I am very bad about this in myself. I tend to find myself getting "too" into some song or something (usually it's music) and feeling ashamed or something. Guess I should work on that.
Ever since I was a kid, I was told to not get enthuiastic about stuff. I wish I never listened, so I'm going to take this as a tip to unlearn being boring.
I have noticed how, when someone clearly cares deeply about something, they will often try to frame their opinion as a natural aspect of NOT caring about the thing. As if the worst thing they could possibly admit is that...they do actually care.
In the 2000’s, I worked in what might be thought of as the most cynical, nonchalant industry: music.
The only reason I got a foot in the door at a major label was because I was an unabashed try HARDER than everyone else. The fans could afford to be nonchalant but me— very chalant.
This is part of why I think the youths are nearly ready to rediscover prog rock. Prog's main thing is dancing boldly up to the line of cringe, and yes sometimes stepping over it, but making brave and beautiful art in the process. Can't wait 'til I start hearing "Perpetual Change" clips in TikToks.
The nonchalance of the brat album cover read more like it was something that a “brat”would create and so it was on theme. The Kanye West album cover for Life of Pablo was low effort for the purpose of trying to be cool.
That take is spot on. The world needs color, it needs weird, it needs joyful cringe. We've been taught that we are marketable commodities so we reputation-manage by not offending. Timidity in the sad-beige world.
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Nathan Zed has never missed a single time since he started on YouTube like...over a decade ago? Can't remember exactly, but I've been subscribed for years!
i agree that the Internet and SM culture has people HYPERFIXATED on finding flaws and nitpicking details for attention, but idk if "trying" was seen as smth bad thus ppl weren't consciously doing it. To me, it's more like our shut in and tech driven life has sapped creativity from us as a whole.
Further, our digital shut-in culture has become fast-paced, consumer-driven and run by algorithms so the media that ppl consume have become less and less about "creativity" and more about lowest common denominators feeding ever shrinking attention spans.
Thought this was an interesting video, but I think it misses its mark with the analysis that aesthetic minimalism is an attempt to avoid looking like a "try-hard". On the contrary, I think minimalist aesthetics are the result of something making a lot of effort to look *clean*, not effortless.
It seems that what I call the "too cool for school" attitude periodically resurfaces in the culture and sometimes it dominates. You can go back in US culture at least and see this (and this is likely true in some other cultures as well.) This won't be the last time we see it.
"Are we going to lose just that part of ourselves save some time? Probably."
Take Starlink: their low earth orbit satellites have a 5 year lifespan and put chemicals into the environment that will harm the ozone layer. Are we really going to ruin the ozone layer to save a few seconds? Probably.
As a teen/YA of the 90s, this hit me. Everything back then was expressive. Everything was still done by imagination and duct tape. Practical effects still existed. Hand-drawn animation still existed. Music was powerful. Lately?
Young people need reality, and the trend of "effortless" needs to go.
I have to be honest. I didn’t realize this was a problem, until I watched this video. He is right, everyone wants more real human connection, not AI. Not subtly. Look each other in the faces and say “I’m so glad you’re here!”
Seems like pop culture swings about every decade from maximalist to minimalist or the converse
60s: Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper's, Odessey and Oracle
70s: Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Neil Young
80s: Michael Jackson, hair metal
90s: Grunge, alt rock
00s: Backstreet Boys NSYNC, Britney
I watched this earlier today and then watched a bunch of his other work. He definitely has some really interesting perspectives that made me think. I especially liked his "What's Stopping You? (Spoiler: It's You)" video.
"I'm trying" was snapped at with "do or don't, there is no try!"
In practice, sounds like "well, I could try this, but someone else already did it, and I didn't, so I wont" And I realized that's how I was raised. Does every generation of adults gas-light children?
Hmm. Interesting he feels that people stopped trying around 2016? I for one fell into a depressed state and not the only one, for obvious reasons. A big, dark, wet blanket descended on the US. People have to feel optimistic to “put themselves out there.” That was gone.
I stopped watching when he said that AI means so effort. I literally write along side the AI to create stories, and put in hours of work to hash out stories. It's effort bc I, a Human, put in the effort when I use AI; AI doesn't use me after all. Just saying.
@mcuban.bsky.social this is where a lot of people are with AI. It’s just not real. It’s not worthless & in some areas it can be enlightening but at the end of the day it is a tool.
I will never forget being dumbfounded by my preteen nephews starting to call me a “try hard” whenever I expressed enthusiasm, fascination or conscientious around a project or topic. It was soul-crushing & made me deeply depressed for them & our world. I sincerely hope we are don’t with that dreck!
It always bothered me that "tryhard" entered the list of words used as an insult. Isn't trying hard supposed to be GOOD? I understood when it was used towards jerks and why, but… always left a bad taste in my mouth to take a good value and make it an insult that could easily slap down ppl like OP.
Aww thanks. I never gave up and just tried to model for them that only boring people get bored… the world is full of endlessly fascinating things to explore, learn about and be in awe of. I really really believe this, but I’m also a big nerd. Hope some of it wore off on them v
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Thank you for the recommendation! I watched more of Nathan Zed’s videos too, and they were all amazing.
The only reason I got a foot in the door at a major label was because I was an unabashed try HARDER than everyone else. The fans could afford to be nonchalant but me— very chalant.
"This video kicks ass" 😂
Take Starlink: their low earth orbit satellites have a 5 year lifespan and put chemicals into the environment that will harm the ozone layer. Are we really going to ruin the ozone layer to save a few seconds? Probably.
Young people need reality, and the trend of "effortless" needs to go.
60s: Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper's, Odessey and Oracle
70s: Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Neil Young
80s: Michael Jackson, hair metal
90s: Grunge, alt rock
00s: Backstreet Boys NSYNC, Britney
In practice, sounds like "well, I could try this, but someone else already did it, and I didn't, so I wont" And I realized that's how I was raised. Does every generation of adults gas-light children?
Day 1 of demanding you do more stuff about climate change or I'll come round your house and steal all your left socks.