Practically every stoner living in the 21st century has one thing in common: The internet is our primary source for content to consume while baked. Whether you're letting YouTube autoplay carry you through a hazy couch lock, or diving deep into a web of fan theory videos, the internet is a sanctuary of lit content subgenres and videos designed to please the stoned palate. It's also a place where people explain interesting stuff using quick edits, catchy voiceovers, and mesmerizing graphics.
Next time you're really stoned in front of your TV or other preferred screen, try adding these seven explainer videos to your high viewing rotation. You'll probably learn something new, and definitely get lost in a wave of mind-blowing info and entertaining visual cues to engage your stoned mind on multiple spacey levels.
The Black Hole Bomb and Black Hole Civilizations
“Everything you think you know about the weirdest thing in the universe is about to get weirder for one simple reason: black holes are spinning.”
Sounds like something you'd hear from your cosmos-obsessed friend during a toke sesh right? It's actually the tagline for this video about black holes from the YouTube channel “Kurzgesagt” (the name is essentially the German phrase for “in a nutshell”), which utilizes dank cartoon graphics and a soothing voice to explain how spinning black holes could be used to make “the largest explosion any human being could ever create,” and how they might be the only sources of energy that existing life could harvest in a dying universe.
In short, the Kurzgesagt format is most certainly optimal for conveying spacey scientific concepts to the stoned mind. For further viewing, we suggest Kurzgesagt's video on wormholes and breaking spacetime.
'2001: A Space Odyssey' – Ending Explained
Now, before you watch this video, make sure you've already blazed it and watched Stanley Kubrick's trippy sci-fi opus “2001: A Space Odyssey,” at least once — or more than that if you consider yourself a true stoner. Then, blaze it again and check out this great explainer on the film's psychedelic, impressionistic, and infamously perplexing ending.
The plot of “2001,” right up to its baffling end, is deceptively simple when explained by Kubrick himself. What this video does very well is lay out the basic plot of “2001” quickly and efficiently before making a deep dive into the odd, trippy visuals of the film's final act to unravel its deeper, subliminal thematic mysteries. Toke, watch, and prepare to have your mind blown … again.
Former FBI Agent Explains How to Read Body Language
If you really want to have a fun time freaking out during your next smoke sesh, check out this video from Wired in which former FBI agent and body language expert Joe Navarro breaks down the real ways in which we reveal ourselves through body language.
Navarro relays a case in which he caught a foreign spy by observing the way he carried a bouquet of flowers, goes through all the facial tics through which people reveal themselves, and breaks down a poker game to explain how the different players are transmitting information to the rest of the game. Next time you're experiencing a powerful body high, this video may be an intriguing way to be present in your body and explore the nuances of your own physical movements.
Nicolas Cage Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters
You know him, you love him. In this interview with GQ, American icon and meme machine Nicolas Cage goes through many of his most memorable roles in classic Nic Cage fashion — relaying how he took cues from German expressionist films from the silent era for his breakout role in “Moonstruck,” and played bongos in his trailer during the filming of “Leaving Las Vegas” to “get the rhythm of the character,” to name just a couple batshit gems from Cage's singularly trippy Hollywood career. Throughout the vid, Cage's musings contain a weird charm and stoner logic that you'll surely vibe with after a healthy dab.
The NCAA Tournament is a Loser Machine
For our stoner sports fans out there, here's a quick, digestible video from SB Nation that breaks down the myth that every team participating in March Madness stands an actual chance at winning the title. It's a bit of a downer, considering the entire pull of the NCAA tournament is that it always has the potential to make high-profile winners out of otherwise obscure college basketball teams, but it's a mesmerizing trip through the statistical ins and outs of the tournament which leads to a clear, concise conclusion — March Madness is rigged to create far more losers out of smaller schools than winners.
How Does Netflix Make Money?
Most 21st century stoners are champions of Netflix + Toke + Chill. This explainer from The Ringer uses calming music and simple, delightful visuals to teach the viewer how Netflix, despite its inexplicable knack for spending tons and tons of money on original content, can spread its costs around to remain a profitable company.
Wanna know how you live in a world where “Bojack Horseman” is worth more than Walt Disney World, ESPN, Pixar, “Star Wars,” and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe combined? Do a dab for a clear head high and indulge in this intriguing bit of entertainment-ception.
Vaporwave: Genre Redefined
Whether you're personally familiar with Vaporwave or not, chances are you've at least heard of this rising music subgenre in your stoner circles. To the outsider, this genre — which largely plays out on YouTube, combining remixed and '80s synth tracks with reworked visuals of '80s and '90s consumer culture — may be perplexing. For those who want to understand vaporwave and dig into its stoney, melancholy pleasures, this video does a great job of summarizing the genre's social relevance and political undertones while showcasing the dank visuals that keep stoners coming back for more.
Feature image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
