The world of video essays is fascinating. There are people out there capable of creating essays that span hours, seemingly effortlessly, and there are people willing to consume them. However, there’s a catch. It involves monumental effort, and the work of these individuals is rarely visible. Except, sometimes, that monumental work doesn’t necessarily have to be a positive one. As demonstrated by the video essay that has exploded in popularity this weekend, garnering almost five million views in just forty-eight hours.
Titled “Plagiarism and You(Tube),” it’s a video by hbomberguy. A YouTuber known for creating long, extremely well-crafted and researched videos, delving into complex topics with humor and astonishing intelligence. Whether it’s videos about vaccines, the origin of a Roblox sound, or the video game Pathologic, he always approaches his subjects with depth, wit, and genuine interest.
In this, his latest video so far, he talks about plagiarism on YouTube and how easy it is. Not only in terms of doing it but also hiding it, and even returning to YouTube after facing not just accusations but also being publicly exposed for past plagiarism.
Covering various famous cases but focusing particularly on a particularly problematic creator named James Somerton, the video takes a huge turn that recontextualizes everything that has been discussed up to that point. All of this in an extremely interesting, well-documented, consistently entertaining video that not only teaches us the value of not plagiarizing but also demonstrates why certain works that are generally considered of little value, such as writing essays, actually are valuable. The act of plagiarism proves that they are.
