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Arts & entertainment (other): videos Hacker News recommends
Other arts and entertainment: miscellaneous entertainment clips, commercials and ad history, talk shows, variety acts, vlogs. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (29 videos, 23 comedy videos, 4 interviews), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- Stand-up & sketch comedy 244
- Satire & parody 362
- Music performance & songs 239
- Music theory, synthesis & production 103
- Film & TV clips 310
- Film analysis & criticism 39
- Documentaries & storytelling 202
- Literature & writing craft 43
- Visual arts, photography & architecture 42
- Sports & athletics 38
- Magic, puzzles & curiosities 34
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2009–2014K KING OF NEW YORK HACKS · demoHN treats him as a master class in salesmanship and live presentation, where how you sell matters more than what you sell.
- 5 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2022O Oscars · talkHN applies it to job interviews and confidence, recommending the mindset of not interviewing from a place of desperation.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2012–2022HN recommends it in hair-loss threads as a funny, inspiring example of accepting baldness.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2025L lorirocks777 · videoRecommended as relaxing slow-TV, a long scenic video to unwind with.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026A Alamo Drafthouse · comedy videoIt is cited as a viral example of Alamo enforcing its no-talking and no-texting rules with humor.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023N NardwuarServiette · interviewHN holds it up as a model of interview preparation, where thorough research on the guest impresses the interviewee.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025P Paolo fromTOKYO · documentaryCommenters recommend it for the movers' rigor and discipline, which they find oddly satisfying to watch.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2026L lasagnacat · comedy videoHN cites it as the prime example of going absurdly deep on a tiny subject, and as a favorite among long YouTube videos.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2026Commenters bring it up in threads about life advice and aging as the best advice they have heard, namely to ignore advice and do your own thing.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026HN uses it as the go-to evidence for Toyota pickup durability, and as a benchmark in discussions of truck toughness.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2010–2016J JayMJ23 · videoHN invokes it as the classic illustration of learning through repeated failure and iterating, often in startup threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025Shared in threads about the Nurburgring and after Schmitz's death as a charming showcase of her skill.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2025K kunc · commentaryHN commenters recommend it as one of the best short clips on YouTube for illustrating Balkan versus Central European identity.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023I icannotgetafreename · videoOffered as a calming, dry, familiar broadcast, fitting for a crowd that enjoys ambient and lofi radio.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2023T Toao.net · comedy videoHN mentions it as an example of Lenny, the telemarketer time-waster, and of how a canned script can fool callers for a long time.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025T thecupertinoads · videoCited in iMac G4 threads as a charming ad reminiscent of Pixar's Luxo Jr.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2025J Josh Darnit · demoHN uses it to teach kids computational thinking and as a joke whenever specs, requirements, or LLM prompts are taken too literally.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2013I internetexplorer · comedy videoCited in threads about IE's reputation as an example of Microsoft's self-aware, funny advertising.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2026T teraera08 · explainerRemembered fondly as a fun, memorable animated explanation of how perpendicular disk storage works.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026D Dumb Ways to Die · music videoHN mentions it mostly as a joke or a pop-culture reference, and as the campaign that titles play on.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026S Sesame Street · music videoHN mentions it as a fondly remembered classic of children's educational television.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2024HN cites it as a demonstration of how easily bikes get stolen in public.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2024T The Obama White House · videoHN commenters cite it as the origin point of Hamilton, the clip that first showed the idea and drew a big audience reaction.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2024W WebRidesTV · videoCited as an ad worth enjoying and as an example of practical effects so good they were mistaken for CGI.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025HN cites it as a model of emotional product storytelling and as inspiration for visualizing one's own search history as a narrative.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025O Old Spice · comedy videoUsed as an example of a viral ad that worked through humor and clever in-camera production.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2025Mentioned in Tom Lehrer threads as a charming example of Lehrer's song reaching a new audience.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–20258 8O8X · music videoHN commenters drop it into arguments about taste to say that differing preferences are legitimate.
- cited 8× 0 months 2017–2023R Robert Cole (RobertKCole) · videoCited as the standard example of a hugely effective emotional ad that sold a brand image rather than product details.
- cited 5× 0 months 2009–2020D Duker91 · videoHN cites it as an infamous example of terrible advertising, though a few mention how big a splash it made in 2009.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2019M Mazhar Mohad · videoCited as a reference for how Apple's early iPhone advertising was product-focused and used usage walkthroughs.
- cited 4× 0 months 2023–2026T The Grand Tour · comedy videoPosted as a joke or 'reminds me of this' reply, not as a recommendation.
- cited 4× 0 months 2024–2026R Retro Recipes x Commodore · videoNot recommended as a watch; HN cites the ad as shorthand for orderly conformity and as an example of an ad that has aged badly.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2020Mostly mentioned as a joke or as an example of using humor to turn a problem into publicity.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2021S surfrdr · videoUsed as a cultural reference in discussions of children running errands alone and of Sesame Street.
- cited 3× 0 months 2010–2024A AFallGuy4u · videoHN mentions it mainly as the origin of the phrase about rebuilding a plane mid-flight, usually applied to software projects.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2020S Slapnuts McGurk · comedy videoHN uses it purely as a joke reply about being out of touch with changing trends.
- cited 4× 0 months 2014–2021I IKEA Singapore · comedy videoHN brings it up as a favorite Apple parody, mostly as a joke when books or Apple design come up.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2023N nikzarea · videoCited as an example of Apple selling feelings and status rather than specs.
- cited 13× 0 months 2008–2017S Sean Collier · videoHN mostly uses it as a cultural reference, either as a favorite tech ad or as irony when criticizing Apple's later restrictiveness.
- cited 4× 0 months 2016–2023A antisubliminal · videoCited ironically or as a joke when Apple is accused of becoming the controlling Big Brother it once mocked.
- cited 4× 0 months 2022–2026A Anthony Kalamut (Southside AdGuy) · commentaryCited as a prescient example of predicting the future, though AT&T did not deliver it.
- cited 3× 0 months 2010–2019D daninnj · videoHN brings it up as an eerily prescient ad that foresaw on-demand streaming years before YouTube or Netflix.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2022J Jiro Su · comedy videoUsed purely as a joke when a thread involves beef, the name Beef, or a lack of substance.
- cited 20× 0 months 2016–2025M Mac History · videoHN mostly references it as a cultural touchstone, either praised as one of the most powerful ads ever or used ironically to criticize Apple's later behavior.
- cited 5× 0 months 2022–2025H Hambo B · comedy videoCited, often ironically, in macOS security threads as Apple's mockery of permission prompts that macOS later adopted itself.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2024T ticklemeozmo · comedy videoQuoted jokingly when someone's bad behavior was learned from the very people criticizing it.
- cited 6× 0 months 2018–2023S Squatty Potty · comedy videoHN mostly shares it as a joke and as an example of surprisingly good marketing.
- cited 5× 0 months 2019–2024T TheEllenShow · comedy videoLinked to show that a billionaire's price guesses are reasonable, usually in threads about out-of-touch wealthy people.
- cited 5× 0 months 2012–2025C cheedogg · videoUsed as the classic example of how easily humans anthropomorphize objects, brought up in AI and advertising threads.
- cited 5× 0 months 2014–2025K KyleLC · comedy videoUsed purely as a joke or meme reference whenever a thread mentions heads, or repetitive ads.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2023G graphicsfx · videoHN cites it as a historical example of corporations using doctors and misleading advertising, drawing analogies to modern industries.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022–2025J Jan Brehm · videoCited as a famous 90s Excel ad and as a benchmark for how clear a product ad can be.
- cited 3× 0 months 2024–2026M mobilzzone · videoCited as a clever precedent whenever export controls on powerful computing hardware or AI models are discussed.
- cited 6× 0 months 2020–2026C Car Keys UK · videoHN cites it as an example of fear-based public safety messaging that sticks in memory.
- cited 3× 0 months 2014–2021Mostly referenced as a funny aside when space shuttle or small cars come up.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2021J jessieawebb · comedy videoShared as a darkly funny moment of televised schadenfreude in threads about early audio formats and cylinder archives.
- cited 4× 0 months 2014–2020G gmc74 · comedy videoCited as a joke or mild criticism of institutional safety culture at Los Alamos.
- cited 4× 0 months 2022–2023L Letterman · interviewHN cites it as a classic example of public skepticism toward a new technology that later proved transformative.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2025S SuperBowlSammy · videoMostly cited as a recognizable example of antidepressant advertising in debates about pharmaceutical marketing and the serotonin theory.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2016D Dromlarid · comedy videoHN commenters reference it, sometimes jokingly, in flying-car threads as an ironic sign that culture had written off the idea.
- cited 4× 0 months 2019–2023G Greg Nielsen · videoHN uses it as a nostalgic example of the promised any-media-on-demand future that never fully arrived.
- cited 14× 0 months 2015–2025N Nenor · videoCited critically as an example of US advertising that glorifies overwork and lack of holiday time.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022–2026F First We Feast · interviewCited as the source for Damon's explanation that the DVD market's collapse killed mid-budget movies, in threads on Hollywood economics.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2022D Delegator · videoMostly invoked ironically, to contrast Apple's anti-Big-Brother image in 1984 with its present-day behavior.
- cited 4× 0 months 2021–2025T TV Commercials Yup · videoCited as a concise example of Apple and the wider tech industry framing devices as anything but a personal computer.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2024T THE AD FACTORY · videoBrought up ironically in threads about Google deleting inactive accounts and tightening storage policies, as a reminder that Google once encouraged this kind of long-term use.
Questions
What is the most recommended arts & entertainment (other) video on Hacker News?
Joe Ades , Greatest Salesman in New York City History !!! #KONYH !! by KING OF NEW YORK HACKS: HN treats him as a master class in salesmanship and live presentation, where how you sell matters more than what you sell.
How is this arts & entertainment (other) list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.