The Venture Brothers: A Triumph of Failure - Video Essay

The motivation for making this video is really that the Venture Brothers doesn't get enough love, probably the best English-language adult cartoon of all time, pound for pound. But aside from powerful comedy, what makes it so awesome? Here I try to dig into that.

[@pumpkinmaryam5500]

3:13 the bechdel test was never actually meant to be used as a serious metric which you can judge a piece of media on. it also only existed to represent how there were a lack of lesbians in a lot of media of the time when the comic it was first mentioned in came out.

[@professorlaserfist8590]

Gotta say. Colonel Hunter def transitioned at least in part because they wanted to and speaks repeatedly of regretting the de-transition.

[@fredjones2170]

I like how it’s foreshadowed in previous episodes, with Hunter’s undercover disguises always being in drag, like a stereotypical French woman and a cheerleader.

[@rainygamedays5873]

Come on duuuuude, they had _intelligent_ *2000's humor* and thats why it's so beloved in 2023 wirh a movie!

[@riddell26]

Came here right after finishing the movie. I'm so depressed now that it's over. It's like watching a lifelong friend speak their last words before dying in front of you. Sat in silence after the aftercredits scene when the realization that it's over hit me like a truck.

[@cactus_king4818]

oh my gosh, a billy joel reference in a venture bros video. my two favorite things. sometimes things just work out perfectly. definitely subscribing. seriously, great video dude

[@Ubernerd3000]

The lack of diversity in the cast is kind of the point; it’s a show about failure, yes, but it’s mostly about the failure of certain currently outmoded ideals of white male identity; all these guys are stuck in pre-feminist masculine ways of thinking; the show is about how they get over themselves, and grow the eff up...

[@KINGSHABAZZ01]

I have subscribed! 🔥 🔥 🔥

[@junelaananke7138]

I disagree with you about Hunter, being trans myself. I think she reflects a type of person from an older generation. Someone who really is trans, but lived through so much stigma that they can't accept it as a result of their upbringing. Yes, the joke is that she's trans, but the show never really derides her for being such, she simply says she wants to be a woman again, even after going back from the sex change. I feel the same way about Shoreleave being overtly gay. The joke is that he is super gay, but the show never says there's anything wrong with that, and I think that's important. The attitude, and how they treat the characters. Even other characters in the show accept these things about them. Brock struggles at first, but accepts Hunter's sex change, and never questions her or Shoreleave.

[@jeffb1430]

I've always thought of Hunter as a straight cis guy who's into crossdressing, in a world where super-science allows much greater freedom in body modification. Whatever the case, I do agree with your point about this being expressed in weird ways due to the repressive (or really more just oblivious?) environment of the OSI, and that ends up being more the source of the humor rather than simply treating the existence of trans or gender non-conforming people as a joke in and of itself. As for Shore Leave, what really stands out to me is how he's one of the few characters in the series who's completely comfortable with their identity at all times. Pretty much everyone else is trying on a series of costumes (literally or figuratively) that they can't fully embrace or inhabit convincingly. Shore Leave does NOT have that problem. He wants the world to know two things, that he's a badass and that he's gayer than the holidays, and he projects that with all the confidence a person could ever have. If that ends up looking like a caricature of a sassy macho gay guy, who cares? Not Shore Leave.

[@vinsanity488]

I think the best evidence that venture bros is an amazing show is that fans highlights are all different, like we had very little overlap in our favorite aspects of the show (except 21 and 24 a ccapella-ing Holsts' The Planets-- certainly that is on everyone's list). But I can't believe you did my boy BrickFrog dirty like that by not giving a shout out during the best villain name section. Nice perspectives though, enjoy the upcoming movie!

[@RebelTrooperHoth]

The show was about failure until the show runners got board of fans parroting the quote and then started giving them successes

[@Below_Left]

a good similar show would be Eastbound and Down, you do eventually have to go the "learn and grow" route if your show lasts long enough. I'd contrast it with Veep where that learning and growing never happens and the latter seasons feel exhausting as a result.

[@jacobwoods2044]

I remember league of extraordinary gentlemen with fondness. I'm kicking myself for not recognizing the quartermain.

[@jayv17]

Recently resumed my love/appreciation for the Venture Bros via KZbin. Great vid!! Thanks

[@fredjones2170]

Thanks for making this video, I had a great time watching it! This show may not have aged well in a lot of places, but it still has some really profound themes and character development, and I really appreciated how you delved into how universal a lot of the themes! The comparison to Bojack Horseman is surprisingly apt!

[@mariodude345]

uhh aren't Dr Orpheus and Al both non white? never thought of those two as being white

[@Below_Left]

Y'know I hadn't ever thought of it. Orpheus's look always came off as just a tan to me. Al I actually could see being Lebanese/Syrian kind of Arab.

[@mariodude345]

@@Below_Left I always thought of Orpheus as being Latino and Al as being East Asian

[@egg__boy]

Wow, I kinda thought Venture Bros fans were smart enough to realize so much of its characters are offensive stereotypes. The amount of dislikes on this video tells me otherwise.

[@rainygamedays5873]

3:55 ummm, _you did not just try to shit on League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?!_ Right? Because that movie is a masterpiece. Watched it with my dad when I was younger and it was awesome how scary it was to kid me. Fucking *love* that movie, I need to rewatch it again now 😂

[@pman9730]

GO TEAM VENTURE!

[@joelgomez9073]

Fantastic!

[@panskii3632]

Love this man!

[@m0thdm]

YES DUDE!

[@Kikilang60]

Thanks. Love this video. Teddy Rossevelt gave a speach called the man in the Arena, which is often consideer one best speaches in the twenth century. Teddy talks about a man standing in area after he lost a fight. He is bloodly, and dirty, and he is sneered at for his failure. The point is, those who mock and belittle, have never even tried. They never step in ring, to try, then fail. They are cowards, who never fail, or succeed. Their was arch to the Venture brothers. OSI and the guild are Venture property. The Ventures not so much failed, but were brought down. Then ventures were giants, who were to big to exist. So are the villains, and heros. They are kept at each others throats, so they don't cause trouble in the larger world. There is point in the series were some one ask the monarch, "Why do you hate Doctor Venture?" He can't give a reason. I think some twisted his mind, so he hated Doctor Venture, and didn't rejoin the family. We live in world half the great people are trying to take over, while the other half of greatness is trying to save humanity. Here is a clue. Humanity hates them both. Brock was never baby sitting Rusty, he was keeping a cap on him. Why else did he steal the transporter?

[@sympathiea]

good shit my son!

[@biddyfox]

algorithm picked you up, great content! calm, early-youtube vibe, but with very modern thoughtfulness. don't listen to anyone telling you to get a blue yeti - just put on a compressor audio effect and you'll probably be fine.

[@davidkelley5382]

Good Job ol boy!

[@two_owls]

Sheila does get more of her own autonomy in the last 2 seasons as she's brought onto the Guild Council, but otherwise yeah...pretty white male centric. Always good to remember these limitations, since the show's fans (myself included) tend towards the fawning haha!

[@XdeadsoulXful]

have you seen the movie yet? thoughts?

[@Below_Left]

It puts a touching spin on the story as a whole, and kind of softens the Monarch's backstory from "lol Jonas Sr got Monarch Mama to cheat" to no, he actually was helping them with fertility (though might have screwed her still). But the best thing about Rusty is that he wanted to be a father so much that he went out of his way to make it happen the Venture way (instead of just adopting). Solid fun throughout otherwise. The scene where they're exposed to heavy magnetism was wildly intense even by the show's standards.

[@m0thdm]

Get a yeti mic my brethren. Your channel is gonna blow up :D

[@jonathanwilkinson4299]

I was enjoying this video until you started talking about Trump. The discourse around the economy was good but this random jab at Trump and white supremacy was so random and didn't make sense. Like ofcourse white supremacy is bad but I don't see a connection between that and Trump so adding that line in was pretty bad (like either explain it or since this video isn't about politics, trump or white supremacy leave it out). I know politics have to be touched on sometimes when talking about media, but randomly making this association between Trump and white supremacy which I know is a common comparison but it really takes you out of it and reminds you of all the other times people randomly started talking about Trump during unrelated discourse. Anyways I am going to continue watching the video now. Side note: To be clear I am not against criticizing Trump but dissing him and saying he has ties to white supremacy is species and inappropriate. Not because it's offensive but because it's not germane to the topic.

[@batsonstevens4009]

Cope

[@zirontheimpaler]

@@batsonstevens4009 orange man bad. he was hardly even president during the run of TVB. He's also not the Secret President ;)

[@mariodude345]

some of the comments you're getting are from people I can't believe are Venture Bros fans lol, since when was Venture Bros supposed to be offensive? its a dark show but its not trying to piss people off. Also funny to see people refer to lgbtq people in a derogatory way as if the show doesn't have multiple lgbtq characters on it....

[@smallmediumatlarge]

The Halloween special had black face dude. It’s supposed to be slightly offensive and edgy at times

[@skankhunt2025]

...and more people of COLOR!

[@megusultracool]

Can't get past the first fine minutes because you drone on about how the show doesn't adhere to current social dogmas.

[@nedstarkravingmad1799]

An amateurish, mincing review of an awesome cartoon through the perspective of gay, feminist, white guilt, Marxist resentment.

[@Diggingholes72]

Woke washed review? Venture brothers is supposed to be offensive, it's the point of the show

[@MesouseUsagi]

Fun fact: it's okay for a show to not cater to degenerates for the sake of satisfying diversity.

[@Wolf-bz6kq]

you lost me on the SJW talking points but good luck to u

[@IAmMyOwnApprentice]

Whew. Let go of the hate, dude.

[@IamMolifu]

This video was great up until you had to bring in Orange Man and white priv

[@Quinton151]

Venture Brothers was a smart choice. Got a lot of views. Congrats! 👏