Thursday 25 April 2013

An Interview With Imaperson




Imaperson. A username of such sheer simplicity for a pooper with such an intricate style. He has over 8000 subscribers and is known for his "hardcore" style of pooping, which relies on fast-paced editing, lots of ear-rape, collage clusters and rock and roll music. His most notable video is SUPER DUPER SUPER MEN, which showcases his running gag of Dog Fashion Disco's Silent Film "dun da dun" along with the neck-moving guy. Imaperson often uses ManWith10Toes, Looney Tunes cartoons, One Stormy Night, CD-I, and Aladdin (along with more) in his videos, and has also had part with the "Don't forget your umbrella" and "Aladdin raising his eyebrows quickly" running gags as well. Recently I trekked through the snow fields to the other side of the Great White North to get in touch with Mr. Imaperson.


First off, tell me a bit about yourself...

I am currently 21 years old and residing in Canada. I've been spending most of my life with music, acting, and writing. I recently graduated from a 2 year course in Film (on and off screen) and have been working towards pursuing it as a career lately.

What got you into YTP?

My brother and I had gotten into Angry Video Game Nerd at the time around 2007, and I remember I wanted to watch any video I could find from him. I searched "AVGN", kept scrolling through videos and eventually came across something I've never seen before. The video is called "YouTube Poop: AVGN SAVES THE WORLD"



I really enjoyed the concept of taking material and basically messing about with it, so it got me into making my own. I only intended on making a few and leaving it at that, as I wasn't too big on YTP to spend much time on it. As the next year arrived, I remember coming across a video that completely had me on the floor laughing. The video is called "ROBOTNIK EATS HIS OWN VAGINA"



I've never seen anything like it at the time and I found myself enjoying the more absurd, spastic style of poop. This is what got me into making YTP fully, as I was developing my own style from there throughout the years into what I am today! What also got me into YTP was just the collective creativeness of what the community had to offer. I definitely wanted to stick around for that.

Who would you say are your inspirations for making YTP?

MeiAIDS definitely played a big part in inspiring me. Others that vastly inspired me along the way were YTPSource (known as TheChutley now), Mr. Tennek, MasterGwonam, JakeSteel0121, SkyGuy16, deckman92, TimAJH, rapskallionxyz, passstrengthnull and SergeantBacon. I still enjoy them to this day! Even then, I have even more inspirations for making YTP from poopers like Avojaifnot, HaHaHound, Revfirst, Stuart K Reilly and just much more. Poopers who make me laugh or impress me with their videos are pretty much my inspiration. A good person as a whole helps a lot, too.

How do you usually go about making a YTP?

If I have an idea for a YTP, I base it off of a single source I've been enjoying a lot when I start off. As I move on with that source, I find another source that I feel has a good transistion/flow to it. That way, I can gather a lot of different sources together. As for all the music that goes into one, that all comes from "feeling" as well. It always depends on what is actually happening in a segment, like metal playing over a distorted spastic scene and so forth. The intention I have when I go about making a YTP is to make it like an experimental song of some sort, such as going through different emotions.

What things do you like seeing in a YTP and what don't you like to see?

The key thing I like to see in a YTP is fun. I like seeing how creative it can be, and getting a lot out of it that induces a need for multiple viewings. There's not much I don't like to see in a YTP because I find myself enjoying low-quality humor and horrible execution as much as I do the opposite of those. If there's anything I'm not too fond of, it's the sense of redundancy being used incorrectly like too much of a running gag and just unspired usage of sources that could have much more potential (this is why I'm embarassed to even watch through the second half of my own video, "SUPER DUPER SUPER MEN"!!!)

How do you view yourself in the YTP community?

I feel grateful to even be where I am in the YTP community. I've always been making YTPs for myself and not what everyone would like to see me do. With that, I get a lot of satisfaction of people even enjoying my videos, being inspired and creating their own works! I view myself as "accomplished" in the community in the sense that I'm still doing what I love to do, and more importantly, helping others along the way and having a grand time! I never thought I'd be one of the poopers who would end up  influencing others and even being called things like "incredible" and "legendary" and the like...let alone with doing something on the side compared to big projects like writing and music I have been working on. I'm very thankful for all of this, and it makes me happy.

Which YTP are you most proud of?



Even though I just released it, I am the most proud of "VIVIAN LISTENS TO RED WHILE FUCKSTONE LOSES HIS HEAD". That video I felt like I had the most fun and creativity with. It was also one of the only videos where I felt extremely exhilarated during its production, even in times of depression. I went through a lot of emotions while making this, and I think it shows. I even had a pretty serious and bizarre moment in this poop. The day when I was working on this one section with Colin and Mei - http://www.youtube.c...F8X6M#t=6m40sec - was also on the day my cousin passed away too young from cancer. So I had this weird uplifting/comedic feeling - can't take it too seriously with Colin missing half of his limbs flying around screaming "NICE PANTS!!!!" - that I had implemented during that moment. So with this whole video, I feel like I had the best sense of where I was and what I was doing with it. I'm proud with the final result.

Another video that comes very close to this is "The Ultimate Hoip Of Hoips: Fern's Christmas Party", which was also very fun to make the whole way through. Other YTPs of mine that I consider to be my favorites are "GASTON GETS CHUTLEY DISEASE", "Mei Goes For a Super Duper Wacky Horny Laddie Men Walk 2", "SUPER HORNY LADDIE 3", and "MIKEWITH10ERICS".

What YTPs do you consider your favorites?

"Orel Puppington Sings The No Children Song That Ends The Church" by avojaifnot
"JOSH TRANSCENDS MORTALITY" by PresidentOfJelybeans
"JAWSUS (THERE IS NO TIME)" by MasterGwonam
"Kuromi注意 No.-6031 SIMPLY Dr. Robotnik" by rapskallionxyz
"ALADIN BREAKS HIS SUPERFINGER" by deckman92
"SHANA EATS A BLACK DUCK" by CommanderGwonam
"THE KING GOES PERMANENTLY BLIND IN ONE EYE" by JakeSteel0121
"Mrs. Bucket sexually harasses anthropomorphic animals" by MeiAIDS
"ROBOTNIK CONTRACTS AN STD" by Domorato
"DRACULA HAS NO TIME FOR RAPE" by Homepike
"Frollo goes to Hell, Michigan" by Whelt
"PUT THE BOOK DOWN!!!!!!! PART 9: THE SPINOFF" by TheChutley
"U.R. Ruud" by SkyGuy16
"Dr. Wily is a Filthy Old Man" by TimAJH
"Zack Talks About His Scrotum" by Drasdic
"INSECT RABBIT TEACHES MR. JONES THE JOYS OF MICROWAVE COOKERY" by thechairman45
"Bison and the Gay Niggaloo" by RevSecond
"Shine On You Crazy Bill - Part I" - by AbsoluteBillion
"DREW AND JACOB IN THE WACO SIEGE" by Radock
"Drugs Bunny's Parental Guidance System" by Stuart K Reilly
"22@" by SergeantBacon
"Dave Mustaine's anal prolapse destroys 800 Wayne Bradys while Hitler moves the glow" by jamesdeth
"Simon's Final Confession: Simon Bakes A Goat Pie With A Hint Of Batman Grease" by DaKooperPooperALT
"Mike's Unanticipated Reality Check" by HaHaHound

What would you like to say to aspiring poopers?

Don't hold back, make sure to always have fun and don't stress out too much over it. Oh and don't be a jerk. That's important, too. Unless the opposite really does make you happy...

Before we end this, is there anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you for this wonderful interview! Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this! And thank you all of civilization that have gotten me inducted into the 1997 YTP Hall Of Fame in Moralton, Statesota.

His Tumblr

His Youtube Channel

Saturday 20 April 2013

The Pains Of Pandering



Advertisers these days are assholes. In a way, a handful of them were back in the days when consumerism began to rear its head. Multiple companies, from Coca Cola to Malboro outright lied to you about the benefits of their products. It was clear to them that they only cared about your money, and if they had to get in any way they can, they would. Nowadays, it's easier to detect marketing bullshit and flat out ignore these ads. Not only because they're absurd, idiotic or just plain deceiving, but because they're goddamn everywhere. You can't open your email without seeing at least 20 spam messages about some hocus-pocus magic pill or walk out into the street without seeing billboard upon billboard of products that probably don't need that advertising because they're already so damn huge. I'm surprised I don't see ads playing in my dreams, but you know they're going to find a way to pull that. But let's face it, we too have to advertise ourselves to the public so that we can become prominent in whatever industry we set out on. Some of us do it by the sheer skill they exert with their occupation, others know how to network and a few even just get lucky with some big hit. And in the midst of the cesspool of the usual ads, there is something that does catch your eye and makes you interested in its cause.

See, if one isn't obnoxiously cramming into your skull "BUY MY BOOK", but rather trying to ease you into checking out the book, one is more inclined to think that perhaps its worth their time. They could get it, they could not, they may like it, they may not, it's up to them what they should do. Most trailers simply just show the product and let you decide. It feels much more natural, to take that approach. Obviously, advertisers don't want a "maybe" from potential customers, they want a "Fuck yes!", and that's fine, to a certain extent. If the product itself can engage the audience enough to want to spend money on it, that's fine by me. If the product has something that I happen to enjoy, I'll go for it even more because it appeals to me. But if that product is forced to make me enjoy it, that's when we get to something called "pandering". Pandering is what   makes people look at the advertising industry and say "I hope those scumbags choke on the cocaine they snort out of their hundred dollar bills" because it not only shows their desperation for their money, but it also has taken advantage of all of us, whether we want to admit it or not.

There are certain parts of this world that are only fit for certain people. Chocolate may be loved by many, but only a few enjoy caviar. It's all dependent on your tastes. The problem that resides there is that the amount of people that like caviar aren't enough, so making a substantial profit may be tricky. One could try to raise the price of caviar, but who's to say that everyone's going to buy it at that outrageous price? So, the people who sell caviar can do two things. One, they could try to make caviar better or two, they could sell it in a container that looks like it was a chocolate bar. The latter, is a type of pandering that deceives the customer into liking it because of the way its presented to it, but in reality it has nothing to do with what you expected. Think of it as if you edited the Shining as if it was a family comedy.


Fun for the whole family!

This sort of advertising can result in two ways. The first one is that the people who were trying to sell a product didn't have an idea how to properly capture the essence of the product so they went with the closest thing that worked. When that happens, you're either delightfully surprised or very disappointed. The other one, which is more relevant to the example I gave above is that you target a different audience so that they are convinced that your product is equal or better to what they enjoy. The key difference of these two forms comes from how complex the product is. If it's a new revolutionary device that humans are not familiar with its main function, it's understandable why the ads mix you up. If it's just some silly children's toy and it's built up like it has the ability to cure cancer, that's when outrage is 100% justified.

Another instance of pandering comes from what's inside of the product. Let's suppose you bought a box of chocolates. You're happily enjoying the white chocolate, dark chocolate, the cherry filling, the one with the almonds, the one with caramel filling, and all is fine and dandy until you sink your teeth into the coconut coffee one. All of the treats looked great and the coconut coffee especially had an appealing look, but the awful mixture of flavors ruin the experience for you. That's sort of the feeling you get when this occurs. What happens is that at some moments, a film or a video game throws at you something that seems to come off as though it didn't belong. It could perhaps be referencing something modern to give the illusion that it's "relevant", it could have a character whose only purpose is to bring in an unfitting crowd or it could simply just give an incredibly subtle indication that you should buy another product by having it conveniently in front of the camera.


How the mighty have fallen...

I don't think I need to tell you that when this happens, it not only catches you off guard, it also ruins what fun you were having before. It breaks that feeling of being entranced by the action that is going on and instead takes you out of that experience. It treats you like a child, as it dangles your keys above your head so that you enjoy yourself. We don't want to be amused by the keys, we want to be amused by the ride, so give them to us so we can drive the car, damn it. Yet, in many instances, this form of pandering creeps in. Sometimes it's worked out in a way that's really subtle and doesn't linger too much on trying to draw you in, other times, it's weaved into the narrative in a way that one doesn't see it sticking out to much. Naturally this doesn't work so well with selling a soda or anything but for the previous two, it is possibly that it doesn't have to play off on its desperation.

The oldest example of pandering is the infamous "sex sells" slogan. The idea is that if you want to buy something, all you need is to rub it against a naked lady. Now, there's only thing that can truly get away with sex sells, and that's women's clothing. Everything else just plays on an animalistic instinct that could perhaps fool us to believing that we're buying something good. Some even go so far to imply that this is going to get you laid. Let me tell you something right now, chugging down beers and smelling of Axe does not get you anywhere near sexual intercourse. If anything, it scares them away. Now, I'm not too bugged by this pandering because I grew up in a country where everything literally got that treatment. It's a twisted way of being proud of our women, I suppose. That and exploiting sex for some other gain will continue to happen until time ends. Now, with that said, it's still a cheap way to get people to buy a product. In the instance of GoDaddy though, they do it in a way that plays so tongue in cheek, it becomes really grating. Not because "oh my, they're using attractive women, how sexist" but more because "oh my, they're using attractive women, how trite".


What is this, Revenge Of The Nerds 3?


As the years have gone by, "sex sells" has lost some of its powers and a lot of different trends have been capitalized to exploit the more gullible masses. Ever since the internet came to fruition, there have been pop ups galore, annoying your computer surfing experience. Ads have been plastered at every side of sites, Twitter and Facebook have been used by companies to spew out their pitches here and there and have even been the vehicle that creates all those giveaways and contests that they enjoy to do. Hell, if you want to make a few cents from your Youtube videos, Google monetization does just that by placing ads over your videos that will undoubtedly be ignored if someone has Adblock Plus. In the midst of all these ads, what really has elevated the tediousness of pandering is the internet culture itself.

Whatever thing that has gotten popular on the net has eventually been shoved down our throats excessively by others who wish to use that for their own gains. Memes are by far the worst of this as they have weaved themselves into either something that didn't need the memetic treatment or been attached to already annoying commercials and made them worse. It's not just the big dogs though, whatever video series that has been deemed really popular on the internet by advertising agents have filled stores with their merchandise for some incomprehensible reason other than the blatant one of trying to make money out of something that's huge. What's so backwards about this is that the sort of content that gets such an excessive amount of marketing usually ends up being universally loathed by a lot of people. It's almost surprising why this happens, yet it's immensely chilling to believe that these people are at the fore-front of the future of entertainment and it's ungodly insulting that there are people out there falling for it.


This is what's wrong with the world.

Look, we all want to get out image out there, that's part of who we are. It's not necessarily bad to ask others to perhaps spread your message about and it doesn't hurt that you try to do something to attract an audience.  It's only when you start to desperately cling on people and beg them to give them every single last cent that the problem arises. You make a fool out of yourself and your product. It doesn't really have to do with how much of your product you can sell though. It simply makes it less of a great experience, it perpetuates a semblance of ignorance that the public has. I'm not going to say that I've detached myself from this and that I blame all of you for this garbage that you have dumped out to the world, because part of that mess is mine. What I simply want to say is that we shouldn't fall for it, we should be calling it out. If we're going to promote something, we should try not to use those tactics and just show our product for what it is. I've seen a great deal of people that do what I've said, and I'm sure it'll carry on. Just like the ones who create this crap.