I watch many YouTube channels at all levels of maturity and sophistication - from beauty gurus and vloggers to mathematic channels devoted almost exclusively to Klein bottles. But three of my favorites that aren't product laden and incredibly niche are as follows:
1. PBS Idea Channel - hosted by Mike Rugnetta
The show claims to examine the connection between pop culture technology and art. It starts with the phrase "here's an idea," and ends with the phrase "what do you think?" Mike poses an overarching idea in the form of a question and then rapidly spews well-researched information until we as the viewers feel informed enough to post a comment. The next video the channel posts is a discussion of peoples comments.
In my years of avidly watching YouTube videos, I have found that almost every person with a channel claims to create a "community" with the its viewers. Most of the time, that's a load of crap bigger than a beauty guru's haul. But the format of PBS Idea Channel actually facilitates a community with the viewers. I would also note that according to my years of viewing YouTube videos, the comments section has earned its reputation as Lucifer's Tinder profile. However, PBS Idea Channel has some of the most intelligent commenters I've ever read. Often times I feel too ignorant to post a comment because of the company in which my comment would live.
Some of the ideas are far fetched. Some of the information Mike provides throughout the videos is too sparse. But overall, each video is filled with wit, depth and an interesting conversation starter.
2. Crash Course - various hosts, including Hank and John Green
This channel offers summaries of the following topics: Anatomy & Physiology, Astronomy, U.S. Government and Politics, Economics, World History, Biology, Literature, Ecology, Chemistry, Psychology, and U.S. History. If you're like me, some subjects from high school are more than blurred in your mind. The most I can recall from my high school world history class was the ever-growing cheetos stain on the side of my teacher's desk chair. This channel makes each subject easy to understand. It makes us feel more comfortable discussing topics we should already know. Thank you Crash Course, for being a modern and interesting version of CliffsNotes (which may in fact be the culprit of my high school ignorance).
3. The Off Camera Show with Sam Jones
Finally, something related to movies! This show is incredible. It's for all of us who cringe watching ET and the Hollywood Reporter interview actors. It's more than the #askhermore campaign. It's difficult to put my finger on exactly what they are missing. Then I saw Sam Jones perform his magic tricks. It's a mysterious art form and what people outside Hollywood refer to as listening. He clearly has seen (or listened to, as some of his guests are musicians) the work of his guests. He's dissected their performances. He comes prepared with thought-provoking questions, asks them, and sits back. Some of my favorite questions include: asking Chris Pine what it's really like to work on a film with an astronomical budget, asking Aubrey Plaza why she is such a terrible talk show guest, asking Tatiana Maslany sincerely how she gets into the head of each character, and above all, showing Will Ferrell as a serious thoughtful man - which was akin to witnessing a car accident where no one was harmed and everyone has insurance. The show actually airs on an obscure channel on DirecTV exclusively. Thank the good Lord for YouTube, so us poor serfs can enjoy The Off Camera Show.
1. PBS Idea Channel - hosted by Mike Rugnetta
The show claims to examine the connection between pop culture technology and art. It starts with the phrase "here's an idea," and ends with the phrase "what do you think?" Mike poses an overarching idea in the form of a question and then rapidly spews well-researched information until we as the viewers feel informed enough to post a comment. The next video the channel posts is a discussion of peoples comments.
In my years of avidly watching YouTube videos, I have found that almost every person with a channel claims to create a "community" with the its viewers. Most of the time, that's a load of crap bigger than a beauty guru's haul. But the format of PBS Idea Channel actually facilitates a community with the viewers. I would also note that according to my years of viewing YouTube videos, the comments section has earned its reputation as Lucifer's Tinder profile. However, PBS Idea Channel has some of the most intelligent commenters I've ever read. Often times I feel too ignorant to post a comment because of the company in which my comment would live.Some of the ideas are far fetched. Some of the information Mike provides throughout the videos is too sparse. But overall, each video is filled with wit, depth and an interesting conversation starter.
2. Crash Course - various hosts, including Hank and John Green
3. The Off Camera Show with Sam Jones
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