I know I’m not the only one who’s very guilty of spending hours on YouTube when I should be doing my homework. With the weather getting colder, the urge to stay in bed and watch videos all day gets more and more tempting—and nothing passes the time quite like an overly long video essay, so allow me to provide some recommendations for quality video essayists to spend hours watching instead of actually being productive!
- James Somerton
James Somerton is a Canadian YouTuber most known for his analysis of films, books and comics, especially regarding LGBT history and characters. He is also vocal about the treatment of gay men in history and says that we should always encourage the remembrance of it. If you want long videos about popular media and queer issues, tackled from a gay perspective, James is the YouTuber for you!
- Khadija Mbowe
Khadija Mbowe is a Ghanaian-Canadian non-binary YouTuber and actor known best for their videos regarding race, influencers, and LGBT issues. Most of their videos are less than an hour long and provide a lot of sociological insight. If you’re looking for short videos about pop culture and societal issues, tackled from a Black queer perspective, Khadija is the YouTuber for you!
- Yhara Zayd
Yhara Zayd is an American YouTuber best known for her analysis of media through the feminist lens, especially media aimed at women, as well as analysis of social issues in breakdowns of children’s movies. Many of her videos are less than thirty minutes long and tackle issues in a direct, succinct manner. If you’re looking for quick videos about feminism and racial issues, tackled from a Black American perspective, Yhara is the YouTuber for you!
- Hbomberguy
Hbomberguy is an English YouTuber best known for his video essays regarding gaming, the anti-SJW community, and various social issues. His videos are very long and very in-depth, yet entertaining at the same time, as best exemplified by his “Roblox oof.mp4” video, and he is not afraid to tackle hot-button topics such as vaccination. If you’re looking for long, in-depth videos, and are willing to put up with very few uploads, Hbomberguy is the YouTuber for you!
- Lindsay Ellis
Lindsay Ellis is an American media critic, film critic, author and YouTuber. She stopped creating YouTube content in 2021, but when she was uploading, she was known first for her work as “The Nostalgia Chick,” and later for long-form video essays, particularly about Disney films (as well as her omegaverse videos…). If movies are your thing and you like longer videos, particularly from an accomplished film critic and author, Lindsay Ellis is the YouTuber for you!
- Kidology
Kidology is a South African-British YouTuber best known for her video essays regarding and analyzing many aspects of modern culture, with a focus on gender and racial analysis. She does a lot of good sociological analysis of internet trends, so if you’re into medium-length essays that dive deep into social issues that are particularly prevalent in the online sphere, then Kidology is the Youtuber for you!