Wisecrack
Wisecrack is a collective known for funny, thoughtful videos about philosophy, literature, and pop culture, whose team signed off in April 2025.
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Latest
Wisecrack’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus their backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
TED-EdOverview
- Format
- Comedy, philosophy, and pop culture video essays
- Early hit
- Thug Notes, launched in June 2013
- Co-founders
- Jacob Salamon and Jared Bauer
- Team farewell
- April 16, 2025
Mini bio
How it started.
Jacob Salamon and Jared Bauer met in a college astronomy class and decided to move to Los Angeles to make movies. They began producing short viral videos in 2012, then found their direction in mixing academic ideas with comedy.
The breakout.
Thug Notes brought literary analysis to YouTube with comedian Greg Edwards as Sparky Sweets, Ph.D. Its June 2013 Crime and Punishment episode opened a series that made classic books approachable through jokes and close reading. By January 2017, Wisecrack had passed 1.5 million subscribers.
Big ideas, familiar worlds.
8-Bit Philosophy introduced thinkers through classic video games. Wisecrack Edition explored the ideas inside popular entertainment, including Rick and Morty. The collective also contributed the lesson Plato’s best (and worst) ideas to TED-Ed.
The farewell.
On April 16, 2025, Wisecrack’s team posted Wisecrack is Dead. The description calls it their last video in that iteration with that team, and thanks fans for their years of support.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2016Plato’s best (and worst) ideasLesson by Wisecrack for TED-Ed
- 2015The Philosophy of Rick and MortyWisecrack Edition production; created, directed, and narrated by Jared Bauer
- 2014What is Real? (Plato’s Allegory of the Cave)8-Bit Philosophy production; written and directed by Jared Bauer
- 2013Crime and Punishment: Thug NotesLiterary summary and analysis series
Quotes
We believe big ideas can come from the most unusual and unexpected placesWisecrack, Patreon About page
The collective describes its approach to finding ideas in everyday culture.
Trivia
- Salamon and Bauer first met in astronomy class.
- The first 8-Bit Philosophy episode uses The Legend of Zelda to explain Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
- The Rick and Morty philosophy video credits Lazerhawk for its music.
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