Going Full Mast on the Historical Accuracy of 'Our Flag Means Death'
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- Greetings everyone!
It's been a while since I looked at a piece of media and discussed it's history, Having recently binge-watched 'Our Flag Means Death' I thought it was high time I did it again!
I state this in the video, but just in case you haven't gotten that far yet: ultimately whether this show is historically accurate (or not) is irrelevant as its just a solid piece of media with a great story. But it is still fun to discuss the work that went into adapting this period of history!
Read "A General History of the Pyrates" by Captain Charles Johnson for free here:
www.gutenberg.org/files/40580...
Other readings of interest:
- "Under the Banner of King Death": The Social World of Anglo-American Pirates, 1716 to 1726" by Marcus Rediker (available on JSTOR)
- "Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition: English Sea Rovers in the Seventeenth Century Caribbean" by B. R. Burg
Follow me down the rabbit hole:
professorpe...
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ko-fi.com/professorpeachez
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:13 'A General Description of Pyrates'
3:23 Stede Bonnet
7:22 Blackbeard/Edward Teach
10:07 Historical Side Characters
13:29 Ships and life on the sea
14:24 Gender/sexuality on the high seas
16:50 Act of Grace
18:37 Predictions for season 2
19:49 Outro
I am noticing a lot of people are interested in the museum exhibit I mentioned ("Queer at Sea" at the Maritime Museum of BC, opening in May 2022) but I know not everyone will be able to go and see it. I am planning to do a video about the exhibit once it opens, but if you want to support this museum and the work they do please consider going to see "Queer at Sea" or making a small donation to them so they can continue creating this sort of content!
mmbc.bc.ca/donate/
Please do make video about the exhibition, if possible! Greetings from Finland and thank you for this interesting video about my new obsession, Our flag means death.
I'll be there! Victoria is my hometown, and I'm very excited for the exhibit! What great timing.
excited to experience it through your video!
i believe one of the writers said that he didn’t want the series to end badly because there’s too many queer tragedies out there- so i’m excited as hell for that
The creator of the show actually, so we're def getting a happy ending, his words were basically " the real life story was a tragedy, but we have Taika Waikiki playing Blackbeard so this will be nothing like real life"
This is so nice to hear! I was worried honestly, like I know it wouldn't be accurate but I also think they could have a lot of fun with setting up how Stede and Ed could of faked their deaths.
Being an Our Flag Means Death fan means not wanting Stede and Ed to die, but also REALLY wanting to see how David Jenkins handles Stede’s trial and execution because it’s too crazy not to include.
Also, since there's heavy discussion about faking their death's, there could be a hilarious plot point; Whose head is being called Blackbeard's head?
I'm thinking they'll fictionalize that trial and hanging, since apparently Stede Bonnet didn't exactly walk to the gallows with bravery and decorum...
@@andrewdiaz3529 Izzy's >D
The best description I saw about the "history" of the show is that it's set in 1717 only when it's FUNNY for it to be set then, otherwise, they'll go with whatever anachronism best sells the punchline - and there is not a DAMN THING WRONG WITH THAT!
Another historical nod in the show was when Izzy walks up to the grounded Revenge and says, "what kind of idiot runs a ship aground?" It's a bit of a joke because when Blackbeard ran the Queen Anne's Revenge aground in North Carolina, he asked Israel Hands for an assist. Israel then proceeded to run his ship, Adventure, aground; stranding all of them.
I certainly got a kick out of that line, because HE is that kind of idiot.
"It has such a huge pay off to an audience that is so used to queerbaiting"
That's putting it mildly.
I burst into tears when they finally kissed... and I binged it TWO DAYS AGO. I was already well aware of the fandom and shipping regarding the show but to actually SEE an elder queer couple find one another like that and to see it come to fruition so beautifully and FULLY was... really incredible.
love this! while i dont expect the show to be "historically accurate" because its first and foremost a romcom meant to entertain and not educate, it is still fun for me to see the bits of the historical record they do reference within the show!
I hope we see Anne Bonny and Mary Read as a couple.
They’d make a thruple with Calico Jack, but we know what happed to him. Maybe they’re glad he’s gone.
My jaw dropped while watching this when blackbeard showed up and how he was portrayed. He was so.... human I guess? Which is not something you usually get with historical figures. Yeah I imagine having everyone flee at the mention of your name does get old after a few decades. I just remember sitting there with my partner as blackbeard was asking questions and roaming around stede's ship and I said out loud 'no way, he's bored!' a few seconds before he said it himself. I also like how you very quickly mention the historical texts about piracy and then very quickly state that just because some guy wrote it in the past don't make it all true. Every text source we have about pirates was written almost exclusively by their enemies and detractors so it really must all be taken with a grain of salt and so few people point that out in situations like this.
david jenkins has stated he’s not following history and this is a romantic comedy!
Also Blackbeard is noted as using intimidation rather than murder to achieve feats in piracy, which i think the show leaned into alot
fantastic! I loved the balance of detail and analysis in what you chose to talk about, and the format of the video itself was incredibly fun to watch. can't wait to see what else you do!
I'm going to print this comment off and put it on my fridge
I second what you said to the end. I'm very pro them doing a fuckery and Not staying true to their ends
This was awesome!! I watched OFMD and loved it, and knowing the actual history of some of the characters makes it even better! Looking forward to season 2 and your next video on it!
Thank you Karly ❤❤
Oh shit! I live in Vancouver so I'm VERY interested in that "Queer at Sea" exhibit you mentioned. Let's hope I can take a weekend off to visit Victoria and check it out! (btw wonderful lovely video, thank you so much for providing historical annotations to this show that has basically consumed me)
Sorry, not sorry for all of the vessel puns...
Ok no one seems to mention it, but Stede got hung already... Also their first meeting, maybe when Ed and the rest of the crew are in trouble, captain Thomas shows up, a sort of reunion.
I too am very hopeful for a happy ending.
And with hopeful, I mean I will be absolutely devastated if they don't, so I will be begging for it with all my might.
I think they’ll eventually fake their deaths and go on to retire somewhere. Maybe in China.
I can't believe you didn't mention the flags! Great video though
My personal hypothesis is that the Brethren of the Coast were painted even more starkly as villains in history at least in part due to how adamantly they fought against the rising slave trade in the Americas.
"the audience also takes part in a lot of shipping." XDDD
i need "i have a hard time enjoying things a normal amount" tattooed on my forehead
This was such an enjoyable video, I love all the intended puns. I was hoping you'd mention the apparent fans of Stede Bonnet and the protests which halted his execution. Apparently the British of his time nealry set the city on fire in their attempts to save him from the noose! That and the art of fuckery and Blackbeard's idea of sacrificing someone else and stealing their identity will wrap up the historical ends to give us a happy ending. And I live in BC so I'm definitely going to that museum!!!
This was such a good video!!! I especially love how you acknowledge the writers taking artistic liberties without compromising the quality show, bc a lot of recent show/film reviews that tackle historical accuracy argue that the *inaccuracy* makes a story less compelling. I really enjoyed listening to everything you shared from start to finish! All the best in your museum exhibits!!
honestly one thing i like about this show is that it isnt trying to be historical! it has a ton of anachronisms and mostly just takes ideas from the real history out of context. it definitely makes it more palatable considering how horrible the actual figures were lol
Tbh, I love King George in this. He's only there for a few seconds, but every time it's for the right reasons: hilarious exposition
"i have a hard time enjoying things a normal amount" PREACH, also haha why do we think i am here watching this video :DDDD
Yo History babe! Good news potentially. The show runners mentioned they are happy to forgo certain historical truths in order to tell a better romantic tale. So potentially Stede and Ed might get a happy ending 😏 One theory the fans have put forward is that Izzy will assume the name Blackbeard and it is he who gets killed and the real Blackbeard and Ed can live out there lives in secrecy. In the show Stede has already faked his death so if they did something similar with Ed you could kinda have an alternate take on history where Blackbeard does die, but its not the Blackbeard we know and love. Thoughts?
Someone linked to your video on Reddit, and I love it so much! Thank you for sharing these historical details with us! Looking forward to checking out your channel.
Once again great storytelling with historical research. Especially interested in LBGQ in 18th century maritime life. Keep up the good work.
Leaving out the T?
you forgot this -> T
@@OctopusOwl hoping it’s not purposeful
Suspicious neglect of the T... really Q but not T??
Its lgbtq not lbgq
Wow, this was great!! I normally skip through these kinds of videos cause I have no attention span apparently. But I was engaged throughout, perfect amount of information and structure (for me)! :)
I have two questions:
1. At 14:45 you mention that there is evidence of at least one couple who entered "pirate marriage" in a romantic sense. Who was that couple? Where can I read more about them?
2. I just rewatched episode 4 with my brother where they pretend to be a lighthouse to shake off the spaniards. And my brother wondered whether this is something that ever happened in seafaring history? Have you heard any stories like that? Where a ship pretended to be a lighthouse to avert attention? I don't know if that's ridiculous but we loved the idea!
1 - I've just read about matelotage and I think that was about Robert Culliford and John Swann.
"Culliford was living on Ile Ste. Marie near Madagascar with fellow Captain John Swann; while there, Swann was referred to as “a great consort of Culliford’s, who lives with him.” Because of this, Culliford is occasionally cited as a bisexual or homosexual pirate. But lack of evidence leaves the exact nature of their relationship unclear."
'I have a hard time enjoying things a normal amount' is basically my whole deal :)
stumbling upon your channel may have been the best thing that's happened to me all week including whatever may happen during the rest of the week
I find it most interesting that you and Jimmy, The Welsh Viking both produced videos about Pirates and released your videos on the same day. Though his video is more about the actual historical significance of the Skull and Bones found on gravestones. Both of your videos have been very enlightening. Thank you.
1:07 - pirate facts >>> other facts
This was an amazing video!! Thank you for going over the real history behind the show, I really enjoyed it. I didn't know that Izzy Hands was a real person, too! I love this show so much and I love how they took the parts of history they wanted to use and said to hell with the rest. If they don't make a season two I will riot!!!
You’ve been discovered by the algorithm 💃🏽
I LOVE THIS VIDEO!! Honestly obsessed I was thinking about how I would find out this information with out having to read a whole lot of stuff unrelated and this was exactly what I was looking for!! I shared it on tumblr because it needs more views
Two things that kinda bothered me:
The biker/bdsm gear for Blackbeard's crew. I was hoping we got finally past this trope.
The ship was so obviously just a stage, there was no sailing or actual travelling between places and it felt like they were just teleporting everywhere.
Otherwise I really loved the show. My favourite character was Jim. I'm a transfem enby myself and being represented in this show felt sooo good.
Yessss pirate facts! I've only seen the first two episodes so far, but I'm so excited to watch the rest
I love love love this show, thanks for talking about it
This is a great analysis of the show. Thank you for making this 💖
Such an informative and enjoyable video! I absolutely love OFMD but I didn't have much historical knowledge about the pirates so this was a really nice watch.
This was a joy to watch, thank you for making this!
This was so interesting!! You’re so informed and this historical context adds so much depth to the show ❤️
I loved your video!! 💕
I don't know why I thought "spanierd" was like a bad word to refere to Spanish people. Maybe for the way the England sailors (am I saying it well?) said it in the show but I research for it and it's a neutral positive word. I've never repaired in it before this series.
Amazing video💕 loved the mixture of historic talk and analysis of the series, great work!
thanking youtube for putting this on my recommended. this is a really cool video, thank you so much for making it I learned a lot
Great video! I love how you also include captions thank you so much for that!!!!!
Love this show… the dry humor is great
Amazing video, thank you! I recently end the show ❤ and it was so interesting to know the historical part. Greetings from Mexico! Btw are you going to see the exposition "Queer at Sea" we love to see some of that.
I will definitely be going! I will try and film a vlog when I visit :)
aw this was amazing! so cool to hear the historical people the characters were based off of! Heres to season 2!
This is exactly the video I’ve been looking for since I watched it!
If such a thing as a safe bet can be said to exist, the likelihood of Mary Read and Anne Bonny appearing in season two would have to qualify.
Blackbeard was considered bloodthirsty by his enemies, but doesn't most modern scholarship consider this to just be him creating a fearsome persona, and using fear rather than force in most of his engagements? From what Ive read, (especially in Colin Woodard's book), he seems remarkably restrained compared to most of his contemporaries, and it seems like it was only in his early career (under Hornigold) and in his last stand that he ever had to personally kill anyone.
Loved this! I too am unable to like things in normal amounts so I relate!
This is so intresting!! Great video :)
i knew about the gentleman pirate thru the Internet Historian's vid, and i just finished the series and let me say
my hearrrrrt
my historical and gay hearrrrrrrrrrrrrt
This show definitely feels like a fanfic, and honestly that’s not a bad thing.
the whiplash I got when you mentioned the Maritime Museum in Victoria BC!! DUDE!! YOU'LL SEE ME THERE!!
great video! deserves more views👍
Great breakdown... I watched the show as a fan of comedies and pirates. I was surprised by the love story, but enjoyed how it played out (mostly) *avoiding spoilers
there's a great book worth checking out - 'Under the Black Flag' by David Cordingly.
more like pirately employed amiright fellas
OOH! will definitely check that exhibit!
Awesome video! I also found it quite funny that they had a scene of King George, because (if im correct) he could not speak english
And they were matelots! 🚶♀️Oh my god, they were matelots... 😎
I'm curious about how you could tell where Stede's crew was marooned. Logically they should still be near Barbados.
This was great!!!
Great vid!!
Does anybody talk about the ones who flew the Jolly Roger on a red background?
This was great, thanks! I was wondering if you had any books about queer life at sea you could recommend?
I found " Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition" by B.R. Burg helpful when writing the script for this video.
How can you say Calico Jack and Izzy are only there to cause conflict? Especially with Izzy, it's so much more complex!
hello, i know this is isnt important to the video at all but is the background music in the beginning Danse Macabre? i recocnised it from an Efteling ride
Yup!
Calico Jack's biggest claim to fame is having 2 women in his crew
13:45
Lol
16:46 maybe i pay the foot traffic fare while my parents vacation in ontario to go see this dfvbhjdf
skip everything after 19:04 we don’t need to think about that nope
I was so frustrated that Will Arnett's character was Jack Rackham. It really doesn't feel right for the captain of Ann Bonny and Mary Read to be a homophobic brodude. Charles Vane would have been a way better fit. I hope Ann and Mary get incorporated in the show, even if they have no connection to Calico Jack.
Sooo, you’re saying the gay pride flag, means death? That’s bleak. To me it means love.
I don’t know why everyone is calling this a show about gay pirates. Straight men can like nice things to.