Vic Berger is a video artist whose satirical/parodying work can be associated with YouTube Poop. With only the use of editing broadcast footage, his main subject is the Manipulative Editing/deconstruction of politics, more precisely of conservative public figures. He is a longtime collaborator of Tim Heidecker.
While working with the YouTube channel Super Deluxe, his work came to light during the 2016 presidential election of the United States where he covered the run of Republican candidates such as Jeb Bush and Donald Trump. Following Trump's election, Vic continued to parody various events and scandals of his term. The sum of it all would be released on the Youtube channel of VICE News.
Vic Berger's editing style relies on pointing out the small details and exploit them. He would use the rhetoric or speech pattern of a person and exaggerate it for comedic purpose. To top it off, he uses library music or stock sound effects as a way to further tone down any feeling of seriousness from a footage.
Following the acquisition of AT&T by Time Warner, the Super Deluxe channel shut down, along with Vic's Vic Berger presents series. Vic would reupload it on his own Youtube account along with more miscellaneous content. Most of his long-feature videos can be viewed on VICE News' Youtube channel (as part of a series called Filling the Void) and he also has a Patreon page.
Selective Videography
- Vic Berger Presents RAPPERS (2018)
- Vic Berger Presents Daytime TV, Advertising & Kids Shows (2018)
- THE ABSOLUTE VERY BEST OF REV. JIM BAKKER (2019)
- Dr. Jordan Peterson and other GRIFTERS (2019)
- Jeb! Is A Mess (THE COMPLETE SAGA) and more! (2019)
- RUDY GIULIANI Gets Fired Up For AMERICA (2019)
- DONALD TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT (2020)
- A Portrait of Donald J. Trump (2021)
- America’s Big Fat Mess (2021)
- Vic Berger’s Christmas Spectacular (2021)
- MAGA Icons: Where Are They Now and Are They OK (2021)
Tropes associated with Vic Berger's work:
- Absurdism
- Bookends: A Portait of Donald J. Trump begins and ends with an interpretation of the United States' National Anthem.
- Cerebus Syndrome: Downplayed. While Vic Berger's videos for Super Deluxe rely on a lot of meme-worthy Manipulative Editing, his work for Vice News is more toned-down and critical of conservative media while still remaining parody-ish.
- Vic's long-feature video A Portait of Donald J. Trump (released on VICE News' Youtube channel) starts off with the warning: "The followng video has been lightly edited for length and clarity". Meanwhile, Vic released DONALD TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT on his personal channel. While it shares similar points and jokes to A Portait of Donald J. Trump, the humor is different on how Trump is even more ridiculed through absurd humor.
- Cringe Comedy: Vic takes this Ted Talk
of a former Buzzfeed editoralist and accentuates on the crowd's reaction regarding the overall embarrassing performance. - Deconstructive Parody: Despite covering the various mishaps of Donald Trump's presidential term, whether it involves political, diplomatic, or sexual scandals, Vic's editing makes it look like cartoon-ish comedy, with some rare instances of straight-up criticism towards topics such as racial and environmental issues.
- It Amused Me: Vic's idea to constantly put the air horn noise in his videos is partially based on the fact that he finds that noise funny.
- Manipulative Editing: Played for Laughs. Vic would either make Donald Trump look like a tyrant or a cartoony lunatic depending on how he edits his speech patterns or the soundtrack accompanying it.
-
Memetic Mutation: "Jeb is a mess !", uttered by Trump towards Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries, and used ad nauseam in Vic's editing whenever Jeb is mentioned. - Overly Long Gag: A Portait of Donald J. Trump showcases "Trump Talk" and how the former American president would keep on repeating the same sentences, idioms or rhetorics. The longest gag being the innumerable amount of times he says "billions and billions" during his whole career.
- Running Gag
- The brief sound of a airhorn constantly pops up during a Trump rally and is exploited in the most random situations.
- The use of the song "Overall Winner" by John Eppling any time Trump arrives at an event.
- Donald Trump saying "So cute !" when he kisses someone.
- Melania Trump saying "Hello ?" whenever she's mentioned.
- Satire
- Soundtrack Dissonance: As A Portrait of Donald J. Trump ends with a glorious interpretation of "Star-spangled Banner", you can hear Donald Trump lamenting on how the USA is a third-world country and the American Dream is dead.
- Staggered Zoom: Used as a way to point out or accentuate what someone says.
- Toilet Humor: Vic interprets a specifc speech of Donald Trump (and more precisely Trump's face) as someone who is taking a large dump.
- The Woobie: Jeb Bush is parodied as the miserable loser of the 2016 run as a Republican presidential candidate.Trump: Jeb is a mess ! Jeb is a waste ! Jeb is a big fat mistake !
