I never noticed this particular YouTube star until a few days ago when I got carried away researching the term "thought experiment" and this video of his turned up. I didn't watch it, but I left it open in a tab while I was reading things in other tabs, for example, "9 Philosophical Thought Experiments That Will Keep You Up at Night" (Gizmodo) and "The impossible barber and other bizarre thought experiments" (New Scientist). I'd opened all those tabs after pondering the difference between "experience" and "experiment" (and had learned that the oldest meaning of "experience" is "experiment"). Anyway, the point is, I'd left that video open in a tab but had not watched it. It was Meade — he'd sat down at my computer to do some comment moderation — who played the video and — like anyone else — became engrossed and fascinated. So if you're wondering what we watch at Meadhouse, this is it.
ADDED: The quote that I made the post title — it reminded me of something. I think it's this, from "Endgame" by Samuel Beckett.
HAMM Open the window.
CLOV What for?
HAMM I want to hear the sea.
CLOV You wouldn’t hear it.
HAMM Even if you opened the window?
CLOV No.
HAMM Then it’s not worthwhile opening it?
CLOV No.
HAMM [violently] Then open it! [Clov gets up on the ladder, opens the window. Pause.] Have you opened it?
CLOV Yes. [Pause.]
HAMM You swear you’ve opened it?
CLOV Yes. [Pause.]
HAMM Well . . . ! [Pause.] It must be very calm. [Pause. Violently.] I’m asking you is it very calm!
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75 comments:
Reviewbrah!
Man, I miss Culver's. I have a hankerin' for butter burgers and deep fried cheese curd.
Wow, that was a drag.
I can't give credibility to a reviewer wearing a suit with 6 inch wide lapels on a suit 3 sizes too big. I just keep staring at the lapels wondering if I've ever seen an actual suit with anything that wide.
LOL. My son has spoken of a suit-wearing fast food reviewer whose channel he loves, but I'd never seen it before.
I can sort of see how you might turn a video like this on and leave it in the background while doing something else. I do that with some Youtube channels, particularly recorded livestreams (which inevitably have downtime alongside the patter). But I spent the video waiting for the "turn." I thought it was going to come with the blue cheese, e.g. that the blue cheese would make it disgusting. But no, it was pretty much a straight review, with a little mild humor (why is the "blue" cheese white, or "can you hear that?"). Mmmm.
That said, I do kind of want chicken tenders now.
This is what David Sedaris would sound like if Trump revoked his sense of humor.
I found a great youtube channel called weird fruit explorer a while back when looking for info on the gros michelle banana. It's pretty interesting.
This guy has a nice, well-paced delivery that earned my continued attention.
Most of these people bore me right away with there constant “and ums” and self references.
I rate this blog post a 9.38 out of 10.
I laughed at the juxtaposition of Culvers and palm trees. You can see them out his car window.
Controversial. Meaning "I don't get it."
I've found that I have a bit of a food allergy. Cutting out fried food helped clear up my sinus problems, and I'm no longer taking Claritin.
Protip: Don't order "Buffalo" anything when wearing a suit and white dress shirt.
Oh, and TRIGGERED: First, I noticed the excess plastic cover and plate. OMG! Then he washes it down with the largest plastic Starbucks cup I've seen with a yuge straw! I'm hyperventilating now, and then he listens to chicken interacting with that horrible plastic. I.can't.even (hear it either).
I can't believe I watched the whole thing.
I think he said "Neither COULD I."
I laughed at the juxtaposition of Culvers and palm trees. You can see them out his car window.
This indicated to me that Culvers had broken out of the Midwest. So I looked to see if there was one near me. OMG! There's one in Bullhead City, AZ. So they're closing in.
I've been subscribed to his channel for years and even donate a small token amount to his Patreon. He is a rare youtuber who is sincere and genuine in his presentation, when many others are snarky, ironic, or try-hard goofy. This is refreshing to me and I think to many others as well because the comments on his videos are remarkably positive. One of the few YouTube channels I recommend to people in real life.
Personally, I would not do a food review if I had a cold with chest congestion and had recently taken medication. That's when you do the two burnt slices of toast and a rotten egg. Whether or not you have a tapeworm.
Culver’s has at least one location here in middle Tennessee.
I don’t know if this is feigned, but he speaks with a mid-Atlantic accent, something midway between a British and American accent. While some people spoke this way naturally, it was mostly heard from trained actors (Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn are two examples). I became interested in it because actors in radio drama and films of the ‘30’s spoke this way extensively, but you never hear people speak this way anymore. I think it fits in with his retro look.
Tragic Christian, thanks for that observation. I was wondering what was up with his accent. I did not know that.
My wife, who is a confirmed glutard, can’t resist the BCTs. She eats them despite knowing she will be violently ill afterwards.
“They’re that good.”
Culvers should hire her as its BCT spokesman.
To the point about "thought experiment,” perhaps this might be helpful:
https://books.google.com/books?id=tWZQPAoh3ZQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
As someone else mentioned, he has many more videos with other reviews. The whole channel is worth exploring. I personally think he’s great.
What an odd looking person.
This guy has a nice, well-paced delivery that earned my continued attention.
That was my take. He doesn't sound scripted, yet brings a pretty broad descriptive vocabulary into play.
RE: Tragic Christian:
I don’t know if this is feigned, but he speaks with a mid-Atlantic accent,
I'd have to listen again, but is it a mid-Atlantic? It sounded pretty straight American New England-ish to me, though I don't think I could place it to a specific locale (because I don't know those accents very well).
Blogger The Crack Emcee said...
What an odd looking person.
I was wondering if he is cis or trans.
To each his own, but I find it very hard to understand why anybody he would want to watch that (or most YouTube channels.)
This seems to be the adult version of my child's weird obsession with YouTube channels of adults unwrapping toys.
Is his accent mid-atlantic? I was thinking it ocillates between ex-pat brit and brooklyn jew with a mister rogers/forrest gump cadence...
Good on him for exploiting that fact the most perfect locale for video reviews of fast food is sitting alone in your car. He needs to extend the interval of silent eating, though.
It's a thrift store suit and meant to be ironic. Or he's a big Talking Heads fan.
Is he trying to hear the tenders begging to be dipped in blue cheese? Nice touch.
The Mr. Rogers comparison is apt. He's clearly (and dryly) mining that vein.
That guy looks like Gollum!
There's a Culver's 10 minutes away from here in Houston.
He shaves every person who does not shave themselves, and no one who does shave themselves. So: does the barber shave himself? It doesn’t take long to see the contradiction: If he does, he can’t; if he doesn’t, he must. Such a barber can’t exist.
That's New Scientist summarizing the barber paradox while unconsciously invoking another. In a certain small town with only one barber, the men are simultaneously singular and plural.
That guy looks like Gollum!
Precious chicken.
He does his nails. Or has them done. Eww.
His eyes are unusually far apart.
Does paprika actually have any flavor?
Incredibly tedious and, as has been pointed about out above, he is a small man swimming in that huge suit. It is not, pardon the expression, suitable. He also does not strike me as personally engaging.
It puzzles me that you would spend 12 minutes and 34 seconds watching this individual. I tried but had to cut it off about the point that he starts talking about the coating. It's not short attention span, it's a decent respect for the value of my own time. You are retired so I guess your time is worth zero. Mine isn't.
So if you want us to see the part where he talks about hearing something, you should probably cue the clip accordingly.
If you actually want a very satisfying specialty reviewer with positive ASMR well as informational value, please check out Steve1989MREInfo: https://youtu.be/jZoHuMwZwTk
Does paprika actually have any flavor?
Yes, though briefly.
Smoked paprika is really good
I found it deadly dull myself, don't understand the interest.
Wide lapels are a felony, and very illegal in Oklahoma.
Possession is just as bad as wearing them. We have zero tolerance.
Does paprika actually have any flavor?
Yes, if you and it are Hungarian.
Was that a David Brinkley tribute at the beginning?
"You are retired so I guess your time is worth zero."
Au contraire. As I have already said on this blog, if you wanted to give me an assignment — let's say of a subject to read and write about in a blog post — my fee would be $1,000 an hour.
As a retired person, I am used to getting income without working and thus all my time is free time. To buy some of my time, to take it out of the free time category and into the owed time category, you would need to pay $1,000 an hour. And I still might refuse the job (or demand a higher fee). Of course, there are many things you can suggest — I'd love to see you write about X — that I might do for free and you can also choose to reward me for any of this by making a PayPal contribution, and I would thank you for that.
Smoked paprika is essential for making good homemade burgers (with or without grilling- bonus points for cooking them in a Big Green Egg..)
The Spice House (which is the non crazy Penzey family) has a blend called Milwaukee Avenue Steak seasoning that is perfect.
He needs a shave every morning, no? When he's finished shaving himself, he joins the set of men he doesn't shave, or need to.
As with many paradoxes in my life, the answer is a new day dawning, nothing is known for certain until the events of that day have manifested.
Smoked paprika and mayonnaise is a good secret sauce.
OK I'll ask: I'd love to see you write about Aretha Franklin, she had such a beautiful voice, just died and you often comment on performers.
"So if you want us to see the part where he talks about hearing something, you should probably cue the clip accordingly."
He who has ears, let him hear.
"He does his nails. Or has them done. Eww."
The vlogstar responds to you.
"OK I'll ask: I'd love to see you write about Aretha Franklin, she had such a beautiful voice, just died and you often comment on performers."
I knew she was dying but had not yet seen this news. Of course, this is something that without question I would blog about as soon as I could after I'd seen it.
Yeah, baby, Culvers is all over Arizona. There's one about 10 minutes from my current residence, in Mesa.
I for one am addicted to their chili cheese fries.
Just moved down here from WA state where there are none. The quality of the restaurants and employees are exemplary everywhere.
He reminds me of Bud Cort in Harold and Maude.
My wife was just complaining about my fingernails being too long yesterday! Why is it anyone's business but the grower? When they break, I cut. Otherwise, useful for untying shoelaces and other knotty objects.
I guess to some hammers, everything looks like a nail.
Does paprika actually have any flavor?
It does--but some of the crap they see in America doesn't have much taste. Buy real Hungarian paprika from a specialty market.
"I laughed at the juxtaposition of Culvers and palm trees. You can see them out his car window."
We have one right here in Jupiter, Florida, nestled amongst the palm trees. Service is fabulous. Food better than most fast food.
Someone beat me to it. Where is there a Culver's with palm trees? You buried the lede, Althouse. I am crying at this, btw. Thanks.
Ryan beat me to it and echoed my own sentiment upon seeing ReviewBrah! ReviewBrah is a regular feature in our house. "My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined." Why The Men's Warehouse has not picked him up as a spokesperson is a mystery.
Ann, when you get into watching YouTube channels featuring trains and train yards of the world, then I'll really freak. It is mesmerizing to have a GoPro's eye view, from the front of the train, as it travels through snowy Finland or the rolling hills of the U.K. Come to think of it, its better than a lot of sitcoms.
Since this is a thread about YouTubers, allow me to suggest "Slower", a channel about a guy that bought land in Colorado and is building a mortgage-free life by building a cabin on it by himeself, learning as he goes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBG2srxt7koQ9BQxvIOadsQ/videos
He does use machines but a lot of what he does is manual, machine-free. We've been there from the beginning...go Slower!
" ...my fee would be $1,000 an hour."
That reminded me of the TV commercials selling some item where they throw in a bunch of free extras and then say "That's a $400 dollar value all included for free if you call now."
He's comic genius. I subscribed. Thanks for the introduction.
He has a Jim Parsons vibe. It takes skill to be dull in an interesting way.
My great-grandmother's maiden name was Culver. She was Cleo Culver.
Meade doesn't have enough to do.
It is mesmerizing to have a GoPro's eye view, from the front of the train, as it travels through snowy Finland or the rolling hills of the U.K. Come to think of it, its better than a lot of sitcoms
I once got in an Uber and the driver had pointed his camera out the windshield while his mother back in Pakistan watched on FaceTime as we drove around the city. I thought there'd be a huge audience for that...
This young man is quite clever and entertaining, and he is very self-aware. Smart kid.
"He's comic genius. I subscribed. Thanks for the introduction."
Ditto; SUPER!
rehajm: you might be interested in this channel, a joint effort between the two most popular "Expat Anglo Lives in China" bloggers:
https://www.youtube.com/user/churchillcustoms/videos
They converse as they ride the motorcycles all over China. Fascinating and their individual channels are good too.
ALP: I’ll look!
Love the suit! And well groomed too. Even better: no disturbing background music; most words are distinctly spoken.
"...nine point three eight out of ten." Hahaha. Love it.
I thought she had gone away, but just watched a show with Nigella Lawson.
She's still got it.
Somewhere, Andy Kaufman smiles!!
I don't think I could place it to a specific locale (because I don't know those accents very well).
I worked at GE when the telephone was the foremost communication device. I came to know many American accents down to the town in which they grew up.
....not so much anymore.
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