Alex Hutchins and Sean Davidson
Opinions Editors
Crash Course with John Green:
Why you watch: John Green is an author who has written several bestselling books, which are popular mainly with teenage girls. You might expect similar teen-aimed melodrama from his web series, but he has another side.
What you get out of it: Green proves to be an authority on U.S. and world history. Green is the host of Crash Course, a series where he gives humorous tutorials on history. The series has 90 million views and over 200 episodes. When my text books aren’t clear, I always check to see if there is a Crash Course video to help me understand.
Neature Walk:
Why you watch: Lenny Pepperbottom hosts Neature Walk, an amateur nature series. The show takes nature and makes it the subject of incredibly dry humor. For the most part, the show consists of Lenny wandering around a forest and giving random facts, always followed by his catchphrase, “that’s pretty neat.”
What you get out of it: Nature shows on TV can be pretty dull, unless you’re watching an IMAX film featuring Morgan Freeman’s gorgeous voice. Since Nature Walk is so unique, you’ll always walk away learning something about nature.
Epic Meal Time:
Why you watch: To watch a bunch of 20-something Canadian guys consume un-human amounts of meat, sugar, alcohol, and pretty much anything that has the ability to clog your arteries indefinitely. If that’s not enough, on top of all of this these crazy canuks perform all of these feats of meat while intoxicated.
What you get out of it: Besides respect for the body’s ability to function under tenuous conditions, the biggest take-away from these videos is inspiration to make something creative from something as simple as a bowl of mac & cheese.
Check it out! With Dr. Steve Brule:
Why you watch: To see a barely-functional grown man give “tips” about everything ranging from health food stores to the health benefits of dumpster shrimp. While you might want to question his tips, Dr. Brule’s certainty in his own advice mirrors his title as a “doctor”.
What you get out of it: In addition to the actual advice given by the real experts he talks to, his videos provide you with a more informed view that helps you distinguish the real from the ridiculous advice given on the many posts on message boards and WebMD.
