly just a bunch of UFO dorks having a good time.

[@mitchelldurward8863]

The internet historian already did a truly amazing piece on all the outcomes of that.

[@kristinashepherd3003]

@@mitchelldurward8863would you please share the keywords to look up the video. I would be very interested. Thanks 🙏

[@maevemonroe]

When I woke up this morning I did not know that I was going to learn how Marcel Duchamp was the granddaddy of Simpsonwave.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Glad to have been of service!

[@tjerkhiddevanderwerf5602]

Simpsonwave feels almost as distant as Duchamps by now

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

Finally Duchamp makes an entrance

[@HiDefHDMusic]

I’ve honestly always admired the fountain, nothing quite feels like the first time you walk through a doorway in a museum and seeing a urinal there and being like “hmm, you know, if this was a bathroom I could pee on that, but here in a museum it’s actually quite frowned upon, how delightful”

[@RatPfink66]

@@shannonm.townsend1232 seeing as Duchamp never tried the same medium twice, he a) made a lot of entrances and b) was the granddaddy of a lot of stuff. perhaps we should say the baby-daddy.

[@asdkotable]

That intro is just... *chef's kiss*

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Glad you liked it!

[@asdkotable]

@@Tom_Nicholas S-sempai noticed me!❤️ I love your work, Tom!

[@meis18mofo77]

last time I was this early I had an original end to this sentence

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Glad to have timed it well for you!

[@mynameismynameis666]

great vid as always!. might add that mozart was such a troll, when he noticed that one of the sopranist would always lift and bow her head between high and low notes, he wote a solo full of octave jumps particularily for her "so she may unscrew her head"... or something along those lines...

[@Tom_Nicholas]

I was going to mention his scatalogical compositions but the video was already 45 minutes long!

[@LordFrypan]

Might be a worthwhile addendum : LHOOQ, reading "elle a chaud a cul" can be understood as "she's horny", might be a tongue in cheek reference to the conversation surronding the Mona Lisa's "myesterious smile"

[@sophiejones7727]

Maybe, tho that conversation wasn’t all that big outside of art history circles at the time. That being said though, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the lady in the portrait is horny. Just making that observation though would be shocking and threatening to the power of the elite. The “mystery” of Mona Lisa’s smile is actually more of a cultural artifact than the painting itself. Being Captain Obvious pulls the rug out from under the pretensions of the elite art collectors: exposing the fact that most of them don’t know much about art (or life for that matter).

[@grandsome1]

A modern anglo-version of this would be "DTF", then.

[@grmpEqweer]

@@grandsome1 Thirsty.

[@SalohcinQE]

What struck me when you defined the 2 types was how often I've seen people claiming that they're doing aimless when they're really doing disruptive.

[@aoukoa607]

I literally wrote my English critical essay grade 12 diploma exam on a shitpost and somehow got 100%. Lol.

[@semilorekaji-hausa2078]

Fuck yeah

[@hughcaldwell1034]

I carefully worked some relevant Game of Thrones material into an otherwise down-the-line essay on power and conflict. I fell short of a perfect score by 1 MARK. Hate you so hard :P

[@reidwallace4258]

How about those norse runes they found a few years back way up on a cave wall that just said 'This is high'? Like, if that isn't the oldest recorded shitpost idk what is.

[@antinverbose229]

wait a minute is this real? i need to know

[@reidwallace4258]

@@antinverbose229 IDK man, this is a year old post I likely made stoned AF at 3am... but I do seem to remember reading about that some time ago, so I think stoned me of the past was fairly sure it was true. I mean think about it, hell just go to a local hiking path and see some of the stupid shit carved on park benches... wouldn't it really be weirder if nobody had ever carved 'this is high' into a hard to reach place in norse runes?

[@philosophyfraillon9362]

An academic video essay on shitposting is the content I didn't know I wanted but absolutely needed

[@sunhead2573]

This guy gives an incredible amount of Ramsay Snow vibes.

[@stevenoviedo541]

God I thought I was alone. He just itches the "I've seen him before".

[@sophroniel]

Are you from England? He just looks like every second normal lad to me XD

[@stevenoviedo541]

@@sophroniel that's the thing. For foreigners the normal lad look it's not "normal" therefore the comparison

[@yes0r787]

Tom Nicholas is a gift to KZbin viewers. I love his voice and content. However, you are correct... I couldn't put my finger on it but now I'll never forget.

[@victorconway444]

Yeah, Ramsay Snow if he didn't look like he was possessed by the Exorcist demon.

[@coldsnap222]

That airhorn actually blew my eardrums out lmao

[@Tom_Nicholas]

If anything, I didn't think it was loud enough...

[@devpenamala]

You are the most consistently impressive educator on here! Everything just keeps getting better, so glad that I've subscribed. Your videos were the ones that actually spurred me to be interested in philosophy and politics etc.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thank you, I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed some of what I’ve been making!

[@grimbelfix2648]

I've founded a religion based on the belief that Martin Luther's 95 thesis were the first modern shitpost and that every Shitpostee should strive to shitpost so hard that organizations which existed for hundreds of years are ripped apart by the sheer impact of one's shitpost.

[@mikhailagray7519]

Tom legitimately sounded like my mum when he said "Poggers"...

[@Tom_Nicholas]

When everyone was taking the piss out of Ben Shapiro for awkwardly reading out the words of WAP, I decided to hold back because I knew that, had I done it, I would have sounded exactly the same...

[@ShonenAgus]

This intro is pure HYPE. Imma go pour myself a drink

[@SteampunkPhoenix]

That intro made me deaf

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

I look at Shitposting as an extension of The Fool, that archetypal tendency of humanity to try and make people laugh as you speak truth to power in a way that only someone not tied up in the social mores and norms of someone who does value something sincerely. Sometimes the truth is "This site is boring, why are we still here?" Other times, its as big as creating a meme that forever mocks people who insist they've won in social conflicts. But either way, when The Fool speaks truth, our gut is either blaming them for having the gall to say the Shit they do or laughing along with them.

[@DeoMachina]

desu desu desu desu desu desu I'm honestly elated at how this video nails explaining a feeling I have had but didn't have the ability to express for myself For about fifteen years I've watched what we used to call Web 2.0 destroy and subvert countless fascinating and rich communities, replacing them all with uniform page styles and strict top-down moderation with no accountability to the users. As a teenager the internet was the only place where I could understand and be understood by other people, and so much of that has been taken away that I ironically have to get that from offline interactions now. Shitposting is the silver lining to all of this, it breaks my heart that sneering columnists mock 'the poors' for desperately trying to ensure their survival, but it absolutely whips dick that the same columnists are on the verge of tears because some 20-somethings keep typing "Keith Starmer".

[@linseyspolidoro5122]

I think the most fascinating style of shit posts to me are high effort shit posts like: ‘I play the lick for 5 hours straight’ or ‘playing the first 2 notes of Fur Elise for 4 hours.’ Because nobody tends to watch those all the way through since they are so repetitive but that doesn’t seem to be the point. Its almost like half endurance trial/half shitpost.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

I almost decided to include a bit about the Lord of the Rings edit where, every time they take another step away from the shire, someone's spliced in Sam saying "If I take another step...". The video was already 45 minutes though, haha!

[@linseyspolidoro5122]

@@Tom_Nicholas The video is great regardless, lol. You have an ability to earnestly delve into a topic such as this and tie it in with other major movements in art history and it is super interesting. High quality stuff!

[@ezrarichardson279]

I absolutely love shitposting culture and it’s relation to internet culture. There is just something awesome about watching someone’s work that they clearly spent hours on yet makes almost no sense but somehow curve all the way around to making sense again. It’s just so pure.

[@severdislike4222]

aww.... seeing Michael Brooks again makes me sad. May he rest in power, he was an amazing person.

[@sophroniel]

I've been insisting DADA-ism is pre-modern high art memeage movement for years! Thank 😔🤌 Also I should add that for Cage's 4'22", the funniest thing is that *you don't need to stand/sit for that specific time at all, mocking the concept of time itself, the best shitpost of all*

[@hedgehog3180]

Y'know what would actually be funny is to go to a concert of Cage's 4'22 and then after the piece starts loudly saying with genuine anger "oh what the fuck they aren't playing any actual music" and angrily leave the concert hall. I feel like that would implicitly mock everyone who just sits there and watches.

[@SkepticismIncarnate]

I love listening to your stuff with my headphones on and you absolutely murdered my eardrums and scared the shit out of me at the end of that intro.

[@linusbendtsen6501]

You had me in the second half of the intro, not gonna lie

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

Does liking your own comment make you feel dirty. Like you’re cheating. It does me.

[@アンドリュースジェイク]

@@jacobrzeszewski6527 I sure don’t feel bad if I do it with an ALT!

[@linusbendtsen6501]

@@アンドリュースジェイク

[@Madkinglord]

@@linusbendtsen6501 those are Japanese characters

[@chriscam4165]

When I think of musical shitposting, Frank Zappa immediately comes to mind.

[@anarchogarfieldist1652]

Muffin_Man.mp4

[@mattgilbert7347]

Lou Reed "Metal Machine Music" is a giant musical shitpost.

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

@@mattgilbert7347 Its unlistenable, and I'm a Merzbow fan!?

[@FakeSchrodingersCat]

@@shannonm.townsend1232 I think that is obviously the point in calling it a shitpost you are not part of the subculture it was designed for.

[@shannonm.townsend1232]

@@FakeSchrodingersCat explain

[@idoall1134]

Tom your content is so well done! Could you do a video on the philosophy of "Anarchy" and how it differs from just "chaos"?

[@Athanelar]

I hate to self-promote, but that sort of thing is basically my exact niche. Take a look at my 'Anarchy 101' video.

[@FatFrankie42]

@@Athanelar you just got a new sub. 💞 & Solidarity!

[@mtlewis973]

you do it!

[@jamieh5d]

Comment mostly for the algorithm, but: I really enjoyed this and the "Jo Swinson, Squirrel Killer" story is still very funny.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Haha, there's a lot to be miserable about when thinking over the 2019 General Election, but there's a few moments like that which I'll hold dear for a long time.

[@zanderhenriksen6776]

It reminds me of the satirical movie where politics is turned into entertainment. Which is both hilarious as it shows just how far the UK has descended from the once prestigious status it held, while also worrying. It shows that shitposting influencing the outcome of elections and undermining democracy isn't unique to the US, and can in fact spread. Next up: Tory PM candidate challenges libtard PM candidate for boxing match. All memery aside, politics and the outcome of elections shouldn't be decided by memes. It inherently dissuades debates, and if we don't have the option for debates and mutual understanding, well then having a democracy is simply pointless - might as well just go back to the technocratic systems of the olden days (very old days, like Roman-era-old).

[@antgrantrant]

Explaining a joke is a dangerous place to be. But I think you pulled it off as best as anyone could.

[@janreal84]

I feel VERY strongly about this topic and love the fact that you did a video that does it justice

[@janreal84]

also nothing quite grinds my gears like a low effort shitpost. Like buddy have a little respect, at least an iota of self-respect, we're all trying to bring our a game, what are you doing?

[@AlexJ1]

This was genuinely fascinating. If something feels new, it's not. Everything's a remix.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Glad it gave you some food for thought!

[@SuperLabelPerson]

Art is a remix, and shitposting is a C-C-COMBO BREAKER! (Cultural capital, more like cultural ALL CAPS, AMIRITE????)

[@dans6046]

So i was just thinking, "damn, my philosophy lecturer JUST did a bit on memes and dril last week for my contemporary thought and culture topic". And then you quoted Tom Whyman, who is my lecturer that is running the module...

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Oh cool, his article on online Simpsons-related art is great!

[@radioactivedetective6876]

Duchamp had coined the term "anti-art", which can be viewed as a precursor to the DADA movement, which can definitely be viewed as a precursor to shitposting

[@blarghts]

What is termed here as Disruptive shitposting in the early 2000s was just known as Trolling. Trolling took on an increasingly negative connotation as the decade moved on because people are terrible so people that liked to play around with others online started calling it shitposting.

[@kwuzie2265]

"now that lockdown is over here in the uk" ... we all have cabin fever in the US please help us

[@jamiel6005]

don’t worry, lockdown has resumed. We’re all in the same boat now, but it’s on fire.

[@jimmu8689]

@@jamiel6005 the boat sunk

[@alexanderboulton2123]

"Kilroy was Here" and other graffiti was the earliest shitposting

[@LiveHedgehog]

You're my little pogchamp, Tom

[@Mattz554]

That video encapsulates the epitome of the confusion artists feel towards themselves and the environment they work in. As an artist, I feel less weird now. Thank you.

[@CivilWarWeekByWeek]

The highest form of art!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Definitely the most under-appreciated.

[@SimpleSaemple]

The airhorn was so loud. I threw my headphones off since I was listening and not watching.

[@SkuikiMigu]

I just finished your essays on Neoliberalism to see you have posted on a topic which, though not connected to my studies right now, is both interesting and very fun. Of course I had to click on it. My deadlines can wait an extra hour for some well-informed good time!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Haha, don't get behind on your work on my part; it'll still be here when you're done!

[@SkuikiMigu]

@@Tom_Nicholas My brain is grateful for the break from 'the advent of neoliberalism on crime and punishment' haha. Thank you for your concern though!

[@cheydinal5401]

This makes me understand a lot better why so many people like reference jokes (mostly memes) so much when they're teenagers and try to "fit in" Thanks for the great video. At first I thought 45 minutes would be a bit much, but no, completely worth it, great job!

[@WannabeMarysue]

Shitposting existed before we had that word for it. Older terms like crapflooding, flaming, and even trolling, describe a similar practice in older definitions. KZbin Poop, if you're on this website

[@CRT.v]

and nightblogging on tumblr! the term is rarely used anymore, but was very widely used in The Early Days

[@WannabeMarysue]

@@CRT.v Interesting. Kinda sounds like "Mods are asleep" posting on 4chan, where users late at night could post without anyone online to stop them. At least in spirit. Mods never slept on Tumblr. hey who remembers the "tumblr v 4chan" flame wars of the early 10s? cringe . Or it could kind of be like Night FYAD, which is... ok, FYAD is A Lot to get into. But it did have dozens of different names for shitposting subgenres, a decade before shitposting went mainstream.

[@pheo6874]

I can tell by your expressions that you are enjoying making this video. I dont think Ive ever seen anyone so passionately talk about shitposting, but Im glad you're doing what makes you happy!

[@Bisquick]

This all reminds me of Nietzsche encouraging something like, "if it is shaky, push it over." Something like that, mostly just recalling Rick Roderick putting it like this, I think it's like "if it is falling, push it." Or something. Whatever, just shitposting. Also, this was awesome.

[@marocat4749]

Kinda fitting that his god is dead quote is kinda shitposting XD

[@alexchurchfield2901]

Just found your channel I've been needing to hear an in-depth look at items that seem inherent to the internet, since to an outsider like myself, they are endlessly fascinating and yet confusing. Very happy to check out other things you do.

[@Knap3874]

This video’s quality level is like over 9000.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thanks!

[@andrewpaddock7560]

I'm under 40 (just) yet I had no idea what most of what you were talking was. John Cage, at least, I did, and I've always thought that 4 minutes and however-many-seconds was a load of rubbish. It's weird to me that they've suddenly become respectable? This world is so weird. The older I get, the less I understand any of it. As for the Internet, in spite of having been on it since the 1990s, almost everything you described it completely alien to me, apart from the growing fear of the Internet as a tool to destruction and incubator of danger.

[@ReplicatorFifth]

I’m genuinely happy the Almighty Algorithm recommended this channel to me three months ago. Quality content!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

I'm really glad you found my videos too, hope you've enjoyed some of them!

[@ReplicatorFifth]

@@Tom_Nicholas you make good content! Each video has a level of quality I would only expect from the bigger channels.

[@knicksprop]

I don’t know how I came across your channel but I gotta say, you’ve kept me engaged on every video I’ve seen. Your presentation of content skills are top notch and you manage to select topics I’ve not seen before.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thanks Justin, I'm really glad you've been enjoying some of my stuff!

[@Trikeman728]

Can't tell if Jake Tapper was being purposely meta by attributing "I'm not owned! I'm not owned!" to Sartre or just wrong 🤔

[@debralegorreta1375]

Tom, would you consider the Oracle at Delphi a shitpost? The priestess becomes intoxicated by the vapors and falls into a trance. As she dances and flails she utters what appears to be nonsensical utterances. To the observer-participants, however, it is not nonsense; it's voice of Apollo heard through the medium of the priestess. They soon engage in feverish debate trying to decipher the godly message. In the process the gibberish is given meaning and a community is formed around that meaning. Thus their projections onto a once empty vessel is given divine origin and the participants can settle their differences and agree on collective action. The "prophecy" then self-fulfills.

[@jasonobodoggz2691]

The Jo Swinson story is when I went from "sihtposting is okay art," (because everything made by a human is art; fight me about it) to "shitposting can be good art."

[@turtlepie4363]

Why I love shitposting, at least in my sphere, is that it builds upon itself. The best ones required obscure knowledge within a community to “get” the joke. The subtext of it is what matters. But I ain’t gonna lie. A picture of a watermelon labeled with a comic sans “Horse” would still make me laugh

[@splat1911]

🍉←horse

[@Lu11abi]

This being the first time anyone's explained dada to me in this context of dystopic anxiety and condemnation, I've gotta say I respect that shit. A really brilliant show you've got here. I'm impressed... But I still don't trust you.

[@easymoney8754]

sussy balls

[@breno4659]

Hello, I don't usually comment on videos and it seems kinda late to the party but I'll just do it anyway: I don't 100% agree with the argument that shitposting represents a form of "anti social status quo", or even that it represents only disruptiveness or lack of meaning. It is true that the sentiment behind the first creations, specially in more generally political forums such as 4chan could have had it's meta discourse based upon the disruption of discourse it self, but shitposting represents something...more, today at least. I have a little different perspective, as I'm brazilian; I have experienced both brazilian and English speaking cultures' shitposting and memes in general and I can truly say that, to me, brazilian shitposting hits a much stronger spot than the English speaking one. That speaks on matters of culture, and how something can completely incorporate a person's experiences through both visual and audio means. I don't want to sound preachy about it, but it does seem to me that individuals sharing these kind of media feel a kind of personal attachment to it. It's not shared merely because of it's comedic value, instead by an addition of nostalgia, relatability; conotative self insertion. Why is that important? well, since most of our existence(socially at least) depends on the internet, specially in worldwide lockdown, there seems to be a need to turn this artificial space into something that feels personal, feels like home. It's the first real time there's an attempt to build nostalgia, self expression and comfort into an online space, such as to make yourself represented in your community. I see this as social shitposting, and it's like clothes. You can wear generic ones, but some of us like to represent ourselves through them. edit: added paragraphs.

[@VileLasagna]

I'm 4 minutes in and I'm already feeling extremely validated that I've been saying that dril is the most influential and prolific poet of our time and I mean it. Poetry was always shitposting to begin with EDIT: I have finished the video and thank you, Almighty Algorithm, for dumping this in my recommended,

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Haha, thanks, I'm really glad you got something out of it. And very pleased to have given some further support to your poetry opinions!

[@RatPfink66]

best part is, @dril would probably insist he _was_ a poet...but he'd do so in a way that punctured both the self-seriousness of the art _and_ his feigned self-importance.

[@elanamitchell9413]

Your content is so soothing I literally love you like you don’t understand how much I needed this kind of quality, calling, informative content omg

[@za1231in]

one might even assert that this very video essay is an extremely elaborate shitpost

[@SuperLabelPerson]

I feel like such a well researched and meticulous video essay about shitposting could in itself be a shitpost. Like imagine someone shitposting in a forum, and just responding with "Ah I see, reminiscent of the work of the great MARCEL DUCHAMP" and just plopping this video in there. (I say this as a compliment of the highest regard.)

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Haha, I did have a whole bit where I chatted this through but scrapped it!

[@SuperLabelPerson]

Great minds think alike I see 😆

[@PseudoFiction]

I look forward to the day Tom outgrows his One Direction hair phase

[@Tom_Nicholas]

It'll be much easier now the barbers are open again!

[@everhartpetrichor]

1:15 my body physically rejected this

[@RacerTie]

I'd watch your videos as documentaries if you'd put music throughout the whole video in the background. Ah, yes. I can imagine myself during a weekday night watching these videos with a glass of red wine.

[@MsCherryKiss]

the little ding sound effect over and over is super annoying, especially when you're listening but not actively watching

[@jaqm7343]

Shit posting is an art form, it's good to look at things in a different way thank you

[@bibierjavec1150]

First if all, I loved the video, reminded me of semiotic classes, I'm always excited to see well researched internet culture video essays. I do think it would've been cool to at least mention that the fountain was possibly misatributed to Duchamp who himself wrote that the work was sent to him by a female colegue using a male pseudonyme and only started taking credit for it after it had already been assumed it was his for a while. I think even if it's not irrefutably provable, it's an interesting paralel to early internet anonymous shitposting which is also assumed by default to be done by men, even though even early 4chan in my experience (observed through years of random self reporting polls, but that's the best you can get for its demos) always had somewhere in the 10-30% of female users (and more on boards outside of /b/) that most of the time just pretended to be dudes to avoid harrasement and to follow board culture.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Really glad you liked it! Yes, I thought about discussing the attribution aspect of Fountain. And that would have been a really interesting way to do so which drew parallels with early internet culture!

[@grmpEqweer]

I am generally a serious, sincere poster. Because I am a giant nerd. Unless I'm joking.

[@alienrat-z3g]

The weird thing is: some people still don't seem to get DaDa as being about it not making sense. My art teacher once gave us the assignment to make a collage inspired by those of Hanna Höch (a known dadaist), so I combined magazine cutouts in a way that didn't really make any sense, but was just fun for me to look at and giggle a bit. My teacher ended up giving me a bad grade, because my wirk didn't have any meaning, because apparently we were supposed to make it make sense in some way. I felt like she had kinda missed the point, but at that point in time I didn't really know how to articulate, why I felt her grading was undair.

[@principal_optimism]

When is the 2-hour long video on the great meme war of 2016, coming?

[@grmpEqweer]

I lost family in that war...

[@clashcitywannabe]

When Mozart got brought up I really thought it was gonna be "Lech mich im Arsch"

[@-Zevin-]

"EHhhem!" The mustache of the intricately dressed man bristled as he cleared his throat. "Right this way ladies and gentlemen; to the most prestigious and illustrious part of our art gallery." Adjusting the collar of his stripped jacket, and slightly rotating the gold framed monocle the audience watched and waited with silent anticipation. The lights in the room suddenly dimmed, a curtain in dramatic fashion whooshed to the side revealing the marvelous sight everyone had gathered for. *"The greatest hits, of one sir pepe the frog."* Hushed whispers and murmurs suddenly pattered throughout the room, some wept, some smiled with joy.

[@jatkinson85]

Yes this is totally happening in 2080 (assuming the world isn't a man made Climate hellscape by then)

[@-Zevin-]

@@jatkinson85 The highbrow Pepe and trollface exhibits will be viewable in the climate controlled domes the wealthy live in.

[@jatkinson85]

@@-Zevin- Until they don't pay their guards enough and they promptly burn the place to the ground with them still inside.

[@-Zevin-]

@@jatkinson85 Hey we can only hope, just don't underestimate guards that can't be bribed. In other words, guards that have battery packs and CPUs.

[@blaze100587]

@@jatkinson85 haven't you heard? The elite circles are already talking about making explosive collars for their guards if robots aren't ready in time. onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0cc1?gi=sd

[@VeeraBun]

Hi Tom. The ding sound effect you keep using hurts my brain. Much love!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Apologies to your brain...

[@celphdfined9298]

I appreciate the ding. It's an alert that something supplementing the point, like examples, are being shown and I am more likely to look from my work and see what it is if I can.

[@oxherder9061]

Aw yeah, nice work. You put these together fast all things considered!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thanks, I'm always beating myself up about how long it takes to put each video together so it means a lot for you to say that!

[@oxherder9061]

@@Tom_Nicholas man, when you're putting out 45 minute videos, one month is really quite fast imho!

[@debralegorreta1375]

Mozart's "Musical Joke" works and that bugged the hell out of the establishment. To me that says Mozart is being critical of the "rules" of art.

[@SplotPublishing]

Mozart understood those rules, and could play them as well as or better than anyone else. So, when he broke the rules, he broke them hard, and he made it work. It was a creative act, not just a destructive one. It's something modern "shitposters" don't get at all. They "shitpost" because *giggle* "aint I a badass?" No, no, you aren't. You're an asshole, and from assholes, come shit.

[@marocat4749]

@@SplotPublishing Depends on who does it, same like worhol did make fun of the commercilation of art. Andthere are really fun shitposts that show a good sense and purpose o commenting on something, or just weird enough to make think about whatever. And art can be creative in its destruction, like the guy making an installment that will destroy it in a shredder once its bought. And memes, can be really good here too. Like peterson alone created such a creative form of shitposting, unintentional, It depends, there were probably a lot of less memorable shitposters in mozarts time. Its like the 98s/80s music, the one with staying power is remembered, the rest, is forgotten.

[@randomtinypotatocried]

Happy I was recommended this channel from someone in one of the groups. Talking about art is my jam

[@TheFriendlyAnarchist]

30 seconds in and already this is the best video you’ve ever done.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thanks!

[@EdgarDizzlewicz92]

Yes! First time I ever encountered shitposting, my first thought was this is the new Dada.

[@octavia88]

26:08 salad fingers! I remember seeing it on Albinoblacksheep 😃

[@Hubert_Cumberdale_]

...

[@lucasnunes2453]

Seeing globo as the most visited news website its both frustrating and not at all surprising. There's a quote from Beyond Citizen Kane (which i cant recommend enough) that shed some light on why that might be: "there are certain areas of the country (Brazil) that dont have acces s to sewer, water and paved roads. What they do have, however, are network broadcast tv transmissions"

[@DanMcLeodNeptuneUK]

I didn't realise how much I needed this video in my life until I pressed play... Thank you for your contribution to human civilisation sir

[@Tom_Nicholas]

No worries, glad you liked it!

[@TokenTunes]

Loving the fact you are not afraid to produce long well researched videos 🤗

[@sageschroeder]

I love that intro. It’s perfect.

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Haha, really glad you liked it. This is the one that it's taken me the longest to come up with so far!

[@thecapn1000]

Yes, excellent.

[@rctommy3200]

Holy crap that beat at 28:33 rocked my world

[@Flydude614]

Homie just fills me with cheer.

[@RJ-mn7rn]

really appreciate the overview and analysis of such a, i guess...quirky topic?

[@SeiShinjitsuShi]

Boyo, where can i snag those dope sunglasses?

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Weirdly enough, they only came in packs of three... Because apparently one pair would never have been enough...

[@SeiShinjitsuShi]

@@Tom_Nicholas i guess they just figured you'd.... deal with it.

[@ericqiangliu5839]

Great fun to watch a new artform launching video. Your hair looks flying at the beginning. A new year to come, lots of fun content to expect.

[@vannah12222]

Hmm. For some reason, I can't get "oppa homeless style" out of my mind while watching this. I can't imagine why...

[@kaptnseebar9467]

so glad I found your channel

[@AlbertoGarcia-wd7sc]

I wonder if sir lawrence slavetradercolonialism was friends with Terfina Ghastly-Warrcrimes

[@Tom_Nicholas]

I believe the SlaveTrader-Colonialisms were an Eton family whilst the Ghastly-Warcrimes all went to Harrow.