The American Horror of Jack Stauber's OPAL
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- #OPAL #AdultSwim
Jack Stauber is a multitalented artist and creator of the Adult Swim Small OPAL. This video is a brief analysis of the way OPAL as a piece of art has, intentionally or not shown the horror of the new rural american life and how we got here.
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Credit to the Cover in the intro;
• We See You Opal (Repri...
Expanded Reading/ Accessible Sources;
Greenwood:
www.cbsnews.co...
The AF Movement:
www.nationalww...
Henry Ford:
www.history.co...
Roads:
www.npr.org/20...
www.cbsnews.co...
Lyndon B. Johnson:
www.snopes.com...
Sonic Devices:
www.npr.org/20...
School Funding:
www.npr.org/20...
www.washington...
Rural issues:
www.vox.com/20... - Фільми й анімація
Thank you for watching! I have included means to support me as well as some more accessible articles relevant to the topics in the video! Hope you enjoy! As you might be able to tell I also made a bunch of unique blender assets for this one! It's fun expanding the way I edit videos!
Something I'm always surprised no one else has noticed (or, at least, spoken about): When Claire/Opal hears the siren's song from the house, you can see something white spilling from the windows. A lot of ppl think it's lace but to me it looks like a type of mushroom that has a white "veil". Mushrooms are often associated with rotting; the symbolism ofc being that the house and family are environments that both are rotting, and that are rotting Claire herself. Similarly, I think America is slowly rotting away.
That is a good point. The way I see the lights are in reference to the road. When Claire enters the real family house the fake house is in relation to the real world, where the billboard is. So she likely had been walking across the highway back to her house- or even doing so for more dark reasons
I like when I can walk to a local bakery and buy fresh baked bread. Unfortunately I live in America
Mmmmmm bread
Mmmmmm America
breamerica
Wait. Are you the same guy? Do you have another channel with way more subs?
So on the note of names, it’s easy to just latch onto Opal by itself, but what’s easier to miss is that Claire, like any name, has a meaning too. It’s the French word for bright, and also clear (it’s the root word for clarity, after all).
Opal is a bright, multi-colored gemstone, but only as a hazy blur of colors. When you take Opal away from the picture, you have a clearer, horrid view of what’s actually going on in Claire’s life. A fantasy versus a reality.
Never thought I'd see another interesting take on OPAL, but here we are. Quite fun to see.
I relate to it a lot more as someone with Asperger's. That fear of being noticed but not embraced by those around you is crippling. Truly a horror masterpiece.
That and Mirror Man slaps. That song has forever ruined mirrors for me.
Came for Opal, Stayed for the lesson on Isolationism
REAL ASF LMAO
The fathers obsession with his looks was also due in part to what the mother did to him in a split second scene seen in the mothers song, where it looks like she did something to make his face looked messed up.
I can't help but think that's also why he's in a completely separate room. I at first watch thought he was the brother not the father. I find it's really interesting that his room is also set up like a one room apartment, with a toilet and everything
Your essay reminds me of Night in the Woods - a game about a college dropout returning to her rural american hometown after a mental health crisis. A town so small there's only 1 doctor who is also the dentist and therapist, who told the main character that journeling and repressing her anger would fix her. A town that thrived when the mines and factories and unions were strong, until companies moved that work overseas and busted the unions. A town where the elderly are so desperate for the economic prosperity of the old days, that they literally started sacrificing people to a hole in the ground in the hopes that that would save their dying town. A town where one woman's parents saved up for her entire life for her to go to college, only for her to drop out; while another woman had the dream of college taken away from her the second her mother died of cancer.
I really like that comparison, I actually wrote an essay analyzing a lot of that stuff in NITW for school, though I wanted to talk about even more stuff in it I just didn't get to because it covers so many things.
I feel like Mirror Man was ahead of his time, or maybe Jack Stauber was tuned into it ahead of time, because he really brings to mind the incel/toxic male empowerment movement that's only getting worse recently. Vanity of appearance and obsession with superficial luxury is stereotyped with women in the past, but with that movement I almost feel like that stereotype may be shifted onto men with later generations, as men become more vocal about insecurity with ability to perform, having a certain chin shape or skull shape, having the right hair, having the right clothes, and being able to pick up women. Mirror Man, a comparatively "effeminate" and high pitched voiced, aging and mediocre man looks at magazines and wonders why he isn't rich yet, why he isn't a "chad"-- I know, they must reject me because I was born with the "beta" features, it can't be a failure of my character or simple happenstance. He takes out his insecurities on others and makes excuses for his toxic behavior, retreating to self loathing when questioned. But it's alright, because he's working on himself. Superficially. And one day he will be that exaggerated male fantasy and you'll love him even if he is a jerk.
Sorry babe, cant come to bed rn, my favourite youtube just dropped a video on a topic I have never heard of before
It's worth watching the short afterwards! It's only like 12min long and the songs are largely reeeeeeaaally good
Man all your insight about American rural life is so true. I grew up in a small town, nearest freeway was a 20 minute drive away. I think city people just don't realize some of the little luxuries that aren't available in the country. For instance, I grew up not allowed to stream videos or music at home because we could only get limited wifi, and my mom needed it to work. I was the only one of my friends to get my own car (a used car thanks to an insurance payout from a deer totaling my dad's car lol), so I became "the friend that drives". Until then, I was basically stuck at home because there wasn't even a park within walking distance. In a lot of ways, I was still extremely blessed for what I had compared to some of my poorer friends. And my whole town was a lot better off than many other dying small towns. This isn't super relevant to the video anymore, I just wanted a chance to reflect on some of the things about growing up rural.
Oh yeah, the church thing is so real too. My parents are atheists, and they still took me to church as a kid because it was one reliable way to hang out with friends my age. Kinda wild in hindsight.
I'm so happy people are still talking about OPAL. I was literally ranting about how good it was just this past weekend, and then I find your acc and watch your SU videos, and then BAM next day opal video. Twas meant to be!
incredible commentary. isolation in american culture is the one thing i hate most about this country. the only way to survive as a marginalized person is to build your own community, your found family, and the way this society is structured intentionally makes that way more of a struggle than it should be. i'm doing my best to bring together my own found family, but it's not easy. this is a refreshing take on the masterpiece that is opal. thank you ❤
Im so happy you're covering this! I love the short but I've seen very few videos diving into it, excited to see how you tackle it.
Edit: Just finished the video and it was great! Looked at the short from a really interesting angle I hadn't thought of before.
Thanks! I really enjoy the short and when I asked myself why It was so unnerving this was the conclusion I came to
I always took the Dad’s song as being a male victim of DV, how that makes him lesser on all fronts. Never believed, no resources, implied to have been disfigured by his wife in the Mom’s song. Made to feel small, emasculated, a failure, Dad preens to the point of self-harm and insists this isn’t his final form
It’s all a reaction to what Dad’s been told: turned him down, yells at him, tears him down. When Opal flees Granddad into Mom’s room, they don’t follow her. Dad camps out in the bathroom, he does not go into the master bedroom. He’s afraid of Mom, is how I took it
Especially with how casually Mom tears into Opal (“Decided to be a person today?”). Same kind of insult in Dad’s song. Mom raising a fist to strike Opal also lends itself to the Mom abusing Dad
Which is a whole different kind of isolating, on top of the rest
You rarely hear defences of parent figures that actually get to the root of huge problems in internet essays
As a not American I found this really interesting, there are places like that in Australia but for the most part we live in clusters where we atleast have a corner shop, a side effect of having to live around the edges of the country. That said, rural communities here do suffer from similar things to Opal, lack of healthcare, nonexistent mental healthcare, isolation etc.
This is so interesting as someone who's lived in Europe or countryside Eastern Europe to be exact. I didn't realise how much isolated people in America were outside of their family. Like I knew that there was something there when I watch American shows and theirs a family and they don't mention any other relatives like they would probably mention an uncle that was probably problematic or something but what about the grandparents? Uncle and Aunts? Cousins? It's almost as like the family itself doesn't talk to their relatives. And the sense of community is missing. It's just your family and that's it. It's so odd to me. And now learning about all this is just wtf. Shows you how much built on hatred the USA is.
One thing I'd like to point out regarding the mother's part in this short is the allusion to drug abuse via the pills. The moment I got to that part, my immediate thought was "Yep, she's addicted to opiates" since opiate addiction is all too common in the midwest where I live, and I know a few folks in my family that, had they kept their kids, they would've treated said kids exactly like the mom treats Opal. Mental illness and substance abuse is just about everywhere in the less affluent parts of where I live, and it's sad both because of the direct harm it does to the adults and youth who deal with these mental health problems and addictions and because of the harm it does to kids who are being raised by these people. Mental health treatment should be more available and affordable than it is here in the US, especially in low income areas.
with how much i enjoy jack stauber's work, its criminal that i'm just hearing about OPAL now. thanks for pointing me in its direction, and this was a fun analysis to watch afterwards
Something I'd really recommend (At least in America because I'm not sure of other countries) is becoming really paranoid of grocery stores, especially big box ones like Walmart or Publix. I've worked them and the amount of mold you'll find in the bakeries and bugs and freezer burnt food is insane.
This country is slow poison I want out of.
this is genuinely one of the first critiques of the effects of modern evangelicalism that doesn't badmouth the entire religion, even backhandedly. I'm a Lutheran, which basically means I hold the same core beliefs as any christian, but we also follow the teachings of Martin Luther, who had a very strained (as a way to put it) relationship with the Catholic Church. I consider myself a Christian, but on a different branch that sort of.. denounces the effects of Catholicism. Often when I engage with pop culture analysis for the media I enjoy, the speaker either takes on a blatantly anti-christian tone of voice, or fails to conceal it. Being queer in a christian space is easier than a lot of people think, and the well is sort of poisoned when it comes to genuine voices in religion. The majority of people that others think of as religious, specifically in America, are hateful, spiteful people who have literally never read the Bible in their lives. Those who argue for the restriction of women's rights, or damage their families like shown in Opal, are not Christian. They never have been. And this is the first critique I've heard for something with themes of toxic religious behavior that didn't roll down the hate train, so bravo! I really enjoyed your perspective.
i never understood opal, and just 2 minutes into this video it has already recontextualized the whole thing for me, before this i thought that family at the beginning was opals real family, and that she just got lost in some random house who thought she was their daughter, claire
Don't think I've ever clicked on a video of yours so fast😭😭
I love OPAL
It actually took me a bit to realise the singing burger family people were meant to be Opal's fantasy family because they were so creepy I thought they were abusers too
Dang! I was not expecting how dark this was gonna be
Yeah this one is more heavy but hey! It's horror, and what's scarier than our own world
@@HidinginPrivate true, our world can be a terrifying place
Dude this is so good! I always wanted a video like this about opal! I also interpreted this short to be about the nature of America Capitalism/Consumerism, but your interpretation adds that and more, and I love it! As someone who is interested in American History, I also appreciate the research and evidence you used, it really shows how passionate you are.
Your interpretation on this tragic and realistic depiction about: mental healthy, neglect, trauma, and the choices of caretakers to both have children and then mistreat those children.. only to say the fault is consumerism/capitalism, is such a niave, dumb, and irrelevant message to interpret this story as, that it makes me upset that I had to read this comment and actually consider the words you just typed.
Should children experience poverty? No. Can a child in access wealth experience abuse? Of course. The parents are in control of the economy within the house, external consumerism and capitalism has nothing to do with child neglect (correlation does not equal causation).
its been a while since i heard Jack staubers name, loved this songs and animations
I love Jack Stauber!
I like this video, the analysis is great, and the little historical lesson was engrossing. The only problem I have, though, is that this video feels deeply nihilistic. I understand, of course, that this world is fucked, and you’re analyzing a tragedy, but nihilism is intellectual rubbish, that I hate to find myself agreeing with
The video may make you feel nihilistic, but don't confuse that with the video's message. It's bringing attention to the real horror we live with but the response to this information is the important part. Does hearing this make you give up and let it happen? That's nihilism. I don't think we should give up though. We should fight to have people understand these social causes better so we can defend against them and make life better. The "horror" is what happens if we don't. My perspective is very much not the nihilistic one. Hope that clarifies
I think that the father's song line "gotta be seen by someone out there" isn't a line about how he wants to be seen, but rather after being disfigured he now sees going out of his mirror chamber dooms him to being seen by someone out there, I think he is deathly scared of being seen in the way he is, and he fell into complete narcassism trying to look perfect before he feels he can go out - a clearly unachievable goal.
Already loved Opal, but the added context makes me appreciate it even more. Would love to see more works that have this kind of modern, rural-American gothic feel. Amazing work on this video!!
I reaaaallly loved this video opal is a true horror story that depicts the fear of living in this declining society we have and i will watch it after watching this
Reminds me of spending hours a day escaping to fandom crap because what else are you going to do
you know its bad when i learned more abt racial discrimination in the us from this video than i ever did from school
i'm obsessed with the mess that's america
I like getting things delivered and having good internet
I really love learning the social context behind art. Your perspective is something I hadn’t even considered, and adds even more depth than I had originally seen. I started watching your videos on SU, and I’m definitely gonna keep watching your other stuff cause I really enjoy your analysis
Glad I live in a small town and still have walkable places and hometown stores with a community where everyone knows each other
Wow i see why your focusing so much on this channel youve gotten so much much more viewers on average
Never considered the links to America before (I'm from the UK) so it's super interesting to see it explored! I love OPAL so much, it's so packed for something so small. Thank you for the video! You've got a new subscriber
Definitely an interesting reading to suggest that Opal/Claire is susceptible to the same issues that plague her family(escapism)
Something about the video told me you had/were experiencing some of that american isolation yourself.
we see you opal
America is such an awful country
Most countries are we're just the most profitable in our awfulness
Guys i actually found a restaurant named opal i will go insane if they sell burgers
Just when I was thinking about Opal again for the 50 millionth time my favorite Steven Universe defender and Persona 4 professor has read my mind to create a lovely video on the topic ☺️
9:19 he says it=.
Capitallism is worthless.
I love your videos, especially the deep dive into persona 4s social links and how they tie into their arcana. I wish there were more like you cuz i love deep dives like that
Gosh this video was bleak
I honestly kept struggling and rolling around on what to say in response to this topic due to finally making sense out of opal and how much I related and had to say on this topic
I'm only drawing blanks as a testament to how well you covered it. One of the best and most memorable videos from you
It makes me feel a little ashamed that all I have to say now is to just ask what's the pIano song playing at around 21 mins?
It's used as an outro for most of your videos and I swear it's persona related but keep forgetting to ask.
Sorry, didn't mean to bum you out. It is a dark topic, but for me atleast these realities are what scare me most. Here's the song! ua-cam.com/video/W36HYR84i10/v-deo.htmlsi=AIufV6BbutnplCiT
@@HidinginPrivate don't be, it's fair to take breaks and consume at what our limits can allow. but ultimately, when it comes to topics like these, there is no "nice way" to say it, to try absolves these topics of the gravity and weight that they hold. If you want to reach someone you have to say it clearly. not in a "tough love" or "brutal honesty" way that some jerks use as a justification of their failures to educate or communicate without tipping into rudeness.
just a simple "serious topics demand serious tone, and you have to be straight forward and upfront about that if you hope to reach someone" You did it professionally and with an assertiveness rooted in passion and kindness rather than smarm or some sort of immaturity, real ones will get that.
trying to hide, sugarcoat or spoonfeed serious topics about this trivializes and invalidates everything you set out to by making it seem less than it is. It's on the level of using fantasy racism as an allegory for actual real life racism levels of tone deaf. Doing so is at odds with itself, so there's no need to apologize to mix passion with professionalism when it comes to topics like these.
also godammit, i;ve been looking through the persona 4 soundtrack this entire time for half a year for nothing, thank you melancholy! but it's crazy what i was looking for was closer to me than i thought all along, really puts a fitting melancholoy with this video, comment and song that the journey finally ends here, despite intially starring with your mob psycho videos.
thanks, it's not a bad place for the journey to end!
God I miss Stauber.
He's great!
Wow ive never really thought about rural America like that before
So just as a general question it seems as if you state that isolationism is caused by the separation of social classes but it seems like you also believe that there is conspiracy to make poor lives worse essentially criticizing right wing politics as it relates to social equality and capitalism. This makes me wonder what do you think is a solution to the flaws of capitalism as it relates to isolationism because as i watched the video i couldn’t help but try to think of a society without highways and roads everywhere and i could only think of how inefficient that would be especially having seen the issues in Canada with trying to force people to ride bikes and such.
TLDR I’m wondering if you think there is a solution that isn’t just throwing out capitalism since it seems to be a fairly “successful” system with most issues being cultural
(I actually enjoy social sciences and am studying psyc so if anyone wants to answer this please go for it i would love to read people’s thoughts because I haven’t heard much talk about isolationism as it relates to politics much)
Almost every European country doesn't have this problem. Solutions would be good public transport programs to start with. American public transport is abismal at best and non-existent at worst. Having most public amenities available without needing a car is the right step away from isolationism. The issue isn't the people are spread out, but that people, especially poorer people, have little means to consistently leave their small isolated area
Recommend reading *Habits of the Heart* and *Going Solo*, primarily the former but go for both if you can. Both are books documenting the rise of American isolationism brought about by hyper-individualism. They focus more on the middle class than the poor, but there is national level commentary in the writings. They also pose suggestions and solutions to help curb what has occurred but both come down to the fatal flaw that these solutions rely on a population raised to value themselves above others to put stock in helping people other than themselves
Y'all best pay attention to the discussion on race, the America First movement, and civil rights in this video because it's exactly what a LOT of people in the USA don't want you to learn about. Segregation was nothing compared to some of the horrors the government itself perpetuated on people.
i love jack stauber and i love hiding in private thank you
Thank you! Support is appreciated
been gone for a min, but im back now and happy times as always
I've been gone a bit too. More stuff needs to come out though!
Another song I'd recommend by Jack Stauber is Pizza Boy, which I interpret as criticizing capitalism and low paying jobs
"Chain your brain to feed the kids and wife" and "Pray to keep your folks alive" specifically are what made me tear up while listening to it
Loved this video and interpretation! This is one of my favorite pieces of media and I love seeing problem talk about it.
damn. depressing but so true
I haven’t finished this video but this is truly a work of art. Thank you.
I just recently discovered the short and I think it’s amazing. Good job on the video talking about the short!
I never heard about Greenwood! Or many of these other subjects. Wow, I had no idea.
This is awesome
Cool vid bro.🐱
Thanks Mr.Cat
this is a problem everywhere not just America tho
love the insight on america and stuff but none of that relates to the themes of opal 🥰
Jack Stauber's a hell of an artist
OPAL!!!!!! LIKE A GEMSTONE!!!!
3:30 what do you even mean whitewashing the medium of entertainment bruh
This is absolutely gold thank you so much for making this 🤘🤘
So this is why they never form Opal
very cool
Thanks!
15:39 capitallism is worthless.
(🙏🙂🧕yeeeees... yes,you fools,
keep useing the commercialls to accidentally critisize yourselves...).
11:37 omg ive just had some friends briefly mention this
i forgot i wanted to learn more abt what happened
i had only heard about it once before when i was way too young to really understand
13:25 raceism and herting people=
same thing,like europe and africa.
i talk about raceism when i type about my familly too.
=this video is a familly herting some1=same thing.
20:27 i thought i just saw something black like cotton fall from my fingers after moveing the blanket!!!!,
Theres nothing black on the blanket.
(Im tired,my family woke me up again.).
Hi Opal!
HI OPAL!
8:06 more irony why typeing this.
Capitallism is worthless.
Ad.=🖕
Its a double meaning.
20:27 SISTERS OF BATTLE!!!,ATTACK THE CUSTODIES!!!FOOOOOR THE EMPOROR!!!!(32,000.)
It's easily in the top 5 animations for me. gave me utter chills. This work can really help people understand their experiences.
23:36 irony=anti capitallists need to say commercialls to say their anti capitallist.
Oh,i did find a black line,but its not 13 black lines like i saw fall.
I dont know...
This was very knarly. I hope your pillow is cold on both sides tonight :)
17:49 i think i used the magic empath to see the real u.s.,
i was just makeing it for fun.
(the story is for how it was made.).
The face on the thumbnail looks like the silly mouth speaking thing you do with your hand lol
hell yeah
🎉💐
11:30 see,this happened to me on christmas,i litterlly had to get my room.
Then i defended myself with a 2 sticks/1 is a piller.
And my familly just messed up my room and tried to find the puffer.
(My familly has jobs,
they CHOSE not to get puffers.
It was only for power.)
NOTE=me and 1 other person has asma.
The other person has better asma.
They werent there on christmass.
Isnt being jewish worse though?...
they attack you more/worse?...
thats why i say i know what its like being a black person=does the pre stuff before now on the video describe being a black person?...
my family chooses to ignore reality.
you cant actuelly ignore it.
Even if crazy criminalls try to...
This is entirely undiscernable. I have legit no idea what you were trying to say
19:48 SOME1 ELSE IS TALKING ABOUT IT!!!!
RAPE BE WITH YOU!!!!!!🙏🙇♂️🦸♂️🧛♂️
What
14:27 cars and streets are 100% different for what ships do in the inperium of man.
This man has almost the same last name as me, I approve. Also, Among Us.
Capitallism is worthless 4:00,irony for typeing it for what hes talking about.
I'm sorry if English isn't your first language but I have no idea what any of your comments are trying to say
Another fantastic video as usual!
Thanks
Not a fan of opal but im a fan of you!!!
I LOVE JACK STAUBERR.
OOOOHHH
It's Poleit!
zoomie zoomers can't politics
Sounds like cope.
@@HidinginPrivate stay monetized king blackrock luvs u
Ag Ag
Ag Ag
your videos are pretty bad
Wtf does opal have to do with racism?
You should see!
@@HidinginPrivate maybe make the point earlier in the video, i made it 5 minutes into racism utterly confused before closing the tab
GAINED A NEW SUBSCRIBER
Thank you!