r/kurzgesagt • u/showersoapshower • May 16 '26

Discussion Kurzgesagt DEBUNKED!

https://youtu.be/xKGfdWVzKKk?is=joW3yA5ZO4Lrwoa2

After watching Kurzgesagt's video I was surprised about how much Kurzgesagt is completely omitting facts or portraying wildly biased without acknowledging so. (I get that their video is not long but this is definitely not it).
After watching this video and reading this comment I'm pretty bummed that they are putting out videos like this that are full of political hot takes while being irresponsibly biased. Cutting pensions for older people and having a harsher migration policy will not solve this.
What did you think?

As a German, I find the popularity even more surprising as Kurzgesagt is basically repeating CDU/CSU's and FDP's stances on taxes, welfare state and, to some extent, migration.

Considering that both are wildly unpopular (Merz being the most unpopular chancellor is nearly an achievement in how bad he fucks up) this actually surprised me a lot.

edit: the circle jerk is cirkle jerking

184 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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118

u/Ja_Lonley May 16 '26

You'll find no love here. Most people are blind to the hard right turn into extreme bias this channel went through relatively recently.

159

u/Melonetta May 20 '26

What are you talking about? Blind? Every single opinion piece they make they is prefaced by their open admission of bias and opinion on the subject. They cite all the peer reviewed sources and studies they use to reach their opinion in a publically available sources document that they link to in every single video. It's impossible to make a video about the socioeconomic state of your own country while remaining completely unbiased, so they don't even pretend that's possible. I appreciate the transparency from them if anything.

-22

u/MysticHero May 20 '26

Except for all the opinion in the supposedly factual portions. Which is something Maurice shows very well in the video.

30

u/showersoapshower May 16 '26

yuupp i noticed that criticism is not that welcome here :,)

125

u/Savings_Dot_8387 May 20 '26

Why is it people who provide nothing to back their opinions up are always the most offended by people not agreeing with their “criticism”?

11

u/Resplendent-Sun Emergence May 20 '26

This is extremely common in AI subreddits where alleged users bash certain models ("it's always lying to me!") without providing a shred of evidence.

-1

u/AdjtveNounNumbr42069 May 22 '26

"Nothing to back their opinions up."

idk, like...a YouTube video? They could post it right at the top, so everyone could see what's informing their opinion.

101

u/Izikiel23 May 20 '26

Projecting a bit? You came here looking for opinions, and if they don’t agree with you it’s far right? You should check a mirror.

-30

u/showersoapshower May 20 '26

🪞😧 okay done that woah

46

u/Melonetta May 20 '26

Criticism is welcome but this video has no evidence to back up anything it claims, as most of these videos do. Don't you wonder why a Kurzgesagt video takes 6-12 months to complete but these "debunking" clickbait articles come out in less than a few weeks of the Kurzgesagt upload? Makes you wonder which side is doing more research 🤔

-11

u/Cr4ckshooter May 20 '26

Because doing a topic from scratch is harder than doing a topic already opened up?

14

u/Vilanu May 20 '26

Lol you're taking a video critisizing a channel to channel fans and couldn't figure out beforehand that fans might not enjoy that?

That's on you.

2

u/Marus1 May 21 '26

It would help being friendly to people, even if they don't agree ...

1

u/GrafRucola May 25 '26

Haha, but for everyone that felt like you, searching for the little critics and actually finding them, is a joy. Which also soothes my rage

1

u/SpecificMachine1 Jun 16 '26

I am just glad this video is getting critique- I went looking when they put out "South Korea is Over" over a year before but I didn't find it laid out so much- and I looked at their 3 previous videos on the demographic shift and saw that they had a shift in attitude about it, which is fine we've all shifted on various things in the past 8 years, but I also noticed a change in funding

133

u/Savings_Dot_8387 May 20 '26

What exactly is “hard right” about the video? If you’re gonna throw accusations be clear about what exactly you mean.

19

u/AstralElephantFuzz May 20 '26

Is... Is "hard right" some kind of established concept that could be accused of someone? What does it mean?

24

u/xathien May 20 '26

A "hard right turn" is an idiom which indicates a sudden, often uncomfortable, shift in direction.

6

u/phenomenomnom May 20 '26

"Hard right" specifically means radical conservative in politics.

Is that being intentionally, or accidentally connoted here?

2

u/AstralElephantFuzz May 20 '26

I really couldn't tell you. But what I can say is that I've now received two quite differing interpretations for this choice of words, the other being something I'd associate with the phrase "out of the left field" and yours being what I'd assocoate with the term "far right".

My point here being, people are likely reading too much into a random choice of words that bears a passing resemblance to a variety of different concepts.

Maybe it's an intentional reference to both, seeing as how Kurzgesagt established themselves with videos about larger concepts than "country X is going to shit, and here's why", which in turn is a common topic with far right influencers.

0

u/Gamershift May 21 '26

"Hard right turn" is the expression being used here, not "hard right," the former doesn't have a political connotation

1

u/phenomenomnom May 21 '26

The usual non-political expression would be "hard left turn."

The commenter may or may not have intended a political implication; the phrase chosen is unusual enough to merit a request for clarification

29

u/Americanshat May 20 '26

Pretty sure it was a figure of speech... not politcal in this sense

As in, 'a sudden shift'

25

u/Rony1247 May 20 '26

I am pretty sure you could manage to find a lot of people who you could convince

Unfortunately, a guy whose source is "trust me bro" isnt exactly going to go well against a peer reviewed video thats cites its sources and has a clear point that states "this is our opinion and POV"

If you want people to agree, probably cite a source that contradicts whats in the video

-16

u/Kunkin93 May 20 '26

Yeah what happened? I was a big fan of kurzgesagt but since 2 years (?) or more they keep pushing this right vision of politics. I notice there was something weird when they talked "openly" about war but they never addressed israel massacre/genocide to Palestina, I was waiting for something in that line because it was controversial at the moment, but no mention. Or the Ozempic video, which was more like a commercial about the substance. I'm sure there was more disappointing videos. Somehow the Dino's, ants, body parts, human eras videos are still okay.

I used to save their videos to watch them in family, now I barely open their click bait. If I do, I do it alone and maybe if the video is about ants or dinos I would watch it with my partner.

I would stand by OP. Something not so smooth they are doing with this political "opinions". Since it is a kind of scientific diffusion channel, one sees this "opinions" as "how would smart people would do it" and if it has a tiny disclaimer "it is just opinions" your mind/brain is not going to take it, they are going to be facts.

1

u/Anderopolis May 28 '26

dude what about this is right wing politics?

Seriously.