The Ballad of Mad Cap'n Tom: Part 1

Finally, enough time has passed for Tom to be able to talk about Mad Cap'n Tom without clenching or retching too much.
MATT: / unnamedculprit - TOM: / tomscottgo
Jargon Buster:
URY - University Radio York
YSTV - York Student Television
Sailors Lament by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@overdrive023]

I swear tom’s life is just a story of “thought it would be funny. It was. It grew. I stuck around, and here I am”

[@schlimmbotg472]

This needs to be his slogan on his website

[@minimalgrammar1276]

"I came, I saw, I conquered."

[@schlimmbotg472]

@@minimalgrammar1276 that only do Germans in the comment section of German related English videos and memes

[@minimalgrammar1276]

@@schlimmbotg472 Uh, what?

[@thephoenixsystem6765]

2024. Word.

[@a66mb]

Mad Cap’n Tom : I am not the messiah Everyone: He’s the messiah

[@softxpandguest708]

Well he does have a *really* nice hat...

[@shenoathompson9590]

This is the whole plot of The Life of Brian just with Tom and Pirates

[@mirzaahmed6589]

Mad Cap'n Tom's election rivals: He's a very naughty boy.

[@TankR]

Ah yes, the reluctant messiah.... "I am not your messiah!!!" 'hes so humble, lets make him our messiah! Capt'n Tom is our Messiah!!!' "No Im not! Im no roll model!" 'We shall live our lives by your example, oh Capt'n our Capt'n!' "[Tom takes off hat and drops the accept] Okay, its fun and all, but seriously guys I..." '[draws swords and flint locks] ...Put the hat back on, lad...' "[Tom puts hat back on and lets out a shaky] ye...yearrr?" 'YEAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG!!!' [music starts up, tankards fill]

[@mirzaahmed6589]

I should know, I've followed a few.

[@catfish552]

Don't apologise, Tom. You treated student politics with exactly the amount of respect and dignity it deserves.

[@Talia_Arts]

Yep, the only time I was ever in was when I got sick with strep throat for campaigning week and I ran as a joke to begin with

[@razinahmedkhantalha936]

Which is nil

[@segmentsAndCurves]

@@razinahmedkhantalha936 That the joke :D

[@50puft]

As someone on my high school's school council, I 100% agree

[@xeraphyx7903]

@@50puft Where I went to school, the student council was a complete joke. I ran for one year because I thought it was cool, but we had zero authority on doing anything for the school. We were essentially slaves, doing the hard labor for teachers envisioning their own events and whatnot.

[@iAmTheSquidThing]

Mad Cap'n Tom for prime minister 2022. Perhaps what we need is a reluctant leader.

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

Bring back conscription, but only for civil servants :)

[@nolanwestrich2602]

I know this comment is 2 years old, but I want to point out that Cincinnatus and George Washington were spectacular leaders.

[@Zombie-lx3sh]

That's what Plato advocated for in the Republic. He argued that people who wanted to be kings were the least likely to do a good job of it and that philosophers should be forced to serve as kings for the greater good despite having no interest in the role.

[@BenTheBeanYT]

Andy Brice too bad foreigners can’t be president of the U.S, I’d vote for him.

[@genericembarrassingusernam7843]

Hell, were he not a foreign national, he'd make a better US president.

[@llaughridge]

"The plan was not to win, the plan was to come in second ... and to run just to annoy everyone. ... A perfect storm happened ... their supporters hated each other ... " You just described the 2016 US election results.

[@joewwilliams]

My thoughts exactly.

[@57thorns]

@@joewwilliams It would have been if a third party candidate had won. Which would have happened with preferred voting instead of winner takes all electorates.

[@InsideInterpreting]

And Brexit

[@StopChangingUsernamesYouTube]

Come to think of it, wouldn't it have been better if a lad dressed like a pirate won the election?

[@Heksu99]

"No comedy candidate has ever won"

[@EnterElysium]

Speaking as a former student under President Mad Cap't Tom at York, he was by far the best President for YUSU I can remember probably because of what he said at 11:21 ish.

[@grahamrich9956]

+EnterElysium Haven't seen you here before!

[@devastator5042]

wow small world Elysium sorta knows the Mad Cap'n Tom

[@danielkelly1335]

+devastator5042 love you EE

[@TheNerd484]

+EnterElysium I didn't know you also watched Tom Scott, Neat!

[@jacefairis1289]

+EnterElysium Huh, it's EnterElysium. Small world.

[@rileysteidel7084]

"You're winning by a landslide."" Concerned "ARRRR?"

[@Blade.5786]

Underrated as hell

[@TankR]

[turns to crew over shoulder] Keep to the sea lads, apparently the land is none too stable 'ere....

[@mattandtom]

Fine, I got rid of the Comic Sans on the intro. Just be glad I didn't have a copy of Papyrus. - Tom

[@BlobVanDam]

+Matt and Tom I almost feel bad for bitching about that on the last video, but then I realize it resulted in eliminating Comic Sans, so now I'm feeling pretty good about it. Huzzah!

[@kirito1267]

+Matt and Tom so you've played undertale..... YAY

[@wiet111]

+Matt and Tom You still haven't changed the outro ;P

[@Kram1032]

+Matt and Tom next up: Gast-- err... WingDings

[@DanielSultana]

+Matt and Tom Do fix the outro on your next video

[@samsamsABC]

You inducted me and my fresher's year with your speech! I remember it to this day! Entering Central Hall on wheels to the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. Glorious! Thanks Tom. It put me at ease that I had chosen the right university :) I thought I'd recognised you from somewhere when I saw the long hair and it was bugging me until you posted this video!! Small world XD

[@zekeolson6279]

"The best leaders are those that have leadership thrust upon them." -Dumbledore

[@PigeonIncorperated]

yes

[@supremechaosbeing2696]

the people who really want to be in power tend not to be the people you want in power

[@codinghub3759]

As someone who was forcibly made the class head multiple times, I quite agree.

[@wrywh]

I arrived at University of York to an induction ceremony from Tom. It was certainly an experience.

[@anttibjorklund1869]

Pretty much anything after "Do you want to tell what was happening in York, because *I* was in Latvia?!" is comedy gold XD

[@Packbat]

Matt's double-take around 10:31 about how you didn't need to sign the form to be nominated to run was kind of amazing. Just a complete "wow, that is ripe for abuse" expression.

[@SocksMacguffin]

THAT WAS YOU! For some reason you keep on turning up in small parts of my childhood that I had completely forgotten about.

[@inanjarif1388]

It's a small world

[@leadnitrate2194]

@@inanjarif1388and it's a big Tom Scott

[@segmentsAndCurves]

@@leadnitrate2194 Lmao :D

[@eyesforthewise]

The same people that created movie stars, are creating the tom Scott's of the world. Wake up, same game just different rules now

[@ilexdiapason]

Phil Lester was a student under Mad Cap'n Tom. This just blew my mind while I was booking my open day visit for a couple of weeks from now.

[@chemicalfuzzy]

o h

[@joelle1588]

Wait how do you know that??? How??

[@ilexdiapason]

@@joelle1588 i looked up when phil did his masters at york and it lined up with this story taking place in 2008

[@really-quite-exhausted]

I think Phil was finishing his bachelor's when Tom was campaigning and won (summer 2008), and then Phil was doing his master's while Tom was president (2008-2009). They both studied linguistics too.

[@tessa_hs1827]

that’s so crazy, such a small world! i wonder if they ever talked. or if phil remembers tom scott winning the election

[@timj987]

YOU ARE VERY WELCOME

[@TomScottGo]

+Tim Jeffries Damn it, Tim.

[@twilliamspro]

+Tom Scott Could you not have Resigned and said "i wasn’t supposed to win"

[@thelastcube.]

You were the person behind the best president York will ever have

[@Blade.5786]

@@twilliamspro He could,but he was elected by the people. Democracy at its finest.

[@hmmyou2544]

@@TomScottGo That reply shows the age of this video. The + instead of the @, back when Google Plus existed.

[@__-iw1io]

Here we see that Tom has finally reached the age where he doesn't give any care about his embarrassing moments anymore and simply deals with it.

[@thelastcube.]

So Tom overachieved his way as a comedy candidate to become the real president, All I can say is that this is such a Tom Scott thing to do

[@CleverCrumbish]

This exact thing happened again two years ago at Queen's University Belfast. The original candidacy was probably inspired by Tom's story but the utterly useless and condescending efforts of the SU and the frankly dangerous and untrustworthy policies of the other tickets (especially since nobody but the novelty pirate candidate mentioned anything negative at all about the one issue the student body as a whole cared about treating negatively) drove major disillusionment with the system that year, which ended up driving Cap'n Gallagher to a landslide victory. He was a pretty good president, all told. Certainly far better than we should have got out of that terrible election.

[@sonicmeerkat]

makes sense why a pirate would be talking bad about a government.

[@goose4919]

Any stories?

[@ComradeCheekiBreeki]

Now after reading Tom's wikipedia page, I know that he again ran as Mad Cap'n Tom for PM in the 2010 general election, and was voted on by Noel Gallagher

[@AlexBelethe]

In Denmark we have a guy (Jacob Haugaard, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Haugaard) who ran for Parliament as a joke, with campaign promises as "Tailwind on the bike paths" and "Shorter queues in the supermarkets". He ended up getting elected!

[@mrbigsmile3902]

Since no one ever said this, thanks for the link! Great read. "When his portrait was hung in the parliament, Haugaard commented that it should serve as a warning that any idiotic populist might get elected."

[@anyGould]

Worth noting that you didn't wreck everyone's life plan. Just the one person who would have won - and you probably improved their life by preventing them from becoming a politician. :)

[@AndyLundell]

If someone's life plan depended on winning an election, then it sounds like Cap'n Tom taught them an important life lesson.

[@truenickspivak]

@@AndyLundell a student election no less

[@AjarTadpole7202]

Who Would win an Election: Motivated Student Council Members with a manifesto promising to make the school better using their political experience or One Piratey Boi

[@jsoc2424]

“You will remember this as the day you almost caught Mad Cap’n Tom!”

[@esbenandersen5706]

While most politicians run like they're serious and turn into jokes when elected, you did a reversal there. Good job! :-)

[@samuelmumby7982]

I spent the whole video mentally fixing the gap in that fence. Send help.

[@dylc413]

oh my god! I didn't see it till you said it! 😥

[@vanillasadboi]

I thought I was the only one.

[@luxify400]

Samuel Mumby omfg im not the only one

[@mickys8065]

Samuel Mumby just a small triangular wedge to straighten it out...

[@Redspl]

I was thinking about alternative methods of mounting the door in it. It looks pretty weird.

[@LauraSchmaura]

This is such an amazing story, genuinely in tears laughing. I didn't really need any more reasons to have a little bit of a nerd crush on Tom Scott but Mad Cap'n Tom has absolutely topped the list.

[@ilexdiapason]

the little nerd crush on tom scott is a way of life

[@aliveslice]

Yeah, little...

[@amayahuq]

you're right. We didn't need any more reasons but we got more and I am not complaining

[@verity3616]

+

[@spcxplrr]

i love how all of the comments from people at york university are all like "this guy was the best president in memory"

[@aliceness]

I know a rather significant number of ex York students and I had heard bits of this story from outside perspectives many times! It was nice to finally hear it from the horses' mouth. It would be interesting to see your speech after winning, though... :)

[@frederf3227]

Where's the ballad? It happened this day, not long ago Dozen years passing as I remember The air was a-chill, the students were down 'Cus trouble was stirrin' in late September Lockhorn lubbers were havin' a feud For honorable office shows rotten behavior Then what masts poked o'er the horizon A wagon for sloop and an old-timey savior Damned be the time and damned be the place You can't stop a man of such aplomb Shouldn't have come to pass, but both feller and lass Made mark on the day for Mad Cap'n Tom

[@orangegreenn]

That was beautiful.

[@3seven5seven1nine9]

I'm crying

[@thelastcube.]

_a single tear runs down the cheek_

[@calebrobson7357]

Do you mind if I put this to music and record it to send to Tom?

[@Blade.5786]

👏😭

[@onionbot2]

Talk like a pirate day *YOU WOULDN’T STEAL A MOVIE*

[@zepic9093]

You would not download a car

[@EIbows]

Yes I would, and I'd download a car too

[@hectormugwump5530]

Praise be to Poseidon for Mad Cap'n Tom learnin' the lad to smile that smile, the dreamy bastard.

[@CyberKirby]

As someone whose Birthday happens to be September 19th, and has always dismissed 'Talk Like A Pirate Day' of never having anything really impactful come out of it, I HAPPILY stand corrected.

[@BrickShipments]

'Appy birthday, me hearty!

[@HarryMills]

As someone who was involved in a student society both before, during, and after Mad Cap'n Tom's "reign" I remember that the few times I interacted with the student union were better during his time. In particular, the freshers fair at the start of the year he was president ran pretty smoothly, and when it came to tidying up at the end he got everyone organised and it was done in under an hour (as I remember it). The years after that I think I saw people inside still clearing up four hours after the event was finished.

[@IceMetalPunk]

The mention of polyphonic ringtones and Nokias made me pause the video and just freeze up, gasp, and take a moment as the nostalgia hit me like a brick...phone. Those rubber buttons. The games of Snake. The very phrase "polyphonic ringtone" and the websites from which they were downloaded.... I'M AN OLD MAN, TOM, THANKS FOR REMINDING ME.

[@williamotani8892]

I know this is a two-year-old video, but at 18:36 what Matt said kinda made me feel something.

[@elbowsbuns1896]

Same

[@melanierhianna]

I am old. There has been a previous comedy SU president before. It was in the 1980s (1985 I think). A guy stood under the banner of the Penguin Liberation Front. He was a liked about as much as you were Tom! He was a damn good president!

[@GauthamHNayak]

It's actually so weird to see all the mad stuff Tom has done, and he still acts normal - I mean, multiple TV quiz show appearances, Mad Cap'n Tom, made multiple viral quizzes, recognised by the British government, played an ancient game with some guy from the royal museum... it's MAD. absolutely MAD.

[@TheLunaLockhart]

let me just say that every great story starts with "I've stopped hating it now"

[@kidwhizz]

I knew I recognised you from somewhere, I was doing my masters at the time aswell, I voted for you!

[@Jack-Oates]

I went on a tour of York University, one of the student ambassadors mentioned this to me. It still lives on.

[@japare4180]

After seeing the golden duck, how could I have voted for anyone else? Although I now feel guilty to have caused you such stress. Too good for your own good..

[@sjeskey8361]

As a student in York and a person that's lived in York for over 10 years, Mad Captain Tom deserves a statue outside the Minster

[@tylerchiu7065]

You can just hear how reluctant Tom is to talk about this story.

[@jaxsjpg3225]

Walking around campus today telling my friend the story of mad cap’n Tom when I saw a poster advertising your campaign. Was a funny coincidence.

[@hillsinhighplaces]

The 'learnt to smile' bit is genuinely lovely :)))

[@beyondhelp85]

Tom: "I don't know if there's copyright for that." Me: "Piracy.. "

[@suburiboy]

That is a great story that vacillates between grim and hilarious. As a 23 year old PhD student, I wish I had been the kind of kid in college and high school that could have done stupid stuff like that.

[@TheR0ry]

I'm at york uni now it's interesting to know

[@FoxDren]

+TheR0ry you should run for president as a relative of mad cap't tom

[@mattandtom]

+Ascdren Don't. Take my advice. Just... don't.

[@InShortSight]

+Matt and Tom I've got a terrible eye, did yee type "Just... Do it"?

[@mediocrefunkybeat]

+Matt and Tom Make sure you lose at Roses though. #Lancasterhere

[@Starwarsfan161]

+TheR0ry AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH YE Temp'ed to run fooaarr president?

[@lagoleth]

Alton towers: so what would you like Tom: I want a hat!

[@boredincan]

4.5 hours by car. "Gee that's a long trek!". UK problems in a nutshell

[@theofu42]

Pogla The Grate fair. Fair.

[@thelastcube.]

Ahaha I noticed that too

[@ragnkja]

Double it, as he had to get back to York again as well.

[@ausername9190]

It’s difficult to imagine Tom went from a pirate to an educational channel

[@beth12svist]

Not quite so difficult when you know some of the steps in between... like the "Illegal things to do in London" video, which bridges the gap quite neatly: it teaches you something, but it's also undeniably silly.

[@kated442]

Tom's description of his incoherent victory speech reminds me of the story about the news anchor who had a panic attack on air and you can't really tell what's going on, just that he looks terrified and he's not making sense. Can't imagine the stress of being pulled in front on an angry crowd like that. But it makes a very funny story altogether, especially with Tom's storytelling style.

[@DanielJohnNicholson]

Watching this in 2022 as a fresher at York is so very strange.

[@DallyBearNK]

I think this where Tom learned the art of the bodge! :P

[@rufioh]

I just got roped into being a pirate for a scene in a charity comedy show, and your video really gave me the courage to just go for it on stage. Thanks guys

[@tolkienpotat2574]

How did it go?

[@95DarkFire]

Tom: "No comedy cnadidate has ever won! 2016: Hold my orange.

[@gwenynorisu6883]

One of the better, if subtle things about Disney's take on Pirates is that _only one_ of the cast actually talks like Robert Newton, and that's Barbarossa who's essentially filling the Long John Silver role anyway. All the others... wide array of accents and vocal styles. Someone on the staff actually did their research and thought things through.

[@GeonQuuin]

Oh man, I go back to this every now and then just because it's fun. It's like re-reading that one epic arc of a comic book

[@MakotoTheKnight]

Wait...was this what led to the original Techdif radio show and podcast getting started?

[@requiembeeblebroxx]

That was a wild ride from start to finish. Embarrassment, delight, astonishment, and the sweetest damn ending imaginable. You're an excellent storyteller, Tom.

[@Joeobrown1]

so did you keep up the act during the whole year?

[@mattandtom]

+Joe Brown No, we quickly worked out that it's just be for "ceremonial occasions". I figure it was a decent balance.

[@satiric_]

+Matt and Tom "it just be for ceremonial occasions" - so it slips out now and again?

[@KatieKat223]

+satiric_rug They mean during the year at Uni

[@KatieKat223]

***** I think the person was asking if by "Ceremonial Occasions" that occasionally he'd do it by accident, which he didn't. They were saying that if an event came up they'd get him all dressed up and go out on stage. They're welcome to correct me, though.

[@Blade.5786]

@@KatieKat223(yes I know this was 4 years ago) the original guy who replied to Tom,@satiric,quoted that part of Tom's comment had pirate-speak,either accidentally or deliberately, impossible to tell. He wasn't asking about the ceremonial occasions.

[@tulbanhawk]

THIS SHOULD BE TELEVISED HOLY COW

[@Fitzroyfallz]

that scar they put on his face is crazy accurate foreshadowing

[@2x4noah]

Tom has lived an interesting life

[@vale.antoni]

"Give most of the power to the one who wants it the least!"

[@arkady0177]

"no comedy candidate has ever won" *Ukraine 2019 presidential election has entered the chat*

[@algee2005]

every politician is a comedian, they all make up bizarre stuff everyone laughs about, more or less.

[@JudithOpdebeeck]

why did it take me this long to realise the significance behind an anual competition between York and Lancaster, called ROSES?!

[@11jokerchen11]

"I learned to smile" I didn't expect this story to make me cry but here we are

[@57thorns]

If there is any power in the presidency, Tom was the perfect unwilling candidate. I suspect you had the right combination of serious and joking to do right by the students.

[@LeoStaley]

I miss this channel.

[@hillsinhighplaces]

God tom has such an interesting life wtf

[@samramdebest]

the hardware store is selling their wood pre shivered?

[@mrsweasley6005]

As in 'shiver me timbers'

[@colonelpopcorn7702]

I swear the more I look into Tom Scott and what he's done, the deeper the iceberg gets

[@BlobVanDam]

Why is this the first I'm hearing of this amazing story?

[@the-chipette]

Imagine when Tom's kids possibly hear of this story in the future - he'd be the coolest dad with dad jokes!😂

[@hullinstruments]

3:05 goddamn that laugh gets me every time. I really miss seeing Matt around more. I’ve been told by at least a dozen people that I look exactly like him. Except I live here in the USA so that’s really saying something… That it doesn’t people would approach me and say that even here in the US

[@MazeFrame]

Pretzels, "Weißwurst" (for the English guys arround: weishwursht), Beer and snoring at 3 am. Pretty accurate describtion of Germany^^ Also: Thanks for Matt laughing when someone who can be called "Matt" laughs aswell. We are one!

[@sylvainforget2174]

As someone who has been poked in the ribs for snoring, I believe that anyone who expect to sleep in a hostel without earplugs and complain about snorers should be hung (¿to reflect? ) .

[@OoOoOo-we3dn]

Weißwurst is illegal in my part of Germany, but the rest is accurate

[@mchagnon7]

I was expecting a sea shanty, but this is great.

[@KohuGaly]

:-D :-D :-D :-D this is the most hilarious thing I've heard in a long time :-D I had no idea Tom was a pirate mad captain :-D

[@vaclav_fejt]

There's something about him in Parliament elections as Mad Capn' Tom on wikipedia, but but not the whole story.

[@Blade.5786]

@@vaclav_fejt If you search up the York University Student Union on Wikipedia, there's also a little bit of tribute to Mad Cap'n Tom. :D

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

I don't think ambition can carry a student politician; from the sounds of it, you worked as hard as you should and you brought joy and you never meant to win. I recently saw a friend of mine win without ambition though for very much the opposite reason; having been part of a number of charities, he decided to win based on a personal fury and need to fix basically everything in the world, starting with the coast of Scotland. I have a lot of respect for him, and for you, because you've both done extremely well with the platforms you've earned. And you did earn it, by being the second-best candidate in an election where the best didn't show up, and being a damn good one too. Ambition seems... dangerous, in an environment like a Uni wherein many of the more significant decisions in peoples' lives are being made, yet everything still has that nice reassurance of things not going *so* wrong, right? You gotta believe in your position, not just yourself, even if your position is to talk like a pirate and make sure people are laughing. I don't have much basis for most of this other than observation and opinion, but it does ring true? I've been surrounded by taking student politics very seriously for the real benefits it can have for an area, and the idea of people doing it for personal gain is rather scary. Doing it for a lark and not intending to be a serious candidate should work well, but ofc sometimes the competition just isn't as good as Mad Cap'n Tom.

[@kenknerr7226]

Never regret how you perform in stressful times in your life. It is those times in which you find out who you really are.

[@Mousy677]

tom trying valiantly not to laugh when matt is talking about tim filling out a form is weirdly endearing

[@mfaizsyahmi]

Sounds like a story straight outta the "Of all things that didn't happen, this didn't happen the most" tag... It's amazing what Fate has installed for you, and hopefully for all of us!

[@holdonnow_youngster]

i swear, tom has been relavent on the internet since the internet was invented.

[@GwenSpanner]

I'm pretty sure he is the entire internet at this point

[@proefslak]

That sound at 19:20 caught me by surprise! My heart was beating extremely fast.

[@kathybramley5609]

Part of me is dead jealous and part of me is sympathetically wanting to give you a hug, not that this is neccesary or wanted probably listening to this. Small part is simply shaking my head. Definitely small honest.

[@vickymc9695]

That's hats from darkblade. They're a nice UK company. :)

[@Hannah_Em]

From the title alone... this is gonna be GOOD

[@inmusicsam]

why have i never heard of this even though I've watched Tom for years now...??? I keep finding out things i didn't know from YEARS ago.......... This man's internet presence is literally as undiscovered as the deep sea

[@deanc9195]

Tom looked genuinely pissed off with the student president story...

[@Makujah_]

Jesus. It feels like this man was solely behind every internet thing in Britain

[@mediocrefunkybeat]

Our former SU president did go on to stand at the General election last year. Fortunately he lost in the constituency. You're absolutely right about why most people enter student politics.

[@handiman5001]

What a wonderful story,

[@ollyhassell3968]

My English teacher was talking about how he used to go to York uni and I realised he was there the same years as you ran for president and he was someone who voted for you 😂😂

[@55seddel]

This is still one of my favorite stories on the internet. I call it up when I need some soothing comedy.

[@jamesl8640]

The SS unsinkable joke and I'm laughing more than I think I should be.

[@igorordecha]

15:35 genuine trauma right there

[@abbott75]

Hahahaha "The Golden Duck"! You should have explained that to the yanks ;)

[@MikeRees]

The outro jingle made me jump! Someone actually told me this story just yesterday. Weird!