Average Jane

Average Jane Appreciates the Internet

In the past year or so, I’ve been branching out and discovering more online entertainment than ever before. For the longest time, I was not big on watching online videos, but now I subscribe to a whole bunch of YouTube channels. Also, I’ve run across some Twitter niches that are very absorbing. Want a rundown? Of course you do!

Average Jane’s 8 Favorite Online Entertainment Sources

1. Lost in Vegas - There’s no shortage of reaction videos these days, but Ryan and George are by far my favorites. They choose genres they aren’t very familiar with, like heavy metal and classic country music, and really listen to the music and lyrics. I’m a long-time metal fan, but watching their reactions to songs I’ve known for years makes me feel like I’m hearing them for the first time. 
2. Sled Dog Twitter - Particularly Blair Braverman, but also Quince Mountain and Chrissie Bodznick (and other mushers you will see retweeted along the way). Until I stumbled across the story of Grinch, I’d never thought very much about sled dog racing. Now I can recognize individual dogs when I see their photos in my Twitter stream, and I can’t wait to see the latest updates from Alaska while the teams train for the Iditarod. I’m not a big sports fan, but I know what I’ll be following on March 2nd next year.
3. Hydraulic Press Channel - Except pronounce it like “hygge” so it sounds more like, “hyoodraulic.” Lauri Vuohensilta is a young Finnish guy who owns a machine shop and likes to film what happens when he crushes things with a hydraulic press. He and his wife Anni are mostly off-camera, but their verbal reactions to how cool it looks when, say, a deck of playing cards explodes all over the shop make the fun contagious. The couple get more face time in their other channel, Beyond the Press, which documents their non-hydraulic-press-related destructive impulses. Check out the video where a crew explodes 110 pounds of dynamite in a swamp to make a pond for reindeer, which may be the most Finnish thing that has ever happened.
4. Ask a Mortician - Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who is striving to overhaul the traditional funeral industry and advocate for more consumer choice, greener options, and more open discussions about death. This channel is chock-full of interesting information about the work of being a mortician, iconic corpses in history, funeral practices of other cultures, etc., all presented in a quirky but exceptionally informative and respectful manner.
5. In the Kitchen with Kate - Millennial British siblings Kate and Alex sit at their kitchen table and try various snack foods from all over the world. I know, it doesn’t sound like much, but they’re charming and fun and their channel is a lovely brain break after a long day. I don’t think they ever rate anything below a six because they’re just too nice. 
6. Hope for Paws Animal Rescue - Eldad Hagar takes to the streets and deserts around Los Angeles and sometimes further afield, filming as he and his team members rescue abandoned animals. I’ve been watching these videos for a long time, so I made the classic, “Have we met before?” mistake one time when I happened to meet him at a BlogPaws conference several years ago. Awkward! The videos serve as a great way to bring attention to the needs of adoptable pets and fundraise for the organization and the other rescue groups that partner with them.
7. Epicurious - Cheap vs Expensive - This is my one Big Media entry here, but I have really been enjoying their videos where experts taste and evaluate foods and beverages, explaining why they believe that one is more expensive than the other. There’s a significant amount of education packed in as each person talks through the qualities of a good coffee, beer, bread, chocolate, etc. 
8. Tango the HORF - This Twitter thread just started last week, but it went viral enough that Tango the HORF now has his own Twitter account. It’s the story of a young, stupid, goofy yet beautiful horse told hilariously by its owner’s daughter. He’s not dead, he just looks that way when he’s sleeping.

What are your favorite YouTube channels and Twitter accounts to follow? Is there something great I need to know about?

Average Jane's Accent Vlog

I've been meaning to do this meme since it first popped up earlier this year (or was it last year) and I finally took a couple of minutes to record myself talking this evening.

My accent is unusual for someone who has lived in the Kansas City, Missouri area since birth. My mom's side of the family was from South Dakota (and she had some Chicago influence growing up) and my dad is the son of Swedish immigrants. I grew up on the outskirts of town, mostly around my own family, so they had much more of an impact on my pronunciation than the "locals."

Say the following words: Aunt, route, wash, oil, theatre, iron, salmon, caramel, fire, water, sure, data, ruin, crayon, toilet, New Orleans, pecan, both, again, probably, spitting image, Alabama, lawyer, coupon, mayonnaise, syrup, pajamas, caught

And answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that curls into a ball when you touch it?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?

(Note: Damn, I have smeary eye makeup and dark circles! Next time I do a video, I'm going to fix myself up a little first.)

Marketing to the Average Jane

In case you haven't seen the Target:Women videos, I feel compelled to share them with you. They're both funny, but the yogurt one is my particular favorite.

Average Jane is Amused

By cats...

And also by zombies...