YouTube allows almost anyone to make videos about almost anything.
Have a passion for gaming? Upload it. Like to make reaction content? Go ahead. Want to teach a subject? Sure, that’s great, too.
Some, like YouTuber fern, use the site to produce high-quality documentaries.
The channel popped up in 2020, created by a trio of amateur filmmakers: David, Jonas and Elmer. Its first video was an animated 10-minute explanation of the 2015 hijacking of Germanwings Flight 9525. And in the time since that first video, fern has accumulated over 4 million subscribers through over 100 documentary-style animations, which the channel describes as “armchair documentaries.”
These videos focus on a wide variety of topics: drug abuse in Europe, mutated animals in Chernobyl, an FBI agent infiltrating the KKK, how Coca-Cola Freestyle machines work and much, much more.
As some of those topics might indicate, many videos deal with mature content.
Note: fern was requested by a reader of Plugged In. Do you have a YouTube channel you’d like us to review? Submit your request by sending it to letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram so we can check it out!
The sheer amount of research required for each one of the videos on fern is impressive—made more so by the channel’s near-weekly posting schedule. The documentaries are compelling and informative, and they often give plenty of background to help viewers understand what led to the events being covered. Those who watch a video on any given topic will certainly come away with a much better understanding of the issue.
Likewise, the channel makes its own animations to reenact the events it references. These provide a helpful visual aspect that makes tracking the story far easier. Most videos also come with a distinctly animated intro sequence and music that increases the production value, like something one might expect to come from a much larger film company.
The channel’s documentaries cover a wide variety of mature issues. While these videos focus on giving an informative overview, their presence may be inappropriate for younger audiences:
Videos may focus on the crimes of serial killers like Ted Bundy or how Japan tortured and experimented on humans prior to and during World War II. We learn about horrific examples of torture or sexual abuse. Other videos discuss terrorism, rapes, murders, assassinations and more. A couple of video topics were released less than 24 hours after prominent violent acts they cover, such as the Trump assassination attempt, Charlie Kirk’s murder and the United States and Israel’s surprise attack on Iran.
Some videos occasionally touch on religious topics: One video investigates Grace Road, an abusive doomsday cult with economic prominence in Fiji. In another, an FBI agent discusses how, as a teenager, he saw a demon after engaging in occult activity—an experience which led him to become a Christian. The same man, while on an undercover operation within a terrorist group, notes partaking in a pagan ritual involving killing a goat and drinking its blood (though he refused to imbibe).
Other videos discuss the meth and cocaine epidemics in Europe, as well as the discovery of hallucinogens LSD and DMT.
We heard a couple of crudities, including the s-word and “d–n.” In other instances, words like the f-word and “a–” were censored by the video’s narrator when reading quotes. However, when seen in text or in thumbnails, the f-word, s-word and “b–ch” were all uncensored.
Some videos can make political comments that include prominent and active politicians.
The YouTube channel fern covers an impressive array of topics, with videos that are well thought out and artistically produced. Its animations help viewers to visualize the events, making the subject matter feel a bit easier to grasp. Still, while plenty of adults will enjoy the educational content, it should be noted that many of the topics covered here are likely too mature for younger viewers.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
