The Hated One
1 HN recommender · recommended in 3 months, 2022–2023
24:13 · 1.9M views · Dec 8, 2022
The Hated One argues that Kurzgesagt acts as a propaganda vehicle for its billionaire-linked sponsors, citing funding it received. The video prompted a response from Kurzgesagt.
Mostly used as a critical source on how popular science channels may be shaped by billionaire funding.
4 comments from Hacker News
Propaganda for billionaires and the various methodologies they use to control and slowly reshape society. The following video is a good start: this video The optimism you mention in your comment is key. Conditioning the public to perceive and blindly accept the ideas and procedures commonly discussed in many of their videos as something net-positive seems to be the primary goal. The art-style I think plays a very well-defined role in that: yes it's bland, but it's the most unlikely one to offend any one average viewer, irrespective of nationality or culture. It's just cute 2D flat birds after all.
(Can't edit my comment above now so adding on by reply) My observation above was just from personal experience. But after making it I searched 'Kurzgesagt' on YouTube (just wanted to see what videos they'd recently produced) and, as well as their recent videos, that search also turned up one called Kurzgesagt: billionaire propaganda, trusting science, and effective altruism [1] which I've now watched and found that my observation has been made by others and analysed in quite some detail. That video mentioned some others on the same subject [2-3], which I haven't watched but also look interesting. [1] [LINK] [2] this video [3] [LINK]
Zoomers these days seem to think Bill is a benevolent do-gooder due to Gates foundation propaganda: this video Those of us who were computer nerds in the '90s know he and Microsoft were more akin to the Borg. Slashdot always used to feature Bill as Locutus on stories about him/Microsoft. This is completely on brand for microsoft. The "reform" is entirely made up. He's the same oligarch he always was, and so are they.
This video might give you some insight on why they use the research that they use, or rather, the lack of research they use. this video