Certainly one of my favourite issues about YouTube is discovering a channel that has this one stellar video not like anything they’ve executed. Invoice Wurtz’s “historical past of japan” is a basic instance, the 80 million-view juggernaut from a channel that usually posts bite-sized neon surrealist animations. However I’d like to show your consideration to one other absurdist video from a creator who doesn’t often do stuff like this, that additionally has a uniquely colourful visible fashion. It’s about birds.
“The State Birds are Rubbish” is a fantastically well-paced 22-minute video that breaks down the unusual historical past, geography, and politics of the state birds of those United States. The video seems to be nice, like a Jon Bois video if it have been considered by way of a pastel prism. Generally charmingly crude polygonal animations are used to spotlight sure elements of the story, however more often than not, a crystalline map of the USA is used to information viewers by way of the numerous, many issues with the official state birds. And boy are there plenty of issues.
Now, it’s truthful to marvel how the subject of state birds might benefit a 22-minute video, which is a part of what makes it so pleasant. Each 30 seconds or so, you’ll be taught one thing each inconsequential and infuriating: that quite a few states are sharing the identical boring chicken, {that a} landlocked state selected the seagull, that Canada is totally education the U.S. in chicken recognition. It’s additionally humorous and lighthearted, with a delicate, humorous narration by the video’s creator, James Dalzell Hodge. Pulling all of it collectively is a downright elegant soundtrack of minimalist piano covers that I gained’t spoil, however which completely match the matters at hand.
YouTube as a medium has its faults, however the place it undoubtedly excels is in giving movies like “The State Birds are Rubbish” a platform. There’s not many locations you’ll be able to put a 20-minute video about your singular obsession with none expectations past that. And I feel that’s worthy of recognition.
