Non-Compete and "BreadTube" discussion

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anon (not verified)
Non-Compete and "BreadTube" discussion

So I'll admit, I had no clue these channels were out there. My kid, who loves coding video games, showed me this video about capitalism vs. gaming, or something like that, and I was curious. I watched a few of the videos from the Non-Compete channel on YouTube and was blown away by the audience this person is reaching on that platform with digestible anarcho-communist theory.

Maybe I'm a bad parent, I'm not looking for judgement on that, but my kid is drawn to these videos where people just talk at you while breaking down concepts with pop-culture jokes, memes and short clips. He likes "Game Theory/Food Theory" and Non-Compete does that from an anarchist (maybe not yours) perspective. Honestly, that style of sharing info is so annoying to me, but I'm obviously from a different generation and there were groups that pissed me off when I was coming up in my youth and I was probably one of those impetuously annoying upstarts to older @'s back then, too.

I want to talk about this a little but I also want to hear what other people here think, because even if many of us here might have valid critiques of anarcho-communism or using media in this way, I think there is obviously a pull for many, and the tens of thousands of subscribers (my kid included) like it, usually by hitting a thumbs up.

Forgive me if this is a discussion that already exists somewhere that I'm just not seeing.

anon (not verified)
Generally a good thing imo

Personally I find the creation of popular breadtube content generally a good thing.

As a newbie anarchist, I find a lot of their content very helpful in my learning of left and, more specifically to me, anarchist thought.
Granted they aren't my only avenue of learning, but my brain has trouble with books, and them explaining complicated concepts in modern language in fairly digestible amounts of time has been to my benefit.

That being said, I'm not a fan of the cult of personality that Youtube and similar platforms like/allow to create around content providers, and I'm especially critical of the temptation within Youtube specifically to play into the algorithm's game for views and/or revenue.
However, I think overall for people like me, and especially for those who may not have time to read many books, these breadtube channels can generally be of good informative use.

I am curious what your thoughts on it are, and specifically what annoys you about it.

anon (not verified)
I'm certainly not hostile to

I'm certainly not hostile to their project (my kid likes it) and it motivated them to make an anarchism "Scratch Project" this afternoon.

My point (if I can muster up a half-thought and not get shut down for not finishing it) is that the pop-culture format seems antithetical to a critic of Spectacle, but I'm not sure why I think that. Situs were all about cutting up culture (pop or otherwise) and putting it together to subvert capital (detournment). And it's not like I really have a problem with anarchist media projects.

Maybe it's that I unconsciously hate these kinds of videos that captivate my kid, because I'm worried how they're shaping their development but also want to be supportive of their passions, because connecting with them is important with me and it's that tension that has me feeling annoyed.

Maybe I just don't like his voice or sense of humor, but that's my thing, thousands of subscribers obviously don't.

anon (not verified)
allow me to respond in

allow me to respond in inadequate half-thoughts as well:

you’re right to distrust. parenting is hard, can’t really tell you what to do. i wont have kids, if i had kids i wouldnt give them access to a computer or any screens, they’d have to get them elsewhere.

that said, breadtube is not necessarily the worst content ever on youtube. ultimately critical thinking and verifying things with a life rich with many real experiences helps with challenging what the algorithm might recommend your kid who could just as easily be watching alt-right and conspiracy theory vids next week based on youtube’s whims and if that format is enough to persuade your kid into an ideology without hard earned verification or i dont know.

anon (not verified)
'Breadtubers'

Why are they always asking for money? Genuine question.

anon (not verified)
To be fair, so do our crust

To be fair, so do our crust punks . . .

anon (not verified)
Emerican Johnson (non-compete

Emerican Johnson (non-compete) specifically has been going hard into anarcho-tankie takes. He loves to praise his adoptive country of Vietnam saying that their Leninist state is optimal for their material conditions (yikes.) While claiming that in the USA an anarcho-communist revolution would work better.

Some other breadtubers I like a bit better are Thoughslime, Anarchopac, and Philosophytube. The first two are anarchist while the third is a marxist, but they all break down concepts, theory and issues in a digestible way.

Lastly, Vaush. He's a "libertarian socialist" streamer but goes hard into radlib takes about how voting is good praxis, and AOC and Bernie can save America. Essentially he's just a Noam Chomsky stan, but he does have some use in his debates where he typically crushes fascists, conservatives and liberals.

I feel like there is a pretty big lacking of "actual" or " more agreeable" anarchist youtubers but Submedia is a good one. I just wish they were more consistent with putting out content.

anon (not verified)
I really like the tone, pace,

I really like the tone, pace, affect, personal perspective and approach (style/format) of this channel I came across the other day: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeaceLaborMay/videos
even though "breadtuber" as a broadly defined genre or sphere of breadbookers is not my jam, since it seems to be directed at liberals or starter-pack basic "baby" anarchists (though it's cruel to say it like that and treat it as a phase they'll inevitably outgrow and not its own ideology, which is worse in some ways).

The style chill, calm, meditative, melancholic but not whiny and not doom and gloom, earnest and personal, not overly jargony, or memey. Very approachable and anecdotal, and the videos are short and focused and not rambly.

But I have no interest in videos about Kropotkin. Some of the other topics on the channel are more interesting and relatable me.

anon (not verified)
Baby anarchist as seperate ideology?

Your points are valid and I'm with ya on them, but I'm a little confused on the "baby" anarchist part, especially at the mention of it being a seprate ideology if it's own.

What differentiates a "baby" anarchist and a typical anarchist in your eyes?

anon (not verified)
"baby" anarchist is a common

"baby" anarchist is a common insult (ageist!, cancelled!) directed at "breadbookers", Kropotkinoids, or any other words to say 19th century baggage ancoms. the "baby" part comes from an (hopeful) expectation (often disappointed) that this is that person's first encounter with anarchism and that soon they will find more updated, relevant, more encompassing and more interesting (all subjective!) formulations. that they will veer away from chomskian liberalism and bookchinite light fascism, and ancom or any com industrialism, in preference of whatever contemporary mishmash gets called anarchy these days (mostly just flavors of liberal passivity and compliance, but self-critical and self-flagellatory, but some of it is pretty cool, there is like 3 people that did stuff!)

anon (not verified)
'anarchopac'

calls herself 'the anarchist historian.' not A historian, THE historian.

anon (not verified)
Is it a humor/branding thing?

Is it a humor/branding thing? Because I'm sure if they're an anarchist historian then they must've read other anarchist historians (Abel Paz, Paul Avrich, Richard Parry, Stuart Christie, etc.), right? I think it's weird and full hubris, but not any more than any other schtick. Stephen Colbert used to talk to god.

anon (not verified)
Will breadtubers look into

Will breadtubers look into joining the youtubers union?
For this year, membership is free and they will discuss fees in future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocwrLmXj9Jk
https://fairtube.info/
https://www.instagram.com/fairtube_ev/

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