The Owl House Was Too Good to Live

[@themorbidzoo]

Practice critical thinking and get your facts from a source you can trust by subscribing through my link ground.news/morbidzoo to get 40% off unlimited access with the Vantage Subscription.

[@ashes2ashley230]

who's the guitarist?

[@SeanMania213]

Indie. Indie is what we do about this. Support indie, donate to indie, fund, watch, and play indie

[@bubustudios]

THIS

[@ashes2ashley230]

not indie games tho. i payed to play an ant farm pvp and the makers confessed they spent it on booze and strippers. we appreciated the honesty tho.

[@commiec0n721]

Going indie isn't enough, we need to create alternative ways of supporting each other and our creativity outside the market. Indie products are still products, they're items to be consumed so are still slaves to moneymaking.

[@indrajeetmitra9989]

​@@ashes2ashley230and that's only ONE of the many indie games out there so don't lose hope just because you're first experience was terrible

[@nihili4196]

Problem with indie, especially indie animation is that most of it will be adult orientated content, since well... Adults can support it. We're far from seeing successful kid oriented indie series

[@Advent3546]

**SPOILERS** The Owl House ends with its unapologetic neurodivergent bisexual hero and other middle age queers with their cryptid son curb-stomping a fascistic religious fundamentalist into the mud. It was the story we needed, deserved, and I will miss it.

[@thirdcoinedge]

Also said neurodivergent bisexual hero is granted the power of a bigender deity whose religion has been appropriated by said fascistic Christian fundamentalist.

[@andrewdreasler428]

Not quite: The neurodivergent bisexual hero chooses to simply walk away and leaves the weakened fascistic religious fundamentalist to slowly die and dissolve in the boiling rain. It is the hero's gay girlfriend, her middle-aged surrogate mother, said mother's non-binary fiance, and said mother's adopted cryptid son who stomp the fascist into the mud. A minor quibble, but Luz specifically chose to NOT engage in petty vengeance; she did not know her friends were going to choose to be petty when she took the 'high road,' but she let them have their fun, not even looking back on the scene.

[@Advent3546]

@andrewdreasler428 Fair point but I included Luz being all NOW EAT THIS SUCKA as part of the curbstomping

[@thirdcoinedge]

​@@Advent3546 Fair enough. I mean, she physically wrenched the fascistic religious fundamentalist from his Christ pose by his f***ing ribcage. And then her not even saying anything when he begs for mercy while melting away...not gonna lie, that's pretty metal.

[@AbeDillon]

​@@andrewdreasler428 I think our society has forgotten a hard earned lesson since WWII: Curbstomping fascists into the mud IS THE HIGH ROAD. People now adays winge when someone punches Richard Spencer and it goes viral on the internet. They say idiotic things like, "doesn't that lower you to *their level*?!" NO. NO IT DOESN'T. The definition of a Nazi isn't "one who punches assholes": It's a political belief that genocide is the solution to societies problems. Those aren't the same thing. And Nazis don't come to the "marketplace of ideas" in search of truth. They already believe they know the truth: The solution to society's ills is to oppress and kill everyone who isn't like *insert in-group here*. They've come to burn the proverbial "marketplace of ideas" to the ground. That's why they never argue in good faith and don't give a shit about hypocrisy: THEY WANT A WORLD WHERE THE RULES DON'T APPLY TO THEM. Rules are just a tool to subjugate "the other". Karl Popper already gave us the solution when he solved the "paradox of tollerance". The one thing a tollerant society must not ever tollerate is intollerance itself. So, NO. It's not bad to punch a fascist. It's not your "god-given" right to punch a fascist. It's your motherf**king DUTY as a good person to curbstomp fascists into the mud. THOU SHALT NOT SUFFER FASCISTS. There was a period of time after WWII when fascists bigots were considered such an embarrassment that conservatives would only court them cryptically (for some very loose definition of "cryptic"). They would use "The southern strategy" for instance. Now they feel so emboldened that many say "the quiet part out loud". They increasingly bemoan "political correctness" and "cancel culture" (which are just a rewording of "consequences" for "being a bigotted asshole") and constantly misunderstand "freedom of speach". We have forgotten that the cordial nature of polite society based on mutual respect can not and should never be extended to fascists. Now they've all come out of the wood work like a cockroach infestation and our democracy is at stake.

[@CManHeat]

Broke out a whole charcuterie board for this

[@lyrablack8621]

As is the custom

[@elliart7432]

What made Owl House honestly shocking was how directly it portrayed things adults are STILL trying to downplay. The "metaphor" is so thinly veiled the veil is practically non existent. The antagonist is a _blatantly religious_ man who took control of a land and it's native people in order to commit cultural genocide through manipulation and force. The entire plot centers on this conflict. It's resolved when Belos is expelled from the Boiling Isles, and we see a complete return to their original way of life. There is ZERO compromise ever even proposed, that is the _only_ acceptable answer, full stop.

[@makeart-notwar-6732]

give the land back or whatever

[@adriananabananana]

Forcibly expel colonial powers and take that power back for the people 🤔? Sounds fun to me tbh

[@SpoopySquid]

Boy i love living in a capitalist hellscape where art is outsourced to machines while humans are ground to paste

[@daneverharen1694]

Ok squid

[@SpoopySquid]

@@daneverharen1694 or am I a kid? I scream for I do not know

[@daneverharen1694]

@@SpoopySquid ink is the only true constant

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

I get that capitalism is far from perfect, but I fail to see how such a future is exclusive to a "hellscape" of private ownership. Can we stop throwing capitalism under the bus for everything?

[@makeart-notwar-6732]

@@youtubeviolatedme7123 nah, they would stub their toe against the furniture and still blame it on capitalism. it's the root of all evil in their book.

[@benjaminkhoury4250]

I have felt a very unnerving unspoken anti-art stance from Disney, Pixar, and other media corporations. This is a very good video that explores the creative recession we seem to live in. I hope more people learn about this channel and are able to learn.

[@ElevatorEleven]

Corporations and businesses are literally always anti-art on a fundamental level. Not to say that ALL businesses or the concept of business is a bad thing, but art is inherently a chaotic thing because art is always New. Every new piece of art is made from scraps of inspiration from everything that came before, but also old art viewed by a new audience produces new inspirations and interpretations which are themselves colored by inspirations from everything that came before. Business, however, is about stability. The process of making money, of acquiring resources, is about efficiency and reliability. Even before getting to any moral or philosophical stance, just on a cold mechanical level, long term moneymaking really doesn't go well with the chaotic process of making art. Commerce isn't itself an inherently bad thing; I think the problem is that businesses, notably corporations that are supposed to be selling art, have gotten waaaay too big. They have too much control and they control too much stuff, and so their intrinsic anti-art nature has taken over enormous chunks of the culture.

[@sporovid5856]

@@ElevatorEleven Something else that I find interesting is the eternal conflict between the artists who produce the work, and their employers who fund, distribute, and advertise it. The relationship between artists and corporate overlords reminds me of those little birds who pick the scraps from alligators’ teeth. There’s mutual benefit from working together, but there’s always the risk of the alligator snapping its jaws shut-which is exactly what happened to The Owl House. At the end of the day, both parties want different things. Artists want to fill their lives (and the lives of others) with romance, but they also need money to make ends meet. Executives derive their ambitions from the basic evolutionary principles of expansion and consumption. They will do anything to increase their dominance over the environment. So basically, artists are emotional and executives are mechanical. Fundamentally different kinds of people forced together, neither one liking it very much.

[@Hubbletheory]

Capitalism strikes again

[@level5650]

sporovid5856 I wouldn’t say art is inherently romantic, a large part of the lead-up to the French Revolution was art shifting to a focus on logic and examining objective reality in response to the crown’s insistence that their rule was good and just by virtue of irreproachable divine right. I watched a character analysis video a while back that talked about how they thought all art is an attempt at seeking the truth in some way. An attempt to process a moment of inherently amoral, chaotic reality where everything and anything can happen and thus everything is equally trivial by making their thoughts and feelings about that moment a real, tangible image other people can experience too. Personally I think art and business are inherently opposed to each other because If Art seeks the truth, Corporate’s goal is to “make”the truth.

[@harrier-dubois-king-of-disco]

based pfp

[@dragonfluf]

Huh. That was an incredibly convincing thesis on the superficially crackpot theory of "Disney killed The Owl House because it told kids it's okay to be different". I especially liked the bit about TV being a delivery tool for cultural expectations and the line "creativity is a risky investment".

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks for watching ☺️

[@272arshan]

"I don't know what to do about this." Genuinely: You look at indie art and you be patient with its pace. We spent 100,000 years without regular seasonal infusions of art from all around the world, we can cope.

[@notlurking2128]

I totally get what you're saying BUT I feel like modern media has all but replaced modern folklore ( well for the general public- I know that Creepypasta and internet mysteries can also be a form of folklore, my point is that those are relatively niche). What we experience now as a tailored media consumption may have been experienced as stories tailored to a village green or a market square, or even parents to their children or siblings to one another. In my opinion, all stories (and art) are conversations. Before the tv or books or scrolls or whatever, they may have been literally conversations. Now it feels like being shouted at with no room to question or respond.

[@notlurking2128]

Ok no my actual point is that asking people to just wait for indie media is kind of asking them to live with a hole of community through media that was previously filled by tv, but has existed longer than that and has been monopolized by modern corperations. Idk tho I might just be talking complete nonsense

[@My1es]

tech is taking over indie spaces too. innovation is spaces where surveillance capitalism/ technofeudalism hasn't gotten its claws in yet, or where laws haven't constrained them.

[@richardvlasek2445]

past humans definitely had "regular seasonal infusions of art" lol just look at how many cultural events holidays your average european medieval peasant or ancient mediterranean urban dweller would experience every year the roman republican and later imperial state straight up paid out of pocket to organize games and festivals every year for its population and we don't even know what kind of wild freaky shit our ancestors from a time before the invention of writing systems got up to

[@Colorcrayons]

Art is literally how we cope.

[@TheNickofTime]

23:48 “Evil certainly exists in this show, it’s just that evil isn’t any more reflected by appearances or social status in the demon realm than it is in the human world.” I think this puts into words one of the key contributors to that inexplicable sense of ‘something special’ that this show manages to pull off. The two biggest baddies are Belos, who follows the standard tropes of a monstrous personality with a monstrous physicality to match (at least by the end) and the Collector, whose aesthetic is all sunshine and rainbows and playfulness. It’s not as simple as direct reversal of the the typical rules to become cute thing bad bad, monster good. That would be novel for a moment, then you learn to compensate for it and it’s gone. Instead, it really does give the impression that external appearances tell you absolutely nothing at all about the role a character will have in the story. It helps cut through the barrier of fantasy and ring true for the viewer in the real world. It’s very satisfying to have someone finally articulate what I’ve never been able to grasp, now I can appreciate it properly.

[@noahfortner8519]

This is a GREAT point

[@themorbidzoo]

And I think it again works as a really lovely metaphor for the “weird” kids who fall into the lgbt or neurodivergence brands of weirdness, for whom threats are often disguised as helpful and caring and actual care often comes from the margins of society

[@ardsam6922]

"Appearance means nothing in this world" is SO RARE. I have seen so many stories where the angels are either outright villains or some rigid theocratic analogy that it's an expectation at this point. Maybe it's because you need multiple examples of many things, but good lord.

[@level5650]

With all due respect, no? Owl House very much does fall into the the standard fantasy trap of using “pretty=good ugly=evil” visual language. The antagonist who physically resembles a cute kid in a onesie is revealed to be a lost soul who just needed help while the antagonist who takes the form of a pile of sludge with a skull for a face who dresses in creepy white robes is an irredeemable bigot whose death you’re supposed to celebrate. And admittedly there are a lot of ugly looking side characters the story wants you to like regardless, but those sorts of appearances are always kept far away from the actual main characters. Luz’s Titan form is designed to look like a magic girl power-up, and Eda gaining control of the Owl Beast is represented from her alternate form going from a creepy monster with a human face to a humanoid form the story goes out of its way to mention is aesthetically pleasing. IMO, it would be very easy for somebody for somebody to walk away from this story with the bias that morality can in any way be inferred by something’s appearance reinforced. The only fantasy stories I can think of that actively goes out of its way to subvert the “evil makes you a monster” are Fromsoft games, the novel All Tomorrows, and the sci-fi webcomic Humanity Lost.

[@TheSimocor]

I haven’t watched the video yet admittedly but the finale to the Owl House is the perfect counter to the ending of Harry Potter. Whereas Harry was all but groomed into his sacrifice and had no sense of agency about walking to his death, Luz accepted her death of her own volition. It was a thousand times better if for no other reason than it not being written by a TERF

[@Schurik]

The quality of your scripts is insane. They feel pared-down to the bare essentials, and still meaty and full of character. Your videos are appointment viewing, not as background noise, full attention. Thanks for doing what you're doing!

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks ☺️

[@dandicusplanetorsmth]

Like a good steak, very little fat, whole lot of meat.

[@jacqueshardin4601]

The Holy Trinity of canceled Disney cartoons: The Owl House Wander Over Yonder 101 Dalmatian Street

[@TurbopropPuppy]

hopefully Moon Girl doesn't join them

[@PossumGod12]

Rip 101 Dalmatian Street. Idk why Disney cancelled it, it was pretty episodic from what I remember.

[@SomeplaceScary]

Still devastated about Wander Over Yonder😭

[@snage-thesnakemage]

@@SomeplaceScary ong bro

[@Letsnotdothispls]

@@PossumGod12 its mailny due to low viewership apparently and also that the creator didn't want to make a season 2 as what I've read before

[@LeoFieTv]

In this day and age I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that this dystopia we're living in is boring.

[@themorbidzoo]

That’s its absolutely biggest sin

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

And what's worse is that people seem to be complacent about it. The effort required to find better things is more inconvenient than the effort required to cope with apathy. Different stuff should be more accessible.

[@snage-thesnakemage]

@@youtubeviolatedme7123 thissss. and its kinda everywhere too, like people complain that "popular music is becoming way too self similar" and others will retort with "we have so many small creators that could cater to your taste just look for the one guy making music specifically for you!" but neither bring up the fact that it requires substantially more effort to even LOOK for "that guy making music for you" making finding that guy almost a test of willpower. Not even touching on the fact that that guy is barely holding on and has NO support.

[@crysthemist]

@@youtubeviolatedme7123complacency is where creativity, imagination, and passion goes to die. To me, to be complacent is to be one step away from death, at least in one’s character. This is why I strive for improvement, in fields I know I’m good at and fields I’m bad at. Can’t be complacent if you’re continuously growing

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

@@crysthemist Nobody would disagree with you there, but I think that's easier said that done.

[@GrossiFrancesco]

I remembered to pick back up The Owl House from my "watch later" shows after viewing the thumbnail of this video. I loved it. It felt like the first thing genuinely new in forever. I finished it yesterday, and I'm grimacing about wether I'll find something even remotely similarly refreshing ever.

[@hannahneuhauser521]

It amazes me how Rebecca Sugar’s shows Adventure Time and Steven’s Universe were able to have over 6 full seasons while carrying similar weird, found family and emotional learning plots whereas Owl House could barely get off the ground, but still deliver a punch. I am nearly thirty and I celebrate TOH every year since the premiere because it’s one of the best representation of queer disability- I feel loved and validated watching these characters move through the world. For the generations that saw this show, I know there will be a continuing growth of beautiful creativity.

[@princessjellyfish98]

This analysis really tracks with other, earlier Gen-Z cartoon horror. It's a shame the Owl House couldn't air on one of the other kids' networks, because Cartoon Network had a whole slate of similar horror interpretations in the early 2010s. Chowder, Flapjack, Adventure Time, Regular Show--they all borrowed horror aesthetics from the previous generation of kids TV, and then dug deeper into the true horrors beyond the aesthetic. Adventure Time in particular did a really great job of this. Shame the Owl House was trapped on a network that didn't see the value in its storytelling to their stupid brand

[@themorbidzoo]

💯

[@thirdcoinedge]

"You are strong, child...but I am beyond strength. I am the end of everything. And I have come for you."

[@snage-thesnakemage]

@@thirdcoinedge *touches mayo* "GRAHHHH"

[@RavenStarMedia]

Dana actually pitched it to Cartoon Network and nickelodeon first. They said no.

[@vovlasc9817]

That one Invader Zim episode where he steals other kids organs haunts me...

[@Nofixdahdress]

"More organs means more human."

[@seeleunit2000]

Why am I not shocked Fox News would dare to talk badly about Mister Rogers ? Because they're awful. Anyway this video was very interesting. I'm pleased to have watched this

[@elkins4406]

Seriously, Fox News badmouthing Mister Rogers is the sort of thing that if it appeared in a work of fiction, I'd reject as far too clumsy and obvious a way to impress upon the reader just how blackly villainous the antagonist is meant to be. "Way too much," my mental editor would be scribbling in the margins. "Tone this down! It's unnecessary: the reader is not stupid!" Sadly, of late I've been forced to accept that sometimes, the reader may indeed really be that stupid.

[@AnarchistArtificer]

The Owl House is such a great show. Luz as a neurodivergent protagonist is so good

[@froginaclog]

A queer neurodivergent protagonist, even better

[@pockystyx4087]

So many of the people I know; who have watched the show, mention something about wishing they had a show like this growing up. Myself included; but damn it am I glad that it exists in any form at all. Dans and the crew deserve all the happiness in the world.

[@erikwirfs-brock2432]

that may ultimately be why the show didn't last too long, it's more appealing towards a certain subset of 20-30 somethings than actual kids

[@pockystyx4087]

to be fair; viewership was never the issue, as evidenced by Disney still seeing big numbers from it on even youtube uploads. The issue was; as Dana put it, corporate meddling finding the show to not be "On Brand" for the company. An opinion that even Disney execs realized was a bad take; when they saw the overflowing support for the last season. Plus; Disney has been fine with shows aimed at teens and kids being popular with older audiences. Star Vs. and Gravity Falls had no issues getting older audiences; the issue was, as always (and in this case something Gravity Falls had to battle with) depictions of LGBTQ+ themes and characters. This show was airing in during a big push to sponsor far right politicians; and then into the whole war on Disney Ron Desantes was (and somewhat still is) having in Florida. What's funny is; even with the show cancelled, Disney can still use it for marketing when it wants to, just look at the chibi stuff. So I wouldn't be surprised if there are people still looking at how they can make more money off of it, at least in the now. Not to mention the clicks it gets on youtube, or people who watch it on Disney+.

[@GoblinWife]

The ghost story is alive and well in tabletop roleplaying. I continue to find the greatest hope for the future of communal storytelling in ttrpg’s. The shows you mention here are a huge catalyst for my lingering love of all things weird. I would add Who’s Afraid of the Dark to your list. Incorporating elements of my favorite shows into the tabletop games I ran as a kid was a huge part of my love for tv, and I’m sad to think that kids don’t have the same access to that kind of experience, if they want it. I don’t know what to do either. I hope the answer involves dice.

[@skechers28227]

One of the series (including Big City Greens and Bluey) that i love, that unfortunately, i probably would have never given a second thought to had i not become a father. My kids get to introduce me to great media that i actually do appreciate with my adult brain, and after everything else, THAT'S my favorite part of them.

[@makeart-notwar-6732]

that's great, just don't give them an ipad with full access to the internet and especially youtube and tiktok. these two will stunt your children't intellectual growth

[@kitkatbreaker1270]

Big city greens is great! Also what the guy above me said, but more "Don't give your children unrestricted access to the internet, they will see stuff no one should see"

[@buriedintime]

"complication is something the market will not tolerate" - fucking nailed it. In all things, most Americans cannot handle nuance. a complex narrative is simply too time consuming because there's too many of them and it would force them to try and understand a system that is connected and entangled. It's much easier to digest easy answers that dead end the issue and mark it resolved so they can then regurgitate a conclusion and reassure themselves they understand the world.

[@sarahsmith840]

As a neuro-divergent American, I agree completely.

[@noahhubbard1819]

@5:06 "...like a Texas summer spoils milk in a broken fridge." Knowing that Mariana is from Oklahoma, I can't help but wonder if this is a blatant (yet not-so-blatant) jab at old rivals across the Red River lol

[@themorbidzoo]

OK summers ruin the milk in your broken lawn fridge and then set your lawn aflame and then blow both fridge and lawn into the neighboring county, if anything this line is a compliment haha

[@rubyy.7374]

I can’t imagine the temperature in Oklahoma being that dramatically cooler than Texas lol.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@craigford9360 def hotter, fewer apocalyptic events

[@michaelduguay7698]

Can we also agree that Gravity Falls is peak and a miracle that it had a full series finally and was made by Disney

[@themorbidzoo]

Yeah before the streaming wars ended and solidified everyone’s corporate presence again there was a nice little pop of good stuff. Gravity Falls is awesome (and has a lot of Owl House production team crossover)

[@carlos_herrera]

​@@themorbidzoothere was like a year long stretch when my kids were into it when almost all Disney XD played was Gravity Falls, Duck Tales, Amphibia, Owl House, Big City Greens, and like one or two others.

[@saluting]

5:56 Some can say The Owl House is harry potter.. *as the titan intended*

[@minimalphilia]

Holy shit this show is scratching my Adventure Time/Gravity Falls itch. Since you said spoiler alert this morning I am basically through season 1 this evening. I am absolutely thrilled to watch your essay in a couple days.

[@themorbidzoo]

Yessssss mission accomplished. It has a lot of crossover with the gravity falls production team!

[@minimalphilia]

@@themorbidzoo Well thanks, now there is an owl shaped hole in my soul no level of consumption inducing streaming service nonsense will ever be able to fill. But also thank you for explaning why s1e1 AT is a literal zombie slumber party. I never understood why Pendleton Ward thought of that as a good first episode. Also side note: Nebula?

[@theanonymousunknown1949]

This is the reason why I want to become an indie animator. To make something amazing and awesome and have my imagination and creativity sore. Owl house was a great show that deserved more than just three seasons. But that’s ok. As long as everyone put the effort to make something they loved, that is worth it. I want to make something like the owl house too, someday. Not today, but someday, hopefully. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this gem of a show and have a wonderful day👍

[@Gasislowkeyyummy]

This is my dream too!

[@WhiteRose2002]

Same reason I want to be a screenwriter/director, I want to tell my stories and give the next generation something to think about. Already have a project in mind.

[@theanonymousunknown1949]

@@WhiteRose2002 cool!!

[@Braindouchedotnet]

Huh. So all those kids cartoons with horror themes led directly to all the horror-flavored comedy that erupted and defined Adult Swim. like, its a direct cause and effect. 14:39

[@themorbidzoo]

Yeah I’d guess they’re part of the same cultural moment

[@Carlos.Eduardo.Garcia]

holy shit Morbid Zoo drop! i feel like an ancient greek visiting the oracle to talk ab societal progress

[@andrewdreasler428]

7:30 Rowling, consciously or unconsciously, patterned the Wizarding World after the romanticisation of the Colonial Era, where "Western Civilization" (aka, the Western European nations) shouldered the "White Man's Burden" and brought "civilization" to the "savages" (aka, all 'those people' over there who don't drink tea, and who have 'dusky, moorish' complexions). (It's really hard to dance around the fact that, ever since Europe rose to power in the Middle ages, Europe has been, openly or subtly, really really racist, and passed those traits onto their 'daughter nations.' Those kooky guys running around in white bedsheets and pointed white hoods claim that they are just continuing the tradition of the 'White Man's Burden.') Rowling just substituted "Wizard/Witch" for "Whiteness."

[@jam-toast-enjoyer]

Fantastic video, as alway. It very much feels like these massive corporations have taken nostalgia to an extreme, mistaking the fond memories of art that we share on various platforms as permission to continuously rehash old creations and limit anything new or unexplored. What is really grating is that we live in a time where art is more accessible than ever and to more classes of people than ever but that fear of offending too many or not maximising profits is also limiting the scope of what art gets funded and subsequently created. I feel that as long as capitalism demands growth the more entrenched companies liked Disney will become in creating safe and bankable art that doesn't stray far from the established brand.

[@debdebberton]

you can't spoil what i've already listened to front-to-back 37 times 😤

[@marcellynfilms]

super good video but there's a continuous high pitched noise in the background that fully convinced me there was something wrong with my car 💀

[@themorbidzoo]

Big sorry, I tried to tell the bugs to stfu but it turns out they don’t speak English

[@marcellynfilms]

@@themorbidzoo the folly of language 😩 but seriously it wasn't too distracting, i was just scared that my car was going to explode until i paused the video and realized it wasn't on my end.

[@frederickvictor2038]

​@@themorbidzoohave you tried spanish?

[@joaomrtins]

Which sound? I think it's your car buddy

[@catalystcomet]

It's a cricket

[@absurdist_scribbler]

With the quote from the previous head of NBC, I can't help but think about Twin Peaks and the start of that shift in TV and what it could be, could do A fantastic look at TOH and the media landscape changes; definitely glad the show got an ending, even if truncated from what we could have gotten but a celebration of weirdness and expression

[@zan8289]

The owl house had so much content crammed into its last full season, it could've had 3 seasons out of all that.

[@jeremysmith4620]

Can we set the 2nd Golden Age of Television ending the week BEFORE the final episode of Game of Thrones. We've all seen that final episode. I think most of us should agree that the GoT finale belongs outside of the golden age. As for me, that final episode is more emblematic of the "new" media reality where everything is bad, no endings are fulfilling, and the hope for great media left to buy a pack of smokes May 19th, 2019 and never came back.

[@William1w1]

There's still good tv out there. The following come to mind: -The Glory (2022) -Severance (2022) -Shogun (2024) Those are all on different streaming services, so hopefully you have access to at least one. Plus, speaking of Game of Thrones, I haven't had the chance to watch House of the Dragon yet, but doesn't everyone love it?

[@thirdcoinedge]

@@William1w1 I think it's less that good TV isn't getting made, but more so that streaming has encouraged mass quantity of content over quality content. We've passed peak TV, which means that we're still high on the graph up in terms of quality televised entertainment, but we're likely at the beginning of a decline in overall quality that will progress more over the next several years.

[@gengisgio]

imho, GoT stopped being good already with season 5 and season 7 was as disastrous as season 8

[@ollieblass9370]

@@thirdcoinedgeBetter Call Saul, Andor, and Squid Game are pretty good. I do agree that the amount being produced seems to make everything seem worse but I don’t think the last 2 shows would have succeeded on normal TV

[@My1es]

@@gengisgio yeah, season 5 was the call for the downfall.

[@koreilly9369]

Almost cracked my phone screen hitting play

[@Enjoyurble]

The only place i can find the Linda Simensky quote is from a book called Generation Digital: Politics, Commerce, and Childhood in the Age of the Internet. I know the quote clearly exists from that, but what is the "The Early Days of Nicktoons"? I think a more appropriate conversation from her was from "Early Nickelodeon Days with Linda Simensky! | What's In My Head Podcast". In it, she talks about how they set out to make their animated programming creator-driven instead of feeling factory made and toy-driven, all of which reinforce the criticism of the Disney brand more than the other quote. The overall message is the same, regardless. I feel like the comment about kids still being kids is less important than the overall idea that cartoons like Avatar, Infinity Train, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and Adventure Land understand that children not only appreciate but deserve depth, originality, and emotional maturity in at least some of the shows directed towards them.

[@themorbidzoo]

It’s an article in a book, I’ll put the sources in the description today. She talks about creator-driven programming in the same article, it’s excellent. I picked that quote because it fit the argument where I needed it, I’m not as concerned in this video with Disney being cookie-cutter and consumerist so much as how Disney manages to market consumerism to children as morally good and productive to society, which is pretty mutually exclusive to telling kids they should just have fun doing weird kids stuff

[@robertross3187]

@@themorbidzooWhere can I find your sources for this video? I’ve been binge watching your stuff since Monday. This video is lingering with me so much. I need to learn more ghost stories and passing down cultural trauma.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@robertross3187 you just made me realize I never put the sources in the description. Thanks for that! Check back in a couple days :)

[@PoetryAndTofu]

I think that's why i loved this show so much. Im pushing 30 so i cant perfectly relate to this generation, but i think we share similar struggles and social progression that links us. Dana melds those for a show that we can all find joy and hope in.

[@Unf0rget]

The scariest word any person with a passion can hear; *businessmen*.

[@plaidhatter1674]

Welp, business runs the world. It Is a method of making sure that you will get by comfortably in life. Selfish, but if you are selfish, it is a good idea. The problem is that people in business are almost always, you guessed it, selfish, and will NOT compromise the efficiency of their respective businesses.

[@olleselin]

This is totally my favourite modern Disney show! Damnit, why did Disney cancel this masterpiece!? 😭😭😭😭😭

[@shmuelhoit7118]

FINE I'LL WATCH THE OWL HOUSE Every queer friend has been hounding me to do so and i thought I could avoid this and relax with my favorite youtube channel but now she's been lost too

[@themorbidzoo]

Joiiiiiin usssssss

[@shmuelhoit7118]

@@themorbidzoo I'll trade my devoted loyalty to the Owl House, Bluey and fuck it god damn Steven Universe in exchange for a Bloodborne analysis

[@ethangood9875]

I've had so many people recommend The Owl House to me, but I think I'll finally go watch it now! Very excited to hear your take on Civil War, because oh lordy, I had a lot of feelings about that one.

[@dubitataugustinus]

Amazing video. I feel the same way about TOH, and as a bi enby who sttuggles with ADHD and grew up in Latin America (xD) Luz has meant the world to me. Never I imagined, growing up in the 1990s, that we'd see anything like it.

[@evelynstarshine8561]

Going from tech companies creating the illusion of choice to reinforce a specific accepted cultural norm, to ground news, was brilliant

[@willherondale6367]

New Morbid Zoo video, we're feasting good tonight

[@schmaliboy8683]

I might not be able to support you via giving you money (i literally have no income atm), but i just wanna say thank you for your videos. Because even though you often talk about rather depressing things, your videos never fail to have an uplifting and comforting effect on me. I enjoy having my world views challenged by you. Also with all the AI stuff going on and art seemingly loosing significance, it’s comforting to hear someone talking about it so passionately. Art is everything to me. Thank you for making life a little less miserable!

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks so much ☺️

[@richwrites5683]

Ah yes, my favorite genre of KZbin video: Long ass video essays about something I have never heard of

[@themorbidzoo]

I aim to please

[@richwrites5683]

@@themorbidzoo great video btw!

[@themorbidzoo]

@@richwrites5683 thank you! ☺️

[@randomnormalperson]

then u should watch the owl house !!

[@smileyp4535]

25:29 I find that to be the opposite, I hate they way they treat hooty he's my friend and they need to lay off >:( But seriously it feels like one of those things where you're the friend that people are mean to for no reason and you don't know why, I had to deal with that growing up, and seriously there's nothing wrong with him and I don't like that "haha it's funny because we are mean to them" like characters like meg. It's a common trope and I've never understood what's funny about it, I get "comedy is tragedy happening to someone else" but it should be someone who deserves it at least not just a punching bag/lightning rod who doesn't even understand why

[@jpickens189]

The Owl House still feels very Disney to me. The primary difference I see between products of Disney and products of other cartoon studios is that Disney has a low tolerance for any kind of socially unacceptable behaviors or ideas in their content. What I see in Owl House is that we now see (rightly) that queerness and neurodivergence present the issue of a society unwilling to accommodate the individual, rather than the individual being unwilling to "adapt" to their society. This causes a problem the character has to deal with, but not a problem internal to the character they can overcome, or a problem which the audience has to learn to forgive or understand. Not that those are entirely absent, but they definitely take a backseat compared to Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon shows.

[@jerometheboser]

When I was a bit younger, and the trailer for the owl house came out, it was honestly the most interesting show for me. I tuned in daily and didn’t miss an episode, all the way till season 3 episode 3. I miss this show.

[@veronicabahe6370]

Bro me too I miss it😢

[@20000dino]

9:12 As a Portuguese girlie myself, I was not expecting this comparison lmao. It’s also funny, since Portugal has what’s considered some of the best wine in the world (including Port wine (“vinho do Porto”) and Madeira wine).

[@idontwantahandlethough]

OMG PORT WINE IS MY FAV! IT'S LIKE ALCOHOLIC DESSERT IN A BOTTLE! THANK YOU PORTUGAL (had no ideas of it's origins until now)

[@emiljannbrahmeyer]

There are really many cartoons we can see at 1:12 and many of them are Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo productions and many other are Cartoon Network productions and Disney Television Animation productions and also many productions from the Nickelodeon Animation Studio. My favorite Disney Television Animation productions are Ducktales, Darkwing Duck, Mighty Ducks, The Owl House, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Amphibia and of course Hailey's on it, but I also like to watch the series Disney Chibiverse. These children's series are very good productions indeed.

[@bectoons]

Presumably The Owl House, creative and non-conformist, would have embarrassed other shows/films, especially with Disney's decision to rip the imaginative heart from Pixar and have them only do sequels?

[@plaidhatter1674]

Well, Pixar always has a goal: take the concept they are given, and save it. Even their worst movies have at the very least been fun. A good sequel is still an original idea to expand a concept. So far, they have been doing pretty wellA

[@Molly-ml1wn]

"I am as sad to see it gone, I am glad that I found it."

[@fordlyemerald-ke3iz]

Honestly Disney has truly fallen, and it started with owl house (for me) it felt like they people that run Disney and the share holders are jsut money hungry people.

[@HellecticMojo]

1:20 There it is! we are back at horror again

[@crysthemist]

This is why indie animation has been so fulfilling to watch recently. These independent creators are giving us new stories, new characters, and new art styles that are all seen as too risky by corporations. The most compelling animation I’ve seen recently was The Amazing Digital Circus, because it’s wacky and strange and unlike anything we’ve seen for a long time Also the idea that the expression of art and story through animation is being actively killed by capitalistic marketing expectations disgusts me to my core.

[@plaidhatter1674]

I agree. Again, a sequel isn't necessarily a bad idea if you can expand on the concept. That in and of itself is a unique idea. However, those bold and fresh concepts are just as alluring as ever.

[@markwilliams2620]

Congratulations on making it to such a level of thoughtfulness and writing that KZbin hides your notifications! Todd in the Shadows has some epic rants from when he took Patreon requests to afford to fix his car.

[@themorbidzoo]

@@markwilliams2620 hahah thank you 😅

[@batnacks]

Oh, that's what Hooty's deal was. I assumed that he was meant to genuinely be annoying in a way that just didn't come across

[@jenny_therobot]

this was an amazing listen. just bought a cd burner and this one is definitely going on the list of video essays I wanna physically own.

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks so much ☺️

[@1drumshark]

Excellent work as always! So stoked whenever you release something new!

[@tjones590]

Wow, I watched this yesterday and I am about 10 episodes into the owl house. Thanks Mariana, loved the video and TOH!

[@princembat]

and on the flip side, this is why indie is so great. people getting to tell the stories they want, no matter how great or mediocre or groundbreaking or conformist or WHATEVER, and its not an inherently bad thing, and it wont be taken away just because it wasnt what some 70 year old cishet white guy capitalist decided was correct for the people to see. but its still a shame that theres been so many amazing shows that have come out and quickly been cancelled for no _good_ reason, many of them queer. i know dana doesnt want to think that the owl house was cancelled for being queer, and i definitely dont think that was the _entire_ reason, but it just fits right into a pattern thats been happening for a while where shows dare to have queer characters, hell, queer MAIN characters, and then they get cancelled "for other reasons". maybe it seems paranoid of me, but i just dont think that the queerness is ignored in the decisions for cancelling these shows. queer people are still the modern scapegoat. theres always a scapegoat.

[@luke1723]

Remember kids, like the video and comment under this saying something nice to help with engagement, or mama can't eat this week.

[@themorbidzoo]

I liek food 🥺

[@austinmorrison6953]

Don’t be sad it ended too soon. Be thankful it happened. Be glad we still got an amazing story out of it. Be thankful it not only had a proper finale but an amazing one at that

[@shrekk14]

angels portray themselves as monsters and other horrors to scare off and destroy evil (like luz in her titan form did) demons portray themselves as handsome, friendly, and more peaceful than they really are (like belos did through his multiple forms) god i love this show

[@zanecurtis-olsen2889]

Your analysis matches well with "The Slow Cancellation of the Future," by Mark Fisher. Also, "Retromania," by Simon Reynolds.

[@TinyCatSpoons]

I just remembered the existence of Are You Afraid of the Dark? and now I must watch it again

[@btarczy5067]

I haven‘t even watched the show and still this was incredibly sad for me. Probably because I don’t have kids of my own I haven’t even put much thought in the formative media children have been subjected to lately. I do believe that there’s cause for hope with independent media… And even that experimental art will make a comeback in the mainstream as even Disney had to employ out there directors to keep audiences engaged in former cash cow franchises.

[@basicsimp8798]

The Owl House is definitely was better than Harry Potter. I wished it got the Season 3 that it deserved 😢

[@4anky]

I miss the owl house. It got me through alot

[@Swaggygirl82000]

Morbid, you may not know this, and I don’t wish to alarm you, but there may be a cricket in your recording booth.

[@arlwiss5110]

Star Trek: Prodigy barely dodged a similar cancellation for what I suspect are similar reasons. It was a lightly serialised Star Trek show for kids which tried a little harder to be good than the utterly bland and status quo-accepting modern live action Star Trek shows that Paramount is still running. Prodigy's thing was rebellion against unjust parenting, but that was still more than (checks notes) the sequel show to TNG having Picard uncritically torture a war criminal, for example. The other shows around it were either depressing for the sake of being edgy, or just plain uninteresting in terms of the worlds they painted. Prodigy had hope - the struggles it showed were struggles that the characters were there to overcome one way or another. And I think that, and a general dismissal of kids' and animated content as being worthwhile in any way, is why Paramount almost got away with quietly cancelling it before the first season was even fully out; until the petitions started

[@Ech_The_Sentient]

Admittedly when you said weirdness for its own sake, my mind leapt to literally everything Sam lake worked on and also kill six billion demons. But mostly just Sam lake’s acid trip games. I dunno. Everything he touches is just so bursting with deranged personality that it feels made by people, not a corperation.

[@thirdcoinedge]

Yeah. Also, I appreciate that Sam Lake has become so well known outside of video game circles after the release of Alan Wake 2 (he's recently met Robert De Niro, for Christ's sake!). He's like Hideo Kojima, with the cinematic inspirations, big themes, and celebrity cameos, but if he was more capable of subtle writing and actually had the time to make his convoluted narrative work more cohesively. Also he's weird in a fun Lynch-esque way (SHOW ME THE CHAMPION OF LIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!)

[@aragoonn]

I dunno if I'd call Sam Lake weird for the sake of weird? He's just using surrealism, and dream-like story telling to challenge the ususal video game narratives, and tell post-modern (non-detogatoey) stories. Could call it Lynchian, but I dunno that feels a bit reductive because they're both doing different things with use of surrealism.

[@Ech_The_Sentient]

@@aragoonn Fair point, but also control’s story needs to be taken into account. He also seems to be doing it because I’m pretty sure he’s a big fan of weird narratives and appears to be writing what he likes.

[@aragoonn]

@Ech_The_Sentiant oh for sure! He is clearly a huge fan of weird stuff. And those are the story's he wants to tell. But I never found surrealism in his works there 'just for the sake of it'. Control is so weird. But you could make the point that it's weirdness is there to further the narrative weight of an unknowable, massive department of the government, and the eldritch SCP vibes. To make the player feel more like the protag who's wandering into this living entity of a building and having to wrap her head around the new logic. Like the brutalist architecture that reinforces the dehumanisation of those kinds of beurocratic organisations. To me, the surrealism in his works help contextualise gameplay the player's experience both as an audience and an ctive participant in the story (cause lets be real playing video games is a surreal experience in of itself), and the themes of the work itself.

[@trinstonmichaels7062]

Companies rediscovering why Hanna Barbera was so massive in the 1960s. The secret is Making things as cheap and quick as possible.

[@MegaDawnofwar]

Fantastic video as always, few creators make me stop and reflect the way you do.

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks 😊

[@Jjames763]

What a phenomenal analysis. Outstanding work. Why doesn’t this have more views!?

[@scantrahan]

Ironic having crickets chirp in the background considering how interesting and entertaining this video is!!

[@felkin1]

Can very much relate with the cultural void sentiment. One has to hope the pendulum swings and we enter a new golden age. But at the same time, society is becoming increasingly more docile when it comes to our entertainment, with companies having figured out increasingly more elaborate ways to direct our attention at things that do not have any inherent value.

[@plaidhatter1674]

Which is also kind of ironic considering how much brainpower is needed to conceive such elaborate methods of misdirection. It is probably more than it would be to push onto new ground.

[@ItsRebeccaRose]

Very insightful video. Thank you so much for taking the time to make it!

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks ☺️

[@cahcd]

this video convinced me to finally watch the owl house and coming back afterwards now that i know its one of the greatest tv shows ive ever seen makes this entire video feel so much more soul crushing than it did before

[@crystalgaming1185]

With the cancelation of steven universe, with marriage of garent and sapphire, and when watching the owl house and having queer relationships and identity, i knew it would be canceled, but it still dicks it happened. This world hates great cartoons i swear😢

[@Nonjola]

Hey, at least the Owl House got green-lighted to become a show. Many artists and story writers pitch their ideas to studios just to get rejected.

[@George_M_]

Still haven't watched the last episode because I don't want it to be over.

[@liliana.6053]

I was so excited for what you had to say I binged through the show in a few weeks. Totally worth it. And now I'm mad and sad, even just how season 2 felt rushed, this show could have done so well being split into more seasons, more runtime, more breathing room. It's insane how they just axed it because some studio exec felt like it won't make them ALL the money. Same thing on videogame front as Microsoft axed Tango Gameworks after they released Hifi Rush to universal praise.

[@themorbidzoo]

Yup 🙁 glad you watched it though!!

[@DigitalDragon-kl4fq]

Disney wants it's 'perfect' image.

[@plaidhatter1674]

That perfect image was created because, at first, Disney made magical movies by DOING and not falling back. Security works when you are starting out, but as ideas are used, you have to take a risk. Walt is probably rolling in his grave.

[@br1na332]

Banger video. Don't really have anything to add. Appreciate you doing what you do and look forward to August! ❤

[@Catpuff818]

Yeah I think the show runners did have a lot more they could've unpacked with Belos if the show hadn't gotten canceled. For what it is, it does what it set out to do and then some. I'm still shocked at how good it is and how long it took me to get on board.

[@axolotlandpangolin]

haven't watched the vid yet but can I just say your thumbnail design is PEAK. The colors, the format, the font. Eye catching and perfect

[@themorbidzoo]

@@axolotlandpangolin omg thank u so much 🥹

[@axolotlandpangolin]

@@themorbidzoo you're welcome :)

[@bertbaker7067]

@~2:30, The freakin SpongeBob health inspector episode, lol!

[@commiec0n721]

There's not much we can do about the destruction of creativity inherently to profit-seeking except for rejecting that system and fighting agaisnt it by working together to decrease our reliance on and interaction with the market. We grew up hearing "sharing is caring" and all those cringy phrases but like sharing, teamwork, listening, and honesty are literally the way out of the hellscape we live in. Dressing them up in big words like solidarity, communication, and cooperation doesn't change that everything comes down to sharing what we've got, working together, and honestly talking to each other till we're doing it on such a large scale, no one has to buy or sell anything anymore.

[@msl2299]

Adding a comment so that it can boost the video- this is an amazing one and deserves so much traction. Thank you for it. Really brought a lot of thoughts together into something more coherent.

[@ikanhazw1n]

I am 1:13 into the video, you have just explained the shows you consider formative, and I am now certain I can pinpoint your birthday to a window of about 6 months

[@Cheskaz]

Hella psyched

[@hayhayrae]

Your critical analysis of media is refreshing as always. I’m usually more of a silent lurker and liker, but you hit the nail on the head with every damn video you produce. Thank you again 💕 See you in August.

[@themorbidzoo]

Thanks so much ☺️

[@parker469a]

14:52 Paul Klein Head of NBC Programing at the time - Least Objectionable Programming - TV Guide 1971 People living in post war American society don't watch TV for the shows, the point of watching TV is not to engage with story telling the point is to have the TV on. Watching TV is an activity that transcends the content of anything actually on the TV so if you want to make a successful show don't make a good show make instead a not bad show. A show that keeps your audience from embarking upon on the minimum effect tasks that constitutes finding something else to watch. (I need this for other comments sections)

[@dippy4514]

i like how you also flew against the wind yourself by filming in a dark location for your video essay, ludo narrative continuity! (but your lighting is still good somehow???)

[@themorbidzoo]

@@dippy4514 ha thank you! 😁