The People Who Hate Us

Thanks to everyone who asked about our Patreon. I'll put out a full video when I get the time, but for those who want to jump the gun and get on board from the start, here's the link: www.patreon.com/rareearth It means a huge deal that so many have asked us to start an account. I never thought anyone would watch these videos, let alone support them.

I grew up in an area where tourism was our main source of income. I hated tourists. I hated them for being wealthy. I hated them for ignoring us. I hated cooking their food for them and washing their dishes. I hated them for turning our towns into places filled with stupid knick-knack shops and restaurants. Now I am a tourist

Self awareness, is the most helpful, harmful thing that we have.

I think the difference between the phone box and Cambodia's war camp sites is the intent. By sharing the horrors of what occured in Cambodia you are creating awareness to stop something like that from happening again, but in the case of the phone box you would just be invading the grieving privacy of people who could not be helped by your broadcasting. Broadcasting misery is only worth doing if you do not give back to those people in some way. Broadcasting the grief of others, with no intent of aid, seems to just extend their misery - good journalism must give more than it takes.

Just wanted to say that I have the exact same dilemma as you when making videos. My thinking came down to that whenever you're filming people and telling their stories, whether with explicit permission or not, whether you're paying or not, you're exploiting them in some way. Sorry if you mentioned this, I watched yesterday but didn't comment until today, but did you think about the opposite side of things? The people making the videos are also being exploited as well if you think about it. Maybe it's a business that gets featured, or some activist who wants to promote a viewpoint, or a tourism agency that wants more visitors, or simply someone who gets a kick out of being in a public video. I think you're rather similar to me when making videos, where you're trying to capture some bit of truth. With all those factors in play on both sides, I do find it a struggle to tell a story that reflects reality, and it seems you do as well. Anyways, looking forward to your videos from Cuba. Keep up the great work!

Self awareness is one of our most valuable traits. Sadly it is too rare. I am grateful in yours and your attempt to grow that trait in others

Whether your work exploits people can be determined through one concept: reciprocity. Are you giving back in equal measure to what you have taken? Your example of paying the villagers is a good example of this. When you offered money, they reciprocated with work; when you shared your gifts, they shared their emotion. And this goes further. When you went to film the telephone booth and were confronted by those whose lives it was attached to, you had nothing to offer in return. You could not give back in kind because what you where taking was so personal and so intimate that all you can offer is -nothing-. Reciprocity is what determines if what we do which benefits us is harmful to others. The caveat to this is that we must be honest with ourselves in our reflection on our actions and allow those whose lives we affect to have a voice in those decisions, lest we rationalize ourselves into doing harm.

The phone booth made me teary. Can't imagine the emotions swirling around that space.

Simple. It's exploitation if the person being filmed doesn't want to be filmed. It's also exploitation if the motive for filming is about career, money and glory. Many of these film makers really don't care about the subject and only care about the shot.

We were in Hanoi in July and went to train street There was a man who had set up a tripod for his camera across the tracks from us waiting for a train to come past. The woman who you can see at 1:20 has a young son who warned the man at least 10 times that he was too close to the tracks and that the train would hit his camera. He just kept ignoring the young boy. Finally after waiting around half an hour for the train to pass the man soon realised the mistake he had made and had to grab his camera and run down a stairway 😂 . It was probably my favourite video I got in my visit to Hanoi. If a local is trying to give you advise, LISTEN TO THEM! THEY KNOW BETTER THAN YO DO

Wow. Just wow. I don't have any other words to describe. You sir are a hidden gem on the YouTube. Glad that I discovered you.

“Capture their poverty “ almost sounds a little perverse to me.

Mate, I normally do not comment on videos... but big time kudo's man. You are one of too few people that really care about how you tell your story to others. What is journalism, what is filming, etc. On top of that, you seem like a really kind and nice dude (eh, Canadians really live up to their stereotypes I guess ;D) and incorporate a little humor alongside serious talk in your videos. Keep this up and I hope you stay as true to your vision/mission as you are now!

I have been a tourist in places where I've felt a similar discomfort. I'm there watching a show that's being put on for me. What right do I have to put myself in their lives? I want to make a connection with the real people, I don't want them to pretend to be something they're not for my sake. The fetishisation of the other is always lurking in the back of my mind, whether that's a farm family or reed raft group in Peru or a temple monk in Japan or a friends in LA showing me (a Canadian) around. And I can't help but wonder - do they actually hate me?

There's a fine line between sharing experiences and history that defines a culture, and tourism that tries to show who they are and why they are but ultimately fails to show either. Having visited over 35 different countries, I know this to be very real, as this video and explained this. One thing that tourism can do, despite our best wishes, is to rob a society of it's culture and replace it with a tourism friendly culture. One that has changed to fit the customs of the people who come to look, but if closely looked at, still has the echoes and shadows of it's former culture. This video shows me that what you're attempting to do is hard, but I wish you luck to continue to share the experiences and history of a culture, instead of changing it.

This is the most self-aware and introspective video I have ever seen on YouTube. My utmost respect to Rare Earth for daring to ask themselves uncomfortable questions. This is why I watch. Peace be with you.

It is videos like this, especially, that have me coming back over and over. This type of self-aware critical perception leading to introspective unanswerable questions is something i do quite often and it is very refreshing to see someone presenting “news?” In this manner. Not telling me what is going on, not telling me how i need to feel about it, but showing me cultures and people and how they live as best as you can from the perspective of someone who doesn’t live there while being fully aware of your influence during your recording. This is the first time i have ever been compelled to actually give money to a show on youtube, but i support what you are doing and how you try to be as honest as you can while you are doing it. Thank you

it is invasive to document someone against their will, unless it is being done to expose some harm they are doing

From the first video, I've looked at this series as one that would tell me stories about places that I'd never get to. On November 2, 2017 I suffered a major heart and ended up having a 3 way bypass. I got my sister to get me a laptop computer I could use in the hospital, I ended up in there for 34 days, 14 of with I was bed ridden. videos like this kept me going, something to look forward every week, that's what I used my computer, to aid in my recovery. I'm looking forward to season 3.

from canada, i love your videos i first watched the one about japan where you talk about the outcast people, i was moved because i related a lot to it, and i never knew anything about that part of japan, its a country i love very much and to learn this really changed my perspective. i respect your videos and hope you keep making them, because people need to learn about the world, so many people live in a bubble and dont try to learn. for most of my life ive been a outcast myself, life is a struggle but seeing you expose other people who are suffering, i dont know how to say but its emotional, it makes me want to help myself even more to help those in similar situations like me, cause i know how it is to be hated and be alone. but we as humans, those that know suffering and weakness, should use that strength to help create happiness for those that lack it. i wish you best of luck, you're videos have great meaning.