This video has changed my life! Last week I watched this video and decided enough was enough. I took my sofa with attached chaise lounge (a clever combination that promotes further binding and destruction to the body), and disassembled it as recommended by the video. I have no use for the material as I already have plenty of chairs, so I sold it all! I was able to make $3.57 in total. Do you know what I did with my earnings? I immediately bought a coffee, which gave me the energy I needed to perform at a high efficiency throughout the rest of the day. That purchase, to me, acted as validation that this video and my new life path was leading me to a future of energy, focus, and purpose. Again, thank you for this video!
I love how half the comments are about the video being a glorious parody of overly pretentious video essays, and the other half are people who already disliked sofas saying what a great video essay it was. A perfect microcosm of modern parody.
@@rpenm it's when you want to be serious but you think others won't take you seriously so you pretend to be joking, you actually also use jokes. But all just to convey your originally serious message
the existensial fear of either being easily swayed by video essays or the youtube algorithm being that good at only showing me videos I already agreed with
yall should look into why barefoot shoes are better than wearing mattresses under your feet. and why laying on your bones instead of your muscles will enhance your sleep
I had a philosophy teacher in my last year in high school (in Spain, i was 17) that, for our last assignment, had us explain AND defend the posture of the most outrageous villain (no matter the media) we knew... Or the most stupid point of view we could construct. I did it about why sweeping floors is detrimental to our existence as human beings. And yes, everyone channeled their nitpickiest most obtuse self when they had to defend their stuff. Those were two glorious last weeks for sure.
You would get on really well with my mother in law. She refuses to have a sofa and has antique Chinese wooden seating so that no one feels comfortable enough in her home to overstay their welcome.
I wanted one of two things when I clicked this. I wanted either a skilled professional, maybe an interior designer or furniture maker or some kind of engineer, who had a grievance against sofas born of esoteric knowledge that may prove helpful or educational or else I wanted an insane madman with a strong opposition to something totally innocuous for no discernible reason. Didn't disappoint.
I really enjoyed the subtle humor sprinkled throughout. The oddly long clip of a woman prancing through a gas station, the snowboarder with a cat, the idea that a lover could draw the line at cuddling on a bench, is incredible.
The B reel in this video is one of the best things I’ve ever seen. 90% of my audible guffaws came from b reel. I’ve never seen such subtle absurdity in my life
I was literally doing what the video said, I have an empty room with a computer, a desk, a TV and a 6-axis office chair. Now I'll buy a sofa out of spite.
I asked my spouse if they would love me if we could only hold each other in a seated position, if were using relatively firm surfaces, such as a floor, or a wooden bench, excluding of course, the use of a bed.... and they were deeply concerned.
Excessive lounging leads to the destruction of a person's health and motivation, and hence lifespan and total net productivity. Because of this, it is of the utmost importance to American furnituremakers to export the plushest sofas and encourage their adoption in the living rooms of our civilization's enemies. We must not fall behind on the sloth curve.
I cant believe this thesis did not mention the great benefits of Tatami mats and Japanese stlye mattresses, which when combined not only provides a wonderful shock absorbant flooring material fit for all manner of activities, but provides a very versatile, clean, and hypoallergenic approach to seating and sleeping arrangements, as the breathable combination and simple materials wicks away excess moisture and is incredibly easy to clean.
I sleep on one because I am paranoid of rolling out of bed after my ex's mom did and *dislocated her shoulder*, ffs. Say what you like, but that's living too fast for my taste. Anyway, the mat is amazing. Mobile, unobtrusive, and easy to clean, which minimizes dust allergy symptoms at night for bonus points!
This video essay reminds me of "A Pattern Language", specifically pattern 251: Different Chairs. It seems the authors would agree with your premise, simply by their opening sentence: "People are different sizes; they sit in different ways." They explain that variety in seating creates an atmosphere that supports rich experience. They do not discuss sofas, but it seems to me that a sofa actively removes variety from the seating options in a space, as the 2 or 3 or more seating positions will be indistinguishable from each other in most aspects. Additionally, the seats in a sofa are permanently locked into the same relative positions - they cannot be adjusted to form a more or less intimate arrangement. These shortcomings reveal that the sofa is far less versatile than traditionally advertised.
I know it's meant to be a joke, but I am now seriously considering interior design entirely excluding sofas. Historical japanese ID is a prime example of that, they have a whole range of furniture very close to the ground: tatami, futon, zaisu, kotatsu, etc
Tatami living is genuinely great. Chairs and benches in hallways. Floors and mats in rooms that become beds for sleeping. Japanese is superior in so many ways to the west's weird capitalistic hell
this video hacked the "give the benefit of the doubt" part of my brain into taking it seriously for far too long, and that's too subtle a humor for my liking
As someone who struggles to stand up off the floor, I was originally sceptical. But knowing that I can replace my sofa with three computer chairs and a sleeping bag is a suitable accomodation to my needs and I shall be glad of the extra space generated (I assume).
Things I love about this video: 1) The stock footage is perfect. 2) Each point is clearly delineated and leaves little to no room for rebuttal-the man is clearly on to something. 3) When he suggests three stools, the images of three stools are centered. When he says, "or four," the fourth stool is added, but it's cut off. A similar situation occurs again with images of one (or two) cots. 4) The script is courteous, professional, and academic. 5) He's completely serious about this. 6) He's right.
I feel exponentially less insane after watching this, there is definitely a healthy dose of somewhat exaggerated humor throughout this but the points are what I have been arguing for years. I absolutely love this to pieces and plan on writing a citation riddled expansion of this concept as my main paper for a writing and rhetoric course I am participating in over the next few months
This video may be humorous but my family did get rid of our sofa. About a year ago we needed to replace our sofa and love seat combo. While discussing what we would do, I asked my wife why we needed a sofa at all. I pointed out that we never used it as a place to sleep or even lay down really. Rarely did more than one person use it at a time, as most of the time people don't want to sit that close together, so it took up a lot of space while not providing the promised seating. They are also big and heavy, making them difficult to move, and limit the room arrangement possibilities especially in smaller or oddly shaped spaces. After a bit of debate we decided to replace the sofa and loveseat with three chairs, and we couldn't be happier with that decision. We actually use the space more now. The sofa/loveseat setup was so dysfunctional for us, that we didn't even realize how much we were unconsciously opting to use the connected dining space to sit and chat instead of the living space. The seating arrangement we have now just fits us better. While a sofa is a good choice for some, I think too many people get one just because it's what you do. The next time you're getting furniture, give it some thought. Think about how your furniture and space is utilized. If you're not sure, find some inexpensive chairs to use as a proof-of-concept before you go all in. Also, if you want a sofa just as an emergency sleeping spot, they make chairs that can fold down into a bed too.
I was lucky to grow up in a house with a large living room with wall-to-wall carpet. We always had a sofa and a loveseat, but there was always so much empty space on the floor that I usually found myself there, sprawled out on a pillow or two, watching TV, reading, or playing my gameboy. Even now, as an adult, I still gravitate to the floor when I visit my parent’s house. I know this is satrie… to some degree? Maybe Nate is really being serious? Regardless, he has helped me to connect with the core of my most repressed, base desires. My sofa’s days are numbered.
I was thinking the same way as far as sitting to close to each other. A sofa with room for 3 people to sit, usually only has two people on it, either two people cuddling together, or two people five feet apart cuz they're not gay.
Barely a minute in and I already agree with you. Nearly every night my couch pulls me into a false sense of security with its comfort until I invariably end up falling asleep for several hours, from which I wake up with back pain and a sense of wakefulness despite it being 2:30 in the morning. I consciously know this will happen, yet every night I heed sirens song of the elongated loveseat adjacent to my living room television. It’s a vicious cycle I fear I may never break from.
@@thelemon5069 Also if it was still considered commonplace to faint from intense emotion some of us (me included tbh) would either pretend for the drama or become so worried by the idea that we genuinely think we’re about to faint. I have narcolepsy and while it doesn’t cause fainting I do occasionally collapse from intense emotion
Additionally, sofas are made most of the time of different materials, such as wood, leather, pillows, etc. Each one of these has to be cleaned regularly or the room in which the sofa is will stink. This will mean that, if you have a couch, you will have to invest money, valuable time, and resources, in the process of "the cleaning". Compared with 3 regular chairs, the overall costs are reduced by a lot. However, one thing I find a little disconfirming about not having sofas, is that the alternatives tend to show a really minimalistic aesthetic; which represents the loss of artistic values of each person. I understand that currently, many people tend to have minimalistic couches (awful), but some prefer more personalized ones. And regular chairs can't be as artistic or "antiminimalistic" as a sofa can. The last statement is based on a personal view, i see if not everyone agrees with it. Great video essay
You’ve gotta be one nasty mofo to require that much cleaning to where it’s a burden. Or just get a non breathable upholstery so only the surface needs cleaning…
you really captured that meandering, pseudo-intellectual video essay vibe, I can feel my blood boiling already and I'm only 3 minutes in, very good job
Oh, no-- this is the funniest video I've ever seen. I especially like the "solution" of the room crammed full of individual chairs. I myself have been trapped by an unrelenting sofa for the past four years. I thank you for your efforts to warn others.
You forgot the mention the insufferable inconvenience brought upon each member of any arrangement of friends every time one of them insists on substituting their landlord with another and thus changing their habitat. The pain which in induced during the transportation of one of these monstrosities is just otherworldly. I fail to comprehend the amount of once close and intimate friendships which were obliterated but such circumstances, leading to a significantly increased risk of chronic loneliness.
this is genuinely the type of thing i think about. i'm not joking. it's like someone recorded my inner monologue. to feel so seen and understood by another person without them knowing of your existence is both euphoric and terrifying.
I live in a dorm that has a balcony. Ever since I lived here, there has been a couch on the balcony, but my janitor said it needs to be removed. Today is the day it got removed, and this video popped up for me. Now, I can really enjoy a couchless life
Listen, I'm chronically online, it's not easy to catch my attention and keep it and then even actually give me dopamine. But you did. I had almost surrendered to the thought that the half of yet another meal I'll spend frustratingly looking for a video to watch while eating. I don't remember the last time I was this content with a video while eating. This was beautiful. Everything about it.
way ahead of you, I repurposed the sofa's i acquired for free as storage units a long time ago. granted they aren't ideal storage units, but they were free. They merely look like sofas.
I hate the couch. Managed to get rid of it and my wife is now fully on board with this lifestyle. This was years ago, we are both fitter and stronger than we ever were. We got rid of the tv too. I love it
"Would you still love me if we could only hold each other in a seated position, if we were using relatively firm surfaces, such as a floor, or a wooden bench, excluding of course, the use of a bed?" is the man's equivalent of "Would you still love me if I was a worm?"
i find myself agreeing with you. if i were to be seen while reclining daintily on my sofa, i should be quite embarrassed and ashamed in myself. i am currently seeking to remedy this situation and will perhaps borrow your idea of using stools and rocking chairs instead of the sofa.
I need to take a moment to say, whilst the video is wonderful in its spoken argument: your visuals are outstanding. I laughed hard at the Sim surrounded by chairs, love that you made that effort. Also, to answer your question at 4:03, y = 9 Working: 3y - 6 = 2y + 3 3y = 2y + 3 + 6 3y = 2y + 9 3y - 2y = 9 y = 9 Sent from my upright single occupancy chair with no arm rests
As a long-time floor enjoyer, I've found couches to be over rated for years. They're bulky and a pain to clean. The replacement couch I've gotten a while back isn't even comfortable, even though it was an "upgrade" because it has a recliner. I'd rather sit by a kotatsu in my living room honestly.
I wish there was a section in this video about alternative ways of hanging out indoors that have been figured out by humanity across time and around the world. Kotatsus are one hell of an option-but I’m pretty sure that it would people-trap me all the same XD I would stash food and entertainment right next to the table, and only get up to go to the loo!
Before i watched this video, i was a firm Sofa hater, and thought this video would re-affirm my pre-existing beliefs. After watching the video, the arguments made in the video towards the propositions made were not only insufficient to counter the propositions, but the propositions actually showed me the versatility of the Sofa, converting me strongly in favour of Sofas. I must applaud the creator if this was their schema from the beginning. Liked and subscribed
Sometimes you click on a video with little to no context and have instant regret. But you, kind sir, are of the highest caliber of moral fiber and sound reasoning! I'm completely convinced that I just need to buy a recliner for myself, and at most, one of those park benches with the anti-homeless attachments on them. My extended family is not homeless, so surely such devices should have little to no effect on them!
Omggg I know this isn’t the point but when I got my own apartment for the first time I decided not to get a sofa because I was tired of the most random people sleeping on my family’s couch. I have a kotatsu with a few large floor cushions and I love it. I keep a secret futon in a closet in case I ever do have a guest I want to stay over
This is genuinely entertaining and very well done. I have no idea why youtube recommended your video, but I'm glad they did. I never thought a 14 minute video could make me rethink sofas...
Your grasp of comedy is so incredibly impressive. Playing the straight man in constrast to the immensely comedic audio-visuals. Love this video, can't wait to revisit it. Major kudos, and I hope you have a good day as well
As a tall person, I found particular amusement in your illustrative example of how horizontally insufficient sofas are for sleeping. Thank you for putting out this important message and fighting the good fight. 12:08
Although I feel like I can't agree with many of the points being made in this video, I do find this proposition very interesting to ponder on and question the customs we have all unconsciously incorporated. When I build my own home I'll definitely consider more intentionally the functionality and need of a sofa.
I enjoyed this, but it was clearly written for people who can get off the floor and/or are young enough (under 40 or so) to not need a padded seat for comfort.
I fear that your comment, perhaps more than any other I have seen actually serves to prove the ops horribly written argument.....let me explain.....the human body was DESIGNED to be at its most optimal in the crouched or squatted position, or to sit on the ground or floor.our earliest ancestors lived their entire lives sitting, squating, and getting up/down into and out of these positions. They were able to do so because those positions encourage more constant repositioning and "active sitting" keeps a body more physically agile longer. Sofas, settes, etc. And other very cushioned seating and furniture, including even the bed as we know it today, are actually VERY RECENT concepts, relatively speaking, to the human evolution, with harder surface seating, when used at all, persisting well into the 16th century, and considerably less cushioned upholstered furniture options persisting through the 17th century up until the mid 20th century( think of Victorian sofas that were smaller in scale and much more thinly cushioned.....or even mid century modern sofas from the 1960s that again were much smaller in scale and much firmer).
@@donkelly4718 This analysis of history of course excludes those with physical disabilities, and those who's current age exceeds the median lifespan of ancient humans, no?
Nope. If you read my comment carefully you will see that I go A "recent" as mid century modern....so, to be clear, we are talking 1960s there. though were cushioned then, they were still very small scale, and very much firmer than couches of about the 80s moving forward were/are. They were still seen as a formal seating option and were quite low. Throughout history, those with disabilities would have been given cots and carried, or later in history would have had a hard, wooden wheel chair
Clearly the viewer missed the part where hard, single occupancy chairs with rocking capabilities and a small pillow for comfort (optional) were recommended for the decrepit elderly rumps you must be referring to.
@@donkelly4718 Yes, but after 40 or an injury, which a majority of the ancients didn't survive, the few inches of padding, even horsehair, makes a huge difference. Sofas that are so soft you can't get out are equally annoying. I've read/seen a few posts of people sleeping on the floor so get it.
Have been thinking about this for over a year. And had the same arguments for and against keeping my sofá; an inherited midcentury piece of furniture. I think you have helped me on the decision! Thanks a lot!
I was definitely sitting cross legged on the ground as you told me it wasn’t undignified 😂 I have a chair, a bench, and rugs and cushions because I live alone, and would rather be adaptable 🕺
