“Simongamer987” is the YouTube channel of Simon Morris, a British teenager who is the self-proclaimed “most advanced gamer in the world.” On his YouTube channel, Morris offers valuable advice on many topics ranging from business to Parkour to romance.
In his videos, Morris has an outlandish and abstract sense of humor. In one of my favorite videos of his, “top 5 game that make me HUNGRY,” Morris wears a hairnet and paces through an overgrown field as he goes through his list of games that make him hungry. The list includes “The Incredibles” video game, several Japanese games and the movie “Kung Fu Hustle.” Morris’ rationales for putting games on his list (one of which is not a game) are about as nonsensical as his hairnet attire–—every time Morris picks up a Japanese game he offhandedly proclaims he hasn’t played it, nor does he know its name.
Morris’ videos are characterized by this kind of sprawling, haphazard and associative style of comedy. It’s a similar type of expression to that found on memes from “weird Facebook.” While I’m not trying to suggest that Morris is a meme, I would say that Morris’ videos reek of dankness in the way that very dank memes do.
A crucial part of Morris’ videos is his dynamic with his camera-man and friend, Tim Brand. While Morris’ head is in outer space, Brand acts as the counterbalance with his blunt interruptions to Morris’ ramblings. For example, there’s the time when Morris advises his fans not to “let mom tell you you don’t got good business,” to which Grand just responds, “what the fuck you going on about man?” Grand’s commentary reminds me a little bit of Howard Stern’s style of interviewing some of the wackier guests on his show. With his abrasive demeanor and excellent videography, Brand is an essential part of the Simongamer987 videos.
In an age where anyone with a YouTube channel can become an internet celebrity, Morris is an exemplar. This is because Morris’ videos go beyond being about nothing—they make negative sense, and Morris celebrates that. His witty ramblings on how to get girls or do cool Parkour tricks twist and turn like some grotesque recursion from the fifth dimension, taking viewers on a ride that might be uncomfortable at first, but is ultimately rewarding. Without a doubt, Morris’ perspective is a unique and exciting one.
Howard is a member of the class of 2017.
