Millennial Writing: Bad Dialogue, Bad Humor, and Insincerity

Critique of “Millennial Writing”

The video critiques what the narrator calls “millennial writing”: recurring habits in modern media, including constant sarcasm, pop-culture references, psychological labels, and jokes that interrupt serious moments. He argues that the label describes when and how these habits became common, rather than millennials alone. He also acknowledges that some examples come down to personal taste and that these techniques can work when used well.

The narrator says contemporary slang is fine when it suits the setting, but can feel jarring in historical or fantasy stories. He finds casual use of psychological terms such as “narcissist” especially awkward when a character’s world might not have the cultural context for them. Swearing, by contrast, changes over time: words once considered profane can become ordinary, while other terms remain taboo.

Humor and Tone

The video argues that sarcasm becomes tiring when every character uses it. The narrator contrasts this with characters such as Dante from Devil May Cry and the leads of Guardians of the Galaxy, saying snark works better when it belongs to particular characters and gives way to genuine serious moments.

He also pokes fun at the familiar “Well, that just happened” style of quip and at attempts to make randomness funny. As an example of successful absurdity, he cites King Arthur’s encounter with the Knights Who Say “Ni” in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Why These Trends Persist

The narrator suggests that creators may copy successful trends, only for those trends to feel stale by the time a project is released. He also connects insincere, joke-filled storytelling to pressure on writers to avoid saying anything that might offend audiences, employers, or investors. This is presented as his interpretation of how corporate and social pressures affect mainstream media.

He mentions a rumor that the team behind Falcon and the Winter Soldier was fired, but says he cannot verify it.

Independent Works and the Narrator’s Books

To contrast mainstream studios with independent creators, the narrator cites Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel as works he considers sincere. He also promotes his own Heroes of Jinan books, suggesting that their humor and subject matter would be difficult to adapt for Hollywood.

Review of Liara

At the end of the video, the narrator reviews Liara, a Portuguese-language 2D platformer. He jokes about the game’s uncertain setting: a panda appears, but it is unclear whether the story takes place in Brazil or China. He also calls out a scene in which the protagonist meets the panda and says, “Well, that just happened.”

The narrator finds the gameplay unremarkable and does not recommend the game.

Personality Appearing

Sam Tate is the narrator. The video also includes brief quoted clips and references to fictional characters, but no other presenter.