Why YouTubers Hold Microphones Now

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A video about the rise of KZbinrs holding microphones, and what this can tell us about the future of the platform.
Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.
Edited by Georgia Burrows.
Chapters
00:00 KZbinrs All Hold Microphones Now
05:49 I, KZbinr
15:27 PragerU and the Politics of Style
26:54 Casey Neistat and the Rise of Internet Ugly
36:39 Why KZbinrs Hold Microphones Now
56:33 Epilogue
Bibliography
You can find a bibliography for this video on my Patreon, here: / video-why-hold-94835669
Over the past year, a new trend has been sweeping KZbin: holding microphones. On one level, this might seem like a fairly silly little trend; but it can actually tell us a huge amount about some of the underlying tensions which exist beneath the site and where it is headed in the future.
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Website: www.tomnicholas.com
Select footage courtesy of Getty
Music from Epidemic Sound

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Hey there! Hopefully you've noticed that I've really been pushing the production value of what I make over the last few videos. I'm really proud of the videos we're putting out, but doing so is fairly costly. If you'd like to support me and my team to make more videos like this then you can do so in a couple of ways: Firstly, you can sign-up to my premium streaming service Nebula (with 40% off an annual plan) at go.nebula.tv/tomnicholas Secondly, you can support the channel whilst getting access to video scripts, early bits and weekly updates on what I've been working on at patreon.com/tomnicholas Thanks so much and I hope you enjoyed the video!

[@jamesgrover2005]

I'd like to think me having just watched this on nebular.. went of the way to pay for the 19 chairs

[@dethkon]

Thanks for the offer Tom, but I just don’t enjoy your content enough to make the investment. But keep trying, maybe sometime in the future!

[@triplex3007]

You messed up on crediting a video at 0:43. The source for the previous video shown hasn't disappeared so now there is text for two videos and it makes it hard to see what the source is for the video you are showing at 0:43. Edit: Also, I would like to point out that while I agree with Tom's point that PragerU's videos are very professional looking, PragerU did misspell John Selden as John Seldon in their video What Was the Enlightenment, at 3:39. So there's that.

[@shaileshiyer1801]

Love your work. Though It would be really nice if you could increase the loudness of your videos. I feel like they are too quiet compared to other videos and even at max volume it still sounds significantly quieter.

[@rekinxxxl]

I wish the video was tiny bit louder, in comparison to other YT videos this one is really quiet.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Bless your heart Tom you put my geriatric millennial face on screen when you said “Zoomer”. You’ve always been my favourite KZbin Tom.

[@giveussomevodka]

You are a honorary zoomie, kid.

[@bassetts1899]

Could a geriatric millennial release the fire rap you did recently? (Did I use the term 'fire' correctly?)

[@yeetyeet7070]

3:12

[@yeetyeet7070]

is this what cardiologists do, just go around blessing hearts?

[@GizzyDillespee]

A doctor blessing somebody is just as valid as a priest conducting a faith healing.

[@Althocke]

Reminds me of Lindsay Ellis's video "KZbin: Manufacturing Authenticity (For Fun and Profit!)". She pointed out that the channel "How to cake it" started incorporating outtakes, banter with the producer behind the camera, and even breaking the 4th (3rd? 5th?) wall by speaking directly to the editor in the video. So later, when the video enterprise Craftsy decided to make their series called "Man About Cake", the banter with the producer behind the camera was there from the start to give it that authentic KZbin feel. This producer being mic'd up to make sure you hear the "outtakes" clearly. Lindsay's video is over five years old now and I highly recommend watching (or rewatching) it as it's clear she completely nailed where the platform was going.

[@Apparat8]

Her video is required viewing for understanding why the whole KZbinr formula works. Back when COVID hit, old cable networks did not understand the protocol, and doing weird stuff like pausing for laugh tracks that did not exist or generally just acting too professional for the medium.

[@bambsy9665]

Tech Linked does this exact same thing and it seemed far more genuine at first. Now, the banter makes the videos obnoxious to watch, and feels forced more than anything.

[@99Plastics]

I mean it is literally what media is about, connecting to the audience. There's a reason people prefer interacting with a human vs a PDF document. Cinematography is structured around this sole concept.

[@marocat4749]

It sucks what she went through :( , and i miss her youtube ones, yes she is on nebula, but it sucks she go that hmuch harassment off the platform.

[@jordannoell4222]

​@@bambsy9665I'm not sure I'd ever say any LMG video at this point feels "authentic". The trope of the quirky tech youtuber does stupid things with tech is entirely artificial at this point. They are for better or worse an extremely professional and insider company within the tech space that makes hundreds of millions of dollars. This allows them to do some incredibly interesting things, but from the sponsorships, extreme focus on output of content, and the Ceo's more controversial opinions (often prominently shouted from his podcast) the entire thing feels corporate through and through.

[@sixgunguerrilla]

KZbin is the only place where it takes an hour to answer a single question

[@ZBott]

Holding microphones also really helps the "what do I do with my hands" problem most people just attempt to fix by doing polished flailing.

[@Tokkemon]

learn your cradles, goddammit.

[@RockerBug17]

Take up smoking. That's how Dale Gribble solved the problem.

[@vitoc8454]

The Prager U guy at 18:30 looked like he was trying to cast a magic spell

[@taxirob2248]

It's funny to me because I notice when these things each began happening, but when I brought it up people in comment sections told me I was imagining things. First was creators who were never on camera started appearing for whatever reason, then the hand gestures, now the mic thing.

[@Noodlyk18]

This is why I fucking love KZbin sometimes. Open it up, get recommended a one hour video essay that answers a question I never explicitly asked but was vaguely aware of. YES, they do do that, I noticed but didn't care to wonder about it, but now I'm extremely interested and will not be able to sleep if I don't get an in depth answer, so fuck it, TELL ME WHY TOM, WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

[@GrandLineReview]

I feel like an out of touch old man having my mic rigged on a boom arm.

[@Wookie.Boogie]

Hey! Your new video is on the next tab waiting to be viewed! Cheers to both of you for keeping up the good work!

[@Finnman-ty4lc]

Dudeinaroom watches this, awesome!

[@gingermaniac5484]

okay boomarmer

[@nisseheim4996]

On the other hand you have another hand at hand!

[@Me__Myself__and__I]

Its better than holding a microphone for purely shallow and cosmetic reasons. Means your content is probably deeper than the average tiktoc.

[@reijin999]

i was like "why is this going to take an hour?" and then learned a lot of interesting stuff. great vid. i love analyzing internet culture, we need more people to do this sort of work, it's really important.

[@Twiska]

It reminds me of the rap scene around a decade ago, where music videos would show the artists reading lyrics off their phones in the recording studio. "enthusiastic unprofessionalism" is a perfect description. It was like it was an honour to look like an up-and-coming artist rather than a mainstream one.

[@scifino1]

As a German, especially one that consumes German media, I firmly recommend anyone to treat any media produced by anything affiliated with Axel Springer with extreme scepticism. It's basically the German version of Rupert Murdoch.

[@SemiIocon]

And if anyone is not sure what counts as Axel Springer: Die Welt, BILD, Business Insider, Rolling Stone and Politico. Those are their media enterprises, they do more like owning half of the job site StepStone, but that's fairly irrelevant.

[@MSTRCMDR]

springer just announced a cooperation with open ai ...so yeah, evil will be now automated

[@phily708]

they are also anounced partnering with openai(chatgpt) just this week

[@powerviolentnightmare5026]

How nice to see a fellow German. I can only agree 100 percent. Springer Verlag isn't well known to be impartial.

[@scifino1]

@@powerviolentnightmare5026 On a side note: There is also a similarly named German/Luxembourgian publishing company which focuses on scientific publications: "Springer Science+Business Media". They importantly do not have any relation to Axel Springer, so be careful not to confuse the two.

[@TomSka]

Great video as always, Tom! For my corner of the platform, I'd strongly credit Julian Smith with triggering the arms race to make the most polished and cinematic sketches possible. By 2012, if your sketch wasn't shot, graded, and scored like a movie, you weren't doing it right. Then in 2013 Vine exploded onto the scene and the zoomers immediately reclaimed and popularised amateur aesthetics. Hell, I foolishly wore a wig for a TikTok recently and a couple folk genuinely made fun of me for trying too hard. As you said, it's essential to signal your amateurness to an increasingly savvy/media literate audience lest you be mistaken for a corporate tryhard.

[@Oldass_Deadass_dumbass_channel]

Woah, it's TomSka! Sick! I'm sure you've probably read this a hundred times, but asdfmovie was a big bright spot in a not-the-best childhood. So uh, thanks for being you.

[@Venomonomonom]

Well said, Tom! Bro always been goated with the videorizz no cap fr fr 💀

[@helloInternets]

Malk

[@minetogiveaway]

You literally have a show about trying hard, lmao

[@notandylincoln]

Man, I love seeing Julian smith being recognized in 2023

[@TheBlueArcher]

I'm glad you mentioned the irony of holding a lav mic, I always thought that was funny. What I also find funny is placing a blue-yeti on screen incorrectly, and it obviously not being the device recording the audio... (which, SEEMS to be the case with you holding the lav mic? ) I love all of it. especially that last idea of having a mic on screen just to not use it and have a hidden mic somewhere else.

[@Skreee99]

I saw a TikTok yesterday of a person I've been following for a few months and she suddenly started holding a lav really close to her mouth, and her audio is horrendous now. It is so weird!

[@choczynski]

Also gives people something to do with their hands Somebody I used to follow like 10-12 years ago got a nice new lapel mic and then started holding a turkey baster because it made them feel less awkward while recording.

[@foul-fortune-feline]

@@choczynski That's amazing haha. (also a pretty patent example of "internet ugly", in the /pos sense)

[@chisom.]

can you explain how to place a blue yeti correctly? now i'm insecure lol

[@Skreee99]

@@choczynski yey, that is what I figured as well. Totally understandable. A turkey baster is very funny!

[@SamColemanCreative]

I'd also add the rise of asmr (with close mics) and the podcast phenomenon (with their focus on audio quality and emulating radio shows). And I also think the zoom years have had an effect, there was definitely a social idea during the pandemic that the people who had mic arms in shot in their zoom windows were cool and techy. Game streamers needing armed mics that weren't in the way of their set up but also connected directly to them possibly had an effect on that also. I also think, as well as anti-corporate feeling, theres a desire for authenticity, perhaps the same desire that made vlogs popular in the first place. Only, with much more attention being paid to the imperfections of casual content in light of the so-called cancel culture phenomenon to whatever extent that is real, creators perhaps have to find ways to seem off-cuff and authentic whilst also being meticulous and careful about what it is they're posting. Perhaps also the race for views being harder also adds to this need for meticulousness. Audiences want perfect imperfection it seems. A great video essay, I enjoyed this thoroughly! Merry Christmas!

[@Vcen7]

One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned in connection with both ASMRtists and streamers: the rise of sponsored microphones - almost always big honking condenser mics, with a very visible logo and a sponsor deal with creators (and dubious quality over a cheaper mic from an established entity like Røde or Shure). Even relatively nicely equipped KZbinrs may not want to spend the time/money to upgrade to a fairly nice (and big) condenser microphone, and lav mics are super cheap in comparison, so are an easy drop in substitute for a big expensive condenser microphone.

[@cradio52]

I HAVE BEEN WONDERING THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION FOR LIKE A YEAR. It’s a bizarre phenomenon. Everyone went from having out-of-frame mic setups or wearing hidden lav mics, to now holding these giant old-school corded microphones. And it seems like they all did it at the same time. It’s like the new bold yellow text on the thumbnail.

[@Yellow.1844]

Its to signal theyre influencers, which is much more popular now than before

[@praetoria_]

I think part of it is faux authenticity. Makes things seem less professional and set up and more like a spur of the moment thing. Like “hey I’ve been thinking about x for a while and I need someone to rant to”. At least for some categories of these types of videos.

[@lazymass]

Monkey sees, monkey does.

[@fish3977]

I wouldnt mind it expect for holding the lapel mics! It drives me crazy for some reason

[@trainmaster997]

Ngl I think it just makes for a good prop to play with

[@Klatchan]

Tbh as a sound guy id rather people hold a lav mic then use it improperly and pick up every move they make 😂

[@thecasualfly]

facts

[@crotchgoblin8772]

A1/ drum tech here- totally agree. It's still baffling that anyone would select a Rode lavalier over a Shure SM7B, EV RE-20, or Rode NT1-A (hell, even an ATAT-10) for voiceover recording, but what do we know!

[@EwanMarshall]

Still have to filter out all that fingering noise I'm betting. If seeing the microphone is reasonable for the content then use the sort that are supposed to be held or in a stand at least :D

[@hoolio5659]

Than*

[@irenafarm]

Better yet, hold a uni mic correctly though that’s both a performance challenge and also fidgety getting the optimal pop filter combo.

[@YesterdaysMoose]

I've noticed many things that online content creators do that would go against things one would learn at film school. I believe including these things in videos enforces the idea that these creators are independent, slightly unprofessional, not corporate, and more relatable.

[@crazydragy4233]

To me it becomes the opposite, a bunch of creators put on a show of how quirky they are and it's just annoying... By trying so hard to not look like suits you act exactly like the cringy stuff we criticise them for doing when they try to be relatable and fail

[@theodorekorehonen]

I too watched the video.

[@InfinitelyFinite]

I prefer my "youtubers" to suspend their lav mic from a properly counterweighted yet oddly in-frame boom

[@ModernDayJames]

My only issue with professionalization of youtube is that it often drives people to create videos they are not passionate about to meet a deadline. The biggest advantage of early youtube was that it was run purely by passion. That being said, I also like making a living off of my labor

[@Robutube1]

...and therein lies the irresolvable paradox for folks like you. To quote WB Yeats, the centre cannot hold...

[@Kriae]

passion and the love for internet fame

[@Programentalist]

@@Kriae "Internet fame" was different back then though, the early days weren't exactly brimming with "I've got 5 million subscribers and I'm sponsored and rich now"-stories, it was usually more like "LOOK! Over a thousand people not only watched my video but LIKED it!" (don't even remember the first rating system, was it the 5 star system in the beginning or was there even one in the early days?)

[@RT-qd8yl]

@@Programentalist Yes we had the 5 stars. That was the best ratings system. If you were looking for a guitar cover of a song, you knew not to even bother clicking if it didn't have at least 3 stars.

[@amellie2]

@@Robutube1 lil bro a professional yapper

[@just_going_mads]

I'm unashamed to say that one of my favorite gags is the taping of a lav mic to random objects. Doesn't matter who is doing it, if it's done right it's always funny.

[@smallpeople172]

If you can see the mic it’s already done wrong. There’s rules to recording

[@alexthewrecker4666]

​@@smallpeople172if only there was a one hour long video on this very topic 🤔

[@thesaintnoodle]

@@smallpeople172 as a musician... oh no...

[@cheesi]

Yeah, overall I dislike visible mics but I saw someone tape one to a sword earlier and that was pretty good I guess.

[@marocat4749]

Nit if its a fun or unique way that just add, then its fun, Especially random objects. Or one theburerkrieg has a sock on it, like its due audio issues, and a cheap fix, but unique so it became of course a staple. Agree, the rule is dont make it intrusive, and it being fun on random things, isnt intrusive, its funny. I find daniel greens it in daggers and stuf fun. It really fits.

[@ErebosUltima]

I always thought that holding the lav mic is the natural evolution of the null budget videos where the creators use the mic of a corded in-ear headphone to record their audio. These had to be held close to the mouth of the speaker because they were just that bad, but they came with every mobile phone and therefore didn't add any cost. With this, children and teenagers could create content without draining their limited allowance.

[@switchgear100]

This is the first thing I thought of and I think of when I see someone holding lav mic (only learned what it was called because of this video). First thing I think is "oh they can't afford a real mic"

[@drivethrupoet]

Also when someone decides to go outside to interact with random public, they aren't going to buy a boom mic they just hold that clip mic out to the other person.

[@mjodr]

I don't think the ear bud integrated mics were bad in the sense that you had to hold them close, I think the problem was what was recording them was specifically tuned to reject background noise with noise cancelling, auto gain, etc so that's what forced you to hold it close. I'm not sure, I never tried because it just seems ridiculous to even try recording on that. However, even that became a freaking trend and meme and internet ugly because every other dumbass content creator had to have the most ridiculously tangled, dirty, kinked freaking ear bud with mic setup known to man tied in knots around their neck and hand all on purpose and shit. GAH!!!

[@michelbelisle9692]

I would have never suspected that the subject "holding a microphone" could lead to such a captivating essay. 👏👏👏

[@Harrison_Burgeron]

I never suspected it could end up being so politically devisive

[@ErikPT]

Because the distraction of a big mic or a small mic being constantly moving... and move about is an eyesore.

[@combogalis]

I've always found it interesting to watch how [people who make videos for youtube] develop over time in a sort of inside-out manner. They often go from unprofessional professionalism to professional unprofessionalism.

[@DisgruntledDoomer]

For me, the opposite is even more interesting/bizarre: there are many creators, that have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, yet put in ZERO effort to evolve artistically, technically, or in any other perceivable way.

[@combogalis]

@@DisgruntledDoomer I respect the hell out of that to be honest. They found something that works and stuck with it. On one hand, seeing a channel evolve can be great. On the other, even if the changes they make are overall improvements, sometimes it loses the vibe of their original content that made it charming and it WILL make some early subscribers feel like the channel lost what used to bring them there.

[@M0ritsch]

one of my fav comments in 13 years daily KZbin.... soo true

[@algomaone121]

Another observation I have as a member of Gen X, having memory of the pre-internet world: Holding a large dome microphone used to be the ULTIMATE sign of having made it in broadcasting as a mainstream roving reporter or actual journalist on TV. To me it is totally amazing and ironic that the hand held mic is now viewed as “internet ugly”, having gone full swing from a status symbol of skill, education and success to a cool sign of “sticking it to the man”.

[@zyaicob]

This comment deserves wayy more notice. I hadn't thought of this at all, I suppose we're in the era of KZbin where we no longer instinctively compare it to what was formerly "mainstream media". I'm not educated enough to have much to say on it, but I think holding a microphone in broadcast media was a way of saying "I have something to say and I'm the one amplifying my voice" rather than the person being interviewed where someone else was amplifying their voice, or if there's no mic on screen it's the studio that's amplifying their voice. Especially when your microphone has the studio logo on it, it feels like you're the one directing who the studio, and thus the viewer, is listening to. It seems like maybe the KZbinrs holding their mics might be more directly tapping into how holding a mic was perceived on broadcast media in its hayday.

[@GizzyDillespee]

Pass The Mic is one of my favorite Beastie Boys songs

[@simonmacomber7466]

As a fellow Gen Xer, I too, remember Kermit the Frog reporting News Flash on Sesame Street, in his battered fedora, trench coat and hand held microphone.

[@algomaone121]

@@simonmacomber7466 Don’t forget Guy Smiley, the reporter.

[@zyaicob]

@@simonmacomber7466 yeah that kind of image has become a cultural icon- a sort of semantic meme- for a high level of journalism, to the extent that even for Gen Z all you have to do is show us a person in a raincoat holding a microphone and you've communicated a lot already.

[@somfierce]

Some people don't compress their audio when they hold their mic and it pisses me off

[@JordanWheeler1999]

EXACTLY but people acts like mics hasn't involved even tho you can put your volume up lol

[@Barnabybright]

Summary to save you an hour: Career KZbinrs hold microphones to recall the amateurism of KZbin's origins.

[@sheilanolagal]

Thank you.

[@lemurdinner]

Thank you!

[@neuzd]

Thanks. While I applaud the in depth research that went into the making of this video, I REALLY only wanted to know the answer to the title question.

[@Barnabybright]

@@neuzd The video is a victory for production over material. It might take an hour to explain something like the causes of the First World War. But for the reasons people hold microphones? Spit that shit out!

[@stewpeas4741]

Thank you

[@chris7263]

I always feel a deep ambivalence about the professionalization of Internet content. Like, on the one hand of course I want people to get paid for their work. But 20 years ago, teenage me felt like posting art and bitching about politics on livejournal made me part of the community, but as some people managed to make a living with it, the rest of us got kind of pushed out to be just passive consumers, and it's so much lonelier and emptier now. What's the difference anymore between this and old-fashioned tv? Just a different shaped screen.

[@ca-ke9493]

Rip my old deviantart and blogger

[@AkumuShi]

You nailed it. We're followers now

[@cheshirecandy]

absolutely agree! I've migrated back to dreamwidth recently, and am happy to say it's still as comforting (if more quiet and empty rn, but I hope that might change with people growing disillusioned and tired with just being passive viewers).

[@skyscraperfan]

I also want back the old non-profit internet. I have a website about skyscrapers, which costs a lot of time to maintain, but it is completely ad free. If a KZbinr mentions a "sponsor", I always give the video a dislike. I block all ads. KZbinrs should not make any money from KZbin. They should get another job and only do KZbin as a hobby.

[@tamarat9735]

I get what you mean but i feel like those are separate points. This really emphasizes the deprofessionalization of what is by definition professional content, as in that is these people's job they make serious money from. The homemade youtube aesthetic is great when it's someone just being creative for fun, but even then, the fun part would be getting better and capable of completing more ambitious projects. The mic thing and the general quality of these channels is just laziness. As viewers we need to have higher standards for people who singlehandedly make more money off content than entire tv stations or indie film studios and can't find it in them to learn how to mic, light or do basically competent editing. This drop in standards of quality and integrity has also normalized a lot plagiarism as well, because we stopped asking ourself how come people can put out so much stuff alone or with a minimal team. They only two ways is by either putting no effort or by cheating.

[@joshuapowers4623]

It would have been hilarious if when you panned out on that final stage shot there was a boom mic just over your head, revealing the lav in your hand being soely ascetic.

[@JordanWheeler1999]

lmao that funny!

[@davecgriffith]

Thanks for your videos Tom. I am slowly making my way through your older stuff and am enjoying them greatly. Sorry to see that your vaping video was demonetized - that's BS. Take care.

[@user-eq2hj6uy7p]

This is a master class on how to absolutely destroy the word count on your high school book report about microphones.

[@ulogy]

John Green's "The Format" is by far the best microphone-holding series. Because it's a wired microphone, and John is well aware it's silly.

[@eruno_]

I think that style of presentation is direct response to the style trends of KZbin. On similar note I noticed more and more creators sitting on the floor while delivering the monologue, it's interesting to observe.

[@ulogy]

@@eruno_ Yeah, he's very aware of the trend, and embraced it fully.

[@genericplantlife]

It's hilarious to me that The Format is now John's Thing when he only did it the first time on Vlogbrothers as a response to Hank doing it first.

[@zyaicob]

It only just occurred to me that The Format is a KZbinr Holding Microphone

[@PsRohrbaugh]

I don't mind when people hold the proper microphones. It gives a vintage feel especially for music, where vocalists would hold microphones on stage. But as you pointed out - holding a lav mic is a crime against humanity.

[@xymaryai8283]

cheap Lav mics often sound better than proper held dynamic mics, also the wireless setup is often much easier

[@alexanderkupke920]

It depends on so many things. But the last thing I am expecting to see, is for example a somwhat professional musician on KZbin fiddling with some crappy microphone or microphone setup, not to mention holding it when not necessary. That would be not "Internet Ugly" that would be like self destructing a reputation. Also, if people do different syles of videos and have for some purposes a microphone mounted on an arm, like for talk overs or kind of live sessions, I don´t mind having that in view. But just holding any Microphone to hold a Microphone, come on... Also as was mentioned recording music and someone singing. I think if someone is singing along to at least one Instrument, almost no one with more than half a brain cell left would be so naive to believe sound makes it on tape magically. It is also in a way, what we expect for Live Music. Because there sure are a few different things involved in Music production. Recording the Music itself. Recording soemthing actually played live. Recording a Music Video that tells a storry and usually not a single Microphone can be seen and, Oh yeah, Recording a Video in a set up that makes it look as if played live. But as I said, as soon as someone is singing on stage, for a larger audience or whatever, we simply expect to see a microphone (And except for very specific setups e.g. for a whole choir or orchestra in a concert hal with specific acoustics where microphones can be hidden in between musicians or be directed from above, anything out of sight on a close up shot would likely just not cut the mustard). I also don´t mind if every still somewhat smaller creator uses the rather cheap Rhode clip on wireless Microphone with its glaring blue LED, that cries into the Video "Hey it´s me!" (I wonder if they did that design on Purpose) for one simple reason. As cheap, or lets better say, cost efficient those are, they sound plenty good enough and just work. For many those might just be the step to more preofessionalism in production and equipment. And if that is the cheapest option that works more than well enough, let´s be honest, why not?

[@johnriglerrigler6668]

A lav mike sounds like something used in the loo!

[@andreasu.3546]

Another crime against humanity is that trend of sticking lav mikes to your collar that are the size of oven dishes.

[@alexanderkupke920]

@@andreasu.3546 I am not sure if I consider that a crime against humanity, or just some, to me incomprehensible, desire to make yourself look like a fool.

[@andydataguy]

That was the best longform video sales letter I've ever seen! Packed with value and brilliant in the pitch. The new age of advertising is crazy

[@room5245]

Make another one about every youtube essay seems to be increasing in length, i never even heard of you before but when i saw the title instantly decided to watch the whole thing

[@room5245]

guy is even wearing a suit, gross, such elite, very content, still watching

[@BeyondBinaryThinking]

"I'm an unpaid intern for a corporation that doesn't know I exist" How most "KZbinrs" should describe themselves.

[@lexa7250]

😂

[@nobrainerpainter]

interesting take, genuinely wondering what corporation you're referring to tho, is it KZbin?

[@GongMasterFlash]

Yup, owned by Google / Alphabet

[@StorytellingHeadshots]

So true! That’s exactly how I feel about the people producing all social media “content”. “You think you are building your ‘brand’ -but actually you are an unpaid low level employee at Facebook/Instagram, but they don’t pay you for your work (they don’t even buy you snacks… 😢)

[@Ninjaeule97]

More like poorly paid. At least they give you a cut of the advertiser money.

[@cs3705]

I like how this video is about microphones, yet its so quiet that I had to set my volume to 100 across the board

[@TheMysteryDriver]

Same. The clicks of the screen shots was a little loud though at max volume

[@TheMullerClan]

I'm just 5 minutes in the video and can't think about anything else than how this will be concluded as a meta joke later so I'm afraid to put up the volume as I'm expecting a spike in loudness D:

[@adakahless]

@@TheMullerClan I just skipped ahead 2 sections to see if the sound gets louder but it doesn't...my low game volume of the cozy game I'm playing while listening to videos is LOUDER now (even louder than the video still) so I don't see the reason to keep playing it. -_-

[@waleseggmundo]

This had to have been deliberate. Had to have been

[@quasimofo6811]

Interesting, I'm watching it now and it's roughly the same volume as any other youtube video I pull up. Maybe there was some sort of processing issue that's been resolved since you all commented?

[@bandotaku]

I had noticed this trend as well, and to me, I thought people were doing it for a few different reasons: 1) They were actually trying to be MORE professional, depending on the content they create, especially those that do video essays and journalistic type videos. Or in the case of comedy, they are imitating the stage by holding a mic. 2) In reference to the Lav mics, (which for the record, I roll my eyes when I see someone holding one unironically) I thought people were doing it because they didn't know how to fix the audio so you don't hear the rustling of their clothes or hair too often. I think I had a third one, but I forgot it. In any case, I'm glad someone else noticed and was able to look into it more thoroughly.

[@VestinVestin]

Oh, so much like Greg's girlfriend from the example: she wasn't trying to subvert a metanarrative, she was trying to elevate herself to fit in but instead made herself stand out as tacky through sheer incompetence... I love this hypothesis.

[@bandotaku]

@@VestinVestin Not sure about that, because I don't remember the video too well, but it could be on purpose.

[@zeten]

I think way back at some point it was a serious attempt to improve the production quality on a low budget. Crap audio turns people off way more quickly than crap video. You buy a mic that should sound better, but because you don't know how to use it, but it still sounds like crap, so you fully embrace using it in a weird way that overcomes technical challenges with using the equipment. Eventually, people just mimic the style. Nowadays, with vertical video, the big desk mics are more about communicating an aesthetic. Looking like you showed up on a podcast gives clowns like VShred way more credence than they should ever earn. The format dates back to in-studio TV productions of radio shows, like Howard Stern's. It's even more successful now because you can just crop things vertically, pretend that a conversation partner is there, and simply try to sound like you're in the middle of making a very important point. The format lies by giving you the impression it's an excerpt from a longer conversation.

[@bandotaku]

@@zeten Very good points!

[@LawrenceMeisel]

Very clever. Never thought it would be possible to make an hour-long video about this topic. Well done.

[@NightRogue77]

The beauty of the style PragerU uses, is that it’s very easy to see, at a glance, how batshite smooth-brained their claims are

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

Huh?

[@yeoss]

back when i was a preteen falling down the alt right pipeline. something still just felt very wrong abt the arguments they were making.

[@Oldass_Deadass_dumbass_channel]

​@@yeoss iirc a PragerU video about climit change is legitimately one of the things that stopped me from reaching the end of that wild ride.

[@lousielouise8716]

It's so disgusting that they use the "U" to intentionally confuse themselves with accredited universities who do the same. It's a trap designed to lure in young people, searching for real university materials. Vile.

[@st.friendship]

​@@yeosswhich pipeline did you choose instead?

[@mad8598]

I promise you, so so many of them haven’t put any thought into why they are holding a lavalier mike, they are just doing it because they see others doing it and figure it’s just what you do.

[@JustATakit]

mic

[@gracelandtoo6240]

The name's Lavalier. Mike Lavalier.

[@goopah]

@@JustATakit See, this has always bugged me. When I see 'mic', I hear 'mick.' When I see 'mike,' I hear 'mike.' So sure, now that I've been 'corrected' so many times, I write 'mic' like everybody else. But I do it under protest, dammit. 🙂 Also, I refer to a DVD or CD as a disk, not a disc.

[@goopah]

@@gracelandtoo6240 Hello, Mike. I'm Doggy Galore.

[@DragonCMNDR]

@@goopah disks are square, discs are round.

[@Benjamin_Reese]

I didn't expect to watch the entire video, at an hour long this is much more time than I generally spend on a single video of even entire session. I do seem to be drawn to Nebula creators so it makes sense. Nice work.

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks for this, I've been wondering for a while... but did you intentionally make your audio level so incredibly low?

[@rufusdrumknottvgc]

I love videos that make me say 'Why, of course the seemingly innocuous trend of holding one's microphone while recording KZbin videos is a symbol of wealth and political divide!' Great video and I love the set up of presenting a lecture to a totally packed venue.

[@vidprodcts]

Mmmm. Here I am a few minutes into the video and read your comment. I think it is easier to just hold the mic vs running it up the shirt and clipping it on. Also not having a complete plan…most content creators probably don’t storyboard every thought/point of their videos. They may thus not consider every detail including mic placement. Now that I say the Nick’s video has gone in a different direction and refuted what I am saying. lol.

[@VestinVestin]

I don't know... "Actually, mundane and small thing X is explained by grandiose, nebulous, and ideologically charged thing Y (that I, coincidentally, also happen to blame everything else on as well)" sounds suspiciously like the exact type of statement that makes one a schizo crackpot. It's like that meme with a guy holding gruesomely tangled Christmas lights and stating with grim conviction "I bet the Jews did this".

[@vwestlife]

I blame it on radio shows being among the first to upload clips of political and news commentary to KZbin. Instead of changing their whole studio setup to prioritize video, they chose to keep the large, conspicuous radio microphones directly in front of them, even if it obscured the camera's view of them. That gave them a sense of authority -- "look at me, I'm not just making silly KZbin videos -- I'm BROADCASTING!" And thus it established the trend of using a microphone on video as a prop to make what you're saying seem more important and credible.

[@ammagee]

Really good point. Also see: the rise of podcasting, and the video podcast.

[@MistyRekchin]

This.

[@heyspookyboogie644]

I’d add, particularly Joe Rogan’s podcast’s influence. Notice how basically every podcast since uses the same Shure mics in a similar setup.

[@harduphiker]

Podcasters were doing that first....early adopters of YT, way before mainstream radio

[@AJMVoreis]

​@@heyspookyboogie644 People have been using SM7b's, RE20's, and other broadcast staples to record podcasts since they started. Plenty of people were using them before Joe Rogan...

[@JodyGates]

I'm completely new to your stuff and can't believe I watched a video "about" why 'youtubers' hold their Mic. Turned out to be a great snapshot of where this "amateur video" platform has come and where it's going. Great video, i'll go check out more of your stuff.

[@lucbeaulieu2086]

this man is the next vcause i love how he get you with an initial topic then goes down the rabbit hole of thoughts that are connected to the subject

[@HighFiveTheHorizon]

Also: Having a microphone frees you of having to think of what to do with your hands. A lavalier mic is more transportable, and you don't need an audio interface. Plug and play.

[@HarryDirtay]

@@slightlySuperior *jingles keys*

[@irenafarm]

This is probably the biggest reason this trend has spread and stuck. It’s grounding for both presenter and viewer. Although it really bothers me when they hold a lav mic. It looks like they’ve picked up a tiny snack but forgot to eat it.

[@ska042]

Why wouldn't you need an audio interface (or a body pack if you're going wireless)? That has nothing to do with the form factor of the mic

[@bisma1352]

Honestly prefer the mic alternative over those anxiety triggering filled to the brim mugs essayists started carrying to occupy their hands

[@samringwald]

"I got this sample mic at Costco and I'll use it in this video." @@irenafarm

[@ebthepurple]

i like it when the little mic is clipped to something to act as a handle for it, like a small spade, or stick.

[@SamThredder]

aaah yes. @SixStair style. Lav on the end of a broomstick haha

[@skybluskyblueify]

Adam Ragusea recently did a video about the microphones. It is called: In praise of tiny mics and Gen Z media (PODCAST E61).

[@Ponk_80]

The answer is really simple, most "content" makers, tend to follow the trends that give them the most views. No matter how stupid those trends are to normal people, who don't spend every waking hour on a screen device.

[@Acerola_t]

48:06 tbh i bought the wireless mic with the intent of clipping it to my shirt so i could be more expressive with both my hands but I was too stupid to figure out how to get the audio consistent LOL so now I just hold it in front of my face but now I see I am subconsciously part of the zeitgeist

[@TheOneWhoKnocks70]

Yeah you are with unprofessionalism that's the defining feature that attracts me to your videos.

[@that_megan]

A lot of this reminds me of the original punk movement and the corporate co-optation of punk aesthetics that followed. A DIY music scene that intentionally lowered the technical barriers to entry and glorified in just playing three chords loud and fast took up things that would normally signify failure as a sign of authenticity. Unfortunately corporations are very good at commodifying subcultures. Whether it is holding the microphone on-camera or screaming swear words over a one-chord guitar riff, mainstream media companies will always recognize those trends and incorporate them to give their own productions that appearance of authenticity. And I think that is good because it forces us to keep innovating and keep stepping outside of our comfort zones. I would still prefer that we overthrow capitalism, but until then, at least there is a very thin silver lining.

[@chris7263]

I also thought about punk, as a genre where the rich vs poor taste dynamics were inverted from the rich gatekeeping by judging things as low class, but instead the gatekeeping is (or used to be) about selling out.

[@VaporChad.]

You overthrow capitalism and then what genius?

[@tom.m]

​@@VaporChad. Anarchy in the UK, obviously.

[@TAP7a]

​@@VaporChad.profit

[@zeshw1748]

Yeah because as much as we want to forget it, corporation are made of people generally skilled in their job.

[@eyeonus]

7:18 Based on only this video, as I've not at this point in time watched any others, or even most of this one, I would say that you are a "Video Essayist", which is applicable regardless of which platform (KZbin, Patreon, Nebula, etc.) your video essays happen to be uploaded to.

[@hekev]

This is the longest patreon ad from a youtuber I've ever watched and I'm not even mad.

[@samwhite254]

For a video about audio I was surprised how unbelievably quiet it is mixed compared to the rest of youtube.

[@whompronnie]

A good way to tell if your video is at an appropriate level is to right click -> Stats for Nerds and check "Content Loudness." It should be near zero

[@kpanic23]

Yup, the statistics show it is normalized to -17.4dB… Meaning that ads and everything else normalized to 0dB will be about 8x as loud. I find too quiet videos way more annoying than handheld microphones, tbh…

[@ringsystemmusic]

Fr, room noise is as loud as the presenter.

[@evil993]

Hilarious to talk about sound, mics, poor mixing, etc, and have poor mixing yourself with the audio barely audible. Though that's a fixable issue. And one I hope is done soon enough so I can actually watch the video and be able to hear it lol.

[@jond661]

He's holding a lapel mic in his fingers probably had to use a lot of noise reduction and compression..

[@andrekgerber]

The seamless loop is one of the reasons I don’t watch shorts or TikTok videos. I feel cheated when they try and trick me into watching a loop.

[@bearwynn]

it actually gives me a headache and I have no idea why

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

It's the cute to frantically tap the screen to pause the video (because having unfinished videos on my feed doesn't fit), so it has the opposite effect on me

[@vitoc8454]

Some of them do make clever use of the loop function though (e.g. the creator "al jokes"). Meanwhile some shortvids just end mid-sentence because they were clipped from a longer video

[@cinemaipswich4636]

Excellent work this year Tom. I recognised your voice on a Philosophy Tube video, another excellent channel. You have an excellent presentation and speaking voice. Good luck in the New Year.

[@emh7769]

I really really appreciate all the work that was put in this video. I really enjoyed it, keep up the good work!!

[@randomname9291]

This seems like it has nothing to do with your normal content and I’m all for it

[@shasan2393]

I dont think so. this video is right up this channel’s alley. Tom is all about making social commentary. This video does exactly that - observing and analyzing the social norms of youtube.

[@michaelbondt8202]

I think the origin of holding the mic goes to 'step in edit' when the creator steps into (or the video stops out to) offer a change or update usually holding a mic to seem more candid, and more candid = more honest

[@JordonBeal]

Having been a professional audio engineer and music producer for the last 15 years, this trend DRIVES ME FUCKING CRAZY. Even worse is using a side-address large-diaphragm condenser as if it were an end-address hand-held mic. STOP IT. Holding a mic not meant to be hand-held makes you look like a moron.

[@samuelshoesmith]

First time watching one of your video Tom. I cannot recall how I found it but it was in my watchlist. I was intrigued why you think people hold microphones so much on KZbin but wondered how on earth the video would last an hour. And then I watched this glorious analysis of the history of KZbin and general internet development and culture. I have subscribed.

[@Rolatii]

I used to think that holding a microphone was weird, but then I remembered all the horrible stress I feel whenever I have to speak publicly or recording, and I would have given anything to have some kind of grounding mechanism, or at the very least something to occupy my hands.

[@shigekax]

Hold the podium if there is one. If not, hold your interlocutor

[@theflyingspaget]

​@@shigekaxpick them up like they're a small child

[@I.____.....__...__]

_Too late for rocks, too early for fidget-toys._

[@Firegen1]

There is a whole arm art to oratory performance that I swear never gets taught. I'm in the Spoken Word scene and performing live there is a gift to not having a mic in hand vs having it for comfort. I'm very old school to point, I tend to use the stuff from Drama school to cheat my nerves. I use my hands to remind myself what I'm saying by directing them at different people

[@manualdidact]

Listening to this on Nebula, I had to wonder if it was intentional that the audio level was so low (while listening at full volume and barely hearing you, the beep from charging my phone was painfully loud) ... Of course, I couldn't leave this comment there.

[@witchmorrow]

I found this too. Ironic given the subject matter!

[@wotgrissom1671]

Nebula seems to have a number of quality issues

[@manualdidact]

@wotgrissom1671 In this case the audio levels may not have been the fault of Nebula, but generally I agree ... it hurts to see all the weird bugs and design problems in the app hurting the experience and getting in the way of what Nebula is trying to do -- especially the longstanding problems that have been around for ages that don't get addressed.

[@validpostage]

his audio is always mixed SO quiet. even this version, another KZbin video sounds normal and then this one is hard to hear even with my TV volume over halfway up.

[@LarryElectronica]

@@validpostage It's not quietness per se, but the wide dynamic range and lack of mastering. There are probably occasional peaks that hit somewhat near to 0dBFS, but the issue is the range of loudness over time.

[@EposVox]

Wonderful breakdown

[@agentzapdos4960]

"The medium is the message" comes to mind in all this discussion about platforms.

[@fakegamergirl]

"...who is an outsider who needs to be purged" vo over a clip of James Corden is just *chef's kiss* beautiful editing right there

[@lucasdeoliveira5316]

Thoroughly impressed by how Tom managed to make an hour-long video essay about such a topic and even more by how he managed to make it interesting. Great video as always, Tom!

[@sabihasayeed1670]

When I first saw the video, I was like "Finally someone is talking about it!" But also "this video seems too long..." However, once I began watching it, I didn't even notice the time fly by. I was thoroughly invested.

[@r0bertfrank]

i love how right after you talk about the trope of the audience thinking what we see is what we get, we immediately see you holding the lav and hearing sooooo much room tone

[@hongluzhang7771]

I also saw this trend of suddenly picking up microphones or more generally showing them in the frame rather than out. My own opinion is it reflected the transformation from legacy medias to individual creators, where microphones as an outstanding symbol of a collection of related careers, are too incorporated by those creators to elevate their presence as more professional and trustworthy to any audience. It is also a combination of the rising production awareness of those creator teams, who started as individuals without previous experience in professional recording sessions. They tend to leave the marks of amateur behaviours, not in a negative way but correlated appearance. Among them, the use of easy and versatile microphone equipments do represent the unique ecosystem of KZbin and other platform creators in general. Additionally, it is also possible, in some fields such as tech reviews, stunt/special effect oriented productions, the top tier creator teams are advancing as professional studios, giving the newbees little space to work around. Thus a show of intentional amateur production can eliminate doubts in terms of pure production quality and focus on content quality, gaining more audience and subscribers.

[@unvergebeneid]

I still think holding a lapel mic looks silly though. If you want to hold a mic, hold a mic that was made to be held.

[@alfsmith4936]

I like the ones who hold a broadcast mic 😂

[@yurisei6732]

Nah, pinch holding a tiny mic because you want to get in on a trend of faux authenticity is way better, the irony is delicious.

[@unvergebeneid]

@@yurisei6732 eh, I think the video had a more nuanced take. Yours, if I'm perfectly frank, comes off as a bit edgelordy.

[@jsax01001010]

Now I really want to see a KZbinr holding a full on boom mic with a giant deadcat cover on it.

[@eruno_]

being silly is exactly the point why it's done

[@VS-oq6rz]

"Why documentary KZbinrs make every video over an hour long."

[@Sierra-Whisky]

Next: Why youtubers take an hour for a two minute answer

[@felixvarghese2307]

this guy's audio mixing is SO BAD i could not stand to watch it at all.

[@TheHalcyonCalamity]

never seen your content before but had been wondering about this exact thing. feels like a strong introduction to your vibe!!

[@EffinChat]

I can't remember where I heard it but the phrase "manufactured authenticity" kept popping into my head during your discussion of professional studios creating internet ugly videos. I think it was probably philosophytube, but then again if it was Abi that introduced me to the phrase I would have expected you to reference her in the video

[@basicwhitegirl3558]

You might be thinking of Lindsay Ellis' video "KZbin: Manufacturing Authenticity (For Fun and Profit!)"

[@mariusvanc]

The whole thing does come across as incredibly fake and contrived. All the stuff I watch on yt uses proper microphones, I've only seen it in tiktoks, and I did cringe initially, but then assumed it was to provide a better audio recording instead of using the built-in one on the phone, then started seeing it everywhere and assumed it was just a dumb trend, because it looks very tacky, and it would be easy to move it out of video frame. It's actually so much worse!

[@crazydragy4233]

​​​@@mariusvanc That's how I feel about the "style" of a lot of younger essayists who point out how quirky they are for looking disheveled sitting on the floor while adding bunch of cuts from one "relatable" pose/behaviour to another one. When your script and audio are preplanned you teleporting to different poses on your bed mid paragraph or changing angles multiple times and pushing your face into the camera is just... 🙄 (It gives me "look how quirky and relatable I am!" which everyone agrees is cringy) It feels really out of place for the genre IMO too, it doesn't need let alone demand visual interest. Heck, majority of what I've see doesn't even need the author to be on screen if any visuals at all yet very few authors aren't addicted to being on screen to exploit psychology for better numbers. In the end, no matter how hard you try you won't be able to be truly authentic/genuine once you hit the record button, so why even be part of the circus?

[@purrfekt]

I started with a simple question about microphones and ended up in a dissertation on the nature of KZbin. I watched the whole video in its entirety. Bravo. 👏

[@annec8127]

Yes, this was my experience too. Simple question with a nuanced contextual background. 👏

[@kdids]

why the hell is this video an hr when it could be explained in 10 minutes

[@mirandamanga9083]

Yeah like is it really that deep? Can’t bro just summarise the points and let the rest of the video be history of the practice or whatever

[@calhusk8347]

Surprisingly insightful and engaging. Watched the entire hour and all I have a kudos. Really excellent work

[@YeahItsThatBad]

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS!!!!! WOW! I thought I was going crazy, this is one of those things that kept bugging me. "Why the the hell is every one holding microphones now?!?" Whenever I brought this up to people they had no idea what I was talking about. LOL, I clearly spend too much time on youtube!

[@stbananastein]

SAME! I was just musing about this the other day

[@jell0goeswiggle]

1. That Martina, of @NerdForge, uses a trowel as a prop mic for her ad reads will always be hilarious. 2. I was waiting the entire video for a "this lav has been off the whole time" gag.

[@CuriousKey]

Based on how little his volume fluctuated while he waved it around, it definitely wasn't on. And not pointing it out makes the joke better.

[@devanbecker3542]

It doesn't even have a wire! (Except for in the second chapter when he's sitting.)

[@floor.mp3]

This is one of the best videos i've found on this website, and your way of speaking and making jokes etc is top tier!

[@LegacyoftheDromedary]

Insanely good video man! Incredibly interesting.

[@tiffanyferg]

only two seconds in and very excited to watch this! my experience / reasoning for Holding Microphones has been: my on-camera shotgun mics often pick up too much room noise, or sometimes there will be a hiss that I don’t notice until editing (tragic). Then I switched to my fancy Shure podcasting mic, but soon found that it picked up TOO much. Too sensitive! Mouth noises 🥴 Recently I’ve been using a $100 handheld, classic mic and it’s solid! Though my hand usually hurts by the end of filming. I sometimes miss being hands free (so I’ll use my mic stand) but I do enjoy the feeling of chatting into a mic! It makes filming feel more like a performance or an ~event~

[@zyaicob]

The idea of a performance or an event is a pretty interesting concept. Somehow there's not exactly a standard for video essays, the quintessential KZbin event, as while hbomberguy sometimes holds a mic and sometimes doesn't, Dan Olson never does, Lindsay Ellis was always very clearly sitting in front of a mic, Jenny Nicholson doesn't, etc.

[@genericsomething]

I like the sound of your current microphone (I'm assuming it's a Shure SM58). I've never been a fan of the SM7B; it has too much bass for my ears.

[@Cdr_Mansfield_Cumming]

My “Carlos Fandango” mic can be turned down in the condenser setting. It goes from picking up the next-door neighbour opening their fridge door to only picking up sound within 250-300mm from the mic itself. Have a look if you can turn yours down too.

[@iamthemurray16]

Things always tend to come full circle. Holding a microphone before was just a necessity, now its become a beacon of " ive got something important to say even though i probably dont" Its more of an cosmetic attempt to legitimize their character.

[@DieterPrivate]

This is so true 🎉

[@statelypenguin]

I feel like it has maybe even moved past that and into the 'well this is what everyone else does' territory.

[@oniinu]

An interesting take. Basically 'What I have to say has such urgency I have no time to set it up properly'

[@FhtagnCthulhu]

19:55 The Beethoven gag absolutely floored me. Now *that* is objectively good art.

[@eli879]

Your level of self awareness and willingness to concede when you’ve been presented with new or differing ideas is admirable and truly inspiring.

[@Wallyworld30]

Stefon Milo Scotch taping his Lapel Mic to a plastic spoon is the penultimate in KZbinr Microphone ingenuity. Not to mention anything of Milo's enthralling tales how one particular man lived and died over 250k years ago.

[@-xirx-]

I came here to comment exactly this! _SpoonMic™_ fans are legion!

[@TheStarBlack]

Been thinking of Stefan throughout this video, thoughbI think he's moved on from that now and got a proper mic

[@drywall897]

What about Ethan Becker's cigarette mic?

[@zeeffer]

Is using the word "penultimate" that way also a trend?

[@TAP7a]

Man if that's the penultimate I can't wait to hear what topped it to be ultimate!

[@deersakamoto2167]

Adam Ragusea did a deep dive on this very topic not so long ago, as a former radio person perspective (and why he embraces the trend).

[@2ndpersonplural652]

I was going to comment this if I didn't find an existing comment. Ragusea was on the money, and correctly predicted this trend spreading.

[@BigRedUS]

Came across your channel by chance. Love your content and the way you deliver it.

[@JLarky]

Wearing socks in the lecture hall is what breaks my suspension of disbelief more than holding a microphone 😂

[@bamlam7801]

i was looking for a comment about this!

[@Cezerpringle]

Can you imagine the sound if he was wearing shoes?

[@RobertStoll]

An hour long video about how people hold a microphone is peak content

[@fecklessman]

you are not wrong. but not for the reasons you think you are correct.

[@poacher5131]

There's a Tom Scott video about leaving the audio sync claps in at the front of a take that has a very similar thesis statement to this

[@X3r0.]

Lovely ted talk , Tom :)

[@andydataguy]

Bro your research course is exactly what I've been looking for!! Bet done. Thank you! 🙏🏾

[@WisecrackEDU]

Absolute banger of a video!

[@Tom_Nicholas]

Thank you Wisecrack team!

[@av_oid]

KZbinrs praising KZbinrs.

[@WisecrackEDU]

We're not like "other" KZbinrs . . . we're different. @@av_oid

[@timothybradford6652]

I so needed this. Thank you Tom. This video was very meaningful for me.

[@dbvmayor]

Great video and insight into this. I just thought of it as another arbitrary trend they all hopped onto but your comparison with that Succession episode really nails it: it's performative. They're signaling to their audience that they're "one of them." "Hey, I'm just talking online, I don't take any of this seriously lol" meanwhile KZbin is 100% their profession, they upload regularly, obey the algorithm, all have multiple sponsorship deals, etc. This is all extremely serious for them. Other trends I've noticed: the over-the-top can-you-even-BELIEVE-this-is-happening!? delivery, use of Comic Sans font (because they don't take any of this seriously), the dramatic zoom-ins that you'd find on a children's TV show, etc, etc. I also think this is why chronically online people dress frumpy: like the Succession characters, it's to signal that they're so above it, they don't care, etc. Caring about taste or professionalism is "cringe," etc. There was a trend in the late '90s of guys who had messy hair and they would be like "oh yeah, I just rolled outta bed, I don't care about making my hair look good, I'm so chill" and it was like be serious, it's obvious you spent an hour to get your hair messy in the right way.

[@sailorscoutvenus]

The first youtuber I really remember seeing do it was Joana Ceddia. She had a tiny comically small microphone she would hold up and talk into in most of her videos. After she got popular I started to see that trend spread especially with the more comedy focused youtubers and tiktokers. Now it almost seems to have become the norm.

[@Muhluri]

That's a name I haven't heard in a long time!

[@Lexekiel]

Thank you, I was thinking about it during the whole video!

[@KJFMZ]

I clicked the video feeling sure she'd be mentioned. That said, her channel (while very enjoyable) was a bit of a fart in the wind though, so it wouldn't surprise me if her role was missed / minimal.

[@genewitch]

I noticed, a year or two ago, a lot of videos on insta and tiktok where they held lav mics. As someone who doesn't generally wear lapels at home, finding a place to attach a lav mic where it won't get rustled or bumped, i could see how holding it to make a 20 second video makes sense.

[@DrakiniteOfficial]

Wow. This was honestly a stellar piece of philosophy and introspection that I absolutely did not expect when clicking on the video. Despite being an hour long, the pacing was excellent and never once did my mind wander away from what you were talking about, except to just appreciate how well written and orated this was. I feel like you did a really good job breaking down how different channels change the way they present in order to determine how high or low budget they want their productions to feel. Linus Tech Tips, for one, has definitely kept a DIY vibe on most of their videos despite spending more and more effort on writing, shooting and editing in each of their vids to improve production quality. One thing I'd like to point out is that I really appreciate your decision to not once use the word "algorithm" to describe KZbin and TikTok's recommendation systems. I don't remember who it was that i first heard point this fact out, but once people start talking about "the algorithm" as this mysterious AI beast, you lose the understanding that it's still designed by people, given specific goals and instructed to make decisions based on those goals. Better to call it a system because then you don't get as much of that voodoo mystery that currently plagues the current popular understanding of AI.

[@SuomyOna]

Can you summarize the video for me? I couldn’t watch it. I felt like the answer to why KZbinrs are holding microphones could have been provided in about 30 seconds, and I never found it. skimmed the first 20 minutes, nothing.

[@Hasserfyllt]

@@SuomyOna its just a big pile of bullshit to generate the max watchtime aka good ol´ clickbait.

[@stuarttomlinson1819]

​@@SuomyOna Essentially, the thesis is that the origins of KZbin culture as a space for amateurs has led to a distinct aesthetic of deliberate unprofessionalism, and in response to non-native media groups like late night shows becoming more popular in the platform, visibly holding a microphone has become a way to signal that you're not one of "them", that you're a native, that you belong here, etc.

[@Superphilipp18]

21:38 dude I just recently discovered your channel. And I love listening to you while I paint my 40k Models. And that table on the screen nearly made me spit out my tea laughing. I love it

[@DenUngeHerrHolm]

Great video. Lots to think about. I just started taking making youtube videos seriously as an art in itself( as opposed to a byproduct of the visual art I make) and it is my a more technically and artistically accomplished video doesn't have to be a more "professional" video. But the first video I made with that philosophy has flopped so far, so we'll see how it goes! 😂