How to Radicalize a Normie: Step One (rough)

I personally like the digestible 5 minute ones, because of how my personal consumption goes (break from work, watch an interesting video, think about it while working for the next hour), and I can usually get someone I want to introduce to your work to sit down and watch a 5 minute video then chat with me about it, whereas a longer one is a lot to convince someone to approach open-mindedly.

I'd definitely prefer one or two longer videos to a bunch of 5-10 minute ones. Don't get me wrong, I love "Bringing Back What's Stolen", and am aware how we ended up with the multipart one, but it does make for a rather choppy viewing experience... a bit like watching a made-for-TV program without ads, but with obvious ad-break lead-ins/outs remaining.

Søren

I also vote for two videos

Alex Hambrock

I'm inclined to shoot for one longer video over smaller ones (or at least make the smaller ones closer to 10 mins) but I don't know the metrics insofar as what has better reach/viewership

Ryan Aston

Oh, good point. I'll pick a better adjective. Thanks!

Ian Danskin

Going off of what someone above mentioned with the bunch of small parts released... You could split it in half.. I know it’s awkward to do that but letting people know there is a part 1 & part 2 will make people look for the next video who stumble onto this one. Does that make sense? Because it’s part of the playbook, yes, but it still stands super strong on it’s own. That way your nerves will calm down and you can get through the rest much more clear minded without panicking

I'm excited to see the rest, and agree that two parts instead of six would work better—or just one big long one depending on the final length. And a thought —I understand the sentiment is to answer the question many (usually white) people have about where all these nazis have come from and how this is happening in 2019. So I think just working on the language a bit because what this is really speaking to is how your average white dude gets radicalised. Not a 'normie' but your typical 'guy'. Like, I was watching this happen to my brother, who isn't even that typical in that he chose to read 'The Vagina Monologues' when he was twenty and he was the first person in my family I came out to because he was the safest one to do so. But still, he started saying some alarming things for a couple years there. I will say he has definitely moved away from that and Contrapoints is his favourite YouTube channel. But yeah, just a dude, on the Internet, getting ideas from being in the part of the Internet that's not yelling at him constantly for being the embodiment of white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity.

Kait Hatch

Yeah...what about 'typical' or 'average'?

Kait Hatch

I know that "scandalous" is extremely gentle ribbing as far as what furries normally get, but it seems weird and a li'l mean to do it at all. A lot of us are queer and broke so we're especially vulnerable to the right's bullshit. Midwest FurFest just had to ban Milo Fucking Y from going to their con and people are worried his entourage will show up anyway. Maybe just swap "scandalous" with "out there" (or at least spend some time later talking about how furries have actually been fighting this crap in our own community). I like where this is going though, and I agree with "upload this both in 6 parts and as 1 fat big thing and let the algorithm hash out which is better".

Kit Sovereign

From what I'm seeing, you can post both forms. Post the long video first and then post the short versions, preferably with a little intro and links to the long version, spread out over time. This is how some major podcasters do it as well, and Youtube seems to like it. The algorithm can suggest the short versions based on the specifics in the title for anyone that wouldn't already see the long version. Hank Green or someone else just posted a video about this the other day.

David Harkness

I'm trying something strange on this one where I'm going to end on a positive note.

Ian Danskin

Rough cuts are always temp audio. I use a popscreen when I record the final narration.

Ian Danskin

Step One: Identify the Audience Step Two: Establish a Community Step Three: Isolate Step Four: Raise their Power Level Step Five: ????? Conclusion: How Gabe Gets Out

Ian Danskin

I have been talking to people about how gamer gate was the first signs of this movement. Thanks for the confirmation of that theory.

Agreed, this feels too short on its own, and I don't really think it stands alone.

Matt Cramp

I'm personally a big fan of the long video format. I think that, by separating the videos there's a big chance that many will only watch the first part and don't follow through. I remember showing your videos to other people and having them sliced (the Avenging Feminine comes to mind) only makes it so I have to keep clicking "next". I really don't see the advantage on having it spliced—unless it makes the algorithm happy, in which case godspeed! Also, I think you should seriously consider getting a popper. Some of your "p" sounds "explode" quite badly >___<

IMO if there are 6 steps total, group them off into two or three videos. One is short enough that it feels brief, but six in one would be a lot to digest at once.

Is it weird that I subscribe to Ian primarily because I know the videos will make me uncomfortable and fill me with dread?

Kelvin Nishikawa

The suspence for step 2 is killing me! XD More seriously, could you show us the current talking points? I mean, what are the next 5 steps? Maybe looking at the "index" might suggest a different way to slice the pie. Not 6 steps. Not 1 whole chunk. Maybe 2 halves that make sense thematically? Or 3 two-steps slices, grouped by some common functional element? Without knowing what you plan on talking about any subdivision looks pretty arbitrary, from this side of the screen. Problem is, now I feel like eating pie XD

Alessandro

agreed

"Gabe is not categorically different from you or me: A cishet white dude. Anything affecting him is probably affecting most people". I understand the point you're actually trying to make and you're not wrong, but please consider changing this wording. This bit really has some unconscious "straight white people are normal, everyone else is Different" in it and reinforces that line of thinking. Gabe is, in fact, categorically different from me in several ways and from most people. Most people are not actually cishet white dudes. The last word in that description alone disqualifies more than 50% of people.

Caoimhe

Do you really have to use the word "normie"?

Caoimhe

The bit about how Gabe could have become a leftist makes me think of that Jewish Currents article you linked to a while ago about fascists using antisemitism to co-opt anti-capitalist talking points - https://jewishcurrents.org/undercover-with-new-york-nazis/ for the curious.

The Packbats

I like the editing style here; seems like a bit of a departure from previous Alt-Right Playbook vids, a bit denser and more dynamic. Content-wise it's informative and well-structured, to your usual standards. I can see this working as a linked series of mini-essays after the pattern of Bringing Back What's Stolen, or even Why Are You So Angry?, and the point where this segment ends feels like both a logical stopping point and a hook compelling the structure forward. If the whole essay works this way I'd say go ahead with breaking it up, if you're inclined to and it's not bad for your Youtube numbers. Especially if you're feeling stressed out about not having put out a video in a while.

Richard Jackson

Maybe answer this question by thinking about your own audience? I tend to find videos and comment on them via r/breadtube, and I think one video would be best for that crowd; long videos aren’t much of a deterrent, and having it all at once makes it easier to share & comment on. Is that your typical sort of viewer, or do you think you can reel in some other folks with a 5 min intro?

Alice

This is so good! I see the benefits of both a longform and segmented format. Longform is more standard to your other alt-right videos, but segmented perhaps easier to share and more accessible for non-followers. Would it kill the Algorithm (tm) to upload both kinds? Or perhaps creating a playlist of the short-form so it's basically like watching longform if people want? (Though this wouldn't stop complaints). Either way, amazing work as always!

Jamin Shih

Yeah, it's Alt-Right Playbook, but the structure is a bit of a departure. One incentive to release it piecemeal is I wouldn't have to wait as long to put something online, and having missed last month and missed three straight months earlier this year I'm getting antsy.

Ian Danskin

If you have 5 you have 10, but do you have 42?

Ian Danskin

The subject of Radicalisation has a... quality or aspect I suppose, of how quickly it happens. That is probably most effectively given extra weight in the medium by if you release this in a single hit, or in short bursts, or in a combination. I'm far from any expert and you can overthink this aspect till 2020 but if there is a point in the scripts where you address how quickly forums and thoughts turn to action or how the audiance to the alt right can sit dormant, that might influence how connected the videos are.

Yeah, I don't think I would make this separate from whatever is next. If I have 5 minutes, I probably have 10 and it doesn't seem like a satisfying place to stop.

I've always preferred long-form videos, and if this thing was cut into five 5-minute-or-so pieces I'd be pretty annoyed trying to watch it. I don't know any of the numbers for long-form videos vs smaller piecewise meals (although I'm pretty sure you specifically have talked about that somewhere), but there's something to be said for the cohesive whole when talking about essays that require concentration. Is this a part of the alt-right playbook? I can't put my finger on it, but somehow it just doesn't.. feel like one, yet. Maybe it's just the temp audio and overall roughness throwing me off :) Very interested in where this goes, but I'm sure it's great.

SadeN.moe

Rough cuts are always temp audio.

Ian Danskin

I mean, I'm trying to decide if I should release each step as its own video...

Ian Danskin

You said steps, but I thought videos. Then I thought, "five videos... we're going to be peeling Danskin off the bloody walls before this is over."

did you plan to re-record the audio? there's some noise starting when you talk about moving and sometimes you blow out the mic, like the two times saying "profile" Personally, I think I'd prefer one long video, or, if it's possible, two, so it's not an hour long. This feels like an introduction, not enough to be separated.

Agami