The Average Redditor: Origins

[@z.l.burington1183]

The truth is, people never start as slappable jerks.

[@LeaveMeAlone3-c5b]

I mean some do.

[@gamingwithtrey9556]

Truth

[@DaRoachDoggJrr]

They start as slappable babies

[@Xgil2Play]

But remember it is ultimately their choice who they become.

[@glubtier]

I say this without any irony: for a short film by a guy with only a few people helping him and playing all the roles himself, this is better than most of the Hollywood blockbusters I've seen in the past few years 😭 I know this must have taken a long time to make but I hope we'll see more long-ish content in the future!

[@theslappablejerk]

You’re too kind! Thank you so much for your support!

[@thesilver7238]

Erm, actually, no-your effusive adulation of this amateurish endeavor, while quaint, betrays a rather glaring dearth of critical acumen. To posit that a rudimentary attempt at filmmaking eclipses the intricate craftsmanship of Hollywood's finest is not only risibly hyperbolic but also emblematic of a proclivity for mistaking mediocrity wrapped in novelty for genuine artistry. Perhaps a more discerning palate might spare us such facile proclamations in the future.

[@user-hs8vx5vc3m]

This man doesnt need hollywood, hollywood needs him

[@sapopnusi]

So true

[@Oropher420]

Nah, Hollywood doesn't deserve him 😤

[@chelovekparohod]

He IS hollywood

[@lukasadamson6091]

​@@chelovekparohodtake that back

[@jujujitzu6573]

hi biker

[@lizzyleefree1593]

So he ends up in a thankless office job doing IT instead of becoming a scientist because he literally had to support himself in high school? Which makes his insufferable nature even worse because he's trying to convince everyone he's smart despite not accomplishing what his dad did?? AND he becomes even more of an asshole about it because he's afraid to get close to anyone after he lost his dad and their last conversation was a fight???? This has dealt max emotional damage.

[@liyacarolyn6055]

you summed it up well, thanks

[@Demoli1584]

skibidi essence

[@randomt800kiddo2]

it was a saul goodman type coping mechanism but i guess there's a happy ending cause he's on the podcast, has a girlfriend and a baby on the way lmao

[@growingoaks]

EMOTIONAL DAHHHHMAGE

[@lanceleader163]

@@Demoli1584Brain-dead comment.

[@miguelpadeiro762]

Dude finds a cool rock, looks up cool rock forums online, finds a subreddit for it, signs up A dude comments in his post "thats a silly common rock, not cool at all". He has his first reddit argument. A deep evil is borne inside of him

[@Bethsabee_Sheba_Newrose]

@@johns1625 Cue the music score of “Moonlight Sonata”

[@quonkylops]

@@johns1625i looked it up, it really does look like a honey candy. Pretty cool rock you found!

[@zr_1234]

@@johns1625 Should people hugbox and lie to you instead?

[@fearlessfit8952]

@@zr_1234There’s plenty of ways to provide information or correct someone without being rude.

[@Bethsabee_Sheba_Newrose]

@@fearlessfit8952 absolutely!

[@DocDocGoose15]

I'm not lying or exaggerating in any way when I say this is one of the most impressive creations I have ever seen on this website. It is an emotionally gripping tale that adds an accurate level of nuance and depth to a character who originally debuted as a joke while accurately representing the harm that being chronically online can cause. The characters all feel so unique and personalized that it's easy to forget it's the same person playing almost all of them. This channel has always been a shining example of the storytelling capabilities of this platform, and it's been amazing to see it grow and improve. 10/10

[@ruthdubb3274]

Agreed.

[@efafe4972]

so good. i genuinely cant think of anything I've watched in the past month that's as good as this. including a bunch of anime, house of the dragons, invincible

[@pablon333]

FR, this was non ironically a really good movie from a storytelling standpoint, very well done

[@theslappablejerk]

This is such a wonderful comment, thank you so much for taking the time to write this

[@beartie3048]

Holy fucking shit. When he called out the teacher in class after all the stuff that happened to him earlier I ACTUALLY YELLED. This is a masterpiece.

[@indefatigableargonaut]

I thought it'd be a dream sequence cause a teacher in real life would never listen to him that long without yelling or calling someone to escort him out on their walkie talkie.

[@oldspiced]

@@indefatigableargonaut i too was expecting it to be a dream haha. was far too glorious.

[@amer6706]

This film has me asking so many questions, like about Wyatt's mother. The juxtaposition between Wyatt telling his father off for not being the person he needs to be and then his friend with the father who beat him made me think that probably hit home for Wyatt how his situation could be worse, his father had troubles of his own but he never took it out on Wyatt. With that thought in his head, he comes home and boom, its already too late to make it up. His father is dead. Pure tragedy.

[@emmaj5807]

Good observation!

[@EntrxpicWhxre]

Worse when he realized the possibility that his father changed behavior and he started resenting him because of a brain tumor, thus explaining the sudden changes so unlike his personality, inability to stick to his routines, trouble understanding the changes in himself… not only his father was good and supportive but the only thing that destroyed their relationship was probably not his fault in the end, the doctor was also probably right about the age of the tumor and if only he thought about that possibility even if realistically he should not blame himself for not thinking about it because he is not a doctor and it was so rare, that must destroy him. And the juxtaposition with his friend’s dad being a bad person, violent, and most probably fully responsible of his actions in his case not sick… it’s easier to fall into denial and it’s security too because feeling like he knows everything and people are wrong is reassuring and giving him control. A control he never had, that cost him his dad.

[@sophiemontecalvo7503]

Oh my gosh, EXACTLY, the way he called for his dad upon entering his house BROKE ME!

[@ChristinaP-k2n]

Yes!

[@marto7357]

The way you portraied the feeling in highschool were you just feel out of place an unwanted, deperate for friends, but your attempts at getting them ends with feeling ashamed of yourself. Actually great short film 10/10

[@firstNamelastName-ho6lv]

This is why homeschool

[@m8tys]

Oh, so you’re calling this a "short film"? That’s adorable. Clearly, you’ve done your research-probably Googled it for a whole 30 seconds, right? But let me drop a little knowledge bomb on you: according to the American Film Institute, this so-called short film is actually classified as a feature film. I know, shocking, right? I guess the AFI, with its decades of experience and industry standards, just can’t compete with your razor-sharp intellect and impeccable eye for detail. But since you’re all about facts, here’s some homework for you. Check out the AFI’s official guidelines on what makes a feature film-a runtime of over 40 minutes, in case you missed it. You can find it on their website, under the "we know better than you" section.

[@doughytown4188]

Short? Dude this is feature-length

[@Aidenfootlicker]

​@@m8tys There's this crazy word, it's grass. Not sure if you've heard of it, much less touched it.

[@scamculture]

@m8tys Wyatt?

[@hurricanemeem]

I can't explain at all how I feel, there aren't enough words, but... growing up autistic and desperate to learn new things in an environment full of people who don't care, either because they're too burnt out, ill, or self-involved. Man. This feels like a shakespearean tragedy. It all taking place in Sacramento is a cherry on top to how familiar this all is.

[@thegreatandterrible4508]

Along with the mistaken assumption that you could bond with people by sharing the things that seem so fascinating. That's my experience to a t.

[@abbsterlicious]

I feel this so hard, I have always been what my dad called a “curious cat”. I loved that he called me that. He would make me feel better about my endless thirst for learning new things. I now know that I experienced hyperfixations & special interests. I didn’t get diagnosed til I was an adult with audhd, I really didn’t understand why I never felt understood. I was extroverted but omg when Kyle said “yeah…. I don’t care that much” n the class laughed, I felt that deep in my soul!!!!!! Did yall ever have someone act like they actually wanted to talk to you n then once you were talking and excitedly sharing they would be like “you really thought I wanted to hear about that?” Omg that was hard bc after that I was even more nervous deciphering if someone was expressing genuine interest. My mom was always very mean about me being talkative n energetic. It doesn’t get to me now bc I know it’s because she’s emotionally immature n self conscious of her own self n that it actually has nothing to do with me. As a child though….. it would kill me when she would zap me out of my excitement. And I really believed I was being too much for being myself. Now I’m surrounded by people who love when I get excited n share my hyperfixation. My boyfriend is soooo supportive like he will be all ears when I get into something new n want to tell him. He is a conversationalist n he is sooooooooooo smart. Like besides my dad I have never met someone as intelligent and curious as him!!! We stimulate each other’s minds naturally. That’s exactly how my dad was (he passed a few years back) but as long as I can remember we could easily talk for hours about everything. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have a curious dad who loved to have stimulating conversations. My dad literally kept a thesaurus next to him at all times near his chair in the living room because he loved learning new ways to say things. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to grow up with a parent who was so intentional. As a teen I remember people telling me I was “doing too much” or “trying too hard” but I didn’t understand why because it was natural to me to use complex words I guess. Like I didn’t notice that other people didn’t use the same words to say things. I would be confused when people would say I’m doing too much. Like to me I’m like I’m not doing too much, that word perfectly encapsulates what I am trying to express! It’s funny to me to look back as an adult bc i can see how that can come off pretentious but I think the difference is that i didn’t notice that others didn’t use “big” words n i wasn’t trying to come off smarter or something. I really didn’t realize until i entered adulthood like after college because people ask me what the word means or say omg I love that word lol 🤓 omg tell me you’re a freak without telling me you’re a freak! My boyfriend n I had that moment weeks into our relationship n we continue to like “ooooohhhh I love that word!” 😂🤣🤣 I love geeking out about the joy of finding a word that so perfectly expresses the message you’re trying to convey, n I’ve only really experienced that joy with my dad n now my lovey. lolol🤣🤣🤣 we all find our people huh yall 😇🥰🤣 still I don’t realize a lot of the time until someone asks me what a word means)

[@oldspiced]

@@abbsterlicious lol you really do like to talk :D i think everyone experiences this to slighter degrees tho.

[@quackywhackityphillyb.3005]

I like how the 2 footballers say "look at you" even tho they are all identical twins

[@amer6706]

Me too! OO A SELF BURN! THOSE ONES ARE THE WORST

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

Football players*

[@quackywhackityphillyb.3005]

@@goldenfiberwheat238 no

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

@@quackywhackityphillyb.3005 well that’s the term we use in America

[@baintreachas]

@@quackywhackityphillyb.3005another villain origin story

[@frankienerdyboy]

2022 watching the redditor argue with a doctor: 🤣 2024: watching the redditor argue with a doctor: 😞

[@saninpain]

I'm not gonna lie, often times the pipeline to this behavior is 100% as depicted, you feel weak, bullied, so you in turn become the bully and intellectually torture someone, its not always a teacher, its not always an innocent, but its always a regret. I could've had some good friends and instead chose intellectual superiority, despite the fact I didn't actually care about those people, I just wanted the upper hand. Its sad.

[@oluwakemikehinde5443]

Wow its interesting how you actually related to Wyatt.

[@amenson1997]

Thanks for your insight

[@sylvanomangano8453]

@@oluwakemikehinde5443 The way Wyatt channels his pain into a superiority complex as a coping mechanism is some of the most real shit I've ever seen fr

[@okaight7248]

when you're too weak to respond physically so you resort to being an online douche is real

[@animalfinatic9366]

Yikes. I'll pray for you. Hope you work on that

[@tysonfontanez]

I really like this. You have evolved this character from a stereotype into a complex and realistic commentary on cruelty, depression, and cycles of bullying

[@alanmakoso1115]

Father, teacher, peers, society, and mother ... he really got no one to rely on. Maybe except Kyle who goes through a tough time himself. Masterpiece.

[@Kallah_DaughterOfYAHUAH]

Dang I’m so invested in Wyatt’s life and I feel sooo bad for him. As they say…hurt people hurt people.

[@molecularbandit]

Couldn't have said it better myself

[@jeremym1985]

I expected this to be pretty good going in, and it was even better than I expected. Super cool to see you doing a long form story, fantastic job!

[@theslappablejerk]

Thank you so much! This was my first time doing a “short film” so I’m super happy to hear you liked it

[@Demoli1584]

@@theslappablejerk i cried a bit at the end dam w story spoiler rip wiatts dad

[@MysteryTheEmsm]

@@theslappablejerkshort film is an understatement, this is a full cinematic experience. 56 whole minutes and everything, that’s insane

[@imaguyandabeautifulbutterfly]

@@theslappablejerk 23:35 , is that dies irae? The song of death? Because holy shit the foreshadowing. You’re an amazing producer. That’s an insane level of detail

[@Bethsabee_Sheba_Newrose]

@@theslappablejerk 🥹 I… I feel so… 😢…so grateful to have watched you since your beginning. This is incredible!

[@willymusic1698]

This is so good. I love how Wyatt starts off actually competent and genuinely looking up sources, but by the end he’s correcting the doctor on things he barely knows anything about, which is how we all know him. Shows how often time misinformation and arrogance are products of emotional issues not only intellectual issues. Wyatt had a father who taught him how to properly be objective, but even he fell from grace after unfortunate circumstances. And one last thing, I really like how it’s implied that the hospital could’ve prevented the death but had to wait for the insurance verification. Which only increased the tragedy. Wyatt officially breaks down and goes on offense after the doctor says “too much time passed.” This will be something I will be watching again.

[@niccvier]

Thank gods for The Adjuster, huh?

[@EtraGames]

Man. The transition from awkward good hearted kid to someone miserable was done so well. Dont know what compelled you to make this, but maybe it's for others to avoid this trap of despair. Thanks for making this. I appreciated your effort :]

[@ElephantWhisperer222]

Brian’s origin story would probably bring me to tears. Can’t imagine what that bastards gone through.

[@gxtmfa]

Probably a divorce where his parents spoiled him to compete for his favor.

[@ZijnShayatanica]

Growing up in the 661 is hard.

[@greasybumpkin1661]

surrounded by tyrants on all fronts in his early years - parents, teachers and whoever else would have abused or overpowered him. The lesson he took was that it's a dog eat dog world and he can't trust anyone - this is why rap was attractive to him so he could live on the fringes of society where he feels safer, and also why he dates younger; to regain some sense of lost youth and be with a person who's smaller, including on an emotional level. That's my bullshit armchair guess anyway

[@pachicore]

"Oh i didnt have much as a kid. Loving parents, stability, and a baked goods empire for me to inherit. Worthless crap like that" - brian from the 661

[@danielflanard8274]

The reddit scenes resonate in a troubling way. I have interacted more with strangers online than my own loved ones over the last several years, rarely in a way that makes me feel good about myself afterwards. It is a nasty, destructive outlet for coping with frustration and grief. Once those defenses go up, tearing them down becomes tricky. You find yourself in a combative state of mind that never shuts off completely, even when friends and family try to disarm it. The people I confront for being hateful towards others are lashing out for the same reason as myself, they are hurting. It irritates me deeply that so many ignore what they are feeling and turn away from empathy, but what good does it do anyone for two strangers to spit venom at each other? Meeting animosity with animosity only serves to push a person further away from love and understanding. Thank you for your content, I truly believe that you have helped countless people start on the path to their better selves by holding up a mirror in a way that allows viewers to come to their own conclusions about the behavior being presented without feeling like they are being looked down on.

[@reinadelashormigas]

Hey I feel you on this. I’m sorry you’re gone through that pain and as a random internet stranger I’m rooting for you. I hope you have the support to recreate yourself in the version that you’re most proud of

[@danielflanard8274]

@@reinadelashormigas Thank you for your kind words. My warmest sentiments to you stranger.

[@freetobree5323]

I try to keep this in mind when people are argumentative online.. it’s really sad because we’ve all been there one time or another

[@oldspiced]

beautiful. another thing to keep in mind is that most people crave drama even if only subconscious and "online" is the only "safe place" to act like a total dick with 0 repercussions :D

[@scoutfox1421]

What kills me is by the time there's another chance to connect with Kyle over shared father misery, and by the time he meets an adult who seems to actually give a shit, the doctor, Wyatt has shut down and defaults to blocking them out and insulting them. Wyatt's weird smart kid highschool experience hits close to home. It's so on point. I'm. Gonna need a moment to recover from this. Great work. Thank you.

[@user-mn9wc5ru5w]

I beat my meat to this video

[@brentsacolin]

What a masterpiece. From a silly little skit of a generalized character to an in depth portrayal of a complicated one. Bravo sir!

[@copelandammann4815]

As an autistic person myself, I relate to this character’s origin story immensely. Wyatt is simply an autistic person who did not have the proper support. Especially the classroom scene talking about the moon landing, my heart sank. That happened to me SO often. A classmate would express interest in something, I happened to know about that topic so I would start telling them about what they asked about, they would turn to me as if I did something wrong, sneer, and say something like “I don’t actually care” or “I didn’t actually want to know”

[@Newspeak.]

The part that kinda really hit even harder was when the friend came back and asked Wyatt about it because he actually did want to know and then if course it was revealed that they were friends when they were kids. Really close to home for me on that front.

[@sw33g3r3]

Genuinely what is up with people talking about something, and then getting annoyed when you try to explain to them what they’re questioning about? Isn’t that the whole point of asking or talking about the thing? If they didn’t wanna know about it why bring it up at all?

[@four1629]

@@sw33g3r3 the problem is that if someone doesn't like you, they find it weird that you've addressed them or want to publicly humiliate you. sometimes, they feel like they're being put down/called stupid when the question is answered by anyone other the teacher. sometimes it's malicious, sometimes it's insecurity, sometimes it's a misunderstanding. many different scenarios, but these are the ones i know!

[@sw33g3r3]

@@four1629 your tone matters though, for one I don’t talk with that “I’m smarter than you” tone that Wyatt has, with things like this I usually go “oh that’s really interesting-“ like I know for a fact I don’t sound mean or condescending I sound enthusiastic so I literally have no idea how someone could think I’m calling them stupid or something

[@four1629]

@@sw33g3r3 because it's not exactly a 1-to-1 logical thing. sometimes people hear things that aren't there or get meaning that isn't there because they're scared or insecure. or in the other direction, if someone is hopeful and optimistic, they may see good where there isn't any. it has less to do with you or your delivery and more to do with what they're experiencing internally, then projecting externally.

[@Fhhfs80808lil]

That gravity joke was crazy

[@vinstatic420]

This is such an insightful comment

[@Slamolo]

It’s a highschooler’s dream, it gets a pass, we’ve all been there. Right guys ? Right ?

[@firstNamelastName-ho6lv]

​@@vinstatic420this was such an uninsightful comment

[@thetallestdwarf7041]

@@vinstatic420 What an Un. Be. Lievable answer

[@xdimitrije]

​@vinstatic420 and your comment, adding even more insightfulness makes the original comment seem way more amusing and light-hearted, while your comment seems more of the annoying jackass variety. So as the younglings say , "let people have fun"

[@nervousdisposition7150]

God the bit about his father having a brain tumour 100% shocked me. Such good storytelling leading up to it. Watching Wyatt make all the wrong decisions because he's never shown how to make the right ones is amazing

[@idkwmytuni]

Damn that'll teach me to read the comments before finishing

[@EntrxpicWhxre]

Same, I was thinking from the start that the dad was gonna get revealed as the dude he fight with on Reddit or something about conspiracy and fake news but I was way off. It’s really bitter

[@theshah4383]

The fact that he posted about the doctor at the end was painfully accurate. People posting on Reddit merely hours after their child was born or after a relative has passed away are too common. It's sad. These people have nobody to listen to them and don't know how to handle joy or grief except for posting about it online (often concentrating on the wrong thing).

[@basedokadaizo]

i almost feel a little called out-- Wyatt's dad feels so close to how my own father acted. the only difference was that he did actually give in to his peers growing up, and tried urging me to do the same. it sucked because apparently i was really sweet and enthusiastic as a child, but so much happened inside and outside my home that by the time i was only barely hitting puberty, the same guy who urged me to put "popular" songs i didn't actually like on my little iPod Shuffle to listen to while riding the school bus so i could "make more friends" suddenly accused me of being an entirely different person than my child self overnight. i didn't think i'd say this, but i don't see the Average Redditor here anymore. i see Wyatt. and man, do i relate a little too hard to what he went through. in a weird way, it feels like you're saying you see us autistic folks, too. thank you for that, TSJ. always a pleasure to watch your stuff. 💕

[@oldspiced]

reading these comments are blowing my mind. so cool.

[@theb0ldone459]

It’s not lost on me that there are tons of stories on reddit about sudden changes in personality being due to a brain tumor. Wyatt knew that firsthand.

[@careottjuice]

Wwwwwh I know that from reading a random 70s novel 😭

[@schizo_fren]

Holy shit. It was absolutely great. So many themes captured, but what broke my heart the most, as someone who deals with the American healthcare (not American myself, but I remotely work as a translator for foreigners in the US hospitals), this eerie feeling coming from the absurdity of this system is so familiar. Had so many calls of the family being informed about a serious disease or death of their loved one in the hospital, with the conversation almost immediatly coming down to money. What a dystopian world

[@justinvlogs4590]

Last time I was in the ER I thought I was having a heart attack (turned out to be a panic attack) and the registration person offered me a deal. If I paid my copay now, I'd get $40 off.

[@oldspiced]

@@justinvlogs4590 Brought to you by Brawndo ™

[@TheHallow31]

Feels a lot like Joker (2019). Good work! Also, nice touch on the juxtaposition between Wyatt and his father. Both are clearly intelligent with some social awkwardness but fall into different terminally online rabbit holes.

[@josephdaniele556]

I burned two hot dogs while glued to the screen by this and regret nothing

[@qwertyrhino9497]

This guy is so good at portraying the most unlikeable characters ever, and then later making them likeable.

[@axerity9212]

stop stealing comments immediately

[@itmightbe]

You are so good at being one of the most unlikeable commenters ever

[@Mikeyspikey69420]

@@axerity9212this guy was the first person to write this message in this forum. While I agree that he is a Simeon for crafting up a very unimaginative and lackluster comment, it is you sir. Who is in the wrong. Thinking you could come in here and boss others around like a high school ex jock is quite laughable. Perhaps you need to lay off the testosterone booster and go back to attending your anger management classes. lol. Pathetic.

[@tw20239]

No one else said that ​@@axerity9212

[@tw20239]

​Lmaoo read that all in my mind with his redditor voice 😂​@@Mikeyspikey69420

[@noahgeller8513]

Beyond being entertaining, this was also a helpful reminder to keep compassion in your heart for everyone you meet, no matter how insufferable

[@battlecattle12]

He actually got his nails did to play the girl in class. That is dedication

[@alejrandom6592]

done*

[@battlecattle12]

@@alejrandom6592 did*

[@questionablyelven]

​@alejrandom6592 it's did.

[@samkadel8185]

@@alejrandom6592 in AAE, "got my nails/hair/etc. did" is a common phrase. Not sure exactly the grammatical reasoning behind it, but it's objectively not wrong if you're speaking that dialect. That specific phrasing is generally slightly tongue-in-cheek.

[@Gillsing]

It's probably a trap for grammar police to reveal themselves, so they can properly admonished for not being cool.

[@sylvanomangano8453]

Honestly the most real shit I've ever seen. There are rarely bad guys in your narratives, just hurt people. It felt a little jarring how realistic your depiction of every character was, especially the dad. You can tell this came from a personal place. I was constantly laughing, I lowkey cried at one point, and it's so realistic how Wyatt channels his pain into a superiority complex. I literally had chills watching that final scene it was like the final nail in turning to the dark side. What a journey man.

[@saninpain]

Great job, a compelling and sadly realistic story. But also tells us exactly where Wyatt "soft sides" come from, why he doesnt want to see good men suffer, probably because they remind him of his father. I can only hope Wyatt can become the man his father was to his son.

[@CapnbArMyLIVE]

Standing Ovation for you sir. All the actors did brilliantly - can't believe you can afford such an A-Star cast!

[@ptolemyhenson6838]

This is so much more than I ever expected. I kept checking the progress bar since you're usually known for shorter form content, but it just kept going. This film is the first I have seen that I would consciously consider "beautiful" immediately after watching.

[@theslappablejerk]

Wow that is very nice of you thank you! It was so much fun making this and I would like to do more longer ones in the future

[@samuraischultz]

@@theslappablejerk Please do

[@DontStop-q2w]

@@theslappablejerkyou gotta do longer ones bro this was gold

[@victorankudinov2091]

@@theslappablejerk Do it!! This one was great! Thank you!

[@TealRubyy]

This backstory is actually so incredibly realistic and even a little relatable. Just about everyone can empathize with Wyatt in some way. Brilliantly made

[@icya1798]

This almost made me cry ngl. It makes sense why he becomes a douchebag because not being one makes people take advantage of him in real life. I can also see why he becomes addicted to reddit too smh

[@exiszentriker2952]

This long format fits your style extremely well, especially as I thought it wouldn't. This was so incredibly real. You are one of a kind. Thank you.

[@QBG]

I laughed! I cried! I paused to take a piss! Seriously, this is _phenomenal_ work. You should be extremely proud.

[@colinmarch30]

That ending hit like a truck, I was almost in genuine tears, only for him to do that

[@mckacz53]

Dude, your timing is amazing. How do you pull this off, and make every character come across so differently? You forget it’s you playing each one. Awesome stuff, thank you for posting!

[@OpiTaylor]

the bitterness toward the public school system is palpable and oh boy am i palping it. 10/10

[@wuzittooya]

Ewww dude I got major cringe with that teacher smirking after messing with the girl 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

[@chteyjdrushifdhfd8128]

It’s not real, it’s a pretend video. So shut up woman.

[@izzymiller2058]

Im glad I'm not the only one!

[@eazybreezytheclown]

yuck, it was absolutely creepy behavior

[@Threshermaw23]

The way he put the phone done later I bet he‘s watching something he’s not supposed to. At school. While teaching. Eurgh.

[@eazybreezytheclown]

@@Threshermaw23 absolutely! i thought the same thing!

[@dealin3035]

This video did a great job at portraying what it was like growing up in the 2000s. Horrible time for a lot of us, especially in 2008 when this takes place. Great movie man!

[@sockpuppetqueen]

Yeah this is great in every way, but weirdly my favorite part was the late 2000s period piece element. Like... Damn, yeah, 2008ish was rough, and I don't think it's old enough "history" for many people to think about using it as a setting. As an insufferable late millennial, I finally feel Seen.

[@GillfigGarstang]

@@sockpuppetqueen Why do I have a weird feeling that in the future the the mid 2000s will just get skipped over/overshadowed as a subject for ‘period peices’ in favour of the decades before or after it? Or more accurately I have a feeling the identity of the 2000s will get absorbed into the 80s/90s and 10s/20s in the public imagination; dumb kids in ~2100 will look at The Matrix films or iPads and think ‘oh, 2020’s stuff’, and when they look at flash animation, dial-up internet and scene kids they will think ‘old-timey 80’s stuff’.

[@sockpuppetqueen]

@@GillfigGarstang very possible! My partner always lumps huge chunks of the 60s in with the 50s- anything that was in black and white, and any fashion that isn't miniskirts basically, he always assumes they're 50s when, to me, they're very obviously 60s. And I don't think he's unique in that. Idk for sure if the 2000s will get lumped away with the previous or following decades, but I do think it's toooootally plausible.

[@GillfigGarstang]

@@sockpuppetqueen It’s interesting in this context to think about how people now tend to perceive the early 1900s, especially the average person who doesn’t pay much attention to history. The silent film era lasted almost 4 decades and started in the literal Victorian era; but you could show most people a feature film from 1906 and a film from 1926 side by side and depending on which films you select for them they wouldn’t necessarily be able to make out any obvious tells that one was made 2 decades later than the other.

[@bluematamata]

I can’t express how much I love what you did with this series. Characters like redditors and band kids tend to twist to become a round about way to make fun of autistic kids, wether people realize it or not. You see it in your comments sometimes. “The lack of eye contact is on point.” As someone with autism, it’s nice to see how you show being autistic or just being excited about knowledge can isolate someone and change their attitude toward the world when all they tend to be is enthusiastic about a specific, niche topic. But please, make Wyatt apologize to his grandmother. Poor woman. 😭

[@alejrandom6592]

Yeah, I forgot about the lady

[@yukisoba8888]

i just commented about how autistic coded wyatt is lolll im autistic too and to me watching this it felt so obvious to me that wyatt was too 😭😭😭

[@Nai-qk4vp]

​@@yukisoba8888I am as well and I never thought of that.

[@yukisoba8888]

@@Nai-qk4vp okay ig? well autism is different for everyone and presents itself differently so maybe you just have less experience with the kind of autism that we’re saying wyatt has. personally i know a LOT of autistic people and i also research it a lot so its easier for me to identify it when i see it or at least make assumptions that can be followed up with just asking (respectfully and at the right times ofc)

[@Nai-qk4vp]

​@@yukisoba8888Don't get so defensive. All I said was I had never thought about it.

[@staci110196]

I'm not even finished with the video but this is honestly a masterpiece. The part where he fully leans into "the average redditor" and puts on the shirt and hat reminds me of the scene in Joker where he just gives up and doesn't give af anymore. I would love to see more of your other characters!!

[@Fhhfs80808lil]

Bros making actual movies now💀

[@vinstatic420]

The internet trying not to use the word "bro" followed by a literal description of the video for 0.1 milliseconds (impossible challenge)

[@Fhhfs80808lil]

@@vinstatic420 Im just trying to get a top comment respect the hustle

[@mufradr]

@@vinstatic420 bros tryna make a meme, thats crazy

[@vinstatic420]

@@Fhhfs80808lil I will respect your honesty

[@repstylegaming9730]

@@vinstatic420Bro really forgot the 💀 followed after “bro”.

[@conor_schall]

You did a wonderful job showing that the story is ALWAYS the most important element in film making. I often tend to fixate on cinematography, lighting design, color grading, etc but you proved that none of that is necessary if the script and acting are top notch. I was fully engaged for the entire film and was absolutely not ready for those tear jerkers lol I have been a fan for a while now and I truly welcome this longer format. Excellent work!!

[@WhatANiceMonth]

That feels insanely backhanded

[@conor_schall]

​@@WhatANiceMonth not my intentions at all

[@hdbordercollie]

can't wait for TSJ universe to expand even more

[@four1629]

dudeeee this is so accurate to my experience in high school. absolutely alone and searching truly anywhere for friendship bcs you're desperate and don't have anyone to rely on. now that i'm older, i realize i was only hurting myself more with that behavior. the people i was seeking out didn't want me back, and that rejection was really painful. being ostracized and bullied is hard :/ i'm so glad i'm not in high school anymore dude. i'm not popular or anything, but i became well-liked in college bcs having a good personality and caring about people is actually super important! so if you're feeling like shit about how things are, please know it's not because there's something wrong with you. sometimes the time and place are wrong.

[@alexzanderschwieger9938]

Dude is actually entertaining without being a douche. It's somewhat rare now. Keep being you!

[@thegreatandterrible4508]

I mean, without actually being a douche. Being a fake douche is most of the channel.

[@ultrapea]

the amount of emotion i felt over one man in different outfits talking to himself is crazy

[@lumigpictures]

That’s it. You’ve managed to seat me through a whole movie portrayed by the same actor in silly costumes, and it was great. Amazing work, again.

[@lumigpictures]

Also: Even though I watch all of your videos, I still wasn’t subscribed. I think we’re clearly past that now 😂

[@SissyFlower5]

As someone who lost my mom to dementia, the brain tumor reveal punched me in the gut. My mom would have believed any insane thing when she was sick. It's why I can't join the rest of the internet in pointing and laughing at people who believe in crazy conspiracies. Some people are sick and they can't help what they're doing. 10/10 film

[@oldspiced]

i think its something of innocence that makes people believe almost anything. I noticed it largely when hanging out with free spirited people. they were always so happy and free but man they will believe any conspiracy theory.

[@GillfigGarstang]

⁠@@oldspicedI’ve noticed this too, it reminds me of children. Ever notice how difficult it is to get someone to accept that something _isn’t_ true even when that person apparently believes virtually everything else as long as you ‘yes-and’ them?

[@BE-ew2pt]

It's honestly heartbreaking to watch this -- as a neurodivergent person with niche interests, I related to Wyatt's high school years way more than I expected. Also, watching a family member you respect fall down a conspiracy rabbit hole is an awful feeling.

[@Delouser69]

Nothing wrong with a conspiracy rabbit hole

[@BE-ew2pt]

@@Delouser69 There is when it totally removes you from reality.

[@Delouser69]

@@BE-ew2pt slippery slope I guess

[@exxhy9707]

Didn't imagine how common that was, my dad hasn't been the same since that war on East Europe started

[@SomeInternetUser45]

This just came outta no where this is peak cinema

[@Bala_Niranna]

well fuck im heartbroken. makes me appreciate his current friendships/relationship even more

[@aldenbobalden]

he was such a sweet kid, and he needed someone. his dad having this manic, kind of nonsensical energy was unsettling, and it hit me hard to find out he had a deadly tumor. this was a really tough watch, and you captured the feeling of loneliness so beautifully.

[@benjaminalexander7028]

Jesus Christ. Didn’t expect that. More emotionally wrenching than most films. Excellent work!

[@jamieellohengee2667]

I didn't expect to be crying so hard at the end of this. I love your art and relate so much to being different from everyone and not being able to change or conform because I "took things too seriously." You are a brilliant actor and writer. Your film brings to mind the questions posed by the great David Allen Coe in his composition titled "The Ride." If you're not familiar with this classic country song, I will explain the premise. The ghost of Hank Williams (senior, not the distantly related, waitress:-groping cretin fixated on others' readiness for football) picks up a young, hitchhiking David Allen Coe and drives him to Nashville and asks him the question, "Drifter, can you make people cry when you play and sing?... Can you make people feel what you feel inside?" You can. Now you just have to learn to moan the blues and bend them guitar strings. Thank you for all the laughs, tears and beautiful cinematography. You're hilarious and amazing and the world is a better place because you are here. Your videos have made me laugh so hard and caused me to be late for work so many times because I couldn't stop watching and feeling absolute joy. Thank you for everything.

[@cynicalnina]

I have kids so I was able to watch this fully through the span of weeks. A few minutes here and there before bed or while my kids are busy. This is such an amazing back story for such a hateable character. And it's so much deeper than I initially assumed. I'm really enjoying this so far.

[@9A7C6E5]

You're by far THE BEST creator on this platform, truly. I can't wait to see what you do in the future. We get to see you write, direct, act, produce and film, some the most gripping and relatable stories. The fact that you've built these characters up from what started out as comedic relief and satire, into characters with such depth that we can all see a little bit of ourselves in is incredible. Thank you Joe, thank you to your incredible and supportive wife Elizabeth, thank you to everybody else on your team that make these videos possible. You're creating entire believable and real chatacters with endless depth, in a world of flat drawn out remakes and spin-offs. P.S. If you're based where you filmed this I actually live quite close, and it would be an honor and a dream come true to be able to work with you someday. Please keep going and don't stop. You have the brightest future ahead of you. Please like this comment and show some love for this man in the comments in hopes that he sees this 🙏🙏🙏

[@GhostStalker16]

Redditor has no friends, parents, and now even teacher. Its up to him to set the world straight no matter the cost

[@yamatanoorochi3149]

🤣

[@JackStache]

The scene where Wyatt is donning his outfit as he basically bullies his teacher is terrifying and reminiscent of the best villain scenes It's beautiful, good job man

[@jesshudson55]

Wow. This helped me realize that the hatred I had for Wyatt was rooted in the ways I am him. I bullied teachers like this. I had to raise myself and support myself and while I mask well, I have a touch of the tism and feel angry about the ways I didn't live up to my potential because I wasn't supported. Thank you.

[@DPadGamer]

I cannot believe I was writing a big ol' comment about my thoughts and clicked away, losing all my progress. Attempt 2, this time even more concise: Great work with this man. I think all of your performances worked in giving each character their own feel without resorting to any unrealstic behavior. The costuming is the same in that regard. The story is a bit simple, in my opinion; and thats fine, but it has way more nuance than I'd have expected. While the verbal beatdowns came off as a bit "and then everyone clapped" feeling; they served to show how a person who tried and failed to reach out could be emboldened to act like a jerk. a slappable jerk, perhaps. The only one-note characters were the football guys, with everyone else having a bit more going on that makes their rejection of Wyatt understandable, to an extent. The teacher, his dad, Kyle; they all got their own stuff going on. By the end I didn't hate Wyatt, instead I just felt bad for him, and and his dad, and Kyle. Simple but effective camera work. Everyone was framed well, sight lines between characters for shot-reverse-shots were basically always consistent. The varying locations worked well. I can't imagine the effort required to produce this. While I'm just some guy... I mean this, with no hyperbole; this is far better than most first attempts at a short film out there. I really hope you'll make more, if thats what ya wanna do :)

[@judahbarracuda_]

D PAD GAMER! Didn’t know you were a fellow slappable jerk fan! Your channel is so nostalgic

[@d-boi9785]

Here before the heart

[@hanubhakt-]

Even the football guys had a bit more going on than initially shown, even if not as deep as what we see with Kyle. The way the football guys reacted when Wyatt started spouting off stats about college football and NFL showed that they were well aware of the uncertainty of their futures as they approach the end of their time in high school.

[@WillMonroe6]

I'll be honest this hit really close to home for me, especially with Wyatt is treated by the people around him and how he has no one to go to. At the same time you can also see how Wyatt learns the same traits of reading and taking in information which comes from his dad but his father is still someone who has their own baggage to go through and is self-aware of the problems he faces, which is why he tried to give Wyatt that placard to help him avoid the same problems his father had when he was in school, even if it wasn't the best way to go through

[@ashvio]

The writing and storytelling is actually crazy good wtf

[@xyhilwastaken]

The premiere was an amazing experience; you've given so much!

[@theslappablejerk]

I’m so happy to hear you liked it! I had a blast making it and I can’t wait to do another

[@Shadow497Knight]

I really hope you read all the way through this review: The writing and acting is pretty good, and the overall story is done well. One thing I heavily recommend is trying some creative cinematography in the sections that are more drawn out. Not just random camera angles either, ones that hold purpose. The scene with his father when they’re eating for example, you could have opened on a shot of a bug, leading the viewer to wonder why this is important to the scene, making them want to pay more attention to the outcome. Or during the conversation, have the camera be extremely focused on the dad character, but as the story gets more drawn out, each shot of the father gets further away or less focused, a subtle way to show how Wyatt’s interest in his father’s story is fizzling out. The story is great regardless, but I’m a huge advocate for expressive cinematography, and it would be really cool to see more thought put into that in future projects!

[@germywad]

These settings are so surreal looking

[@wheelchair48]

Not sure if this’ll get buried in the positive traction that this film is already receiving, but I just wanted to reinforce your efforts and add to the many voices compelling you to create more long form content. This was a really enjoyable watch, and I look forward to seeing more from you. I’ve enjoyed all of your content for a while but this was a true elevation on your part. Congratulations to you, keep it up.

[@theweirdguy8078]

Random reply but try animation.

[@Christian_Crab]

Moonlight Sonata in the music list? Yeah this is gonna be a banger

[@rafaelapablaza1246]

There is not a single movie that made me cry. That was until I watched this masterpiece, I have never seen a character that feels so real in any movie. this genuinely makes me wish you wrote a script in a movie with infinite budget, you genuinely could write a whole movie, and it would be a masterpiece. Btw this story is a great example on how to make a villain with a good backstory and a great example on how to make a realistic orphan batman-like story. Amazing job with this piece of art!

[@jav4346]

Ok so I finally finished (after leaving 50 comments along the way) and I’m at a loss of words. That last scene was CHILLING 😭. I can’t imagine the effort that went into this. I’m so in awe!!! INCREDIBLE!!

[@AM12399]

I'M NOT CRYING OVER THE REDDITORS BACKSTORY I'M NOT ;-; this was so sad! I'm happy things seemed to be on the up and up in the present day though. can't wait to see what happens next!

[@gpwdog]

This was amazing. It felt like a real movie i was watching! The scenes were beautiful and so was the story. You portrayed the characters so well! Its a masterpiece and i genuinely got emotional too! Amazing work!

[@ZijnShayatanica]

I've been friends w/ a lot of Wyatts in my life... People who take "I'd rather be myself/be correct than be liked" to its extreme because the notion that both things can be true is so deeply alien to them. Thankfully, many people can grow out of the tendency to use their intellect as a bludgeon & a shield. Your depiction in this film was phenomenal!! 💕

[@ZijnShayatanica]

Holy shit, the reveal about why the Dad went whackadoo is... Wildly depressing. Wow wowowowowow.

[@alejrandom6592]

Man, you are a F*CKING GENIUS. This is a work of art. The quality of this is amazing. Thanks for being on the internet Mr. Slappable

[@siopaoguy]

Ironically it is encouraged for teachers to copy worksheets and lesson plans online. How the teacher uses those resources is what seperates a good one versus a bad one.

[@HyenaFox]

I mean yeah that's what the video was saying, the teacher put no effort into his class, which is one thing, but then he made it a point to act like his job was so busy and stressful that going even a little out of his way to support a kid who clearly needed it was too much to ask for. All the while he just puts on movies and prints out free worksheets for the kids to do without really designing a lesson or anything.

[@molecularbandit]

Epic. I hope everyone who has seen an average reditor short gets to see this and sits down to watch. We all needed this lesson and harsh truth told in such a beautiful way

[@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation]

Batman: Origins doesn't even come close to this level of *ABSOLUTE CINEMA*

[@Archivist82]

I watched the premiere and I so wanted to lead Wyatt’s Debate Club for him. I felt much like him in high school and the movie that resonated with me at that time was Ghost World. Your film is bringing up those memories and feelings again…I will be rewatching this again soon! Thank you

[@piamaria206]

I love your skits and I expected it to be hilarious. But i did not expect to cry real tears for the averege reddit guy. This was honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen! Greetings from Germany

[@DiamondDF]

Wow! The amount of effort put into this film paid off. The perspective it provided on the Average Redditor series as a whole really made this a great watch

[@d-boi9785]

“I want to clarify that I never want you to pretend to be someone you aren’t. But, for the sake of making your life easier, you should give in to what is popular among your peers, to a reasonable degree.” This quote, whether it’s meant to be interpreted as positive or negative, absolutely NEEDS to be heard by more people.

[@brounee2]

You know, growing up I was this elitistic kid who thought he was better than the rest for having "different, unique" tastes. I wanted to be so special that I hated anything popular and used the term normie against these. Over the years, I didn't have anyone to share my likings with. I was alone in my world and to this day I feel rather lonely and uncomprehended. At least, now that I'm a little more mature, I decided to stop being so judgeful and try new things. I'm still lacking friends, but at least now I have something to talk about with others.

[@17peteclarke]

this was so great dude, I was so invested in everything that happened and sympathised with the characters. so bloody amazing. something I learned to really consider in situations when someone does something you don't approve of or don't like, there's always a story behind it, there's always a context behind someone. people are a product of their environment

[@Star_Finnegan]

Wait this is actually so amazing and so deeply relatable… the stuff about the school especially is so relatable… this is a genuinely amazing character study, I’m speechless

[@somethingunfunny7627]

I really didn't expect to watch this all the way through in one sitting when i saw it in my recommendations at 4 in the morning, but it was such a compelling character study i was completely absorbed. I already had high expectations as soon as i saw you announced this, but to say this surpassed them would be a massive understatement. Your writing and acting are incredible as always (it's so easy to forget you're talking to yourself even when we see you playing the other characters on screen), and your storytelling in this is genuinely amazing. This honestly really resonated with me- ive never been a redditor, but ive definitely been wyatt. Even though we're vastly different and come from different backgrounds, i really felt what wyatt was going through. The niche interests, the loneliness, the insecurity, being told to conform and act like someone youre not, the growing cynicism and bitterness- as an autistic person i felt every bit of it. I think its really a testament to just how great your storytelling really is that i could see myself in a character like the haha funny reddit man. The passion you put into this really shows and if this is something youre interested in doing more of i (and im sure almost everyone else who watches this channel) would love to see it Love your content. Thank you

[@Bossman50.]

No way this man causally dropped a fucking movie

[@BenLevin]

This is stunning and courageous! Thank you for putting in the effort to show us something so compassionate and moving!

[@YellowBandinero]

I was almost expecting in the ending segment, Wyatt would open his father's laptop, and discover the redditor he'd been arguing with the whole film was his dad.

[@Delouser69]

That’s what I thought

[@BE-ew2pt]

This is literally the best depiction of a fairly modern high school classroom I've ever seen. I graduated from high school in 2021, and it was exactly like this. War flashbacks.

[@madolchepuddingcess4349]

Genuinely great story telling. I keep coming back to this because it's so compelling and such a creative way to branch out from your usual works.

[@thefinalgrimswald354]

Bros playing with my heart strings

[@caseybeasley-bennett6851]

God, the scene where Wyatt comes to a teacher for help hits SO hard, man. The way the teacher doesn't even consider doing anything to help him out, even when Wyatt starts talking about his dad's issues, and knowing that Wyatt doesn't have any other places to turn for support, because there are no other adults in his life. This short film is incredible, and I hope you do more stuff like this in the future even though it doesn't seem to have done super big numbers. I remember seeing an analysis of "nice guy" psychology from you a while back, and this just further supports in my mind that the reason you're so good at playing these characters is because you really understand their psychology and even somewhat empathize with their point of view, even if they do end up as slappable jerks in the end. Keep up the good work.