Video Retrospectives 1: Sarkeesian Effect: A Measured Response

really cool to go back and watch now, I really see how far you've come! Thanks for sharing with us :3

I can't believe those Sarkeesian Affected Clowns thought they could get on The Daily Show/Last Week Tonight/CNN with their shovels full of poo. Of course, if they were still serving up their crapburgers today, Bill Maher would gladly welcome them.

I want to liberate that opossum plush from Aurini to this day.

It's interesting hearing you bag on the gay joke so much. As a very poly lesbian watching a content creator who from this vid alone is obviously leftist. I always assumed that it was a shot at the heteronormative ideals that are all these people can imagine for the world and appreciated it for that.

Riley

I appreciate your perspective on your early youtube journey. It was anti-resonant for me. I have tried several times and had no such success. I have since learned the areas I would need to improve and the time investment it would require and found it isn't feasible. I am glad you found success though, both for your insight, for the joy it brings you, and for the left-leaning view you expose people to.

Sean J Barry

I feel a lot more reassured now that I wasn't the only person who tried to DIY shave their hair during covid and made an absolute bags of it

the tiny baby boy is giving off major David Tennant in his first episode of Doctor Who vibes

EmmiJade

Rewatching this because I love these restrospectives and also because I'm procrastinating on finishing the script for my youtube video. Rewatching these made me realize that the reason I hated my script was because there was a bunch of super long explanations that I felt were unnecessary and now I'm taking scissors to the script so thanks for that.

SamTheAnthro

Yeah the rightwing is absolutely demolished not by good faith arguments, proof, appeals to decency, but by mockery. It's poison to the right wing. Self awareness, humility, etc are all completely absent from the framework of the rightwing mindset. It can't coexist with the severely self-absorbed, individualistic ubermensch bullshit they love so much- there's something weirdly almost community-oriented about about a good roast, and the right wing is just not about ANY of that.

Stephanie Thompson

all the old measured response videos are my comfort videos tbh

Chase H

The early measured response videos made me less dumb, thank you💗

I was one of the people who reblogged that video when it only had a couple thousand notes. Surreal to think about now.

GeminiMakesArt

The moment of pure fear I had when you talked about how hydrated you are after peeing and then said ‘look at this’ and reached for something at floor level.

your reaction video to seeing how many views the video got is the cutest thing ive ever seen

You somehow managed to pull off looking like TomSka, Jesse Pinkman, and Adam Neely at the same time

Justice Hainsworth

is it weird that it's really cool to know that one of my favorite youtubers also adhd? that's neat. also big mood on the hair there buddy im probably gonna dye mine some god-awful color soon enough anyway i love your channel and i finally gave in and joined the patreon because MoRe CoNtEnT (there is only so many times i can rewatch someone's entire channel without eventually auto-tuning it out without meaning to) and i don't regret it at all. this is incredibly interesting to watch especially as i stumbled across the channel far later, so i wasn't really part of that piece of history or... well, really the internet in general at the time.

the lack of hair is... unsettling but as your fate is one I will probably share if I dont think of a way to fuck with my internal biology to prevent it I understand the choice and will get used to the lack soon enough

SorchaSublime

I just signed up after devouring your youtube, it was delicious. The new-look is great!

Steven_pistachio

So I’ve just signed up for your patreon and this is the first video I’ve watched and all I wanted to say is that I thought it was just so nice. It’s interesting to hear you speak on things you created in the past and the whole video has this tone that is sort of optimistic in a way I sometimes find myself desperate for as of late because of, uh, everything. Also, since you asked, I would say your head and face both look lovely; you’re stylin’ my dude!!!

This David Aurini clown looks like a Kirkland Signature brand Anton LaVey.

He looks like h.bomberZOG...

He looks like ha

Sir you look like V. I. Lenin and I'm kind of living for it

i honestly love these old videos because you just throw all respectability out the window and just clown on them. it's like what you said about the Golden One: they want to be taken seriously, he should just be openly laughed at

Upscale Furry Trash

I really enjoy this idea. As someone who came into your videos relatively recently, even just the part where you explain the greater context for your early videos is really helpful.

This is actually the first video I ever saw you make, and it's weird that it's nostalgic now.

Rebecca Richards

i try to refill the jugs every day

Jocelyn Cade

i keep 2 orange juice jugs (2.5L each) full of water. And a 1L water bottle.

Jocelyn Cade

put on a fedora and don't shave the neck and maybe you too could be an alt-right dog

Boolgrim

What a great video! I always appreciate content creators that are willing to go back and look at their own work critically. As for the hair/facial hair, unevenness notwithstanding, I think it looks good. It suits you just as well as your previous look.

Jaspin Myr

Maybe I should get a cut too. If I do, and I hate it, it's YOUR FAULT

Chuu

Buzz cut looks good! XD

Despite doing it yourself, the haircut actually looks pretty good on you! It was really interesting to see you go back through your old video and deconstruct where some of the jokes came from and why they worked

Sarah

this was really fun. I’ve only known of your channel for about a year now but I’ve seen most all your videos anyways so this made me smile a lot

Jarrod Sage

hm. you look like Jesse from breaking bad. great video!

More of these, please! I could spend hours watching you talk about your own videos, especially the older ones

obi wan kenobi looking ass lmao

Marlie

Do it! As the wise philosopher LaBeuff once said, "Don't let your dreams be dreams." In fact, putting in the effort to make a video will only be a good thing. Either you enjoy it and you find a new hobby, or you realize you don't enjoy it and you can stop worrying about the what if.

Rupour

This was so so lovely to see 💗 Thank you. I am eternally grateful that a happy accident youtube video gifted the world one of the kindest, most measured and reflective and all round fun to watch people on the internet.

harry I love you and once I got used to it the beard/shaved head combo doesn't look bad but 100% you look like a felon with that uneven trim

Olly Harkness

Loved this video, very relaxing to watch.

ruru

I'm so sad this video is behind a paywall. It's uplifting to see an ADHDer finding something they can do that they actually enjoy and even make a living doing it. I know that's this instance is a rare form of success but getting to see that it's possible is comforting. I keep toying with the idea of starting a youtube channel after getting my psychology degree and work on getting my counseling degree but I have such a hard time keeping my life together because of ADHD, among other things. Yet I see you and Tristan from Step Back History making it happen with different levels of success and it's heartwarming to see and it's proof that yea I can do it too even if I'm a mess of a human being.

Corran MacCorran

Yeah. Ooof.

LordEntr0py

I REMEMBER SEEING DRAGON DICKS POST THE VIDEO AND REBLOGGING IT jfdklsfjds that was ages ago wow. glad i had a part, even if very teeny, in helping one of my fave youtubers get off the ground :D

The beard is a good look for you.

nathaniel newland

Thank you dragon dicks

I dig the beard, it looks great! But please just make sure to not start selling t-shirts with your beard silhouette as merch... i can't take another one. And lmao first time I shaved my head the back was a WHOLE mess oof. On another note, I really liked the way you addressed the gay-ish joke. I always felt a bit weird about it. In the past (and now) I found it to be very funny, and it didn't feel like a malicious joke on your part, so I'm glad to see that it came from the place I'd hoped/thought.

Bruh the hair/beard combo looks rad!

Starboi

oh hell yeah. another video to feed my brain in these trying times. hope you're doing as well as you can Hbomb. stay sane out there.

the beard looks great man

wendigotypes

oh hey its brentallfloss

willow H

!! I've always wondered if you had ADHD because lots of what you say resonates with me a lot (a person with ADHD). Apologies if you've mentioned it before and I missed it, but thank you so much for saying it here. I already look up to you quite a lot as a creator and a person, and to learn you have the same condition I do genuinely really helps me feel like I can do cool stuff Thank you <3

gojo fujoshi

Really interesting to see your process and get your perspective now after so much time has passed! I have legitimately re-watched your Sarkeesian Effect Measured Response at times just to cheer myself up, it always makes me laugh. Turning some of the people spearheading a movement that was causing so much pain into a joke was incredibly powerful.

IrkinInvaderZak

seeing that jug of water was painful seeing as it's now Ramadan

Ariana Lahore

You look fly with shorter hair wow! I miss your videos, so this was pleasant to watch :)

ruru

welcome to Beard! the first challenge that aspiring Beards face is believing in yourself, and it's plain to see you have accomplished that mightily, well done ! one note - try taking your trimmer and carving an even line beneath your stache along or just slightly above your lip to get rid of the walrus bristles growing unevenly, maybe reduce the volume in the middle, if that grows thicker than the sides, evening out the top line of the mustache is a nice look too the shape of the beard looks great, keep it up !

Deeply grateful for this video! I still love that original video. Absolute classic. Appreciate the context.

Love it friendo. It’s funny you shaved your head. I shaved mine as well.

New look is sharp, man

Jake Zydek

I'm really glad the joke landed for you - I don't think anyone in particular has ever really complained about it, but I know people have felt like it brushed a little close to a certain type of joke in a way I'd want to avoid more clearly now, if that makes sense.

Hbomb

Thanks a lot! I'm using an electric razor yeah, with the head on it intended for really short beard cuts. I think I might do a proper shave at some point but probably when the beard is more substantial

Hbomb

I've been using an electric razor to cut my own hair for about 5 years now. It's hard at first, but you'll get the hang of it quickly. The back of your head is obviously the hardest part to cut - just go over the same parts with the same attachment a few times until it feels even when you run your hand over it. EDIT: I hit 'enter' too soon...I meant to also say that the beard looks fantastic and you should definitely keep it!

Matt Raebel

I was one of those people who had been very badly affected by GamerGate. People exactly like this really had made every day tough for an extremely online queer feminist who liked video games back then, and this video was *everything* to me. It took all the power out of them. Whenever I'd start feeling helpless or like this stuff meant the world was a bad place, I'd just remember IF ATLAS SHRUGS ANY HARDER HE'S GONNA FALL OFF HIS DAD'S COUCH and everything would be okay. My life was changed as much as yours because it was when I learned that I could choose levity, and I'd watch it hundreds of times, choosing to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all instead of being beat down by it. For the record, I have debated with myself at length about the best legs in Atlanta, a joke that I have always thought was the funniest thing in this extremely funny video despite on the surface seeming entirely inappropriate. At the time I assumed you were straight and told myself that should make the joke not okay, but I still just couldn't help laughing at it. I think it really was the Owen's intensely forced, nerdy hyper-masculinity and weirdly overt sexuality, talking about his favourite strippers and filming himself in the bathtub, combined with the spinning camera and your cartoon laughter taking all the sting out of what is essentially a 'haha gay' joke... I don't know. I'm not sure it could be replicated and it's better to be safe than sorry but for whatever reason, that dumb joke sure does land amazingly.

Ayyyy studios

i've given some thought to the "best legs in atlanta" joke and while i understand that it is inherently problematic i do think it's not super harmful. the way i see it is that this man is pushing to be very masculine and to suggest that he is gay is damaging to his image. i also totally understand the argument against it and realize that making homosexuality the butt of the joke is harmful and should be avoided.

I have a friend who's a few years above me at uni, and every time his friends and him get drunk together, they drunkenly shave his head, just with whatever shaving equipment they can get their hands on. And then I get like a bunch of snaps of them shaving his head and a morning after pic of the new hair in which he looks more and more like an egg every time they do it. Hbomb looks exactly like him rn, and I do not like it.

Lint

#wherewereyouduringgamergate

Nowhere Girl

Is this Jesee Pinkman? (great video!)

Tona Cadena

The beard and haircut are A+

Bailey Spencer

geez... these men don't realize that women are only ' bitchy ' because they're able to pick up what an ass he is. that was such a dark time... a few years ago...

Kitty ( The cursed existence of financial instability ) fo

You’re one of us now Hbomb. Congratulations.

i also shaved my head myself once for a video production. with beard trimmers. it wasn’t great. my second attempt at trimming my own undercut went way better so like, practise makes perfect! also mirrors help cool video though 👌

Calysto

the anita sarkeesian story at the end....omg

Will Bower

you look a lot different with the shaved head and beard! i think you look more ‘normal’. i say that in a neutral way, like of course many people feel a need to fit in but there’s also merit to having a more unique appearance.

marshapono

thank you, this was quite the throwback :) it's good to see you again, i hope you're doing well

Brontë Josephine

The beard is great, thanks for the upload and your hard work!

ITS TAIL TIME!

thank you for doing what u do man, also get a friend to help shave the back of your head maybe?

You look good bald and bearded! But maybe get the back cleaned up...

Oh my goodness, you've turned into Simon Pegg. Well, except cooler.

Nalte

good stuff

baby boy.......... baby

I just love the end of this video. So much.

This is a cool and interesting video. Also, I think the buzzcut suits your face. The hair did too though, in case you decide to grow it out again.

Rory Blank

I also discovered the sherlock vid through tumblr, some tumblr friends and I despised moffat and his shit writing and we had a watch party lmao. thanks tumblr~

alexis

That was delightful. Thank you, Hbomb. Also, the new look, you're giving it some Ben Crowe from Crimson Guitars - The cappuccino years (sans head tattoos obvs). Loving the beard. Stay Gold ❤

Pär Stern

"Persistence is only noble if you're persisting in doing something good." Nice quote

Delaney

The hair/beard combo is good on you, or will be once it's cleaned up. Also, thankyou Dragon Dicks.

Hotwheels Sisyphus

I love you too hbomberguy

Shaved head/beard combo looks good, but jesus do I hope you fixed the back. This video was how I found your work, probably from that original Tumblr reblog. I still watch it over again when I need a laugh.

Stormbourne

How can the back of a person's head look diseased?

Andrew L Butula

Great video as usual. I love this kind of off the cuff honest responses at your old work, and the context behind them. I had no idea before this that your video major in kicking these people out of serious convos. Videos like this are great for explaing issues that later joiners of your channel might not know about. You are really good as a creator at switching between good improv and well written scripted content and its cool to see this is where that improv side came from. I like your point about just showing how cringe these people are, i gotta us that in the future.

Skoloton

my friend says the moustache ages you like 20 years but the top looks good.

Deamon in the Floors

It's kind of funny that your 1st vid that blew up got noticed bc of a Tumblr post. Bc the only reason I found your stuff was bc someone posted your Sherlock vid on Tumblr.

SamTheAnthro

LOL You look like Aaron Paul in that screen shot!

Naomi Hatchman

the history of it is cool to hear! I was interested in the tropes vs women series but aside from knowing people were awful to anita sarkeesian I didn't pursue it further cause I was in a bit of a depression hole and didn't want to make it worse. I was going to say "that must have been a really weird time" but this is also a really weird time and I genuinely don't know if the right's current influential weirdos are any less bizarre and terrible than davis aurini... it seems just as wild but differently so lmao also re: face and beard notes, my only suggestion is to either keep the beard short and trim or let it go wild cause most people I see with slightly-longer-but-not-too-long beards (my brothers and dan olson jump to mind) end up with an asymmetrical chin. but if that doesn't bother you then it doesn't matter. good luck

alexis

"Holy shit, Harry actually looks pretty good with short hair" *Shows back of head* "ohhhhhhhhh nooooooooooo"

RaddShreddy

A wonderful retrospective! It's always interesting to see what content creators think of their earlier work and always exciting to gain a look into the history behind such projects.

omg that's exactly where I saw this video! I can't find hte article now so I don't know if it soon after it was released or later

Sébastien Proulx

I am 30 seconds into the vid and just need to say, I am a dog groomer and my brain is screaming about the back ahhhhh. did you fix it?? (it's fine otherwise)

alexis

Was just planning to shave my hair. Thank you for... perspective.

No Pun Included

The hair/beard combo looks cool as hell, I literally cheered (alone in my kitchen) when you showed your head because I knew you'd shave - definitely a look for you. Really like the format of this video, looking forward to seeing more!

thank you dragondicks

Zaira H

"White supremacy brings people together, who knew" - Harris Bomberguy 2014

This was lovely

I think I might address this when we get to the Sierra Effect video

Hbomb

Also it looks like you have a fairly good natural beard line going on. Maybe trim it so that all your stubble is the same length

typo Adventure

Mustache tips: if you let it grow past your lips, you WILL have trouble eating anything not hair

typo Adventure

First of all- 2014 HBomb baby- PRECIOUS! Thanks for including that! Full on Second- fix that hair. You are too handsome for what.. is going on 😂 and a THIRD- more more more of this! Serious are one to just generally feeling pride in supporting you, this is an amazing patreon reward. Thanks for making and stay healthy x

LadyTato

The shaved head and beard combo makes you look grown-up. I like it! I also really appreciate that you're doing retrospective videos! Thank you!

Rae Rocole

Seeing little baby Harry at the end really made me feel so old 😂

Blue Gemini

HBOMB YOUR HAIR I-

<3

Cedarcat

Brb, gonna edit my thesis and only leave the jokes in. thanks for the advice! and you look like aaron paul now

sssilppuri

Admit it, you were going for the Fallout character creation tool look anyways.

I have been waiting years for this haircut and I am so excited to see your talk at KubeCon <3

Dan Sparks

Aaron Paul's English accent is pretty good, but where is Harry?

Harry's evolution to Aaron Paul is almost complete. The secret was soy the whole time! Seriously though, I first saw that video embed in a article in Badass Digest (Now Birth.Movies.Death) and damn did it come at a good time. There was just despair at seeing the gaming community perform auto-cannibalism over video game feminists. Glad you stuck with it and became what Mikey Newmann calls Appointment viewing on YouTube. I do want to see your Star Wars video because I don't think you're too far off base about the prequels.

SadCheese

Also ADHD is fun, innit.

Penny Gotch

New patron here. I practically just found and binge watched all of your main YouTube channel content this week and pretty much fell in love with your level of insight and sense of humor. Love the more rugged Jesse Pinkman look!

Hey Harry, you should make a react vid to Jordan Owen's reply vid he made 6 months ago! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2aOzrYj0rA

SentientNeuralNet

Okay, haven't watched the video yet and I gotta stop and comment that you look AMAZING with the shaved head and beard combo. Like hot damn, sir. You've gone from "I'll have your daughter home by ten, sir" to "Your daughter calls me Daddy now" in a haircut and an application of facial fuzz.

Penny Gotch

you look like king koopa from the mario bros movie

"Don't go outside!" That's what I needed to hear while thinking about getting medication

Subspace Jet Witch

Absolutely wonderful! Also as a nearly-21 y/o queer dude with ADHD it's fun to look directly into my future that we definitely all share

(Gay) Rosencrantz

You're an international treasure, Mr. Bomberguy.

harry if u get any hotter i won’t be able to focus on the content anymore please be more mindful in the future when self-improving

party&bs

Oh yes hunny you are putting the Z in Zaddy 😘 Jason Statham is that you?? Seriously tho looks good dude 👌

Johneeyah goodboy

The point about laughing at these dudes instead of debating them makes me think about Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes where the antagonists are part of an evil circus and they are literally defeated by laughing in their face. Sometimes the bad guys are just clowns, and they should be treated as such. I came in through the Bloodborne video, and had watched it twice before wondering what else this guy had done, and with it being right after the 2016 election, your backlog was kind of exactly what I needed. Anyway, I'm looking forward to more videos like this, as well as the bigger projects. Keep it up, Hbomb, and keep it up, Kat!

William Heathcote

Beard looks good, hair was a bit shocking but ultimately wouldn't be bad if it were properly shaved. Just... get a second person to do it, maybe. Makes you look like a different person, which is weird, but y'know. Not bad. You look older. Of course, to paraphrase BDG, you're not my friend, and I have no say over what you do with your body.

it turns out you just have to yell at him

Kat Lo

I just spend the last ten minutes trying to figure out what RWBY stands for and now I feel like an idiot for not just googling it

Aaron J. Shay

I'm new to Patreon so please forgive me if my comment feels weird compared to the usual comments you get. As a History masters student who frequently experiences feelings of burnout/doubts over my own ability to contribute anything worthwhile to society, you're discussion about your ADHD + your archived reaction to getting over 33,000 views to the Sarkeesian has been a unexpected moral boost for me. Hearing you express similar feeling to what I experience during my low points has made me think that maybe I might be capable of one day doing something great that positively influences people. Thank you for the great work you do and I look forward to your defence of the PrequelsFor what its worth, I used to detest them but after finding out you liked them I gave them a re-watch and now I view them more positively. I now view them as heavily flawed but ultimately decent-ish films. Maybe your argument might convince me

when this video did the rounds on tumblr I loved it so much I would show people in person, like sit them down and watch them watch it because the mix of horror and delight on peoples faces was so funny to me - if atlas shrugged any harder he'd fall of his dads couch is a phrase that is in my brain forever now and when i am old i will alarm my family members as i repeat it without context and chuckle to myself

I think I like the new look, but now I can't unsee you as Jesse Pinkman

hey I didn’t *yell* at you it was an assertive reminder, fuck you

Kat Lo

"gender is a myth" is a great way to end a video btw

My face note is: good face, keep it.

I believe she'd seen it, but never made the connection that it was me. That's happened before - when I first got introduced to my producer, Kat, she had seen the video years before but didn't realise it was me. I think Anita is also a human being who's very wise with her time, and probably doesn't really watch videos about her in any capacity, so if she hasn't seen it, it would make sense. I like the idea that this whole chain of events happened while she was doing something else with her time.

Hbomb

I love this kind of retrospective video, I hope you keep doing them! Jordan saying he and Davis could be on Last Week Tonight was something I had to go back and hear three times before I accepted that it was real — what did he think the story would be on?? Also, I have to know: how did that last story end? Had she seen your video before?

RJ Blue

You wear rhe bald look wel

RyudonDragator

i quit

Hbomb

1. A new video already? This producer is amazing! 2. That look is cool. I kinda messed up and look like a fat, scruffy Cypher from the Matrix now 3. I laughed out loud over your last story :-D

Björn Lammers

I didn't know about your beginnings but felt so emotional watching baby hbomberguy having such a genuine reaction to being recognised 🥰

Ashleigh Gurney

This video is excellent but you look like Brentalfloss now and I can't not see it

Kaleb Galvin

The trick is to feel where the hair is with one hand and follow it with the clippers in the other, trying to make straight vertical lines up your head. Always handy to have a second mirror to check in real time how you're doing. The look works though. Suits you sir, OH!

Dani Gould

In late 2014 I was a lurker on the Something Awful forums, mostly Cinema Discusso, and I knew you as one of the people who would post deep thoughts about Michael Bay's Transformers. Then someone posted the Measured Response video and I was just blown away by how funny and illuminating it was. I wasn't really aware of GamerGate but you taught me never to take it seriously, so thank you. A couple years after that I dug through Davis' old videos - in an incognito window of course - and watched one of his oldest, recorded right after Barack Obama's election in 2008. He seemed happy, and optimistic about the future! It was the only time he didn't seem like a bitter shell of a person, and I felt strangely bad for him in that moment. I guess it's all about surrounding yourself with the right people.

I did not know you had ADHD. I also need someone like Cat/Kat in my life. I'm glad you have that!! (The hair looks good! Not the back, but, the style in general is good)

Kittenpyjamas

I place my hand over the back of my hair that I want to save, and run the bare clipper under it. Works surprisingly well, or maybe I'm just fooling myself. - fellow baldy

the back of your head looks like how my mental health is doing. stay safe and thanks for this great and cool content

Sol

Honestly I love seeing anything you do, and for some reason I had never actually seen the video you were doing this retrospective on! It's really cool to see how far your editing and video-craftsmenship has come !

bald Harris with a beard is such a good look!!!

You have an upsetting amount of testosterone? Wtf dude, just eat more soy

Miriarra

That tumblr post was how I found you! I cried laughing at you reacting to the skull and the FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAAAARS. Now you're the first channel I recommend when people ask for favorites or informative videos. Glad you decided to make a go of it. ps nice hair

Laura 😺

Oh my god, Dragondicks! That's how I found your video! God, that seems like years ago now, probably because... it is. I'm glad to be along for the ride, always fun to see your new videos!

That was really interesting

are you seriously making the star wars videos? I am so excited for that

Damiano Carretta

Thanks, love you, too!

Letzter Aufruf

All the things you can do while you're HOMESTUCK, huh?

Your Resident Homestuck Guy, Gumba Masta

Ummmm...sploosh!?

The Worm's Hole