I have once again left a YouTube comment quoting the third-funniest line from the video.
You’re welcome.
Yes, my latest masterpiece comes from the video, “What If Spider-Man Got Bit By a Snake?” by the animation channel, SuperTewns.
Anybody can post the funniest line from a video. In fact, three people already have (when Vulture tells Peter “You’re looking unhinged” just before Peter dislocates his jaw to swallow him whole). Copycats, devoid of any creativity.
It takes a true visionary to post the third-funniest quote.
Many people are curious about my work. “Why did you post this?” is one of the most common things I’m asked. Well, dear reader, the answer is simple:
My fans love my work.
I have a bit of an underground following, you might say. Sure, I’ll never write the most liked comment, but I’m regularly in the top ten of any video. Take this latest video, for example.
It’s from the scene where Peter sheds his skin in front of Mary Jane, and she asks him, “Were you wearing a condom this whole time?” Sure, it’s more of a visual gag, and the punchline leaves more questions than answers (Why would he be wearing a condom on his whole body? Why is Mary Jane repulsed by this? Why wouldn’t she have the common knowledge that snakes shed their skin?), but if it were a perfectly executed joke, it wouldn’t be the third-funniest, would it?
Twelve people have liked it. That’s twelve days I’ve improved. And I have more adoring fans in the replies. See, here’s one effusive in its agreement: “Yes, that is a line from the video. Good job.” And another one that says, “Check this video on my channel,” with a link to someone who probably wants me to highlight the third-funniest line in their own video.
But I don’t do commissions. I prefer to work as my muse guides me.
And sometimes my muse leads me to take risks, to explore the depth of my craft. On occasion, I’ll even quote the fourth-funniest line. Or, if the video is full of good jokes, I’ve been known to dabble in some fifth-funniest quotes. What can I say? I’m versatile.
Unfortunately, my art is not without its retractors. There are some who would criticize my medium, saying things like, “Are you just quoting the video because you’ve never had an original thought in your life?”
And to that, I would reply with the second-funniest line from the SuperTewns video, when Peter hisses Uncle Ben’s motto to himself, “With great power comesss great resssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssponsssibility.”
Is that quote a relevant response? No. But art doesn’t always answer questions the way we want it to. It’s supposed to challenge us, to make us think, to make us laugh, to make us uncomfortable, and to make us say, “I remember that line from the video I just watched.”
Like most of the great artists, I remain underappreciated, though the occasional like I get from a years-old comment gives me full faith that my work will withstand the test of time. I just need to believe in myself and continue honing my craft. Choosing the correct number of S’s to put into a snake-bitten version of Spider-Man’s most famous quote is not a skill one is born with. It takes inspiration, skill, dedication, perseverance, and all of the other qualities one needs to reach the pinnacle of one’s art form.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, my muse has just led me to a new SuperTewns video in my recommendations page.
I have some important work to do.
