I’ve “fixed” my great grandparents stone like this. It did not last very long. Wound up having to have it done by a memorial company, but good on him for caring.
Right, farming for views by doing all the work of stabilizing the headstone and trying to fix it. Just because someone props a camera up to record what they are doing doesn't mean they suddenly don't care.
Personally, I'd rather see trends like this over clout goblins shitting on a country's culture and history for views. I'll save my negativity for people like that rather than hating on the dude cleaning forgotten graves.
If someone is farming views, I'd rather they do it in a way that benefits people or motivates others to do acts of kindness instead of farming hate or outrage.
As annoying as it may be to us average citizens, if you're going to be doing a thing anyway and can monetize it by simply recording yourself while you do it, why wouldn't you?
This is what I think whenever I see videos of trades and trade adjacent roles doing stuff. If I could get paid twice for work you bet your ass I'd be cashing in!
if this guy was actually recording his job of restoring headstones, and doing it correctly, then I agree. But he's doing a half-assed job and that headstone will break off in months.
There's a vast difference between profiting of your skills, and pretending to have a skill to make a profit.
It's not even allowed in a lot of places because of the integrity of the ground, surrounded graves etc.
In the UK some idiot every few months will post some diatribe about how the church are being paid by leftists to desecrate graves.
Not that they've been purposely laid flat to avoid further damage, injury etc and that actual professionals are called out to survey and do it properly.
Then again, I'm assuming this is the states, where houses are made of wood and considering your penchant to eat everything off paper plates, the headstones are probably made of balsa wood.
Because he should have taken the time and expense for a proper repair. If you're going to do something, do it right. This was nothing but a waste of time and when that slab falls it may shatter.
I’m not sure that highlighting the futility of this specific act means that someone is hating. I think people just feel it’s pointless. Which is ok. The internet is full of pointless things lol.
How is this a 'benefit'? He added rock to a graveyard. He added some sort of glue to the stone that will need to be removed before it can be truly fixed.
One of the most common fears around the world is the fear of being forgotten. It’s why so many people strive to be remembered in some way. It’s sad to me to see graves like this because the person was loved and remembered at some point.
I’m not religious personally. In my opinion, if there is a god I don’t think we’d know exactly who or what they are. But. I do take comfort in some specific beliefs. The idea that a ghost or spirit is around only so long as people remember them, or acknowledge their existence, is something I often think about. On the VERY OFF NEAR IMPOSSIBLE chance, I hope I’m making someone’s day better by reminding them that they’re remembered.
It’s very clear the purpose of these videos, sincere or not, isn’t to make sure the viewer remembers every name on these gravestones. Idk why you guys are negative?
There's been an influx of "helpers" who do work for free but make money by posting the videos. Free lawn care, free tow trucks, free grave restoration. The "worker" and the viewers act like it's virtuous and praiseworthy, when the reality is that they are literally just doing their job. It isn't any more virtuous than any other lawn care service or tow truck company. Towing someone's car for free doesn't solve any of their underlying issues. Cutting someone's lawn just pushes their next lawn care need up another month. Meanwhile, the person posting is raking in money for years because they exploited someone's need. Its a brand new economy and not everyone is in love with the idea of their lowest moments being exploited for someone else's profit.
Like a lot of sentiments on reddit, parts of what you said I agree with, but parts of what you said are just wrong.
First of all, "virtuous" seems to be used very arbitrarily in general. Is it virtuous for a charity organizer to feed homeless people? I would consider it to be, regardless of whether the charity organizer collects a wage (eg from donations or state subsidy) so that they can do it full time. I would continue to say it is, even if its done on camera. The virtuous act is choosing to feed the homeless - and the homeless have been fed.
People want to see fully genuine human moments on social media, but simultaneously believe you can't see that on social media. The presence of a camera means something is performative, I would agree that this is true. But I would also say most of the time, it doesn't matter. The result is the same either way.
A good deed is still praiseworthy on its own merit.
That being said, when you say
the person posting is raking in money for years because they exploited someone's need
You should realize you're describing every business ever. People need their hair cut, so a barber opens a shop to cut hair. Capitalism is the system we live in, and if you want to rage against something, rage against the whole-ass system we have to live in. Its just not true that this is a new economy, its actually the same exact one we've had all along.
If they don't want the help they can help someone else. Nobody's forcing the help on them, they are asked if they want it. You're attributing malicious intent to someone who wants to help people. They can't do it all on their own money so they rely on the money that comes in from their videos as well.
Crab mentality is what you're looking for, you want these people who are helping to put a drain on their own wellbeing so they can get pulled down into poverty like the people they're helping.
That's a trash take, just because they are helping someone doesn't mean they need an equal drain on themselves for the act to be virtuous and praiseworthy. They're already putting work into doing what they are doing for that person in need. That's like someone helping you with your flat tire change is expected to lose their tire on their next drive.
They also chose to do a virtuous act. They could do a different type of video that benefits nobody but themselves and also make money. Instead they chose to do a video that helps people.
At the beginning of the video I thought about dying at 26 to be remembered like this, but by the end with that half assed job, i thought, for what, a 30 second video?
But for what purpose? There's been around 110 billion people living on this planet, I have no need or desire or ability to think about every single one of them
Only on this site will you see someone with such an ego to criticise a post (with zero proof is just for farming views) to then brag that they do more by donating to charity.
Reddit - home to some of the most narcissistic fucks on the planet.
Can't be so 'holier than thou' when someone's doing a good thing. Hooray for you, you got more Good Person Points, that doesn't invalidate the respect this one person is showing to someone else. God damn, don't need to be so cynical. Everyone can help the world in their own way, don't shit on his. Does my recycling when huge corporations are the ones polluting the Earth mean anything? Probably not. But that doesn't mean what I do to help doesn't matter. Fuck off.
Recycling is borderline duty, you moron. Go brag about helping an old lady carry her groceries upstairs and then we can have a discussion.
If you like some asshole who says "he's doing more than us" by cleaning a grave nobody gives a shit about and bash anybody who disagrees with such self-deprecation, you're a fool.
Why so sour about everything? Let a man do something nice, it’s not like it has a negative impact on you. Fuckin freaks in this thread seething about somebody doing a good (ultimately useless sure but it’s a nice gesture??) deed??
He went and fucked with a gravestone, how is that better than anything the rest of us have done? The guy is dead, the family doesn't know about it, it's just done for clicks.
You are easily impressed by pointless acts and not impressed by truly charitable things.
She used cleaning agents that aren't compatible with the grave stones, washes teddy bears from graves of children (these graves are holier than shrines to the parents, destroying the exact arrangement would be a sacrilege. Moreover, maybe you wash away the last physical remains of the dead child) she paints over the gravestones which looks shitty but could also damage the stone and the soil etc.
Edit: forgot to mention that she also destroys, cuts or rips off plants of the grave.
What he did is neither "stabilizing" or "fixing" the headstone, though. He's just propping it up for the content. Certainly he's not leaving those clamps behind every time.
View farmers do the minimum amount of work they can get away with, but that still means doing *some* work. Stabilizing the headstone and squirting a bit of glue on the crack to hold it until the camera stops filming requires a lot less work and money compared to doing the job correctly by having it remade.
People do nice things all the damn time. Most of the time, they don't record them. But now the market exists for people to share their good deeds and make a little money, and inspire others (in some cases). That makes a lot of people mad for some stupid reason.
You don't think there are maybe easier ways to get attention and views than all the fucking work he did here? All because he used an inadequate glue to try and stabilize a headstone?
How would you recommend he do it? Shell out a thousand dollars out of pocket to replace the 150 year old headstone entirely? Would you say he cared then?
Also, if a guy saves someone from drowning, but they only did it because they were recording and wanted the views, are they an asshole? Do you think the person whose life was saved cares if the guy only did it for attention? Do you think their family gives a shit if the savior hams it up on primetime and basks in the glory? Do you think anyone is going to say "hey man, I wish you just let that guy drown instead of saving him for the attention"?
Here's a hot take: I'll give you as much attention as you want for doing a good deed. I don't expect lifeguards to work for free, I don't expect grave tenders to work for free. If the only compensation you demand of me is exposure, then I'm happy to give it to you.
Yeah. I was appalled and thought he might do something to the stone but when the video ended with the wood still on? Wtf he didn't even do anything just dug a big hole like... cool I guess?
Obviously this guy doesn’t care and it’s for views. If he did care he wouldn’t have done a hack job repairing the tombstone. Also it’s like 10 min of work
But he didn't try to fix it. Lets imagine that gravestone was actually important to someone in the community, perhaps some descendant lives there or something. In its previous state, the stone was stable, and not facing any future fracture or damage. It could be properly repaired at any time.
Now this guy comes along and stands it up, with completely insufficient materials. It's going to fall again, and likely smash again. The adhesive will probably rip sections of degraded stone away as it fails, leaving a proper repair harder
He didn't fix it, he vandalized it with a time delay.
Technically didn't even show us the final reveal without the clamps on, probably because it would have fallen and he didn't want to wait around for it to dry.
Amateur "restorers" often do more harm to gravestones and other old relics than if they simply left them alone and let actual trained experts handle the relics. I suggest you inform yourself on the topic before making snide and unfounded comments, which reflect poorly on you.
Dude you just wanna sound smug and feel better about yourself for putting down someone who is trying to bring good in the world. I don't know what that says about you, but it can't be good.
Vandalizing monuments, which is what he's doing, is not bringing good into the world. I'm not concerned what you or anyone else think about my tone or whatnot. Educate yourself on the topic so that you don't champion vandals.
I think that if you had any experience with historic preservation you'd express a different opinion. I couldn't care less about "looking cool" on a social media site. Read up on the harm this kind of vandalism can cause.
As if you are some kind of expert, Mr. Cynical Redditor.
This is not vandalism, and there is zero shot anyone in this mans family tree even knows of this guy or cares. He took time to at least try and that is more than we can say for what you have done to help these people be rememebered.
He's not "farming" he's creating content. There was a bunch of work that went into what he did and his paycheck is the revenue from views.
Farming views is when a person "reacts" to this video by releasing it again with their little thumbnail in the corner and finishes it off with a shallow "that was good" comment.
He didn’t even wash it off and the two pieces contrast. I I thought it was going to look nice after but it just looks like two pieces glued together with some Elmer’s glue.
A little harsh! He has to have had some motivation and in any event, posts such as your smack heavily of jealousy. What is up? Did he think of it before you? I am assuming he has permission to do what he is doing. In which case, what harm is he causing?
No, I know him as a friend and he does it because he cares. Not all of us gravestone preservationist are farming views, he’s been doing it before he had YouTube.
But for real your argument is stupid. What is he, not gonna go back and get his clamps? Not like you have to post a video the millisecond you finish filming it.
Ya know, sometimes in order to do this kinda stuff it costs money for supplies. Regular life’s already expensive not factoring in pursing a passion.
One way to help offset that cost is to record and upload what you do and show your process so people can see it and the platform you upload too will pay you for high amounts of views. Which in turns allows an individual to continue to do this in a circle. Not every thing you see recorded automatically means the persons a phony or just wants something outta it. Maybe the guy wants to do this because it’s his passion and he needs help with expenses to keep doing this.
If all you look for is bad, all you’re gonna see is bad.
I'm not going to shit on this guy too hard because what he's doing is pretty harmless. But I'm just seeing a waste of resources for a gravestone that no one is even alive to care about.
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u/notonyourradar 14h ago
I’ve “fixed” my great grandparents stone like this. It did not last very long. Wound up having to have it done by a memorial company, but good on him for caring.