THE FINE PRINT | The Outer Worlds Song (Reaction/Breakdown) The Stupendium

[@YouLoveSkyler]

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[@raymondwiggins354]

For 4:56 it seems more like you would rent an apology from the company if you are upset, not you spending money to apologize about something.

[@MortemFalbare]

The thing that gets me the most about the "You can rent an apology" line is the keyword "Rent", as in it's not even a permanent thing. They take back the apology after your rental time is up!

[@spongeintheshoe]

Unless you can pay the rent on a regular schedule.

[@mrawesomeface4174]

​@@spongeintheshoeExactly. It's that easy!

[@Telephunky]

Plus the questionable value of an apology given for money. That's what I get the most with that line. It's monetizing interpersonal relations and thus trivialising them, paradoxically reducing their value (as in meaning) by giving them a price. Great video and good comment.

[@m0rg4ntherobo-inkling92]

In the corus, the word "work" is repeated 5 times. Smart reference to working a 9 to 5, 5 days a week

[@J939N]

My favorite is the line "we make what we're allowed and give it right back at the bar"

[@18videowatcher41]

The moon man is actually more of a company mascot. Specifically for the Spacer’s Choice company. Their shtick is selling products that are relatively affordable compared to those of other companies, but also have a commensurate reduction in quality. Their slogan is literally “You’ve tried the best, now try the rest.”

[@KobeGuydude]

Like the jack in the box “mascot” vs the actual person behind the mask/whoever is actually running the company. Anyways probably me just spreading my view but anything I see nowadays is open to /allowing the spread of galactic corporations like those who allowed/ currently allow the lies of conservation without interfering when others threaten life as we know it

[@Dannysapphire]

It's crazy on how real this song is. Yeah it's about a game but this is far from Fiction. Great commentary.

[@300IQPrower]

Stupendium actually used to make training videos for Shell. He straight up has an irl anti-capitalist origin story.

[@Dannysapphire]

@@300IQPrower that's pretty awesome. Never knew that. Thank you

[@tianna3024]

to be fair the game itself has pretty much the same anti-capitalist message

[@Chi.mer4]

@@tianna3024he does it a lot with his songs apparently

[@nikko1358]

Nigga you drink $12 coffee

[@GrahamChapman]

"If you're upset you can rent an apology" brings to my mind how most court cases against criminally scumbaggy people among the elites tend to end up with us being forced to settle for settlements. "If you feel we've wronged you then some money should make us good, provided you're anything like us and money is the only thing you care about that is? You better be like us because us giving you scrap money off of our table is honestly as happy an ending as we're gonna let you have. But in return for giving you money to make you feel better, you have to stop saying that we're criminal scumbags or else we'll sue you into the ground." So, in the end, they get away without sentencing and don't even have to confess that they ever actually did anything wrong, just that we feel that they did something wrong, and all we get is a (to them) cheap apology that doesn't fix anything, that doesn't heal anything, and that just reiterates the power imbalance...

[@dilophoraptordouble]

Rent an apology means you pay them money for it. that's what the entire bar is about, Everything goes to them, you get nothing. You feel they wrong you? YOU pay them for a *rented* apology.

[@GrahamChapman]

@@dilophoraptordouble Sorry for the delay, YT didn't deign inform me that I had received a reply so I just saw that you had dropped me a line just now thanks to deciding to rewatch this reaction. Anyway, yes, I know what "rent an apology" means, I'm just saying that the concept reminds me of how, as things stand in the world right now, they buy our silence without even having to apologise or be held accountable for anything while we don't really have much of a choice but giving in to their settlement demands... And that's when they're not silencing our voices with SLAPP suits and other such crummy shit.

[@Lamadon_Pyreus]

@@GrahamChapman In the end, the money they gave us will somehow end back up in their hands anyway. We don't stand to gain anything, while they stand to gain the world.

[@Somvanligt..]

“We work” is repeated 5 times, just like workdays on a week

[@louiserickson8109]

This is both relevant to how workers are treated today and the past. Look up "company towns" and how men were paid minimal wages and had to then buy their room and board back from the same company. Absolutely abusive, and absolutely a part of history. The whole labor movement came out of it... and needs to come back again.

[@mosesracal6758]

They werent even paid minimal wages, they were paid with company tickets that function as money - and thats only accepted by the company's own stores, those cant even be exchanged for real money. So basically, the "wages" can only be used and paid back to the company. Knowing Better has a very good and comprehensive doc about company towns here in yt. You can see the similarities to how Halcyon operates and how Company Towns did too even to the promise of a better future.

[@spongeintheshoe]

Or rather, they had their room and board loaned to them at high interest rates that their minimal pay could never hope to match, and when they failed to pay it back, they had to work off the debt... doing the same jobs that required them to take out those loans to begin with.

[@hopesmith3048]

While this was the case for most company towns, look up Hershey, Pennsylvania.

[@jlwolf29]

"Quality guarantee, comfort sold separately" on the slums sign hits hard too from someone whose lived in slums

[@BlastMagicianYGO]

Stupendium writes about capitalism, it's what he does. It's to the point where, for me, it's basically like saying the sky is blue. That's not to say he does it with every song, but if he can hit that angle, he will.

[@NinjaTyler]

I mean it's an angle that needs to be hit as much as possible as nothing will change until rampant unchecked capitalism is addressed in the government

[@mosesracal6758]

Tbf, most of the games he cover does have that as a main angle - also he plays it so well, might as well let him lol

[@Morally_Ambiguous]

considering he's from england and the intense class system and capitalism here. It's not surprising he'd talk about capitalism as he probably talking from experience

[@ThMrksman]

Don't confuse slavery with capitalism. This is Dubai level indentured servitude dressed up as capitalism and you seem to have fallen for it hook line and sinker, just like the protagonist of the song.

[@wyvernscale9634]

​@ThMrksman 1. The slavery in this game is happening directly because of the capitalist system that allows the private corporation to get away with it, drenched in explicitly corporate lingo, referencing real aspects of irl capitalism, it's capitalist slavery. 2. Stupendium also has songs about other games about capitalism, see cyberpunk, where the entire plot is that futuristic late stage capitalism lol Stupes does, indeed sing about capitalism, and they are so right to do so lol

[@ribby9069]

I love the bit with the moon man “singalong” marker showing the message that the company wants them to repeat

[@letitmyth8423]

him: "what the opposite of progress" my brain: "congress" wait a minute

[@eadweard2214]

The true literary foreshadowing.

[@TimoRutanen]

If fire-fighters fight fire, and crime-fighters fight crime, who do freedom-fighters fight ?

[@januzzell8631]

Because you pause, I suddenly realised one of those Occupied gravestones had an eviction notice on it!!!

[@rydergolde3169]

one of the opening quests in the game involves you having to *literally* collect rent for graves from people still living iirc, 2/3 are paying to actually *reserve* their grave, while the third one is paying on behalf of someone else so their *brother* keeps his grave

[@UnyZombi]

i like how they don't even have names. you aren't a name, you aren't a face. you are a numbered employee, no more important than the guy next to you. lied to and told you're valued, when your gravestone has been right in front of you, no name even on it

[@GaliantSilverhawk]

For a few years, Stupendium bridged some of his songs with something about an apology. Fine print : You can rent an apology Chairman of the board- As the Monopoly tycoon: Well you could call it a robbery you can't afford an apology What a foul day: You want an apology? I'm off with your crockery.

[@Chi.mer4]

He must love that rhyme scheme man.

[@lilzord4762]

Just saw the notification, I am super excited. I'm so glad you are reacting to more stupendium songs. He is definitely one of my favourite youtube artists.

[@ThatOAOHyperGuy]

Just saw ur stuff, I honestly took "con" in "economy" like that as well, but someone else I saw gave another viewpoint. Con can be interpreted as something like "con-artist" the people that trick you into things you have no idea your being tricked into which plays on the economy part and the theme of the song really well for example the fine print was there to trick you into signing something you had no idea you were signing. Just another look in that line right there!

[@ЕвгенийСемёнов-в2щ]

Great reaction, thanks! Many here already mentioned The House Always Wins, but I would also recommend Data Stream in the same theme. It's literally "Dystopic Robot Capitalism the Dance Remix", as someone called it.

[@jennytaylor3986]

I very much second Data Stream. In terms of chaos I'd say it's the middle ground between this one and Ad Infinitum and it's very much in my regular playlist rotation.

[@NebKrahe]

Matter of Factories is also a good one, focused on an impact of a rampant capitalism on nature

[@ribby9069]

Love the reactions. I’d recommend Death and Taxes, tune into the madness, the apex, or slide into the void. But you can’t really go wrong with stupendium in all honesty

[@FrostyJokerr]

To clear the confusion (I know I’m a little late here) but the “We earn the right to work” part is considered a Chorus but has elements of a Hook. The last part is the Bridge that leads into the Fine Print section which is the Refrain.

[@ExecutiveSonda]

It's a Joy, Matter of Factories, House Always Wins, so many great works from Stupendium.

[@thetermintator9071]

Moon man is actually a mascot for spacers choice

[@Florjb0rjTheFloorboard]

When it comes to spitting fire, Stupendium's got the matter in hands

[@jmurray1110]

Yeah that faux currency your talking about has a name Scrip was a monetary system used by company towns it was entirely worthless outside of the town, had no conversion and it’s value was entirely determined by the corporation making it impossible to leave because they couldn’t buy anything from the outside world

[@RandomPerson-fg1jf]

I feel like every The Stupendium fan has one line from this song that's just stuck with them and comes back into the forefront of their mind whenever capitalism starts doing its thing a little too much. For me, it's "no I in team, but there's con in economy". The rest of the comments seem to be suggesting future The Stupendium songs, so aside from those or basically any of the newer ones, I'm just going to mention some older songs that we shouldn't forget about: The Aftermath Impossible Geometry (ft. Chi-Chi) Why Did I Say Okie Doki? Chairman of the Board Just so you're aware they exist as reaction options too.

[@jennytaylor3986]

For me it's the bit a little before "we put the dollar back into idolatry"

[@IsaGh0st]

"To pay off your grave since we leased you your cradle" or the whole "We work" chorus

[@snipsnip8785]

ad infinitum is probably my favorite, it fits the character he was trying to portray perfectly

[@lukasholtkamp7614]

The line with "It dips at one end and the bench is unstable" can be interpreted in another way when you consider how "And you'll be grateful" was before it: It could be a metaphor for workers that try to defend higher-ups because they gave them gratification for their work even if it's mostly worthless (like 1 day more of vacation, a small raise that doesn't even cover inflation or not even a raise at all, but some arcades or a trampolin in the break room)

[@h3lblad3]

I saw someone mention the other day that the chorus has 5 repeats of "We work" because there's 5 days in the average work day. Also, just in case anyone missed it, at the end of the chorus when Stupes says, "To earn the right to die", the door behind the text says, "Retirement District". Also also, the bit where the grave has an eviction notice on it, there are actually cities out there (and London is also experimenting with this now) that reuse plots after a certain amount of time. The dead are absolutely being turned out of their "final" resting places even today.

[@morganariano2577]

I look forward to a new future of working for the corporations and Halcyon, lol oh wait, we already work for corporations.

[@CamoCraft109]

If you want more songs on modern day issues by him I would recommend The Data Stream, but if you want a more heartfelt song I would recommend Shine Through- but, honestly, all of his songs are amazing.

[@thehollowmasterg]

EYYYYYYY! I'm glad you came back to Stupendium after that crazy start! Love your reactions my guy

[@leonmorte7241]

If you've ever played Fallout: New Vegas, I recommend The House Always Wins, my favorite song by Stupendium

[@LowbrowDeluxe]

Art of Darkness next! I just love the storytelling.

[@shanegibson3281]

stupes does "evil corporate higher up" characters way too well

[@VelvieTheBunny]

You look like if The Click and Baz were mixed together. I'm sorry man, I saw the opportunity, and I took it.

[@theluckywicks]

if you want a DEEP Stupendium song then I recommend his Subnautica song. No pun intended.

[@josephdickson6572]

Seriously need a t-shirt with "there's no i in team but there's con in economy"

[@perkymina9275]

The way Disney did that situation not too long ago with the guy that went to Disney with his wife then the wife told the chef who worked at the restaurant that she was allergic to nuts And the restaurant still put nuts into the dish at the time she didn’t have her EpiPen and died from an allergic reaction inside the restaurant the man tried to sue the Disney world restaurant and he can’t sue them because in 2016 he signed a subscription for a week to use Disney+ and in the fine print it says that he couldn’t sue Disney for any reason including harm to him or any bodily injury that involves Disney I don’t read the fine print and everything but I know that I never signed up anything with Disney and I’m so grateful that I 🏴‍☠️ everything but in retrospect I remember when this situation first start coming out and people were boycotting Disney but it’s almost impossible to boycott a business that owns literally everything like Amazon and they make so much money with tons of lawyers that would just make every situation just blow away me rewatching This music video is actual reality in 2024 

[@acompletelynormalhuman6392]

Personally this song reminds me of company towns

[@inkypaintbrush4775]

This is Capitalism made into a song! Could also be the anthem for Lethal Company

[@groobells]

Love stupendium, you should do his on fallout new Vegas Robert House next!

[@andrecalio4222]

Great reaction!

[@Mathilda-nr5fj]

Gives me strong Sixteen Tons vibes

[@edvazquez-arizpe7852]

ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more stupendium!!!!

[@edvazquez-arizpe7852]

if you want a similar message and a slower tune i recommend the house always wins (also by stupendium)

[@Жнец-ь1ы]

and that is why we, workers, made our movement: the Communism

[@SnicklefritzdoesYT]

I like the content man, underrated! Just subbed:

[@mushog]

New viewer/sub!! I really suggest the true colours song by him! It's really emotional and has a really nice message

[@Eater65]

Skyler did you notice Rustage and DanBull as two of the workers?

[@NebKrahe]

Stupendium loves his anti-capitalism songs

[@mildresources8593]

liked the break down

[@kaitomybeloved6240]

This is one of my favorite songs, I'm getting all excited 😭

[@jasongrant3356]

I im leading a lot for this im in year 10 soo it help my alost more and im in dp

[@jmurray1110]

Actually they could be a family a patriarchal abusive one

[@petzi3110]

You need to react to stupendiums fallout song

[@MrFox-ox2ze]

My guy the average job refuses to pay enough for the average worker to be able to save let alone investment. Fuck entrepreneurialism the rich need to be made to bleed or pay THEIR fair share for once

[@fern5505]

For real, the entire video he’s watching is about how people are unable to move up in the world because the game is rigged against them, and then he’s just like “you should invest”

[@blakeremy5680]

If its not crazy and overloading off the bat i usually wouldnt enjoy the song, there is a reason i skip the first part of come sail away

[@janjunker6458]

Uhm, I have a suggestion, "rest employed" ...

[@jmurray1110]

Certainly a good one

[@chrisrodriguez1685]

About rampid capitalism which ironically ends in ISM the same as fascism and communism this is really no difference between the three the only difference is how they operate in the end they care about the same thing power money and control.

[@jmurray1110]

Communism isn’t so uniform There is a wide range on the authoritarian axis from Stalinism to ancom

[@jedimitroff5952]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@Krabbypattystealer]

LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH

[@jmurray1110]

You advocating of huddle culture isn’t good It’s a toxic and heavily exploitive mind set working 1 job should be enough for a family work live off and there should be robust social nets Capitalism is a scourge but if it’s too exist it much be supported with lots of social programs and a health middle class

[@spoiledindie-i554]

I honestly agreed I took this as a critical critique of "privatized tyranny" or unfettered capitalism, just a huge company obsessing with limitless growth at the expense of the workers and their lives!