By Joey Earley, Executive Editor
Photo: Joel Greatbatch
Recently, I’ve just been enjoying watching video essays, various commentary videos and many other YouTube videos regarding a bunch of different concepts and ideas. Sometimes, I scroll on Youtube and pick whatever sounds interesting. Mainly, if I’m going to be honest, I’ve been drawn to video essays/commentary about the FX show “The Bear." (Jeremy Allen White is drop dead gorgeous, the cinematography is beautiful, the soundtrack is a bit addictive, it’s an obsession. I’m obsessed). That and any Disney commentary – I’m a major Disney adult…yes, it is embarrassing. No, I’m not going to hide the part of me that goes absolutely insane and nerdy over all of the random little facts. Yes, I am the person that will obnoxiously share these facts with you while we’re waiting in a two-hour-long line for “Avatar: Flight of Passage,” the best ride of all time (I will not be taking any questions, comments, or anything else at this time). Moving on… recently, it’s developed into watching horror movie video essays and reading various Substack articles about social commentary and things other people are interested in.
I am an avid “Broski Report” watcher (and why yes, I did freak out a little when Brittany Broski walked onto the stage. Almost had a lil’ heart attack) and recently she mentioned her interest in ballet. She then goes on to talk about her desire to experience everything; she wants to live a full life, giving everything she wants to try a shot. She quotes the age-old quote, “A jack of all trades is a master of none." When she pulls up the definition, it can be summarized as such: “refers to a person who can perform various tasks or skills, but doesn’t specialize in any particular area to the point of expertise.” However, the full quote, while often forgotten, goes on to say, “Jack of all trades, master of none, oftentimes better than a master of one.”
This got me thinking, why is there a constant pressure to know everything about something we take interest in? If I mention that I like cinematography, do you all expect that I know various things about color grading or different cameras and lenses needed in order to achieve a certain look? (Though yes I should, but that’s because of the photography background, and if I’m really going to be honest here: I don’t. I’m not really a photographer, I just play one on TV. If we were still doing senior quotes that would have to be mine). I want to normalize being an appreciator of things. I hate horror movies; I don’t enjoy being scared or enjoy that feeling you get after you turn the lights out and wonder, “Is that monster going to climb out of my closet tonight” or “What if the front door really isn’t locked like I thought it was, and the killer is actually roaming my home and going through my refrigerator?” However, I love the way that horror directors place things in the background or within the context of a scene to achieve a desired result. I will be watching 40 more videos about how something was done, how lighting and color play into it and what this movie means in a broader sense.
When I mention my recent interest in sports, specifically football or basketball, I am approached with questions like, “Who’s your favorite player” and god forbid I tell a man that I just like passively watching. Their heads will explode. I don’t like sports because it’s about who wins or loses or a specific team having better stats than another. I like sports because it’s a moment where you get to see people from all different walks of life come together to enjoy something. Where players work together to come to an end goal and having been on the various sidelines and in different practices, you get to see them share moments of pure friendship, love and respect. That’s what matters to me, and hell…I can’t say a winning team really changes any of that. It’s a bonus all on its own. I like cars, not anything about the mechanics or who made them. Just the look. I like watching Yooon_ie on TikTok. She restores vintage leather bags, and under the right circumstances, I will watch her videos for hours. I have seriously seen everything she’s posted in the last year. Do I want to go off and restore leather bags? No, (yes, a little) I have no leather bags and no time.
I think we should all engage more with what we take an interest in, even if it’s a small interest and you just like passively enjoying content about that interest. We should stop expecting that if we take a small dip into a topic’s pool that we have to then go swim laps in it every day. I’m not going to be changing my major or picking up another degree to study film or sports or leather work, I just want to be able to enjoy it for what it is. Oftentimes, that content inspires me to look at the world differently or look at my own work differently. I think feeding the soul with the things that interest you, no matter how big or small the interest is, is good. It helps me to focus on certain things in my life or pay attention to certain media differently. It sparks better conversations and gives me an outlet when I’m tired of all of the bullshit.
Sometimes I wonder if this is a direct response to social media, the idea that everyone who picks up their phone to make a post about something should be an expert in it. Or those trolls who comment and can’t help but say, "Well actually this is all wrong…you shouldn’t speak on something if you don’t know about it." We shouldn’t have to give disclaimers that “I’m not an expert so please don’t bite my head off” and people shouldn’t be so ready to tear down others’ interests.
Maybe this is a commentary on why no one goes off and does their own research any more. We are all so ready to believe what we heard in a 60 second TikTok, though we often don’t even make it through the whole thing (Is anyone even reading this blog any more?). I haven’t done enough research on the effects of social media on our attention spans, and I don’t know exactly how it’s affecting our desire to go out and research topics that are interesting, so I guess I won’t comment more on that.
All I’m really trying to say here is to bring back curiosity. We don’t need to know every little thing about something that interests us. Start by consuming some good (and while good is subjective, what I mean here is good for the mind and the soul) content and see where that takes you. Don’t be afraid to say you’re interested in something and don’t allow others to make you question that interest. I’m interested in 1,000 different things. If I took the time to become a master at all of those things, I think I’d pass out from exhaustion and brain overload.
Dip your toes into the pool, see if it’s the right temperature, if it’s saltwater or chlorine, and don’t feel like you need to start diving into it every single day until you know every little aspect. It’s okay to not know, and it’s even better to be willing to learn.
Some of my favorite videos and articles I’ve read/watched recently:
"Your Phone Is Why You Don't Feel Sexy" - Substack
"The Ash Files" (Not really video essays, but I love to start my day with it)
Comments