Growing up with siblings can be simultaneously fun and distressing. But in either case, you’re sure to get a good story or two out of the experience. They’re the kind of stories that every family member already knows, but no one gets sick of hearing them. They’re the ones that maybe in the moment weren’t very funny but now spark laughter when you tell them at the dinner table.
And has Bryson Rasmussen, otherwise known on YouTube as Haminations, got quite a few stories to tell you.
Take, for instance, when the animator tells us about the many times his younger brother scarcely survived various near-death experiences. Or maybe he’ll tell you about those times Rasmussen and his brothers would sit down to play a game from the Mario franchise.
And when Rasmussen isn’t animating videos about his family’s antics, he’s showing more general stories about experiences he’s had while growing up, from dealing with being short to visiting the dentist (among other things).
Note: Haminations was requested by a user of Plugged In. Do you have a YouTube channel you’d like us to review? Submit your request by sending it to [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram so we can check it out!
Rasmussen talks about how he looks younger than he is. He mentions that for a long time, he was shorter than most of his classmates and maintained a “baby face” for years, making him feel insecure. Using that experience, he tells his audience that differences are what make them special. And he reminds them that, when they’re their growing up, it’s normal to think you look a bit—regardless of if whether that’s true or not.
And, on a related note, Rasmussen talks about how he didn’t allow his insecurities or cultural opinion to sway him from the path he believed was the right one regarding his stature.
When his family members and relatives pop up in stories, Rasmussen’s real relatives voice their characters. Many of these dramatized tales depict him and his brothers hanging out and having fun. It’s clear the members of Rasmussen’s family love each other very much.
Rasmussen’s animation skills get better with each video. Aspiring artists may be encouraged to continue drawing as they see how Rasmussen’s own artistic progress.
In one video, Rasmussen calls out parents who refuse to discipline their children, even when those kids are hurting others. In another, we hear about an instance in which he, along with a youth group, provided aid to people in need in another country.
Finally, Rasmussen’s comedic timing is superb. And those who catch the many references he makes to other media in his videos will appreciate that wit, too.
Rasmussen’s animated version of himself tends to kill those who disagree with him in his videos, which is intended for hyperbolic comedic effect. People are shot in the head, chopped up into pieces or pierced through. Deaths can contain a bit of blood or dismemberment. And in other instances, Rasmussen discusses and animates some of the near-death experiences he or his brother have survived, from nearly being run over by a car to accidentally ingesting too many prescription pills.
In one video, Rasmussen tells the story of his first kiss. In a short, his character works out while wearing a headband that looks quite similar to the transgender flag—an artistic choice which many commenters have pointed out. Though he clarifies he’s joking, Rasmussen makes jokes about hating women.
Occasionally, Rasmussen depicts God reacting to his antics. In one instance, He crosses off Rasmussen’s name from a list for heaven after a prank he’s played on his brother. In another, God falls asleep while creating Rasmussen; He was in the process of using a character creator, and He accidentally makes Rasmussen’s legs too long. And a third video depicts God smiting him for calling parts of the body “bad character design.” Another video depicts Rasmussen being dragged to hell for his deeds, while another depicts Satan showing up to talk with him.
Rasmussen himself, though he’s old enough, doesn’t drink alcohol; he jokingly says he’s crazy enough already while sober, and he’d hate to see how he would act while inebriated. Still, he animates himself vomiting due to drinking too much. In another video, he mentions feeding marijuana leaves to a cow.
Though Haminations doesn’t have a lot of crude language, it does have some. In a video promoting his bluffing card game Bull Shark, Rasmussen says the s-word. In other instances, the f-word and s-word are censored. We heard one instance of “h—,” and one misuse of God’s name.
I think most of us have those stories—the ones that bond us to our families or the tales of a major or minor life event we tell friends at a restaurant. In every story we hear, we bond with the storyteller, and, consciously or not, we connect to them via our own experiences, too.
Viewers of Hamination will certainly be able to relate to many of the stories he shares. When Rasmussen tells of his time playing Mario Party with his brothers, I think about when my own brother and I would slink downstairs at six in the morning to play that same game before elementary school started. When he pokes fun at his painful dental visits, we’re right there alongside him, thinking of our own perhaps less-than-enjoyable trips.
However, a few of those stories touch on things meant for older audiences. And while swearing is limited, one video does contain the s-word. What’s more, Rasmussen heightens their tension and comedy with violence. And while it’s all meant in good fun, some moments may be a bit too mature for preteens and 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 thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family, that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!
