Money game 1. . "...Turns a Saint into a Sinner, a Child into a Killer, his finger on the trigger of a money game...." Jimmy. . Also in Money Game 1(imo) Ren represented "those in control" (protected by the poncho from "the rain") . Romaine (the guitarist) was "us", the population, literally playing along, not seeing, obeying instructions, but when the population gains sight, those in control lose their protection (poncho removed) and have a choice to try and burn us, or the system, "the storm" is revolution (as I think you suggested?) . (MG 2 "....oh what a shame it would be, I would cry... If number 10 Downing Street burned in a fire"...) . Jimmy lost his protection (wealth and power meant nothing) His storm arrived, he pulled the trigger.
Hello! Always love your analysis, especially when you deep dive into a Ren (and Samuel and team) production. 40 minutes isn't long at all for those of us invested in gaining even deeper insight into how Ren's mind works. I've watched Ren video breakdowns that are longer than 90 minutes. Your presentations are always very captivating for me. I completely understand and agree with your take on schools and how children are taught. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and initial impressions. 💖🙋♀️
Firstly, I hope that you are feeling better Stuart. And secondly, there are really two things never EVER needs to be apologized for: 1, Meaningful commentary and analysis and 2, The time that it takes. ❤️, Renegade
Money Game Part 3 won Best Music Video, at the International Music Video Awards in January 2024. Ren and Samuel Perry-Falvey jointly won Best Director of a Music Video, and they both won an Honourable Mention for Best Cinematography.
Here's my take; along with factual statements made by Ren & others, on the messaging & performative aspects of Money Game Parts 1,2 & 3. ✌❤ Part 1: is in the similar format of Ren's The Tale of Jenny & Screech trilogy & Hi Ren, which are live performance pieces (& yes 1 & 3 were live recordings & The Pin he's wearing is a "lavalier microphone" "I'm also referencing the BTS video for pt.3") both are shot in 1 take; although pt. 3 was divided into two 1 takes & contains a hidden cut just before the string quartet is reveled.🤯 Ren has commented that part 1 was his first attempt at this style of video production & it took them over 140 takes to get the shot right, allowing them too finally nail the choreography & music. In essence, Ren is introducing everyone to the hypocrisy of the west & the seeds that have been sown around the world that created this money game & how we all live blind to it with our own metaphorical money bag tied around our heads. This will lead to society's ultimate demise. The ending of pt.1 symbolizes 2 things 1st his lyric in the beginning "As the world turns, the whole world burns. 2nd, He burns himself in effigy; like a protesting Monk did a few years ago, because he's just as guilty as the Bagman he was taunting & torturing. 💰🤑 Part 2: is the studio recording were Ren & his videographer Samuel Perry-Falvey have created a artistic lyric video to assist in the messaging/storytelling. Pt.2 shows the money game through a narrower lens, highlighting corporate greed & government corruption & its effects on our present day society.🔥🔥 Part 3: Is Ren's magnum opus, once again returning to his one shot live performance format, with Samuel Perry-Falvey behind the lens once again, but this time on a much grander scale then anything they've attempted to date. Ren has even stated that this video, both in scale & technicality, was his most ambitious project yet. Ren wraps up this trilogy by telling us the life story of a single fictional character named "Jimmy" who was raised from birth in this money game mentality & therefore Ren tightens the focus even more on the MG . Instead of just singing the hook from parts 1'&"2 "Point the mirror at ourselves, we're all part of this old money game" he chooses to show us how we live & blindly succumb too the MG through Jimmy's life & everyone around him, who BTW have their own money bags tied around there heads. 🤯🤯 Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber shared Money Game 3 on his Instagram and said Ren is one of the best storytellers he has seen in a very long time. Film maker Jonathan Hiller was blown away by the story, as well as the cinematography & choreography. By the end of the video Jonathan say's " this is the genius of Ren, by the end of the video his art transcends into almost a spiritual realm. Ren's use of negative space is captivating & MG3 was an utterly transformative experience". Cheers mate.🍻
yeyyyh, you are one of the few reactors who realized the rain is connected to the refrain of MG1 and MG2. Ren said in an interview that this artistic move made him extra-proud. Always enjoy your Ren reactions - 40 min????? felt like a minute....
I'll be the first (?) to note that there's only 1 cut in this performance.... As the camera pans behind the wheelchair (black frame. Necessary to remove the lapal mic and position the Quartet for the final scene. . Note the deducation of the lady on out left, getting soaked to an "equipment malfunction" but not moving because it had to be one take (Ren only had one suit!)
Rain, rein. I have not made that connection. Nice. Always have enjoyed your Ren reactions. You are so soft spoken. I bet you are an excellent therapist. ❤
I watch as many of your Ren reactions as I can because I believe you have an excellent understanding of the message Ren tries to impart in his music. Thanks again for an excellent reaction to what I agree is a masterpiece of performance art. This is so much more than just a song.
I loved this reaction. I don't comment much but seeing the emotional side to this song, more than the message or the camera impacts, was super impactful in itself. And I did understand alot of the side notes here (not as a psych student) but as a mom of an autistic child. For example, I've had to learn on my own this concept of reinforcements and punishments and pos vs neg. The one I chose has to really depend on my childs mood. Everyone loves pos reinforcement but it isn't guaranteed to breach a bargain or soothe him, so for example if he's over stimmed then I have to choose to pos punish by removing him or a thing to calm him down. Adding anything at that moment is a mute point. So as a last thought though I wanted to share, If he's hurt himself, or someone else I have to make him realize that he's done something bad. So he cannot feel good about it in anyway or he'll do it again. I almost have to teach him empathy along with it. "You cannot throw your car at your sister. Look at her, she's got a booboo on her nose." And he will try to run n hide once he's sees the emotions of everyone. I have to convince him that were not going to be angry, and to be honest, I still don't think he has yet to realize that he is the one who does the action everyone is upset over. He just realizes in this example that he knows booboo's hurt and we Should be sorry and give kisses. But that doesn't mean that sissy is all better. In these moments, it's a delicate dance, especially with the exaggerated aversion to even thinking of a negative punishment. It is absolutely detrimental to him as he lacks any kind of understanding. It's kind of like in "of mice and men" with the kitten (i meant mouse 🐁 lol haven't read it since like 7th grade🤗 but it left an impression none the less) it's real life moments... I have to find a way to 'not' reinforce the behavior and teach him it doesn't feel good, that what was done was wrong, while not negatively punishing them and redirecting the outburst to begin with. So yeah, thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and compassionate parenting. I say this as the 76-year-old autistic dad of a 38-year-old autistic adult. Well done, and carry on 🙂❤️
One reactor I also watched took note that after Jimmy is sitting in the wheelchair with the strings behind him the camera moves behind REN and we get a view of REN’s point of view and he was actually looking back on his life…the different ages/stages of his life while he’s gaining perspective. I thought you’d enjoy that interpretation.
I swore I wasn't going to subscribe to any more YT channels, and then I found this! I think this is the best reaction I have seen for Ren Money Game. Thanks for being a calm voice amongst the din.
I've been looking forward to your reaction to Money Game 3; thanks for this reaction! You mentioned a couple of call backs Ren made to Money Game 1 and 2, very nice. The music played by the string quartet was also a call back. It's music from those songs re-arranged for the strings. Thanks again.
I know it took me a minute to get to this but I so appreciate your analyses and added thoughts. As a trauma specialist I have so much gratitude for your added focus on trauma as well. (Also, the 'such a damn shame' line kills me every time - esp with the face. That direct callback to Screech and Jenny and the leader who casually gave an apathetic "what a shame" to their passing and circumstance (based on a real man). Just....ugh. Chilling. Anyways! Thankyou for you!
There so many limits we place on ourselves but as communities and individuals we can make the difference we want in the world. We lose that belief I think sometimes
With kids in school myself, I'm grateful for artists like Ren who bring these messages that are digestible in these formative years. Will the kids "get it" immediately? Unlikely. But I like to think that with these words already in mind, then as things come up through their schooling and life something in the back of their mind will 'ding' and they'll keep their values aligned. Do we live in a capitalistic system where you can't do much without a decent flow of money into your own bank account? Sure. Do we need to clamber over each other to "earn" it all and spend, spend, spend? Now, that's an image I don't like. It's nice to have nice things. It's even better to live in a world with people who value producing quality food, not making the world super uncomfortable to survive in, and generally looking out for each other. It feels like many are growing tired of the system we've built for ourselves and more are waking up to that fact: we built it. We *can* change it. Artists like Ren help me have hope in humanity's future.
I was waiting for more of your reactions to Ren !! I am a big music and psychology nerd so this combo is amazing ! And I love the way you analyze it and how your word are always kind ! Thank you for this new Ren reaction ! Hello from France ! 😁
Hello from England! Definitely more Ren on the way, got the whole new album to do yet and a lot of his older stuff too. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for the kind words.
This one is sooooo amazing as far as it being live, the camera work and just the little details as well as the amazing strings. Check out his latest 'fred again mashup', its great as well in more of a creative singer, soulful way.
I think the Dad died BEFORE ever actually giving final "congratulations you made it son, you are good enough now". With no more ability to get validation from his father, his life path fell apart.
I like to think that Jimmy's father was like my father was for most of my life... driven almost purely by fear, by the "wolf at the door". I actually _don't_ envision the message Jimmy was given as mere samples, representations of a more consistent message. There are a lot of _good_ aspects to how they raised him, supporting him, nurturing his interests, his intellect... Rather, I imagine the father as a worker, blue-collar or more likely white-collar. Those pivotal moments every few years, rather than a consistent message with occasional samples in the song, I imagine as Jimmy's father coming home after a particularly soul-crushing day at work, and he just goes a _little_ too far, hoping to propel Jimmy to greater heights, to keep him from having to experience the grind and the slog that he's had to go through his whole life. At the same time, for that kind of self-made man who managed to build a decent life for his family (my father was the first in his lineage ever to go to college, so I may be projecting here), having a son surpass him by such a vast degree, at least in terms of money and power, which society overvalues as indicators of success and worthiness... well, that can't help but inspire a deeply embittered sort of jealousy, which I imagine turning him increasingly bitter and resentful as he got older. I imagine "While you're sitting in that palace, that don't mean that you've won" to be the last time his father genuinely attempted to give him well-meaning advice. "The wolf is always at the door," my own father has said to me many times, the implication (sometimes made explicit) being that no matter how far you go, the world stands ready to take it all away in an instant, but again, he'd probably maybe just been laid off or something, so he went too far. In my head-canon, the father sort of gives up on his own life, living vicariously through his son, and on his son's dime, which only increases his embitterment, and by the end he's sort of sniping him as a resentful old man, a shadow of who he once was, trying to give his son the best chance he could, even if going too far at times. Maybe he's even simply developed a bad habit of curmudgeonliness, of finding the black cloud behind every silver lining. My own father is often completely cratered by his own lashings-out, falling into depression and terrible bouts of guilt and remorse, and I imagine Jimmy's father berating himself for the things he'd said. "Not even in second place? What kind of an asshole says that to his son?" In this way, though I admit I'm injecting quite a lot of my own life experiences into the story, I feel like the father becomes as dynamic a character as Jimmy himself, taking on an arc that makes him a more intricate man, well-meaning but flawed, himself a product of a world that he perceives as never having cared about him or helped him. It makes him a more sympathetic character, I think, to imagine him following a similar trajectory to his son's... not in terms of wealth or power, but in terms of starting off genuinely trying his best and then gradually falling into a darker and darker place by the end, which in turn triggers Jimmy's ultimate descent from darkness covered in a gilded facade, to darkness, whole and unrelenting and ultimately all-consuming.
Great reaction :) And I agree- the point of this one was to show how those playing the game are also victims- to show us how he got there and to even feel sorry for him even tho he made his own mess and probably hurt a lot of people, we can empathize and understand that at the core he was just after his dads aproval- and never got it. You could say his dad was perhaps even more responsible than Jimmy for how his life went.
Maybe Dad learned...while he TRIED to be honorable in his OWN quest for wealth and success (as far as he understood it) that he could only get so far (glass ceiling affect that minorities and women usually, if not often, experience) and resented that he only went so far because "the world don't give a damn about you" and is living vicariously through his son (and perhaps with good intention) pushing him to achieve a higher status and got carried away with his greed and lust for money and therefore, POWER. Ren and his co-creators leave room for interpretation. Much respect. And, GREAT reaction.
This track is effectively a psychoanalysis of A.N. Other - and perhaps the genius of Ren is that he was able to say in 9 mins and 19 seconds what it took you 40 minutes to repeat x
I really love your take on whatever Ren shoves into our faces. As a Social Worker in the Youth Care sector I can deeply relate to your approach on "heavy" topics. Keep it going, mate!
Knew it therapists are all secret super villains lolz. Wow you've been busy with the reactions so glad to see the channel growing and was glad to see you react to this one whilst I was being holed up in hospital.
Awesome reaction! I really appreaciate your perspective of behaviour, upbringing and asking questions why things happened like they did in the story. Fantastic analyze, one of the best I've seen. Also, your voice is so soothing to listen to.
Thank you sir. I enjoyed your commentary on all 3 of the money game tracks. You brought up many great points & I'd encourage everyone to listen. Much love ❤
Please react to can't help falling in love Elvis cover by Ren. It's beautiful, he sung it for grandma because she loved Elvis so much. Towards the end, you can really hear the emotion in his voice ❤❤❤
His life ( Jimmy ) was all about pleasing his Dad. His behaviour / ambition / reason for being alive had always been his Dad's approval - I love how the globe was spinning out of control, then it stopped, DEAD, when he got the news about his father's death. ( amazing artistic attention to detail ) This totally screwed all his " programming " to lock up .... then, in the calm after the storm, he reevaluated his life and realised his errors in following his father's advice. Ultimately, his father's selfishness and projection had determined his own misery. .............. oh, the bags on the heads, I believe, represent the blindness of those who worship money ( ie: money bags ) 🙏 Again, I applaud you and your choice of direction, regarding your occupation / or " life's mission " - I would trust you, implicitly, with the mental health of mine, or anyone's child. You are a totally legitimate empath. 🙏
First time I watched this video by Ren, I was struck by a kind of "sliding doors" feeling. I myself was a child like that. Learned to read and write by myself, at 3.5 years old I was reading newspaper, at at 4.5 I got my first Science books (Astronomy and general science), a passion for maths and logic, IQ 168... Had I had such parents as Jimmy's, I could have ended up right the same. 🙄 Luckily, my parents were more interested in honesty and curiosity and compassion and knowledge and sharing and stuff like this. Money never had much power over me... But it could have had... Another similarity could be that I neither had a proper childhood. The other children seemed total idiots to me, I couldn't stand them, so I spent most of my childhood with adults. But I learned to "count on myself", I learned self esteem without much need for external approval. But... What could have been of me, had I had different inputs from my parents? 🤔🙄 I ended up learning all sorts of things, working any job I had to, and finding my way in my late 30s-early 40s, becoming a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist myself. And I still remember my head teacher at the psychotherapy school... "You'll never make money. It's worth too little for you, you give it too little value". Man, was he right. Yet, I always had "enough". 🙂 And I have been "out of place" in this society and culture. 😁 "A perfect adaptation to a deeply ill society is NOT a sign of health" (Jiddhu Krishnamurti). I'm happy I've been kind of a social misfit all my life. Wouldn't change an iota. 😅 And I'm happy I'm old now. We ain't going in a direction that I could be happy with... It may change, of course, but I don't see it coming. Great analysis, I agree with pretty much everything you said. And I think there could be so much more to say... But it'd take even longer, it's not practical, not on such a media. 🙂 Thank you.
I interpreted the coping with his dad's death being resentment that he'd never measure up. He never got Dad's approval when he was alive, no matter how hard he tried, and now that his dad's gone, he'll never get that chance. He'll forever be a disappointment, regardless of anything else that happens. So he turns self-destructive, unable to really face that reality.
Generational perpetuation of violence is one of Ren's themes, see "Jenny's Tale, Screech's Tale, Violet's Tale" especially. Note also how Ren's a-cappella voice intro in this video starts out very similar to that of Violet's Tale. Like a leitmotif, eh?
I used to have abusive father. He was telling me for years that I am no one, zero, I will never achieved anything in my life. My childhood end up when I was maybe 5 years old. He’s words are still at the back of my mind, I get depression later, tried to finished with my self. When he died I lost myself. Literally don’t know how I was anymore and until now( I am almost 40) I don’t know what it means when someone says be yourself, because I don’t know who I am. Anyway, when my father died I couldn’t even cry after him and I was thinking what is wrong with me. What I am trying to say is that I feel sorry for Jimmy but also, his fathers words destroyed him and make him strong at the same time. So later he felt lost. Maybe I am wrong but this is how I feel it.
Always like your reactions but you did over analyze a little in this one you did say it best at the start ..the song is pretty clear and easy to follow ...keep them comming looking forward to them
I see the father figure as being a stand-in for society and what it's pushing us towards. Also, metaphorically: the wheelchair comes in after Jimmy has lost all of his external support (daddy/running for money and power) and now the inanimate object is his only support and he now feels the rain; he's now unprotected.
There is a lot of things here.. looking in the mirror in the beginning goes back to earlier ”money games” where he say ”point the mirror to ourself”, same with him here in 3 using drugs ( money games 2 ”posion in the veins) The rain at the end ( money game 2 ”rain rain rain”) - there is a lot more, but this video is a reflection to the others- he shows the other two rather to sing it
I find this video by REN interesting, mostly because I was diagnosed some years ago with OCPD (not OCD), and the maladaptive perfectionism that went with that was sometimes crippling. I often wonder if my father’s unpredictable and explosive temper set me on that course, as the behaviour of Jimmy’s father did to him, as my father would sometimes close in rage at me, without telling me what I had done. For myself I did get therapy for my conditions and in time learned to lessen the impact they had upon me. I am also long reconciled with my Father as his own childhood left him unable to cope with stress, which drove his behaviour, and he also learned to confront and tackle his behaviour. It made me wonder how different Jimmy’s life could be if a doctor has diagnosed him and put him on the path to changing his mindset.
I feel like he's telling us his upbringing and his life especially when he's in the wheelchair and using the name Jim as a character while he plays his father.
I feel you are right that schools are business they were there to get children ready to go to work, but i definitely agree life skill should be taught in schools
11 місяців тому
Hey Stuart! You remembered the rain, but not "blame, blame, blame, it's easier to blame" :) Another great reaction, following the play as it develops. I'm confident you'll see the bad side I saw in "Uninvited". Now, about "Money Game", part 1 & 3 are obviously great tales and performances, but I prefer part 2 for the music. As for the subject, money and power, I think we need to go a little deeper to understand the matter. Greed, like all other "sins", is closely tied to the "will to dominate, to enslave" be it conscious or not. That will is a direct derivative of the notion of property, which is the key humans have used to build their civilizations upon. When one has everything to build, one needs to accumulate to have the time to pass on the knowledge, one has to accumulate to ensure the future; and stealing the neighbor is the best way to accumulate. From the beginning until now, to civilize is not aimed at "living happily together" but at "ruling the savage world that scares us"; and that includes taking property of land, things and people. As long as humans won't REVERSE the notion of property, we'll be doomed. So I try to set an example thinking that I don't own my house but that my house owns me; because if my house disappears, i'll be in trouble, but if I disappear, the house doesn't care. So while I'm using it, I shall take care of it, so I can pass it on later. I hope you'll get my poor English. Best regards!
Oh rain rain rain rain… The first time I watched this when it premiered I was so mind blown afterwards that I struggled to come up with any coherent thoughts. All I could think was that if Netflix doesn’t give this man his own show, they are fools. Ren is an absolute master of storytelling. I have since watched plenty of reactions and a lot (unlike you luckily) seem to pass by the first words from the father without giving them much thought. Maybe because at a first glance they don’t seem all that bad? That is until you let it sink in that he is telling this to a 5 year old. A child at that age should certainly not “learn to be a man”. To me it is almost the most disturbing part of the song because it says so much about the toxic way this child is being raised. And then it’s followed by never being good enough no matter how much Jimmy tries to live up to his dad’s expectations. In the end, he is unsurprisingly a broken mess when he not only loses that guiding power telling him how to live his life but also the chance to ever gain the dad’s approval. Such a shame…
Schools should teach you how to read, write, and do math, but most importantly schools should teach you "How To Learn". If you have the ability to learn you can follow your dreams anywhere.
Yo! You are doing such well video...👍 you should be react to XXXTENTACION'S : "wingriddenangel , remedy for broken heart & Changes"..... I'm waiting for your next xxxtentacion's video plz do this for me and x fans .... Thank you 💯👍
Hoods and the noose? Did you watch Money Game Part 1? Basically, we are all in the money game. We who are beholden to the money game with little or likely NO control are those individuals with the hoods over our heads and nooses around our necks. We have no wherewithall to do anything other than rebel. In Money Game 1, the guitar player did in fact rebel, but only after the eyes were drawn on his originally blank face. Ren, in Money Game 3 is one of those individuals who is ultimately in control...or so you think. He starts out life learning the rules of the money game. Ren taking his hood off is symbolic of the boy future self.
Interesting, not many got the meaning, of the ending. Jimmy pulls the trigger, but there's only a click, not a bang. The gun didn't go off. A final wake up call, and one last chance to say, it doesn't have to end like this. BTW. The songs basically about the USA's Capitalistic system. The USA is not a country, it is run as a business, where everything is beholding to the mighty dollar, It's all about cutting costs. If an action doesn't make a profit then it's discarded.
It’s funny you mention that. My attention was drawn to that at the time as I was taking an interest in what was on the desk. I thought about maybe growing up fast and not doing ‘normal’ child things due to focus on earning money. But I didn’t mention it as it was too hard for me in that moment to formulate a coherent sentence whilst talking about whatever I was on about at that time! Personally I was never into Dandy, was always the Beano. My daughter watches Dennis the Menace, interestingly it’s just Dennis now….
When u start talking about money u always look to ur side, why is that? Oh maybe I know what ur thought is cause in this platform u part of this money game too But ofcourse other than that statement, people still look this content cause its entertain and people still search the truth of what we lost for in the first place..
Yes it's 40 mins sorry! I also recorded a Juice Wrld today so that will be out next.
Money game 1.
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"...Turns a Saint into a Sinner, a Child into a Killer, his finger on the trigger of a money game...."
Jimmy.
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Also in Money Game 1(imo)
Ren represented "those in control" (protected by the poncho from "the rain")
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Romaine (the guitarist) was "us", the population, literally playing along, not seeing, obeying instructions, but when the population gains sight, those in control lose their protection (poncho removed) and have a choice to try and burn us, or the system, "the storm" is revolution (as I think you suggested?)
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(MG 2 "....oh what a shame it would be, I would cry... If number 10 Downing Street burned in a fire"...)
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Jimmy lost his protection (wealth and power meant nothing)
His storm arrived, he pulled the trigger.
Apologising for a 40min Ren reaction? For it being too short, surely 😁 These songs deserve a decent analysis.
Hello! Always love your analysis, especially when you deep dive into a Ren (and Samuel and team) production. 40 minutes isn't long at all for those of us invested in gaining even deeper insight into how Ren's mind works. I've watched Ren video breakdowns that are longer than 90 minutes.
Your presentations are always very captivating for me.
I completely understand and agree with your take on schools and how children are taught.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and initial impressions. 💖🙋♀️
Felt like 3 minutes. There are never too long videos for Ren's art.
Firstly, I hope that you are feeling better Stuart. And secondly, there are really two things never EVER needs to be apologized for: 1, Meaningful commentary and analysis and 2, The time that it takes. ❤️, Renegade
Money Game Part 3 won Best Music Video, at the International Music Video Awards in January 2024. Ren and Samuel Perry-Falvey jointly won Best Director of a Music Video, and they both won an Honourable Mention for Best Cinematography.
That's great news. I wish I saw the awards show. Is there a link to that moment?
Same here, I'd like to see that.
36:11 I would also add; “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it’s warmth.” - African Proverb.
The best reaction and analysing of a song ever. You got everything and more. Goodness the world need more people like you.
Thanks for the supportive words Daniel!
@@Connection_through_ReactionFACTS 👏👏👏👏 Keep Em coming 👍🙏
Here's my take; along with factual statements made by Ren & others, on the messaging & performative aspects of Money Game Parts 1,2 & 3. ✌❤
Part 1: is in the similar format of Ren's The Tale of Jenny & Screech trilogy & Hi Ren, which are live performance pieces (& yes 1 & 3 were live recordings & The Pin he's wearing is a "lavalier microphone" "I'm also referencing the BTS video for pt.3") both are shot in 1 take; although pt. 3 was divided into two 1 takes & contains a hidden cut just before the string quartet is reveled.🤯 Ren has commented that part 1 was his first attempt at this style of video production & it took them over 140 takes to get the shot right, allowing them too finally nail the choreography & music. In essence, Ren is introducing everyone to the hypocrisy of the west & the seeds that have been sown around the world that created this money game & how we all live blind to it with our own metaphorical money bag tied around our heads. This will lead to society's ultimate demise. The ending of pt.1 symbolizes 2 things 1st his lyric in the beginning "As the world turns, the whole world burns. 2nd, He burns himself in effigy; like a protesting Monk did a few years ago, because he's just as guilty as the Bagman he was taunting & torturing. 💰🤑
Part 2: is the studio recording were Ren & his videographer Samuel Perry-Falvey have created a artistic lyric video to assist in the messaging/storytelling. Pt.2 shows the money game through a narrower lens, highlighting corporate greed & government corruption & its effects on our present day society.🔥🔥
Part 3: Is Ren's magnum opus, once again returning to his one shot live performance format, with Samuel Perry-Falvey behind the lens once again, but this time on a much grander scale then anything they've attempted to date. Ren has even stated that this video, both in scale & technicality, was his most ambitious project yet. Ren wraps up this trilogy by telling us the life story of a single fictional character named "Jimmy" who was raised from birth in this money game mentality & therefore Ren tightens the focus even more on the MG . Instead of just singing the hook from parts 1'&"2 "Point the mirror at ourselves, we're all part of this old money game" he chooses to show us how we live & blindly succumb too the MG through Jimmy's life & everyone around him, who BTW have their own money bags tied around there heads. 🤯🤯
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber shared Money Game 3 on his Instagram and said Ren is one of the best storytellers he has seen in a very long time. Film maker Jonathan Hiller was blown away by the story, as well as the cinematography & choreography. By the end of the video Jonathan say's " this is the genius of Ren, by the end of the video his art transcends into almost a spiritual realm. Ren's use of negative space is captivating & MG3 was an utterly transformative experience".
Cheers mate.🍻
Great comment, thanks for sharing, a lot to think about there for me and to go back and listen to them again with all this in mind.
Very nice Rob and I agree with your points.
Excellent comment that took a lot of work to compose. Respect.
Luckily for me, i can't read...so i only got to "here's" and then went for a shit..... Good effort though....
yeyyyh, you are one of the few reactors who realized the rain is connected to the refrain of MG1 and MG2. Ren said in an interview that this artistic move made him extra-proud. Always enjoy your Ren reactions - 40 min????? felt like a minute....
I'll be the first (?) to note that there's only 1 cut in this performance.... As the camera pans behind the wheelchair (black frame. Necessary to remove the lapal mic and position the Quartet for the final scene.
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Note the deducation of the lady on out left, getting soaked to an "equipment malfunction" but not moving because it had to be one take (Ren only had one suit!)
They did replace her bow for her though I believe, I have to give her mega props for staying still! 😊💜
Rain, rein. I have not made that connection. Nice. Always have enjoyed your Ren reactions. You are so soft spoken. I bet you are an excellent therapist. ❤
Even up to 3 Rain, Rein, Reign. A rain/storm coming, rein/restrain yourself, reign/conquer/rule yourself
hello carla ♥
@@allybandy3047 oh yes and reign. Hi back! 👋
I watch as many of your Ren reactions as I can because I believe you have an excellent understanding of the message Ren tries to impart in his music. Thanks again for an excellent reaction to what I agree is a masterpiece of performance art. This is so much more than just a song.
I loved this reaction. I don't comment much but seeing the emotional side to this song, more than the message or the camera impacts, was super impactful in itself.
And I did understand alot of the side notes here (not as a psych student) but as a mom of an autistic child. For example, I've had to learn on my own this concept of reinforcements and punishments and pos vs neg. The one I chose has to really depend on my childs mood. Everyone loves pos reinforcement but it isn't guaranteed to breach a bargain or soothe him, so for example if he's over stimmed then I have to choose to pos punish by removing him or a thing to calm him down. Adding anything at that moment is a mute point.
So as a last thought though I wanted to share, If he's hurt himself, or someone else I have to make him realize that he's done something bad. So he cannot feel good about it in anyway or he'll do it again. I almost have to teach him empathy along with it. "You cannot throw your car at your sister. Look at her, she's got a booboo on her nose." And he will try to run n hide once he's sees the emotions of everyone. I have to convince him that were not going to be angry, and to be honest, I still don't think he has yet to realize that he is the one who does the action everyone is upset over. He just realizes in this example that he knows booboo's hurt and we Should be sorry and give kisses. But that doesn't mean that sissy is all better. In these moments, it's a delicate dance, especially with the exaggerated aversion to even thinking of a negative punishment. It is absolutely detrimental to him as he lacks any kind of understanding. It's kind of like in "of mice and men" with the kitten (i meant mouse 🐁 lol haven't read it since like 7th grade🤗 but it left an impression none the less) it's real life moments... I have to find a way to 'not' reinforce the behavior and teach him it doesn't feel good, that what was done was wrong, while not negatively punishing them and redirecting the outburst to begin with.
So yeah, thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and compassionate parenting. I say this as the 76-year-old autistic dad of a 38-year-old autistic adult. Well done, and carry on 🙂❤️
One reactor I also watched took note that after Jimmy is sitting in the wheelchair with the strings behind him the camera moves behind REN and we get a view of REN’s point of view and he was actually looking back on his life…the different ages/stages of his life while he’s gaining perspective. I thought you’d enjoy that interpretation.
oooo I like that.....
Wow. I hadn’t thought about it that way. I think that you’re absolutely spot on with your observation. Awesome. 👌🏻🐷❤️🔥
And it looks so empty. To me that's when the word 'tragedy' popped up. It was really sad before. But that shot just punches me in the gut
Thanks for your first reaction, you have an insightful up-front view that I think is close to the mark of the artist's intention :)
I swore I wasn't going to subscribe to any more YT channels, and then I found this! I think this is the best reaction I have seen for Ren Money Game. Thanks for being a calm voice amongst the din.
I've been looking forward to your reaction to Money Game 3; thanks for this reaction! You mentioned a couple of call backs Ren made to Money Game 1 and 2, very nice. The music played by the string quartet was also a call back. It's music from those songs re-arranged for the strings. Thanks again.
I know it took me a minute to get to this but I so appreciate your analyses and added thoughts. As a trauma specialist I have so much gratitude for your added focus on trauma as well. (Also, the 'such a damn shame' line kills me every time - esp with the face. That direct callback to Screech and Jenny and the leader who casually gave an apathetic "what a shame" to their passing and circumstance (based on a real man). Just....ugh. Chilling.
Anyways! Thankyou for you!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
great reaction dude!! you now need to watch Eden which was part of the lead up to this track being released and follows on from this!
There so many limits we place on ourselves but as communities and individuals we can make the difference we want in the world. We lose that belief I think sometimes
Ren is a performer... I love every second of his art!! 😊
With kids in school myself, I'm grateful for artists like Ren who bring these messages that are digestible in these formative years. Will the kids "get it" immediately? Unlikely. But I like to think that with these words already in mind, then as things come up through their schooling and life something in the back of their mind will 'ding' and they'll keep their values aligned. Do we live in a capitalistic system where you can't do much without a decent flow of money into your own bank account? Sure. Do we need to clamber over each other to "earn" it all and spend, spend, spend? Now, that's an image I don't like. It's nice to have nice things. It's even better to live in a world with people who value producing quality food, not making the world super uncomfortable to survive in, and generally looking out for each other. It feels like many are growing tired of the system we've built for ourselves and more are waking up to that fact: we built it. We *can* change it. Artists like Ren help me have hope in humanity's future.
And perhaps in the future paths we take in our own lives 🙂
I was waiting for more of your reactions to Ren !! I am a big music and psychology nerd so this combo is amazing ! And I love the way you analyze it and how your word are always kind !
Thank you for this new Ren reaction !
Hello from France ! 😁
Hello from England! Definitely more Ren on the way, got the whole new album to do yet and a lot of his older stuff too. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for the kind words.
This one is sooooo amazing as far as it being live, the camera work and just the little details as well as the amazing strings. Check out his latest 'fred again mashup', its great as well in more of a creative singer, soulful way.
I think the Dad died BEFORE ever actually giving final "congratulations you made it son, you are good enough now".
With no more ability to get validation from his father, his life path fell apart.
Thank you for another great reaction to a true masterpiece of a short film/music video. ❤️🎶
I've been waiting for this, thanks. If you will have time, check out "Dear God" by Ren. I think you'll like it.
I like to think that Jimmy's father was like my father was for most of my life... driven almost purely by fear, by the "wolf at the door".
I actually _don't_ envision the message Jimmy was given as mere samples, representations of a more consistent message. There are a lot of _good_ aspects to how they raised him, supporting him, nurturing his interests, his intellect...
Rather, I imagine the father as a worker, blue-collar or more likely white-collar. Those pivotal moments every few years, rather than a consistent message with occasional samples in the song, I imagine as Jimmy's father coming home after a particularly soul-crushing day at work, and he just goes a _little_ too far, hoping to propel Jimmy to greater heights, to keep him from having to experience the grind and the slog that he's had to go through his whole life.
At the same time, for that kind of self-made man who managed to build a decent life for his family (my father was the first in his lineage ever to go to college, so I may be projecting here), having a son surpass him by such a vast degree, at least in terms of money and power, which society overvalues as indicators of success and worthiness... well, that can't help but inspire a deeply embittered sort of jealousy, which I imagine turning him increasingly bitter and resentful as he got older.
I imagine "While you're sitting in that palace, that don't mean that you've won" to be the last time his father genuinely attempted to give him well-meaning advice. "The wolf is always at the door," my own father has said to me many times, the implication (sometimes made explicit) being that no matter how far you go, the world stands ready to take it all away in an instant, but again, he'd probably maybe just been laid off or something, so he went too far.
In my head-canon, the father sort of gives up on his own life, living vicariously through his son, and on his son's dime, which only increases his embitterment, and by the end he's sort of sniping him as a resentful old man, a shadow of who he once was, trying to give his son the best chance he could, even if going too far at times. Maybe he's even simply developed a bad habit of curmudgeonliness, of finding the black cloud behind every silver lining. My own father is often completely cratered by his own lashings-out, falling into depression and terrible bouts of guilt and remorse, and I imagine Jimmy's father berating himself for the things he'd said. "Not even in second place? What kind of an asshole says that to his son?"
In this way, though I admit I'm injecting quite a lot of my own life experiences into the story, I feel like the father becomes as dynamic a character as Jimmy himself, taking on an arc that makes him a more intricate man, well-meaning but flawed, himself a product of a world that he perceives as never having cared about him or helped him. It makes him a more sympathetic character, I think, to imagine him following a similar trajectory to his son's... not in terms of wealth or power, but in terms of starting off genuinely trying his best and then gradually falling into a darker and darker place by the end, which in turn triggers Jimmy's ultimate descent from darkness covered in a gilded facade, to darkness, whole and unrelenting and ultimately all-consuming.
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌👍👍👍🎯🎯💥💥
Excellent job 👍👌♥️ thank you for your take on this masterpiece ✌️
I loved your reaction because of your amazing analogy.❤
Great reaction :)
And I agree- the point of this one was to show how those playing the game are also victims- to show us how he got there and to even feel sorry for him even tho he made his own mess and probably hurt a lot of people, we can empathize and understand that at the core he was just after his dads aproval- and never got it. You could say his dad was perhaps even more responsible than Jimmy for how his life went.
Maybe Dad learned...while he TRIED to be honorable in his OWN quest for wealth and success (as far as he understood it) that he could only get so far (glass ceiling affect that minorities and women usually, if not often, experience) and resented that he only went so far because "the world don't give a damn about you" and is living vicariously through his son (and perhaps with good intention) pushing him to achieve a higher status and got carried away with his greed and lust for money and therefore, POWER.
Ren and his co-creators leave room for interpretation. Much respect. And, GREAT reaction.
This track is effectively a psychoanalysis of A.N. Other - and perhaps the genius of Ren is that he was able to say in 9 mins and 19 seconds what it took you 40 minutes to repeat x
I really love your take on whatever Ren shoves into our faces. As a Social Worker in the Youth Care sector I can deeply relate to your approach on "heavy" topics.
Keep it going, mate!
Knew it therapists are all secret super villains lolz. Wow you've been busy with the reactions so glad to see the channel growing and was glad to see you react to this one whilst I was being holed up in hospital.
Brilliant reaction 👏. Really interesting, Ren is constantly surprising us with his clever writing ❤
Awesome reaction! I really appreaciate your perspective of behaviour, upbringing and asking questions why things happened like they did in the story. Fantastic analyze, one of the best I've seen. Also, your voice is so soothing to listen to.
Beautiful in depth breakdown of the psychology behind things in this video, great job my guy! 😊💜💜
Thank you sir. I enjoyed your commentary on all 3 of the money game tracks. You brought up many great points & I'd encourage everyone to listen. Much love ❤
I love hearing your thoughts on songs I love
Great breakdown, thank you.
Great reaction, thought provoking as usual 🖤
Please react to can't help falling in love Elvis cover by Ren. It's beautiful, he sung it for grandma because she loved Elvis so much. Towards the end, you can really hear the emotion in his voice ❤❤❤
His life ( Jimmy ) was all about pleasing his Dad. His behaviour / ambition / reason for being alive had always been his Dad's approval - I love how the globe was spinning out of control, then it stopped, DEAD, when he got the news about his father's death. ( amazing artistic attention to detail ) This totally screwed all his " programming " to lock up .... then, in the calm after the storm, he reevaluated his life and realised his errors in following his father's advice. Ultimately, his father's selfishness and projection had determined his own misery. .............. oh, the bags on the heads, I believe, represent the blindness of those who worship money ( ie: money bags ) 🙏 Again, I applaud you and your choice of direction, regarding your occupation / or " life's mission " - I would trust you, implicitly, with the mental health of mine, or anyone's child. You are a totally legitimate empath. 🙏
Loved this, thank you so much for sharing it.
Always look forward to your reactions and just subbed to your other channel. Keep going, your amazing
First time I watched this video by Ren, I was struck by a kind of "sliding doors" feeling. I myself was a child like that. Learned to read and write by myself, at 3.5 years old I was reading newspaper, at at 4.5 I got my first Science books (Astronomy and general science), a passion for maths and logic, IQ 168... Had I had such parents as Jimmy's, I could have ended up right the same. 🙄
Luckily, my parents were more interested in honesty and curiosity and compassion and knowledge and sharing and stuff like this. Money never had much power over me... But it could have had...
Another similarity could be that I neither had a proper childhood. The other children seemed total idiots to me, I couldn't stand them, so I spent most of my childhood with adults. But I learned to "count on myself", I learned self esteem without much need for external approval. But... What could have been of me, had I had different inputs from my parents? 🤔🙄
I ended up learning all sorts of things, working any job I had to, and finding my way in my late 30s-early 40s, becoming a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist myself. And I still remember my head teacher at the psychotherapy school... "You'll never make money. It's worth too little for you, you give it too little value". Man, was he right. Yet, I always had "enough". 🙂
And I have been "out of place" in this society and culture. 😁
"A perfect adaptation to a deeply ill society is NOT a sign of health" (Jiddhu Krishnamurti).
I'm happy I've been kind of a social misfit all my life. Wouldn't change an iota. 😅
And I'm happy I'm old now. We ain't going in a direction that I could be happy with... It may change, of course, but I don't see it coming.
Great analysis, I agree with pretty much everything you said. And I think there could be so much more to say... But it'd take even longer, it's not practical, not on such a media. 🙂
Thank you.
Well analyzed
I interpreted the coping with his dad's death being resentment that he'd never measure up. He never got Dad's approval when he was alive, no matter how hard he tried, and now that his dad's gone, he'll never get that chance. He'll forever be a disappointment, regardless of anything else that happens. So he turns self-destructive, unable to really face that reality.
Generational perpetuation of violence is one of Ren's themes, see "Jenny's Tale, Screech's Tale, Violet's Tale" especially. Note also how Ren's a-cappella voice intro in this video starts out very similar to that of Violet's Tale. Like a leitmotif, eh?
I used to have abusive father.
He was telling me for years that I am no one, zero, I will never achieved anything in my life. My childhood end up when I was maybe 5 years old. He’s words are still at the back of my mind, I get depression later, tried to finished with my self.
When he died I lost myself. Literally don’t know how I was anymore and until now( I am almost 40) I don’t know what it means when someone says be yourself, because I don’t know who I am.
Anyway, when my father died I couldn’t even cry after him and I was thinking what is wrong with me.
What I am trying to say is that I feel sorry for Jimmy but also, his fathers words destroyed him and make him strong at the same time. So later he felt lost.
Maybe I am wrong but this is how I feel it.
3:40 "The man in the mirror" metaphore never fails...
Always like your reactions but you did over analyze a little in this one you did say it best at the start ..the song is pretty clear and easy to follow ...keep them comming looking forward to them
He mentioned selling shells in Iran. Another reference to his seashells line.
I was startled by the "Charge Battery!" - we aren't using subliminals now, are we? 🙂
You gotta check out some AJR. I HIGHLY reccomend My Play
I see the father figure as being a stand-in for society and what it's pushing us towards. Also, metaphorically: the wheelchair comes in after Jimmy has lost all of his external support (daddy/running for money and power) and now the inanimate object is his only support and he now feels the rain; he's now unprotected.
There is a lot of things here.. looking in the mirror in the beginning goes back to earlier ”money games” where he say ”point the mirror to ourself”, same with him here in 3 using drugs ( money games 2 ”posion in the veins)
The rain at the end ( money game 2 ”rain rain rain”) - there is a lot more, but this video is a reflection to the others- he shows the other two rather to sing it
I find this video by REN interesting, mostly because I was diagnosed some years ago with OCPD (not OCD), and the maladaptive perfectionism that went with that was sometimes crippling.
I often wonder if my father’s unpredictable and explosive temper set me on that course, as the behaviour of Jimmy’s father did to him, as my father would sometimes close in rage at me, without telling me what I had done.
For myself I did get therapy for my conditions and in time learned to lessen the impact they had upon me. I am also long reconciled with my Father as his own childhood left him unable to cope with stress, which drove his behaviour, and he also learned to confront and tackle his behaviour.
It made me wonder how different Jimmy’s life could be if a doctor has diagnosed him and put him on the path to changing his mindset.
The gun misfires, could this be the start of a new life for Jimmy.
I feel like he's telling us his upbringing and his life especially when he's in the wheelchair and using the name Jim as a character while he plays his father.
Or maybe the dad was his reason to go on - to make things - to finally get the acceptance - which never came. And now "sorry, he's gone"...
I feel you are right that schools are business they were there to get children ready to go to work, but i definitely agree life skill should be taught in schools
Hey Stuart! You remembered the rain, but not "blame, blame, blame, it's easier to blame" :)
Another great reaction, following the play as it develops. I'm confident you'll see the bad side I saw in "Uninvited".
Now, about "Money Game", part 1 & 3 are obviously great tales and performances, but I prefer part 2 for the music.
As for the subject, money and power, I think we need to go a little deeper to understand the matter. Greed, like all other "sins", is closely tied to the "will to dominate, to enslave" be it conscious or not. That will is a direct derivative of the notion of property, which is the key humans have used to build their civilizations upon. When one has everything to build, one needs to accumulate to have the time to pass on the knowledge, one has to accumulate to ensure the future; and stealing the neighbor is the best way to accumulate. From the beginning until now, to civilize is not aimed at "living happily together" but at "ruling the savage world that scares us"; and that includes taking property of land, things and people.
As long as humans won't REVERSE the notion of property, we'll be doomed. So I try to set an example thinking that I don't own my house but that my house owns me; because if my house disappears, i'll be in trouble, but if I disappear, the house doesn't care. So while I'm using it, I shall take care of it, so I can pass it on later.
I hope you'll get my poor English. Best regards!
22:15 wouldn't the correct term be negative reinforcement? The father is taking away his approval to reinforce Jimmy's drive for money and power?
Oh rain rain rain rain…
The first time I watched this when it premiered I was so mind blown afterwards that I struggled to come up with any coherent thoughts. All I could think was that if Netflix doesn’t give this man his own show, they are fools. Ren is an absolute master of storytelling.
I have since watched plenty of reactions and a lot (unlike you luckily) seem to pass by the first words from the father without giving them much thought. Maybe because at a first glance they don’t seem all that bad? That is until you let it sink in that he is telling this to a 5 year old. A child at that age should certainly not “learn to be a man”. To me it is almost the most disturbing part of the song because it says so much about the toxic way this child is being raised. And then it’s followed by never being good enough no matter how much Jimmy tries to live up to his dad’s expectations. In the end, he is unsurprisingly a broken mess when he not only loses that guiding power telling him how to live his life but also the chance to ever gain the dad’s approval. Such a shame…
“Bubble” was my oldest son’s first word (I think lol)
i need your point of view for his song
Lost All Faith..
Schools should teach you how to read, write, and do math, but most importantly schools should teach you "How To Learn". If you have the ability to learn you can follow your dreams anywhere.
'Hi Ren' is also 9:19
Yo! You are doing such well video...👍 you should be react to XXXTENTACION'S : "wingriddenangel , remedy for broken heart & Changes"..... I'm waiting for your next xxxtentacion's video plz do this for me and x fans .... Thank you 💯👍
Greed is destroying our world.
Hoods and the noose? Did you watch Money Game Part 1? Basically, we are all in the money game. We who are beholden to the money game with little or likely NO control are those individuals with the hoods over our heads and nooses around our necks. We have no wherewithall to do anything other than rebel. In Money Game 1, the guitar player did in fact rebel, but only after the eyes were drawn on his originally blank face. Ren, in Money Game 3 is one of those individuals who is ultimately in control...or so you think. He starts out life learning the rules of the money game. Ren taking his hood off is symbolic of the boy future self.
Money bag tied up with rope like old days 💰 😉not tied in a noose,
could you react to 12 stout street by rx papi
He wrote code that compromised cybersecurity protocols. Not exactly a positive outcome.
Interesting, not many got the meaning, of the ending. Jimmy pulls the trigger, but there's only a click, not a bang. The gun didn't go off. A final wake up call, and one last chance to say, it doesn't have to end like this.
BTW. The songs basically about the USA's Capitalistic system. The USA is not a country, it is run as a business, where everything is beholding to the mighty dollar, It's all about cutting costs. If an action doesn't make a profit then it's discarded.
Oh well noticed! I didnt think about it that way but makes loads of sense. Thanks for sharing
'promo sm' 🤘
I wasn't a huge fan of this one tbh.
It ties the bow on the trilogy.
@@rogerstarkey5390 Exactly, I'm wondering if they even saw 1 and 2.
@@kellyt5341it may just need to marinate inside them for a while...
You talk way too much. Hope every video isn’t like this. It’s meant to be a reaction video not a psychological assessment of it.
He is a therapist. That’s exactly what it is “supposed” to be from this particular reactor.
.... this is his reaction. If you want a different one, make your own or watch another.
Why the Beano annual at 13.22 and not the Dandy annual is the main thing i took from this........
It’s funny you mention that. My attention was drawn to that at the time as I was taking an interest in what was on the desk. I thought about maybe growing up fast and not doing ‘normal’ child things due to focus on earning money. But I didn’t mention it as it was too hard for me in that moment to formulate a coherent sentence whilst talking about whatever I was on about at that time! Personally I was never into Dandy, was always the Beano. My daughter watches Dennis the Menace, interestingly it’s just Dennis now….
When u start talking about money u always look to ur side, why is that? Oh maybe I know what ur thought is cause in this platform u part of this money game too But ofcourse other than that statement, people still look this content cause its entertain and people still search the truth of what we lost for in the first place..