Who Killed Comedy?

[@evilexplodingjesus91]

You say that The Hole wasn't iconic, but anytime me and my friends have lost something, someone always throws out a ".......it's in the hole....."

[@tape-6]

how could anyone think The Hole isnt iconic????? its literally in the hole

[@lagun42]

i miss my dad

[@Sylenced1]

@@lagun42 Wow, that's dark... like the Hole.

[@jurtheorc8117]

@@Sylenced1 *DRAMATIC STING*

[@pingandpong674]

The Hole is so iconic! Same with "I'm here, I'm queer!". Legitimately met a few good friends through these quotes, TomSka is an icon of my era of youtube at least.

[@Aspencio]

You did, Tom. You're the reason comedy is dead. You will pay for your sins, Thomas Surfshark Ridgewell.

[@mikewazaski8597]

Exactly

[@Thrarm]

that's Thomas "TomSka" Surfshark Ridgewell to you

[@KrazylifeYT]

yeah, sure, thrarm. it's ACTUALLY Thomas "Thomas" (Surfshark) Thomas

[@vwluis]

Thomas Tomboy Skandal SurfTom TomShark Ridgewell

[@notdyno8000]

xavier himself said this

[@straxacore]

When they arrested you, they let you keep the knife? How very nice of them.

[@ThunderBlueBr]

It's a emotional support knife

[@SuperTimItaly]

How would he be supposed to cut the cake to find the hidden file inside? Seems like a common courtesy to me.

[@DSMWannabeLinguist]

How very knife of them.

[@jacobcarrasco6539]

Makes sense, we let our prisoners keep their guns in the states.

[@muliebris6338]

british prisons got it good

[@VivaLaDirtLeague]

Thanks for the love!

[@StayHydroted]

And thank YOU for the skits

[@GuardiaGuy]

Hello Vro

[@VickyHong1879]

VLDL is so dingo

[@johnnyboeck8952]

Legends, the lot of you

[@LJRacing233]

The legends themselves!

[@TomSkaAndFriends]

"did you really need to start with ancient egpyt" no but by the time I realised that we'd already edited it so there 😎

[@abdullahmohamed2730]

Am so sorry. Don't you mean Egypt. So sorry had to do it .

[@HydrochloricAcid16]

@@abdullahmohamed2730 nah, he said what he said

[@marmelat5558]

i think it is good tho, it really makes it more informative

[@barriedarbyshire2913]

Egg pit

[@BW95741]

I Know you are sick and tired of being in the comments but only comment once to pin yourself

[@paytonbostwick2899]

"sketch comedy is dead" has an ad parodying monty python. never change

[@alogamerp11]

Wirh puppets

[@aymonverheij1863]

are you implying paradies are killing sketch comedy?

[@mrrandomperson3106]

Has an ad parodying Monty Python **extremely well**.

[@OMentertainment]

@@aymonverheij1863 not at all, parodies could be carrying sketch comedy

[@CrackerMilk]

Thanks for the love. We'll never stop trying to increase our high production value.

[@sudhanvasapre5171]

Thanks for the laughs guys!

[@AnonymousCaveman]

Legendary channel

[@notheco]

I really adore your sketches!

[@Floeperdefloep]

crackmilk!!!

[@xansurnamehere]

keep milking crackers!

[@nellhalls60]

are you saying video...killed the radio star?

[@lemonp3r50n7]

"Internet killed the video star"

[@SytroCC]

AI killed every star

[@isisuazog]

No

[@MittellBuurman]

Please make your way to the far end section on the building, though the emergency exit; such jolly's are incriminating.

[@KADGIIR_RU_DUB]

"I have to disagree with you there - radio is not dead, but it is ending this broadcast..." //Sorry, I just... had to

[@roboltamy]

"Are you ready for a video essay where I infodump about a niche special interest?" yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

[@ToiletPaperInc]

holy shit, this is so genuine and heartfelt and, most pressingly, interesting. I think this would have been phenomenal on your main channel but to hear you talk about your primary passion like this at all is genuinely a treat. see you next month

[@Sassi7997]

Other KZbinrs: Every Sunday at exactly 6 PM I will upload a video. TomSka: It's 8:24 PM on a Monday evening. Yeah, let's just upload this.

[@schtormm]

you can thank Virgin Media for that

[@jhunt7235]

Fortunately it's only 5:00 where I am ha

[@effbar2400]

I didn't know you had a media company​@@schtormm

[@flickdaboss]

i mean for him its abt 8pm sooooooo

[@veezopolis]

It's the last day of the month thats why

[@DefinitelyCreative]

If anything the "Tom's in prison, but the killers still out there" gimmick just made for a good cliffhanger, I'm already mad that part 2 isn't out yet

[@thewritingrowlet2980]

Don’t worry I already watched it at 1000x speed on Twitter

[@areakastudios6704]

The fuck

[@chrisjones5411]

@@areakastudios6704just watch the video for the context mate.

[@OrgaNik_Music]

@@areakastudios6704 no, the video

[@DavtheDartrix-723]

Rowlet lover spotted

[@thewritingrowlet2980]

@@DavtheDartrix-723 Dartrix lover counter-spotted!

[@RoadWarrior_John]

19:00 man that cuts deep, I spent years studying to get into the game industry only find I hated what it has turned into, but at least I'll always have the student debt.

[@tbestig4164]

“Who killed comedy? Part 2” opens with tomska breaking through a wall like that video of Hbomberguy, while screaming “IT’S CAPITALISM”

[@copacelu93]

Now that's comedy

[@thatboringone7851]

I'd pay to see that. /j

[@river8142]

😂😂😂

[@FiftyStates5]

So he'd be wrong?

[@monseurwanksalotte3477]

Nah it's late stage receding hairline lmao

[@Sky-pg8jm]

"Given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun out of a game." Soren Johnson. I think that quote is an apt description of both why we killed sketch comedy shows and why we killed the album. We as a species like efficient things, and it's fairly unsurprising, efficient use of time is an incredibly useful survival skill. But given the chance we will be *too* efficient to slow down and really just let ourselves experience things. (Though I'm excited to see what you'll have to say in part 2 and if it'll change my mind)

[@UnicornStorm]

dunno, I listen to more music and I watch more comedy than I did back in the 90s. A lot of this video sounded more like "old man yells at cloud" not getting the extended experience just because we can conveniently access the content we want? I barely listened to a full album more than once, I put the best songs on a mix tape or burned a CD after I got a CDR drive. Sampler CDs were also a huge thing in the 90s. And if I want a deliberate, curated experience, well, concerts still exist, live comedy shows still exist and even the online jokesters themselves create their own compilations. We don't need to chase the television format when we have so many different options.

[@blackbot7113]

Is the album really dead? Sure, they don't make as much money as they used to, but at last in metal (and I assume other genres as well) people still listen to albums of their favorite bands all the time. They don't necessarily buy them in the store, sure, and that's an issue for the bands, but they aren't really DEAD. Older bands slow down on the output when priorities shift, but younger bands tend to release a new one every few years.

[@LaPollaAtomica]

@@UnicornStorm That's just what he talked about when speaking to John Lloyd though. There's some argument to be made that it's just what was available, but I think that Lloyd is generally correct in that good sketches per show are rare and iconic sketches even rarer which gives this skewed view of sketches now vs sketches then. Music and albums are similar. We've all heard about how labels wanted albums so bands often had to pad out those albums with other songs. Singles tend to be all that's remembered. On the one hand, that's likely because they got wider play. On the other, they might have been the only decent songs on an album. My point being that just because you were doing the compilation thing before doesn't mean the effect was in place. Note that OP mentioned efficiency. Compilations used to require more time and effort either on the consumer or the label's part: you had to buy the album, listen to it, and pick and choose which songs you wanted, have some way to record them, rip them, then burn them to a new CD. A distributor would have to acquire licenses for those songs and then go through the process and costs of making and shipping the album. I don't think that's comparable to KZbin and the ease of uploading whatever you wanted where then anyone with an internet connection can watch it with no other charge beyond their internet payment. As an aside, take that description of creating your own CD and apply it to cassettes. I think you're telling your age a bit by focusing on CDs when you could do the same with cassettes except it was much harder given the limitations of format (namely CDs at least had discrete separation between tracks; though cassettes could record directly off the radio). That increased difficulty I think highlights the pitfalls of your argument even more. In any case, there's an interesting two-minute video called The Rise and Fall of Music Formats based on RIAA data by James Eagle. It shows the sales of music from 1973-2021, so it doesn't include something like Napster affecting downloads. Thing is, right around 2005 or so, CD sales fall off sharply as downloads start to rise. That would be right around the time that you could just purchase an individual song (often for 99 cents). Admittedly, the video's presentation doesn't differentiate album versus individual song sales though. By 2011, downloads are nearly equal with CDs in sales, but they too start to lose share as streaming enters the picture. In 2015, streaming takes off to the point that by 2021 it makes up over 2/3 of the total $15.1 billion dollars recorded. My point is that I don't think your argument is very good. It's a red herring to try to compare a time where albums were much more normal because that was the main format you had to consume them in to a time where that format would then become less viable financially. Even bringing up concerts and live shows has the weakness that not everyone has the time, nor the money, nor the geographic ability to go, and there's no easy way to access a live recording (if it even exists). There are concerts or shows I would love to have gone to but the nearest show was 5 hours away, plus I work and couldn't possibly get off in time to drive 5 hours to a city I know no one in, have never been to before, and I have to work the next day so I'd be driving 5 hours right back after the show (both dangerous and probably bad for my work performance).

[@MrPipolix]

Watching you turn from "The ASDAF guy" to "Tom explains the downfall of sketch comedy as an artform" has been one hell of a journey, but a welcome one my guy

[@thatmtgnerd]

The internet is simultaneously the best and worst thing for indivudial creative endeavors. Its like being run over by a bus, but the bus paid for you prostetics that allowed you to walk in the first place.

[@henrythebananaboy]

@@DeterminismisFreedomhi

[@DeterminismisFreedom]

@@henrythebananaboy hewwo

[@rotary135]

Love your AQUABATS super show pfp! I love them

[@henrythebananaboy]

@@DeterminismisFreedom hi

[@DeterminismisFreedom]

@@henrythebananaboy hello

[@deafweasel99]

Tom, I distinctly remember making a strong comparison between yourself and Mitchell and Webb look (sound) which I strongly considered the funniest thing I could witness on TV and your channel has long been my favourite because I long for the days of the cleverness and hilarity of sketch comedy. You have long filled that “hole” and I have never missed an upload because of it. The effort and commitment you bring to the world of sketch comedy is greatly and truly appreciated, at least by me. Thank you for keeping sketch comedy alive, we need it more than ever.

[@samtherat6]

Really interesting you brought up Caleb City. I was reminded of a decent amount of his videos when you were talking about the shift to “slice of life” style skits.

[@mjjjermaine]

Love his stuff

[@KevinSig]

I think Whose Line is It Anyway & the content at Dropout is definitely in line with Sketch comedy without props & high content. Family Guy tosses out little skit gags every so often. I think high production stuff died down because KZbin changed how they pay & you basically need to produce weekly. If anything is to blame, it’s increasingly CEO driven media & how that crowd hates criticism, and being mocked.

[@Scarybug]

I was a little surprised Tom didn't mention College Humor because that is a great example of a group that was almost entirely sketch comedy that had to pivot away from it entirely to stay commercially viable.

[@filipemartinho1753]

​@@Scarybugyes! When someone says early internet sketches I'm thinking CollegeHumor, Smosh, and Tom, odlf course. CH especially displays a hard pivot away from sketch comedy. I do think it's the correct choice since they are phenomenal improv comedians, and Dropout only has banger shows, but it would be worth analysing as well

[@kiddy1992]

bruh you think dropout isn't high production value?

[@DeathbatOfSpades]

That’s not sketch comedy, that’s improv comedy…

[@Lex_brooke]

Whose Line is improv skits though

[@jakzillagames]

I definitely did not kill the individual known as John Comedy on September 2nd 1968 at 4:46 PM

[@Pizzaetertje]

And it was not done in a drive by crossbowing incident

[@jakzillagames]

@@Pizzaetertje see, this guy gets it

[@Xaphii]

Still not as bad as what Schlatt did in '99. Hooo boy...

[@patrickholt2270]

I find your excessively specific details completely convincing.

[@saamjaza1742]

@@patrickholt2270 Exactly, it's not like John Comedy didn't just happen to be in the way of a crossbowing tournament on the same time @Jakzillagames laid waste either without recognizing or straight up ignoring the man in front of the target on September 2nd, 1968, at 4:46 PM.

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

Still convinced that Olivia Colman actually won that Oscar for her electrifying performance as Numberwang contestant Julie from Somerset / Northampton / Durham / Yorkshire / Anglesey / Hamburg

[@asagoldsmith3328]

I believe she won he Oscar for the Shinty-Sixth episode of Peep Show.

[@simplyaztek2349]

Honestly, you and your content is the whole reason i actually think of the experience things like stand up, albums, and just experiences in general, i use to know people who would just leave something so quickly and not stay for the whole thing, and i just dont fuck with that, i love every little bit of what something can offer, cause how am i spose to know its good without seeing the whole thing, cant judge something half finished. all in all, thank you tom, for just bein an out right funny and inspirational guy, and for teaching me to experience stuff, not just pick out the things i want.

[@gix10000]

I really didn't expect the sharkfish inquisition

[@TheoRedfern]

Nobody expects the sharkfish inquisition

[@Sterski1]

19:20 Yeah, it used to be possible for a kid to say "I want to grow up and do THAT" and now the world moves so stupidly fast that "that" will probably not exist by the time you're old enough to do it.

[@thelowerdecktf2]

very true. I grew up wanting to be a game developer and animator and now that im entering the field, it’s all taken over by quintuple-A slop factories and AI, there’s no creativity left anymore with how saturated it is.

[@KyluxWolf]

​@@thelowerdecktf2 indie games exist my guy, and they're doing better than ever yes it's a very crowded market and yes it's not easy but it's not worth being so pessimistic over ai slop will take itself out

[@geuxmer2355]

​​@thelowerdecktf2 that means your stuff might stand out more, we live in an era where learning to make games is fsr easier than back then, you can truly make something that's unique

[@kdevelopergw]

@@KyluxWolf as a game dev - right now is a very justifiable time to feel pessimistic. I'm hopeful that things get sorted out ASAP but as it stands right now? The industry is in kind of a horrible spot

[@KyluxWolf]

@@kdevelopergw as an indie game dev, artist and animator Yes I agree it's entirely justifiable, I see my entire field getting overrun by AI, I see layoffs left and right, and I understand why one might feel pessimistic But at the same time, indie games and animations are gaining more traction than ever before, and so long as you build a community by doing what you love, you can create ambitious projects entirely self and/or crowdfunded There are so many creators doing what they love and living through their passion, I'd much rather look at that side of the industry and imagine myself there in the future tl;dr: being pessimistic just isn't worth it imo, make games, do what you love, build a community who loves what you do, it'll work out

[@Jack-sy8mr]

Actually sketch comedy is ‘super easy, barley an inconvenience’

[@Letskickitup]

Yeah sketch comedy is TIGHT

[@Wow1w]

Oh wow wow wow wow...... ..... .... ... .. . *Wow*

[@Ph4ntomHourGlass]

Tom needs to get all the way off their backs about this

[@ReverendTed]

The thing that has struck me as I've gotten older (and older...and older) is how temporary things are. There are so many things that felt fundamental, or "taken for granted" which, in hindsight, I just happened to be born in the window in which they existed. And in some cases, things which came into being and subsequently vanished during my lifetime. Obviously, there are a lot of technological things - home phones and phone books, TV schedules, cable television, video game rentals, etc. But also cultural things like shopping malls and large specialty retailers like Toys'R'Us. And looking at it that way, it's easier to see the writing on the wall for other things that aren't gone, but are probably on their way out, like the Internal Combustion Engine, movie theaters, antibiotics, private insurance and home ownership. It also makes me appreciate the fact that there are things I'm alive to experience, like Thomas "TomSka" Ridgewell and his wacky hijinks. (I was checking the spelling of Thomas and Wikipedia says you're a _former_ animator? There's another window closed, I guess.)

[@warlordofbritannia]

…antibiotics? Home ownership? The fluffin’ internal combustion engine??

[@ChristianCTaken]

@@warlordofbritannia Conservatives in power being increasingly anti-medicine, and the hellhole that is modern economies. I dunno about the internal combustion engine part though.

[@gabe_s_videos]

You took the words right out of my mouth. All my life, my biggest loves have always been comedy, hand-drawn animation and rock music, things I've seen reach their respective expiration dates as cultural institutions and spent most of my 20s waiting for them reclaim their statuses as such. Now I'm in my 30s and they're just a small part of history at large. It's especially awkward for someone who loved things that were old when I started liking them. The things I consider "nostalgic" are what my parents considered nostalgic, and the things my peers consider nostalgic - anime, video games - things I've always been largely indifferent towards and are having their moment now, makes me feel even older than I am.

[@ReverendTed]

@@warlordofbritannia It's reasonable to be skeptical, but yeah. Maybe not in our lifetimes...but maybe. Antibiotics (in the western sense) have only been available for the last 110 years or so. In that time, their over-prescription has resulted in an increasing population of antibiotic resistant bacteria. More and more people are ending up in the hospital with "superbugs" that may respond to only a few exotic drugs, if any at all. Doctors are being trained to be selective about when antibiotics are prescribed to avoid accelerating our progression into a post-antibiotic world. While new drugs are still being discovered, a window of history where antibiotics were a thing is a very real possibility. For home ownership, to be fair this one is a little more tongue-in-cheek, but corporate ownership of residential real estate has become an increasing issue. A corporate entity purchases a home as an investment. They expect to see a return on that investment, and usually on a shorter timeline than a typical individual homeowner, so they sell it for a profit - in more and more cases to another corporation. This accelerates the increase in home prices, which drives up values for even individually-owned surrounding properties, progressing toward an era when only corporations and the super-wealthy can own properties, and rent them to the people who live in them. For the Internal Combustion Engine, the writing is on the wall. Even if we presume the current advance in market share of electric vehicles will stall out, there is a limited amount of fossil fuel available. We are going to run out at some point - possibly in the next hundred years. Once there's no oil to extract, there won't be any way to run an ICE, regardless of how many are still in serviceable condition.

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@ReverendTed Ah, that all mostly makes sense. As was, I figured there was a 60/40 chance you were some conspiracy nut 😂

[@lordmaster6667]

Wonderful use of the term "outroduction" a word so rare they think i'm misspelling it.

[@Boonesman]

CrackerMilk, LikeAFoxStudios, Chris & Jack, and American High are probably my favorite sketch comedy KZbin channels right now.

[@refl9630]

I genuinely didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition

[@DALEKCHANNELYT]

Nobody expects the spanish inquisition

[@refl9630]

@@DALEKCHANNELYT I thought this reply would come much earlier. But I'm glad it was unexpected !

[@Ariamaki]

The thing about this that makes me pretty optimistic for the future is that, across 30 years of watching sketches myself, many of my all-time favorites are not from the classics on TV or the stalwarts of the age (Monty Python, Kids in the Hall, TWKYK, SNL from at least a decade ago) but were from smaller more focused online creators (yourself, LoadingReadyRun, Wizards With Guns, FiveSecondFilms, etc). I think sketch comedy is living larger than ever, it just changed transmission vectors.

[@MitchellCFlint]

I love Wizards with Guns

[@Ariamaki]

@@MitchellCFlint In which case I highly recommend looking up some of LoadingReadyRun's series of "Crapshots", very short sketches that usually have a lot of the same energy as Wizards. :3

[@augustcross2305]

Mad respect for LoadingReadyRun! I STILL love those Canadians 💙

[@Ariamaki]

@@augustcross2305 Big same!

[@britishwerewolf6153]

22:46 “If this is truly evolution, why does it still feel like a step backwards to me?” sums up the past decade of human history in my opinion.

[@RhienneC]

Damn, very relatable there...

[@iantaakalla8180]

Because evolution just means that people who can adapt to the circumstances the best will be those who thrive, and when the environment is hostile to humans…

[@Delmworks]

Your first mistake is assuming evolution always makes species better in general , as a opposed to merely being better in it’s current niche

[@ShermThursby]

Past 4 decades, since Ronald Republican Reagan happened.

[@pipono4311]

tomska making video essays is amazing. my two favourite things

[@yosefzanerva806]

I really enjoy these little 'history of comedy' videos of yours. They're really nice, I find them very interesting.

[@wtkieran]

As if the hole is 10 years old 🤢. I still think of that as newer Tomska sketch

[@GooberInternet]

I don't wanna be near a 10 year old hole! It probably smells even worse than it would if it was fresh.

[@vigorouslethargy]

My god, where has the time gone..... It went in the hole.

[@GooberInternet]

@@vigorouslethargy BWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

[@SomeYouTubeTraveler]

"17 Again" came out in 2009, so it was 5 years old when the sketch was made. In 3 years, it will be 17 years old, and Zac Efron will be 39... one year younger than Matthew Perry was when he played Zac's older self at age 40. [Congratulations! You have gained *+1 Gray Hairs* by reading this comment!]_

[@kajetanmajewski1256]

Old enough for most content creators theese days

[@mj_ultra]

Woah it’s the video from that Twitter gif how cool

[@ertatortiro9801]

6:00 Fun fact, those characters like Arlecchino(Yes, thta's how they are named in modern italian) and pulcinella are still known in italy today and part of our folklore and kids can dress up as them during carnival

[@annalisazoppi9777]

As an Italian, I agree! When i was younger we actually studied those characters at school sice they are tied to a particolar kind of theatre (other than just folklore)

[@lazarusmekhane439]

1:14 Huzzah, a man of quality! I can't believe there is another person in the world that likes Morecambe & Wise without being over 50 years old. It really is a shame that sketch comedy has all but vanished from television after the onset of the modern internet. But honestly, I'm just glad that people like you, Tom, do indeed keep the spirit alive on the internet. I don't even mind how many works are considered skits now, it all still feels like sketches to me, at least when those skits are joined together. I like to imagine that sketch comedy hasn't really died, its simply become more shy, and doesn't linger around too long. Great video, Tom, cannot wait for part 2!

[@implywood]

Really excited for part 2! This video resonated with me particularly well given a recent experience, specifically the idea of sketch shows being an experience and "you wouldn't just leave a standup show because the 'best joke' had been done" because I had that happen. I was at a friend's house and everyone there wanted to show me I Think You Should Leave which I hadn't watched before. At first someone put on the first episode of season 3 before another person said we should start with season 1. But then talked over the first sketch and then went to skip the second because it "wasn't funny" which was really weird to me. At this point I was weirded out by only going to "the good sketches" that I spoke up and asked why skip it when I could actually find it funny? I hadn't brought it up yet because it was an awkward social thing and I'm autistic (a Tomska viewer? Shock horror) and so we slowed down a bit but when I had to go they interrupted the episode we were watching to find a sketch we could finish on that was "funny enough" and the whole thing just felt weird. So having this video show up a few days after that was really validating. You've put into words what I didn't have the background or knowledge to and I really appreciate it. We're all zoomers in our mid-20s so having the argument against TikTok really works for me since I also deleted TikTok from my phone for the same reasons. Having a need or desire for our time by anything that just produces content pushed onto us has done a lot of damage to art as a whole (Drew Gooden has a great video on this) and I think you might bring something like this up in part 2 which I'd be excited to see. All to say I think you've really hit the nail on the head with your points on this one and I think you've articulated it in an easy to digest way that at least some nerds like me will find really interesting. Great video!

[@unexpectedbonk4049]

It speaks to how many times I rewatched monty python as a kid that I know all the sketches heck said were forgettable

[@digitaldeathsquid3448]

For every Spam, there's a First Nation American Theatre Enthusiast Even Monty Python got in on the blackface (the character in question was played by Eric Idle)

[@ΓιάννηςΧΔ-γ7γ]

@@digitaldeathsquid3448 Of all pythons, why Eric Idle? He’s my favourite.

[@ToasterCoaster420]

Once the blackface appeared in the video, I was waiting for you to mention the Dutch. I knew it was coming. I foresaw it.

[@MoehClon]

That line-up at 21:57 is filled with the channels I watch and love. Didn’t know all of them, but almost.

[@SpaceShip-Orion]

9:20 I fucking knew you were building up to insult the Dutch. We're working on it I swear

[@FeeshUnofficial]

And we're doing much better, it's lowkey cringe to show up in blackface now as an adult. Can't really blame kids but also kids don't really give a rats ass if they look like a caricature or like they hugged the inside of a smoke stack, so the parents are still cringe. And honestly it being perceived as cringe is the best timeline, because nobody likes being a loser

[@SpaceShip-Orion]

@@FeeshUnofficial I literally asked my mom “how is this different from what they did in that betty boop cartoon?” She was like “nah don’t worry about it.” I’m glad people pointed it out eventually

[@ephremcortvrint2376]

YEAH now we got rainbowpiet!!! (Is that racist against lgbt…Fuck) well anyway still getting there.

[@retro2103]

In Belgium as far as I know we've switched over exclusively to the covered-in-soot variant with minimal to no fuss. If we've already augmented story from a moorish man bought out of bondage by the good saint to just a jolly guy who's covered with chimney soot, it should be easy to just make it look like that, right? It seems to me that the entire issue in the Netherlands got mixed up with cultural pride. You're not the only ones who celebrate it but it feels so fundamentally Dutch that any outside criticism feels like an attack on Dutch identity. It's very curious that it always seems to be so charged a topic.

[@FeeshUnofficial]

@@retro2103 yeah we're a strange folk. We simultaneously pride ourselves on outlawing owning slaves in the main country (most people don't think about the fact the colonies didn't have this law), becoming the richest nation in the world for a while by exploiting Indonesia (the exploitation in Indonesia is also left out) and having a tradition that is high-key shocking to people from other countries, that technically isn't racist in its intentions but definitely sends the wrong message

[@peppers515]

I genuinely loved the overly sincere bit. It’s something I feel all the time about the world in which we live in. We were raised and educated in a way to prepare us for a world that wasn’t there when we finally ready to face it: changed by the very people we were taught to follow.

[@nicolebee3283]

Inside No 9 did a really great version of Commedia dell’arte . The episode is called Wuthering Heist and is highly underrated. Very good puns.

[@hill506]

The biggest [recent] change really has been people no longer consistently watching television, but I know (myself at least) that I far prefer your sketch comedy (of medium length and comedic style) in comparison to Comedy Films or Shorts/Vines/TikToks or Sketch Shows like ITYSL/SNL. Really like your stuff and hope it (and others like it) can continue to have a space to not only exist but thrive!

[@PuffyPinkSpirit]

4:28 5:17 *eddie voicing the sharks! :D*

[@Broeckchen]

I think you finally vocalized why for the longest time, I felt that TomSka made different comedy content than others. Content I really adore! It's the absurd element that I love so much. You guys are so good at seriously going all the way with that. And that's so charming to me!

[@gamlaman]

20:39 "What was the last truly iconic sketch to come out of the UK" ....tbh, my first thought would be your sketches, Tom.

[@thatgothulk]

I can't imagine the amount of work that has gone into making this video.. just from a research, shooting, and then editing perspective. This is amazing. Great work again, Tom!

[@Skeletoonz]

Dude who the hell let comic con be held anywhere in London. Absolutely terrifying… Hopefully I’ll see you there!

[@TheMegaMario3]

21:46 Hey... who gave Tom my subscription list?

[@dapp2020]

Man, as someone trying to break into the animation industry, I felt your pain so hard. Trying to work towards a dying industry is frustrating. Hope things get better

[@Queen_Nyxie]

13:44 Literally made the "Needs more cowbell" joke at work today. I didn't even know this episode was from 1975, but it explains why nobody got the joke since that episode is older than even I am!

[@Mochi.Rin_Official]

9:42 "at least we're not the Dutch" as a Dutch person, I genuinely don't understand why we're still painting this folks black and why so many people are against stopping it .... can we please stop painting people black?

[@The_Disturber]

I mean we are trying to make it stop... but there are a bunch of weirdos that go on about 'but it's my heritage'. at least it is getting less and less every year...

[@Fantasygod930]

Don't worry Dutch you're not alone the Koreans do it as well maybe the Chinese and Japanese But I have limited knowledge on that

[@venombug7476]

As a non-Ducth person, I say let them, it makes it easier to know who not to support and makesit easier to spread awarness of the problems we still face in society, also pls make fun of the who find it funny, for me since...again, not Dutch. GL

[@schtormm]

basically, same reason the brits did brexit; old people not wanting to let go of "muh tradision"

[@Xelon99]

It's because people taught kids that it's soot, not racist. At least that story makes sense, but it isn't accurate. Least misinformation is the issue in my area

[@TomCantDance]

Technically the "Are we the baddies?" sketch is older than 2006. It was on their Radio 4 show: That Mitchell and Webb Sound

[@8LegoVogel8]

9:43 - I was waiting for this. And believe me there are still people adamant about keeping this "tradition" alive.

[@Taz42O]

Because its litterally not offensive and zwarte piet is black because they go down chimneys

[@DeterminismisFreedom]

🤙 🤙 Determinism is Freedom 🤙 🤙 🤙

[@Jp-lz8vv]

Luckily it was changed

[@8LegoVogel8]

@@Jp-lz8vv Nope. There are still a lot of villages in the very north and south of NL that still uses blackface Piet.

[@Jp-lz8vv]

@@8LegoVogel8 i didnt know that

[@jan_harald]

I love how tomska time travelled here from 2026 just to bless us with this video

[@yosefzanerva806]

4:15 I absolutely love this. Thank you, Tom. You always find new ways to make me laugh.

[@tooth358]

Where's the crunched uploaded data on phone data version Tom wtf

[@areakastudios6704]

Context please

[@samkenkaj]

@@areakastudios6704 tom internet brokey

[@Gabri_Lovecraft]

2:02 Why would I watch any other type of video essay???

[@ThisGuy6866]

That’s already most video essays lmao

[@Tardisntimbits]

Sorry Tom, I'm sadly older than you...*cries* I'm a 1980 baby on the dot... Fuck...I really am old...I still love listening to an album front to back, and watching a whole series. I do find myself forcing myself away from KZbin shorts. I also really miss Julian Smith's sketches, and feel like I must rewatch them all over again. I also loved the Surfshark ad, but puppets always get me, as does any Monty Python sketch.

[@mrman9262]

the future is now old man

[@ingeaten]

Memento Mori friend :) (that sounds kinda grim given your comment but I promise I'm just referencing your pfp)

[@Tardisntimbits]

@@ingeaten Memento Mori (I totally understand, lol)

[@sophiaaa6042]

i'm surprised you didn't bring up joel haver as a great example of continuing sketch comedy in a more gen-z fashion -- his stuff is less effects heavy than the 2010s but definitely super high quality and have a interseciton of improv and script that's genuinely so funny

[@yecti]

Okay. I wasn’t prepared for the complete Spanish Inquisition Surfshark homage. Bravo, Tom.

[@kazulitheseawing3284]

Tom I will not stand for this slander. "The hole" was the greatest sketch ever. It was absolutely iconic. It's a video that has stood the test of time because whenever a member in my family is looking for something, it's basically tradition to say "Yeah it probably fell in the hole."

[@J05HY06]

TomSka making a video essay about the best form of humour, what alternate universe have I wandered into?

[@deleted8490]

ASDF Movie is the closest thing we have to a modern (so not SNL even though they are still around) skit comedy series being a household name

[@ChrisOfTheDead]

21:06 I legit thought I left my window open and a emergency services vehicle was driving by again.

[@ILikeHittingDrums]

that surfshark sponsor is the greatest sponsor I've ever seen anyone do ever. 10/10 i watched it 3 times

[@jackdriffill2394]

i love Tom wanting to do the hbomberguy twist reveal but hes too scared to bank on people not caring if he just doesnt upload for half a year so has to split it into two videos.

[@n-the-ninth]

i think it's more just that he's contractually obligated to upload by a certain date because of the sponsor

[@TetrisRosti]

I dream of an hbomberguy channel that uploads as frequently as every half a year...

[@Olematonnimi]

That pedo?

[@dziewiaty]

​@@TetrisRostithat would be less special. Now when one pops up it is a social event you can't miss and you need to make a time for watch it as soon as possible

[@maniraptavia4008]

Ooh! This is super interesting! Sketch comedies are by FAR, my favourite! Still watching, so it's probably covered, but feel like some people have this assumption that sketch comedies HAVE to be offensive to one group or another. Some of the best sketches parody people or concepts that don't or physically couldn't possibly exist in the real world. Just because the likes of Little Britain might have some pretty dated jokes, doesn't mean we need to ditch the whole genre. My favourite show of all time was That Mitchell and Webb Look and I highly recommend it to everyone and anyone.

[@gagglegames]

And even Mitchell and Webb had a blackface sketch. Hell, they had two of them!

[@maniraptavia4008]

@gagglegames Yeah, I'm not saying that any of them were perfect, but I AM saying that sketches don't need to be problematic to be funny. IMO, the problematic ones never were great. The funniest ones tend to be the ones that can be enjoyed by everyone. But just because the odd bum sketch happens here or there doesn't mean the whole genre needs to be discontinued.

[@grape3964]

I never expected the shark inquisition?!??!

[@Xario1]

I know how you feel Tom. I too miss the quality and length of comedy sketches. Also, I don't know if it's becuase you're British, or if I have a bad memory, but I don't remember you mentioning the Three Stooges at all. They may be known for slapstick, but the combination of that and their puns made their comedy sketches legendary.

[@DamienSLR]

CrackerMilk and VLDL gang. These are proper crafted videos, all for the lulz. Not a facecam "INNATFUNNY" Love you my guy, you've been a YT fun reference for 10 years.

[@VincereAngelos]

7:04 Oh gosh the Baby Bill Lalalalala soundbite.

[@Bubblegumredpanda]

You killed comedy! You bastard!

[@bisnis_fish]

Don't worry it will be back in the next episode

[@filipemartinho1753]

​@@bisnis_fishnot after what their actor did they won't

[@georginak5481]

Chefs kiss for the monty python surfshark ad 😂

[@anhedonicauthor]

I literally had the Monty Python Spanish Inquisition skit suggested to me on KZbin yesterday, which isn’t at all a crazy coincidence. I’m glad I watched it, otherwise I wouldn’t have understood the SurfShark ad as well as I did.

[@FrumiousBandersnatch42]

‏‪21:57‬‏ Possibly the most beautiful frame I've ever seen in a KZbin video. So many of my favourite creators on the same screen, being talked about by one of my favourite creators.

[@samchop157]

Can’t wait for the bear on ball video next

[@thewritingrowlet2980]

07:35 HEY YOU 👹

[@Lolipopgirly1016]

LMAO

[@Bluelightzero]

My younger brother was addicted to tiktok so I forced them to listen to the entire of Bo Burnham on Netflix. They didn't know it was a full show.

[@wilsonfritz2995]

That Doesn’t Tell Me Anything Is That Good Thing

[@joshslater2426]

It’s a shame your brother was so addicted to Tik Tok. Now that you’ve shown him that there’s a whole show, has he decided to watch it all?

[@FeeshUnofficial]

All of the bo Burnham shows on Netflix or just Inside?

[@EliasGitterman]

The clip of Chevy Chase in SNL is INSANE

[@6Twisted]

First time seeing Tomska in about 10 years... He's got... big.

[@the-nefarious-anglerfish]

love this being uploaded a couple days after jack and dean came back

[@Aramint]

18:13 'I do miss the Craft sometimes.' Yes. Yes I do.

[@Aramint]

'But I am a little bitter because I spent my whole life wishing and working towards entering an industry that no longer exists... and I feel a little betrayed, and left behind.' Ooof. That one hits home.

[@thedivinehairband]

Tiktok being predatorially addictive is so exactly right. I can't have it on my phone either. 😶

[@Perthro77]

Wasnt expecting the Surfshark inquisition... Now thats a kicker

[@ChakatSandwalker]

The Surfshark ad in this video is by far the best one I've ever seen.

[@Ghostofthegallow]

The decline in sketch comedy is such a tragedy cause absurdist comedy is the best kind

[@WinderTP]

Dude you shouldn't have reminded me The Hole is 10 YEARS OLD I literally named a video at my job after it today I feel so old rn

[@adorimirable]

Best ad read I've seen, I love Monty python

[@moodycowcrafts4862]

I think it was your best surf shark ad yet Tom. I didn't expect the Spanish inquisition. :3

[@anotherKyle]

i do really enjoy your video essays tom, most video essayists arent comedy writers and you can really tell the difference imo

[@JohannesWiberg]

1) I think this video absolutely rules, insightful and hilarious. 2) Part 2 will clearly prove that the REAL killer is THE WOKE MOB. Everyone knows that YOU CAN'T JOKE ABOUT ANYTHING ANYMORE. (The second part was meant as a joke but YOU CAN'T JOKE ABOUT ANYTH

[@JohannesWiberg]

Also, it's a TomSka video. WE ALL EXPECTED THE SURFSHARK VPN.

[@filipemartinho1753]

But you didn't expect hand puppets, now didya?​@@JohannesWiberg

[@JohannesWiberg]

@@filipemartinho1753 Now that is very true :D But then again, NOBODY expects hand puppets.

[@jurtheorc8117]

@@JohannesWiberg Or that one funny religious club from Spain

[@Delmworks]

Y’all ever think the complaint about liberal snowflakes is a case of projection?

[@zerosummations7198]

As someone trying to get into the games industry - which is collapsing wholesale due to shareholder extractionist capitalism stuff - I resonate with the sincerity.

[@Mat860000]

From someone in the game industry, it's not collapsing. It's just not a stable period. The public is still here, the games still make a lot of money. It's just evolving and unfortunately some people will suffer from that.

[@dominateeye]

The thing about all industries is that as long as capitalism is in place, the extraction is always going on. It's just more intense sometimes, like now. If you want to pump the brakes, you should join a union that is explicitly working against capitalism. I recommend the Industrial Workers of the World.

[@_AstaLily]

20:54 YESSS WILLIAM WILLIAM HENRY STEPHEN HENRY RICHARD JOHN OY HENRY ED ED ED RICH II AND THREE MORE HENRYS JOIN OUR SONG Now might be a great time to say that I took Rattus’ challenge very seriously and still know this entire song off by heart.

[@westheriault3797]

You and me both lmao, that show was incredible

[@Evie_SG]

Me too. My biggest flex when I was 9 and probably still is lol

[@MCMinidobs]

Genuinely shocked the Surfshark VPN ads took this long to reference Monty Python. Loved it.

[@captainash1297]

19:20 Oof, just that I feel. Studied and worked to become a tailor to make men’s clothing, COVID happened and suddenly a suit to interview for a 200k a year job was too dressed up.