The Videos of Dhar Mann

I wanna talk about my new guilty pleasure- those cloying inspirational videos from Dhar Mann and the like. These things are like the social media digital versions of an EC Comic. They're full of melodrama. The antagonists in their actions are beyond reproach. And there's always a twist ending that is completely unexpected. I think it's the twist ending that keeps me watching. I'm always trying to figure those plot twists out like it's an Encyclopedia Brown mystery. Though, the horrible acting and bad dialogue might have something to do with it as well. 

I was first introduced to Dhar Mann by my Culinary I students. We were discussing good customer service and what not to do with a rude customer when several of them asked me if I had ever heard of Dhar Mann. Knowing my love of comics, I thought they were trying to waste class time by talking about an unrelated subject. But it turns out that Dhar Mann's videos actually can help teens make connections with the culinary industry.

I'm all for alternatives to traditional educational procedures in order to make a connection with my students. Thanks to them, I learned that Dhar Mann Studios's YouTube channel of shorts covers all kinds of life lessons. From rude customers to hosts being racists or ageist at the customers, I can actually show these videos in class and get some sort of reaction. As much as my students laugh at the over-the-top acting and dialogue that sounds like it's written by an undercover cops trying to buy weed from a bunch of high schoolers, my students will actually provide some well thought out feedback.

The studio that bears the name of the entrepreneur Dhar Mann isn't the only manufacturer of such videos. There's Paradigm Studios, REIDframed and something called Storytrender. There's a varying degree of quality to them. I actually think Paradigm is better. They just don't have the catalog of Dhar Mann. 

Like Dhar Mann, the videos from all these franchises all have sensational headlines like 'Karen is Rude to the Wrong Customer' and I guess you can call them all a sort of video click bait. They all seem to capture the attention of today's teens. And I have to admit that I'm guilty of giving my fair share of clicks to these vids. Especially now that I discovered that they're now available on Facebook Reels. Yet, I also can't deny the almost hypnotic effect that they have on high school students. Next year, I intend to start adding some of these to my lesson plans. 

I can use all the help I can get to capture just a few minutes of today's teens. Especially when in the classroom setting. My teaching just can't capture a Gen Zers attention like their phones can. So, it can't hurt to try... No matter how corny these mini morality plays are.

Pencilmation: The Graphite Novel (Family Comic Friday)

Ross Bollinger's Animated Youtube sensation Pencilmation is now a graphic novel! 

Pencilmation is primarily the misadventures of the stick man character Pencilmate. From dealing with flies in his soup to becoming the thumb wrestling champion of the world, weird and wacky things always happen to Pencilmate. There are dozens of short stories; a few of which star the female protagonist of Pencilmation, Pencilmiss. Watch as she stars in a zany parody of the Cinderella story and marvel in her secret identity as Super Pencilmiss! Other beloved characters of the web series such as Tall Guy, Granny and the Red Box Guy make appearances in this hilarious book.

I read that Ross Bollinger got his inspiration for Pencilmation thanks to a Daffy Duck cartoon. However, I really felt like I was in the middle of the Ren & Stimpy universe with this book. The gags are often surreal. The characters reactions are over-the-top. There's fart jokes. And in-between every couple of stories, there are fake ads, just like on Ren & Stimpy. At one point, I was singing 'Everyone wants a Log!'... Google it, kids!

Anyway, I was a huge fan of this book. And now that I know that there's literally dozens of Pencilmation episodes on Youtube, I'm gonna have some laughs. 

Now, yes, I am trying to persuade parents and guardians to help use comics and graphic novels as a reading aid in my reviews. Some of you are probably thinking that I'm supporting cartoons over reading. Just the opposite. I found out about Pencilmation the graphic novel before the web toon. I'm assuming most kids know about the cartoons but didn't know about the book. BOOKS! There's currently a Pencilmation sticker book and a joke book on the market right now. This Halloween, a pair of chapter books will available. Thus, if the young reader in you life is a fan of Pencilmation's animated antics, then show them the books based on those lively characters and get those young ones reading!

The fart jokes and other elements of potty humor is probably the only down side to this book. I remember when I was younger, parents and politicians freaked out over the content of Ren & Stimpy. I even think Nickelodeon went so far as to having to ban an episode or two. With The Graphite Novel, I don't see anything that went too far. Gross humor is a part of growing up. This book is recommended for ages 8-12. But if you as the responsible grown-up think that your young reader needs a couple more years under the belt before introducing them to Pencilmation, that's a-okay. Just understand that other parents and guardians out there might have no qualms with the humor elements of this book and that's okay too!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The 18 Days of a Star Wars Christmas Miracle +7: Day 1

   I start this Star Wars Advent with a tribute to the one that started it all: The Star Wars Holiday Special. After this what can only be described as a toy train wreck aired only once on CBS in 1978, the possibilities of Star Wars Christmas related stuff took off like a spaceship. There's been Star Wars Christmas wrap, music, ornaments, and much, much more. But in the beginning, the hopes of a Star Wars Christmas began with this 2-hour special which included Princess Leia singing something similar to Silver Bells, Bea Arthur as the owner of the Mos Eisley Cantina, Jefferson Starship doing LSD apparently, Diahann Carroll dancing around nearly naked like one of Jabba's slave girls, and the comedy stylings of Harvey Korman.
   
   There was one bright spot to this pile of bantha poo-doo: a 7-minute long cartoon called 'The Faithful Wookiee (sic).' It wasn't much, but it was the only time we got to see Luke, Han, Chewie, and Leia in animated form. Even better- it introduced the greatest bounty hunter of them all- BOBA FETT!

    The Holiday Special is something that George Lucas actually hates. In fact, he never renewed the trademark on this. Thus, the only way to find it is either as a bootleg or on Youtube. Why, even Disney doesn't own the rights to it! And to this day, Lucas vows that he'll smash every single copy in existence if it's the last thing he'll ever do.

 Below is a link to the special in its entirety- thus proving that no matter how many DVD copies Lucas might destroy, the legend of the Star Wars Holiday Special will forever live on...

May the Force Be With, If you Dare...