Thug Notes is an American educational web series that summarizes and analyzes various literary works in a comedic manner. Thug Notes first aired on June 3, 2013, on YouTube, with the pilot episode centered on Crime and Punishment.[2][3] The host of the series is Sparky Sweets, Ph.D., portrayed by actor and comedian Greg Edwards.[4][5] In 2015, a book of essays based on episodes from the series entitled Thug Notes: A Street-Smart Guide to Classic Literature was published by Vintage Books.[6]
| Thug Notes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Educational, Comedy |
| Created by | Jared Bauer[1] |
| Written by | Jared Bauer, Joseph Salvaggio[1] |
| Presented by | Greg Edwards |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jacob Salamon[1] |
| Running time | 3-6 minutes |
| Production company | Wisecrack |
| Original release | |
| Network | YouTube |
| Release | June 3, 2013 – November 28, 2017 |
Style
editThe series is presented by Greg Edwards in character as Sparky Sweets, Ph.D; the character hosts the series in an "original gangster" style.[7]
The following is an example of Sweets' style from his analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird, one of his most popular:[7] "Only a jive-ass fool would bother capping a mockingbird, 'cause all them bitches do is just drop next-level beats for your enjoyment. So what my girl Harper trying to say is ratting on Boo Radley wouldn't do no good. It would only rid the hood of one more true-blue player."[8]
Explaining the usage of African-American Vernacular English within the series, Edwards stated, "but the truth is, the gift of literature is universal in meaning and should be made accessible to everyone on every plane. So, Thug Notes is my way of trivializing academia's attempt at making literature exclusionary by showing that even high-brow academic concepts can be communicated in a clear and open fashion."[9] The style used by Edwards' character was a result of "frustration with the world of academia".[7]
Episodes
editReception
editThug Notes has been met with a cumulative view total of over 160 million (as of June 2017)[10] and critical acclaim.[4] Thug Notes's virality has been documented by mainstream news publications such as The New York Times and HuffPost.[11][12] The Tampa Bay Times has noted that the series can be used as an educational tool.[9] However, The New York Times criticized the increase in the frequency of things in this style, stating "We have to put a stop to inappropriate hip-hop appropriation before we get the Fox News 'Rap the Headlines Hour' or 'Gangsta 60 Minutes'."
In 2014, Wisecrack/Thug Notes was listed on NewMediaRockstars Top 100 Channels, ranked at #94.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c "We are the team behind Thug Notes, yo' main hookup for classic literature summary and analysis. AUA!". Reddit. February 11, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ Crime and Punishment - Book Summary & Analysis by Thug Notes. Thug Notes. YouTube. June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "Thug Notes: Sparky Sweets, PhD Looks At 'Crime And Punishment' (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ a b "Comedian-actor-writer Greg Edwards". PBS. March 20, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "'Thug Notes': The Hardcore Way To Learn About Books [VIDEO]". Guy Code Blog. MTV. June 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ Gutelle, Sam (2015-08-18). "'Thug Notes' Brings Its Brand Of Literary Humor To A New Book". Tubefilter. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ a b c Dobson, Miranda (August 14, 2013). "Thug Notes: YouTube comic brings literary Classics to the masses hip-hop style". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "Thug Notes: 'To Kill A Mockingbird' (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. June 25, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ a b Hooper, Ernest (September 4, 2013). "'Thug Notes' delivers the innovation needed in education". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "Thug Notes About". YouTube. June 11, 2014.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (January 24, 2014). "Homies in Verona, Gangstas in Elsinore". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ Hartsell, Carol (January 28, 2014). "The Latest Episode Of 'Thug Notes' Gave Sparky Sweets The Giggles". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 100 – 76!". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved 6 January 2015.