Who knew that winter was so cold and rainy? Strange.
January is wrapping up quickly and we’re actually not doing too badly with our New Year’s resolutions. Maybe. Was it a good month for you? Is time just an illusion? You decide!
If you need something to take your January blues away, we’ve got JUST the thing for you: YouTube! It’s the perfect place for escapism, so put your troubles at the door and lose yourself in wholesome content. Speaking of which, here are some of our favourite videos from the last week. Enjoy!
My Problem with Friends… | Sam Saffold-Geri
Now we’d never normally include a Q&A in the Weekly Round-Up, but stick with us – this one in particular really stood out to us. It’s done by your pal Sam Saffold-Geri (Sam is a great name, by the way).
Forget screenshots of tweets on a black background – this is something else. The way Sam approaches each question with obvious care in his answer and the presentation of it for the audience is incredibly watchable. That being said, it’s the answers themselves where this video really shines, ranging from the problematic nature of Friends all the way to talking about how 2017 was for him (not great, tbh).
The honesty and thoughtfulness (among many other things) in this video mean that you should listen when Sam speaks. He’s a person to whom you’ll want to give your time. Trust us. There’s also some choice pictures of very good doggos! Pomskies > all other dogs.
WHAT AM I? | KickThePj
Do you like self-aware robots? Has that one question sold you on the video before clicking on it? Because it should do. PJ Liguori has done it again – his boundless creativity has resulted in another unique video. He has created a world in which lives a robot with an internal voice that is very familiar, and it feels so real and believable. By the end of the video, the relationship between the viewer and the robot in a four-and-a-half-minute span is stronger than most people have with other humans.
This is just so wonderfully PJ. And if you can’t get enough of it – he’s going on tour!
Reacting to the Hamilton Soundtrack | Samar Nasseri
If you’ve been living under a rock for the last three years since its debut in New York in January 2015, Hamilton is the theatre smash hit to end all theatre smash hits. It’s rapping, it’s singing, it’s an immigrant story, it’s a racially diverse cast! It’s really quite different from most other theatre productions.
Going through the soundtrack song by song, Samar Nasseri gives us her reactions. Throughout, she shows such a great, deep understanding of musical theatre and all it offers to its audience. Hamilton itself is different enough song to song that the reactions change and vary so much, really engaging the viewer to see if their reactions line up with Samar’s or not. We agree about Dear Theodosia for sure – we’re teary-eyed each and every time it comes on. Samar even dished that she’s seeing the show in London’s West End… we’re not jealous at all! Nope, not us. *shifty eyes*
Magic is Gay: A Queer Reading of BBC Merlin | Gemma Dunnell
First there was Dumbledore and now there’s Merlin?
Magic as an LGBTQ+ symbol in the BBC series Merlin is the topic of Gemma Dunnell‘s new video. The way that magic is portrayed in the show has many parallels to the way that queerness is in our own world. Gemma is someone who is hyper-aware of the connotations and contentiousness of the word “queer” and has the foresight to bring attention to it, showing that the audience is in good, safe hands.
She speaks with such a deep knowledge of the show, and a thoroughly researched breakdown of queer theory. You can tell this is a topic that she has been thinking about for a long time by how she presents it – there is an ease to the way that Gemma talks about the characters, one that only comes with familiarity over a sustained period of time.
Go forth and watch this video – it’s magical!
24 Hours In An Underwater Hotel Room | Joe Sugg
This is one of those Ronseal titles – it does what it says on the tin. Joe Sugg is in Dubai, the land of excess, and in his hotel, there’s a suite inside a big aquarium. It’s something that you have to see to believe – Instagram can only do so much.
This suite is super-duper fancy. There’s a shower that could house a small family. There’s a free standing bath that looks out into the aquarium, to the wonderful array of aquatic life and stunning clear water. It has everything, and being allowed in it really means a lot to Joe.
Watching this video, you really get a sense of genuine gratitude to be able to stay in a place like that. The sense of accomplishment that he feels for fulfilling a goal of his is palpable. It is extremely heartwarming to see.
Want more? We’ve got you covered.
Each year, Sam Carr and his friends go to Bristol for a meetup with viewers. The latest is recorded in a video that harkens back to a YouTube of yesteryear – full of nostalgia, but still fresh, new, and interesting.
Will Lenney treats us to a rap verse about Blackpool from someone who has definitely never been there in his new video.
It’s been a little while since Tanya Burr has made a baking video – until now. These cookies came to her in a dream so a video about them just had to happen. We’re salivating already. We want to make them ourselves, they look so good. Actually, could you send some round Tanya? We’d probably burn ours.
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