Tax, Punk, Student, Strike, Cinephile


America Is Not Europe

Romulus | YouTube | 17th January 2022

Some differences across the pond. Because they already enjoy the benefits of extensive social programs, Europeans have little reason to complain about the heavy taxation they face; the US has been unable to adopt these stringent policies because "taxing the wealthiest of society is easier to advertise and justify than taxing everybody a lot more" (9m 25s)


How Punk Became Punk

Trash Theory | YouTube | 23rd January 2022

Tracing punk music back to its many precursors. Little Richard's "onstage anarchy," Link Wray's slashed amp speakers, Johnny Cash's murderous words, the Velvet Underground's feedback-drenched "anti-beauty" sleaze. Punk came to be defined by "glue sniffing, delinquency, a deep love of pulp culture, and the marriage of bubblegum pop with brutal rock ‘n’ roll" (43m 43s)


I Got Bored And Made My Own Cinematic Universe

Austin McConnell | YouTube | 24th January 2022

If the "cinematic universes" are getting stale, just create your own. A motley of forgotten superheroes: Blue Bolt the Lightning Man, Atlas, Catman, Shannon Kane the Spider Queen. "The Spider Queen movie won't just set up Shannon's origins, it'll start to connect our universe by introducing British Agent 99, the Master of Disguise—who we will probably save for phase two" (20m 40s)


Un-American And Yet Totally American: Company Towns

Knowing Better | YouTube | 23rd January 2022

Company towns "are not some long-forgotten quirk of American history—they are American history." The country was born in 1607 with the Jamestown company town, the labor movement originated with Rockefeller-owned West Virginia coal towns, and in 2021, the governor of Nevada announced plans for "Innovation Zones", self-determinate company towns running on blockchain (52m 15s)


Extravagant Video Of The Week

Two French kids cleverly weave themselves into their favorite movies


Watch The Viewer's recommendations each week as a handy YouTube Playlist.


The Viewer is brought to you by The Browser, the curated newsletter of writing worth reading. The Browser is to writing what The Viewer is to video. Try it for free here.


Editor: Abe Callard. Comments? Suggestions? Write to us at editors@theviewer.is