March Ramble: That time I went to Japan

The Moomins are Finnish, and my favorite character is Litte My. Ooh.. you should watch the moomin series on youtube and do a hot take.

Markus Andrews

I'd never heard of Tokyo DisneySea before watching this video, but when I checked out their website I got weirdly excited by the fact they have a ride themed around “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, which is one of my fave bad movies of all time! In the words of Liz Lemon: I want to go to there.

Dee Crosier

Praise Jenny for saying "cast recording," we stan

cello

Tbh, I've never gotten to hear about Tokyo Disney before and I've always wanted to know what it's like, so that was hella good! :D

Nico Boggs

I just became a Patreon after watching all of your videos in the space of about a week lol. Me and my boyfriend moved to Japan a few months ago and it's still pretty hard to find vegan and vegetarian options but it's definitely improving, people definitely know about it and it's a "trend" but the vegan restaurants we've been to are full of foreigners lol. It's interesting because vegetarianism is a big part of the history of Japan, meat was banned during some periods. The Pokemon centers here are great *O* There's constantly new limited items coming out. Tokyo DisneySea sounds amazing~

I'm reading through the whole comments thread 'cause it's my work's all done on this Friday afternoon and this is the best suggestion I've seen so far.

Shaun Cheah

It is the source of the some of the web's rawest and most powerful memes, though. I think the meme refinery chain goes 4chan -> Reddit > 9gag -> Facebook with the memery becoming less offensive and more palatable but also weaker as you progress. There's also the parallel chain of Tumblr -> Reddit -> 9gag -> Facebook or Snapchat -> YouTube.. I don't know where I'm going with this. But yeah I pick up most of my memes on Reddit; 4chan is too much. Something like it is always going to exist, though, so at least we're getting some dank maymays out of the whole sordid deal.

Shaun Cheah

Yes, hi, I am a donor who would like to see the amount but you are absolutely correct that I'm not upset or unsubscribing because it's hidden. I like numbers and maths and money, so learning about the details of income streams and stuff is always fun for me. Having Jenny be less harassable is more beneficial, though, so it's an easy choice.

Shaun Cheah

Yes, I also prefer to see the amount. I feel a nice compromise would be if the amount was available to patrons but not to the general public. Or Jenny could just mention the amount every ramble; "by the way we're up to a dozen dozen stuffed crust pizzas' worth of donations so far". I'm unreasonably attracted to transparency, though, so I'm probably biased; Americans are horrified by the idea of a national ID but I love how useful and convenient mine is. I also wish everyone would do that Norway (or Sweden?) thing where anyone can request to view anyone else's taxes. Corruption's a huge issue down here and that would make it a lot more work for corrupt people, if that was a law that was implemented. Strange tangent to go on but ultimately I support pretty much whatever Jenny chooses to do. My preference would be to see, but I'm fine with not seeing if that's what's more comfortable.

Shaun Cheah

I'm surprised that they didn't understand vegetarianism, because there are plenty of Buddhists in Japan and Buddhists are vegetarians.

Ezra Tillman

I love that you went to Japan and saw an Austrian musical about a German married into Austrian royalty to become queen of Hungary. Talk about a cultural multi layer sandwich! ;) But seriously, I love that musical. It's really crazy, even without anime wigs.

R2

Also, no problem if you want to take the money off and only display the number of people, whatever makes your life easier <3

sushigirlali

I just got back from 10 days in Paris/London yesterday and the highlight of my trip was Disneyland Paris so I totally relate to this video lol I bought so much Star Wars merch my friends thought I was insane! Great job as always <3

sushigirlali

I do like to see how your patreon is doing, but you good dude. Just take us for a virtual cruise when you buy your mega yacht. Also I was getting caught up with your videos, and the Opposite Worlds one had me in tears. Please do another reality show

Luke Smiff

Ha! Throughout the first half of the video I was thinking, "There's no way she didn't go to Tokyo DisneySea, right?" and sure enough... I got to go there last October on my first-ever trip to Japan. They've turned StormRider into a Nemo ride now, where they "shrink" the ride vehicle down and the Finding Nemo characters talk to you in Japanese (it's always interesting to see Disney animation specifically created for other countries, between that and the Genie show). It was also around Halloween time, so they had the decorations up for that, a ton of people wearing Disney character costumes to the park, and they had a big, villain-themed water show on the main lake. Good times!

Daniel Russo

For the monthly amount, it's nobody's business other than yours!

Mathieu Le Francois

Thanks for the video! It was cool to hear about your experience. :) And as far as the dollar amount being shown, I wouldn’t be offended if you took it down, especially if it’s causing people to harass you. Also, anticipating the upcoming video! Excited to see what movie you pick and your viewpoint!

Authentic and revealing. Thank you.

Bill Holt

About displaying your Patreon gains, I personally think it's preferable to keep it transparent. People who think you're a bad person because others are paying you to make videos (and are totally not just envious) will still think you're a bad person even if the amount is hidden, so might as well flaunt it in their face. See if you can get Patreon to give you the option to add a comma and the word b**** after the amount for maximum effect. You have not implied that it's related, but it might affect some potential donors too, for better or for worse. I have personally refrained from donating both because someone was hiding his gains, and because someone was earning so much more than me that it would have felt weird. I mean I'd rather we keep you just poor enough so you don't hire someone to edit your videos so as to keep them more authentic but you have proven yourself to be enough of an impulsive spender so there's no reason to worry about that. I can't speak for everyone but I think anyone donating for anything just like to have a general idea where it's going. If more money means you see more movies to complain about, buy more books you know you won't like or heck, make that trip to Tokyo Disneyland, then for us it means we're still paying for more interesting videos. Go wild. I don't see any reason to hide anything.

Abel Cassius

"Don't be THAT American" Good advice to remember in all situations. Even when in America.

Shane

As one of your patrons I would prefer that you do whatever you believe is in your best interest. If I were in your position I would not post a dollar amount for a variety of reasons but I support whatever decision you make.

Rob Gundermann

Loved your April Fool's Day vid, don't care whether there's a dollar amount shown or not (but if you're rubbing the hater's faces in it all the better), can't wait to see more!

Thanks! I get most of my clothes from asos because I like that they have video clips of the clothes being worn, so you can really get an idea of what it looks like even though you're buying online. They also have a lot of eccentric stuff. I do find some gems sometimes at Forever21 though, like that shirt I was petting the goat in which I love. I mainly prefer asos because they don't have any local stores so you're not likely to see other people in the same thing as you (when I was in school basically everyone shopped at Target because we didn't have a good downtown so you'd just have everybody in literally all the same things)

Jenny Nicholson

Hi, as a Patreon, I do like to see the amount you make - though only out of idle curiosity. I am just fascinated by how people manage to make money from VLOGs (if that's the right word) like this.

Alex Woodcock-Clarke

Ahhh no way! I didn't even know they made this! It looks just like him. They have modern "yeti" plush that they sell at Matterhorn and Expedition Everest but they don't really resemble either yeti, they might even be made by a third party so I'm not that into them

Jenny Nicholson

I'm the same way with the merch of characters that are unique to theme parks. I managed to get a plush of Harold the yeti from the Matterhorn probably 14 or 15 years ago. (I think I bought it in The Star Trader...? It was in Tomorrowland I think.) Anyway, it's one of my most prized possessions because the Matterhorn was always my favorite ride when I was a kid. It's this one: <a href="https://i.imgur.com/TjledpE.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://i.imgur.com/TjledpE.jpg</a>

Like I said I've heard that in the last handful of years american food restrictions like vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and all combos thereof have become on-trend for japan so I think I'd have an easier time of it now

Jenny Nicholson

Oh god I can't imagine attempting it in one day. Although are they connected by that cute metro line with the mickey windows? We took that one into disney sea from the main subway line. It wasn't all-female! Although I forgot that was a thing until you just reminded me. But no, we had our hunky male anime-Death.

Jenny Nicholson

Oh I found Bundaberg at Draegers (overpriced supermarket but great place to find international/unique stuff, I always go there to stock up on clotted cream or interesting cheese), they had a guava soda and a peach soda that were both amazing. I wish I could get more, unfortunately no Draegers in southern california to my knowledge, so I'll have to wait until I visit my parents again

Jenny Nicholson

If it makesssss you happpppppyyy it cant be that badddddddd

Your right to privacy and to protect yourself from griefers is way more important than satisfying our idle curiosity. It has been fun to see the number but not if it costs you peace of mind.

Michele Coleman

Totally on board with the sodas. Every so often I import sodas or do a swap with friends from other countries. I'm in the UK, we have some of our own strange sodas like Irn Bru or Dandelion &amp; Burdoc. This is my current collection of sodas - <a href="https://i.imgur.com/729sijC.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://i.imgur.com/729sijC.jpg</a>

Booty McJohnson

I loved your story about Tokyo DisneySea. I went there in 2011 and I had 2.5 days to see both parks, so I wasn't as rushed, but I still would have loved to spend more time there. I agree that Tokyo DisneySea is probably the best theme park anywhere and Sinbad's Storybook Voyage is the best ride there. It made me so happy.

Only reason I look at the patron number is to see that the number goes up. Because, the more patrons the more videos/content! Hide the total money amount, but keep the total number of patrons visible. If you can.

Nick Steffensmeier

Regarding the money - as everyone else seems to have said, if it's causing problems, then certainly get rid of it. At the moment, I wouldn't think anyone would seriously think you're overpaid, but there could come a time when people do, or choose not to donate based on that number... and I appreciate that you would consider the ethics of hiding the amount. If you do want to maintain transparency, you might want to consider updating your goals. Congratulations on your monthly pizza, but past that you just vaguely say that more money donated means less time you spend at your job. Could you ID the point at which you could leave your job (or cut down the number of days) and increase the number of videos you create? Or add other enhancements (more snakes?). There's always going to be some "hidden" revenue anyway since we don't know (and don't need to know) how much you're getting from Youtube, say, or Pizza Hut.

Ken Hall

Regarding Japan - I loved the food there more than anything... the thought of you eating 7-11 eclairs is kind of tragic.

Ken Hall

This was so nostalgic for me. :D (In the good way, not the Ready Player One way.) My bff and I went to BOTH Disney parks in Tokyo on the same day. I mean... it involved getting up at 5 in the morning and leaving Disney Land at like 2pm so we could hurry over to go to Disney Sea, but yeah. Fun times. Also, was the production of Elisabeth all-female? Because if so, I'm super jealous! (The Takarazuka Revue weren't playing at any theatres in Tokyo when we went. :( )

Clair H.

A suggestion about whether or not to display the amount you're earning on Patreon would be to just show the number of patrons publicly and then add the amount at the bottom of the description of your ramble videos. That gives the information to patrons, who might want to know, but keeps it private from 4 chan trolls etc. Another creator I support does something like that and it seems to work for them. They also had a concern that as the amount earned got larger it was acting as a disincentive to new patrons.

JK

I think you should do whatever will piss off the 4chan dipshits the most

Boartails

To me you should just do whatever makes you comfortable when it comes to revealing how much you make. Does hiding that also hide how many people donate to the different tiers? For 4chan at least I feel like they are the type of people who would just add it all up to complain about it..

Jessica Carter

Personally i like seeing the dollar amount, but also after with everyone else that you should remove it if it leads to unnecessary confrontations. Don't really understand why anyone would give you specifically shit for it though. Compared to other patreons I've seen yours provides much more value per dollar, and I feel like you probably average a smaller donation per patron than most creators. I don't have data to back that up, but that's my guess from what I've seen

purplehayes

I think it's sweet of you to have asked, but as far as I'm concerned you can do whatever you want with your Patreon, including adjusting the visible stats--I'm pledged because I like your videos rather than because I'd like to see the number go up. switching gears: I would like to recommend a bad movie to you and your friends. I watched most of it alone but I think it would be even better with some companions. it's called Skybound and it is about five kids trapped in the air on a private plane (which means they're rich, so you know they're likable!!!!) the most famous person in the movie is Hugh Hefner's son's fiance, and it was both written and directed by an Austrian architect with only a vague understanding of American culture. I saw it on a premium cable channel called Showtime Beyond that exclusively shows thrillers, horror films, and scifi movies, and all of them are garbage. you're my age and I don't think you're living with your parents so you probably don't pay for cable, but if you know anyone who does I recommend that shit for sure

Andrew Kornfeld

Oh my gosh, if you are getting crap for that dollar amount take it the heck down!

Erica Comitalo

I agree with some others that it's fun to watch the fanbase grow of a creator you support, but it's just as easy to do that with the # of patrons pledging as it is the # of dollars pledged. If you think that there's a chance that removing the latter figure will lessen the harassment, go for it!

Daniel Anderson

I didn't even think of that as an April Fools video. It just seemed like the type of video you'd normally post

matt

Forgot to mention that I definitely HAD to go on youtube and watch videos of all the rides you mentioned at DisneySea

Daniel Stephan

Girl can we please talk about where you buy your clothes? The past like 5 videos I've wanted to wear everything you're wearing.

Bri Cousineau

I hope to visit Japan someday, definitely on the bucket list. Also, I say feel free to hide that dollar amount

Daniel Stephan

I enjoy watching the dollar amount climb but if it is a source of problems for you, I definitely don't mind it being hidden.

R.G. Nairam

Totally take the number down, if just for psychological, theory-of-giving reasons—I had a donation button up on a site that had some free software tutorials and has been running for almost 10 years. I noticed that once the number of donations got to around $2,000 total they slowed way down. My theory was that people see that, think "that dude's got plenty of money, he doesn't need mine" and didn't donate. I wanted to try removing the total amount to see if it affected that dropoff but then the company (Pledgie) went out of business. :(

For the first 1/3 of the video I thought your shirt said "Tar War". I saw the stormtrooper and Darth Vader, but I didn't put it together. I thought it was some kind of cute play on sports teams like the Hoth Wampas or the Tatooine Banthas. I'm more familiar with Star Trek.

Sarah Matthews

I think you should do what makes you feel most comfortable! If that means hiding the number, then go for it. I have a friend who had a particularly awful experience being doxxed by 4chan users who found her medical fundraiser-- her whole family was affected, too. :( It seems that 4chan harassment often transgresses into cyberstalking-- do whatever you need to feel safe here :) Also, my boyfriend and I were taking silly personality quizzes last night and I found this comically terrible Winx Club one. I feel like you'd like it. allthetests.com/quiz25/quiz/1205468911/Which-Winx-club-girl-are-you

Sarah Hubbard

If hiding the number could possibly lead to less harassment, definitely go for that.

Ficsandmusings

I would love for you to vlog from all the foreign Disneylands. What would the patreon number need to get to to make that happen?

HipsterVideo.com

You should do anything that makes you feel more safe and comfortable!

Dustin K

I haven't made my earnings private for much the same reason that you're indicating you're unsure of- and I don't actually think anybody cares about it. People will harass you for hiding it though too. People just... Get off on harassing women who are entertaining.

Freya Northman

Showing them your SLIDES!!! I'm dead...

AndyofCT

I like seeing the amount just to see how your fanbase is growing, but not a big deal at if you want to remove it, especially if its causing you harassment. I would love it if part of my Patreon contribution went to this book. Partly just because I want to know what it is! I tried googling it but came up empty.

Regarding the amount, you should do whatever you feel comfortable with, and whatever will make you feel most secure. The reality unfortunately is that the people in question will probably just harass you equally as much for NOT making the amount public, because they don't care about logical consistency, they will just be mean regardless. Really sorry to hear that those assholes are giving you trouble. But we've got your back! Happy Easter. :)

Brandon Beasley

In terms of vegetarian food in Japan, there is a long tradition of shojin food, a vegan diet developed by Japanese Buddhist monks. It's not super mainstream, though, so it may take some effort to track down. Also, there's namafu, a dough made out of gluten and rice flour. I think namafu is fairly widely available, even many Japanese markets in NYC carry it. If you want to try it out, dried namafu (aka yakifu) can be ordered from Amazon. Eating them dry, they taste kinda like crackers, but if you re-hydrate them, their texture becomes more like mochi. My favorite restaurant, Kajitsu, mixes other ingredients into the dough and they are like solid blocks of pure flavor.

Irene Adler

I’m totally fine with you not showing your amounts especially if it helps curb some 4chan attention

Daniel Paugh

I love onigiri! They're kinda analogous to sandwiches, in that they are a portable food-thing that combines a starchy base with meat or whatever filling you like. When I went to Tokyo with my husband, I had read about this fancy food mall in Shibuya, in the basement of the Shibuya Station building complex, and I found these incredibly good onigiri at one of the shops there, and I made multiple trips there to bring bags of onigiri back to the hotel room. Their most popular item was the salmon-filled one, but my favorite was the grilled Kobe beef-filled one. I think they also had vegetarian fillings, so, you know, if you ever find yourself back in Tokyo, consider checking out the food mall in Shibuya Station :)

Irene Adler

Oh, I loved Moomin as a child. I recently bought several of the books and loved them all over again. Sniff's my favourite. I really enjoyed this ramble. I know people complain about holiday photos etc. but it's interesting to hear about places you'd like to go. And I'm sorry to hear about 4chan. I've been there a couple of times, shuddered delicately and left. Whatever you think best about the money.

Stuart Payne

That was unexpected. I’ve just finished a biography of her and one about her son Rudolf and there was a dreamlike moment when my groggy brain didn’t quite understand what I’d heard.

Stuart Payne

Unfortunately, in a world where people have an axe to grind with you, and your income or part of your income is freely available to be seen, people will give you hassle over it, the world over. It's very sad but it's also the world we live in.

Joe Robinson

I’m all for transparency, but it begs the question: Why would someone harass you over that shit? They need to get a life. You provide content. Who cares how much you get paid for it? You’re not scamming people for cash. If people want to donate, cool. I’m guessing that harassment comes from sort of deep-seated jealously. I learned a long time ago that people will be jealous of anything, and to fight that is a losing battle. I feel like removing the number would be empowering them. Screw them. Some people choose to be miserable. Let them be. Unless they’re a real life physical threat, it’s not worth your energy to engage them.

Bill Lehecka

I like seeing it, but not if it makes you uncomfortable. Edit: Also #$%! 4chan, that place is miserable!

As fans, our top priorities besides being entertained are your your safety, privacy, and overall well being — so you can keep making great videos! Congrats on your success so far. No one deserves to know about your financials even if they are paying you.

Michael Puckett

I'd prefer for you to keep the amount visible for transparency and as a clear public indicator of growth. I don't believe that hiding the number will significantly reduce the amount of harassment. Hiding the number may even increase harassment in the short term.

Hearing you talking about Elisabeth was really weird, but I'm glad you liked it! It's originally an Austrian/Hungarian musical, since she was Austro-Hungarian (but of course it's originally in German). Outside of the US and UK people mostly have to rely on these shows is they're musical theatre fans, because outside of some ALW stuff and maybe Beauty and the Beast, we don't really get to see American musicals.

I don’t think it’s that important to display your Patreon amount. I’m sure some of your donors would like to see it but I’d be really surprised if any of them got mad or unsubscribed if you hid it. With that in mind, you should absolutely hide it if it has become a source of harassment for you.

Peter Marez

Personally, I'd say just the number of donors is fine

Blue Corn

I wouldn't be bothered if you made the amount private. If you're finding it to be a source of harassment, I'd rather you not be. Another great ramble video Jenny!

Paul Gibbs

I have noticed this too and it has bugged me.

Joe Bloe

Wait. Only been to Japan and Australia. Euro Disney! Oh wait, they renamed it since I went... Disney Francois?

Joe Bloe

Oh oh before you make the Patreon dollar amount invisible, I have a question about it that's been bugging me. On the right-hand side it says you have 835 $1 patrons, 337 at $5, and 28 at $25. That should make a total of at least $3220 from 1200 donors, but the overall total is less: $2942 from 1177 donors. Do you know why there's this discrepancy?

David Barry

You weren't tempted by Nara Dreamland? It's like regular Disney Land but with feral raccoons and free-roaming snakes

F W Pancakes

New patron here! Definitely with you on novelty sodas. I can’t resist trying unusual flavours if I see them, even if they’re a flavour a don’t particularly like in other food and drink. I can’t think of a good reason to keep the patreon total visible if it’s exacerbating the harassment you get. Seeing the total’s nice I guess, but just seeing the number of patrons gives you the same feeling of contributing to something larger.

George Dodd

I definitely prefer to see the amount. It makes me feel like I'm helping to achieve something. Just a number of patrons doesn't give me that emotional feedback. That said: I wouldn't stop donating if you changed it. If you want that privacy that's probably worth more than me going "oh, that's a cool amount, glad I'm part of it" every now and then.

Joe Bloe

Another great ramble, Jenny. About the amount per month, personally I think that's information that doesn't need to be shared. I'm happily donating money so you can keep creating...

Bruce Climas

OK, so how do we fund raise for a Tokyo Disney trip?

Joe Bloe