The 10 Most Niche YouTube Video Essays You Should Definitely Watch
YouTube’s algorithm is designed to keep your eyes on video after video (after video, after video…). The dangers of this rabbit hole are well documented . However, for every ideological radicalization YouTube provides, I like to think that there is at least one innocent newfound pop culture obsession discovered at 3am with the greatest medium of our time: the video essay.
The video essay genre on YouTube is more interesting than it seems. Of course, any piece of video content that advances the central thesis can be considered a “video essay”. But there are key components of the video essay that make the genre more than just YouTube’s version of the written article. Over the past few years, the term “YouTube video essay” has come to evoke connotations of niche passion and discovery. There is intense competition for creators in this field with strong personalities trying to access extremely in-depth analysis on a wide range of topics. The “niche” factor is especially important here. Ultimately, the hallmark of a good video essay is its ability to captivate you for hours of content on a topic you never thought you’d be interested in. Scary? May be. Fun? Definitely.
Whether you’re skeptical of the power of video essays or you’re an existing fan looking for your next niche obsession, I’ve compiled some of my personal favorite YouTube video essays for you to lean in and take a look. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and it pretty much reflects what the algorithm thinks (knows) that I personally want to observe.
Other factors that influenced my selection process: Video essays had to have a strong, unexpected thesis—something other than the author saying “ this is good ” or “ this is bad.” These videos also stood out to me because of their sheer amount of detailed, compelling evidence, as well as the dedication on behalf of YouTubers who chose to share hours of research on these topics with us.
And yes, I’ve watched every hour of the content posted here. I’m professional.