The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall of X

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The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall of X

Рет қаралды 10,160

Күн бұрын

An Xtremely Xciting video essay
A further reading list, plus a lot of my own writing that was cut out of the final video, is available for $2 patrons: / whatssograce
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► Patreon: / whatssograce
► Twitter: / whatssograce
► Tumblr: / whatssogreataboutthat

Пікірлер: 104

@ajpbrunet 8 ай бұрын

This is the best kind of video essay: one you start watching without knowing what to expect at all, hits you with something you can't quite put into words, and leaves you with a new little corner of brainspace to explore. Anyway this was brilliant that's all I've got for now :)

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! :D

@HippyMayonaise 8 ай бұрын

I've said this, about your work, to a lot of people in my day to day life when talking about the power of syntax in different languages, whether that be in address of traditional spoken and written language or the constructive languages of different art-forms, but I want to say it here because this video stands as such an incredible testament to the fact: you are, I think, the only essayist on KZbin doing interesting and formally compelling communication via syntactic experimentation with both your scripting and montage in ways that cannot individually separate them from each other. Whereas so many writers on this platform, including many brilliant critics and filmmakers, merely patch holes in spots present within their script or edit with the contrary medium, you are intertwining them in a way that is wholly new and compelling heretofore unseen across the platform. Your videos contain film making as exciting as that seen in Cameraperson, Sans Soleil, or F for Fake, and furthermore, feel new in a way those did then but no longer do now. I cannot heap enough praise on your skills and talents.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! Some of the loveliest things to have ever been said about my videos :)

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! :D

@PrestonDLuffy 8 ай бұрын

it took me halfway through this video before realizing it wasn’t about the current run of X-Men comics but just kept watching bc the quality and editing was so engaging!

@felizpanda 8 ай бұрын

Same!

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Haha thank you :D Even I'm surprised I didn't mention X-Men a single time

@mp_click 8 ай бұрын

I saw the notification and thought the same thing 😭 amazing video as always!

@mandatoryburnout 8 ай бұрын

It turns out to be 200% relevant to X-Men comics in this moment I will be taking no questions at this time

@adampanter2947 8 ай бұрын

This essay gets an A...That smug bastard.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Get out of here, A! :D

@enstucky 8 ай бұрын

There’s this classical philosophical theory, that you’re probably also familiar with but I don’t remember the name of, that posits that symbols begin by referencing reality but evolve toward self-reference and referencing other symbols. I know this often gets brought up to describe the alienation that many folks feel in gen x and late, but you make a pretty compelling case that X itself might be a very early example of this idea. Beautiful video, thanks for sharing

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you :) Yes, I originally thought the video was going to focus more on symbols, but ended up going another way. I definitely think there's a case to be made for X as somewhat of a Xerox of a Xerox (to use an X word against itself hehe)

@Manus7100 8 ай бұрын

What an eXquisite meditation on X , and an eXelent eXcuse to binge your vids again

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Hehe :D

@Spooken 8 ай бұрын

Wow, this is superbly edited. Holding my attention often equals a miracle but you somehow managed to do so

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! My attention is similar, I guess I edit for the people like me 😅

@TheBoboSamurai 8 ай бұрын

The editing is excellent, true 👌

@Littlestraincloud 8 ай бұрын

It's criminal that this brilliant essay only has 5k views. Thanks again for blowing my mind, Grace. I didn't know where this one was going, and it was a fun ride to follow. After another essayist was called out for plagiarism, I've been looking at how my favourite essayists deal with citations, and I love how you highlight and read aloud the articles you're citing. It's very accessible, and I can tell you're inspired by their thoughts and part of a discussion with the text. An inspiration as always.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! :D

@danielmukhlis5709 8 ай бұрын

😤Move over Hbomberguy, there’s a new great video essayist in town! For real, though, glad you came back with yet another great video essay!

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Haha thank you! :)

@umamicashflow1809 8 ай бұрын

Legitimately, your work is meaningfully different and leagues better in both content and style than almost all video essays performing cultural commentary on KZbin. I find the genre so dreadfully moribund and shallow and think it's notable (and deserved) that you receive considerable kudos without speaking directly to the camera and encouraging a parasocial connection. Seriously, well done.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! 🥰

@leucamaclean8900 8 ай бұрын

Whenever you upload it’s always such a pleasant surprise

@leucamaclean8900 8 ай бұрын

But I will say- talking about x and body position whilst playing clips of people clearly in a ‘Y’ shape was a bit distracting.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

It was really hard to find people with their legs out 😭 these aren't the kind of scenes that are memorable in movies lol

@leucamaclean8900 8 ай бұрын

@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat yeah kind of antithetical to that lil section. The letter to human body connection feels a lil tenuous. Like it’s a cute idea but the logic doesn’t really extend that well to other letters. T is a man on a cross, Y is someone waving for help- but in reality I think the shapes have more to do with the history of the alphabet and the simplification of pictorial/easily recreatable symbols.

@freakalmighty2533 7 ай бұрын

The answer to What's So Great About That's essays is always the same: EVERYTHING

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 7 ай бұрын

🥰

@manijahannama6894 8 ай бұрын

Now you got me speeding down the rabbit hole of alphabet. Currently thinking about S, O, B and Q. Thanks for always being an inspiration for my intellectual conspiracy theories.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

@mendawen 7 ай бұрын

Just want to say that I remember being there in the early(ish) days of this channel and being blew away by your work, and it's so nice to still feel the same thing today. This is exactly this kind of essays and approach that I find very compelling. It's uncanny how you always find original and interesting subjects, and angles to explore them !

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

@arthurkassabian2528 8 ай бұрын

So due to X's historic use as an ambiguous signifier it has been coopted, fluidly and easily, to mean whatever the users of the sign wishes it to be. Is it purely circumstantial that X became this rather than any other letter: perhaps the ease in which it is drawn and recognized? Also, it is interesting to note, the credibility of Z has certainly gone down hill with the Russian military's use of it.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

I hadn't thought about the potential smearing of Z's name. I think the ease of X to draw, and it's relative lack of use in common vocabulary, are likely both contributing factors

@eoincampbell1584 8 ай бұрын

@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat I think it being symmetrical both vertically and horizontally is also a factor. An X is an X no matter where or how it is placed, which is a property it has in common with basic shapes. I think of the playstation controller; square, triangle, circle, X.

@bbrbbr-on2gd 8 ай бұрын

"Monsters, probably." This is now my go to answer for when I don't know what's in the unknown.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

It's a safe bet

@BlackTestament 8 ай бұрын

Not me thinking this was gonna be a video about the X-files lmao 😭 Either way can't wait see what you cooked up this time☺️ Edit: ok a video about the letter X itself is such a genius bait and switch

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Haha, and I love the X-Files so much as well! It does at least make a brief cameo, I could never leave it out

@menagerie11 8 ай бұрын

This was so Xcellent! What a delight to wake up to a new video from you, I always leave feeling invigorated to think more, and more deeply, about the world after watching your work. (Hope you’re able to restore the Ghibli video eventually too!)

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! :D

@LitosoPHie 8 ай бұрын

Very insightful and beautifully edited video, I would love to one day see a video on your research and writing process!

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you :) I don't really know what I'd say about my research and writing, only that its compiled over many months as I basically wait for sources to find me haha

@AugustRx 8 ай бұрын

Elongated Muskrat holding the whole X economy on his shoulders

@antonvanoppen 8 ай бұрын

As my math teacher once said : F(x) = x^2 + 2x + 1 Truly a variable for both positive and negative values PX: this was a great video with fun and well done editing

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Hehe thank you :D

@ndolo_y2k 8 ай бұрын

Such a great beginning to a video... ah! thoroughly enjoying!!

@TheBoboSamurai 8 ай бұрын

You are talented. Concept and execution followed through, the details are there. I thought it was going to be about something else, but surprise! Captivating.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you :D

@framemygaze 8 ай бұрын

Such a brilliant video essay! Your editing is amazing - the rhythm, the music, your use of diegetic sound and SFX. You transition from one meaning of X to another so seamlessly. I loved how many examples of X came up (like Malcolm X). The supercut style of this is so satisfying - so many great examples and clips. Also, I love the effect you used of underlining words in an article as well as mentioning the authors! Happy I’m subbed

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Thank you! :D

@xenonglow4047 8 ай бұрын

never been so proud to have an x name :) love your channel so much

@infyume 6 ай бұрын

Yet another incredible video from your channel, it makes KZbin still worth visiting. I always had this itch in my head about this rarely yet commonly used, relatively hard to pronounce (yet catchy at the same time) letter with quite its primordial shape. But I don't know if this video satiates my curiosity or has opened new rabbit holes. Anyway, it's made me subscribe to your Patreon (my first one at that!)

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! There's certainly more X shaped rabbit holes to travel down haha

@johnfarrell3958 8 ай бұрын

After this I demand that Sesame Street give you 25 more dedicated ten minutes segments.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

This is the programming the children need!

@LaymanAhoy 8 ай бұрын

Wowza, what a great video! Im always happy when you upload

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

@owlpip8992 8 ай бұрын

absolutely amazing as always!!

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

@C0n0li0 8 ай бұрын

Phenomenal work as always!

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

🥰

@SatansBestBuddy1 8 ай бұрын

9:45 - oh dammit, I never saw that and I love analyzing Ghibli movies, my heart is crushed also how is this video only 12 minutes long, it's so dense that it feels like I've watched both an hour and five minutes at once (this is a compliment, which I only feel like clarifying because it's 4am and I am not articulate enough to actually express how much I enjoyed this video coherently)

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

Haha thank you! :D And the Ghibli essay was re-uploaded on vimeo! vimeo.com/467843907

@ambero8726 8 ай бұрын

Fantastic work here 😁 thanks for sharing with us

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

@newrecru1t 8 ай бұрын

The part about Elon reminds me of my father, because our family name starts with an "X" and it's been this personal signifier for him. Interestingly enough? He's also a bit of an Elon fanboy and I think this definitely played a part in it, he literally bought a Tesla Model X and loves talking about the car to anyone & everyone if he gets the chance to. I'm very glad to have avoided the sexual associations growing up with it, but I do appreciate the punk rebellious aspect even if it's a bit tired of a trope from advertising :)

@Autistic_Menace00 8 ай бұрын

I could show someone the beginning of this video and tell them it’s a Kingdom Hearts video essay and there would be no reason for them to doubt me (brilliant work once again, by the way!) Edit: honestly I could show someone this whole video and have the same result

@emerobrien1759 7 ай бұрын

Celluloid as formaldehyde reminds me of the first photos of the US civil war; it was a long exposure so anything that moved didn't make it into the photo, creating fields of only the dead, who obvs didn't move

@ayeg-dp5to 8 ай бұрын

well look at you making a good ass video 🔥

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

@habb420 8 ай бұрын

eXceptional as always, Grace.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

@milliequick1271 8 ай бұрын

Woah, I have to press X to leave the comments section. Very meta!

@rosavanopheusden5211 8 ай бұрын

in the netherlands, there's an ongoing legal debate about using X as an identity marker in the passports of non-binary people (as opposed to an M or V (F))!

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

There are so many Xs I didn't even get to lol, they can't be stopped

@tedtorqueoholic3628 8 ай бұрын

Great stuff. Thank you

@ruolbu 8 ай бұрын

I was convinced this video would be about the space videogame series

@adrianbourceanu9145 8 ай бұрын

Goddamn, how did you make a mind-blowing video about a letter? 🤯

@ronjila 3 ай бұрын

Two more that came to mind are the Los Angeles band X, and the members of the Manson family carving Xs on their foreheads.

@ypunk__ Ай бұрын

I love your videos so much.

@mixiekins 8 ай бұрын

X is like the somewhat extra cousin of the chill and average K by way of showing up late and forcing themself into the spotlight of every event, or the lazy and sloppy classmate of Y which always somehow manages to outperform while putting in half the accuracy. Whenever you rush to write a K or Y you end up either overshooting and italicizing the latter or inadvertently bending the former, just to find that X has once again shoehorned its way into somewhere it wasn't wanted. X is besties with A, which shows up V with more stable legs and an extra bar for support, but X always manages to take their duo off the rails with that exhaustingly bombastic energy it has. Also, screw whoever decided that BS about your Ghibli essay; this is the double-edged sword of good artisans submitting to megacorps for distribution.

@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat 8 ай бұрын

An eXcellent description of Xs energy! (and RIP Ghibli essay)

@Kyrkby 8 ай бұрын

I was pretty confused at first because I thought this was about the space sim video game series.

@Sean_neaS 8 ай бұрын

You showed the Straight Edge X from the 80s D.C. hard core punk scene. I wore that but I hardly knew what it meant so it kinda just meant different things to different people which was Punk. For me, I think Kill your television and anti-war and just be a rebel and don't be an idiot. Now you can look everything up and it's just boring and a letdown become someone gets to define it and everyone has already done it.