Separating fantasy from reality on YouTube

Lately I have discovered the YouTube channel, "Mother the Mountain Farm." The premise is a good one: permaculture life in the Australian rainforest. But of course, like all media production, these videos are edited for content and narrative, and I can't escape the impression that they have a rather dream-like quality. Lots of images of cuddling with cute animals or playing at the swimming hole, not many images of actual income-generating activity. It looks like such an idyllic life, but, knowing how narrative video works, we of course ask ourselves, what are they NOT showing us?

Of course, if a YouTube channel is popular, then making videos can, itself, be an income-generating activity. These two young women always remember to thank their patrons, and some of their videos contain paid product promotions. Sure enough, in one of their videos, they answer that very question:

You can almost miss it in the elaboration, but yes, they admit that they make a living off their YouTube channel.

Well, it's wonderful that they've found a means of living the dream, and that their feelings about life are expressed in such happy videos. But as a promotion of the permaculture life, it leaves some questions open, don't you think? If living a life like theirs requires a YouTube channel popular enough to earn them a living, then it isn't really scalable to permaculture as a movement. We can't all have YouTube channels; even if we did all have YouTube channels, the inherent competition of the market means that we couldn't all support ourselves off YouTube. Plus, it tends to suggest that permaculture can only be done by subsidizing it with non-permaculture ventures.

On second thought -- a lot of us subsidize our permaculture ventures with non-permaculture activities. Affiliate links from this site being just one example.

I lke the concept behind these videos, which is why I have watched several of them. I think that as far as promoting the permaculture life and values, showing happy things like this is a good way of attracting people's interest. Gotta love that duck! I also think, though, that there needs to be more of an indication of how to make a living at it besides YouTube. What if there were videos about the kinds of products we produce -- the fruits and nuts from our food forests, maybe nutmilks if we have the equipment for that, eggs from those ducks or milk from those goats? How can we balance portrayal of the dream with portrayal of the practicalities of making it happen?

I see your point, but from a marketing perspective (gotta put my degree to use) - they're not trying to appeal to people who are already in the movement and ready to put in hard work. They're appealing to people who have never heard of permiculture, who need a prospect of 'paradise' to even get them considering stepping off the beaten path, for a moment.

A dreamy, utopia-like homestead run by two individuals who breeze over the hard work and spend all day cuddling animals- that's a very effective first touch to say "Hey, check out this amazing, wonderful thing. Look how lovely it is. Look how happy these people are" - It is a simple and effective first-touch message.
Your first-touch message HAS to be simple, to reach the largest amount of people.

It's why companies have slogans: "Have it your way." "Red Robin: Yum." "Finger-Lickin' good" "Eat Fresh"
They don't even describe what kind of food they sell - only that it's food, and it's good, so come check it out. You can learn about the exact contents & the price to pay /later/.

Many people will never look beyond that dreamy first video they see, because even that sort of 'paradise' that is outside the city/suburbs  is still too much of a step for them.
But with a broad and simple message, more people are likely to pause for a moment and think 'That sounds nice' and actually shift their momentum away from everyday routines and into exploring a new option - into imagining something different.  Just like flowing water, the hardest part of changing someone's mind is to move their momentum away from the rut that they already accepted as 'the way things are and will ALWAYS BE'.

If you can, for a moment, get them to imagine that there is an actual possible life outside their current reality, and get them to /believe/ for a moment, that it's real and possible.... that's literally the hardest part of making any sale.

Getting them to buy into it, seeing the pros and cons and hard work- evaluating their worth ethic and finances - that all comes much later.
That's the realm of 'Proving' it works, which can only happen when people are already engaged enough to stop and ask questions and listen to answers. Other videos can do that - and other youtubers ARE doing that.  

But the mass majority of people living their lives will walk past 'proof' videos without a glance. Hard work and mucking around, no thanks. Benefits don't matter when the 'cons' are stacked up-front.  When you're not already invested in the end product, any extra hard work or extra cost is a turn-off.  

To get them to even consider changing their lifestyle as an option, you first need to get them to pause. To pique curiosity. To build a story and get them hoping it's real - Before that sliver of hope exists, they aren't even a 'potential customer'. They're just passerby who don't give a shit.

Dreamy videos like this, while not educational to someone who has already invested themselves into following a permiculture way of life, is extremely valuable for the movement as a whole, because it's very appealing to get many people who have never heard of permiculture or restorative agriculture, or intentional communities or sustainable water &  land management to /pause/, just for a moment, and wonder 'Can I do this, too?'

With high-value items, you put your cost at the bottom of the ad, or you don't include it at all - let them fall in love with the idea it - let them dream of having that ideal in their life. Let THEM ask for the cost , already hoping its within their means.
In our case, the 'cost'  is a LOT of physical and mental work, blood, sweat and tears, and accepting that you're going to view the entire world differently than many of your peers. It's a big ask. A very big 'cost'.

We don't want to scare them away right off the bat
--

Plus, we're not necessarily trying to make everyone /Homestead/ - we just want them to learn about permiculture, and apply it in their own life. Hopefully shift toward global sustainability.  None of that requires making 100% of your life-supporting income... or ANY of it, off of permiculture precepts. I know I don't make a dang cent off of the work I do on the land. It just brings me joy, and the satisfaction of bettering my local environment.  

Convincing people that the joy of seeing positive change is enough, without worrying about earning money off the land - that's also a big success, imo.  That's work put in, without 'profit' expected. No worry of the person saying 'Well I cant live off this, so Ill abandon it completely and go back to traditional ag.'
It's making an emotional/psychological impact - not just a profit-motive.

I find myself turned off by Youtube content that seems to be intent on manipulating me as its main purpose, with knowledge a side order.

I don't think its my place to tell anyone how to run their channel, so I just unsubscribe.

Sometimes it's just the title or thumbnail that's clickbait and there is real information content.
Mind you,watching other people work isn't necessarily any more useful to me than watching them frolic.
Teach me or I unsubscribe.

I see a lot of youtubers go from scrappy do it yourselfers to homestead un-boxers.
I unsubscribe.

There are always other options.

Jason Hernandez wrote:How can we balance portrayal of the dream with portrayal of the practicalities of making it happen?

I recently discovered this channel, too! After watching a few of the videos, I was able to take away and learn much from it. I appreciate the women's story (and storytelling ability), which inevitably mirrors many of our own. Their perspective as humble tenders of the land is noble and beautiful. The production values are great for DIY, and it's truly a fairytale property, in the rainforests of Australia.

What I think is unique about the sisters' story is that it is a second generation permaculture property. Their parents started it back in the 80s or 90s. To me, that's important to see how a property can progress in just a single generation (and how that would look and how the next generation has taken it over). And I think their transparency (about having to earn a living) is useful and that their content balances fantasy and reality quite well. It's a good lesson to those of we would-be exit-and-build-land-ers who might think getting their property started is the end of the story, when it's really just the beginning.

Sure, dressing up ducks in flower petal hats and clothing may be a bit much, but that's part of their artistic expression, and let's face it, it's damn cute, alright?!

I watch a lot of reality TV mainly because there was nothing else on TV to watch.

Toko said, "but from a marketing perspective

Like Toko mentioned it is about marketing so it is all about making money.

Real-life could be seen as dull so the producers add in the fantasy to liven the show or the YouTube video up to make it tell a story.

It is entertainment so enjoy the YouTubes for what they are worth. For what you get out of them.

William Bronson wrote: I find myself turned off by Youtube content that seems to be intent on manipulating me as its main purpose, with knowledge a side order.

I don’t even see it as manipulation.
It’s telling a story.

Stories may have messages in them, some are purely intended as mindless entertainment, and some ask the viewer to learn some skill or just hope for a better future.

“Realistic” stories can still spin a bias, and still push the viewer to think a certain way on the subject, through presentation and what facts and moments you select.

Even nonfiction accounts of real events will push the author’s own biases and angles.

So, some stories are about the quiet and cute moments. Flower crowns on baby ducks. Listening to warblers and river song on hot days under a cool shade.

Some stories are about choking on the fumes of a infected wound and weeping bitterly into your pillow because the numbers in your account just won’t add up to a treatment that will save the cow’s life.

The harsh storms and the gentle peace -
They’re both part of a more complex truth

I think they’re both necessary

I checked out Mother Mountain Farm.
All thumbnails all seem to be advertising a story I am not interested in.
I watched part of two videos, and I got a lot of frolicking and precious little knowledge.
The storytelling isn't compelling to me.
The whole thing feels like a permaculture cosplay.
Maybe there is more there there than I realize, but there are plenty of other content creators who deliver what I'm looking for without the parts I don't want.


If you're actually demonstrating technique or sharing knowledge, you message is liable to be obscured by your marketing.
For example Path of Fire is a blacksmithing channel that focuses on demonstrating technique but markets itself via sex appeal.
If I had been presented with the thumbnails first, I wouldn't have given it a chance.
Instead I followed a recommendation from another channel, so I gave it a chance.
Fortunately the actual content doesn't resemble the thumbnails, but I  don't have to like it, and I don't.


The Weedy Gardener is from a similar part of the world as the Mother Mountain Farm sisters, he tells a great story, his photography is stunning, and he has a good signal to noise ratio.
He even frolics some.
Sometimes he waxes too philosophical for me, and I skip over that.
I think his content is better that that of the sisters.

You can get rocket stove information from Banshee Moon or Green Shortz.
Both of them have a story to tell.
One of them offers considerably more information about rocket stoves.

Both Skillcult and WranglerStar are homesteading  woodsman with some decent content.
One of them has made multiple videos with clickbait titles about barrel stoves.

I think clickbait is a way to tell stories.
I also think it's manipulative and is sometimes used in lue of real content.

Ymmv.

I agree entirely with a lot of what's said here.
But I think of it like I think of anything else, TV, books, etc. I take what I want from it and move along. Two extremely educational youtube channels I follow often go in very religious directions, I skip over that and come back for the soil discussions.
Whether I stay with a channel seems to depend on whether they can move from the "unboxing" back to showing me how to do things.
But that is purely because of how I use youtube-- I want to learn. Other people want entertainment. Others want to look at cute farmy things ("cottagecore" is the word that springs to mind).

While I often look at a few youtube farm channels and think, well, my farm would also be a bit nicer if I had a staff and someone giving me a tractor, I realize that those people are making content: that is their revenue stream. They're doing well at it, good for them. Some people code part-time or have a job in town, others sell crafts online or whatever. Good for them all. If it pays their bills so they can show me more useful stuff, awesome.

It might be timely to mention Permies' content related to residual income streams: the big list https://permies.com/forums/posts/read/52364 and the forum https://permies.com/f/196/ri . [i'm not getting a commission here. lol]  

Edited to add: like everything nowadays, it's worth thinking about how the whole game works. We don't pay to watch things on Youtube because our attention is the commodity. Advertisers are paying money and giving people freebies to get my eyeballs to see those products. (the old joke: if you can't tell what's being sold, it's you.) Some people may have started doing youtube purely to share with the world, but I think most are doing it to earn money, maybe so they can afford to live on their farms. Cameras, land, and all the crap we need on the farm are not getting any cheaper. Not saying we have to accept it, but clickbait is part of the scheme, and they're fitting in, so I try to put myself in their shoes (to a certain degree). I am still super thankful, and am so glad I can get great ideas about all sorts of things through this kind of medium.