Automated dystopia and the worst tourist attraction of all time
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- The genre of "'people forced to partake in sadistic games where if you lose you die'… as metaphor for capitalism" has been in fashion recently, but it's been predicting our automated, algorithmic downfall for decades.
A further reading list, plus a lot of my own writing that was cut out of the final video, is available for $2 patrons: / whatssograce
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I'd never heard about the Mound before and I'm laughing SO HARD at "looks like a game asset glitched halfway through rendering" because it DOES
Haha, glad to bring the glory of the mound to more people :D
Oh, the moonlight just makes it shine
I’m consistently delighted and amazed by the diversity of your sources and what you discover by connecting them.
Thank you! :D
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Wow thank you for the excellent existential panic. It was exceptional as always!
Haha, thank you!
Hey, I know you... What is this... a crossover episode?
Whether its rewatching an older video or seeing a new one for the first time I always leave your content knowing I’ll be back to watch it again. Like after watching a new favorite movie feeling that jumble of satisfaction, drowsiness, and “that was so good”. I appreciate your essays so much and enjoy everyone of them dearly
Thank you so much! :D
Oof, I felt this video. I'm a freelance writer, and I mostly do SEO (Search Engine Optimization) content for business blogs and such, since there's an endless need and it pays the bills. So, in essence, my job is to write articles which are *intended to be read by machines.* Because, seriously, no one's reading their local car mechanic's shitty blog. I write for an audience of one: The Google Algorithm.
Personally, I find this darkly hilarious.
In defense of myself as a person, I do enjoy the rare opportunity to do otherwise. Like I sometimes write reviews for a C-tier website that mostly exists to give indie bands some positive press. And you know what? I am FINE with that. I'll happily write a good review of a halfway decent band. It means I'm getting paid to actually do something nice for other actual human beings. Which is way too rare these days.
No need to defend yourself as a person, haha! I too do things I don't care about to pay the bills, but then I can put time into nice things like these videos :D I'm glad your helping those bands :)
When I first saw cube, I went "well, a tad bit farfetched, innit?"
I think about it often
Thank you for putting words on a feeling I carried with me for a long time
Haha, thank you!
I missed your videos so much, glad to see you back!
Thank you! :D
Was worth the wait!!! Keep up the magic!
The only channel I turn notifications on for, cause each one is a banger
Aww thank you! And you only get notified like twice a year haha
Wow, this was quite a journey. For a few minutes there, I thought this might just be you taking an opportunity to dunk on the Marble Arch Mound. I was genuinely in awe of how you tied this all back into the story of Cube and Squid Game's success. I recently watched Folding Idea's video from a few years ago on those CZcams Kids videos, so I'm already familiar with our algorithmically driven hellscape. I hadn't thought of viewing our disastrous capitalist hellscape under that same lens, though.
Sometimes the things that make the most money make the least sense, and sometimes things that make the least money make the least sense because they thought that would somehow make the most money. It all ties back neatly to that profit motive. Now any time I see something so catastrophically, inscrutably nonsensical, I'm going to suspect that's at the root of it.
Thank you! :D I secretly love the mound hehe
"To realise there is no malicious intent us much worse" gave me goosebumps... T.S. Elliot's yawn vibes
Squid Game is pretty much like the dark and gritty version of _Takeshi's Castle._
What a ridiculously good video, it gave me chills! As an artist turned middle school teacher I have so many thoughts on this video I just dont know how to put into words.. But in the end I just want to thank you for an amazing and insightful video that I am going to have to rewatch at least a 100 fimes :)
Wow thank you so much!! Glad it's given you lots of thoughts :D
This channel is such a delight.
Thank you! :D
This is one of the best video essays I've seen in a LONG time
Thank you! :D
I was playing a game by the name of Prose and Codes, which is basically about filling up incomplete words to make an intelligible sentence taken from famous books or novels
And there was one which can be applied in here, "Men never completely understand its inventions, it only tries it's best to adapt with it"
Throughout our existence in this world we have made numerous devices, products, etc. for the betterment of our species, some stick and other's don't
But the complex ones always baffles the people who use it, even the creators, for example Mark Zuckerberg never knew what Facebook would become and be used for in the future
The best we can do is adapt with it and the changes that comes from the ever-moving time, even though it was started by us it has become something more than we can ever control
PS: Amazing comeback after your brief stint and great video as usual (Watch Platform if you haven't you will enjoy it)
Thank you! I didn't watch Platform as I heard it was bad, but people have been recommending it and if it's in my favourite genre I will enjoy it even if it is bad haha.
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat Yes I'm certain you will find it entertaining
So good! I like that you discussed such a variety of seemingly unconnected things, but showed how they’re all a symptom of the same thing
Thank you! :D
wow, this is a nice surprise, missed your content a lot. Great video, kinda reminded me of the one Solar Sands did on the topic of NFTs, in a way that NFTs are like AI-generated content for kids, but for adults, which makes it way worse actually.
(i think i teared up a little on the quote about those who care less profit the most... that is true for a way too many aspects of capitalist system)
I haven't seen that video, I'll track it down :)
Thank you!
ive watched this video around 3 times now and im just amazed that more people havent seen it. So well written, so well edited, so funny, so wide in its research.
Thank you very much! :D
Watched an old Utopia review from you and wondered if you still made videos and to my surprise not only did you still make them but I was blown away by this one.
Really great stuff 😁 👍
Thank you! :D
Thank you. As always I just love the way you articulate ideas in your videos
Thank you!
I am definitely here for backdoor Cube videos!
Hehe
"You'll take your trees and bit of grass and bit bloody happy with it!" omg I hadn't heard about that...mound lol
I'm so glad you made a video essay about this! Always glad to see a new one from you!
Thank you! :D
I really think this might be one of your best essays yet. It totally enhanced how I view the relationship between technology and capitalism. I can’t count how many times I’ve rewatched this
Words cannot express my level of joy at seeing a reference to McMansion Hell! Thank you!
I literally was just like where is “what’s so great about that? I miss them”
Hehe I was summoned
Honestly Cube reminds me a lot of Kafka's "In the Penal Colony": punishment inscribed on the body without any sense of the law broken, until it's been carved into your skin for 12 hours.
Oh I haven't read that one! I definitely thought a lot about Kafka during this process, particularly The Trial
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat it's really good! It's like if Kafka read a "everything is a prison" Foucault meme and decided to write a short story :)
Had you in my subscriptions and I don't think I ever watched a video from you. Probably just subbed because someone recommended your channel.
This video was stunning and incredibly thought provoking. You opened my eyes to a very interesting topic.
Thank you very much! :D
What can I say but SOMEONE PLEASE WAKE ME UP FROM THIS ENDLESS NIGHTMARE
God, you uploaded again and now i have to stay up late rewatching everything on your channel again. Thanks a lot ;)
Hahaha, thank you!
"oh cool a new video! It's about squid game? Well I've still never seen it but this seems like interesting stuff about capitalism either way-WAIT weird London mound is a FAILURE? LET'S FUCKING GO BOIIS!!"
😂
everyone is beautiful and no one is horny is one of my favorite essays!! highly recommend anyone who hasn't read it to go and check out the whole thing
I watched Squid Games very early on as well and it's popularity seemed at first surreal but it does make sense.
Being a fan on isolation room movies including Cube in my early teens I feel like it was inevitable for me to become a leftist.
Honestly can't believe Squid Game went viral when Alice in Borderland is right there
Btw, the original Cube is getting a remake in Japan!
You have the best sense of 'flow' of any video essayist on the platform. Always impressed by the quality and substance of your videos.
Thank you so much!
good to see you are still uploading, and that you're willing and able to join all kinds of dots together like this.
Thank you!
Wow completely forgot about The Cube. Lot to think on here with content creation too.
Your videos are always really inspirational as a creator. Both the writing and editing.
Thank you! :D I think about Cube on a daily basis 😂
Is she gonna mention... CUBE, YEP! : ) I knew it! Everyone needs a death maze!
This whole video started with Cube haha, maybe my favourite film
Your video is so eloquent as always! I loved tying in Cube to the horror of algorithmically generated content, that's such a brilliant insight
Thank you! :D
AWESOME video! Definitely going to be picking up that Bridle book. Thanks for shining a light on the silent and anonymous worm that's eating away at deliberate and genuine efforts!
Thank you! :D
Incredible video! You have an incredible talent of making me want to watch every single piece of media you discuss. I paused halfway through the video and watched Cube for the first time, and really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your enormous brain with us all!
Thank you :D Very happy to be spreading the good word about Cube
Well, this channel easily deserves about a million more subs. Here's some blood for the automated algorithm gods.
Hehe thank you! :D
Great video essay - and I'd never heard of the Mount before either, like some people here, even though we've got friends who live in London. I love the balance your videos have of analysis, critique and humour, where each element informs and enhances the others. Also, your videos are very enjoyable to look at and listen to. Thanks a lot for your work!
Thank you so much!
That line with soul after step 2 - like woah.
Haha I love to be dramatic
Oh, wow. I haven't thought about Cube since I saw it as (way too young) kid. The subtext went right over my head at the time.
Great video! Thanks for making it.
Always glad to make people think about Cube again :D
Very interesting video bringing more clarity in this confusing age...
The point that it is the maxim of optimization and profit that is burying humanity - not technology - reminds me of a point sci-fi author Ted Chiang: Sillicon Valley's fear of an AI destroying humanity as a byproduct of a simpler and sensible task is actually just a projection of Sillicion Valley's own ruthless maximizing.
It also reminded me of philosopher Ivan Illich's point that any tool (in the broadest sense) can grow to a scale where it becomes harmful and actually inverses its original intend. imo the best example is traffic: it's original intend is to increase mobility, but it can grow to proportions where it actually hinders mobility.
Thank you, these are great points! :D Very true about the Sillicon Valley mindset
New Dark Age has been boring a hole in my brain since I read it a couple of years back so thanks for reawakening it - great video
Haha, thank you! :)
Excellent video essay. Connecting so many things into a central theme.
The profit motive is an interesting thing, theoretically and logically it should only create that which people want as if that things is unwanted it wouldn't be purchased and therefore there is no incentive to create or develop it. Yet here one of the arguments,I think, is how the profit motive leads to arbitrary, pointless (the definition of pointless being thing that no one wants) things.
Can these be reconciled?
Thank you! Well in the case of the mound, by the time they realised no one wanted it, it was £6 million too late 😂
And in this sea of bullshit, garbage, and detritus, sometimes, upon the shore washes not only a pearl, but a deep understanding of where all the rest of this came from. Thank you.
Thank you :D
For real, though, what kind of algorithm did they have build the cube that filled it *exclusively* with deathtraps. That's not a capitalist system designed to make profit, its only conceivable purpose is as the setting for a horror movie. If the youtube algorithm made a cube, it would be full of car crashes, boxes for you to open, and people playing videogames. Not wall spikes.
Thanks! I appreciate a proper video essay a lot after watching way to much debate bros.
:D
This is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but with a sick old man suffering from diarrhea, indigestive problem cell phone cover case Samsung S6.
Glad you’re back!
Have your heard of Curtis Yarvin? I watched a podcast where he posed the idea on how we no longer follow people ie monarchs or leaders we now follow mechanisms like democracy and capitalism and these mechanisms have become deranged because unlike people mechanisms cannot be held accountable. It just reminded me of this video
I haven't! Sounds applicable :)
Wonderful vid! I hadn't heard about the mound but it was a great choice for a vocal point on this topic!
Thank you! Glad to spread the good word about the mound :D
I watched The Cube in 1999, I am thirty-five now and just understood the point.
This is a good video.
Haha, thank you!
This might be your best yet, Grace!
Thank you! :D
seriously touched on something vital for modern world. We are stuck plugged into the hedonic treadmill of the content algorithm. The worst part is there’s no easy way out 😅😅
oh well we have no agency 🤷♂️; my nihilistic ass is gunna now to binge your backlog
Haha 🤷
Without fail, every one of these succinctly encapsulates a difficult to convey concept that I've struggled to put into words for longer that I want to admit. Honestly, when I make a piece of art and want to answer a question or give a statement I just want to have a keyring of QR codes to your various videos and form a phrase out of them via playlist. 🤷🤣
Haha thank you!
not gunna lie i was pretty unsettled by that last line, grace
Hahaha, I aim to disturb
Loved the video! The brass eye technology clip is permanently playing in my brain again now
Thank you! Love that clip haha
This was incredible!!!! Really wish youtube pushed some more well-researched, thought provoking and educational videos like this :') I'll be doin my part to share your stuff around, so glad I stumbled across this channel!!
Ahh thank you! :D
The most important question is, how does this relate to Cube 2 Hypercube?
Despite using a few clips from it, it is my professional opinion that Cube 2 Hypercube does not exist 😂
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat Wow thanks for noticing my dumb joke about Cube 2 Hypercube. You do great work.
I was having a bad day, but thanks to your upload I can have a lovely evening
Sorry about your bad day! Glad your evening can be better ❤️
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat Thank you. Your amazing video and a glass of wine was just what the doctor ordered ❤
Another extremely important treatise on society that everyone should watch even though they can't do anything about it.
That's the existential crisis that keeps me up at night. We built the hydra.
Haha thank you!
Every time you upload a video I regain a shred of my lost hope for humanity.
Aww :D
welcome back!
Thank you! :)
Some topiary might have helped the mound.
oooh what another fantastic vid! as always i am so impressed by the breadth & depth of your analysis.
Thank you! :D
Love the quality over quantity approach with this channel.
What editing software do you use, if I may ask?
Thank you! I use Sony Vegas
Found this video WHILE READING NEW DARK AGE couldn’t have been better timing
OMG haha! :D
Part of me hates the "automated dystopia", all the opaque algorithms that can have real impact on peoples financial situation, mental health and so on. Another part looks at it like some kind of acceleration of knowing ourselves, learning about what works and what doesn't. There is no inherent meaning behind it (other than profit), but I believe you can choose to find one yourself. It's always funny to think about this stuff on an automated platform designed to make profit :D
Another absolutely incredible video. Going to watch Cube tonight, thanks
Thank you! :D
The manga Blame is basically the movie Cube cranked up to eleven.
While I agree with the overall premise, I don't think Squid Game is the best example. In fact, it is antithetical to your point. The mound and most youtube videos don't carry a lot of substance while Squid Game is the long gestating passion project of a filmmaker with something meaningful to say about our society. The fact Netflix is set up in such way that a Korean series could become a global phenomenon on a scale only reached by Hollywood superhero movies is a testament to the good that can still come out of technology, the ability to unite us.
But yes, a Cube or Blame nihilistic future is still in the cards.
I only mentioned Squid Game as it was so widespread within the genre, I don't think it's pointless content at all! It was very good. Just drawing parallels haha
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat Thanks for the clarification. Good video by the way.
What a brilliant video! I learnt so much and love your take on things. So witty too!!
Yay thank you! :D
I'm most fascinated by the mound. Because this is the first time I ever heard of it. And I want to know more about it. As this video assumes a bit of knowledge about its history I am left with big gaps in the reasoning behind its existance.
Oh interesting! I thought I went into pretty much everything. I think we're all left with big gaps in the reasoning behind its existence haha.
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat
Yeah, I think it's a bit like that in general. One thinks there's much more to it.
I mean. It sounded like a classic underpants gnomes logic.
step one: build a giant mound.
step two: ...
step three: PROFIT!
I'm just not clear on what was supposed to make the profit, was there supposed to be stores in there? Gift-shops? Why would people go to a giant mound?... but I guess that's the whole conundrum. Noone actually knew.
@@jmalmsten They were just going to charge people up to £8 a ticket to climb up it haha. It did have the light cube exhibition inside it which was cool. I went to visit it twice once they made it free, I actually had a good time on both visits 😂 There was also going to be a cafe but afaik that never happened. I have done a lot of research into the mound and I am still flawed as to why anyone thought this was a good idea haha
New phobia unlocked
Top notch work as ever! Horrifying, hilarious and thought-provoking.
Time to track down NoNoseKnows and those James Bridle pieces 👍
Thank you! :D
WELCOME BACK OMG
:D
Philosophy, the discipline of "lol wut".
Hehe
As I re enter the workforce, I'm realising the truths behind thus video, though I'm still trying to resist. Eventually I'll end up starting a commune or something I just know it.
Haha :D
MoundTube gang, rise up!
🙌
I don't know if the spanish Netflix film The Platform could be part of this trend, but I think you should watch it. Don't Look Up!! also fits in the category... I'm starting to see a pattern in Netflix productions. Coincidence? I don't... know... Great as usual, Grace!!! Thanx!!!
Thank you! :D
SHE RETURNS
Not gonna lie i missed your channel
:D
Welcome back
The best channel on CZcams is back!!!!!!
Awww :D
Algorithm sent me, subbed. I guess the cube is working.
Haha, thank you cube
Phenomenally good - and really terrifying, cheers!
Haha, thank you!
Whoa. Wut? 😉
It's nice to hear you again.
Insightful, chilling, amusing.
Hehe, thank you!
Another great video, happy to overlook Ireland getting booped along with thr UK in January.
I love the pacing of all your videos!
Haha 😬 thank you!
Welcome back! I used to be a 10$ patreon. Are you back for real?
Also, I'm an architect and the issue of the expectation created by architectural renderings is a very real one and I'm happy someone is finally tackling it.
I don't know what you mean by for real, the videos come when they come!
All architectural renderings should say "not actual gameplay" underneath, haha.
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat I meant that I thought you were done with the channel. I didn't know you were researching for this video. I'm going to re activate my patreon subscription.
Also the problem with architectural renderings is that they are done months or even years before projects are costed and their viabilities are thoroughly analyzed. Which is how you end up with blunders like The Mound. This is especially true about art installations.
Your larger point about the inherent violence as a result of automation is brilliant. And a little terrifying because I can tell you with certainty that algorithmic McMansions are absolutely going to be here before the decade is out.
Anyway I’m gonna watch Cube.
Good to have you back. Have a good one!
@@patriciogarciadamiano7469 Ahh yes I'm always slowly working on videos haha. ❤
Ahh, interesting to know that about the renderings!
Thank you, hope you enjoy Cube!
I haven't seen Squid game. I'm still watching Designated Survivor 60 Days and All of Us Are Dead.
I really liked All of Us Are Dead! :)
Rest assured, I only talk about Squid Game a little bit haha.
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat I kind of figured. This is basically a placeholder comment. But I never thought about the creepy animation videos. I always figure it was some amateur animators who watched way too much south park and happy tree friends.
Wow, such a great video! It really is terrifying indeed. But I've still got hope left - eventually, I think we will reach a tipping point. At least, I hope so.
Your works are always amazing. Thanks for another great video.
Thank you! :D
Thank you for this amazing and much needed analysis. Your style reminds me of the late Mark Fisher's blog kpunk.
Thank you so much! :D
Don't mind me just here to feed the algorithm...oh...oh wait...
lol
omg you're back im so happy!
:D
Yes, Squid Game is so anti-capitalist, it shows almost all the participants being either responsible for their own economic situation or outright bad people.
Thoughtful episode.
Yesss my fave CZcamsr is back
😎
Is this Meditations on Moloch?
I actually got excited seeing that you had uploaded again🙏
Hehe thank you! :D
I just love being educated and scared shitless at the same time!