How to Make Potatoes While Dread Presses In from Every Direction 

Thank you John, it’s a rough world right now and I needed some distraction.

This is a documentary of my real, actual life

Hi, John. So, my imagination on one sleepless night created a potato-based superhero/villain. He has an Iceman-like control over all things potato: he can grow them super fast from the soil and, for example, create entire tsunamis of mashed potato. Or, sling thousands of hard, hot potatoes that (for some reason) explode, at his enemies. And so on. I call him The Potator.

DFTBA

Really no need to go flippen man! Take it easy, just let it be. let it be.

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exactly what I was thinking

+ Yet another reason to enjoy watching your videos!

Please 🥺

My best friend and I have taken to calling our bodies "Meat Mechs" because we're brains inside a skeleton controlling a body... 🤷‍♀️😂 Sounds a bit more pleasant than "sack of flesh" but same vibe!

I generally want slightly more potatoes than that because I love potatoes so much.

reminds me of Anna Akana's makeup tutorial or PBS idea channels video on makeup. food is more than just food, like how makeup is more than just makeup

Who the f is Hank?

@@LissaLeighBee Apparently Hank is all the friends we made along the way 🤣 #DFTBA

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John green's brother

​@@TheAmyrlinSeatJohn's green brother

Absolutely

I would enjoy that as well

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And his next book would be a cookbook based on the show, hopefully also full of food-and-existential-dread-based essays.

I find the dread has a very strong, almost overpowering flavour, but the presence of the potatoes helps to balance it out.

Just have 3 sips of beer. Cures all mental problems.

@@neondemon5137 *Delays

Not sure what emoji is supposed to be for "hugs" since the facebook "care" emoji doesn't appear to be available here (and really, why would it be?) so just pretend I found one and know that I felt like maybe you needed one. I know I wouldn't say "no" to a hug right now.

@@rmdodsonbills To file under "observations" apparently it's not exactly a unilateral acceptance among commenters on YT... BUT a fair chunk use one of the colored heart emojies (like 💜 or 💚) and a fair chunk seem to use the "hugging face" one... (like 🤗) Since you said you wouldn't say no to a hug just now, I've included such emojies JUST in case you might need to copy-paste as I only have access to them for a browser-extention that works with Chrome/ish browsers... SO compatibility and experience might be different... Now you should be able to copy and paste them even if you don't have your own... I think. It worked the last time I tried, anyway. SO hope it helps, and hope you feel better, too. AND at least with this thread on-screen, you can give out hugs to anyone and everyone around... all you like. ;o)

ORORORORO!!! I spend half of my day sleeping! ORORORO!!! Then I sometimes get up and tell you that I am a famous content creatorORORORORO!!! Please don't sleep while driving, dear m

I came here to say this, exactly.

Mr Beat presents: I also deal with existential dread and wanted to thank John for dealing with it with me by making Potatoes

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This comment made me actually laugh out loud, thank you potatoes ❤️

Agreed. Something about someone else acknowledging the terror and then moving on because there's potatoes cooking (and repeat).

You know, something you'd like to have repeating in the backround while you make food for your meat form?

Me too!

Please take care!

Sending an enormous amount of love your way, Laura ❤️ I'm so so sorry 🥺

@@karajolevery7141 Thank you! I think a lot of people over here are dealing with their anxiety by trying to help. My friends and I have registered to volunteer in offering support for the Ukrainian refugees all over our borders. DFTBA

@@obligatoriunu Wishing you safety and success as you help support those in need 💕

I’m so sorry! Send lots of love and healing energy your way 💖

We definitely need more videos of recipes narrated by scatter-brained people that are, on a whole, deeply descriptive and wildly comforting without being to judge-y about a singular "right" way to do anything.

@@zursarose17 Agreed. I'm never good at following strict rules at things so this was nice. Also a comfort from all the stress in the past 24hrs

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I feel the same way. It's always fun when my interests line up like this.

@@zursarose17 Have you watched You Suck at Cooking?

There is war 200km from me. Its not time to forget about dread.

Was not trying to undermine the current circumstances whatsoever. I'm sorry if i offended you or anyone that is having to live through it.

@@olenhol2przez4 I'm sorry you're going through that, but as someone who has been dealing with a steadily worsening personal crisis for several years now (caregiver for a chronically ill family member), I flat out refuse to stop seeking relief just because someone else's life is hell. My dread can do nothing to relieve yours; all it can do is impair my ability to fulfill my role here.

honestly same though. Potatoes always make me feel better

You should put cayenne on the potatoes then.

Dude, same.

@@lyadmilo Cayenne is one of my absolute favorite spices. Good flavor + good kick. Just don't add a lot to plain mashed potatoes - they just soak up the spice and that is all you taste.

Hi Aditya, come visit old Hyderabad for some adrenaline.

Literally me. I want my food to hurt me. It’s the only drug I’m allowed to do anymore.

It could be a splash of Alton Brown but with a huge dose of reality ;)

I would argue it’s not a bad thing to not constantly feel existential dread lol. We all need to care about something, but no one can care about everything.

Eh, not feeling it doesn't mean you don't care. Sometimes it can be easier to take action if you're not bogged down by anxiety or dread. Or, if you're emotionally tired in your own life, it can be really hard to have space for feelings about things that are far away from you.

Feeling it doesn't make you a better person, your actions can.

You’re not alone in the tiredness from lack of sleep and ache for the world today. Sitting with you today, friend. Offer yourself extra tenderness in the coming hours and days 💕

@@katehavlik5409 thank you 🥺💛

I totally agree. one of my comfort-rewatch videos is the "communist celery" version of his cooking with a 3 year old videos, it's just so good 😌

Aww the slobber carrots video is so wholesome, I sometimes rewatch that one as well

THANK YOU for reminding me about slobber carrots. I'm going to rewatch it immediately!

Ooh, and it would be a great cross stitch!

That's a good response to a lot of hyperspecific recipes.

@@knitterknerd I'm learning to embroider with Bad Ass Crosstitch this year and while I don't like her samples I love this idea, hope you be delighted to know that I am yoinking it for next project.

@@3countylaugh Absolutely!

​@@3countylaugh yay! Excited to hear how your stitching journey has been!

I’m going to start calling them my bacterial buddies too 😀

100%

I just went "ah that's nice! I'm not eating alone!"

💯

You'll never eat alone.

Mission accomplished.

Haha that was making me slightly nervous too!

What a wonderful suggestion. This video will now be the only thing to stand between me and the immense dread that is otherwise preoccupying me today

yes😭

I assume that has some relation to why vegans/vegetarians will often have bad reactions to eating meat after they've been vegan/vegetarian for a while? Since cutting meat out of their diet has resulted in not having much gut bacteria specialized in breaking down those protiens anymore?

Now. This. This is very helpful information thank you.

My refined-carb-loving microbes say that you are the great oppressor and I should listen to them!!! Ok, ok... I fed them some broccoli and now I can think more clearly, at least once their little microbe screaming subsided.

that's so great to know :)

@@SupahTrunks7 makes sense

Yay another YSAC viewer!

Truer words have never been spoken

That's an adage to live by.

Replying to boost this comment

Yeah. This ⬆️

This.

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I thought the pandemic had completely fried my sense of time, and before seeing this video I would probably have had to hesitate a solid 5 seconds before telling you which day it was, but I am still very proud that my first reaction to the video was "Wait, it definitely doesn't feel like a Tuesday or a Friday"

Same

I think I’ve reached some sad point at which this kind of existentialism doesn’t make me uniquely sad anymore, because it’s just routine

Oh, I just assumed it was Tuesday and only in reading this comment did I stop to think about what day it is.

Yeah, for a second I just felt like it was Tuesday until my brain felt, "wait, didn't I just see a John video two days ago?"

Me too!

I hope that the feeling in your gut recedes, that you have peaceful, soothing dreams, and that you find those who see you. May these things come to you in time. Until then, I hope you'll have some lovely potatoes and watch some comforting videos. Best wishes!

Oh. Yes. This is a wonderful description!

The stream hasn’t even started and you’re already doing a great job ❤️

@@soapy27 Thank you! John pulled a bit of a fast one doing a surprise bonus video, but I was ready for him! ^^