Video essays are a growing and important piece of the media landscape that we often don’t think about. They can be about any topic; from a niche TV show popular in the early 2000s, to the dangers of extremist political movements. However, what brings these videos together is that they often discuss media through a critical lens. In an era in which critical thinking is lacking, media that invites us to think critically is more than needed. Below are some of the best video essays on YouTube:
- Opulence by Contrapoints
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Being one of, if not the most famous video essayists on YouTube, Contrapoints has a wealth of amazing videos. For this article I chose my personal favourite: Opulence. In this video essay, she explores what constitutes good or bad taste, why we like shiny things, why we love the wealthy, and when this admiration for opulence is forgotten. Not only does she cover the tacky and the camp, but also the origins of the gothic genre, and what we have today, such as dead malls and abandoned department stores, that would replace the gothic Victorian mansion of the past. While this video was released before the pandemic, I think it does a good job in predicting the current disillusionment with influencer and celebrity culture.
Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD-PbF3ywGo
- Why No One Wins the Fast Fashion Debate by Broey Deschanel
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Have you ever wondered where your clothes come from? Or why certain brands like Shein or Zara are so controversial? Maybe you’ve seen someone on Twitter say, “There’s no ethical consumption under capitalism”. This video essay by Broey Deschanel explores all this and more, by discussing the fast fashion debate online and where it goes wrong. Here, the essayist explores why this debate is so volatile and whose voice is most ignored in this debate: the garment workers in the global south. However, this video isn’t a pity piece made for you to feel guilty about your consumption; far from it. In fact, Broey criticizes this representation of these workers, demonstrating how it causes “compassion fatigue”, meaning that we become so tired of seeing these scenes of poverty, rather than thinking critically about the global systems in place that create this inequality, we’d rather look away from the screen. Here, Broey implores us to not turn away from the screen and instead become more critical of our consumerist habits and think more deeply about what brands are trying to sell us.
Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT6Hwx20m5M&t=1648s
- Demi Lovato: The Beginning and Demi Lovato: Life in the Public Eye by Ashley Norton
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Like any other kid growing up in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Demi Lovato was a fixture of any radio station. This essay (which is split into two videos) looks back on Demi’s time on the Disney channel, her early pop fame and her more recent controversies. However, Ashley also covered Demi’s struggles with mental health and addiction when in the spotlight. Here, the essayist reflects on the dangers of being exposed to fame at a young age and the impact of having every moment of your life documented by the media.
Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHeUD5q7weM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvzgh_NZ5TM
- Girl interrupted: Flirting with Madness by antiheroines
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In this video essay, the creator looks back at one of the most iconic films of the nineties: Girl-Interrupted. Reflecting on the inspiration for the film – Susanna Kaysen’s memoir of her time spent in a psychiatric hospital following a suicide attempt and subsequent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder – the essayist notes the author’s rejection of the film and how she felt that it sensationalized her experiences, alongside the experiences of the other patients. In her video, the creator notes that Susanna no longer identifies with who she was in the sixties, claiming that her work is no longer hers, but has instead become the experience of young women everywhere. Noting the gender stereotypes entrenched in diagnostic criteria, the dangers of deviating from the norm and the punitive nature of treatment, Susanna (and by extension the essayist) call into question who psychiatry claims to help. The essayist, alongside Susanna, begs us to ask: What’s crazy?
Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIE5XMqktks