Big Joel & the Art of Objective Subjectivity

A thoughtful video essayist

Clobby Clobsters
6 min readFeb 20, 2021
Big Joel recording a video.
Big Joel recording a video. Image: Big Joel/Twitter

Introduction

Recently, I’ve become obsessed with video essayist Big Joel. Not only does his content entertain, but it fascinates me. Why? Well, for one, he doesn’t have nearly enough subscribers despite creating the highest quality content I’ve seen. And two, the way he approaches his video’s subjects is refreshing.

Who’s Big Joel?

To start, let me introduce you to Big Joel. I know — what a silly name. I thought it was pretty weird at first. But now, it brings to mind feelings of admiration and a love of film; it doesn’t sound strange to me anymore. Anyway, Big Joel is a video essayist who makes: “video essays and deep dives about movies and other things.” He’s also made videos on YouTube channels, famous people, and random topics from scam baiting to Twitter. He makes videos on all forms of media, looking at its meaning on a surface-level before diving deep to find hidden or unexplored messages.

Everything Means Something

Hayao Miyazaki and the art of Ambivalence
Image: Big Joel/YouTube

Unlike many video essayists I know, Big Joel doesn’t focus on his immediate or sole interpretations. And by doing so, he takes a roundabout approach to view the many ways one might perceive an artwork. For example, his fifth video, titled “Miyazaki and the Art of Ambivalence”, has a thumbnail with Chihiro on it. So I thought the video would be on Spirited Away. Nope! Instead, he discussed the strange patterns he noticed in all Miyazaki’s works. This approach reveals something about Spirited Away and all Miyazaki’s characters, worlds, and themes.

He takes a very neutral role, observing the texts and forms reasonable conclusions based on what he sees. He isn’t stating if it’s “good or bad” but what the text says in the most objective way possible.

Good, Bad; Doesn’t Matter

Despite if you like it, everything that an author puts into a piece of work has meaning. Despite the best choice or the decision you would’ve made, it’s there; it means something. Big Joel has made videos on films like The Lorax, Bee Movie, and even Shark Tale. And in those videos, he doesn’t argue if they’re good or not, but only what it says. Big Joel’s concern doesn’t lie with a piece of media’s artistic merit or how he views it through means of quality, but what it says despite it.

His Method

Big Joel Channel Banner
Image: Big Joel/YouTube

Big Joel usually structures his videos like this:

  1. He starts with a hook before moving on, stating an opinion and poses a question.
  2. He uses his idea as a lens to explore many interpretations to answer the question.
  3. He provides context.
  4. He gives an analysis.
  5. At the end of each section, he asks another question and tackles the film another way.
  6. He forms a conclusion, synthesising all his previous points and interpretations into one definitive perspective, revealing an unexpected truth.

It isn’t a rigid structure; sometimes, he changes it up a bit. And it sounds so simple when I type it on the page, but it isn’t easy. For one, he looks at everything surrounding that specific piece of media. If it’s a scene from a film, he’ll consider the scenes before and after it. And if it’s a TV show, he’ll pick out previous or future episodes to make sense of the one he’s currently discussing. It’s a lot of effort and one I appreciate. Not only is it impressive, but it sets his videos apart from the crowd. This approach to video essays is refreshing because he considers all his options and focuses on a piece’s meaning, not its craft. Sure, he might analyse technical achievements to prove a point or drive one interpretation, but that’s not his primary focus.

What’s Different?

Wisecrack Interstellar Deep or Dumb?
Image: Wisecrack/YouTube

So, I should probably mention that I’ve seen Wisecrack’s series, “Deep or Dumb?” It’s a series dedicated to looking deeper (eh?) into a movie’s messages to find out if it’s saying something profound or stupid. So, if people are doing what he does already, why does this guy impress me? Well, there are two reasons. The first and most obvious one is that “Deep or Dumb” is a series on their channel, not their primary focus. And I don’t believe people widely know them for this series. Second, while Wisecrack makes its series on relevant media, Big Joel does videos on whatever he’s interested in, including “bad” films. He chooses obscure topics more often than mainstream. But when he picks something less hidden, like My Neighbor Totoro or Avatar: The Last Airbender, he ensures to give a fresh perspective to let you see something you might’ve not noticed before.

The Freedom to Discuss Anything

Patreon
Image: The Drum

The last thing I want to mention is his subscriber count. As I’m writing this post, Big Joel has 361K subs, 1399 patrons, and earns $3127 per month. To put that into perspective:

  • The Closer Look: 697K subs, 151 patrons, $398 per month
  • The Cosmonaut Variety Hour: 1.09M subs, 947 patrons
  • Schafrillas Productions: 1.07M subs, 321 patrons, $1013 per month
  • Wisecrack: 2.96M subs, 771 patrons, $2741 per month
  • Lessons from the Screenplay: 1.32M subs, 904 patrons, $2103 per month

His channel reveals that your view and sub count doesn’t matter if your Patreon is enormous. Because as long as you have the money to back it up, you can create any content you want. And that’s a luxury I admire and long to gain.

Conclusion

If you couldn’t tell already, Big Joel is my latest YouTube channel obsession. His videos are profound and thought-provoking. And no matter what topic his videos are on, they always engage my brain. The time and effort that must’ve gone into these videos are unimaginable, and I hope I’ll be following his channel for years to come. I made this post to spread awareness, explore my favourite video essayist and have fun talking about it.

“Paying attention closely to a work of art is fun in itself. It doesn’t really need to have a purpose. I think it’s just a good time.” — Big Joel

Recommended Videos

Big Joel YouTube
Image: Big Joel/YouTube

Here are some videos I recommend if you’re willing to give his content a try:

If none of those interests you, don’t worry. Big Joel has plenty more videos on his channel, but these are some of my favourites.

Big Joel, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that you inspire me to think bigger and dream bigger. To look at things more carefully and focus more on what something means and less on “how good is it?”. You’re an inspiration and fantastic at what you do. I hope to create something half as meaningful as you have someday.

Originally published at https://clobbyclobsters.com.

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Clobby Clobsters
Clobby Clobsters

Written by Clobby Clobsters

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A writer, musician & fan of storytelling.

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