We really can’t get started on Fame Day without giving a shout-out to the youth of France, who have turned out en masse over the past couple days in protest of the forcible deportation of a Roma student who was taken from a school bus in the middle of a field trip. These students have been actively calling for the resignation of the popular anti-Roma Interior Minister, Manuel Valls, to resign, and since the beginning of the protests, French President Hollande has caved to the protest and declared that the formerly expelled Roma student will be allowed to return to school.
For all the flak I give France for their issues with bigotry and Islamophobia, I really have to tip my hat to these students. These are high schoolers coming out across the country to demand justice from their government, and lo and behold, they got responded to (in a way that didn’t exclusively involve tear gas). This took some guts and ingenuity I wish the youth in the US had- I don’t know the last time high schoolers protested independently on any issue (since the 70s, at least), and I really wish the same tradition of dissidence existed over here as it does in other countries.
But let’s move on to the star of the day:
Nate’s Vlogs.
I don’t recall exactly how I first stumbled onto Nate’s Vlogs, but ever since I first discovered his weekly YouTube videos a few months ago, I’ve been a devoted fan. Nate Fisher, the videos creator, covers a fairly wide range of topics, ranging from personal advice to movie reviews, however, his most popular feature by far is his weekly installment of his “Employee Evaluations.”
Styling himself as a company executive, Nate offers “evaluations” to various internet videos (or rather, the insane people in them). While most of the time they’re simply dry-humor observations (in fact, these are the closest thing I’ve seen to non-British British humor), most everything Nate points out is based off of some extremely common sense view of the situation.
Granted, Nate is nothing if not raw, but as someone who is working a social services job, I can’t even begin to describe how cathartic it is to see Nate eloquently and savagely take down the kind of self-absorbed and entitled people who make up the toughest part of my job. Anyone who has had to grin and bear it- retail and customer service people, I’m looking at you- is gonna be able to relate.
On a separate level, you gotta respect just what an entertaining storyteller Nate is. I mean, he’s doing nothing but talking straight into a webcam for most of his videos, but he’s still engaging enough to seize your attention and keep it. Solely from a technical standpoint, you have to give this guy credit.
And that’s really all there is to it- solidly written pieces with great delivery and a common sense standpoint. These days, just finding someone who can offer degree of consistency seems to be rarity- when that’s combined with a worthwhile message, you really have to appreciate it (though again, it’s certainly not for the easily offended).
So check ‘im out, and if you like what you see, subscribe. Nate’s got a lot (and I mean a lot) out there, and it deserves some attention.
YouTube Channel: Nates Vlogs – YouTube
Facebook Page: facebook.com/Natesvlogs
Twitter: @NatesVlogs
Updates irregularly
Culture War Reporters 
After watching the first video, which was laced with misogyny, fat jokes and other forms of crude humor, I’m at a loss for why this guy showed up for Fame Day instead of Shame Day.
Your comment was a little ambiguous- are you saying you didn’t get past the first, or it was the first video that confused you why he’s being covered?
First and foremost, I’m not sure where the “misogyny” claim fits in (though it does give me an idea for a future post- thanks for that). Nate isn’t saying that women are inherently… anything- his complaint was directed towards the obnoxious (turning physically violent) ladies who were harassing the security guard.
Secondly, would you say that fat-jokes are off limit? I’d probably contest that point- though it’d make good material for an E&G talk.
Thirdly, I don’t think crude humor doesn’t have a place- just look at Aristophanes. I aint saying this guy is on par the ancient Greek playwright, just that I don’t have an issue with him making those jokes.
Nate’s pretty raw- I’m not going to contest that, but I say give him a chance and watch some more of his videos. He’s got a pretty solid take on the social contract and some interesting takes on the way people treat each other (similar to Greg Giraldo’s talk about the homeless in my last Shame-Day), fat-jokes notwithstanding.
Sorry- just realized I had the videos mixed up. The second was supposed to be first- makes for a better introduction, I think.
Yeah, I’m kind of in agreement here. You keep saying “raw” as if that excuses this guy basically just being an asshole. I get that this is funny, in a way, but I think that it takes a very specific kind of person to appreciate such an abrasive personality. I am not that kind of person. I have no problem with profanity and crudeness when it has a place but I think this guy just does kind of mean commentary on Youtube videos. That’s all it is. And I don’t see that as Fame Day worthy when compared to the usually really stand up people you write about. Is Nate really worthy of fame, or do you just like his videos and you didn’t know who else to write about?
Granted, the guy’s not out there saving the universe, but I know that I always look forward to his videos. Hearing the “it’s not hard to be a decent, humble human being” message that society so often lacks is nice- I appreciate this guy for publicly shaming the people he does, y’know?
Dear Gordon: Please play and share your thoughts on Democracy 3. I’d like to see it in a fame day OR a shame day depending on your thoughts. I’m asking you, specifically, since you are more politically-driven than your fellow Reporters, but I would love to hear from two of you or all three of you. I would really enjoy reading a post by you describing your steps toward making the USA (or any other country of your choosing) into your ideal political structure (or as close to it as you can get).
I will love you forever. I don’t know if you wanted my love, but you would have it. If you would rather see a lengthy video detailing what the game is before considering a purchase, TotalBiscuit has a decent first impression: http://youtu.be/oRS5p60yX_E
I’ve actually played Democracy 2, and just replayed the demo version this past month. I’d be happy to take a look at the latest incarnation of the game.
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